Venezuela`s Economy Essays - Northern South America, Venezuela

Venezuela`s Economy Venezuela is rich in oil and other mineral resources. Its per capita income is about average for Latin America. The country's public external debt (excluding the obligations of the central bank and PDVSA, the parastatal oil company) stood at approximately $26.5 billion in 1996. The economy grew by 4.5% in real terms in 1997. Consumer prices rose only 37.6% in 1997 compared to the record 103% of 1996. The government is hoping for inflation of 24% during 1998. The Venezuelan economy is making a comeback under the Agenda Venezuela, propelled primarily by the opening of the petroleum sector to foreign investment (the "apertura"), a far-reaching privatization program, and plans to reform public sector operations. Oil prices have shown a continual decline since 1996, which is serving to erode the budgetary surplus from 4.5% in 1996 to an estimated 1.5% in 1997. In July 1996, the Venezuelan Government and the IMF formally announced a $1.4 billion stand-by loan. The World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank are also contributing to efforts to promote fundamental structural reforms--in the judiciary, electoral system, and social security/severance pay programs. Petroleum and Other Resources Venezuela's economy is dominated by petroleum, and the country is a founding member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). In 1997, this sector accounted for more than one-quarter of GDP, almost three-quarters of export earnings, and almost half of central government's revenues. Most of Venezuela's energy exports consist of crude oil, but the country is also the United States' leading foreign source of refined petroleum products. The Government of Venezuela has opened up much of the hydrocarbon sector to foreign investment, promoting the establishment of massive new petrochemical joint ventures and reactivation of inactive fields. The Venezuelan petroleum corporation and foreign oil companies signed eight contracts for exploration and production joint ventures in July 1996. These contracts are expected to generate over $15 billion in foreign investment. A range of other natural resources, including iron ore, diamonds, coal, bauxite, hydroelectric power, gold, and nickel are in various stages of development. In 1996, CVG, the state-owned mining firm, announced its first joint venture with a foreign company to develop the Las Cristinas gold mine. Congress is also considering legislation which would update Venezuela's 1945 mining law in an effort to encourage greater private sector participation in mineral extraction. Manufacturing, Agriculture, and Trade Manufacturing contributed 15.6% of GDP in 1997. The manufacturing sector grew slightly (2.2%) in direct contrast with the contraction in 1996. Venezuela manufactures and exports steel, aluminum, textiles, apparel, beverages, and foodstuffs. It also produces cement, tires, paper, and fertilizers, and assembles cars for both the domestic and export market. The "Agenda Venezuela" envisions the privatization of a range of state-owned enterprises, including banks. Agriculture accounts for 4% of GDP, 12% of the labor force, and 24% of Venezuela's land area. Venezuela exports beef, rice, coffee, and cocoa. However, the country is not self-sufficient in most areas of agricultural production and imports about 60% of food consumed. In 1996, U.S. firms exported approximately $475 million of agricultural products including wheat, soybeans, corn, soymeal, and cotton to Venezuela, our third-largest agricultural export market in Latin America. The U.S. usually accounts for slightly more than a third of Venezuela's food imports. Thanks to petroleum exports, Venezuela usually posts a trade surplus. In recent years, non-traditional (i.e. non-petroleum) exports have been growing rapidly but still constitute only about one-fourth of total exports. The United States is Venezuela's leading trade partner. During the first 10 months of 1997, the United States registered $3.0 billion in exports (about 38% of Venezuela's total) and purchased $12.9 billion in imports (about 55% of Venezuela's total). Venezuela's trade with other Andean Pact members, particularly Colombia, is growing in importance. Labor and Infrastructure Venezuela's labor force of about 8.8 million is growing faster than total employment. At the end of 1997, official unemployment was 12.8%, but unofficial estimates are higher. The public sector employs 14% of the work force, while less than 1% work in the capital-intensive oil industry. About 25% of the labor force is unionized. Unions are particularly strong in the public sector. Venezuela has an extensive road system. With the exception of air service, transportation and communications have failed to keep pace with the country's needs. Much of the infrastructure suffers from inadequate maintenance. Caracas has a modern subway, but only one functioning rail line serves the rest of the country. Economical indicators GDP (1997 est.): $72.1 billion. Growth rate (1997): 4.5%. GDP per capita: $3,164. Natural resources: Petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, gold, other minerals, hydroelectric power, bauxite. Agriculture (4.7%

Term Paper Writing

Term Paper Writing Term Paper Writing Term Paper Writing While writing a term paper, you should develop writing strategy. If you do not know how to write a term paper, how to start writing or collecting information, it is a good idea to create a timetable of your work.   For example, create a set of notes outlining the points you are going to make, it will significantly simply writing a term paper process.   The basic structure (outline) will help you to write a good college term paper. Good writing is a matter of proper training, a lot of practice, and hard work. The goal of your term paper writing is establish a good thesis statement and inform the reader about your point of view.   Depending on the term paper writing requirements, you have to produce either persuasive/argumentative essay or descriptive/research paper. Term Paper Topics As a rule, college term paper can be thought of as answer to a specific question that has been posed by your professor. The purpose of term paper writing is to make you think about the problem/issue and find the answer/solution to it. Prior to writing a term paper you should spend reasonable amount of time reading and thinking about the topic which was proposed. Make sure you understand what the question is asking for. The first step of writing a term paper is to make sure that you understand exactly what your teacher expects. Sometimes a teacher will assign a topic or thesis for term paper, and sometimes he or she will leave it up to students to pick their own topics. Analyze all of English term paper key terms and all instructions. If you are in any doubt, ask your tutor to explain what is required. Before you start writing a term paper, you should be able to state exactly what it is that you are trying to show. You should be able to state in a single short sentence. The next task is to determine how to persuade the reader that your thesis is correct. At this point, students frequently make one or more of several mistakes. Sometimes, they feel that since the thesis is clear to them, it must be true and everybody has to agree with it.   It is common to overestimate the strength of your own position. That happens because you have already accepted that point of view. In order to write a good term paper, it is necessary to think very carefully and clearly about your topic. CUSTOM TERM PAPER WRITING Alternatively, you are welcome to place an order at and your essay will be written by professional writer.   We deliver only custom written term papers free of plagiarism and in accordance to tutor's instruction.

Ancient Roman Water Systems

Ancient Roman Water Systems Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow, a Brandeis classicist who has studied the Roman latrine, says, There are no ancient sources where you can really learn about daily life[...] You have to come upon information almost by chance. That means its hard to answer all the questions or to say with any confidence that this bit of information about the bathroom habits of the Roman Empire applies to the Republic as well. With that caution, here is some of what we think we know about the water system of ancient Rome. Roman Aqueducts The Romans are renowned for engineering marvels, among which is the aqueduct that carried water for many miles in order to provide a crowded urban population with relatively safe, potable water, as well as less essential but very Roman aquatic uses. Rome had nine aqueducts by the time of the engineer Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. 35–105), appointed curator aquarum in 97, our main ancient source for the water supply. The first of these was built in the fourth century B.C. and the last in the first century A.D. Aqueducts were built because the springs, wells, and Tiber River were no longer providing the safe water that was needed for the swelling urban population. Aqueducts Listed by Frontinus: In 312 B.C., the Appia Aqueduct was built 16,445 meters long.Next was the Anio Verus, built between 272-269, and 63,705 meters.Next was the Marcia, built between 144-140 and 91,424 meters.The next aqueduct was the Tepula, built in 125, and 17,745 meters.The Julia was built in 33 B.C. at 22,854 meters.The Virgo was built in 19 B.C., at 20,697 meters.The next aqueduct is the Alsientina, whose date is unknown. Its length is 32,848.The last two aqueducts were built between 38 and 52 A.D. Claudia was 68,751 meters.The Anio Novus was 86,964 meters. The Drinking Water Supply Water did not go to all residents of Rome. Only the rich had private service and the rich were as likely to divert and hence, steal, the water from the aqueducts as anyone. Water in residences only reached the lowest floors. Most Romans got their water from a constantly running public fountain. Baths and Latrines Aqueducts also supplied water to public latrines and baths. Latrines served 12-60 people at once with no dividers for privacy or toilet paper only a sponge on a stick in the water to pass around. Fortunately, water ran through the latrines constantly. Some latrines were elaborate and may have been amusing. Baths were more clearly a form of entertainment as well as hygiene. Sewers and The Cloaca Maxima When you live on the 6th floor of a walk-up with no latrine for blocks, the chances are youll use a chamber pot. What do you do with its content? That was the question that faced many an insula dweller in Rome, and many answered in the most obvious way. They dumped the pot out the window onto any stray passerby. Laws were written to deal with this, but it still went on. The preferred act was to dump solids into sewers and urine into vats where it was eagerly collected and even bought by fullers who needed the ammonia in their toga cleaning business. The main sewer of Rome was the Cloaca Maxima. It emptied into the Tiber River. It was probably built by one of the Etruscan kings of Rome to drain the marshes in the valleys between the hills. Sources By Donna Desrochers,  Classicist digs deep for truth about latrines, hygiene habits of ancient Romans, Roger D. Hansen, Water and Wastewater Systems in Imperial Rome Lanciani, Rodolfo, The Ruins of Ancient Rome. Benjamin Blom, New York.

Global Transportation Providers APL; OHL; COSCO Essay

Global Transportation Providers APL; OHL; COSCO - Essay Example OHL OHL is one of the largest third party logistic services providers in the world. It provides supply chain management services to top organizations of the world. Its services include transportation, custom brokerage, warehousing etc. Its tracking system is one of the most sophisticated in the world. Its shipment tracking system is based on GPS and EDI shipment tracking system and offer real time tracking system. OHL also does not provide facility to track the shipments online from any web browser whereas APL provides such facility. COSCO COSCO is relatively young company with over 25 years of experience in the industry. It uses an innovative and new technology to track its shipments. It serves mostly Asian markets including Japan, rest of Asia, North America and Europe. It manages IRIS-2 system which helps to manage its shipment tracking. It is considered as one of the most sophisticated systems in the industry. Advantages & Disadvantages One of the most important advantages of shipment tracking system for any transportation firm is the fact that it provides the company necessary flexibility as well as depth and breadth to mange cargos on large scales. Though most of the systems used by modern shipping companies are technology based therefore they enjoy the necessary advantages due to their technological superiority. As for as the system of APL is concerned, it is considered as one of the highly sophisticated and state of art system. In its essence, this is wireless system based on RFID. APL attaches RFID tags to most of its shipments to track their shipments. (Cox, 2006). However, the real draw back of this system is the fact the tags need to past certain posts in order to located therefore if a new container replaces another one the it may take a bit longer for the system to accurately give the real time location of the shipments based on their time. It is also important to understand that APL is also using WAVES which is based on a very complex technology which provides a much greater advantage over its competitors because it is not used by any other transportation firms in the world. This propriety use of a very complex and sophisticated system provide necessary competitive advantage. The shipment tracking system of OHL is a bit old and is considered as less sophisticated than APL. Based on GPS and EDI, this system is bit slower especially in terms of downloading the data from the real time location to the servers of the firm therefore accurate tracking takes slightly higher than other systems such as with APL. COSCO's system is supported by Sybase Inc. Sybase is one of the highly regarded company in terms of producing robust and sophisticated systems. COSCO adapted "Sybase's Adaptive Server Enterprise, Replication Server, Open Client and jConnect in its IRIS-2 System for data collection, storage, conversion, processing and analysis" (Connolly, 2008). The system employed by COSCON is much more sophisticated than the systems at APL and OHL. It not only provides a much more comprehensive tracking of the shipments but also enable COSCON to analyze the data on real time basis. However, it is also importan

The Constitution of the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Constitution of the United States - Essay Example At the same time, the Constitution is not a book of statutes and so therefore overlapping interests have historically provided the crux of difficulties. As such, the Constitution may be said to be the very model of moderation in politics; it manages to make up for the absence of federal authority sorely lacking in the Articles of Confederation while at the same not avoiding the pitfalls of conferring such authority at the federal level that states have no access to redress grievances. The Constitution managed to achieve this tilting the balance of power into the middle ground between the federal and state levels. At the same time, the framers of the Constitution recognized that the primary failure of the Articles of Confederation was in giving too many rights to the states, leaving the federal government weak. The Constitution guaranteed that the ultimate power would rest in the hands of the federal government through the so-called "elastic clause" found in Article I, Section 8 of th e Constitution which endows the Congress with the power to "make all laws which shall be necessary and proper" to carry out its specific rights and responsibilities (Anderson 76). The separation of powers and the system of checks and balances is the single most useful aspect of the American democracy despite the fact it paradoxically seems to place limits upon the powers in charge. The necessity for placing limits on the three branches of government can be attributed expressly to the crucible in which the Constitution was drafted. The danger of not just executive tyranny, but also legislative and even judicious tyranny was ever present in the minds of those who had captured their freedom through the shedding of blood. The very concept of conferring authority upon a national government in which the legislative, executive, and judicial branches were connected and working dependently upon the other would mean too much concentrated power in too few hands. The writers of the Constitution instead looked to exploit the advantages of a fragmentary system of governance in which the three branches of the federal government work independently of each other, while at the same time being unable to act entirely on their own. The brilliance of the division of power within the federal government is that each branch has been given just enough power to make a difference, but not so much power as to be allowed to successfully give into the temptation of tyranny. Even today, in the atmosphere of an imperial President and lack of a strong legislative body, the idea that the President or Congress would actually engage in tyrannical methods seems far-fetched, but the framers of the Constitution who saw firsthand how absolute power could corrupt, it was truly a revolutionary leap forward. The limitations on power given to each of the three branches of government is known as the system of checks and balance and it is precisely the limits on power, rather then the authority given, that oils the machinery of democratic progress. Ambition has been counteracted by the placement of limits upon how much power the legislative, executive and judicial branches enjoy. For instance, the laws of American are created by Congress, but the President can use his veto power if he decides for some reason that the law is not just. At the same time the

Means To Strengthen National Schools Education Essay

Means To Strengthen National Schools Education Essay A national school is a government-sponsored school which the education is the responsibility of the federal government. The national school was to be provided to unite all races in our country. The education in Malaysia beginning with a national school system consists of Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English medium. Each medium used different instruction and syllabus. The syllabus which is being used originated from their country. They ran the school by their own and establish the school by using curricula and teachers from their country. In the 1950s, the Barnes Report suggested on the need to build national school that involved all races. This was the first time a report talked about nationality. But racial sprits were strong and totally rejected by Chinese community. By doing so, we can face many hurdles and obstacles if the vernacular schools still exist. The purpose of national school was set up is actually to promote unity, so that there would be peace and harmony in order that development can occur. Independent Malaysia must have a strong society to avoid racial conflicts or racial tension. For that to develop: There must be that self consciousness or sense of belongings or like-mindedness that must grow as people live together in a common territory, develop common interests, accumulate the same traditions, share the same ideas, ideals, modes of thinking and behavior. Education is the main based to create national unity because the step is necessary to encourage the producing of national school. By having the national school, several racial communities will be abolished. A view on the national school was that it should be bilingual which meant all students will be taught in English and Malay. English has been declared as a second language in Malaysia but Malay is the national language of Malaysia. So, all races will send their children in national school and they can introduce their society and culture without any barriers. There is no limitation when a race sits with another race to talk and to mingle each other because when they are in national school, spirit of unity will be planted in their selves. The communities still can keep on preserving their mother tongue by its own cultural educations. There are challenges and constraints facing the implementation of the national school. But it can be solved by improving the particular things that can raise the ability of national school such as relationship within the school, classroom approaches, parents and community and teacher education. Besides that, the school system is needed to change by doing reflective practice to improve national schools. Those things are essential to strengthen national schools. It is not easy to apply the ways but we can struggle on it to achieve the objective. All people should be involved to ensure the national school can run successfully. First of all, one of the opinions to toughen the national school is develop relationship within the school that is between teachers, between pupils and teachers, and between pupils themselves. When the kind of the environment is existed in the school, the communication between them will be guileless because pupils are tending to share their story with their teachers and their friends. Absolutely, everybody in the school needs each other to help them when they are in trouble. The teachers have to ask their pupils to learn together with them as teamwork. Clearly, the relationship is a further factor which determines the teachers to educate for a multicultural society. In addition, when pupils are given a task, the teachers should make explicit statement to not confuse them because they are needed to be guide. The teachers also can add some references and do a skeleton or draft for the task. Then explain to them and discuss together with them about the task. The teachers need to show to their students that they are listening and willing to help them if something they do not understand about their task or lesson. The teachers can ask their student to meet them inside or outside the school. Furthermore, another ways to strengthen the national school is classroom approach. The community in the school should give positive approach for everybody to practice their culture because national school is consisting on multiracial students. The aim is to allow the students to share their experiences about their society and culture. The teachers who are being a role model to their students have to start the variety of ways in emphasizing on learning about others culture. Pupil understands of cultural diversity within their own locale so it is a must for the teachers to expose the variety of culture to the students. By knowing others culture, it is important for national unity and there is a common value of tolerance and acceptability. The teachers can teach their students in the several of ethnic cultures in the country by referring on a curriculum that Malaysian needs as a society. For a best way of classroom approach, the teachers and the students should attempt to understand one another better, be sensitive towards the feelings of others, promote and preserve racial harmony and work together to achieve a strong unity. Moreover, parents and community are responsible in terms of national school development. They are responsible to encourage the value of unity to their children because they must worry about their children future and to unite, the students have to join with other races. Being teachers, it is compulsory for them to expose themselves to face-to-face interaction with parents to pertain the achievement of pupils. This is a good benefit for the national school to identify the problems of the students. Even though it is a risk for teachers but the profession has to take them so because they serve for the whole community. The involvement of teachers and parents can ensure that the environment of school always keep in safe and can comfort their students and children to learn in effective and convenient. It is essential for parents to check their childrens works and teachers need to respond wisely when parents ask for lend a hand to take care of their children. The teachers need to provide all the records of their students achievement to give to the parents. Honest information about the achievement can remain closed to parents and students as well as the teachers. The community has minor duty to make sure that the school working is concern by them for the implementations of national school such as if have any problems during outside school, the community can consult the parents or the teachers of the students. This is show how the parents and community are related each other in developing national schools. On the other hand, teacher education is one of the ways to strengthen the national school. Being under the national school system, the teachers are in higher education which needs to equip on multicultural education to improve the students unity. It is a difficult job but after chose the profession it is the responsibility of these people to educate the future generation with the right values and moral standards. Today as Ismail Mansur and Mohd. Azaham said in their book, The Malays, teaching is an occupation which is slowly regarded and poorly rewarded (2001:95). The lots of teachers must be improved. They have to think how to provide high quality teaching to teach in national school because in the school, there are many different familys backgrounds which they do not know either good or not. While teaching, teachers can adopt multicultural environment to heighten education between their students. The teachers, within their selves must have lots of information because students nowad ays are advance than previous students. Sometimes they know better than the teachers. So, in order to avoid this happen, the teachers need to add some general knowledge and in-depth knowledge about their specific subject. In teaching, the teachers must well qualify dedicated. They should know what need to be learnt and continue with effective and relevant lesson. In a national school, learning needs reflection. From an organizational perspective, reflective practice is considered a powerful norm in school in order to achieve high levels of student learning (Hawley Valli, 2000; Kruse, Louis, Bryk, 1995). Reflective practice is a feedback from one another to others as teachers and student to continuous learning and improvement. A commitment to reflective practice indicates a willingness to accept responsibility for ones professional practice (Ross, 1990). It is positive impact on student learning because it can produce a great achievement to the students by knowing their strength and weaknesses. After that, the teachers can play their role to correct the students by giving extra exercises or give further explanation about the task. Reflective practice provides a way to understand and make sense of the world (Brubacher, Case, Reagan, 1994, p. 36). By having reflective practice in the national school, it can increase the potential of school to achieve the success. By doing the reflection, the teachers and the students can share their opinion in certain topics that need critical thinking and new knowledge are created. The relationship between the classroom and the teachers become strong because they share same improvement to move forward in term of education. As conclusion, by having national school, all races in Malaysia can be united under one nation because education is only way to unity. However, it is not easy but we can overcome the problem by taking useful action to strengthen national school. At first we have relationship within the school and then provide more ways to toughen the national school such as classroom approaches, parents and community, teacher education and reflective practice. These are necessary things in improving the national school because for only the ways our national schools can performance better to attract all races to send their children only in national school. For unity to be achieved in the national school, all boundaries of race, religion and culture should be cut. We are together build one nation that everyone is related to one another. For learning in the national school, education is given equally to all the students without any bias. The teachers have to be dedicated and committed in teaching their students because they are useful for our country for the future. A strong belief that the national school is a place where it can produce a student who can adopt any culture in their daily life and a place where is able to play their role effectively by performance wholehearted in a one nation that is unity.

“How Does Boey Kim Cheng Powerfully Convey His Attitude to the Planners in the Poem?” Essay

The Planners is a poem where Boey Kim Cheng describes how the planners effect the nature in a negative way. He talks about how every single thing is constructed to the point of perfection, where seeming human is a mistake. History is erased to make way for buildings made of glass and steel. Boey Kim Cheng portrays his distaste and disapproval of the planners in the poem and uses an accusatory tone to point out how they’re craving and planning for perfection. And this is shown in the first three lines of the second stanze where the poet writes â€Å"They erase the flaws, the blemishes of the past, knock off useless blocs with dental dexterity.† Their objectives of erasing the imperfections of the past is unnatural. As the mistakes we’ve made in history make us what we are today, and our imperfections are what makes us human. The use of the word ‘blemishes’ conveys something negative. Blemishes are something you usually have on your body, something people vehemently try to get rid off by using countless methods to seem attractive to another. The use of the phrase â€Å"useless blocks† is almost offensive because who are the planners to decide which parts of our history, our past are of no use? The second stanza uses and extended metaphor for the country described in the poem with teeth, words such as ‘dental dexterity’, ‘shining teeth’, ‘anaesthesia’, ‘piling’ and ‘drilling’ are used. Here, the Planners obsession with perfection is emphasized, flaws are erased, useless parts (useless teeth) are knocked off, even the ‘blemishes of the past’. The Planners here are even trying to perfect their imperfect past, a near impossible feat. ‘All gaps are plugged with gleaming gold’, wealth and prosperity is used to cover up imperfections of the country, and it is made to be perfect in every way possible, wearing ‘perfect rows of shining teeth’. However, even if everything of the present is perfect, they will not stop, even trying to alter their history.