Abstract This paper discusses Australia's economy and explores what makes it a favorite choice for foreign investors. The paper presents a brief overview of the political and cultural environments in Australia. The paper elaborates on the imports and exports of the country.
Outline
Australia's Economic Basics
Exports
Imports
Attractions for Foreign Investors
Political Environment
Cultural Environment
Challenges
From the Paper "It is difficult to find many problems in the Australian economy. Indeed, the country is so vibrant, economically, that its economy is being called a "miracle" economy. Politically, it is a stable nation, and culturally, it is diverse and healthy. Perhaps the least healthy thing about Australia is that is it one of the skin cancer capitals of the world (Lonely Planet Web site), and it is recommended that one never venture outside without having applied SPF 30 sunscreen to all exposed skin half an hour before. This is good information to have, as the country is an excellent choice for foreign investors, who may want to take a look at what they?ve invested in, and take advantage of Australia's climate and outdoor attractions, especially water sports."
Abstract This paper discusses the role natural resources played in the peopling of the Pacific Northwest, including the natural resources that became commodities and how the commercialization of those resources affected interactions between various groups. It looks at what impact the exploitation of natural resources had on the region's environment. The Pacific Northwest is a diverse area full of natural resources that helped it grow and prosper as the population moved west. The writer concludes that many of these resources have been exploited for years at the expense of the area and its people.
From the Paper "Comprising the areas of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Canada's British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest is an area known primarily for its natural resources and relationship to the environment. The area is primarily broken into two parts by the ridge of the Cascade Mountains. To the west lies the humid and lush western coast, and to the east lies the drier, arid eastern plains. These environmental areas can be broken down into smaller, more detailed regions that relate to their own specific resources. One Northwest historian notes, "Principal resources include: soils, grasslands, minerals, fisheries, water for power and irrigation, forests, wildlife, and scenic attractions" (Freeman and Martin 119). From the explorations of Lewis and Clark to the first trappers who visited the area, it was quite clear it was an area rich in resources and wildlife, and abundant potential."
Abstract This paper analyzes the rapid pace of economic and political change in China, explaining that both have shifted into was seems to be an on-going expansion into a capitalist system. The paper contends that, since all of the early reforms, a new class of wealthy and prosperous Chinese has emerged, not to mention the great growth of the Chinese middle class, which is now comparable to that in the United States. The paper describes how China has changed from a socialist society that restricted private lives and affairs to a consumer society with increased economic freedom and individual participation.
From the Paper "A second influence from China's past that continues to manifest itself in contemporary Chinese politics is the influence of what is known as guanxi, ?a network of patron/client ties that stretch from the top to the bottom of the Chinese political hierarchy.? 4 This concept clearly reveals that such connections can be explained in terms of the relationship between the major figures and the secondary/tertiary figures in the Chinese political system. With this in mind, the Cultural Revolution is a splendid example of Mao's manipulation of the guanxi system and his elimination of his rivals, such as Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping. Interestingly enough, the obvious failure of Hua Guofeng to bring about his position as Mao's successor between 1977 and 1979 can be traced to his somewhat lacking guanxi connections within the party/state hierarchy; in contrast, Deng Xiaoping who possessed a very wide and complex guanxi network quickly took over as the leader of China following the death of Mao Tse-tung."
Abstract This paper explains that the provisions contained within the CLERP 9 are applicable to financial periods or year that commenced on or after the first day of July 2004. The author points out that key requirements are (1) disclosure of director's and executives remuneration packages, (2) review of operations as well as a review of condition, (3) a written declaration to the board made by the CEO and CFO stating that the company is in accordance in terms of accounting standards, and (4) a listing of non-audit services, their costs and explanation of why audit independence is not compromised. The paper stresses that cartels have been outlawed by subsection 45(2) of the Trade Practices Act, which bans contracts, arrangements, or any type of undertakings that have as their intent or are likely to be in the effect of substantially lessening competition or preventing, restricting, or limiting dealings with certain individuals.
Table of Contents
Statement of Thesis
Introduction
Elements Preceding the Change in Law
Corporate Law Economic Reform Program (CLERP 9)
Schedule One Provisions
Recent Development in Trade Practices
Conclusion
From the Paper "Australian Supreme Court sited in 2003 that: ?the governance of corporate entities comprehends the framework of rules, relationships, systems and processes within and by which authority is exercised and controlled in corporations.? Australia has recently implemented new regulations, which, enhance and harmonize corporation law. The alignment of the regulations with elements that are known to be those of a competent and responsible board of directors in view of strategy determination, performance review, risk management, internal control regulation and reporting to shareholders and stakeholders took effect in June 2004. The hoped for achievements are the elimination of the potential for future conflicts of interest, promotion of financial disclosure as well as the strengthening of those minority investors."
Abstract This paper is in the form of a speech by Osmane Arslanian, Ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations Organization. It provides a general overview of Syrian history, the current state of Syrian affairs, as well as a biography and summary of current Syrian leadership.
From the Paper "Syria first referred to the land of Aram East of the Mediterranean Sea between Egypt and Arabia to the south and Cilicia to the north, crossing inland, including Mesopotamia (Wikipedia 2004) and from west to east Commagene, Sophene and Adiabene, or what was known as Assyria. This was the larger Syria, which consisted of smaller regions, such as Palestine in the southwest, Phoenicia along the coast, Coele-Syria north of the Eleutheris River, and Mesopotamia. Palestine, later known as Israel, is now composed of the states of Israel and Jordan."
Abstract This paper explains that even the acquisition of Alta California from the Spaniards changed little the agrarian social and economic structure of "Southern" California; but the discovery of gold in "Northern" California brought new settlers, creating large cities, altering the agrarian way of life of the people and separating the northern culture from that of "Southern" California. The author points out the perpetually controversial importance of water as determined by two conflicting legal doctrines, the doctrine of riparian rights, signifying that the owners of land not contiguous to a stream had no rights to the water, and the second the doctrine of "prior appropriation", giving the first user of water the unrestrained right to divert it from the stream and to sell this right to others. The paper relates that, though growth in "Southern" California started slowly, it was enhanced by various land booms over the rest of the 19th century and into the 20th century and set the stage for rapid growth in industry and commerce, including the film industry.
From the Paper "The prevailing economic form was a system of land tenure, from which the ranchos evolved. This system was based on an ancient principle of Spanish law, which saw the king as owner in fee simple of all the colonial possessions in the New World. This was the Latin encomienda system. The settlement of the region was conducted by use of presidios, missions and pueblos, each founded on a land grant from the crown."
This paper discusses Lake Baikal, located in Siberia near the Mongolian border, which offers an excellent example of one of the largest and oldest fresh water ecosystems that sustains a wide variety of flora and fauna, including innumerable endemic specie
Abstract This paper explains that, for millennia, Lake Baikal's ecosystem has flourished in total isolation, untouched by the human population. Unfortunately, today, this precious Siberian ecozone is feeling the negative effects of human abuse. The author points out that the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill (BPPM), one of the region's oldest functioning industries (around 40 years), is the major polluting source because it exploits an old and highly dangerous method of bleaching pulp by using chlorine. The paper relates that, over the last decade, world environmentalists have helped improve the situation and limited the damage to the delicate ecosystem, but a coordinated effort from the Russian and Mongolian governments is indispensable for tackling this environmental crisis.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Lake Baikal
Importance of Lake Baikal
Environmental Effects (Air and Water Pollution)
The BPPM
Mineral Mining Plants
Conservation Projects
Baikal Watch and Baikal Environmental Wave
Conclusion
From the Paper "The biological importance of Lake Baikal is evident from the UNESCO declaration of Lake Baikal as a world heritage site and "the most outstanding example of a freshwater ecosystem". The range of climatic conditions within the surrounding areas of the lake has contributed to a rich variety of plant life in the region. While the Coniferous forests occupy the western regions, pine forests are common in the eastern areas and deciduous forests predominate the northern region. The fauna found in the lake is amongst the most diverse in the world with more than 255 amphipod species and 80 types of flatworms. The epishura, a tiny crustacean is the natural cleaning mechanism for the lake as it consumes all the decaying matter in the water. The most important and the only mammal species in the lake is the endemic Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica)."
Abstract This paper discusses the fundamental and historical conflicts between the majority Malays and the minority Chinese communities in the Malaysian peninsula. The paper presents a history of the region, with a focus on political issues. The paper examines the discrimination of the minority communities in Malaysia. The paper explores ethnic relations in Malaysia with regard to economics, religion, and education.
From the Paper "Some Chinese traders had settled in the country of Malaysia for centuries before other Chinese ethnic groups joined them in the 19th and 20th centuries. Although there has been an intermixture among the Chinese and other political minorities and the Malays as the political majority population, the Chinese have managed to preserve their cultural distinctions from the Malays, basically through religion and language. The Chinese use the Chinese language as distinguished from the Malay language and practice Buddhism, as differentiated from the Malays who are Muslim. The Chinese are grouped into the rural poor sector and the urban commercial sector, the latter being more economically capable and productive than the majority Malays. There have been these fundamental and historical conflicts between the majority Malays and the minority Chinese communities. The British ruled the peninsula and Singapore through the Chartered Company in Sabah and the Brooke family in Sarawak The Japanese Occupation made these conflicts worse during the last World War, during which the Malays sided with the Japanese against the British colonial rule and the Japanese mistreated the Chinese, who rebelled against them and formed the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army or MPAJA. When Japan lost the War, the MPAJA took violent actions in establishing control over the peninsula. The Chinese rural poor sector supported it and its succeeding organization, the Malayan Communist Party or MCP, founded in 1948."
Abstract This paper discusses the political economy of Malaysia. The paper does not discuss social beliefs and policies, but rather presents a Keynesian style, where the federal government intervenes on the market in order to correct its malfunctions. The paper examines some of the policies implemented by the Malaysian government aimed towards economic development programs, such as agricultural, commercial, transportation, or communications.
From the Paper "Petroleum was discovered off the East Coast of the Malayan Peninsula and oil production simply took off in the mid-70s, as the oil prices raised after the oil crisis of 1973 and, subsequently, the second oil crisis of 1979. As net producers and exporters, the Malaysians were on the net receivers? side and the country has become one of the most important oil exporters in the world. The main importer of Malayan oil has been Japan, a country lacking natural resources."
Abstract This paper examines the Kenyan political, social, and economic life since independence. The Kenyan economy is an agro-based economy, and its leaders have embarked on several economic reforms to attract foreign investors, but drought problems, as well as corruption, have always stalled the country's bid for economic development.
From the Paper "Since 1998, the Kenyan Government embarked on stabilization policies, with the hope of attracting foreign investors. The private sector contributes about 75% of the Kenyan GDP. The government introduced its incentives program for investors in 1986, with the establishment of the Investment Promotion Center {IPC} that serves as a principal contact point for foreign companies and entrepreneurs interested in investing in Kenya. The IPC helps to speed up foreign investment issues, serving as a liaison between foreign investors and the Kenyan Government."
Abstract This paper explains that the private St. Petersburg Junior College was the first successful junior college in Florida and that Palm Beach Junior College was the first public junior college, founded in 1933. The author points out that, in 1957, the Community College Council recommended that community colleges be established within commuting distance of 99% of the population in Florida, thus beginning the expansion of the community college system. Today, there are 28 community colleges in Florida. The paper relates that some of the community colleges have initiated baccalaureate degrees, particularly in education, nursing and applied science, and certification and re-certification of teachers.
From the Paper "Community and Junior Colleges in the United States accommodated many students who would otherwise not be able to attend college. These students have various reasons for not attending Community Colleges. Two reasons that are at the forefront are financial constraints and inadequate high school academic grades. Community colleges offered students vocational education, adult education, associate degree programs and the first 2 years of a baccalaureate degree."
Abstract This report presents a summary of hurricanes in general. The paper discusses the path of Hurricane Andrew. The paper explains that Hurricane Andrew was a small, but extremely ferocious hurricane that inflicted an unprecedented economic devastation all along its path through the northwestern Bahamas, the southern Florida peninsula, and south-central Louisiana. The paper contends that record amount of damage has been updated to well over forty billion dollars, making Hurricane Andrew one of the most expensive natural disasters in the history of the United States.
From the Paper "A hurricane is basically a very big tropical cyclone like weather system that develops in the tropics. There are certain storm classifications that distinguish types of storms: Tropical Depression, Tropical Storm and a Hurricane. One major distinction between these different types of storms is the speed of the associated winds. A Tropical Depression usually has all of the makings of a storm such as persistent clouds and thunderstorms but the maximum sustained winds are at most thirty eight miles per hour. A Tropical Storm also has strong thunderstorms and winds blowing between thirty nine to seventy three miles per hour. In the case of a Hurricane, the tropical weather system's winds range from seventy four miles per hour and up."
Abstract This paper discusses several aspects of the United States population distribution and how the population may change in the next five to ten years. It explains that the population distribution in the U.S. is an interesting mix, with most people living in the urban centers of the nation, but enough still live in the heartland and western areas to make the population diverse and spread out.
From the Paper "The population of the United States in mid-2004 was 293,633,000. The population distribution of the United States, in general terms, is located mainly along the coastlines, with the interior of the country being less populated than the East, West, and Gulf Coasts. In fact, the Population Research Bureau notes, "More than half the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of a coastal shoreline" (Editors). This also holds true with the Great Lakes region and along the Mississippi River. Population centers such as Detroit and Chicago are located along the coastlines of the Great Lakes, and centers such as Saint Louis are located along the Mississippi. Generally, distribution is heaviest East of the Mississippi, and then there is a wider gap until reaching the West Coast and desert southwest. While the population density of the U.S. is only 79 people per square mile, this statistic does not give an adequate picture of the population distribution, because there is so much of the country that is inhabitable because of terrain, inhospitality, or bodies of water. In addition, 79 percent of American people live in urban centers, which means only 21 percent live in the rural areas of the country."
Abstract This paper gives an overview of the New Zealand economy. The writer presents information and data that would be relevant to a young person starting a career and looking for a job in New Zealand. It examines social and economic issues compared to other Western countries.
From the Paper "In terms of likelihood of employment, data from the 1991 census indicates that in the age group category of 20-59, 90.5% of males and only 62.1% of females were employed (Rankin 14). These percentages deviate sharply from the percentage of those unemployed across age groups (5.3% as estimated in 2002), though the employment rates may have changed from 1991 to 2002. The unemployment rates for young people, incidentally, are not strongly affected by the number of people in tertiary education. In 1999, 25% of New Zealanders between the ages of 20 and 24 had no school qualifications. 50% had a secondary school qualification only, and the remaining 25% had a tertiary degree or were engaged in post-graduate study (http://www.careers.co.nz/ET/et-edu.htm#two). In terms of earnings, those with bachelor degrees or higher tend to earn the most money ? around $20NZ an hour. Those with vocational training earn around $15NZ an hour, on average, and those with a high school degree or with no degree both earn around $10NZ per hour. Professionals and administrators/managers make the most money (around $20NZ per hour). Other top earners include technicians and trades workers (http://www.careers.co.nz/ET/et-incoh.htm#four)."
Abstract This paper discusses what life was like on the Tobacco Coast as opposed to New England in the 17th and 18th centuries. The paper describes the relation of these two places to Great Britain, as they had initially been colonies thereof. The British influence on all spheres of life on the Tobacco Coast is explored in the paper and explained as the direct result of the bay culture. The paper examines the total opposite phenomenon in New England, claiming that this was due to the fact that this colony had been founded because of a disagreement with the British Crown.
From the Paper "The Tobacco Coast was dependent for its existence and the cadences of its life on the Great Chesapeake Bay. This is described as "a vast inland sea thrusting its deep estuaries and logn tidal reaches far into the wooded coastal plain" (Mason & Middleton, 1953, p. 30). It was first settled in 1607, and thereafter, the region flourished more luxuriantly than the Virginia Council dared hope in 1609 when it prayed God "so to nourish this graine of seed, that it may spread till all the people of the earth admire the greatnesse, and seek the shades and fruite thereof" (Quoted by Mason & Middleton, 953, p. 30). Its numerous rivers and creeks, spread out over a wide estuarine area, were compared by the early settlers to 'veins in humane Bodies' because they were so numerous and so intricately interconnected. One visitor predicted that the Chesapeake tidewater would eventually become "like the Netherlands, the richest place in all America" (Quoted by Mason & Middleton, 1953,p. 30)."
