The Nature of Technology Essay -- Technology Internet Communication Es

A good portion of my life is lived on-line. It might level off be said that I live a double life, part of it with family, friends, and co-workers in the immediate, material world, and another part with circles of family, friends, and co-workers on the net. Not only am I connected to other people, but I am also connected to a collection of tools and resources that help me in my day-to-day life. For example, I usance hypertext as a thinking tool for producing and developing my ideas I practice session the Web as a terminatevas for mapping and presenting myself and my work and I use a smart phone not only to keep in touch, but also to manage my time and organize my projects. Yet, as I write, I realize that I must detail the nature of my on-line relationships, both with these people and with these tools, in order to validate them. After all, how can these friendships be accredited if I never see the people I claim to love? How can I justify exchanging texts with my father when he li ves only two blocks absent from my apartment? How can I have a successful working relationship with an individual who lives in another country? How can these demanding, maddeningly opaque technological tools help me do anything except waste time? If you feel that these questions are no-brainers, with obvious and unextraordinary answers, then you are at least familiar with the rhetoric fanny a now-familiar pro-computing credo. More specifically you will recognize the key ideas of the global village and the use of high technology tools to improve life, to connect people to people, to grow freedom of expression, and to increase learning. Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the MIT Media Lab, neatly sums up every aspect of pro-technology rhetoric in the introduction to his book Being... ...to begin. Neither liberation nor oppression can become living powers in any soil except that of the human heart. As soon as we put the matter this way, however, we can begin to sing about the nature of the Net. Not some absolute, intrinsic nature, to be sure, but an established character -- a kind of active willfulness -- that ultimately derives from our character. ...We should not ask, Is technology neutral? but rather, Are we neutral in our use of technology? (Talbott 127)Works CitedBirkets, Sven. The Electronic Hive Two Views. Harpers, (May 2009). Negroponte, Nicholas. Being Digital. New York stochastic House, (2011). Postman, Neil. Technopoly. New York Random House, (2012). Stoll, Clifford. Silicon Snake Oil. New York Doubleday, (2012). Talbott, Stephen L. The Future Does Not Compute. New York OReilly & Associates, (2011).

The Great White Father Myth - A Hypocritical Belief :: Synthesis Essays

The commodious White novice Myth - A Hypocritical Belief In the informative article The Great White Father Myth, the author Stan Steiner discusses the unimaginative view that the white man has created of himself as the hero, conqueror, and savior. He labels this view as The Great White Father Myth, and begins by talking about the silent role the Indians have taken in the face of their Great White Father. Steiner supports his view of the white mans superiority as creation nothing more than a myth, by discussing the crimes the white man committed against the Indians were silenced. The Indian Wars and the White mans desire to civilize the Indians were illustrations of the myth that whites were superior. Although the article contains a aslope view of the events between the Europeans and the Indians, the fact that the white man is hypocritical in the view of himself as the Great White Father comes through and through very accurately and strongly. This idea is shown very evidently even though Steiner never comes out and defines what the Great White Father Myth is. He shows what he means through examples. Basically, through illustrations he shows that he feels the myth is that whites are superior beings of the human race. This created identity makes their values, religion, and culture the ideal goal for other races to follow. Since the white race is the go it is his duty to punish and change anyone who is different. In An Indian Story of the Sierra Madre, the typical white hero and savior image of the Great White Father Myth that Steiner describes comes through. Captain Ben, who is the white cowboy hero, knows everything. In the beginning, he knows that the Indians are near just by looking at some birds over head. In his mind, Ben knows without even seeing them that they want to kill him and his men. As a result of this conclusion, smart Ben devises a scheme to kill the Indians and saves the day. After the massacre, he finds money with the Indians and knows automatically that they stole it. Captain Ben, being the savior and all around good guy, recovers the money and intends to find its owner and return it. The story continues in this same stereotypical fashion (DeQuille 242). This is how the white man pictures himself in comparison to the Indian white = good and red skin = bad.

Aristotle On Tragedy :: essays research papers

The Nature of TragedyIn the century after Sophocles, the philosopher Aristotle canvas calamity. His definition Tragedy then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being put up in separate parts of the play in the form of action, not of narrative through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions.Aristotle identified cardinal basic elements (1) plot (2) character (3) diction (the choice of style, imagery, etc.) (4) thought (the characters thoughts and the authors meaning) (5) spectacle (all the visual effects Aristotle considered this to be the least important element) (6) song.According to Aristotle, the central character of a tragedy must not be so virtuous that instead of feeling pity or fear at his or her downfall, we are simply outraged. withal the character cannot be so evil that for the sake of justice we desire his or her misfor tune. Instead, best is someone"who is neither outstanding in virtue and right nor is it through badness or villainy of his own that he falls into misfortune, but rather through some flaw hamartia". The character should be known or prosperous, like Oedipus or Medea. What Aristotle meant by hamartia cannot be established. In each play we read you should particularly consider the following possibilities. (1) A hamartia may be simply an intellectual mistake or an error in judgement. For example when a character has the facts wrong or doesnt know when to obturate trying to get dangerous information. (2) Hamartia may be a moral weakness, especially hubris, as when a character is moral in both way except for being prideful enough to insult a god. (Of course you are free to decide that the tragic hero of any play, past or modern, does not have a hamartia at all). The terms hamartia and hubris should become basic tools of your critical apparatus.The Concept of TragedyThe word tr agedy can be applied to a genre of literature. It can mean any serious and dignified drama that describes a conflict between the hero (protagonist) and a superior force (destiny, chance, society, god) and reaches a sorrowful conclusion that arouses pity or fear in the audience. From this genre comes the concept of tragedy, a concept which is based on the possibility that a person may be destroyed precisely because of attempting to be good and is much better than most people, but not perfect.

Bringing It All Together :: essays research papers

     The Epilogue of the Tempest by William Shakespeare is an excellent -- if not the best -- example of Shakespeares brilliance. In 20 lines Shakespeare is able to write an excellent expiration to his play, while speaking through his characters about Shakespeares own life and career. Even more amazingly, he work outmlessly ties the two together.     In the context of the story Prosperos monologue makes sinless sense. He has lost his magical power, so his "charms are oerthrown, and what strength Prospero haves his own, which is near faint." He is now "confined" on the Island, for his other choice would be to go to Naples and reclaim his dukedom, notwithstanding he doesnt want to do that because he has already "pardoned the deceiver" who took his position many years ago. Prospero then says something a little strange, but it makes sense in the context of the story, he ask us to "release him from his bands with th e help of your good hands." In other words, clap so that the sails of the boats his friends are locomote in will be safely returned and Prospero can be "relieved by prayer" of the audience.     All of what Prospero has said is very nice cute, but the most interesting part of this monologue is what Shakespeare himself is saying. "Now that my charms are all oerthrown, and what strength I haves mine own" means, now my plays are over, and its no longer my characters speaking. The "Island" or stage Shakespeare is on is now "bare" and it is time for "you" the audience to release Shakespeare and his actors from this play with the "help of your good hands." Shakespeare was not only being released for the performance of the play, he was being release from his career as a playwright. But there are more reasons to clap besides the obvious reason that the play is over, Shakespeare could not allow his final play to be bad, his project "was to please." He reiterates this point by saying "and my ending is despair unless I be relieved by prayer", or the clapping of the audience and it frees "all faults" and allows Shakespeare to indulge the clapping and joy of the audience.     Finally, after we seperate the two different perspectives, we can step back and see how Shakespeare magically works them together. The first such pun is on the word "faint", in the third line.

Public Art Essay -- Art

Public ArtAny drawn line that speaks about identity, dignity, and unity is art, (Chaz Bojorquey) is a statement that I agree with. Art is perceived differently from all people based on their culture, religion, personal taste, and many former(a) factors. I believe that as hanker as what has been created is meaningful to either the creator or even to somebody that is viewing it, it should be considered art. Art in the public is a very polemic subject that brings up the important question of, Should public art be considered as real art, personally I think that it should be. I believe that the expiration between art that is placed in a gallery and art that is visible by a community is the fact that what is acceptable in a gallery is different than what is acceptable on the streets of our communities. When art gouge and will be viewed by the members of that town, there must be some line that cannot be crossed. There are many aspects that make public art an important addition to our communities, and there are also aspects that may be negative in the eyes of some. My love for art, as a whole, has a large affect on my acceptance of art in the public, but my love does not sieve me to the reasoning as to why people may not agree with it.There are many different forms of what is to be considered public art. It can cranial orbit from sculptors, paintings, murals, mosaics, graffiti, tagging, and even more. Many people often forget about the excitement that art has to offer the way that it makes people feel is a sensation that can truly not be replaced by any other sight. Having something symbolic and cultural in your community enlightens the people that live there. It is what sets you apart from any other town. For instance it give... ...something that is often under appreciated or forgotten. Having art in the public more may be a large step toward inform the future generations to appreciate creativity and participate in universe creative. If something as simple as ground green marbles in a rake road can take my (a seventeen year old girl) breath away then imagine the reaction that could be expected from art being every where. My biggest fear is art being forgotten and with the beauty it has to offer being around more for everyone to see could eliminate that fear. Public art should be appreciated even though it may not be understood by all. It is a way to bring in tourism, excitement, beauty, creativity, and pure enjoyment to communities. I would like to end my paper with a quote from Pablo Picasso that expresses the way I fell about art, Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

Myths and Realities Essay -- Philosophy Learning Essays

Myths and Realities At least since the 1990 publication of Senges The Fifth Discipline, the concept of the culture organization (LO) has been promoted as a way to restructure organizations to meet the challenges of the coming century. What atomic number 18 culture organizations-in theory and in practice? Are they a real number solution or the latest in a series of reform fads? The myths and realities are explored in this publication.Getting a Grip on the Learning governmentOf course, there is not yet a consensus on the definition of a learning organization. Any type of organization can be a learning organization-businesses, educational institutions, nonprofits, community groups. Some authors agree that LOs start with the assumptions that learning is valuable, continuous, and most effective when distributed and that every experience is an opportunity to learn. LOs have the following characteristics (Calvert et al. 1994 Watkins and Marsick 1993) They offer continuous learning op portunities.They use learning to reach their goals.They link individual performance with organizational performance.They foster inquiry and dialogue, making it safe for the great unwashed to share openly and take risks.They embrace creative tension as a source of energy and renewal.They are continuously aware of and interact with their environment.Senges five disciplines are the keys to achieving this type of organization personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and systems thinking. According to Senge, the fifth, systems thinking, is the most important and underlies the rest.Of course, in a sense organizations do not learn, the people in them do, and individual learning may go on all the time. What is different a... ...(ERIC No. EJ 483 293)Smith, G. J., and Stodden, R. A. Restructuring Vocational Special Needs Education through interdisciplinary Team Effort. Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education16, no. 3 (Spring 1994) 16-23. (ERIC No. EJ 482 768)Solo mon, C. M. HR Facilitates the Learning Organization Concept. Personnel Journal 73, no. 11 (November 1994) 56-66.Watkins, K. E., and Marsick, V. J. Sculpting the Learning Organization. San Francisco Jossey-Bass, 1993.West, P. The Learning Organization Losing the Luggage in Transit? Journal of European Industrial Training18, no. 11 (1994) 30-38. (ERIC No. EJ 497 198)West, W. Learning Organizations A fine Review. In Proceedings of the Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference,edited by L. Martin. Madison University of Wisconsin, 1994. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 378 359)

Myths and Realities Essay -- Philosophy Learning Essays

Myths and Realities At least since the 1990 publication of Senges The Fifth Discipline, the concept of the learning formation (LO) has been promoted as a way to restructure organizations to meet the challenges of the coming century. What are learning organizations-in theory and in practice? Are they a real solution or the latest in a series of reform fads? The myths and realities are explored in this publication.Getting a Grip on the acquire OrganizationOf course, there is non yet a consensus on the definition of a learning organization. Any type of organization can be a learning organization-businesses, educational institutions, nonprofits, companionship groups. Some authors agree that LOs start with the assumptions that learning is valuable, continuous, and most effective when shared and that every experience is an opportunity to learn. LOs have the following characteristics (Calvert et al. 1994 Watkins and Marsick 1993) They provide continuous learning opportunities.They use learning to reach their goals.They link psyche performance with organizational performance.They foster inquiry and dialogue, making it safe for people to share openly and rent risks.They embrace creative tension as a source of energy and renewal.They are continuously aware of and interact with their environment.Senges five disciplines are the keys to achieving this type of organization personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and systems thinking. According to Senge, the fifth, systems thinking, is the most important and underlies the rest.Of course, in a sense organizations do not learn, the people in them do, and individual learning may go on all the time. What is different a... ...(ERIC No. EJ 483 293)Smith, G. J., and Stodden, R. A. Restructuring Vocational Special Needs Education through Interdisciplinary Team Effort. diary for Vocational Special Needs Education16, no. 3 (Spring 1994) 16-23. (ERIC No. EJ 482 768)Solomon, C. M. HR Facilitates the Learni ng Organization Concept. Personnel Journal 73, no. 11 (November 1994) 56-66.Watkins, K. E., and Marsick, V. J. Sculpting the Learning Organization. San Francisco Jossey-Bass, 1993.West, P. The Learning Organization Losing the Luggage in Transit? Journal of European Industrial Training18, no. 11 (1994) 30-38. (ERIC No. EJ 497 198)West, W. Learning Organizations A Critical Review. In transactions of the Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference,edited by L. Martin. Madison University of Wisconsin, 1994. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 378 359)

Comparison of Heterosexual-Parents and Homosexual-Parents Essay

Most people have an automatic belief that a nipper who is raised by heterosexual-parents is better off than a nestling who is raised by homosexual-parents. The belief held by most people may make the assess seem more socially acceptable. However, there is no law against it, nor is it written in stone that a child should non be raised by homosexual-parents. Furthermore, with the identical amount of love, structure, effort, and stability homosexual-parents can be equally as nurturing to a child. The ideal family has always consisted of having two parents which consist of a male and a female.Nevertheless, having parents of the opposite sex does not mean a child with homosexual-parents cannot get the same adequate amount of love. A child with homosexual-parents has two parents who work and wreak care of them also. Both heterosexual-parents and homosexual-parents can and do show the same amount of love by spending time with the child, talking to the child, working to provide for the child, and video display the child affection. Homes with heterosexual-parents may seem to have more structure and balance because they do not appear to have to deal with any outside negativity. negativeness can result from a number of things such as race and social status, not just the marital status of the parents. Nevertheless, both a position usually has one or more parents who works and provides for the family and there is typically one parent who devotes a lot of time and energy in focal point on the family, especially on the child. Both types of parents can have rules which have to be obeyed, household chores which have to be done, and family time which is a must for ski tow a well-developed child in todays society.Therefore, if heterosexual and homosexual parents disregard whatever outside negativity they may encounter and focus on the family and focus on what is important there will be the same amount of structure and balance to a child with either type of parents. Ever ything in life that a person believes is worthwhile takes effort and time. Parents have to put forth great effort and huge amounts of time in raising a child, especially if a parent wants a well-rounded, well-mannered, happy, smart, and what they believe to be a perfect child.Both heterosexual and homosexual parents can work towards achieving the ultimate oddment of raising a perfect child. However, even though at times it may appear to be an easier challenge for heterosexual -parents, it does not mean the same goal cannot be achieved by homosexual-parents. For the sake of the child both types of parents must put forth a worthwhile effort and spend time counsel on what is best for the child. Society, as a whole, automatically has a conceptualize idea that heterosexual-parents create a more stable environment for a child.However, the preconceived idea of society does not mean homosexual-parents cannot create a stable environment for a child. The two different types of parents must ensure stability for a child. Stability enables a child to focus on academic achievements and being a well-behaved child who has a stable home life does not seem to get themselves into as much trouble when compared to a child without a stable home environment. In other words, it does not matter if the child has heterosexual-parents or parents who are homosexual, stability, love, structure, and effort plays a major role in the proper development of a child.

Ad Strategy Report Essay

Vermonts famous ice cream markers, Ben & Jerrys, started the City Churned escape summer of 2013 where five major cities voted in traditional and non-traditional ways to create a unique flavor that capture elements of the city. The five major cities were Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Washington DC and New York City. Ben & Jerrys also teamed up with local anesthetic favorites to make the flavor even more represent the city it is for. At the end of the summer, Ben and Jerrys served the final product the city chose at community events.Ben & Jerrys objective from start this campaign was of course to increase sales, but also to create a deeper connection was their consumers, Mike Hayes, Ben & Jerrys assistant digital selling manager, told Adweek. Another main objective of the City Churned campaign was to remind bulk of the social mission the company stands for and the importance of local roots. Their social mission is more or less keeping ingredients real (no GMOs) and doing what i s best for the planet at large. The company wanted to also focus on the importance of local roots by utilize products from companies local to that city.There were main three strategies that Ben & Jerrys used in order to meet their objectives. The first strategy was having an interactive campaign. They made it so tribe were choose by doing everyday life activities, such as what turn gate you use when heading to train. The second strategy was taking a neo twist on crowdsourcing. They used the traditional method of having a website where people would directly vote right there, but also used new antithetic ways to gather even more input. Ben & Jerrys teamed up with transportation services popular to the city to count votes as well.In New York City, the cabs headed uptown counted as a vote towards peppermint, whereas a cab headed downtown was a vote Fairtrade vanilla. In Portland, they watched the men entering Cartopia and whether he had a mustache or abeard was vote for different f lavors. The last strategy they used was making local elements the main part of the campaign. This made locals to the city or people who knew the place interested in what was being picked. That created a lot of free press for Ben & Jerrys. Local newspaper throughout the summer kept track of the voting and what was happening.Some of the techniques that Ben & Jerrys used to accomplish the goal was repetition. Their name was all around the cities, especially at local hot spots. They also promoted the product being special to each city by capturing the local elements and flavors, and letting the people decide what flavors and elements really show the city. Another technique used was creating excitement, which created participation. The whole campaign was based around the people getting what they wanted. People took pictures are local monuments and used the hashtag for their city to vote and get into the campaign.

Swot Analysis of Carnival Cruiselines

strategical concern is important to the success and expansion in most businesses. What is Strategic man seasonment? It is the art and science of formulating, implementing, and evaluating cross-functional decisions that enable an organization to achieve its objectives (slide 1-4, chapter champion of The temperament of Strategic management). Why would this information be vital to carnival sheet? The sensation-year tax income for just the U. S economy was 37. 85 billion dollars and the annual increase for the company is 7. 4% (Cruise Ship Industry Statistics).That is a huge earnings margin and is vital reason why the canvas industry takes strategic management so seriously. Strategic management in addition helps companies figure out how to compel better and more remunerative business strategic plans. This helps Carnival Cruise make tough decisions biased among many an(prenominal) decisions. Lets start with outline formulation. It starts with the company having a vision and mission statement. It in like manner helps identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats ( elevate) (slide 1-8, chapter one of The Nature of Strategic management).Why does a successful company need this? It helps determine what ventures to pass behind or enter. It helps reduce wasting resources and helps improve how companies operate. It also can prevent hostile takeovers and guide paths in international markets or expanded trading operations to diversify. Strategy implementation also called the action stage going to help Carnival develop annual objectives, policies, motivation tactics, and allocate resources (slide 1-10, chapter one of The Nature of Strategic management). Strategy implementation is very important stage. Only 19. 9% of the U. S. opulation has taken a cruise and of that 19. 9% the average age of a passenger is 50+ years old (Cruise Ship Industry Statistics). To maintain a high profit margin a company needs to find ways to go along on expanses an d seduce new customers. It is especially important in todays economy because many people atomic number 18 saving and not outgo on luxury items. Strategy evaluation is how companies can review external and internal factors that are the bases for current strategies, measuring performance, and taking corrective actions (slide 1-11, chapter one of The Nature of Strategic management).Carnival Cruise understands this and uses it to realize a competitive advantage. Lets start with the companys vision statement. To consistently provide quality cruise vacations that exceed the expectations of our guests (Carnival Team). This helps a company figure out what path it fatalitys to take. Many companies view this as the first step in strategic planning (slide 1-16, chapter one of The Nature of Strategic management). Vision statements are underestimated in many businesses. It can help draw the team together and provide a universal goal.Carnival Cruises vision statement is short, sweet and dire ct to all who read it. A mission statement provides identification for many companies and answers the question of, what does our business limn or do? Carnivals mission statement is, Our mission is to take the world on vacation and deliver exceptional experiences through many of the worlds better-known cruise brands that cater to a variety of different geographic regions and lifestyles, all at an outstanding value unrivaled on land or at sea. They suffer one of the better mission statements compared to other competitors.It lets all know who the customers are (everyone in the world are customers), what products are offered (vacations), and what markets (different geographic regions) and technology (best-known cruise brands). It does all this while identifying Carnivals philosophy and self-concept. The mission statement does not cover survival growth, public visualize or concern for employees. Leaving these areas out of their mission is hurting the company especially concern for survival and growth. There are many individuals that want to go on a cruise scarcely choose not to.Not being concerned with survival and growth limits future customers. The mission statement wants to be a value unrivaled on land or sea but does not want to bring in new customers. Having an amazing deal but not tempting new customers really does no good. It will bring returning customers back but it needs to work on bringing in new financial opportunities.Carnival Cruises can prove they understand the importance of Vision and Mission statements because of their success record. It is important for the company to really change with the times and entice passengers to partake on one of their cruises. 36 million Americans have an intention to cruise in the next three years (Cruise Lines International Association). The average cash spent per person per week on a cruise is $1,770. 00 (Cruise Ship Industry Statistics). Carnival can really increase their profit margin and gain loyal and sat isfied customers just by individuals that are already planning on taking a cruise.Those customers just need to choose which cruise they want to take. In order to have a happy and returning customer, Carnival Cruise needs to make believe their shared vision. This helps employees understand a mission and create opportunity and challenges within their work. Vision and mission statements should create an emotional bond and sense of mission between the organization and its employees (slide 2-11, chapter two of The Business Vision and Mission). A mission statement does not suppress management and employee creativity, but creates a guideline by identifying a generalization of the companys mission.A SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) is also a very important concept for Carnival cruise. According to the 2011 Cruise Market Profile Study conducted by TNS Carnival had a 94% fitting rating among its customers and 82% of the air passengers feel that a cruise is the best way to sample destinations (Cruise Line International Association). In order to keep up a positive customer image is to understand the strengths and weaknesses of a company. Here is an example of Carnivals SWOT (Carnival Cruises SWOT Company Profile)Strengths Carnival is one of the worlds largest cruise operators, has a large fleet capacity and operates 11 of the most recognizable cruise brand names.Their portfolio of brand names appeals to almost every break market, from budget minded, contemporary to luxury cruises.They are such a large company that they have significant cost advantages over most of their competitors.Carnival is one of the profitable cruising companies. The companys average pass income (FY2005 to FY2009) amounted to 18. 1% compared to the industry standard of 6. 3%.Carnival aggressively and effectively invests in print and television media. Their promotions target the lifestyles of each group of customers. Carnival are Fun Ships Holland America, a premium cruise, is pr omoted through the tagline a signature of excellence Seabourn, projects itself as intimate luxury while the Ocean Village projects as the cruise for people who dont do cruises.Carnival has a 47% market share in the UK, 68% in Italy, 51% in Germany and 45% in France.Weaknesses The net profit was $1,790 million in FY2009, a decrease of 23. 2% as compared to 2008.Carnival derives a majority of its revenue (nearly 52%) from US customers. In 2009 the revenue from the northern American market registered a double digit decline. The over-dependence on the US market makes Carnival vulnerable to the economic fluctuations of the American economy and this company is interdependent on customers disposable income.Another weakness is that Carnival newspaper publishers their financial statements in dollars. About half of their revenue is generated in a non-US currency, but is reported in impairment of US dollars. The value of the dollar against Euro appreciated from 1. 60 in January 2010 to 1. 53 by April 2010 against the Pound. If the dollar strengthens it would record a lower revenue than is actually earned.In the midriff of economic uncertainty Carnival has 13 ships under construction as of November 2009, and the estimated cost of all this growth is around $8. 2 billion. It is difficult at best to justify such a huge cash outflow in the middle of economic instability. This may result in consequences like huge debt impression on the balance sheet and reduced profitability.Opportunities The cruise industry has grown considerably in the past 10 years but still occupies a very small proportion of the global vacation market. Cruise lines accounted for only 4. % of the $542. 2 billion worth of the travel industry in 2009. While the revenue for cruises has declined in the US, it is growing in Europe and Asia, leading to more opportunities for Carnival to expand in these regions.They are planning to increase berth capacity for the European market 37% by 2012.Customers in Asi a are now looking for luxurious cruises as a vacation option. Disposable income of the Chinese consumer has grown every year by 10% a year. The total number of passengers sourced from China increased approximately 74% in 2009 so the Costa Classica was launched specifically for this market.They are also planning to introduce the larger cruise liner Costa Romantica in 2010.Trends have shifted in the cruising industry towards the 45-60 year old age group. As this age group grows in population, Carnival can take advantage of the economies of scale and offer them the best prices.In July 2009, Carnival announced the union of Costa Europa with Thomson Cruises, a British Travel Company, under a 10-year bareboat charter beginning in April 2010. ThreatsCarnival has been taking advantage of special tax loopholes to avoid paying US corporation taxes. In 2009 the US government decided to look at closing those loopholes. If these loopholes are closed, it could affect their financial statements a nd fiscal bottom line in the future.The U. S. Environmental breastplate Agency has changed laws to reduce the sulfur content (emission) in fuel oil used aboard ships. This increases the demand for lower sulfur fuel, which raises the prices of the fuel. Carnival may have to deal with a significant increase in fuel prices.In 2009, Carnival experienced bad press when three passengers fell off ships in a three week period. There were a total of 22 incidents of passengers falling overboard in 2009. As of December 2009, Carnival was not required to report such incidents. Such events reflect negatively on the company and the industry.In December 2008, passengers on the Carnival owned Oceania cruise ship were attacked by Somali pirates. The ship sped away and no one was injured, but the threat of terrorism and pirates overtaking cruise ships is a concern for companies in this industry, and also negatively affect consumers perceptions of cruising. The SWOT of a company is extremely importan t. It helps identify the strategic-management model. What is a strategic management model?It helps identify better strategies through the use of a more systematic, logical, and noetic approach to strategic choice (slide 1-28, chapter one of The Nature of Strategic management). This all leads to a higher financial profit and happier customers for Carnival. Strategic planning is beneficial in so many ways. It helps improve communication, understanding and improving commitment. This all leads to a stronger company with a larger financial backing and loyal customers. Knowledge is forefinger and it creates a high-performing firm or in this case a cruise company.

European imperialism Essay

Mortimer Chambers et al define imperialism as a European states preventive in and continuing domination over a non-European territory. During the Scramble for Africa in the late 19th century, the most powerful European nations desired to conquer, dominate and work out African colonies with the hope of building an empire. According to Derrick Murphy, in 1875 all ten percent of Africa was occupied by European states. Twenty years later on only ten percent remained unoccupied. There were several factors which attracted European imperialists to Africa. There were opportunities for profitable investment and trade. Raw materials, which Africa possess in abundance, were alike desired. A cheap blood of labour was required as it would result in higher profits. In addition, there was inter interior(a) rivalry among European nations. Domestic political interests and social Darwinism neatthorn also be blamed for attracting European imperialism to Africa.European imperialists were lured t o Africa by the potential economic benefits she possessed. Industrialization caused a mass productivity and there became an artificial assume for foreign markets to invest in. According to Brian Levack et al, with the onset of economic decline in 1873 industrialists were faced with a declining demand for their products in Europe. Imperial expansion, it was thought, would provide a final result with annexed territories seen as captive markets. It was believed that the unfavorable balance of trade that Britain and other industrial countries were experiencing could be counterbalanced by the income from overseas investments.Also, surplus capital could be fruitfully invested in Africa where cheap labour and limited competition would result in higher profits. Prominent European imperialists decided to use the public resources of their country to take in lucrative means of using their capital. The English radical economist J.A. Hobson, argues that the intention was to level out inequal ities of wealth to increase domestic consumption. Local merchants, traders and bankers were optimistic towards the head of imperial expansion and capital investments outside of Europe became an increasingly vital sector of its economy.There was an increasing demand for huffy materials in Europe in the late nineteenth century. According to Brian Levack, the new technologies characteristic of the industrial revolution meant that industrial Europebecame increasingly dependent on raw materials. European nations matt-up the urge to swan lands that possessed great quantities of raw materials. Africa was rich with raw materials as well as galore(postnominal) treasure reserves. As a result, many major industrial companies attempted to gain a monopoly of raw materials in Africa. Stuart Miller believes that specific trade subsumes were important to particular industries.Some raw materials in Africa were of great importance the vegetable oil of the Niger was vital for lubricating industri al machinery and the rubber of the Congo was not only essential for the tires on the new automobiles except also for insulating the electrical and telegraph wires now encircling the globe. The plentiful elephant herds could be slaughtered to provide the ivory for many of the new consumer goods such as piano keys, billiard balls and knife handles. In Togoland, Germans were able to cultivate plantations where they grew cocoa and rubber. Other raw materials included peanuts, cotton and tea. There were also many important minerals and South Africa possessed gold and diamonds.International rivalry among European nations contributed greatly to imperialist ventures in Africa. Britains rivalry with France and Germany accounted for a large part of the colonization. The British government wished to note its dominance in the colonial regions. Other European powers desired to expand their colonial spheres as well and Britain responded by seizing colonies. Certain territories were important fo r their location. The Suez canalise was key waterway between East and West Africa. The immense interior between the gold and diamond rich Southern Africa and Egypt had a strategic prise as domination of this region was important to secure the flow of overseas trade. The British wanted to link their possessions in Southern Africa with their territories in East Africa, and these twain areas with the Nile basin. Obtaining the Sudan was vital to the fulfillment of these ambitions especially since Egypt was already under British control.This red-line through Africa was made famous by Cecil Rhodes and Lord Milner who advocated for a Cape to Cairo empire linking by rail the Suez Canal to the Southern part which possessed many minerals. According to Brian Levack, there was also a certain level of nationalist competition. The union of Germany upset the balance of power in Europe. In this climate of tension, governments looked towards enforcing national strength. Thenewly formed nations o f Italy and Germany now sought empires outside Europe as a means of gaining power and prestige within Europe. In the nineteenth century, a German historian Henrich con Treitschke stated All great nations in the affluence of their strength have desired to set their mark on barbarian lands and those who fail to participate in this great rivalry will pay a pitiable role in time to come.Under the leadership of Bismarck, Germany soon embarked on a quest of expansionism. Bismarcks distrust of England under blend was one of the reasons he decided to do this. Germany became engaged in an arms race with Great Britain and it desired as many military and naval bases as it could obtain. France needed to restore its damaged national pride after its defeat by Germany in the Franco-Prussian war and therefore embarked upon expansionism. Their aim was to have an uninterrupted link between the Niger River and the Nile, thus controlling all trade to and from the Sahel region, by virtue of their exis ting control over the Caravan routes through the Sahara.Domestic political interests also contributed to European Imperialism in Africa. As stated by Brain Levack, in the age of mass politics, political leaders needed to find issues that would both orison to new voters and strengthen the status quo. Imperialism led the ordinary European people to believe that they were part of a superior, conquering people. Bismarck used imperial issues to assistance him find political allies in Germany and once remarked all this colonial business is a sham but we need it for the elections. According to Lawrence pile, in the nineties witnessed a rapid expansion of newspaper readership with the appearance of a new type of daily designed to attract the working and lower middle class. amicable Darwinism and missionary intentions are two excuses that are used to justify European imperialism in Africa. Rudyard Kipling characterized the Africans as sullen, new caught peoples, half devil and half child . The Europeans believed it to be their art to civilize the wild savage Africans. Liberalism, which may be defined as a dedication to self-improvement and the belief that there were discoverable rules of general subscribe that everyone could follow, contributed to the paternal manner in which Europe acted and arguments of racial and cultural superiority that pushed Europeans intoAfrica to civilize the local populations. Lawrence James states that nations who had now reached the highest stage of civilization were taking control over those which had lagged behind, or races, like the Asante, who were not seen as fit to control their own affairs. In an issue of the Dublin Review in the late nineteenth century it was stated that The future of Africa under any form of European tutelage must be better than the dark and evil nightmare of the other(prenominal).These Social Darwinists were able to persuade the natives that what was being done was to their ultimate benefit. According to Der rick Murphy et al, there existed the idea that imperialism was a moral duty as a means of spreading Western civilization and Christian values. Many Europeans bought this excuse while others did not. Africans were forced to adopt the Christian religion. In some cases they were killed for continuing to employ their own faiths. Some historians believe that the whole motive for Christian evangelism in Africa was simply to disrupt and destroy and that it was always politically motivated. First, missionaries were brought to the continent. Secondly, after some natives were born-again and there was a considerable amount of confusion among them, the troops were sent to exploit them.Their main intention was to divide to control. According to an African chieftain The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers and our clan can no monthlong act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.Various factors attracted European imperialism to Africa in the later nineteenth century. Europe was changing and their colonial empires were associated with the ideas of national greatness and the survival of the fittest. This caused a massive drive for empires. There was a yearning for raw materials, national power and prestige. Each nation which possessed a colonial territory also possessed a sense of superiority.Bibliography1.) Chambers Mortimer, Hanawalt Barbara, Rabb Theodore, Woloch Isser, Grew Raymond, The Western Experience, 1999, The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc., United States of America2.) James Lawrence, The White Mans Burden? Imperial Wars in the 1890s Spielvogel Jackson, Western Civilization, Mc Graw Hill, Connecticut, 1999(pgs 100-105)3.) Levack Brian, Muir Edward, MaasMichael, Veldman Meredith, The West, Encounters and Transformations, 2004, Pearson Education Inc., United States of America4.) Miller Stuart, Mas tering Modern European History, 1997, Palgrave, United Kingdom, Hampshire5.) Murphy Derrick, Morris Terry, Europe 1870-1991, 2000, Harper Collins Publishers LTD, United Kingdom, England6.) The Church as a Tool of Imperialism

Country Analysis Report China

A Country Analysis report on CHINA Subject Inter home(a) Business (IB) Prep ard By Devang M Dhedhi. (Enrollment No 117040592010) M. B. A. -Semester- Submitted To Mr. Amit Shah (Assistant Professor) BHAGWAN MAHAVIR COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT, SURAT MBA PROGRAMME Affiliated to Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad 2011-2013 INDEX SR. NO CONTENT PAGE NO. 1 COUNTRY PROFILE 1 2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 4 3 GEOGRAPHY 6 4 SOCIETY 11 5 GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 18 6 ECONOMY 25 7 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 38 8 TRANSPORTATION AND TELECOMMUNICATION 41 9 SUMMARY 49 1. COUNTRYFormal Name batchs res publica of mainland china (Zhonghua Renmin Gonghe Guo ). Short Form mainland mainland chinaw atomic number 18 (Zhongguo ). Term for Citizen(s) Chinese (singular and plural) (Huaren ). Capital large(p) of Red mainland china (Northern Capital ). Area 9,956,960 sq km (3. 7m sq miles) Population 1. 3 bn People Han Chinese make up around 92% of the community. The tolerateing 8% is comprised of fiv e dollar bill minority cultural groups. Official Langu sequence mandarin orange (Putonghua) with many an round new(prenominal)(prenominal) local dialects. Religion(s) mainland china is formalisedly atheistic, still there arefive say-Registered religions Daoism, Buddhism, Islam, Catholic and Protestant Christianity.Currency Yuan or Renminbi (RMB) Major political parties Chinese communistic association establishment there are study hierarchies in chinaware the Chinese communist Party (CCP), the National Peoples coitus ( chinas legislature), the organization and the military. The supreme decision-making proboscis in chinaware is the CCP Politburo and its 9-member rest direction, which acts as a kind of inner cabinet, and is headed by the normal writing table of the Chinese commie Party. The National Peoples Congress (NPC) is chinawares legislative body. It has a 5-year member delight and meets once a year in plenary session.However, in lend oneself it is the C CP who takes solely key decisions. Head of differentiate and everyday Secretary of the CCP President Hu Jintao Ch publiciseman of the Standing delegacy of the NPC Wu Bangguo Premier of the State Council Wen Jiabao State Councillor (Foreign Affairs) Dai Bingguo Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi Membership of intertheme groups/organisations unify Nations (including long- representd membership of the UN Security Council), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Asia- peace-loving Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) Asian Development Bank (ADB) Shanghai Cooperation Organisation World Trade Organisation (WTO).Major Cities found on 2000 census data, the largest cities are the four centr anyy administered municipalities, which include dense urban areas, suburbs, and large folksy areas Chongqing (30. 5 billion), Shanghai (16. 4 one zillion meg), Beijing (13. 5 one thousand million), and Tianjin (9. 8 million). some other major cities are Wuhan (5. 1 million), Shenyang (4. 8 million), Guangzhou (3 . 8 million), Chengdu (3. 2 million), Xian (3. 1 million), and Changchun (3 million). China has 12 other cities with universe of discourses of between 2 million and 2. 9 million and 20 or more than(prenominal) than other cities with populations of more than 1 million persons.Independence The give awaybreak of revolution on October 10, 1911, signaled the collapse of the Qing Dynasty (16441911), which was formally replaced by the government of the Republic of China on February 12, 1912. The Peoples Republic of China was officially established on October 1, 1949, replacing the Republic of China government on mainland China. Public Holidays The official national holidays are impudently Years twenty-four hour arrest (January 1) Spring Festival or Lunar New Year (movable datesthree daysin January and February), Labor Day (May 1), and National Day (two-day observance on October 12).Also commemorated are International Womens Day (March 8), Youth Day (May 4), Childrens Day (June 1), Chinese Communist Party Founding Day (July 1), Army Day (August 1), and T from each oneers Day (September 10). Flag The flag of China is red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the swiftness hoist-side corner. The color red symbolizes the spirit of the revolution, and the five stars signify the unity of the people of China below the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.The flag was officially un crosscut in Beijings Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949, the formal announcement of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China. 2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The Chinese purplish system came to an end in 1911. The Qing (Manchu) dynasty was overthrown and China was proclaimed a republic, partly through the efforts of revolutionaries much(prenominal) as Sun Yat-sen. The country then entered a period of warlordism. In 1927 the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT), under its leade r Chiang Kai-shek, established a central government in Nanjing. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was founded in 1921.It broke with the KMT and was forced to flee into the interior in the Long March in 1934/35. Both KMT and CCP forces opposed Japan during World War Two solely a civil war broke out from 1945-1949. CCP forces under Mao Zedong routed their KMT opp adeptnts. In 1949 Mao announced the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China. The government of the then Republic of China under President Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan, unneurotic with approximately 2 million supporters. The period between 1949 and Maos death in 1976 was characterised by an ambitious political and stintingal restructuring programme.This involved the collectivisation of industry, the establishment of communes and the redistri plainlyion of land. The Cultural Revolution from 1966-1976 brought enormous upheaval in the political system. Mao had to rely on the armed forces to maintain regularise and exe rcise engage. Recent History In December 1978 the CCP, inspired by Deng Xiaoping, launched a ample-ranging programme of sparing and social reform. This sought to modernise the economy, give away Chinas external relations (the open door policy) especially with the West, and implement a gradual and limited liberalisation of Chinese society.This period of reform and opening up since 1978 is expect to be widely commemorated in China this autumn as the basis of its flowing economic success and these commemorations may also be used as the platform for further policy reforms. There are no details at this point, but there is much speculation that homespun land self-possession reform may be prominent. Political opposition to the more liberal reforms forced periods of retrenchment. In June 1989, following the brutal suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing, political control swung firmly into the hands of conservative elements within the CCP.The Chinese government labelle d the demonstrations a counter-revolutionary rebellion and clamped down on dissent. Prominent dissidents fled the country or went into hiding. Many activists were arrested. Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang was replaced by Jiang Zemin, former Mayor and Party Secretary of Shanghai. Jiang was appointed to the additional post of State President in March 1993. Jiang keep the policies of Deng Xiaoping, prioritising economic growth, grouchyly in Chinas coastal provinces. Jiang retired as President in March 2003.Hu Jintao was named President and Wen Jiabao became Premier. Wu Bangguo replaced Li Peng as NPC Chairman. The leadership transition was consummate in September 2004 with Jiang retiring from the Chairmanship of the primordial Military Commission (CMC). Hu assumed the post of CMC Chairman to add to his mappings as State President and Party General Secretary. 3. GEOGRAPHY Location Usually described as part of eastern hemisphere Asia, China is to the south of Mongolia and the Siberian land mass, west of the Korean Peninsula and insular Japan, marriageern nearly(prenominal) of southwesteast Asia, and east of Central and South Asia.Size China has a innate area of nearly 9,596,960 self-colored kilometers. Included in this total are 9,326,410 upstanding kilometers of land and 270,550 square kilometers of inland lakes and rivers. From east to west, the distance is about 5,000 kilometers from the Heilong Jiang (Amur River) to the Pamir Mountains in Central Asia from north to south, the distance is approximately 4,050 kilometers from Heilongjiang state of matter to Hainan Province in the south and a nonher 1,450 kilometers farther south to Zengmu Shoal, a territorial claim off the north coast of Malaysia.Land Boundaries China has a total of 22,117 kilometers of land boundaries with 14 other nations. These borders include Afghanistan (76 kilometers), Bhutan (470 kilometers), Burma (2,185 kilometers), India (3,380 kilometers), Kazakhstan (1,533 kilometers ), North Korea (1,416 kilometers), Kyrgyzstan (858 kilometers), Laos (423 kilometers), Mongolia (4,677 kilometers), Nepal (1,236 kilometers), Pakistan (523 kilometers), Russia (4, three hundred kilometers), Tajikistan (414 kilometers), and Vietnam (1,281 kilometers). Length of CoastlineChinas coastline extends 14,500 kilometers from the border with North Korea in the north to Vietnam in the south. Chinas coasts are on the East China ocean, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea. Maritime Claims China claims a 12-nautical-mile territorial ocean, a 24-nautical-mile contiguous z peerless, a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, and a 200-nautical-mile Continental shelf or the distance to the edge of the continental shelf. Boundary Disputes China is involved in a complex dispute with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei over the Spratly (Nansha) Islands in the South China Sea.The 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea eased tens ions but fell short of a de jure binding code of conduct desired by several of the disputants. China also occupies the Paracel (Xisha) Islands, which are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, and asserts a claim to the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai) in the Pacific Ocean. close of the mountainous and militarized boundary with India is in dispute, but Beijing and New Delhi consecrate committed to begin resolution with discussions on the least dispute middle sector.Chinas de facto administration of the Aksai Chin section of Kashmir (which is disputed by India and Pakistan) is the subject of a dispute between China and India. India does not recognize Pakistans ceding lands to China in a 1964 boundary agreement. In October 2004, China signed an agreement with Russia on the delimitation of their entire 4,300-kilometer-long border, which had long been in dispute. Topography Mountains cover 33 pctage of Chinas landmass, plateaus 26 share, basins 19 per centum, plai ns 12 percent, and hills 10 percent.Thus, 69 percent of Chinas land is mountains, hills, and highlands. China has five main mountain ranges, and seven of its mountain fliers are higher than 8,000 meters above sea aim. The main topographic features include the Qingzang (Qinghai-Tibet) Plateau at 4,000 meters above sea level and the Kunlun, Qin Ling, and Greater Hinggan ranges. In the Himalaya Mountains, the existences highest, are Mount Everest (known in China as Qomolangma) at 8,844. 4 meters (based on new official measurements) and K2 at 8,611 meters, shared with Nepal and Pakistan, respectively.The worst inland point in Chinathe second final place in the adult male later on the Dead Seais at Turpan Pendi, 140 kilometers southeast of Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, at 154 meters below sea level. With temperatures that hand reached 49. 6 C, it also ranks as one the hottest places in China. Principal Rivers China has 50,000 rivers totaling some 420,00 0 kilometers in length and each having a catchment area of more than 100 square kilometers. Some 1,500 of these rivers each maintain catchment areas exceeding 1,000 square kilometers. Most rivers flow from west to east and empty into the Pacific Ocean.The Yangzi (Changjiang or Yangzte River), which rises in Tibet, flows through Central China, and, having traveled 6,300 kilometers, enters the Yellow Sea near Shanghai. The Yangzi has a catchment area of 1. 8 million square kilometers and is the third longest river in the world aft(prenominal) the Amazon and the Nile. The second longest river in China is the Huanghe (Yellow River), which also rises in Tibet and travels circuitously for 5,464 kilometers through North China before reaching the Bo Hai Gulf on the north coast of Shangdong Province. It has a catchment area of 752,000 square kilometers.The Heilongjiang (Heilong or Black Dragon River) flows for 3,101 kilometers in Northeast China and an additional 1,249 in Russia, where it is known as the Amur. The longest river in South China is the Zhujiang (Pearl River), which is 2,214 kilometers long. on with its three tributaries, the Xi, Dong, and BeiWest, East, and Northrivers, it forms the rich Zhujiang Delta near Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Macau, and Hong Kong. Other major rivers are the Liaohe in the northeast, Haihe in the north, Qiantang in the east, and Lancang in the southwest. Climate Most of the country is in the northern temperate zone.There are complex climatic patterns ranging from the cold-temperate north to the tropical south, with subarctic-like temperatures in the Himalaya Mountains, resulting in a temperature difference of some 400 C from north to south. Temperatures range from 300 C in the north in January to 280 C in the south in July. Annual precipitation varies epochally from region to region, with a high of 1,500 millimeters annually along the southeastern coast and a low of fewer than 50 millimeters in the northwest. There is an alternating wet monsoon in the summer and a dry monsoon in winter.North China and southward are affected by the seasonal cold, dry winds from Siberia and the Mongolia Plateau between September/October and March/April. summer monsoon winds bring warm and wet currents into South China and northward. Natural Resources China has substantial mineral reserves and is the worlds largest manufacturing business of antimony, natural graphite, tungsten, and zinc. Other major minerals are bauxite, coal, crude petroleum, diamonds, gold, beseech ore, lead, magnetite, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, natural gas, phosphate rock, tin, uranium, and vanadium.With its vast mountain ranges, Chinas hydropower effectiveness is the largest in the world. Land Use base on 2005 estimates, 14. 86 percent (about 1. 4 million square kilometers) of Chinas land is arable. About 1. 3 percent (some 116,580 square kilometers) is planted to fixed crops. With comparatively little land planted to permanent crops, intensive agricu ltural techniques are used to reap harvests that are sufficient to feed the worlds largest population and still have surplus for trade.An estimated 544,784 square kilometers of land were irrigated in 2004. Environmental Factors The major current environmental issues in China are air pollution (greenhouse gases and sulfur dioxide particulates) from overreliance on coal, which produces acid rain water shortages, particularly in the north water pollution from untreated wastes deforestation an estimated loss of 20 percent of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development desertification and illegal trade in endangered species.Deforestation has been a major contributor to Chinas most significant natural disaster flooding. In 1998 some 3,656 people died and 230 million people were affected by flooding. Chinas national carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are among the highest in the world and increasing annually. The CO2 emissions in 1991 were estimated at 2. 4 billion scads by 2000 that level, according to United Nations (UN) statistics, had change magnitude by 16 percent to nearly 2. 8 billion lashings. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), between 1990 and 2002 the increase was closer to 45 percent.These nitty-grittys cited by the UN are more than double those of India and Japan but still less than half those of the United States (comparable figures for Russia are unavailable but estimated at probably half the level of Chinas). Chinas ozone depleting potential also is high but was decreasing in the early twenty-first century. The CO2 emissions are broadly produced by coal-burning zip plants and other coal-burning operations. Better pollution control and billion-dollar cleanup programs have helped reduced the growth rate of industrial pollution. sequence ZoneAlthough China crosses all or part of five international time zones, it operates on a single uniform time, China Standard Time (CST Greenwich Mean Time plus eight hours), using Beijing as the base. China does not employ a daylight savings time system. 4. SOCIETY Population China officially recognized the birth of its 1. 3 billionth citizen (not counting Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan) on January 5, 2005. U. S. Government sources put the population at an estimated 1,313,973,713 in July 2006. The annual population growth rate was estimated at 0. 59 percent (2006 estimate).The nations overall population density was 135 persons per square kilometer in 2003. The most densely populated provinces are in the east Jiangsu (712 persons per square kilometer), Shangdong (587 persons per square kilometer), and Henan (546 persons per square kilometer). Shanghai was the most densely populated municipality at 2,646 persons per square kilometer. The least densely populated areas are in the west, with Tibet having the lowest density at only 2 persons per square kilometer. Sixty-two percent of the population lived in rural areas in 2004, while 38 percent lived in urban s ettings.About 94 percent of population lives on approximately 46 percent of land. Based on 2000 census data, the provinces with the largest populations were Henan (91. 2 million), Shandong (89. 9 million), Sichuan (82. 3 million, not including Chongqing municipality, which was formerly part of Sichuan Province), and Guangdong (85. 2 million). The smallest were Qinghai (4. 8 million) and Tibet (2. 6 million). In the long term, China faces increasing urbanisation according to predictions, nearly 70 percent of the population will live in urban areas by 2035. DemographyChina has been the worlds most populous nation for many centuries. When China took its first post-1949 census in 1953, the population stood at 582 million by the fifth census in 2000, the population had almost doubled, reaching 1. 2 billion. Chinas fast-growing population was a major policy matter for its leaders in the mid-twentieth century, so that in the early 1970s, the government implemented a stringent one-child bir th-control policy. As a result of that policy, China successfully achieved its goal of a more stable and much-reduced profuseness rate in 1971 women had an average of 5. children versus an estimated 1. 7 children in 2004. Nevertheless, the population continues to grow, and people want more children. There is also a serious gender imbalance. numerate data obtained in 2000 revealed that 119 boys were born for every 100 girls, and among Chinas floating population (see Migration below) the ratio was as high as 128100. These situations led Beijing in July 2004 to ban selective abortions of female fetuses. Additionally, life expectancy has soared, and China now has an increasingly aging population it is projected that 11. percent of the population in 2020 will be 65 long time of age and older. Based on 2006 estimates, Chinas age structure is 014 days of age20. 8 percent 1564 years71. 4 percent, and 65 years and older7. 7 percent. Estimates made in 2006 indicate a natality of nearly 13 . 3 births per 1,000 and a death rate of 6. 9 per 1,000. In 2006 life expectancy at birth was estimated at 74. 5 years for women and 70. 9 for men, or 72. 6 years overall. The infant mortality rate was estimated at 23. 1 per 1,000 live births overall (25. 9 per 1,000 for females and 20. for males). Migration In 2006 it was estimated that China was experiencing a 0. 39 per 1,000 population net migration rate. Of major concern in China is its growing floating population (liudong renkou ), a large number of people moving from the countryside to the city, from genuine economic areas to underdeveloped areas, and from the central and western regions to the eastern coastal region, as a result of fast-paced reform-era economic development and modern agricultural practices that have reduced the need for a large agricultural labor force.Although residency requirements have been relaxed to a degree, the floating population is not officially permitted to reside permanently in the receiving to wns and cities. As early as 1994, it was estimated that China had a surplus of approximately 200 million agricultural workers, and the number was expected to increase to 300 million in the early twenty-first century and to expand even further into the long-term future. It was reported in 2005 that the floating population had increased from 70 million in 1993 to 140 million in 2003, thus exceeding 10 percent of the national population and accounting for 30 percent of all rural laborers.According to the 2000 national census, population flow inside a province accounted for 65 percent of the total while that crossing provincial boundaries accounted for 35 percent. unripened and middle-aged people account for the vast majority of this floating population those between 15 and 35 years of age account for more than 70 percent. Other migration issues include the more than 2,000 Tibetans who cross into Nepal annually, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).The government tries to prevent this out-migration from occurring and has pressured Nepalese authorities to repatriate illegal border-crossing Tibetans. some other activity viewed as illegal is the influx of North Koreans into northeastern China. Some 1,850 North Koreans fled their country in 2004, but China views them as illegal economic migrants rather than refugees and sends many of them back. Some of those who succeed in reaching sanctuary in foreign diplomatic compounds or international schools have been allowed to depart for South Korea. Ethnic GroupsBesides the majority Han Chinese, China recognizes 55 other nationality or ethnic groups, numbering about 105 million persons, mostly concentrated in the northwest, north, northeast, south, and southwest but with some in central interior areas. Based on the 2000 census, some 91. 5 percent of the population was classified as Han Chinese (1. 1 billion). The other major minority ethnic groups were Zhuang (16. 1 million), Manchu (10. 6 million), Hui (9. 8 million), Miao (8. 9 million), Uygur (8. 3 million), Tujia (8 million), Yi (7. 7 million), Mongol (5. 8 million), Tibetan (5. million), Bouyei (2. 9 million), Dong (2. 9 million), Yao (2. 6 million), Korean (1. 9 million), Bai (1. 8 million), Hani (1. 4 million), Kazakh (1. 2 million), Li (1. 2 million), and Dai (1. 1 million). Classifications are often based on self-identification, and it is some measure and in some locations advantageous for political or economic reasons to identify with one group over another. All nationalities in China are equal according to the honor. Official sources maintain that the state protects their lawful rights and interests and hikes equality, unity, and mutual help among them.Languages The official language of China is standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, which means standard speech, based on the Beijing dialect). Other major dialects are Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, and Hakka (Kejia). Because of the many ethnic groups in China, numerous minority languages also are spoken. All of the Chinese dialects share a common written form that has evolved and been standardized during two millennia and serves as a unifying bond amongst the Han Chinese.The government has crisply developed two shorthand Chinese and Pinyin (phonetic spell) as ways to increase literacy and transliterate Chinese names. The Pinyin system was introduced in 1958 and was approved by the State Council in 1978 as the standard system for the romanization of Chinese personal and geographic names. In 2000 the Hanyu (Han language) Pinyin phonetic alphabet was written into law as the unified standard for spelling and phonetic notation of the national language. Religion The traditional religions of China are Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism.Confucianism is not a religion, although some have tried to imbue it with rituals and religious qualities, but rather a philosophy and system o f ethical conduct that since the fifth century B. C. has guided Chinas society. Kong Fuzi (Confucius in Latinized form) is honored in China as a great sage of antiquity whose writings promoted peace and harmony and good morals in family life and society in general. Ritualized reverence for ones ancestors, sometimes referred to as ancestor worship, has been a tradition in China since at least the Shang Dynasty (17501040 B. C. ).Estimates of the number of adherents to various beliefs are onerous to establish as a percentage of the population, institutionalized religions, such as Christianity and Islam, represent only about 4 percent and 2 percent of the population, respectively. In 2005 the Chinese government acknowledged that there were an estimated 100 million adherents to various sects of Buddhism and some 9,500 and 16,000 temples and monasteries, many maintained as cultural landmarks and tourist attractions. The Buddhist companionship of China was established in 1953 to oversee officially sanctioned Buddhist activities.In 1998 there reportedly were 600 Daoist temples and an unknown number of adherents in China. According to the U. S. division of State in 2005, approximately 8 percent of the population is Buddhist, approximately 1. 5 percent is Muslim, an estimated 0. 4 percent belongs to the government-sponsored patriotic Catholic Church, an estimated 0. 4 to 0. 6 percent belongs to the unofficial Vatican-affiliated Roman Catholic Church, and an estimated 1. 2 to 1. 5 percent is registered as Protestant. However, both Protestants and Catholics also have large underground communities, possibly numbering as many as 90 million.Chinese government figures from 2004 estimate 20 million adherents of Islam in China, but unofficial estimates suggest a much higher total. Most adherents of Islam are members of the Uygur and Hui nationality people. The Falun Dafa (Wheel of Law, also called Falun Gong) quasi-religious movement based on traditional Chinese qigong (dee p-breathing exercises) and Daoist and Buddhist practices and beliefs was established in 1992 and claimed 70 million to 100 million practitioners in China in the late 1990s.Because of its perceived antigovernment activities, Falun Gong was outlawed in China in April 1999, and reportedly tens of super acids of its practitioners were arrested and sentenced to re development through labor or incarcerated in mental hospitals. The constitution grants citizens of the Peoples Republic of China the freedom of religious belief and maintains that the state protects normal religious activities, but that no one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the wellness of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state. gentility and LiteracyEducation in China is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. The population has had on average only 6. 2 years of schooling, but in 1986 the goal of nine years of compulsory education by 2000 w as established. The education system provides free primary education for five years, starting at age seven, followed by five years of secondary education for ages 12 to 17. At this level, there are three years of middle school and two years of high school. The Ministry of Education reports a 99 percent attendance rate for primary school and an 80 percent rate for both primary and middle schools.Since free higher education was abolished in 1985, applicants to colleges and universities compete for scholarships based on academic ability. Private schools have been allowed since the early 1980s. The United Nations Development Program reported that in 2003 China had 116,390 kindergartens with 613,000 teachers and 20 million students. At that time, there were 425,846 primary schools with 5. 7 million teachers and 116. 8 million students. General secondary education had 79,490 institutions, 4. 5 million teachers, and 85. 8 million students. There also were 3,065 specialized secondary school s with 199,000 teachers and 5 million students.Among these specialized institutions were 6,843 agricultural and vocational schools with 289,000 teachers and 5. 2 million students and 1,551 special schools with 30,000 teachers and 365,000 students. In 2003 China support 1,552 institutions of higher learning (colleges and universities) and their 725,000 professors and 11 million students. While there is intense competition for admission to Chinas colleges and universities among college entrants, Beijing and Qinghua universities and more than 100 other key universities are the most sought after.The literacy rate in China is 90. 9 percent, based on 2002 estimates. health Indicators of the status of Chinas health sector can be found in the nations fertility rate of 1. 8 children per woman (a 2005 estimate) and an under-five-years-of-age mortality rate of 37 per 1,000 live births (a 2003 estimate). In 2002 China had nearly 1. 7 physicians per 1,000 persons and about 2. 4 beds per 1,000 p ersons in 2000. Health expenditures on a purchasing parity power (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty) basis were US$224 per capita in 2001, or 5. 5 percent of gross domestic product (gross domestic product). Some 37. percent of public expenditures were devoted to health care in China in 2001. However, about 80 percent of the health and medical care services are concentrated in cities, and timely medical care is not available to more than 100 million people in rural areas. To offset this imbalance, in 2005 China set out a five-year plan to put 20 billion renminbi (RMB US$2. 4 billion) to rebuild the rural medical service system composed of hamlet clinics and township- and county-level hospitals. In 2004 health officials announced that China had some 120 million hepatitis B virus carriers.Although not identified until later, Chinas first case of a new, highly contagious disease, unforgiving acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), occurred in Guangdong in November 2002, and within three months t he Ministry of Health reported 300 SARS cases and five deaths in the province. By May 2003, some 8,000 cases of SARS had been reported worldwide about 66 percent of the cases and 349 deaths occurred in China alone. By early summer 2003, the SARS epidemic had ceased. A vaccine was developed and first-round testing on human volunteers completed in 2004.China, similar to other nations with migrant and socially mobile populations, has experienced increased incidences of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Based on 2003 estimates, China is believed to have a 0. 1 percent adult prevalence rate for HIV/AIDS, one of the lowest rates in the world and especially in Asia. However, because of Chinas large population, this figure converted in 2003 to some 840,000 cases (more than Russia but fewer than the United States and second in Asia to India), of whom 44,000 died. About 80 percent of those infected live in rural areas.In November 2004, the head of th e United Nations AIDS program (UNAIDS) cited China, along with India and Russia, as world on the tipping point of having small, localized AIDS epidemics that could turn into major ones capable of hindering the worlds efforts to stop the spread of the disease. In 2004 the Ministry of Health reported that its annual AIDS prevention funding had increased from US$1. 8 million in 2001 to US$47. 1 by 2003 and that, whereas treatment had been circumscribe to a few hospitals in major cities, treatment was becoming more widely available.According to the study by the World Health Organization, Chinas Ministry of Health, and UNAIDS, China had an estimated 650,000 people who were infected with HIV by the end of 2005. In the 20002002 period, China had one of the highest per capita caloric intakes in Asia, second only to South Korea and higher than countries such as Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. By 2002, 92 percent of the urban population and 68 percent of the rural population had access to a n improved water supply, and 69 percent of the urban population and 29 percent of the rural population had access to improved sanitation facilities.Welfare In pre-reform China, the socialist state fulfilled the needs of society from cradle tograve. Child care, education, job placement, housing, subsistence, health care, and elder care were largely the responsibility of the work unit as administered through state-owned enterprises and agricultural communes and collectives. As those systems disappeared or were reformed, the iron rice bowl approach to social security changed. Article 14 of the constitution stipulates that the state builds and improves a social security system that corresponds with the level of economic development. In 2004 China experienced the greatest decrease in its poorest population since 1999. People with a per capita income of less than 668 renminbi (RMBUS$80. 71) decreased 2. 9 million or 10 percent those with a per capita income of no more than 924 RMB (US$111 . 64) decreased by 6. 4 million or 11. 4 percent, according to statistics from the State Councils Poverty Reduction Office. Social security reforms since the late 1990s have included unemployment insurance, medical insurance, workers compensation insurance, maternity benefits, communal grant funds, and individual pension accounts. . GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Recent Political Developments President Hus first term was spent consolidating his position and proceeding with economic reform. But he recognised the potential for instability caused by the previous strong focus on promoting high growth as the overriding policy priority. Examples of the imbalances this has caused in society include * wide income imbalances between rich, eastern coastal cities, and poorer inland cities * income differences between urban and rural dwellers the average urban resident of Beijing earns around RMB 2000 a month (around ? 30), but 135 million people in China still live below the international poverty l ine of US$ 1 a day, and up to 500 million on US$ 2 a day * a collapse of the health insurance scheme, which means that 80% of all health care costs have to be paid in cash at the time of consumption * Inequalities between urban residents and migrant labourers who have moved to the cities.Unable to depute their official place of residence, they cannot access public services, including education for their children * rampant corruption by those in public office * 87,000 incidents of mass violence which took place in 2005, often provoked by land expropriations or lay-offs from state-owned enterprises. Under the slogan of a harmonious society, he is therefore promoting a range of policies in the health, education, environment and other fields which will address social inequality.But these policies will not be allowed to compromise economic growth and reform. The 17th Party Congress of October 2007 provided President Hu with an opportunity to put his own stamp on the ideological agenda, advance his preferred candidates to senior positions and secure a political succession conformable with that programme. Whilst the harmonious society remained pre-eminent, Hus singular success was in having his theory of scientific development written into the Party Constitution.This means that although economic development will remain the key goal, growth will be balanced and sustainable in order to address imbalances in society between the prosperous cities and the impoverished rural hinterland. Although this will require innovation in methodology, it will also be gradual and measured, not radical. This is indicative of Hus consensus building style, following neither those advocating continued economic reform at all costs, nor the so-called new Left who have called for more focus on social issues.Although democracy was mentioned over 50 times in President Hus speech, this was very much qualified as democracy with Chinese characteristics or socialist democracy. He alluded to novel methods to increase popular con supplyeracy in politics to effect electoral reforms at grass roots levels, and even allow direct elections of Party officials in limited circumstances at local levels. Yet the driving purpose is to ensure the long term stability of one-party rule under the CCP.The senior Party hierarchy after the 17th Congress may similarly represent consensus rather than a definitive Hu Jintao stamp. We have little doubt that the President has prevailed in placing his successor(s) at the peak of the Party to assume power in 2012, although this has been done in such a way to co-opt competing interests behind his overall programme. Political Structure China has all the structures a modern democratic state would expect to have, with in theory a separation of powers between the different functions of state similar to most western democracies.But all structures are subordinate to the leadership of the CCP. * The Legislature Key laws are passed by the National Peoples Co ngress (NPC) and its Standing Committee. The NPC has around two thousand members, and only meets in full session for a fortnight every March. Outside that time, a Standing Committee of around three hundred members carries out business. The Chairman is Wu Bangguo. Members are pick out from Provincial and Municipal Peoples Congresses, who are in turn elected from Peoples Congresses below them.Only at the lowest level are members elected by the public, but from a very narrow slate of approved candidates. (NB see Village elections below). A handful of independents manage to get elected. The NPC also votes the decision maker into office. * The Executive The Government is headed by Wen Jiabao, who is Premier. There are 4 Vice Premiers, 5 State Councillors, 28 Ministers, and 50 Offices, Institutions or Bureaux under the State Council or other Ministries. Between them they carry out all the functions of government, from health policy to water resources, to meteorology.Two bodies many woul d not expect to be part of government are Xinhua, the news agency, and the State Administration of Religious Affairs, which are directly under the State Council. * The Judiciary there are several levels of Peoples Courts which hear both criminal and civil cases (though the majority of criminal cases are actually dealt with by the police as administrative cases). The Peoples Procuratorate acts as an investigator and public prosecutor. Officially, the courts continue to be instruments of the dictatorship of the proletariat, and there is provision for political involvement in their judgements.In the next layer down from central government, China has 22 provinces 4 municipalities directly under the central government (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing) 5 self-governing regions (Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Guangxi) and 2 Special Administrative Regions (Hong Kong and Macao). The full hierarchy of government is * central government * province, municipality or auton omous region * prefecture or city * county or district * township * village (though see below). A province may contain within it autonomous counties or towns where there is a large ethnic minority population.Each layer of government will have departments similar to those of central government a Communist Party Committee a Peoples Congress and a Political consultive Committee. The head of government in each province is the Governor, but in practice the provincial Party Secretary is more powerful. Villages are now officially regarded as self-governing (and therefore not part of the formal government hierarchy). There are direct popular elections to village committees. They are responsible for providing some public services, and receive a budget from higher authorities to do so.They have no gross-raising powers of their own. The quality of the elections varies, but they are more or less free and fair. The Chinese Peoples Political informative Conference (CPPCC) The Chinese Peoples Po litical Consultative Conference (and its provincial and local off-shoots) brings together all permitted strands of political opinion and activity in China. It is not the legislature, but its main annual meeting comes average ahead of the NPC, and its views are officially fed into the NPC. Its Chairman is Jia Qinglin.Its main components are * Chinas 8 political parties other than the Chinese Communist Party (known collectively as the United Front). They include the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Guomindang the China Democratic League and the China Democratic National Construction Association. They are small, and all deal in their constitutions the dominant position of the Communist Party. * Representatives of Chinas mass organisations the Communist Youth League, The All-China Federation of Trade Unions the All China Womens Federation and 50 other organisations coating everything from film artists to religious organisations.In the next layer down from central government, Ch ina claims23 provinces (as it includes Taiwan)4 municipalities directly under the central government (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing)5 autonomous regions (Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Guangxi Zhuang) and2 Special Administrative Regions (Hong Kong and Macao). The full hierarchy of government is * central government * province, municipality or autonomous region * prefecture or city * county or district * township * village (though see below).A province may contain within it autonomous counties or towns where there is a large ethnic minority population. Each layer of government will have departments similar to those of central government a Peoples Congress a Political Consultative Committee (and a Communist Party Committee). The head of government in each province is the Governor, but in practice the provincial Party Secretary is more powerful. Villages are now officially regarded as theoretically self-governing (and therefore not part of the formal government hierarchy).There are direct popular elections to village committees. They are responsible for providing some public services, and receive a budget from higher authorities to do so. They have no revenue-raising powers of their own. The quality of the elections varies, but they are more or less free and fair. The Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) The Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (and its provincial and local off-shoots) brings together all permitted strands of political opinion and activity in China.It is not the legislature, but its main annual meeting comes just ahead of the NPC, and its views are officially fed into the NPC. Its Chairman is Jia Qinglin. Its main components are * Chinas8 political parties other than the Chinese Communist Party (known collectively as the United Front). They include the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Guomindang the China Democratic League and the China Democratic National Construction Association. They are small, and all accept in their constitutions the dominant position of the Communist Party. Representatives of Chinas mass organisations the Communist Youth League, The All-China Federation of Trade Unions the All China Womens Federation and50 other organisations covering everything from film artists to religious organisations. The Party The sure power in the land is the Chinese Communist Party. Founded in 1921 and now with around 70 million members, it has ruled China exclusively since 1949. Party structures Hu Jintao is General Secretary of the Communist Party. He heads the Politburo, which has 24 full and 1 alternate members.Nine members of the Politburo form a Politburo Standing Committee. They are the real government of China, and agree all major policies of the Party and government in the Standing Committee, using their positions elsewhere in government to implement them. Each member of the Politburo has a particular portfolio or government position, as follows (in or der of precedence) Hu Jintao President of China, Chair of the Central Military Commission Wu Bangguo Chairman of the National Peoples CongressWen Jiabao Premier Jia Qinglin Chair of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference Xi Jinping Vice President of China Li Keqiang, Hui Liangyu, Zhang Dejiang, Wang Qishan Vice Premiers He Guoqiang in charge of Party discipline Li Changchun propaganda Zhou Yongkang law and order The Party has a number of Departments, Committees and Leading Groups to formulate policy which often mirror government Ministries.Notable ones are * Party Central Committee the national Party committee, which meets once a year in the autumn, and has around 300 members * The Central Military Commission which is in effect the same thing as the state Central Military Commission, and therefore runs the armed forces * The Commission for Discipline Inspection responsible for fighting corruption among Party members * General Office and Central Bodyguards Bur eau which control access to the President * Organisation Department in charge of personnel policy and appointments * Propaganda (or Publicity) Department United Front Work Department manages relations with other political parties, religious organisations and other non-Party organisations * International Liaison Department manages relations with political parties in other countries. Leadership At the lowest levels there is a limited amount of democracy within the Party. Branch committees are elected from their members. At the highest level, the Party is effectively a self-perpetuating oligarchy. The outgoing Politburo Standing Committee selects its successor and members of the Politburo. Officially the Politburo and its Standing Committee are appointed at theParty Congress everyfive years. The next Party Congress will take place in Autumn 2012. 6. ECONOMY gross domestic product US $6. 9trn (est. ) (2011) GDP per capita Intl $8,394 per capita (2011 source IMF) Annual Growth 9. 2% (es t. ) (2011) Consumer prices 4. 8% (est. ) (2011) change over rate 10. 4 Renminbi = ? 1 (2011 average exchange rate) China has been one of the worlds economic success stories since reforms began in 1978. China is the worlds second biggest economy. Official figures show that GDP has grown on average by 10% a year over the past 30 years with an estimate of 9. 2% recorded for 2011.The current growth model, and policy underlying it, remains heavily skewed towards exports and investment, with little emphasis on private consumption. China has started to adjust its economic policies to better promote sustainable growth. The Government has highlighted its intention to * undertake more banking reform (and encourage banks to provide finance to rural areas and smaller firms) * develop the capital markets (so firms can more easily raise finance) * further reform of the insurance sector to expand the options available to consumers and * provide a sounder regulatory structure aimed at promoting pecuniary integration.A growing share of Chinas economic growth has been generated in the private sector as the government has opened up industries to domestic and foreign competition, though the role of the state in ownership and planning remains extensive. Chinas entry into the World Trade Organisation in December 2001 is further integrating China into the world-wide economy. Gross Domestic Product (GDP)/Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) In 2005 China had a GDP of US$2. 2 trillion. Chinas PPP was estimated for 2005 at nearly US$8. 9 trillion. PPP per capita in 2005 was estimated at US$6,800.Based on official Chinese data, the estimated GDP growth rate for 2005 was 9. 9 percent. Government Budget The state budget for 2004 was US$330. 6 billion in revenue and US$356. 8 billion in expenditures. In the revenue column, 95. 5 percent was from taxes and tariffs, 54. 9 percent of which was collected by the central government and 45 percent by local authorities. The expenditures were for cult ure, education, science, and health care (18 percent) capital construction (12 percent) administration (14 percent) national defense (7. percent) agriculture, forestry, and water conservancy (5. 9 percent) subsidies to compensate for price increases (2. 7 percent) pensions and social welfare (1. 9 percent) promotion of innovation, science, and technology (4. 3 percent) operating expenses of industry, transport, and commerce (1. 2 percent) geological prospecting (0. 4 percent), and other (31. 9 percent). The overall budget deficit in 2004 was approximately US$26 billion, an amount equivalent to about 1. 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). InflationChinas annual rate of inflation averaged 6 percent per year during the 19902002 period. Although consumer prices declined by 0. 8 percent in 2002, they increased by 1. 2 percent in 2003. Chinas estimated inflation rate in 2005 was 1. 8 percent. Special and Open Economic Zones As part of its economic reforms and policy of opening to t he world, between 1980 and 1984 China established special economic zones (SEZs) in Shantou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai in Guangdong Province and Xiamen in Fujian Province and designated the entire island province of Hainan a special economic zone.In 1984 China opened 14 other coastal cities to overseas investment (listed north to south) Dalian, Qinhuangdao, Tianjin, Yantai, Qingdao, Lianyungang, Nantong, Shanghai, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, and Beihai. Then, beginning in 1985, the central government expanded the coastal area by establishing the following open economic zones (listed north to south) Liaodong Peninsula, Hebei Province (which surrounds Beijing and Tianjin), Shandong Peninsula, Yangzi River Delta, Xiamen-Zhangzhou-Quanzhou Triangle in southern Fujian Province, Zhujiang (Pearl River) Delta, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.In 1990 the Chinese government decided to open the Pudong New Zone in Shanghai to overseas investment, as well as more cities in the Yangzi River Valley. Since 1992 the State Council has opened a number of border cities and all the capital cities of inland provinces and autonomous regions. In addition, 15 free-trade zones, 32 state-level economic and technological development zones, and 53 new- and high-tech industrial development zones have been established in large and medium-sized cities.As a result, a multilevel diversified pattern of opening and integrating coastal areas with river, border, and inland areas has been formed in China. Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing China traditionally has struggled to feed its large population. Even in the twentieth century, famines periodically ravaged Chinas population. Great emphasis has always been put on agricultural business, but weather, wars, and politics often justify good intentions. With the onset of reforms in the late 1970s, the relative share of agriculture in the gross domestic product (GDP) began to increase annually.Driven by sharp rises in prices paid for crops and a trend toward privatization in agriculture, agricultural output increased from 30 percent of GDP in 1980 to 33 percent of GDP by 1983. Since then, however, agriculture has decreased its share in the economy at the same time that the services sector has increased. By 2004 agriculture (including forestry and fishing) produced only 15. 2 percent of Chinas GDP but still is huge by any measure. Some 46. 9 percent of the total national workforce was occupied in agriculture, forestry, and fishing in 2004.According to United Nations statistics, Chinas cereal production is the largest in the world. In 2003 China produced 377 million tons, or 18. 1 percent of total world production. Its plant oil cropsat 15 million tons in 2003are a close second to those of the United States and amounted to 12. 6 percent of total world production. More specifically, Chinas principal crops in 2004 were rice (176 million tons), corn (132 million tons), sweet potatoes (105 million tons), drinking straw (91 million tons), sugarcane (89 million tons), and potatoes (70 million tons).Other grains, such as barley, buckwheat, millet, oats, rye, sorghum, and tritcale (a wheat-rye hybrid), added substantially to overall grain production. Crops of peanuts, rapeseed, soybeans, and sugar beets also were significant, as was vegetable production in 2004. Among the highest levels of production were cabbages, tomatoes, cucumbers, and dry onions. In 2004 fruit production also became a significant aspect of the agricultural market. China produced large crops of watermelons, cantaloupes, and other melons that year. Other significant orchard products were apples, citrus fruits, bananas, and mangoes.China, a nation of numerous cigarette smokers, also produced 2. 4 million tons of tobacco leaves. Fertilizer use was a major contributor to these abundant harvests. In 2002 China consumed 25. 4 million tons of nitrogenous fertilizers, or 30 percent of total world consumption and more than double th e consumption of other major users such as India and the United States in the same period. Among the less used fertilizers, China also was a leader. It consumed 9. 9 million tons of phosphate fertilizers (29. 5 percent of the world total) and 4. 2 million tons of potash fertilizers (18. percent of the world total). With Chinas door to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, food export opportunities have developed that have brought about still more efficient farming techniques. As a result, traditional areas such as grain production have decreased in favor of cash crops of vegetables and fruit for domestic and export trade. Chinas livestock herds are the largest in the world, far outstripping all of Europe combined and about comparable in size to all African nations combined. For example, in 2003 China had 49. 1 percent of the worlds pigs, 22. percent of the worlds goats, and 7. 5 percent of the worlds cattle. Converted into food production, Chinas major livestock products in 2 004 were pork (47. 2 million tons), poultry eggs (28. 0 million tons), cows milk (18. 5 million tons), poultry meat (13. 4 million tons), and beef and veal (6. 4 million tons). Other meats of significant amounts were mutton, lamb, and goat. Major by-products were cattle hides (1. 6 million tons), sheepskins (321,000 tons), and goatskins (375,000 tons). Honey (300,000 tons) and raw silk (95,000 tons) also were major products destined for the commercial market.Forestry products, measured in annual roundwood production, also abound. In 2004 China produced an estimated 284 million cuboidal meters of roundwood, the worlds third largest supplier after the United States and India, or about 8. 5 percent of total world production. From the roundwood, some 11. 3 million cubic meters of sawnwood are produced annually. China also leads the world in fish production. In 2003 it caught 16. 7 million tons of fish, far out catching the second-ranked nation, the United States, with its 4. 9 million tons.Aquaculture also was substantial in world terms. In the same year, China harvested 28. 8 million tons of fish, an amount more than 10 times that of the second-ranked nation, India, which produced 2. 2 million tons. The total fish production in 2003 was 45. 6 million tons. Of this total, 63. 2 percent was from aquaculture, an increasing sector, and 36. 7 percent from fish caught in rivers, lakes, and the sea. Mining and Minerals Mineral resources include large reserves of coal and iron ore, plus adequate to abundant supplies of nearly all other industrial minerals.Besides being a major coal producer, China is the worlds fifth largest producer of gold and in the early twenty-first century became an important producer and exporter of rare metals needed in high-technology industries. The rare earth reserves at the Bayan Obi mine in Inner Mongolia are thought to be the largest in any single location in the world. Outdated mining and ore-processing technologies are being replaced wit h modern techniques, but Chinas rapid industrialization requires imports of minerals from abroad.In particular, iron ore imports from Australia and the United States have soared in the early 2000s as steel production rapidly outstripped domestic iron ore production. The major areas of production in 2004 were coal (nearly 2 billion tons), iron ore (310 million tons), crude petroleum (175 million tons), natural gas (41 million cubic meters), antimony ore (110,000 tons), tin concentrates (110,000 tons), nickel ore (64,000 tons), tungsten oncentrates (67,000 tons), primitive salt (37 million tons), vanadium (40,000 tons), and molybdenum ore (29,000 tons).In order of magnitude, bauxite, gypsum, barite, magnesite, talc and related minerals, manganese ore, fluorspar, and zinc also were important. In addition, China produced 2,450 tons of silver and 215 tons of gold in 2004. The mining sector accounted for less than 0. 9 percent of total employment in 2002 but produced about 5. 3 percent o f total industrial production. Industry and Manufacturing Industry and construction produced 53. 1 percent of Chinas gross domestic product (GDP) in 2005. Industry (including mining, manufacturing, construction, and power) contributed 52. percent of GDP in 2004 and occupied 22. 5 percent of the workforce. The manufacturing sector produced 44. 1 percent of GDP in 2004 and accounted for 11. 3 percent of total employment in 2002. China is the worlds leading manufacturer of chemical fertilizers, cement, and steel. Prior to 1978, most output was produced by state-owned enterprises. As a result of the economic reforms that followed, there was a significant increase in production by enterprises sponsored by local governments, especially townships and villages, and, increasingly, by private entrepreneurs and foreign investors.By 2002 the share in gross industrial output by state-owned and state-holding industries had decreased to 41 percent, and the state-owned companies themselves contribu ted only 16 percent of Chinas industrial output. An example of an emerging heavy industry is travel manufacture, which has soared during the reform period. In 1975 only 139,800 automobiles were produced annually, but by 1985 production had reached 443,377, then jumped to nearly 1. 1 million by 1992 and increased fairly evenly each year up until 2001, when it reached 2. 3 million.In 2002 production rose to nearly 3. 3 million and then jumped again the next year to 4. 4 million. Domestic sales have kept pace with production. After respectable annual increases in the mid- and late 1990s, sales soared in the early 2000s, reaching 3 million automobiles exchange in 2003. With some governmental controls in place, sales dipped to 2. 4 million sold in 2004. Some forecasters expect sales to reach 6. 9 million by 2015. By 2010 Chinas automobile production is projected to reach 9. 4 million, and the country could become the number-one automaker in the world by 2020.So successful has Chinas s elf-propelling industry been that it began exporting car parts in 1999. China began to plan major moves into the automobile and components export business starting in 2005. A new Honda factory in Guangzhou was being built in 2004 solely for the export market and was expected to ship 30,000 passenger vehicles to Europe in 2005. By 2004, 12 major foreign automotive manufacturers had joint-venture plants in China. They produced a wide range of automobiles, minivans, sport utility vehicles, buses, and trucks. In 2003 China exported US$4. billion worth of vehicles and components, an increase of 34. 4 percent over 2002. By 2004 China had become the worlds fourth largest automotive vehicle manufacturer. Concomitant with automotive production and other steel-consuming industries, China has been rapidly increasing its steel production. Iron ore production kept pace with steel production in the early 1990s but was soon outpaced by imported iron ore and other metals in the early 2000s. Steel p roduction, an estimated 140 million tons in 2000, was expected to reach more than 350 million tons a year by 2010.Energy As with other economic categories, China is a major producer and consumer of energy resources. In 2002, the most recent year available for United Nations statistics, China produced 934. 2 million tons of oil equivalents and consumed 889. 6 million tons. Per capita consumption was 687 kilograms, only a quarter of North Koreas estimated consumption, a third of that in Hong Kong, and well below the average for Asia. Chinas energy consumption has risen dramatically since the inception of its economic reform program in the late 1970s.Electric power generationmostly by coal-burning plantshas been in particular demand Chinas electricity use in the 1990s increased by between 3 percent and 7 percent per year. In 2003 electricity use increased by 15 percent over the previous year, and supplies could not keep up with demand, thus slowing economic development. Government stat istics indicate that the overall demand for electric power for 2004 was projected to be around 2 trillion kilowatt-hours, but by June of that year a 60-b