Essay on Media Violence Censorship Not Needed - 1591 Words

Media Violence is a Menace, but Censorship Not Needed According to John Davidsons essay Menace to Society, three-quarters of Americans surveyed [are] convinced that movies, television and music spur young people to violence. While public opinion is strong, the results of research are divided on the effects of media violence on the youth in this country. Davidson wrote that most experts agree that some correlation between media violence and actual violent acts exists, yet the results are contradictory and researchers quibble about how the effects are to be measured (271). Moreover, Davidson is not convinced that the media is the sole problem of violence, or even a primary problem. He points out that other factors, such as†¦show more content†¦Despite this extremely small percentage, the mass killings committed by the two psychopaths at Columbine were viewed as a breakdown of the entire youth society. A summary of studies on violence, voiced by Mike Males, stated, The best evidence shows that rates of murder, school violence, dru g abuse, criminal arrest, violent death and gun fatality among middle- and upper-class teenagers have declined over the last 15 to 30 years (83). The problem with media violence may not be exactly what it is perceived as being. As Alisha Basore, a student at Columbine High School, explained, if media violence created violent people, then everyone in Columbine would have been killers, because a majority of the students had viewed the same television shows and movies that the murderers had (Valenti 74). Obviously there is not a direct cause and effect relationship between media and actual violence. The fact that average television viewers are not likely to become criminally violent because of what they see during violent programming does not mean that they are immune from any effects from it. Viewers cannot watch 32,000 murders by the time they are eighteen (as is the national average) and expect to be completely unaffected (Davidson 274). The results of a study in 1996 by the American MedicalShow MoreRelatedMedia Censorship1427 Words   |  6 PagesApril 30, 2011 Media Censorship in the United States Censorship has existed for longer than we could ever imagine. One of the first acts of state sponsored censorship occurred in 399 B.C. when Socrates, was executed for the â€Å"supposed common good of the people† (Guarding Public Morality, 2010, p.1). Socrates was a teacher and a philosopher in ancient Greece. His teaching methods were controversial for the time, and he was charged with corrupting the youth and drawing them away from the GreekRead MoreEssay on censorship846 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Censorship is the act of suppressing publications, movies, television programs, plays, letters, and so on that are considered to be obscene, blasphemous, or politically unacceptable† (MccGwire 4). Censorship should be enforced because it is needed into today’s society. Censorship needs to be used in media, hate speech, and obscene material. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;To begin with, the media has very negative effect on society as a whole. â€Å"The mass media—movies, television, and recordings—needRead MoreCensorship Filters The Media Within The World1574 Words   |  7 PagesDoes censorship filter the media within the world? Censorship has followed the free expressions of men and women like a shadow throughout history. Censorship is a way to filter the media in the world by suppressing unacceptable viewings or hearings by not showing, bleeping out, and covering the distasteful parts. In ancient societies, China for example, censorship was considered a logical tool for regulating the political and moral life of the population. The term censor can be traced to the officeRead MoreThe Need for Censorship in the Media Essay1650 Words   |  7 PagesThe Need for Censorship in the Media Censorship is the cuts and remakes of media mainly movies. Censorship is usually when obscene scenes and actions have been removed from a piece of media. Censorship has been around for a long time, censorship is supposed to protect us from the things which happen in media for example movies which contain horror, sex or violence. Censorship is said by the government to help us because it cuts out scenes which may mentally affectRead MoreCensorship Is Justified631 Words   |  3 PagesCensorship is sometimes justified Whether censorship is justified is always a controversial issue that attracts great public attention, and views of different people might vary greatly. As far as I am concerned, I tend to think that the censorship in China is somehow justified otherwise how can China developed so rapidly for the recent years. I know there are many voices against the censorship of our country, but let’s think from another way, how can we build our welfare and prosperity cultureRead MoreCensorship And Its Effect On The Creativity And Enjoyment Of What We Indulge Ourselves1647 Words   |  7 Pages How does censorship in media undermine the creativity and enjoyment of what we indulge ourselves in? The existence of censorship itself can take many forms in media. Sometimes it can exist for reasonable reasons to the most absurd. This filter has existed as long as public demonstration has existed; there was always information that has not has not been shown or spreadto the public. Now in modern times, it has been used and implemented in across several formats in media and entertainment. Is itRead MoreCensorship And Its Effect On Children1619 Words   |  7 Pagesthey see being done. Without censorship daily television shows are increasingly exhibiting more violence, foul language and sexuality to suscep tible youth. Due to lack of censorship, explicit music lyrics and inappropriate images on music videos are being introduced to impressionable children. There is a lack of control on the internet leading to internet addiction and forces vulnerable adolescents to face cyber bullying. In a variety of mediums not enough censorship is used, which influences impressionableRead MoreShould Censorship Be Banned From Social Media Platform?1523 Words   |  7 Pagesphoto, can they get banned from that social media platform? Or how about when you share your own beliefs on social media, can your content get flagged as inappropriate? The answer to both of these questions is yes, and it is blatant censorship. Censorship by definition is â€Å"the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security† (Oxford University Press). Censorship regularly imposes certain beliefs on theRead More The Mediaà ¢â‚¬â„¢s Support of International Terrorism Essay1742 Words   |  7 Pagesleads to the people of Jerusalem to revolt in 70 AD (Miller V).   If this attack had been made in some dark alley with no spectators would the people react the way they did?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The marketplace of old Jerusalem, can be compared to the media of today. What better place to get the public informed about your reasons and purpose for attacks than the news.   Albert gave a good definition of terrorists objectives when he stated: Terrorists try to exercise influence over targeted officialsRead MoreA Brief Note On The Culture Of Terrorism1518 Words   |  7 Pagesworld culture of terrorism that is used by propaganda and censorship to blur the politics of globalization and technology, and restructure a totalitarian society. This paper will argue that the businesses of â€Å"the U.S. media shill factory† (Borjesson, 2004, p.165), the plottings of the â€Å"brand based† (Klein, 2000, P.421) corporations, and the multi-national oil giants influence sectors of government by using deliberate strategies of censorship and propaganda to discredit government effectiveness, alienate

The Inequality Of A Capitalist Society Essay - 2434 Words

There are many inequalities prevalent in the US, and as a capitalist society, one of the most common is economic inequality. The Equality Trust defines economic inequality, as the gap between the well off and less well of in regards to overall economic distribution (â€Å"How Is†). See, our capitalist society strongly benefits those with a capitalist mentality and can afford the means to invest/own capital. Over the years there has been an increasing wealth gap between the top one percent earners and the general population. So why are the rich flourishing while the poor are struggling in this capitalist environment? The policy decisions of our country allow this inequality to permeate throughout our industries, thus creating a culture of power and greed. One result of this culture is the explosion of high salaries in the US and Emmanuel Saez explains this trend in Striking it Richer. Saez affirms, â€Å"Indeed, estimates based purely on wages and salaries show that the share of total wage and salaries earned by the top 1 percent wage income earners has jumped from 5.1 percent in 1970 to 12.0 percent in 2006† (Grusky 89). Too bad that the 99 percent of America missed out on this massive economic growth spurt. When economic growth is not evenly distributed among the general population, people tend to question our entire system. This has been an increasingly controversial issue, where corporate America is responsible for the constant exploitation of low-level employees. Through myShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"Social Inequality Is a Necessary Evil of Capitalist Society†. Please Comment .2284 Words   |  10 Pagesâ€Å"Social inequality is a necessary evil of capitalist society†. Please comment with the reference of the sociology perspectives being discussed in the lecture and textbook. In the 21th century, the existence of social inequality has already raised to the surface, which give rise to a torrent of furor. Many people sees social inequality as an individual problem, people experience inequality because of their ability or laziness. However, this is somehow not the real case. Indeed, social inequality canRead MoreSocial inequality is a necessary evil of capitalist society‚Äà ¹. Please comment with the reference of the sociology perspectives being discussed in the lecture and textbook.2012 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿2. Social inequality is a necessary evil of capitalist society†. Please comment with the reference of the sociology perspectives being discussed in the lecture and textbook. Social inequality exists in every society, no matter it is capitalist society or communist society. Yet, referring from three of the sociology perspectives, it proves that social inequality is a necessary evil of capitalist society. Capitalism affects the whole situation of different countries on different aspects, examplesRead MorePoverty Inequality And The Working Class976 Words   |  4 PagesInequality and poverty are thoroughly interconnected. Therefore, both the size and distribution of the economic pie are relevant in a discussion of poverty. Poverty, as measured by the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), is comprised of three dimensions: health, education, and standard of living. According to this measure, approximately 1.7 billion people worldwide are â€Å"multidimensionally poor† (Hick, 2014, p. 125). While addressing poverty, it is also essential for one to examine the inequalityRead MoreTheories of Social Inequality Essay881 Words   |  4 PagesTheories of Social Inequality In briefly evaluating the classical and modern explanations of social inequality, it is essential that we step outside the realm of our own lives, class position, and discard any assumptions we might have about the nature of inequality. This process of critical pedagogy allows us to view our world, not from our perspective, but from a wider, more critical analysis of inequalitys nature. Also, it should be considered within this wider perspective that all theoriesRead MoreThe Major Classical Theorists Influenced The Economics Of A Nation And It Would Make The Nation Better1277 Words   |  6 PagesThree major classical theorists have attempted to interpret why societies change. They are Adam Smith, Max Weber, and Karl Marx (Franks, 35). These three have inspired a lot of people down the years. Adam Smith is known as the theoretical father of modern economics. In 1776, Smith argued that the â€Å"invisible hand† of the market would change the economics of a nation and it would make the nation better. In his invisible hand theory, he states that if one person strived to achieve success, then theRead MoreThe Works Of Richard Robbins : Global Problem And The Culture Of Capitalism1268 Words   |  6 Pagesprivilege, inequality, and capitalism through sociological and historical references. Through reading and analyzing these works along with our class lectures it has become apparent that there is a clear relationship between these systems. Capitalism causes and enforces systems of inequality and privilege. Capitalism is able to do this through the construct of social reality, the matrix of capitalist domination: segmentation of class, gender, and race, and through the manipulation of society by capitalisticRead MoreThe Marxist Feminism Theory And The Social System1176 Words   |  5 PagesHealth is a social construct system and health inequality is the result from social dysfunction. Health determinants are the combined factors that influence an individual or the community’s’ health such as the social environment, economic environment and the individual characteristics and behaviours (Germov, 2014). Firstly, the Marxist feminism will be discussed. This theory believes social structure shapes the group’s behaviours and perspectives. People who have a higher socioeconomic status haveRead MoreThe Poor and Christianity1033 Words   |  4 Pagesalmost impossible to eliminate in todays capitalist societies. Furthermore in truth, selling the valuable oil/perfume and giving the money to the poor would only constitute as a band aid and not repair the situation, indeed, the poor will always be with us! Humans are inherently social animals who seek commonality, they are devoted social network participants, these associations no matter the size are known as societies and regrettably along with societies, communities, groups and the like naturalRead MoreSocial Class Differences On The Long Run Essay1403 Words   |  6 Pages such as Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez have been conducting and publishing empirical studies which indicate that economic inequality is growing in wealthy countries, like those in Europe and the United States. In fact, according to a graph published in Piketty and Saez’s study â€Å"Inequality in the Long Run,† both the United States and Europe’s income and wealth inequality generally decreased from 1900-1970, and then started increasing in the time period after that. The results of this study suggestRead MoreMarx s Criticism Of Capitalism1282 Words   |  6 Pagesthe war amongst the greedy - competition.† A capitalist society, def ined by the systems of competition and private ownership, is divided into two classes - the â€Å"property owners† and the â€Å"propertyless workers† (701). In this system, workers suffer from exploitation and alienation, while capitalists grow wealthier and more powerful. In 2011, Occupy Wall Street was a mass protest movement that raised issues of increasing economic and social inequality: this form of resistance argued that the system

Infinity Bank Will the Supermarket Strategy Work Essay Example For Students

Infinity Bank Will the Supermarket Strategy Work? Essay Introduction Infinity bank was one of the 10 largest banks in the UK with over 1800 retail branches. However, due to the change in the nature of the banking industry since the 1980’s Infinity bank had seen a consistent drop in its profitability. Deregulation of the industry had been one of the major changes that had taken place during this time which had increased the competition in the industry. Even though Infinity had followed other major banks in responding to this challenge by cutting costs, closing branches and making use of information technology, its results were far worse than others. Since retail banking was a major source of their costs as well as revenue, they conducted a branch efficiency review which pointed out issues with underperformance and wastage of resources. Another issue that cropped up was that branches did not know which the most profitable products were. After conducting their first costing activity to understand product profitability they found out that Current accounts, which was their main product, were highly unprofitable. Mortgages and Credit Cards on the other hand were profitable. Details of the customer segments are given in Table 1. This led them to devise a strategy called the â€Å"Supermarket Strategy† which made branch manager responsible for their own PL and be rewarded for selling profitable products. Product Combinations| Accounts(in Millions)| Current Account only| 3. 70| Credit Card only| 0. 50| Mortgage only| 0. 11| Current Account + Credit Card| 4. 20| Curent Account + Mortgage| 0. 39| Credit Card + Mortgage| 0. 05| All 3: CA + CC + M| 0. 31| Total Customers| 9. 26| Table 1: Customer Segment Details However, some managers believed that this strategy would not work and that hey needed to sell unprofitable products like Current Accounts to customers in order to build relationships which would lead to the selling of more profitable products later. Accordingly, a customer profitability study was done with a sample of a 1000 customers for each product category and cross-holdings. In the light of this data will the â€Å"Supermarket Strategy† work for Infinity Bank? Analysis of Customer Profit ability Data While it is good to have Customer and Product profitability data, the real value can only be extracted from this data if it can be used to devise a consistent strategy, control systems and operating procedures. Keeping this in mind, it is very important to analyze the Infinity bank customer profitability data to see whether the proposed â€Å"Supermarket Strategy† is really the way to go for them. One way that we can analyze this data is to analyze the distribution of profitability. To do this, we can use the Stobachoff curve (Storbacka, 1998). This curve gives us a graphic view of how many customers are actually profitable. To plot this curve, we order the profitability data from highest to lowest. We then plot the cumulative profitability percentage on the Y-axis and the cumulative customer percentage on the X-axis. Figure A: Interpretation of Stobachoff’s Curve (Raaij, Vernooij, Triest, 2003) Looking at this curve can give us an idea about what percentage of customers are subsidizing others and what are the kinds of risks associated with it. This is summarized in Figure A. The four quadrants are divided by the level of subsidizing effect and the dependence on customers. In the case of Infinity Bank, this curve was plotted for each of the 7 customer segments mentioned in Table 1. These are shown below. 1. Current Accounts Only| 2. Credit Cards Only| 3. Mortgage Only| 4. Current Accounts and Credit Cards| 5. Current Accounts and Mortgages| 6. Credit Cards and Mortgages| 7. Current Accounts, Credit Cards and Mortgages| The Stobachoff curve for Current account customers is shown in Figure 1. If we look at this curve we see that only about 20% of the customers who hold only current accounts are profitable. They contribute 20% to the profitability of current accounts. The rest 80% of these customers are making a 120% of the losses. This kind of a situation looks really bad on paper. But of course, statistics only tell half the story. If Infinity managers were to base their decisions solely on this number then they should probably fire most of their current account holders. This issue will be analyzed further on in the paper when we discuss the recommendations. The story is completely different in the credit cards only segment in Figure 2. As we can see, around 95% of the customers contribute to nearly 170% profitability. There are 5% customers who cause 70% decline in profits. If we put these numbers in the context of Figure A, we see that this curve fits the top right quadrant where a small number of customers are highly unprofitable. International business paln EssayFor example, it might be that even though current accounts are loss making, they act as a great way to acquire a customer for future sales of profitable products. If that is the case then firing current account holders will be the wrong decision. Again the data given is not clear enough about the demographic of the customers. It would be very helpful to do a proper CPA which takes a lot more data into account and also accounts for other factors such as Age, account holding duration, location/branch etc. If these factors are taken into account, we will surely get a lot more insight into the unprofitability/profitability of current accounts. An implementation of a CRM/Business Intelligence system would go a long way in providing the bank with information needed to do a better analysis of customer profitability. Having a good CRM system in place will also ensure a better understanding of the customer. This will mean that when giving out credit cards and loans the bank can be quite certain about the risk of default relating to the customers. One thing that is not taken into account at all here is the cost of customer acquisition. It may be easy to fire a whole lot of customers because they are unprofitable, but to get new customers in the preferred segment might be really costly. This cost has not been accounted for in the data given and may prove really important in Infinity bank’s case. An interesting thing to pursue in terms of getting unprofitable customers to be more profitable is to offer them incentives like attractive interest rates on mortgages and credit cards. This strategy might work better than firing them because of the lifetime value issue. Of course, a better study may reveal that customers who buy profitable products after x years are not really profitable. The bank can start charging them higher rates/fees in these cases. Conclusion So would the Supermarket Strategy work? In light of the analysis done and the recommendations made, I believe Supermarket Strategy might not work that well. The strategy was implement based on product profitability data and did not take into account customer profitability. The major issues that might arise from the strategy would be issues of managers concentrating of short term PL rather than long term relationship building which is very important in the banking business. It would also bring up issues of trying to force products down the customers’ throat which might not work well with their customers. As the data shows us, even though credit cards and mortgages are profitable products, defaulters can bring down the profitability of any product line. We saw in the case of credit cards that 5% of the customers brought down profitability of the entire segment by 70%. Similarly, in case of mortgages, just one customer brought down the profitability by 20%. Right now, Infinity’s exposure to such customers is low with mortgages and credit cards amounting for a small percentage of business. With Supermarket strategy in place managers would be pressurized to sell more of these products to meet targets and the quality of the customers (in terms of credit ratings) might go down. If that is the case, the risk of defaulters would increase manifolds and this can cause an overall decline in profitability instead of an increase as Infinity’s managers envision. References Cognos:An IBM Company. (2008) Customer profitability in real-world banking. Haenlein, Michael, Kaplan, Andreas M. Beeser, Anemone J. (2007) A Model to Determine Customer Lifetime Value in a Retail Banking Context. European Management Journal, 25 (3), 221-234. Kotler, Philip. (1974) Marketing during periods of shortage, Journal of Marketing 38 (3) pp. 20–29. Krakhmal, Vira. (2008) Customer Profitability Accounting: A Constructive Case Study from the Hotel Industry. CAUTHE 2008 Conference. . Available from: http://www. griffith. edu. au/conference/cauthe2008/refereed-papers/RP023. df . Noone, Breffni Griffin, Peter. (1999) Managing the long-term profit yield from market segments in a hotel environment: a case study on the implementation of customer profitability analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 18 (2), 111-128. PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2009) Customer and product profitability analysis Creating new insights to improve company performance. van Raaij, Erik M. , Vernooij, Maarten J. A. van Triest, Sander. (2003) The implementation of customer profitability analysis: A case study. Industrial Marketing Management, 32 (7), 573-583. Ini

Why employees of google are leaving Essay Example

Why employees of google are leaving? Paper Why employees of Google are leaving? BY yuvn1300 Case Application It gets more than 3000 applications a day 1. And its no wonder! With a massage every other week, on site laundry, swimming pool and spa, free delicious all-you-can- eat gourmet meals, what more could an employee want? Sounds like an Ideal job, doesnt it? However, at Google, many people are demonstrating by their decisions to leave the company, that all these perks (and these are Just a few) arent enough to keep them there. As one analyst said Yes, Googles making gobs of money. Yes, Its full of smart people. Yes, Its a wonderful place to work. So why are so many people leaving? Google has been In the top five list of best companies to work for by Fortune magazine for four years running and was number one on the list for two of those four years. But make no mistake. Googles executives decided to offer all these fabulous perks for several reasons: to attract the best knowledge workers It can In an Intensely competitive, cutthroat market: to help employees work long hours and not eave to deal with time-consuming personal chores; to show employees thieve valued: and to have employees remain Goggles (the title used for employees) for many years. We will write a custom essay sample on Why employees of google are leaving? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why employees of google are leaving? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why employees of google are leaving? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer But a number of Goggles have jumped ship and given up these fantastic benefits to go out on their own. For instance Sean Knapp and two colleagues, brothers Bismarck and Pleasurable, came up with an idea on how to handle web video. They left Google, or as one person put it, expelled themselves from paradise to start their own company. When the threesome left the company, Google really wanted them and their project to stay. Google offered them a blank check. But the trio realized they would do all the hard work and Google would own the product. So off they went, for the excitement of a start-up. If this was an isolated occurrence, it would be easy to write off. But its not. Other talented Google employees have done the same thing. In fact, there are so many of them who have left that theyve formed an informal alumni club of ex-Goggles turned entrepreneurs.

Natural Disasters in the Caribbean Essay Example

Natural Disasters in the Caribbean Paper The natural disasters that are typically experienced in the Caribbean can have catastrophic and devastating impacts on the environment, economic development and social structure of these islands. Severe damage to the built infrastructure that has supported communities on Caribbean islands for decades can place a huge strain on economic activity. The social impacts that are experienced following natural disasters consist of homelessness, injury, suffering, sickness, disease, and even death. This paper will introduce the ajar natural disasters that have affected life in the Caribbean and they include hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, flooding and tsunamis. Other than Barbados, all Windward Islands of the Caribbean are of volcanic origin. Volcanoes are ruptures in the earths surface that allow for the escape of lava and gas. The two types of volcanic eruptions, explosive and effusive, can both have devastating consequences on the environment and the Caribbean inhabitants. Although not a common occurrence, several volcanic eruptions have take place on Caribbean islands. For example, an eruption on SST. Vincent in 1979 left economic losses of 1 billion dollars, but fortunately no casualties. Flooding is another very impact natural disaster that is one of the more common types of natural disasters to greatly affect CAROM countries. Sometimes called the silent killer, flooding can greatly affect socio-economic development. Whether it is coastal or river flooding, it has the ability to greatly damage the agricultural landscape as well as introduce water-borne disease that can lead to death in local inhabitants. We will write a custom essay sample on Natural Disasters in the Caribbean specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Natural Disasters in the Caribbean specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Natural Disasters in the Caribbean specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer There is a disproportionate vulnerability of CAROM countries to natural disaster demonstrated by the numerous events that have occurred over the last few hundred years. The intrinsic vulnerability is due to the small size of Caribbean islands, their insularity and remoteness, and the economic, environmental and demographic factors that are associated with these islands. Furthermore, there is limited hazard forecasting ability for several CAROM countries. The CAROM countries are geographically set in a location that makes them vulnerable to natural disasters. The Caribbean climate is tropical and temperatures range between approximately ICC and ICC throughout all islands as a whole. The prevailing trade winds along with year round sunny skies set a warm climate for CAROM countries with both dry and wet season. Precipitation depends on the elevation of the island and is also effected by water currents. The environmental impacts of Caribbean natural disasters are correlated with the large coastal zones on the numerous islands and the damage can vary from affecting the entire landscape or the falling on one tree. It was noted that from 1960-1989, hurricanes in the Greater Caribbean Basin resulted in the deaths of 28,000 people, disrupted the lives of 6 million people and destroyed property worth U. S. $16 billion. All the Caribbean nations that have already faced the fury of the hurricane Sandy and have had to fight back by burying the dead, finding shelter for the homeless and counting the economic losses. Sandy moved northwards with gusts in over 1 10 MPH destroying homes, crops and roads on its way. More than 69 people were killed in six countries.

Geography of Madagascar

Geography of Madagascar Madagascar  is a large island nation located in the  Indian Ocean  east of Africa and the country Mozambique. It is the fourth largest island in the world and it is an  African country. Madagascars official name is the Republic of Madagascar. The country is sparsely populated with a  population density  of only 94 persons per square mile (36 persons per square kilometer). As such, most of Madagascar is undeveloped, incredibly biodiverse forest land. Madagascar is home to 5% of the worlds species, many of which are native only to Madagascar. Population:  21,281,844 (July 2010 estimate)Capital:  AntananarivoArea:  226,658 square miles (587,041 sq km)Coastline:  3,000 miles (4,828 km)Highest Point:  Maromokotro at 9,435 feet (2,876 m)Lowest Point:  The Indian Ocean History of Madagascar It is believed that Madagascar was uninhabited until the 1st century C.E. when sailors from Indonesia arrived on the island. From there, migrations from other Pacific lands as well as Africa increased and various tribal groups began to develop in Madagascar- the largest of which was the Malagasy. The written history of Madagascar did not begin until the 7th century C.E. when Arabs began setting up trading posts on the islands northern coastal regions.European contact with Madagascar did not begin until the 1500s. At that time, the Portuguese captain, Diego Dias discovered the island while on a voyage to India. In the 17th century, the French established various along the east coast. In 1896, Madagascar officially became a French colony.Madagascar remained under French control until 1942 when  British troops  occupied the area during World War II. In 1943, though the French retook the island from the British and maintained control until the late 1950s. In 1956, Madagascar began moving toward independence and on October 14, 1958, the Malagasy Republic was formed as an independent state within the French colonies. In 1959, Madagascar adopted its first constitution and achieved full independence on June 26, 1960. Government of Madagascar Today, Madagascars government is considered a republic with a legal system based on French civil law and traditional Malagasy laws. Madagascar as an executive branch of government that is made up of a  chief of state  and a head of state, as well as a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senat and the Assemblee Nationale. Madagascars judicial branch of government is comprised of the Supreme Court and the High Constitutional Court. The country is divided into six provinces (Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, and Toliara) for local administration. Economics and Land Use in Madagascar Madagascars economy is currently growing but at a slow pace. Agriculture is the main sector of the economy and employs about 80% of the countrys population. The main agricultural products of Madagascar include coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava, beans, bananas, peanuts, and livestock products. The country does have a small amount of industry of which the largest are: meat processing, seafood, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly, paper, and petroleum. In addition, with the rise of  ecotourism, Madagascar has seen a rise in tourism and the related service sector industries. Geography, Climate, and Biodiversity of Madagascar Madagascar is considered a part of southern Africa as it is located in the  Indian Ocean east of Mozambique. It is a large island that has a narrow coastal plain with a high plateau and mountains in its center. Madagascars highest mountain is Maromokotro at 9,435 feet (2,876 m).The climate of Madagascar varies based on location on the island but it is tropical along the coastal regions, temperate inland and arid in the south its portions. Madagascars capital and largest city, Antananarivo, which is located in the northern part of the country somewhat away from the coast has a January average high temperature of 82 °F (28 °C) and a July average low of 50 °F (10 °C).Madagascar is most well-known around the world for its rich biodiversity and  tropical rainforests. The island is home to about 5% of the worlds plant and animal species and about 80% of those are endemic or native only to Madagascar. These include all species of  lemurs  and about 9,000 different species of plants. Because of their isolation on Madagascar, many of these endemic species are also threatened or endangered due to increasing  deforestation  and development. To protect its species, Madagascar has many national parks, and nature and wildlife reserves. In addition, there are several  UNESCO certified  World Heritage Sites  on Madagascar called the  Rainforests of the Atsinanana. More Facts about Madagascar Madagascar has a life expectancy of 62.9 years. Its official languages are Malagasy, French, and English. Today, Madagascar has 18 Malagasy tribes, as well as groups of French, Indian Comoran, and Chinese people. References Central Intelligence Agency. (27 May 2010).  CIA - The World Factbook - Madagascar.Infoplease.com. (n.d.).  Madagascar: History, Geography, Government, and Culture, Infoplease.com.United States Department of State. (2 November 2009).  Madagascar.Wikipedia. (14 June 2010).  Madagascar, Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.

A Trip to Remember Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

A Trip to Remember - Personal Statement Example So it definitely was not an enjoyable experience to visit the beaches. But I must admit that the beaches are beautiful and I certainly do not mind a tan! Another downside to this vacation was the heat. It was a pity that we were surrounded by water but potable water was only available on the bigger Island. The sun was out on a killing spree and the tourists were the victims. Those who managed to survive the heat and sand, had another issue staring at them i.e. hunger! I am happy to say that the food was what made this vacation a vacation for me! The people there are very festive and happy and this clearly reflected in our eating experiences. In the one week that we stayed there, there was not a single meal or a restaurant that was not memorable for somebody in my family. We enjoyed all sorts of international cuisines. Another downside to this vacation was the heat. It was a pity that we were surrounded by water but potable water was only available on the bigger Island. The sun was out on a killing spree and the tourists were the victims. Those who managed to survive the heat and sand, had another issue staring at them i.e. hunger! I am happy to say that the food was what made this vacation a vacation for me! The people there are very festive and happy and this clearly reflected in our eating experiences. In the one week that we stayed there, there was not a single meal or a restaurant that was not memorable for somebody in my family. We enjoyed all sorts of international cuisines there.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚