Country Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Country Analysis - Research Paper Example It was a collaboration of independent study and this Company's own study that we came up with some concrete decisions. Mexico is a good place of destination for tourists. Tourists can come from the USA because it shares a border with that economic power. Brazil also has a stable economic and political background. Both are stable politically and economically, so we have to give a discrete study and analysis on these two. Our study focused on the political, economic and business environments of the two countries touching on areas such as GDP and GNP, political background and stability and economic upturn or downturn during recent surveys. Primary research was provided by an independent think tank, but our very own Company did not waste time in surfing the web for possible clues and more data, from reference books, periodicals and other sources of data. This report analyses the sociopolitical and economic environments of Brazil and Mexico, and a commercial expansion potential for hotel industry. The basis for an expansion of a chain of hotels will be taken out of this study. Brazil and Mexico were chosen as expansion because the two countries showed growth in GDP in recent years. Our hotel business plans to expand by 2008 and has considered Mexico or Brazil to be the two countries where we can expand our business. ... Mexico is our next investment destination for our chain of hotels. 1.0 Introduction This report analyses the sociopolitical and economic environments of Brazil and Mexico, and a commercial expansion potential for hotel industry. The basis for an expansion of a chain of hotels will be taken out of this study. Brazil and Mexico were chosen as expansion because the two countries showed growth in GDP in recent years. 1.1. Product Profile Our hotel business plans to expand by 2008 and has considered Mexico or Brazil to be the two countries where we can expand our business. Our studies revolve around the socio-political, and economic and business environment perspectives of the two countries. We have concluded that it has to be only one country as place for expansion by the year, so that only one will be chosen as a result of this study. It will be either Brazil or Mexico. The studies focused on the cost of travel and tourism inside the country and the influx of tourists, costs of hotel accommodations and travel, international tourists who are the customers, and income expenditures. 2.0 Country Analysis on Mexico 2.1 Socio political environment of Mexico Mexico is an important tourism generator, just outside the top 20 in terms of expenditure, yet it is also a 'one destination' country. Roughly nine out of every ten outbound travelers go to the USA. A quarter of the population live in extreme poverty, while the richest 10% enjoy more than one-third of the total household income and the richest 20% earn more than half. According to the World Bank, Mexico ranks around 75th in the world in terms of GDP per capita, and a market to watch for the future. There was a catastrophe

The Life and Legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach

The Life and Legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach The Life and Legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach Many important figures have impacted and shaped the comprehensive history of western classical music. Even today, most laymen know of the names of the great classical composers like prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and can even identify some of the most iconic melodies such as the opening subject to Ludwig Van Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. Surprisingly, these men of great talent all stem from the foundation set by one German composer: Johann Sebastian Bach. Now, the name J.S. Bach evokes the Baroque period of music and its influence can be seen throughout the works of later periods and other composers. With such a substantial impact, J.S. Bach in actuality had a very modest and local career and after Bach’s death, his music was almost completely forgotten. It was through his legacy among musicians and protà ©gà ©s which sparked a rekindling of Bach’s music and he now receives immense admiration and veneration for his technically challenging keyboard works, his pote nt liturgical works, and his vast amount of sheer repertoire. Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 31st, 1685, into a highly musical family. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was the director of the town musicians and was skilled in the violin and harpsichord. J.S. Bach was the youngest of eight children all of whom were trained in harpsichord, violin, and basic music theory. Bach also had many uncles who were all professional musicians working as local organists, court chamber musicians, and composers. Thus, J.S. Bach was immersed in music from a young age and also was trained in music theory, composition, the harpsichord, clavichord, organ, and violin. In particular, his older brother Johann Christoph Bach, an organist at the St. Michael’s Church in Ohrdruf and pupil of Johann Pachelbel, became a prominent musical figure in J. S. Bach’s life and further engendered his passion for music. At the age of 14, Bach attended the prestigious St. Michael’s School in Luneburg, Germany where he was exposed to a wide variety of c ultural sounds such as the music of Northern and Southern Germany, Italy, and France. In 1703, J. S. Bach was appointed the position of court musician at the chapel of Duke Johann Ernst III in the city of Weimar but was unhappy with his work as he was often unsatisfied with the church choirs and the amount of composing he was responsible for. Thus, Bach and his family was required to travel and move in order to seek better job opportunities. However, unlike most musicians, who would travel all across Europe performing and making a living, Bach lived relatively local moving from town to town all within the confines of Germany. Bach often had ideological differences with his employer and he would compose some of his greatest works all in different cities and churches as well require to teach students. For instance, in 1723, Bach was appointed the Cantor of the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig where he served and composed till his death 27 years later. Bach was required to teach the students of the St. Thomas Church singing and keyboard. It was at this time that Bach wrote his Inventions and Sinfonias for keyboard, a collection of exercises that most pianists play even to this day in order to improve their technique, articulation, dexterity, precision, and speed. It was also as Thomaskantor that he wrote his Mass in B minor, considered to be one of the greatest choral works of all time. Johann Sebastian Bach died on July 28th, 1750 and although he was celebrated as an organist and harpsichordist, very few people beyond the city of Weimar knew of Bach’s compositions. It was only the great composers and keyboardist to keep Bach’s music alive in conservatories and libraries. Thus, the even the greatest of composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Frederic Chopin, and Felix Mendelssohn, all revered Bach’s work as excellent keyboard music. This is because Bach’s music was one of the most highly technical for the era, another being the music of Bach’s contemporary, George Frederic Handel. During the Baroque period, keyboard instruments were often for accompaniment to harmonize and contrast with the string instruments of the orchestra. However, substantial advances for keyboard in result of Bach’s compositions led to more solo prominence in music as well as facilitated the invention of the pianoforte, now one of the most learned m usic instruments. Moreover, Bach has left not only a large amount of music manuscripts but also his legacy as a keyboardist, and composer of liturgical and secular music. Through his travels and his encounters with different cultures and colleagues within the Baroque Era, Bach was able to capitalize on both the aesthetic culture of the time and the variety of styles across countries. Also, as Bach had shifted positions and employers many times, he was required to create new music contextually depending on purpose and location. As Bach was a religiously devoted man, he wrote a numerous amount of chorales, pastoral songs, and congregational hymns for the choir and organ or harpsichord. As Bach began teaching and instructing, Bach began to write more works for keyboard that included a variety of preludes and fugues, toccatas, fantasies, and theme and variation works. Baroque music in general is classified by its heavily ornate technicality and grandiose sounds all within a systematically controlled framework. Thus, Bach’s music is highly articulate and technical a reason why the great pianists Felix Mendelssohn and Franz Liszt both practiced with Bach works and built upon his keyboard foundation. Bach also further developed German music through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic, and motivic organization, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms and textures. However, after Bach’s death, much of his music was deemed archaic and old-fashioned as new composers such as Franz Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven brought forth the new era of Classical music. Soon, most of the general public did not know of J. S. Bach’s name in the beginning of the 19th century. Many pivotal figures reincarnated Bach’s name through the years. First, Johann Nikolaus Forkel’s wrote the composer’s biography in 180 2. The pianist and composer, Felix Mendelssohn further popularized Bach’s name by arranging and performing the St. Matthew Passion. The performance proved to be successful as Bach’s name and reputation as a composer soon revived. By the 1850s, the Bach-Gesellschaft, or the Bach Society, was founded in order to further preserve Bach’s works and promote his repertoire. New works by Bach are still being found to this day. Bach’s enormous library of music is simply a testament to his diligence and creativity. With such music, Bach was able to pave a way for future musicians and composers. Through his advancement in keyboard work, Bach provided the technique for great pianists. With his teachings and instructions, many of his protà ©gà ©s moved on to become great Classical era composers. Even presently, Bach’s works are performed by the finest of performers and has become truly a household name for both musicians and laymen alike. Works Consulted â€Å"Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750). â€Å"Encyclopedia of world biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998 Grout, D. J. (1980) A history of western music. New York, NY: W. W. Norton Kerman, J. and G. Tomlinson (2012). Listen (7th edition). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s Kennedy, M. (2006) The Oxford dictionary of music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Kevorkian, T. â€Å"Bach Family.† Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the early modern world. Ed. Jonathan Dewald. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2004 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ed. Stanley Sadie. London: Macmillan Publishers, 1980. Randel, D. M. (2003) The Harvard Dictionary of Music. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

The Flea by John Donne and To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell Essay

The Flea by John Donne and To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell "The Flea" by John Donne is written in the 17th century as is "To his coy mistress" by Andrew Marvell. This we can see by the language used which was typical of that period in time "apt to kill me" and "yea" which are taken from the flea. Both poems also speak of virginity being very important, especially before marriage because if a woman had lost her "maidenhead" before, the husband would have the right to leave her without the need for a divorce. Both poems have the same theme of seduction. In "The flea" this is put across in each in three regular stanzas where as "To His Coy Mistress" is written in to sections. This is to convey that each stanza is still about the same subject because they are of similar lengths and writing style. The first stanza of "The Flea" conveys the message of how the flea has taken blood from both of their bodies and has combine it in the body of the flea, and so making them united as one "And in this flea, our two bloods mingled be". Donne's argument is based on this flea throughout the three stanza's and goes on to start his persuasion that the flea has had its pleasure in the form of food, and so why can they not enjoy in a sexual relationship and experience pleasure similar to what the flea has had, but without the trouble of wooing her leading on to marrying her. In the second stanza he then goes on to further push his argument (which at this time seems to be going quite well) that in the flea's "living wall of jet" they have been put together even though her parents have doubts "Though parents grudge" and are almost married (since their bloods have been combined and become one which, in that period of ... ... with her. However the type of love most people would like to feel is that in "Shall I Compare Thee" which displays a staggering amount of compliments for the lady in the poem. Overall these poems are very different in their portrayal of love, but each manage to convey it to the reader exceedingly well through use of structure (such as the dramatic monologue form of "My Last Duchess" that shows his self centeredness and control), language (such as the complementary language used in "Shall I Compare Thee"). Imagery is also used effectively (as in "First Love" when Clare describes himself as "winter" and girls as "flowers" to show that he does not comply with them). The actual content used is also very effective as in "To His Coy Mistress", where the syllogism and the tactics of complements and frightening are used to, what is in my opinion, good effect.

Are Economic Policies of India Better Than That of China, Japan or Usa? Essay

Are economic policies of India better than that of China, Japan or USA? When we talk about the economic policy, USA and China forms the two extreme ends of a curve. USA has a free and liberal market where government interference is negligible and believes that market forces will cater to all needs of people in optimum quantity and price, as per Adam Smith’s theory. While, couple of decades ago China was a firm communist country. Though now, it has liberalized market, government has significant say and control over each and every activity. In comparison, India has balanced market where government interferes when needed. This kind of policy is way better than that of USA and China as it takes care of people along with market. Also, it stops the companies if they indulge into cartel or monopoly. Economic policy of a country consists of mainly two policies viz. a) Fiscal Policy – is determined by government and decides government expenditures, taxes, and debt. It is long term in nature and determines the progress path of economy. b) Monetary Policy – is generally determined by central bank of that country and uses instruments like Repo Rates and OMOs to control liquidity. It is short term in nature and used for controlling vital market rates. Fiscal Policy of USA: Till date the driver of US economy was high capital expenditure and Exports. However, after 2008 crisis there had been fall in exports. Also, there was cut in tax rate till 31st December 2012, tax rates cannot be increased as it might trigger recession. So due to increase in government borrowing, Fiscal deficit for the year 2007-08 was increased to 5.3% of the GDP. Before 2008 crisis fiscal deficit was controllable on account of revenue earned by capital expenditure and export in the economy. However, after crisis there has been very low investment in the economy of the country with very high Fiscal Deficit. Fiscal deficit for the year 2011-12 was 8.7 percent of GDP. Fiscal Policy of Japan: Japanese economy, of $ 5.86 trillion is third largest in the world, suffers from very high government debt. It has debt/GDP to ratio of 229.77% for the year 2010-11 which is very high with a debt of $13.64 trillion. Although, there had been attempts to reduce public debts by fiscal consolidation but they have never succeeded yet and debt continued to increase. Further, Japanese economy is under recession due to fall in its currency which had hit its exports. Also, the biggest markets for Japan exports are UK and US which had been hit by global slowdown. Fiscal Policy of China: China is the world’s second largest economy GDP of $ 8.20 trillion with growth rate of 7.8%. Chinese fiscal policy has been based mostly on manufacturing and exports but there is very low domestic consumption. Government spend highly in infrastructure and other capital expenditure projects to boost economy, But some of them failed due to lack of demand and results in â€Å"Ghost cities†. Being an export driven economy, it got affected by global slowdown as it depends highly on demand from western countries. Fiscal policy of India: In contrast, Indian direct tax rates are stable. Budget outlay by government has been increased from Rs.4.16 lacs crores for the year 2008-09 to Rs.5.92 lacs crores for the year 2011-12 which is very high considering that post 2008 world was suffering from crises. Indian Fiscal policies are changing in conformity with the current global requirement – FDI in retail, Aviation, Reforms in banking sector, proposing GST. Although, fiscal deficit of India is very high currently targeted at 5.3% of the GDP for the year 2012-13, fiscal consolidation measures have been planned to bring it down to 3% of the GDP for the year 2014-15. Following graphs show the trend in GDP and Fiscal deficit of different economies and how India is faring way better than with its economic policies. Graph 1: GDP growth Rates(in %) Data: worldbank.org Graph 2: Fiscal deficits (% of GDP) Data: worldbank.org Monetary Policy Currently the interest rate in USA is kept at 0.25 percent by Federal Reserve. Similarly in Japan, Bank of Japan is keeping the interest rate at 0 percent. Now as you can see both economies are developed one, but bank rates are lowered to minimum extent, hence they can’t be lowered more. So according to Keynesian theory these economies are in â€Å"liquidity trap†. Liquidity trap is a condition in which lower rates do not inspire borrowing for investments etc. Here by getting trapped in liquidity trap both countries lose one of the main weapons to fight against the recession and inflation. Now coming to developing countries like China and India. In China current interest rates is at 6%. Rates are controlled by The People’s Bank of China. Similarly in India interest rate is averaged at 6.55 percent for last decade, now standing at 7.50 percent. As Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has a sufficient cushion to work on, RBI used it very well first to increase liquidity by lowering it to 4.25% in Jan 2010 and then to curb inflation in later part of 2011 and early part of 2012 by increasing it to more than 8 percent. Clearly, India is using its economic tools efficiently and scores way above USA and Japan and if not above then at par with China. Though India has smaller economy than that of USA, Japan and China, it is more people oriented. Even if China is growing faster than India, you’ve to take into account the democracy in India vis-a-vis rule of communist party in China. It is performing well, by growing at one of the highest speed and keeping vital parameters in check. Also the India’s policy is of inclusive growth, and now even lower class is enjoying fruits of implementation of new economic policies rolled out in 1991 by trickledown effect. Thus economic policies of India are better than that of China, Japan or USA.

Surface runoff

Wind and water erosion are now the two primary causes of land degradation. The most effective known method for erosion prevention is to increase cogitative cover on the land, which helps prevent both wind and water erosion. Vegetation acts as an interface between the atmosphere and the soil. It increases the permeability of the soil to rainwater, thus decreasing runoff. It shelters the soil from winds, which results in decreased wind erosion, as well as advantageous changes in micrometer.The roots of the plants bind the soil together, and interweave with other roots, forming a more solid mass that is less susceptible to both water and wind erosion. The removal of vegetation increases the rate of surface erosion. De Beats, Oppose, J. Glasses, G. , Knap, A,(2006) Effects of grass roots on the readability of topsoil during concentrated flow-Geomorphology Volvo. 76 Issue 1/2, pop-67. The results indicate a negative exponential relation between the relative soil detachment rate and root d ensity as well as root length density, independent of the applied flow shear stresses.A comparison between the effects of vegetation cover on sheet and rill erosion rates and those of the root area ratio of grass roots on relative soil detachment rates reveals that grass roots are very effective in reducing soil detachment rates. Objective of the Study This study aims to come up methods on how to reduce soil erosion in mountainous areas using locally or commonly known plants or garden plants. Some examples of these plants may be grass, corn and root crops. Specifically, it answers the following: 1) TO identify the soil losses Of the soil properties Of the plant covered land. ) To elucidate the effects of residue cover on run off and erosion. 3) To assess the likely impact of soil erosion in mountainous areas. Significance of the Study The study will provide alternative ways in mitigating soil erosion by using different commonly known plants or garden plants. It would also enumerate some ornamental plants or edible plants that can be used to mitigate erosion and that they are locally available and abundant. This study will also be beneficial to future engineering as it provides studies and information of how effective vegetation cover as a method for erosion reduction.Literature Review Soil Erosion Reduction Using Grass De Beats, Oppose,J. Glasses, G. Knap, A. (2006) studied effects of grass roots on the readability of topsoil during concentrated flow. . The main objective of the study is to investigate the impact of root density and root Engel density of grass on the readability of root-permeated saturated top soils. And found out that the results indicate a negative exponential relation Lewis, Timothy D. Rowan, John S. Hawse, Cathy McKenzie, Blair M. (2013) studied assessing the significance of soil erosion for arable weed seed bank diversity in agro-ecosystems.The main objective of the study is to assess the likely impact of soil erosion on the composition a nd abundance of the arable weed seed bank, and presents an overview of erosion mechanisms affecting arable land coupled with an outline of the main factors influencing arable deed seed bank abundance and composition. And found out that net erosion data conceal within-field sediment deposition within swales, foot slopes, buffer strips and hedgerows which provides a further dimension of spatial restructuring of weed assemblages. Seed size and shape also influence hydrodynamic behavior through selective entrainment and preferential deposition.