Development of Axum and Meroe in Northeastern Africa Essay

66. Comparative Analysis: Compare the development of Axum and Meroe in northeastern Africa with the development of the Maya and of Teotihuacan in Mesoamerica. In both the development of Axum and Meroà « in northeastern Africa possessed the ores and fuels needed to produce iron on a large scale. They traded along the Nile River to Egypt, and their goods such as gold and ivory reached ports all along the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Southern Africa, and quite possibly as far as India and China. Axum was a very powerful state. It controlled a huge number of ports, such as Adulis along the Red Sea coast, and it participated in the commerce of the Indian Ocean, where its export goods included ivory, slaves, and crystal. They also traded with Alexandrian Egypt, and eventually with Rome, Byzantium, and India. Teotihuacan was a powerful political, military, economic and cultural center that influenced the whole of Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan is one of the world’s oldest and most impressive archaeological sites. The wealth of Teotihuacan was based largely on the amount they had on the trade of obsidian, a coarse green glass occurring in volcanic rock. In common with the other Mesoamerican civilizations, the Maya had measured the length of the solar year to a high degree of accuracy. They produced extremely accurate astronomical observations; their charts of the movements of the moon and planets were used to predict eclipses and other celestial events such the time between conjunctions of Venus. The ancient Maya had diverse and sophisticated methods of food production. It was formerly believed that shifting cultivation agriculture provided most of their food but it is now thought that permanent raised fields, terracing, forest gardens, managed fallows, and wild harvesting were also crucial to supporting the large populations of the Classic period in some areas. 67. Historical Analysis: â€Å"While long-distance trade across Afro-Eurasia predates 500 C.E., it grew in importance between 500 and 1500 C.E.† What key developments make this statement true? In between 500 and 1500 C.E Afro-Eurasia’s trade increased and altered consumption patterns and encouraged peoples across the zone to specialize in producing particular goods for market rather than being self-sufficient. They followed religions such as Buddhism and Islam and it spread along the trade routes. During this period, there were a lot of epidemic diseases, and they spread along the trade routes. Some regions developed stronger states in part because of increased commerce along the trade networks. These regions were East Africa, West Africa, and Southeast Asia. There were also a lot of technological advances during this time. This included the development of larger ships and the magnetic compass in China. This also helped increase trade.

The Empire of Ghana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Empire of Ghana - Essay Example According to the archaeological evidence available, in the initial stages of the kingdom, the relatively low levels of economic and technological development coupled with a sense of communism among the citizens led to minimal differentiation among social classes. This trend changed when the empire discovered natural resources such as gold within its boundaries. In addition, its proximity to major sub Saharan trade routes also contributed to the rise of economic muscle of the kingdom (Irele & Jeyifo, 2010). The development of iron resources and ironworking skills among the people led to production of weapons, which made it easier for the empire to expand its territory by conquering the neighbouring tribes. The production of iron tools also led to better farm equipments, which brought about distribution of labour and increased stratification of social classes. The main territories of the kingdom lay in the middle of trade routes that were used by ivory and gold producers of the south a nd Arab and Berber tradesmen of the north who introduced camels in the empire. The empire ensured that it had an army of at least 200, 000 warriors mainly of Soninke origin who provided the trade caravans with security during their journeys. These warriors were also responsible for invasion of neighbouring tribes in a bid to expand their territory and to get slaves to provide labour in the farms and mines (Masonen & Senkomago, 2005). Initially, the government structure in the Ghana Empire was a communal system led by village elders; however, with increased military and trade activities, the empire expanded its authority and territories, which led to the formation of a hierarchical system of governance led by an emperor. The rule of the emperor was absolute as he had the final word regarding all activities within the empire. He was assisted to rule by the royal council that directed and vetted his decisions, in addition, the council was also responsible for the supervising all govern ment affairs. The monarchy had a matrilineal succession style where the son of the emperor’s sister would succeed the emperor on his death. With the growth in the kingdom, the government structure became sophisticated and the emperors had to entrust the responsibility of running the affairs of the government to viziers (prime ministers) who in turn were assisted by many officials in various areas of administration such as palace, foreign affairs, trade among others (Haywood, 2008). The introduction of Islam religion and its culture from the Middle East brought with it more elaborative leadership styles that were used in that region (Lange, 2005). The empire of Ghana was divided into provinces that were ruled by governors appointed by the king, in addition, there were tributary kingdoms that were allowed to retain their autonomy by the king but they had to pay tribute to the emperor and provide the empire with soldiers. Justice in the empire of Ghana was served by higher and l ower courts that became active after Arab traders set their base in the region. The empire had two main sources of revenue; one was tax that was levied per donkey and camel load of precious metals or merchandise that entered or left the empire, secondly, the empire got revenues from production tax that was levied on gold and iron ore, which were the most precious resources that the country had. The capital city of the empire is

Shipping Operations Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Shipping Operations Strategy - Essay Example The growth in the LNG trade is expected to continue for some time. This, as a number of new sources is being exploited, or is in the process of being exploited. This has resulted in an increase in the demand for LNG carriers and an increase in activities in various ship yards around the world. While research suggests an increase in business for firms in the supply chain, there are a number of ships that were idle throughout 2008 to 2010. This has been so, even with the substantial increase in importation in Japan, Korea and Spain. However, while their imports are increasing, those of North America and Europe have not shown any significant changes. LNG is required for heating and cooking purposes. In some countries it is used to generate electricity. It is also said to emit less carbon dioxide than other fossil fuel such as coal and oil. This makes it a popular commodity in most countries. According to Jensen (2004, p5) prior to the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) technolog y, its use was limited to areas that could be served by pipelines. However, the development of LNG along with improvements in technology and cost has changed all of that and so gas is rapidly becoming an internationally traded commodity. LNG is condensed natural gas. The volume of which has been reduced by a factor of 600 for storage and transportation (Audun Brands?ter 2010). It is transported by LNG carriers that are capable of safely transporting LNG from liquefaction plants to LNG terminals for storage and re-gasification. Some carriers are specially equipped to allow for the capability of re-gasification on board the vessel. Introduction A number of factors have to be considered in making the decision of whether to buy 6 LNG Tankers. These are technical as well as commercial considerations, which demand an understanding of the product and the market. LNG Carriers form the link between the liquefaction plan and the LNG terminal and so it forms an important part of the supply cha in (GIIGNL Technical Study Group n.d.). Supplies of LNG are imported primarily from countries such as Algeria, Trinidad, Venezuela, Nigeria, Norway, Qatar, Oman and Australia. These represent areas where large discoveries have been made. Some LNG is also produced in Alaska. LNG is a viable export commodity for these countries because they cannot use all the natural gas that they produce. (DOM n.d.) Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas which has been converted to liquid to facilitate its storage and transportation. According to MAGALOG (2008) LNG is a space efficient way to store and transport natural gas when pipelines are not a feasible solution. This conversion is, however, of a temporary nature and involves a number of processes. After the gas is extracted, it is taken to a plant for processing, where it is purified by removing water, oil, mud and gases including CO2 and H2S, thereby allowing for its condensation. The gas is condensed into a liquid at close to atmospheric p ressure by cooling it to approximately -162oC (-260oF). The LNG is then stored into tanks, after which, it is loaded onto ships. LNG consists mainly of

The Real Computer Virus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Real Computer Virus - Essay Example It is, however, examples with dangerous consequences that give a chilling shock to readers and forces them to take notice of effects of disinformation. Careless use of unsubstantiated information can have dangerous and lingering effects on social groups. Cannon recalled that in a â€Å"PrimeTime Live† show hosted by Dianne Sawyer, she claimed a â€Å"government statistic† indicated that gay teenagers were thrice as likely to commit suicide than others. Though she later shunned responsibility by attributing this information to Ellen Degeneres, the guest on the show, the effects were long lasting. Investigation revealed that this assertion about gay teenagers was not a statistic but just an opinion of a social worker in San Francisco. In fact, real studies by professional organizations like the CDC had concluded that there was no evidence to back this claim. Still, the myth of gay teenagers being amenable to suicide crept into the Internet domain and newspapers of repute such as New York Times, Chicago Tribune and others. Television networks picked it up and propagated it further. Gay rights activists too, including a Governor of Massachusetts, used it to gain public relation victories. In reality, however, this compartmentalized the gay community further and labelled them as suicide prone. Other than unsubstantiated labelling of a social community, this disinformation also could become a false refuge for gay teenagers who struggle for their identity. In yet another example, a major health disaster loomed over South Africa as a result of believeing an already discredited piece of information on the Internet. President Thabo Mbeki, refused discounts for South Africa on life-saving drugs for AIDS simply because he believed they were not the cure. His source of this information, or rather disinformation, was a website. With many theories surrounding the disease of

International Business(Singapore) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International Business(Singapore) - Essay Example The country is also a regional hub for wealth management as it ensures that there is enough revenue for the purchase of raw material and natural resources which are not available in the country. In view of this, the case study analyses Singapore’s international trade, explain how globalisation has affected its economy and its culture and evaluates the factors that are affecting its international business through SWOT analysis. Since the 1960s, research has shown that Singapore has improved in its export and import sector of the economy. It has been ranked as the 15th largest importer and 14th largest exporter in the world. International trade has a great impact on Singapore’s economy. Singapore adoption of export-oriented industrialisation made it easy for the country to succeed in the international market. Additionally, they have few barriers to the importation and exportation of goods and services. That means that the country has few trade barriers. The country also trades with the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) (Hinkelman & Shippey, 2004, p. 93). There are zero tariff rates which apply to some of their products. Additionally, they have six lines for alcohol beverages making it one of the best exporters of alcohol beverage. However, there are different import restrictions because of environmental, health, and security concerns. It considers free trade as an important factor which facilitates the grow th of the nation. Primarily, the United States is one of the largest Singapore’s trading partners. United States influences Singapore’s international trade (Koh & Lin, 2004, p. 56). From the sale of the manufactured goods such as the computer peripherals and electronics, the country imports natural resources and agricultural products. Singapore has limited arable land, thus; it depends on the aggro-technology park. Additionally, the country relies on

Bussiness Plan II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Bussiness Plan II - Essay Example eeds and demands of the clients, as opposed to general training, which is being offered by different organizations through seminars and other group programs. To ensure that it achieves its objective of providing a unique product, the company will divide its market into different segments in terms of age and geographical characteristics. The company recognizes the strength it has as it joins the market such as the experience of the founders, but it also recognizes the fact that it will face stiff competition from providers of the same service. In addition, lack of enough funds may make the company not to compete favorably with others due to lack of advertising and other promotional activities. At start-up, the company will operate from the premises of the founders so as to minimize the operation costs. Further, the company intends to break –even within the first two years of its operation. Once the company breaks-even and the sales thereof increase to a considerable level, the company will employ a number of growth strategies. These include online sales, acquisitions, decreasing operating costs, market research and reaching out to new client base among others. In cases of stiff competition, the company’s contingency plan includes sourcing of funds to be used for intense advertisement and building of co mpetitive advantage. The general core business of the company is to provide and present information for the postmodern youth worker by providing workshops, speaking engagements, consulting and seminars to disseminate relevant information pertaining to all kinds of issues of Christian adolescents and teens. This marketing plan aims at providing the business clientele with high quality services. A tailor made program will be organized for all customers with a view of meeting the diverse demands of different youth groups in the community. Presently, there are many youth workers, who are highly motivated and passionate with their work, who have been working with

Evolution of Mass Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evolution of Mass Communication - Essay Example There had been past references to the power of mass media to influence its audience in a large measure, but it was in the 1920s and 1930s, through the growing influence of radio and newspapers, that theories were formulated. One of the earliest theories on mass media is called Magic Bullet. This concept is anchored on the early thinking that messages were like magic bullets that struck the audience equally, creating uniform effects in terms of perception. It is postulated on the belief that everyone is passive and equally susceptible to media messages. A classic application of the Magic Bullet Theory happened on October 30, 1938, when on the eve of Halloween, regular radio program was interrupted for the first time with a "news bulletin" that Martians had begun an invasion of Earth in Gover's Mill, New Jersey. About 12 million people in the United States heard the broadcast, with at least one million actually believing that a serious alien invasion was happening, creating a wave of hysteria that triggered traffic jams and clogged communication lines. The aftermath of the broadcast suggested that media could manipulate a passive and gullible public, leading media theorists to believe the power of mass media. Not everyone believed in