Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
THAILAND
Thailand (play /ˈtaɪlænd/ ty-land or /ˈtaɪlənd/;[ Thai: ราชอาณาจักรไทย Ratcha Anachak Thai, or ประเทศไทย Prathet Thai IPA: [râːtɕʰa ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k tʰɑj], officially the Kingdom of Thailand and formerly known as Siam (Thai: สยาม; RTGS: Sayam), is a country located at the center of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest.
The country is a kingdom, with most recorded reigns in the world; a constitutional monarchy with King Rama IX, the ninth king of the House of Chakri, who has reigned since 1946, making him the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. The king is officially titled Head of State, the Head of the Armed Forces, an Upholder of the Buddhist religion, and the Defender of all Faiths.
Thailand is the world's 50th largest country in terms of total area (slightly smaller than Yemen and slightly larger than Spain), with a surface area of approximately 513,000 km2 (198,000 sq mi), and the 21st most-populous country, with approximately 64 million people. The largest city is Bangkok, the capital, which is also the country's center of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities. About 75% of the population is ethnically Thai, 14% is of Chinese origin, and 3% is ethnically Malay; the rest belong to minority groups including Mons, Khmers and various hill tribes. The country's official language is Thai. The primary religion is Buddhism, which is practiced by around 95% of all Thais.
Thailand experienced rapid economic growth between 1985 and 1995 and is a newly industrialized country with tourism, due to well-known tourist destinations such as Ayutthaya, Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai, and Ko Samui, and exports contributing significantly to the economy. There are approximately 2.2 million legal and illegal migrants in Thailand. Thailand has also attracted a number of expatriates from developed countries.
Thailand is an emerging economy and considered as a newly industrialized country. After enjoying the world's highest growth rate from 1985 to 1996 – averaging 9.4% annually – increased pressure on Thailand's currency, the baht, in 1997, the year in which the economy contracted by 1.9% led to a crisis that uncovered financial sector weaknesses and forced the Chavalit Yongchaiyudh administration to float the currency, however, Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh was forced to resign after his cabinet came under fire for its slow response to the crisis. The baht was pegged at 25 to the US dollar from 1978 to 1997, however, the baht reached its lowest point of 56 to the US dollar in January 1998 and the economy contracted by 10.8% that year. This collapse prompted the Asian financial crisis.
Thailand's economy started to recover in 1999, expanding 4.2% and 4.4% in 2000, thanks largely to strong exports. Growth (2.2%) was dampened by the softening of the global economy in 2001, but picked up in the subsequent years owing to strong growth in Asia, a relatively weak baht encouraging exports and increasing domestic spending as a result of several mega projects and incentives of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, known as Thaksinomics. Growth in 2002, 2003 and 2004 was 5–7% annually. Growth in 2005, 2006 and 2007 hovered around 4–5%. Due both to the weakening of the US dollar and an increasingly strong Thai currency, by March 2008, the dollar was hovering around the 33 baht mark.
Thailand exports an increasing value of over $105 billion worth of goods and services annually.[53] Major exports include Thai rice, textiles and footwear, fishery products, rubber, jewellery, cars, computers and electrical appliances. Thailand is the world's no.1 exporter of rice, exporting more than 6.5 million tons of milled rice annually. Rice is the most important crop in the country. Thailand has the highest percentage of arable land, 27.25%, of any nation in the Greater Mekong Subregion.[54] About 55% of the arable land area is used for rice production.[55]
Substantial industries include electric appliances, components, computer parts and cars, while tourism in Thailand makes up about 6% of the economy. Prostitution in Thailand and sex tourism also form a de facto part of the economy. Cultural milieu combined with poverty and the lure of money have caused prostitution and sex tourism in particular to flourish in Thailand. One estimate published in 2003 placed the trade at US$4.3 billion per year or about three percent of the Thai economy.[56] According to research by Chulalongkorn University on the Thai illegal economy, prostitution in Thailand in the period between 1993 and 1995, made up around 2.7% of the GDP.[57] It is believed that at least 10% of tourist dollars are spent on the sex trade.[58]
The economy of Thailand is an emerging economy which is heavily export-dependent, with exports accounting for more than two thirds of gross domestic product (GDP) The exchange rate is Baht 33.00/USD.
Thailand has a GDP worth 8.5 trillion Baht (on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis), or US$627 billion (PPP). This classifies Thailand as the 2nd largest economy in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. Despite this, Thailand ranks midway in the wealth spread in Southeast Asia as it is the 4th richest nation according to GDP per capita, after Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia.
It functions as an anchor economy for the neighboring developing economies of Laos, Burma, and Cambodia. Thailand's recovery from the 1997–1998 Asian financial crisis depended mainly on exports, among various other factors. Thailand ranks high among the world's automotive export industries along with manufacturing of electronic goods.
Between 1997 and 2010, 4'306 mergers & acquisitions with a total known value of 81 bil. USD with the involvement of Thai firms have been announced.[59] The year 2010 was a new record in terms of value with 12 bil. USD of transactions. The largest transaction with involvement of Thai companies has been: PTT Chemical PCL merged with PTT Aromatics and Refining PCL valued at 3.8 bil. USD in 2011.[60]
49% of Thailand's labor force is employed in agriculture, however this is less than the 70% employed in 1980.Agriculture has been experiencing a transition from labour intensive and transitional methods into a more industrialised and competitive sector. Between 1962 and 1983, the agricultural sector grew by 4.1% on average a year and continued to grow at 2.2% between 1983 and 2007. However, the relative contribution of agriculture to GDP has declined while exports of goods and services have increased.
Tourism revenues are on the rise. With the instability surrounding the recent coup and the military rule, however, the GDP growth of Thailand has settled at around 4–5% from previous highs of 5–7% under the previous civilian administration, as investor and consumer confidence has been degraded somewhat due to political uncertainty.
The incumbent elected civilian administration under Samak Sundaravej in power from January 29 to September 9, 2008 stated that the economy will have grown by 5.5% to 6% by the end of 2008. Due to rising oil and food prices, the annual inflation rate for 2008 shot up to 9.2% in July; a 10-year high.
Thailand generally uses the metric system but traditional units of measurement for land area are used, and imperial measure (feet, inches etc.) are occasionally used with building materials such as wood and plumbing sizes. Years are numbered as B.E. (Buddhist Era) in education, the civil service, government, and on contracts and newspaper datelines; in banking, however, and increasingly in industry and commerce, standard Western year (Christian or Common Era) counting prevails
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Singapore......СИНГАПУР
Singapore (Listeni /ˈsɪŋəpɔː(r)/), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south. The country is highly urbanised with very little primary rainforest remaining, although more land is being created for development through land reclamation.
Singapore had been a part of various local empires since it was first inhabited in the second century AD. It hosted a trading post of the East India Company in 1819 with permission from the Sultanate of Johor. The British obtained sovereignty over the island in 1824 and Singapore became one of the British Straits Settlements in 1826. Occupied by the Japanese in World War II, Singapore declared independence, uniting with other former British territories to form Malaysia in 1963, although it was separated from Malaysia two years later. Since then it has had a massive increase in wealth, and is one of the Four Asian Tigers. Singapore is the world's fourth leading financial centre, and its port is one of the five busiest ports in the world. The economy heavily depends on the industry and service sectors.
Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. The People's Action Party (PAP) has won every election since self-government in 1959. The legal system of Singapore has its foundations in the English common law system, but modifications have been made to it over the years, such as the removal of trial by jury. The PAP's popular image is that of a strong, experienced and highly-qualified government, backed by a skilled Civil Service and an education system with an emphasis on achievement and meritocracy; but it is perceived by some voters, opposition critics and international observers as being authoritarian and too restrictive on individual freedom.
Some 5 million people live in Singapore, of whom 2.91 million were born locally. Most are of Chinese, Malay or Indian descent. There are four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. One of the five founding members of the Association of South East Asian Nations, Singapore also hosts the APEC Secretariat, and is a member of the East Asia Summit, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Commonwealth.
Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy, based historically on extended entrepôt trade. Along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Republic of China (Taiwan), Singapore is one of the Four Asian Tigers. The economy depends heavily on exports and refining imported goods, especially in manufacturing, which constituted 27.2% of Singapore's GDP in 2010[6] and includes significant electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences sectors. In 2006 Singapore produced about 10% of the world's foundry wafer output. The country is the world's fourth leading financial centre. Singapore has one of the busiest ports in the world and is the world's fourth largest foreign-exchange trading centre after London, New York and Tokyo.The World Bank ranks Singapore as the world's top logistics hub.
Before independence in 1965, Singapore had a GDP per capita of $511, then the third highest in East Asia. After independence, foreign direct investment and a state-led drive for industrialisation based on plans by Goh Keng Swee and Albert Winsemius created a modern economy. As a result of global recession and a slump in the technology sector, the country's GDP contracted by 2.2% in 2001. The Economic Review Committee was set up in December 2001 and recommended several policy changes to revitalise the economy. Singapore has since recovered, largely due to improvements in the world economy; the economy grew by 8.3% in 2004, 6.4% in 2005, and 7.9% in 2006. After a contraction of −0.8% in 2009, the economy recovered in 2010 with a GDP growth of 14.5%
Singapore possesses the world's tenth largest foreign reserves. Singapore's external trade is of higher value than its GDP, making trade one of the most vital components of the economy. Over ten free trade agreements have been signed with other countries and regions. Singapore's economy was ranked the world's most open in 2009, competitive and innovative. Singapore is rated the most business-friendly economy in the world. The currency of Singapore is the Singapore dollar, issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. It is interchangeable with the Brunei dollar.
Most work in Singapore is in the service sector, which employed around 2,151,400 people out of 3,102,500 jobs in December 2010. Around 64.2% of jobs were held by locals. The percentage of unemployed economically active people above age 15 is about 2%. Poverty levels are low compared to other countries in the region. The government provides cheap housing and financial assistance to poorer people. Singapore has the world's highest percentage of millionaire households, with 15.5 percent of all households owning at least one million US dollars.
Tourism forms a large part of the economy, and 10.2 million tourists visited the country in 2007. To attract more tourists, in 2005 the government legalised gambling and allowed two casino resorts (called Integrated Resorts) to be developed. Singapore is promoting itself as a medical tourism hub: about 200,000 foreigners seek medical care there each year, and Singapore medical services aim to serve one million foreign patients annually by 2012 and generate USD 3 billion in revenue.
Racial and religious harmony is regarded by the government as a crucial part of Singapore's success and played a part in building a Singaporean identity. Due to the many races and cultures in the country, there is no single set of culturally acceptable behaviours. The country is generally conservative socially but some liberalisation has occurred. Foreigners also make up 42% of the population and have a strong influence on Singaporean culture. A.T. Kearney named Singapore the most globalised country in the world in 2006 in its Globalization Index. The Economist Intelligence Unit in its "Quality-of-Life Index" ranks Singapore as having the best quality of life in Asia and eleventh overall in the world. The Singapore dream is often satirically and light-heartedly portrayed as the "5 Cs" of Singapore – cash, credit cards, car, condominium and country club membership.
СИНГАПУР, Республика Сингапур, город-государство в Юго-Восточной Азии, входящий в состав Содружества, возглавляемого Великобританией. Территория страны включает небольшой остров Сингапур (42 км в длину и 23 км в ширину), а также несколько соседних островков, расположенных у южной оконечности п-ова Малакка. Общая площадь – 648 кв. км. Население 3 млн.164 тыс. человек (1998). Сингапур – относительно богатая страна; годовой доход на душу населения составляет ок. 22,5 тыс. долл., а золотовалютные резервы страны превышают 97 млрд. долл. США
Остров Сингапур отделен от п-ова Малакка проливом Джохор шириной чуть более 1 км. Берега пролива соединены мостом. Климат территории влажный тропический, с высокими температурами в течение всего года. Средняя годовая температура 26° С, а разница температур самого холодного (январь) и самого теплого (май) месяцев не превышает 1° С. Средняя годовая сумма осадков 2400 мм.
Благодаря важному стратегическому положению на перекрестке морских путей между Европой, Азией и Австралией Сингапур превратился в один из ведущих торговых центров мира. По отношению к другим странам Юго-Восточной Азии он традиционно играет роль «базарной площади» – сюда поступают товары, производимые в соседних странах – например, каучук и олово из Малайзии, рис из Таиланда, которые затем направляются в другие регионы. В то же время сюда привозятся промышленные товары из США, Европы, Японии и распределяются между соседними странами. Когда эти страны стали строить морские порты, пригодные для судов с большой осадкой, значение Сингапура как торгового посредника уменьшилось. Чтобы компенсировать убытки, правительство страны стало стимулировать развитие собственной промышленности, привлекая для этого прямые иностранные капиталовложения. Поскольку Сингапур не располагает естественными ресурсами, развиваются преимущественно отрасли обрабатывающей промышленности, а также сборка изделий из импортированных готовых деталей. Большое значение приобретают химическая, нефтеперерабатывающая, сборочная электронная, радио- и электротехническая промышленность, а также судостроение. Сохранили свое значение в региональном масштабе оловоплавильная промышленность и переработка каучука. В 1980-е годы Сингапур стал развивать наукоемкие отрасли, специализируясь на передовых технологиях не только в производстве (верхние этажи машиностроения), но и в сфере интеллектуальных услуг (информационных, финансовых, технологических, медицинских). Несмотря на наличие высококвалифицированных и образованных местных кадров, в стране относительно мало национальных предпринимателей. Почти все капиталовложения и инициативы в бизнесе поступают из-за границы. Иностранных инвесторов привлекают наличие высококвалифицированной рабочей силы, слабость профсоюзов и политическая стабильность. Ведущая роль в выработке стратегии развития и контроля за выполнением индикативных планов остается за государством.
Сингапур стал крупным финансовым центром и источником технической и коммерческой информации для соседних стран. После открытия нефти и природного газа на шельфе у берегов п-ова Малакка в Сингапуре разместились штаб-квартиры энергетических компаний.
В 2002 ВВП в Сингапуре оценивался в 112,4 млрд. долл. США, т.е. 25,200 долл. США на душу населения. По секторам ВВП делится: индустриальный сектор – 33%, другие службы – 67%.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Alanya...TURKEY
Alanya (pronounced [aˈɫanja]), formerly Alaiye, is a beach resort city and a component district of Antalya Province in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey, 166 kilometres (103 mi) from the city of Antalya. On the southern coast of Turkey, the district (which includes the city and its built-up area) has an area of 1,598.51 km2 and (2010 Census) 248,286 inhabitants (city 98,627). The population is almost entirely of Turkish origin, but is home to around 10,000 European residents.
Because of its natural strategic position on a small peninsula into the Mediterranean Sea, below the Taurus Mountains, Alanya has been a local stronghold for many Mediterranean-based empires, including the Ptolemaic, Seleucid, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. Alanya's greatest political importance came in the Middle Ages, with the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm under the rule of Alaeddin Kayqubad I, from whom the city derives its name. His building campaign resulted in many of the city's landmarks, such as the Kızıl Kule (Red Tower), Tersane (Shipyard), and Alanya Castle.
The Mediterranean climate, natural attractions, and historic heritage makes Alanya a popular destination for tourism, and responsible for nine percent of Turkey's tourism sector and thirty percent of foreign purchases of real estate in Turkey. Tourism has risen since 1958 to become the dominant industry in the city, resulting in a corresponding increase in city population. Warm-weather sporting events and cultural festivals take place annually in Alanya. Mayor Hasan Sipahioğlu, of the Justice and Development Party, has led the city since 1999.
The tourist industry in Alanya is worth just under 1.1 billion euros per year, and is therefore the principal industry. The area is further known for its many fruit farms, particularly lemons and oranges, and large harvests of tomatoes, bananas and cucumbers. About 80,000 tonnes of citrus fruits were produced in 2006 across 16,840 hectares (41,600 acres). The greengage plum and the avocado are increasingly popular early season fruits where citrus fruits are becoming unprofitable.
Despite the seaside location, few residents make their living on the sea, and fishing is not a major industry. In the early 1970s, when fish stocks ran low, a system of rotating access was developed to preserve this sector. This innovative system was part of Elinor Ostrom's research on economic governance which led to her 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics. In 2007, locals protested the establishment of some larger chain supermarkets and clothing stores, which have opened branches in Alanya.
Beginning in 2003, with the provisional elimination of restrictions on land purchases by non-nationals, the housing industry in the city has become highly profitable with many new private homes and condominiums being built for European and Asian part-time residents. Sixty-nine percent of homes purchased by foreign nationals in the Antalya Province and 29.9% in all of Turkey are in Alanya. Buyers are primarily individuals, rather than investors. This housing boom put pressure on the city's many gecekondu houses and establishments as property values rise and property sales to locals fall. A height restriction in the city limits most buildings to 21 feet (6.5 m). This keeps high rise hotels to the east and west of the city, preserving the central skyline at the expense of greater tourist potential. The fringes of the city however have seen uncontrolled expansion.
Since the first modern motel was built in 1958, considered the first year of the tourist industry in Alanya, hotels have raced to accommodate the influx of tourists, and the city as of 2007 claims 157,000 hotel beds.[ Damlataş Cave, which originally sparked the arrival of outsiders because of the cave's microclimate, with an average temperature of 72 °F (22 °C) and 95% humidity, is accessible on the west side of the peninsula with trails from Damlataş Beach. Many tourists, especially Scandinavians, Germans, Russians, and Dutch, regularly vacation in Alanya during the warmer months.[100] They are drawn to the area because of property prices, warm weather, sandy beaches, access to Antalya's historic sites, and fine cuisine.
Other outdoor tourist activities include wind surfing, parasailing, and banana boating. Attractions include Europe's largest waterpark, Sealanya, and Turkey's largest go-kart track. Hunting season also attracts some tourist for wild goat, pig and partridge hunting in area nature reserves.
For various reasons, tourist seasons after 2005 have been disappointing for Alanya's tourism industry. Among the reasons blamed were increased PKK violence, the H5N1 bird flu found in Van, and the Mohammad cartoon controversy. Alanya officials have responded with a variety of publicity initiatives, including baking the world's longest cake on April 26, 2006, a Guinness World Record. The economy has also suffered due to investment in more than 20,000 surplus properties.
Алания (произносится как [aɫanja] ), ранее Alaiye , является городской пляж курорта и компоненты районе Анталья в Средиземноморском регионе из Турции , 166 километров (103 миль) от города Анталия . On the southern coast of Turkey, the district (which includes the city and its built-up area) has an area of 1,598.51 km 2 and (2010 Census) 248,286 inhabitants (city 98,627). [ 4 ] The population is almost entirely of Turkish origin, but is home to around 10,000 European residents. На южном побережье Турции, район (который включает города и его застройки) имеет площадь 1,598.51 км 2 и (перепись 2010 года) 248 286 жителей (города 98 627). Население почти полностью из турецкого происхождению, но живет около 10000 европейских жителей.
Because of its natural strategic position on a small peninsula into the Mediterranean Sea , below the Taurus Mountains , Alanya has been a local stronghold for many Mediterranean-based empires , including the Ptolemaic , Seleucid , Roman , Byzantine , and Ottoman Empires . Из-за своей природной стратегическое положение на небольшом полуострове в Средиземном море , внизу горы Таурус , Аланья был местный опорный пункт для многих средиземноморских основе империй , в том числе Птолемеев , Селевкидов , Римской , Византийской и Османской империй . Alanya's greatest political importance came in the Middle Ages , with the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm under the rule of Alaeddin Kayqubad I , from whom the city derives its name. Наибольшее политическое значение Алании пришел в средние века , с Султанат Сельджуков рома под властью Аладдин Kayqubad я , от которого город получил свое название. His building campaign resulted in many of the city's landmarks, such as the Kızıl Kule (Red Tower), Tersane (Shipyard), and Alanya Castle . Его здание кампания привела многих из достопримечательностей города, таких как Кызыл Куле (Красная башня), Tersane (верфи) и Крепость Алании .
The Mediterranean climate , natural attractions, and historic heritage makes Alanya a popular destination for tourism, and responsible for nine percent of Turkey's tourism sector and thirty percent of foreign purchases of real estate in Turkey . Средиземноморский климат , природные достопримечательности, и историческое наследие делает Алания является популярным местом для туризма, и отвечает за девять процентов туристического сектора Турции и тридцать процентов иностранные покупки недвижимости в Турции . Tourism has risen since 1958 to become the dominant industry in the city, resulting in a corresponding increase in city population. Туризма вырос с 1958 года, чтобы стать доминирующим промышленности в городе, в результате чего соответствующим увеличением населения города. Warm-weather sporting events and cultural festivals take place annually in Alanya. Mayor Hasan Sipahioğlu, of the Justice and Development Party , has led the city since 1999. Теплая погода, спортивные состязания и культурные фестивали проводятся ежегодно в Алании. мэра Хасан Сипахиоглу, из Партии справедливости и развития , привело города с 1999 года.
Туристической индустрии в Алании стоит чуть менее 1100 млн евро в год, и поэтому основной отрасли. области дальнейшего известен своими многочисленными фермами фрукты, особенно лимоны и апельсины, и большие урожаи томатов, бананов и огурцов . О 80000 тонн цитрусовых было произведено в 2006 году по 16 840 га (41 600 акров ). The greengage plum and the avocado are increasingly popular early season fruits where citrus fruits are becoming unprofitable. Ренклод сливы и авокадо становятся все более популярными ранние фрукты сезона, где цитрусовые становятся нерентабельными.
Despite the seaside location, few residents make their living on the sea, and fishing is not a major industry. Несмотря на месте на берегу моря, лишь немногие жители зарабатывают себе на жизнь на море, и рыбалка не крупной отраслью промышленности. In the early 1970s, when fish stocks ran low, a system of rotating access was developed to preserve this sector. This innovative system was part of Elinor Ostrom 's research on economic governance which led to her 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics . In 2007, locals protested the establishment of some larger chain supermarkets and clothing stores, which have opened branches in Alanya. В начале 1970-х, когда рыбные запасы иссякали, системы доступа вращающихся была разработана с целью сохранения этого сектора. Эта инновационная система была частью Элинор Остром 'ы исследований по экономическим управления, которая привела ее к 2009 Нобелевской премии по экономике . В 2007 году местные жители протестовали против создания некоторых крупных цепи супермаркетов и магазинов одежды, которые открыли филиалы в Алании.
Beginning in 2003, with the provisional elimination of restrictions on land purchases by non-nationals , the housing industry in the city has become highly profitable with many new private homes and condominiums being built for European and Asian part-time residents. [ 50 ] Sixty-nine percent of homes purchased by foreign nationals in the Antalya Province and 29.9% in all of Turkey are in Alanya. Buyers are primarily individuals, rather than investors. This housing boom put pressure on the city's many gecekondu houses and establishments as property values rise and property sales to locals fall. A height restriction in the city limits most buildings to 21 feet ( 6.5 m ). This keeps high rise hotels to the east and west of the city, preserving the central skyline at the expense of greater tourist potential. Начиная с 2003 года с предварительной устранение ограничений на покупку земли не являющихся гражданами страны , отрасли жилищного строительства в городе стало высокорентабельным с большим количеством новых частных домов и кондоминиумов строится по делам европейской и азиатской части времени жители. Шестьдесят девять процентов домов, купленных иностранными гражданами в Анталии провинции и 29,9% во всей Турции, в Алании. Покупатели в первую очередь лицам, а не инвесторов. Этот жилищный бум оказывать давление на города many gecekondu houses and establishments as property values rise and property sales to locals fall. A height restriction in the city limits most buildings to 21 feet ( 6.5 m ). This keeps high rise hotels to the east and west of the city, preserving the central skyline at the expense of greater tourist potential. The fringes of the city however have seen uncontrolled expansion.
Since the first modern motel was built in 1958, considered the first year of the tourist industry in Alanya, hotels have raced to accommodate the influx of tourists, and the city as of 2007 claims 157,000 hotel beds. Damlataş Cave, which originally sparked the arrival of outsiders because of the cave's microclimate , with an average temperature of 72 °F (22 °C) and 95% humidity , is accessible on the west side of the peninsula with trails from Damlataş Beach. Many tourists, especially Scandinavians , Germans , Russians , and Dutch , regularly vacation in Alanya during the warmer months . They are drawn to the area because of property prices, warm weather, sandy beaches, access to Antalya's historic sites , and fine cuisine .
Other outdoor tourist activities include wind surfing , parasailing , and banana boating . Attractions include Europe's largest waterpark, Sealanya, and Turkey's largest go-kart track. Hunting season also attracts some tourist for wild goat, pig and partridge hunting in area nature reserves.
For various reasons, tourist seasons after 2005 have been disappointing for Alanya's tourism industry. Among the reasons blamed were increased PKK violence, the H5N1 bird flu found in Van , and the Mohammad cartoon controversy . Alanya officials have responded with a variety of publicity initiatives, including baking the world's longest cake on April 26, 2006, a Guinness World Record . The economy has also suffered due to investment in more than 20,000 surplus properties
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
KEMER....КЕМЕР...(TURKEY...ТУРЦИЯ)
Kemer is a seaside resort and district of Antalya Province on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, 40 km (25 mi) west of the city of Antalya.
Kemer is on the Gulf of Antalya, 53 km (33 mi) of sea coast with the skirts of the western Taurus mountains behind. The coast has the typical Mediterranean hot, dry weather and warm sea. Until the early 1980s this was a quiet rural district but today the town of Kemer and coastal villages in the district play a very important part in tourism in Turkey.
Kemer was called Eski Köy (old village) until in 1916 - 1917, a 23 km (14 mi) long stone wall was built to channel the mountain stream water and protect the town from flooding, which until then had been a persistent problem. The name Kemer refers to those walls.
Until the 1960s there was no coast road and the district was accessible only by boat. Then a road was built and from the 1980s onwards this was followed by a great investment in infrastructure, planned by the state and funded by the World Bank, aimed at developing a large tourist trade.
One of the major attractions of Kemer is its natural beauty; sea, mountains and pine forest combine in harmony. The shore from Beldibi to Tekirova consists of unspoilt beaches in bays of various sizes, mostly stoney rather than sand. With easy transportation, good communication and other municipal services Kemer has a large proportion of the hotel bed capacity of the Antalya region, and is a comfortable and peaceful holiday coast with internationally accepted reputation, attracting large numbers of visitors from countries such as Germany, The Netherlands and in recent years predominantly families from Russia. Many of the visitors come as part of low-cost all-inclusive package deals but tourism is still the mainstay of the local economy. There are so many visitors that most shops in Kemer are set up to sell things like leather jackets to overseas visitors and trade in the euro as well as the Turkish lira.
Turkiz Kemer Marina Kemer's 320 berth marina offers several restaurants for the tourists as well as being an important wintering-over marina for liveaboard sailors from the USA, England and most of Europe.
Göynük (Goynuk) Canyon, Ulupınar, Olympos, Chimera, Phaselis, Three Islands and Eco Park are the touristics points of Kemer Region.
The town of Kemer is vibrant with clubs, bars and restaurants, blue flag beaches and a 320 capacity yacht marina. Popular coastal villages include Beldibi, Kiriş, Çayova, Aslanbucak, Kuzdere, Beycik, Çamyuva, Göynük, and Çıralı.
Annual events in the area include art exhibitions in Phaselis, boat races, WRC (World Rally Championship), Turkey Offshore Championship, Turkey Motocross Championship,Phaselis Art Festival, and Kemer Carnival. International pop stars and Djs, such as Tarkan and DJ Tiesto, give summer concerts on this coast.
Кеме́р (тур. Kemer) — город-курорт и административный центр одноимённого района[источник не указан 132 дня] в Турции (провинция Анталья), расположенный в 42-х километрах к юго-западу от города Анталья. Население составляет 20,1 тыс. жителей (2010). Кемер находится в исторической области, которая известна как Ликия, земля которой хранит следы Александра Македонского, Марка Антония и многих других великих полководцев древности.
Город находится на склонах Таврских гор, подступивших к самому морю.
Вплоть до 1910 года Кемер представлял собой небольшое селение и носил название Эскикёй (тур. Eskiköy — «Старая Деревня»). Из его истории сохранился лишь тот факт, что в древности посёлок упоминался как ликийский город Идриос. На протяжении многих лет с гор на деревушку обрушивались селевые потоки, образуя сначала многочисленные озёра, а затем топкие болота. Чтобы хоть как-то защититься от этого, местные жители в 1910 году начали строительство каменной стены, которое завершилось только в 1917 году. В результате сооружение протянулось вдоль горных склонов на 23 километра. Со стороны это выглядело так, словно стена опоясывает горы, поэтому селение получило новое название — Кемер, что в переводе с турецкого означает «пояс» (еще один вариант перевода: «карман»).
Существует еще одна из легенд о происхождении названия города — из «Илиады». Гомер рассказывает о том, что здесь жила химера. Именно этот миф, как утверждают, дал название местечку. Химера была повержена Беллерофонтом, но язык огнедышащего чудища до сих пор виден на вершине небольшой горы Янарташ (что означает «горящий камень»).
До 1960 годов в Кемер можно было добраться только морем. Но когда Анталья стала превращаться в крупный международный курорт, сюда проложили шоссе. И уже в 1990 годы Кемер превратился в один из крупнейших туристических центров. Зимой 2010 года были достроены 3 новых туннеля в сторону Кемера. Это было сделано для того, что было меньше автомобильных аварий, так как раньше на узкой серпантинной дороге было двустороннее движение и много автобусов слетали в обрывы или кюветы.
Недалеко от Кемера сохранились развалины городов Фазелиса и Олимпоса. Олимпос был основан в III веке до н. э. и до прихода римлян служил убежищем для пиратов. Был разрушен землетрясением, до наших дней сохранились развалины бань и базилики, а также многочисленные надгробные памятники и саркофаги.
В Кемере и в его окрестностях расположено множество самых разных отелей — от скромных семейных пансионатов до роскошных пятизвездочных клубов. Курортная зона Кемера включает в себя районы Бельдиби, Гёйнюк, г. Кемер, Кириш, Чамьюва, Текирова.
Monday, June 20, 2011
MARMARIS...МАРМАРИС...(ТУРЦИЯ...TURKEY)
Ма́рмарис — город, район, важный порт и курорт в Турции. Располагается на Средиземном море на юго-западе Турции, в провинции Мугла. В туристический сезон принимает порядка 300—400 тысяч туристов. Важный центр индустрии яхтинга. В Мармарисе расположено несколько крупных марин.
Город Мармарис вытянулся по берегу бухты со всех сторон окруженной горами. Вход в бухту защищает большой остров, поэтому штормы и сильные волны никогда не достигают берега. Существует регулярное паромное сообщение с греческим островом Родос. В нескольких километрах находится поселок Ичмелер. Мармарис расположен в юго-западной части Турции, там, где Эгейское море встречается со Средиземным. Особое очарование ему придают холмы, тянущиеся к морю, и прекрасные бухты. Леса – главная ценность курорта: из 86 тысяч га, которые занимает город, 65 тысяч принадлежит именно им.
Город находится в 95 километрах от аэропорта Даламан, куда ходят автобусы компании Хаваш (Havaş). Их движение приурочено к рейсам авиакомпании Turkish Airlines. По городу курсируют маршрутные такси (долмуши), которые отличаются по цвету. Оранжевый долмуш ходит до Ичмелера, зеленый по городу, а синие – в Армуталан.
Мармарис иногда называют турецкой Ибицой, потому что в нем большое количество ночных клубов и баров на Bar street, в которых до самого утра не стихает музыка и веселье. Поэтому Мармарис не подходит для спокойного отдыха, и желающим тишины лучше присмотреться к Ичмелеру находящемуся в 5 минутах езды. В городе предлагается набор развлечений на любой вкус: сафари на квадроциклах, сафари на джипах, рафтинг, аквабайк, прогулки на лошадях, яхтинг, поездка на греческий остров Родос (может быть необходима греческая виза), дайвинг, параглайдинг, а также много ознакомительных экскурсий по историческим местам (Эфес, Памуккале, Галикарнас и т.д.).
Мармарис — a city, area, important port and a resort in Turkey. Settles down on Mediterranean sea in the southwest of Turkey, in a province of Mugla. During a tourist season accepts an order of 300-400 thousand tourists. The important center of the industry of yachting. In Marmaris large marines are located some.
The city of Marmaris was extended on bay coast from different directions surrounded with mountains. The input in a bay protects the big island, therefore storm and strong waves never reach coast. There is a regular ferry communication with the Greek island Rhodes. In several kilometers there is a settlement Ichmeler. Marmaris is located in a southwest part of Turkey, there, where Aegean sea meets with Mediterranean. Special charm to it is given by the hills reaching for the sea, and fine bays. Woods – the main value of a resort: from 86 thousand in hectare which are occupied with a city, 65 thousand belongs to them.
The city is in 95 kilometers from airport Dalaman where company Havash buses (Hava ş go). Their movement is dated for airline Turkish Airlines flights. Fixed-route taxis (долмуши) which differ on color Around the city ply. Orange долмуш goes to Ichmelera, green around the city, and dark blue – in Armutalan.
Мармарис иногда называют турецкой Ибицой, потому что в нем большое количество ночных клубов и баров на Bar street, в которых до самого утра не стихает музыка и веселье. Поэтому Мармарис не подходит для спокойного отдыха, и желающим тишины лучше присмотреться к Ичмелеру находящемуся в 5 минутах езды. В городе предлагается набор развлечений на любой вкус: сафари на квадроциклах, сафари на джипах, рафтинг, аквабайк, прогулки на лошадях, яхтинг, поездка на греческий остров Родос (может быть необходима греческая виза), дайвинг, параглайдинг, а также много ознакомительных экскурсий по историческим местам (Эфес, Памуккале, Галикарнас и т.д.).
Sunday, June 19, 2011
ANTALYA....АНТАЛЬЯ (TURKEY. ТУРЦИЯ)
It is uncertain when the site of the current city was first inhabited. Attalos II, king of Pergamon, was believed to have founded the city around 150 BC, naming it Attalia and selecting it as a naval base for his powerful fleet. However, excavations in 2008 in the Doğu Garajı district of Antalya have uncovered remains dating to the 3rd century BC, suggesting that the city was founded earlier than previously supposed. Antalya became part of the Roman Republic in 133 BC when King Attalos III of Pergamum willed his kingdom to Rome at his death. The city grew and prospered during the Ancient Roman period.
Christianity started to spread in the region after 2nd century. Antalya was visited by Paul of Tarsus, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles: "From Perga, Paul and Barnabas went down to Attalia and sailed from there to Antioch after preaching in Pisidia and Pamphylia" (Acts 14:25-26).
Antalya was a major city in the Byzantine Empire. It was the capital of the Byzantine Theme of Carabisiani (Θέμα Kαραβησιάνων, Thema Karavēsianōn), which occupied the southern coasts of Asia Minor and the Aegean Islands. At the time of the accession of John II Comnenus (1118) it was an isolated outpost against the Turks, accessible only by sea. The following year, with the aid of his commander-in-chief John Axuch, John II drove the Turks from the land routes to Antalya and reconnected the city with the rest of the empire.
The city, along with the surrounding region, was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the early 13th century. Antalya was the capital of the Turkish beylik of Teke (1321–1423) until its conquest by the Ottomans. The Arabic traveler Ibn Battuta who came to the city in between 1335-1340 noted:
From Alanya I went to Antaliya [Adalia], a most beautiful city. It covers an immense area, and though of vast bulk is one of the most attractive towns to be seen anywhere, besides being exceedingly populous and well laid out. Each section of the inhabitants lives in a separate quarter. The Christian merchants live in a quarter of the town known as the Mina [the Port], and are surrounded by a wall, the gates of which are shut upon them from without at night and during the Friday service. The Greeks, who were its former inhabitants, live by themselves in another quarter, the Jews in another, and the king and his court and Mamluks in another, each of these quarters being walled off likewise. The rest of the Muslims live in the main city. Round the whole town and all the quarters mentioned there is another great wall. The town contains orchards and produces fine fruits, including an admirable kind of apricot, called by them Qamar ad-Din, which has a sweet almond in its kernel. This fruit is dried and exported to Egypt, where it is regarded as a great luxury.
In the second half of the 17th century Evliya Çelebi wrote of a city of narrow streets containing 3,000 houses in twenty Turkish and four Greek neighborhoods. The town had grown beyond the city walls and the port was reported to hold up to 200 boats.
In the 19th century, in common with most of Anatolia, its sovereign was a "dere bey" (land lord or landowner). The family of Tekke Oglu, domiciled near Perge, though reduced to submission in 1812 by Mahmud II, continued to be a rival power to the Ottoman governor until within the present generation, surviving by many years the fall of the other great beys of Anatolia. The records of the Levant (Turkey) Company, which maintained an agency in Antalya until 1825, documented the local dere beys.
In the 20th century the population of Antalya increased as Turks from the Caucasus and the Balkans moved into Anatolia. By 1911 it was a city of about 25,000 people, including many Christians and Jews, still living in separate quarters around the walled mina or port. The port was served by coast steamers of local companies. Antalya (then Adalia) was picturesque, but ill-built and backward. The chief attraction for visitors was the city wall, and outside a promenade -a portion of which survives to the present. The government offices and the houses of the higher classes were all outside of the walls.
The city was briefly occupied by the Italians from the end of the First World War until the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
The economy of Antalya used to depend on a mixture of tourism, agriculture, and commerce, with some light industry. Agricultural production includes citrus fruits, cotton, cut flowers, olives, olive oil and bananas. Antalya Metropolitan Municipality’s covered wholesale food market complex meets 65% of the fresh fruit and vegetable demand of the province.
Since 2000, shipyards have been opened in Antalya Free Zone, specialized in building pleasure yachts. Some of these yards have advanced in composites boat building technology.
Kaleiçi, the restored historical center of the city -with its hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants, and shopping- retains much of its historical character; its restoration won the Golden Apple Tourism Prize.
The city includes sites with traces of Lycian, Pamphylian, and Hellenistic -but mainly Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman- architecture and cultures.
Cumhuriyet Square, the main square of the city, on occasion features temporary open air exhibitions and performances.
Kaleiçi, with its narrow cobbled streets of historic Turkish and Greek houses, is the old center of Antalya- now mainly hotels, gift shops, and bars. New hotels, such as the Sheraton, stand along the coast above the Konyaalti and Lara beaches.
Antalya has beaches including Konyaaltı, Lara and Karpuzkaldıran. For winter sports, Beydağları and Saklikent are both natural beauties of the city.
There are a large number of mosques, churches, madrasahs, masjids, hans and hamams in the city. Kaleiçi, the harbor, which the city walls enclose, is the oldest part of the city. Kaleiçi features many historic houses with traditional Turkish and local Greek architecture.
Сомнительно, когда территория текущего города сначала населялась. Аттэлос II, король Pergamon, как полагали, основал город приблизительно 150 до н.э, называя это Attalia и выбирая это как морская база для его мощного флота. Однако, раскопки в 2008 в Doğu Garajı район Антальи раскрыли, остается датироваться к 3-ьему столетию до н.э, предполагая, что город был основан ранее чем ранее воображаемый. Анталья стала частью римской республики в 133 до н.э, когда Король Аттэлос III Пергама пожелал свое королевство в Рим в его смерти. Город вырос и процветал во время Древнего римского периода.
Христианство начало распространяться в регионе после 2-ого столетия. Анталью посетил Пол Предплюсны, как зарегистрировано в законах Apostles: "От Perga Пол и Барнабас спустились до Attalia и приплыли оттуда в Antioch после проповедования в Pisidia и Памфилии" (законы 14:25-26).
Анталья была главным городом в Византийской Империи. Это был капитал византийской Темы Carabisiani (Θέμα Kαραβησιάνων, Thema Karavēsianōn), который занял южные побережья Малой Азии и Эгейские Острова. Во время вступления Джона II Комненуса (1118) это была изолированная застава против турок, доступных только морским путем. в следующем году, при помощи его главнокомандующего Джона Аксуча, Джон II вел турок от сухопутных маршрутов до Антальи и повторно соединил город с остальной частью империи.
Город, наряду с окружающей областью, был завоеван турками Seljuk в начале 13-ого столетия. Анталья была капиталом турецкого beylik Teke (1321–1423) до его завоевания Ottomans. Арабский путешественник Ибн Баттута, который приехал в город промежуточный 1335-1340, отметил:
Из Аланьи я пошел в Antaliya [Adalia], самый красивый город. Это покрывает огромную область, и хотя из обширной большой части один из самых привлекательных городов, которые будут замечены где угодно, помимо того, чтобы быть чрезвычайно густонаселенным и хорошо выложены. Каждая часть жителей живет в отдельной четверти. Христианские торговцы живут в четверти города, известного как Мина [Порт], и окружены стеной, ворота которой закрыты на них извне ночью и во время обслуживания в пятницу. Греки, которые были его бывшими жителями, живыми в другой четверти, евреях в другом, и короле и его суде и Mamluks в другом, каждой из этих четвертей, отгораживаемых аналогично. Остальная часть мусульман живет в главном городе. Вокруг целого города и всех четвертей упоминал, что есть другая Великая стена. Город содержит сады и производит прекрасные фрукты, включая замечательный вид абрикоса, названного ими шум объявления Qamar, у которого есть сладкий миндаль в его ядре. Эти фрукты высушены и экспортированы в Египет, где это расценено как большая роскошь.
Во второй половине 17-ого столетия Эвлия Селеби написал города узких улиц, содержащих 3 000 зданий на двадцати турецких языках и четырех греческих окрестностях. Город вырос вне городских стен, и порт, как сообщали, держал до 200 лодок.
В 19-ом столетии, вместе с большей частью Анатолии, ее суверен был "dere бей" (землевладелец или землевладелец). Семья Tekke Oglu, адресованный близкий Perge, хотя уменьшено до подчинения в 1812 Махмудом II, продолжала быть конкурирующей властью Оттоманскому губернатору до в пределах нынешнего поколения, выживающего на многие годы падение других великих беев Анатолии. Отчеты Леванта (Турция) Компания, которая поддержала агентство в Анталье до 1825, зарегистрировали местных dere беев.
В 20-ом столетии население Антальи увеличилось как турки с Кавказа и Балкан, перемещенных в Анатолию. К 1911 это был город приблизительно 25 000 человек, включая многих христиан и евреев, все еще живущих в отдельных четвертях вокруг окруженной стеной Мины или порту. Порт был подан пароходами побережья местных компаний. Анталья (тогда Adalia) была живописной, но плохо построенная и обратной. Главная привлекательность для посетителей была городской стеной, и вне прогулки-a часть, которой выживает к подарку. Правительственные учреждения и здания более высоких классов были всеми за пределами стен.
Город был кратко занят итальянцами от конца Первой мировой войны до основания турецкой республики в 1923.
Экономика Антальи имела обыкновение зависеть от смеси туризма, сельского хозяйства, и торговли, с некоторой легкой промышленностью. Сельскохозяйственное производство включает цитрусовые, хлопок, цветы сокращения, маслины, оливковое масло и бананы. Анталья покрытый оптовый комплекс продовольственного рынка Столичного Муниципалитета встречает 65 % свежих фруктов и овощное требование области.
С 2000 верфи были открыты в Свободной зоне Антальи , специализированы на строительстве яхт удовольствия. Некоторые из этих ярдов продвинулись в строительной технике лодки соединений.
Kaleiçi, восстановленный исторический центр города - с его отелями, барами, клубами, ресторанами, и делающий покупки - сохраняют большую часть своего исторического характера; его восстановление выиграло Золотой Приз Туризма Apple.
Город включает места со следами Lycian, Pamphylian, и Эллинистический - но главным образом римский, византийский, Seljuk и Ottoman - архитектура и культуры.
Камхурииет-Сквер, главная площадь города, при случае показывает временные происходящие на открытом воздухе выставки и действия.
Kaleiçi, с его узкими мощеными улицами исторических турецких и греческих зданий, является старым центром Антальи - теперь, главным образом, отели, магазины подарков, и бары. Новые отели, такие как Шератон, стоят вдоль побережья выше пляжей Кониалти и Лары.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Gas explosion kills 4 in Israel
Jerusalem (CNN) -- Four people were killed and 55 injured about midnight Thursday when a gas canister exploded in a restaurant in Netanya, north of Tel Aviv, sources with Israeli ambulance services said.
The explosion was not the result of a terrorist attack, police said.
The top floor of the four-story storage building collapsed, CNN affiliate Channel 2 reported.
Police were searching the building to ensure that everyone had been accounted for. Some people were being evacuated with a crane, Minister of Police Yitzhak Aronovich said.
Angelina Jolie in Turkey to meet with Syrian refugees
Actress Angelina Jolie, a longtime goodwill ambassador for the U.N. refugee agency, arrived in southern Turkey on Friday to visit Syrian refugees, a high-profile trip focusing attention on misery faced by ordinary citizens who have escaped violence in turbulent Syria.
Jolie, who is scheduled to visit the Altinozu refugee camp, arrived at the airport in Hatay and was greeted by officials, according to the state-run Anatolian Agency.
Hatay provincial officials had vans for the trip to Altinozu, and "toys unloaded from the plane were loaded to one of the vans in her convoy," the agency reported.
More than 9,600 Syrian men, women, and children have fled their country for Turkey to escape violence, including a military offensive in the Jisr al-Shugur area.
Refugees at Altinozu are housed in warehouses at an old tobacco factory, and they staged a demonstration at the camp in solidarity with the many anti-government demonstrations occurring across the border in Syria.
They held up signs that said "Our military is killing its own people, please make it stop," "U.N., help us please" and people chanted "stop killing children" and other anti-regime slogans.
Jolie was named a goodwill ambassador for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in early 2001 and has visited more than 20 countries "to highlight the plight of millions of uprooted people and to advocate for their protection."
The U.N. office said her interest in "humanitarian affairs was piqued in 2000 when she went to Cambodia to film the adventure film 'Tomb Raider.'"
Jolie has won numerous acting awards, including a best supporting actress Academy Award for her performance in 1999's "Girl, Interrupted."
Jolie, who is scheduled to visit the Altinozu refugee camp, arrived at the airport in Hatay and was greeted by officials, according to the state-run Anatolian Agency.
Hatay provincial officials had vans for the trip to Altinozu, and "toys unloaded from the plane were loaded to one of the vans in her convoy," the agency reported.
More than 9,600 Syrian men, women, and children have fled their country for Turkey to escape violence, including a military offensive in the Jisr al-Shugur area.
Refugees at Altinozu are housed in warehouses at an old tobacco factory, and they staged a demonstration at the camp in solidarity with the many anti-government demonstrations occurring across the border in Syria.
They held up signs that said "Our military is killing its own people, please make it stop," "U.N., help us please" and people chanted "stop killing children" and other anti-regime slogans.
Jolie was named a goodwill ambassador for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in early 2001 and has visited more than 20 countries "to highlight the plight of millions of uprooted people and to advocate for their protection."
The U.N. office said her interest in "humanitarian affairs was piqued in 2000 when she went to Cambodia to film the adventure film 'Tomb Raider.'"
Jolie has won numerous acting awards, including a best supporting actress Academy Award for her performance in 1999's "Girl, Interrupted."
In Tripoli have refused to speak about political future Kaddafi
In Tripoli have refused to speak about political future Kaddafi. It was declared by the special representative of the president of Russia across Africa Michael Margelov after negotiations with the Libyan party. According to Margelova, he and hasn't heard anything a mode of Kaddafi new from representatives.
The main condition of the beginning of negotiating process between Kaddafi and opposition in Tripoli still name full cease-fire. Маргелову have told that direct contacts between Bengasi and Tripoli are already adjusted. Representatives of a mode of Kaddafi consider possibility of negotiations with opposition in neutral territory - on Malta, in Cairo and Tunis.
In Tripoli agree participation in peaceful settlement of the United Nations and the African union. However while colleagues of Kaddafi reflect, how it is better to organize negotiating process, armies of the colonel continue to be at war with oppositionists. There are fights on approaches to capital of Libya.
Маргелов has informed that Russia will refuse to Libya the humanitarian help - both Bengasi, and Tripoli. And for situation improvement in the country, according to Margelova, further intermediary efforts are necessary.
The main condition of the beginning of negotiating process between Kaddafi and opposition in Tripoli still name full cease-fire. Маргелову have told that direct contacts between Bengasi and Tripoli are already adjusted. Representatives of a mode of Kaddafi consider possibility of negotiations with opposition in neutral territory - on Malta, in Cairo and Tunis.
In Tripoli agree participation in peaceful settlement of the United Nations and the African union. However while colleagues of Kaddafi reflect, how it is better to organize negotiating process, armies of the colonel continue to be at war with oppositionists. There are fights on approaches to capital of Libya.
Маргелов has informed that Russia will refuse to Libya the humanitarian help - both Bengasi, and Tripoli. And for situation improvement in the country, according to Margelova, further intermediary efforts are necessary.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Samsung
The Samsung Group (Korean: 삼성그룹 / Samseong Geurup) is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. The Samsung Group comprises numerous international affiliated businesses, most of them united under the Samsung brand including Samsung Electronics, the world's largest technology company by sales; Samsung Heavy Industries, the world's second largest shipbuilder; Samsung Engineering was ranked 35th, Samsung C&T 72nd in a 2009 ranking of 225 global construction firms compiled by the Engineering News-Record, a U.S. construction journal. Samsung Life Insurance was ranked 14th in a 2009 ranking of Fortune Global 500 Industries. Samsung Everland, South Korea's first theme park opened in 1976 as Yongin Farmland. It is now the fifth most popular theme park in the world, beating out Epcot, Disney MGM and Disney's Animal Kingdom. Cheil Worldwide operates as a subsidiary of Samsung Group and was ranked #19 among the "World's Top 50 Agency Companies" by revenue in 2010. Shilla Hotel, a subsidiary of the Samsung Group, has been ranked #58 among the "2009 World's Best Top 100 Hotels" in the annual reader survey conducted by the prestigious international business magazine, Institutional Investor.
The Best Overall Generalist Sales Force survey ranks 22 firms that participated in Institutional Investor’s 2007 All-Asia Research Team survey. Samsung Securities (Investment Bank) was ranked #14 among the "2007 All-Asia Best Overall Generalist Sales Force Rankings" by revenue in 2007.
Gartner’s “Market Share Analysis: Top 10 Consulting Providers’ Revenue, Growth and Market Share, Worldwide and Regional 2009” is intended as a tool for service providers. Samsung SDS was second in Asia Pacific with IBM topping the list, and Accenture third.
Samsung Group accounts for about a fifth of South Korea's total exports. In many domestic industries, Samsung Group is the sole monopoly dominating a single market[citation needed], its revenue as large as some countries' total GDP. In 2006, Samsung Group would have been the 35th largest economy in the world if ranked, larger than that of Argentina. The company has a powerful influence on the country's economic development, politics, media and culture, being a major driving force behind the Miracle on the Han River. Many businesses today use Samsung's international success as a role model[citation needed]. Samsung bought Media Group in 2010.
Products, customers and organizational structure
Group divisions
- Electronics industries
- Financial services
- Chemical industries
- Machinery and heavy industries
- Engineering and construction
- Retail and entertainment
- Apparel and advertisement
- Education and medical services
- Trading and resource development
- Food supplier and security services
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Maps, land and history: Why 1967 still matters
(CNN) -- On the website of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs there is a map -- with a message. The map itself is a basic display of how regional borders looked before the Six Day War in 1967. The message is in the distances drawn from those borders to major Israeli cities.
For example, it's noted that the distance from what was in 1967 the armistice line with Jordan to the Israeli city of Netanya on the Mediterranean was 9 miles; to Beersheeba, 10 miles; and to Tel Aviv, 11 miles. The city of Ashkelon was 7 miles from the edge of the Gaza Strip, then under Egyptian rule.
The point is a simple one: Israel was virtually impossible to defend; any aggressor would try to cut it in half.
That's just what the Arab armies tried to achieve in 1967. On the eve of the war, the Egyptian newspaper al Akhbar noted: "Under the terms of the military agreement signed with Jordan, Jordanian artillery, coordinated with the forces of Egypt and Syria, is in a position to cut Israel in two at Qalqilya, where Israeli territory between the Jordan armistice line and the Mediterranean Sea is only 12 kilometres (7 miles) wide."
It's a point that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed at his White House meeting with President Barack Obama last week.
"Remember that before 1967, Israel was all of 9 miles wide, half the width of the Washington beltway," he said. "And these were not the boundaries of peace, they were the boundaries of repeated wars because the attack on Israel was so attractive from them."
His choice of the word "boundaries" may not have been accidental, because in 1967 Israel had no agreed borders with its Arab neighbors. They were instead armistice lines agreed to in 1949 after the division of Palestine. (Internationally-recognized borders with Jordan and Egypt have since been agreed upon.) The Six Day War rendered those armistice lines redundant.
At the end of May 1967, Egypt, Syria and Jordan were massing troops and armor within striking distance of Israel. Egypt had closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping. On June 5, Israel launched a pre-emptive attack that destroyed much of the Egyptian air force. In the days that followed, Israeli forces captured all of Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Sinai peninsula and Gaza from Egypt. Suddenly, Israel had some "strategic depth."
For a time, that altered Israel's military doctrine -- meaning that a pre-emptive first strike was no longer its only option. The October 1973 war showed that Israel was capable of absorbing a first strike and retaliating.
But Ariel Sharon, when he became defense minister in 1981, argued that the modernization of Arab armies and their possession of surface-to-surface missiles had cancelled out the benefits of "strategic depth." He argued that Israel could not absorb a first strike and should be ready to launch preventive and pre-emptive strikes against potential threats. The same argument is made by many Israeli strategists today, in relation to a potential nuclear threat from Iran.
Successive Israeli leaders have rejected a return to the pre-1967 boundaries, starting with Golda Meir in 1969, who said it would be irresponsible for any Israeli government to support such a plan.
Former Foreign Minister Yigal Allon wrote in 1976 that Israel needed defensible borders "which could enable the small standing army units of Israel's defensive force to hold back the invading Arab armies until most of the country's reserve citizen army could be mobilized." When he was prime minister, Menachem Begin said it would be national suicide for Israel to retreat to its pre-1967 borders. And in 2004, President George W. Bush promised then-Israeli Prime Minister Sharon a "steadfast (U.S.) commitment to Israel's security, including secure, defensible borders." Even so, the international community has never recognized Israel's claims to any territory beyond the pre-1967 armistice lines.
Intermittently, there has been greater readiness to negotiate territorial compromise -- most notably at the Camp David summit in 2000, when President Bill Clinton brought together PLO leader Yasser Arafat and then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Barak floated a proposal that would give the Palestinians control of about 90% of the West Bank, while Israel would annex the rest. But there were plenty of complicating factors. According to one account of that summit, Abu Ala'a, a leading Palestinian negotiator, refused to negotiate on a map, arguing that Israel first had to concede that any territorial agreement must be based on the line of June 4, 1967 -- prompting Clinton to exclaim: "Don't simply say to the Israelis that their map is no good. Give me something better!" The summit ended in recriminations.
Ehud Olmert, shortly before he left office in 2008, said Israel would eventually have to give the Palestinians a "similar percentage" of territory in return for the biggest Jewish settlement blocs in the West Bank that Israel would want keep in any "final status" deal. "We face the need to decide but are not willing to tell ourselves: 'Yes, this is what we have to do,'" he said. The man who is now Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, then described Olmert's ideas as insanity.
So what, if any, "mutually agreed swaps" -- the phrase used by Obama -- could give Israel the security and the Palestinians the land that would satisfy both?
"The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state," Obama said last week. But in the 44 years since the Six Day War, the map of the West Bank has become cluttered with substantial Jewish settlements -- now home to nearly half a million people. A security barrier meanders deep into the occupied territory, protecting the settlements but dividing Palestinian land into a series of enclaves.
Netanyahu said after meeting Obama that the pre-1967 borders were now "indefensible because they don't take into account certain changes that have taken place on the ground, demographic changes that have taken place over the last 44 years." Those "demographic changes" are the settlements.
In addition, Netanyahu has also said he would insist on keeping Israeli forces in the valley that divides the West Bank from Jordan, even after the establishment of a Palestinian state, as a safeguard against rocket attacks.
"If rockets and missiles break out here, they will reach Tel Aviv, Haifa and all over the state," Netanyahu said as he toured the area in March.
Other Israeli leaders -- including Yitzhak Rabin -- have taken a similar position.
Every year, "facts on the ground" -- and advances in military technology -- complicate the argument over territory, now as visceral as it was in 1967 and 1948. And that's before anyone has uttered the word "Jerusalem."
NATO aircraft pound Tripoli; U.S. envoy courts rebels
Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- NATO aircraft launched a barrage of strikes on the Libyan capital Tuesday in what a government official called the heaviest onslaught since the aerial strikes began.
At least 18 rockets struck Tripoli while a U.S envoy was in the eastern rebel-held city of Benghazi courting members of the transitional government.
Jeffery Feltman, the U.S Assistant Secretary of State for the near Eastern Affairs, told reporters in Benghazi that he had extended a "formal invitation" to the National Transitional Council to open a representative office in Washington -- and that the council has accepted the invitation.
Feltman said he came to reiterate a message from President Barack Obama that "Gadhafi has lost legitimacy to rule. He cannot regain control of Libya. And he must step down immediately."
After the air strikes Tuesday morning, smoke was seen rising from the area near Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's Bab-al-Azizia compound in Tripoli.
Moussa Ibrahim, a Libyan government spokesman, said the attack targeted a guard compound for pro-Gadhafi military volunteers that had been emptied in anticipation.
At least three people were killed and 150 wounded, Ibrahim said, calling the attack an escalation by NATO.
Reporters felt and heard the explosions from the hotel where they are staying. Outbursts of gunfire, as well as ambulance sirens, could be heard in the streets.
A NATO statement said the attack targeted a "regime vehicle storage facility" adjacent to the Bab-al-Azizia compound using precision-guided weapons.
The facility resupplies government forces that have been attacking Libyan civilians, according to the NATO statement.
Gadhafi's forces "still represent a threat to civilians and we will continue to strike targets that carry out this violence," said Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard of Canada, who commands the Libya operation.
Journalists later visited a hospital where they reported they saw the bodies of three men, at least two covered in dust, and a number of injured people. CNN did not go on the hospital visit because of safety concerns.
Arrest warrants have been issued by the International criminal Court for Gadhafi and two relatives, linking them to "widespread and systematic" attacks on civilians as they struggle to retain power in Libya.
The court's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has said that the court in The Hague will investigate allegations of institutionalized rape in the war-torn country.
At least 18 rockets struck Tripoli while a U.S envoy was in the eastern rebel-held city of Benghazi courting members of the transitional government.
Jeffery Feltman, the U.S Assistant Secretary of State for the near Eastern Affairs, told reporters in Benghazi that he had extended a "formal invitation" to the National Transitional Council to open a representative office in Washington -- and that the council has accepted the invitation.
Feltman said he came to reiterate a message from President Barack Obama that "Gadhafi has lost legitimacy to rule. He cannot regain control of Libya. And he must step down immediately."
After the air strikes Tuesday morning, smoke was seen rising from the area near Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's Bab-al-Azizia compound in Tripoli.
Moussa Ibrahim, a Libyan government spokesman, said the attack targeted a guard compound for pro-Gadhafi military volunteers that had been emptied in anticipation.
At least three people were killed and 150 wounded, Ibrahim said, calling the attack an escalation by NATO.
Reporters felt and heard the explosions from the hotel where they are staying. Outbursts of gunfire, as well as ambulance sirens, could be heard in the streets.
A NATO statement said the attack targeted a "regime vehicle storage facility" adjacent to the Bab-al-Azizia compound using precision-guided weapons.
The facility resupplies government forces that have been attacking Libyan civilians, according to the NATO statement.
Gadhafi's forces "still represent a threat to civilians and we will continue to strike targets that carry out this violence," said Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard of Canada, who commands the Libya operation.
Journalists later visited a hospital where they reported they saw the bodies of three men, at least two covered in dust, and a number of injured people. CNN did not go on the hospital visit because of safety concerns.
Arrest warrants have been issued by the International criminal Court for Gadhafi and two relatives, linking them to "widespread and systematic" attacks on civilians as they struggle to retain power in Libya.
The court's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has said that the court in The Hague will investigate allegations of institutionalized rape in the war-torn country.
A Libyan government official told CNN that Gadhafi's government welcomes the court's investigation but said that prosecutors "have not been to Libya to do an investigation."
Missouri tornado deadliest in decades
Joplin, Missouri (CNN) -- The tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, Sunday killed 117 people, authorities said Tuesday, making it the deadliest single U.S. tornado since modern record-keeping began more than 60 years ago.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said the number of deaths is expected to rise as rescuers find more bodies in the rubble.
A twister in Flint, Michigan, in 1953 killed 116 people, according to the National Weather Service.
2011 set to be deadliest tornado year
"We are going to do absolutely everything we can to make sure they recover," said President Barack Obama, who announced on Tuesday that he plans to visit the region this Sunday.
Obama said he will let people know "the whole country is going to be behind them" and he urged Americans to heed today's storm warnings.
"We are here for you. We're going to stay by you," Obama said.
Richard Serino, the second-highest ranking official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Obama has issued a disaster declaration -- expediting the dispersal of federal resources to the area -- while vowing that "we are going to be here for the long haul."
Stories from the storm: Fear, tears, prayers
Joplin may not be in the clear yet as far as weather goes: the National Weather Service warned there is a 45% chance of another tornado outbreak -- with the peak time between 4 p.m. and midnight Tuesday -- over a wide swath including parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska and Missouri.
"There's no way to figure out how to pick up the pieces as is," Sarah Hale, a lifelong Joplin resident, said Tuesday. "We have to have faith the weather will change."
City Manager Mark Rohr told reporters that more than 40 agencies are on the ground in the southwest Missouri city, with two first responders struck by lightning as they braved relentless rain and high winds searching for survivors.
"One, fortunately, walked away from it; the other one's still in the hospital, last I heard," Joplin Emergency Management Director Keith Stammer told CNN's "American Morning."
Nixon said the one in the hospital is in the intensive care unit.
Hospital nearly only building left standing in area
Several hundred people were injured in the tornado, and about 1,500 people are still unaccounted for, Stammer said. "What that means is they've scattered," he said. "When we open up the area and starting letting them come back in... that number of unaccounted for will start to dwindle."
People who have left the area should call their families and the dispatch center to let authorities know they are OK, Stammer said.
"We are hoping that by the time the sun goes down tonight, we'll be done with our primary and our secondary search and rescue effort," he added.
Some residents said the tornado struck suddenly.
"It all happened so fast," Rachael Neff told "American Morning" Tuesday. "It seemed like forever but it happened very fast."
"We had a few minutes warning. I've never taken any of the warnings seriously but something snapped in me and I put blankets and pillows in the bathroom. We were running to the bathroom. You could hear the home shaking, everything busting out."
By Monday night, officials found 17 people alive. But many, including Will Norton, remain missing.
The 18-year-old was driving home from his high school graduation Sunday when the tornado destroyed the Hummer H3 he and his father were in.
"We were in a separate car. We were about 30 seconds in front of them, one block," Norton's sister, Sara, told CNN. "My dad called and he said, 'Open the garage door.' ... And then I just heard him say, 'Pull over, Will. Pull over.' And then they started flipping."
"My dad said -- when my dad gained consciousness, he said that he saw my brother -- his seat belt snapped and he was ejected through the sunroof," she added.
The family has been tracking a "Help Find Will Norton" Facebook page and pursuing leads on his whereabouts.
Norton's aunt, Tracey, said the family received a tip that the teen was listed on a local hospital's emergency room roster -- but she's not sure where he is now.
"They transferred him, but we're not sure where he was transferred," the aunt said. "When he was transferred, he was alive. We don't know anything other than that."
New graduates face devastation after tornado
The tornado that carved through the city of about 50,000 on Sunday is the deadliest to hit American soil since the National Weather Service began keeping records 61 years ago.
The National Weather Service notes seven deadlier twisters, but says those took place "before the years of comprehensive damage surveys," so they may have been the result of multiple tornadoes.
But the National Weather Service does say that the Great Tri-State Tornado of 1925, which tore across southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and southwest Indiana, killed 695 people -- "a record for a single tornado."
Last month, two fatal twisters struck Alabama. One hit Hackleburg and the town of Phil Campbell, killing 78 people, and another struck Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, killing 61.
"Everybody's going to know people who are dead," said Zach Tusinger, who said his aunt and uncle died in the Joplin tornado. "You could have probably dropped a nuclear bomb on the town and I don't think it would have done near as much damage as (the tornado) did."
Lightning, gas leaks don't stop first responders
With crews still sifting through rubble, the death toll could continue to climb.
"I think the more time that goes by, the more I feel sick about it," Hale said. "These people are cold and sick and stuck. As the days go on, and the death toll goes up, how many funerals are we going to go to?"
Joplin Mayor Mike Woolston said Monday night that his community hasn't given up.
"We hope that there are people alive. We have a number of apartment buildings, complexes that are almost completely flattened. So we anticipate finding more people, and hopefully we'll get there in time to find them alive," Woolston said.
Joplin, Missouri: Bonnie and Clyde hid out there
Hale said Tuesday that she still hasn't slept since Sunday afternoon, when she didn't know whether her family across town had survived.
"I was hysterical. There's no words to describe not knowing if my family was alive," she said. "The only things left standing in their house was their bathtub and the toilet."
Her mother and grandparents did survive -- by huddling in the bathtub.
Neff, her fiance Zac Bronson and her toddler prayed, screamed and survived.
"We've had a tremendous support system. Our employers, friends and family have been more than helpful and we move on and rebuild. We just start another life. We started a new life," Bronson said.
The tornado chewed through a densely populated area of the city, damaging or destroying 2,000 buildings, eliminating a high school and making a direct hit on one of the two hospitals in the city.
Based on preliminary estimates, the twister carried winds between 190 and 198 mph, National Weather Service director Jack Hayes said.
More than 1,000 law enforcement officers from four states descended on Joplin to help with disaster response, said Collin Stosberg, a spokesman for the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Also, 217 National Guard troops were on duty, said Maj. Tamara Spicer of the Missouri National Guard. About 30 military police are helping with security and checkpoints as people try to return to their home in areas that may not be safe, Spicer said.
The weather has been hampering wide-area airborne surveillance missions, she added.
The flood of aid from strangers and volunteers has helped ease the misery in Joplin.
"I've seen good-heartedness the past 24 hours like I've never seen in my life," Hale said. "As much help that has poured out from the nation, we need it. We need the help."
Woolston, the mayor, pledged not to let the tornado ruin his city.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said the number of deaths is expected to rise as rescuers find more bodies in the rubble.
A twister in Flint, Michigan, in 1953 killed 116 people, according to the National Weather Service.
2011 set to be deadliest tornado year
"We are going to do absolutely everything we can to make sure they recover," said President Barack Obama, who announced on Tuesday that he plans to visit the region this Sunday.
Obama said he will let people know "the whole country is going to be behind them" and he urged Americans to heed today's storm warnings.
"We are here for you. We're going to stay by you," Obama said.
Richard Serino, the second-highest ranking official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Obama has issued a disaster declaration -- expediting the dispersal of federal resources to the area -- while vowing that "we are going to be here for the long haul."
Stories from the storm: Fear, tears, prayers
Joplin may not be in the clear yet as far as weather goes: the National Weather Service warned there is a 45% chance of another tornado outbreak -- with the peak time between 4 p.m. and midnight Tuesday -- over a wide swath including parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska and Missouri.
"There's no way to figure out how to pick up the pieces as is," Sarah Hale, a lifelong Joplin resident, said Tuesday. "We have to have faith the weather will change."
City Manager Mark Rohr told reporters that more than 40 agencies are on the ground in the southwest Missouri city, with two first responders struck by lightning as they braved relentless rain and high winds searching for survivors.
"One, fortunately, walked away from it; the other one's still in the hospital, last I heard," Joplin Emergency Management Director Keith Stammer told CNN's "American Morning."
Nixon said the one in the hospital is in the intensive care unit.
Hospital nearly only building left standing in area
Several hundred people were injured in the tornado, and about 1,500 people are still unaccounted for, Stammer said. "What that means is they've scattered," he said. "When we open up the area and starting letting them come back in... that number of unaccounted for will start to dwindle."
People who have left the area should call their families and the dispatch center to let authorities know they are OK, Stammer said.
"We are hoping that by the time the sun goes down tonight, we'll be done with our primary and our secondary search and rescue effort," he added.
Some residents said the tornado struck suddenly.
"It all happened so fast," Rachael Neff told "American Morning" Tuesday. "It seemed like forever but it happened very fast."
"We had a few minutes warning. I've never taken any of the warnings seriously but something snapped in me and I put blankets and pillows in the bathroom. We were running to the bathroom. You could hear the home shaking, everything busting out."
By Monday night, officials found 17 people alive. But many, including Will Norton, remain missing.
The 18-year-old was driving home from his high school graduation Sunday when the tornado destroyed the Hummer H3 he and his father were in.
"We were in a separate car. We were about 30 seconds in front of them, one block," Norton's sister, Sara, told CNN. "My dad called and he said, 'Open the garage door.' ... And then I just heard him say, 'Pull over, Will. Pull over.' And then they started flipping."
"My dad said -- when my dad gained consciousness, he said that he saw my brother -- his seat belt snapped and he was ejected through the sunroof," she added.
The family has been tracking a "Help Find Will Norton" Facebook page and pursuing leads on his whereabouts.
Norton's aunt, Tracey, said the family received a tip that the teen was listed on a local hospital's emergency room roster -- but she's not sure where he is now.
"They transferred him, but we're not sure where he was transferred," the aunt said. "When he was transferred, he was alive. We don't know anything other than that."
New graduates face devastation after tornado
The tornado that carved through the city of about 50,000 on Sunday is the deadliest to hit American soil since the National Weather Service began keeping records 61 years ago.
The National Weather Service notes seven deadlier twisters, but says those took place "before the years of comprehensive damage surveys," so they may have been the result of multiple tornadoes.
But the National Weather Service does say that the Great Tri-State Tornado of 1925, which tore across southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and southwest Indiana, killed 695 people -- "a record for a single tornado."
Last month, two fatal twisters struck Alabama. One hit Hackleburg and the town of Phil Campbell, killing 78 people, and another struck Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, killing 61.
"Everybody's going to know people who are dead," said Zach Tusinger, who said his aunt and uncle died in the Joplin tornado. "You could have probably dropped a nuclear bomb on the town and I don't think it would have done near as much damage as (the tornado) did."
Lightning, gas leaks don't stop first responders
With crews still sifting through rubble, the death toll could continue to climb.
"I think the more time that goes by, the more I feel sick about it," Hale said. "These people are cold and sick and stuck. As the days go on, and the death toll goes up, how many funerals are we going to go to?"
Joplin Mayor Mike Woolston said Monday night that his community hasn't given up.
"We hope that there are people alive. We have a number of apartment buildings, complexes that are almost completely flattened. So we anticipate finding more people, and hopefully we'll get there in time to find them alive," Woolston said.
Joplin, Missouri: Bonnie and Clyde hid out there
Hale said Tuesday that she still hasn't slept since Sunday afternoon, when she didn't know whether her family across town had survived.
"I was hysterical. There's no words to describe not knowing if my family was alive," she said. "The only things left standing in their house was their bathtub and the toilet."
Her mother and grandparents did survive -- by huddling in the bathtub.
Neff, her fiance Zac Bronson and her toddler prayed, screamed and survived.
"We've had a tremendous support system. Our employers, friends and family have been more than helpful and we move on and rebuild. We just start another life. We started a new life," Bronson said.
The tornado chewed through a densely populated area of the city, damaging or destroying 2,000 buildings, eliminating a high school and making a direct hit on one of the two hospitals in the city.
Based on preliminary estimates, the twister carried winds between 190 and 198 mph, National Weather Service director Jack Hayes said.
More than 1,000 law enforcement officers from four states descended on Joplin to help with disaster response, said Collin Stosberg, a spokesman for the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Also, 217 National Guard troops were on duty, said Maj. Tamara Spicer of the Missouri National Guard. About 30 military police are helping with security and checkpoints as people try to return to their home in areas that may not be safe, Spicer said.
The weather has been hampering wide-area airborne surveillance missions, she added.
The flood of aid from strangers and volunteers has helped ease the misery in Joplin.
"I've seen good-heartedness the past 24 hours like I've never seen in my life," Hale said. "As much help that has poured out from the nation, we need it. We need the help."
Woolston, the mayor, pledged not to let the tornado ruin his city.
"This is just not the type of community that's going to let a little F4 tornado kick our ass. So we will rebuild, and we will recover."
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
MOSCOW
Moscow (English pronunciation: Russian: Москва́, tr. Moskva, IPA: see also is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world. A global city, Moscow is the most populous city on the continent of Europe and the seventh largest city proper in the world. Its population, as of 1 January 2010, is 10,563,038.
Moscow is situated on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District of European Russia. In the course of its history the city has served as the capital of a progression of states, from the medieval Grand Duchy of Moscow and the subsequent Tsardom of Russia to the Soviet Union. Moscow is the site of the Moscow Kremlin, an ancient fortress that is today the residence of the Russian President and of the executive branch of the Government of Russia. The Kremlin is also one of several World Heritage Sites in the city. Both chambers of the Russian parliament (the State Duma and the Federation Council) also sit in Moscow.
The city is served by an extensive transit network, which includes four international airports, nine railroad terminals, and the Moscow Metro, second only to Tokyo in terms of ridership and recognized as one of the city's landmarks due to the rich and varied architecture of its 182 stations.
Over time, Moscow has acquired a number of epithets, most referring to its size and preeminent status within the nation: The Third Rome (Третий Рим), Whitestone (Белокаменная), The First Throne (Первопрестольная), The Forty Forties (Сорок Сороков).
History
See also: History of Moscow
The city is named after the river (old Russian: гра́д Моско́в, literally "the city by the Moskva River"). The first [Russian] reference to Moscow dates from 1147 when Yuri Dolgorukiy called upon the prince of the Novgorod-Severski to "come to me, brother, to Moscow."
Nine years later, in 1156, Prince Yuri Dolgorukiy of Rostov ordered the construction of a wooden wall, which had to be rebuilt multiple times, to surround the emerging city. After the sacking of 1237–1238, when the Mongols burned the city to the ground and killed its inhabitants, Moscow recovered and became the capital of the independent Vladimir-Suzdal principality in 1327. Its favorable position on the headwaters of the Volga River contributed to steady expansion. Moscow developed into a stable and prosperous principality, known as Grand Duchy of Moscow, for many years and attracted a large number of refugees from across Russia.
Under Ivan I of Moscow the city replaced Tver as a political center of Vladimir-Suzdal and became the sole collector of taxes for the Mongol-Tatar rulers. By paying high tribute, Ivan won an important concession from the Khan. Unlike other principalities, Moscow was not divided among his sons but was passed intact to his eldest. However, Moscow's opposition against foreign domination grew. In 1380, prince Dmitry Donskoy of Moscow led a united Russian army to an important victory over the Tatars in the Battle of Kulikovo, but which was not decisive. Only two years later Moscow was sacked by khan Tokhtamysh. In 1480, Ivan III had finally broken the Russians free from Tatar control, allowing Moscow to become the center of power in Russia. Under Ivan III the city became the capital of an empire that would eventually encompass all of present-day Russia and other lands.
Monument to the city's founder, Yuri Dolgoruki
On 1 May 1944, a medal For the defense of Moscow and in 1947 another medal In memory of the 800th anniversary of Moscow were instituted. In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, on May 8, 1965, Moscow became one of twelve Soviet cities awarded the title of Hero City.
In 1980, it hosted the Summer Olympic Games, which was boycotted by the United States and several other Western countries due to the Soviet Union's involvement in Afghanistan in late 1979. In 1991, Moscow was the scene of the failed coup attempt by the government members opposed to the reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev. When the USSR was dissolved in the same year, Moscow continued to be the capital of Russia.
Since then, the emergence of a market economy in Moscow has produced an explosion of Western-style retailing, services, architecture, and lifestyles. In 1998, it hosted the first World Youth Games.
Religion
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, demolished during the Soviet period, was reconstructed during 1990–2000.
Main article: Religion in Russia
Christianity is the predominant religion in the city, of which the Russian Orthodox Church is the most popular. Moscow is Russia's capital of Orthodox Christianity, which has been the country’s traditional religion and was deemed a part of Russia's "historical heritage" in a law passed in 1997. Other religions practiced in Moscow include Islam, Protestants, Old-believers, Single-believers and Judaism.The Patriarch of Moscow serves as the head of the church and resides in the Danilov Monastery. Moscow was called the "city of 1600 churches"—"город сорока сороков церквей"—prior to 1917. In 1918 Russia became a secular state and religion lost its position in society. Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 many of the destroyed churches have been restored and traditional religions are gaining popularity.
While Muslim population is estimated at 1.2–1.5 million (out of a total of 10.5 million), there were only four mosques in the city as of 2010. Though one additional mosque has been approved in the southeast, anti-mosque activists have blocked construction. Some nationalists have called for a "clean" Moscow, without Muslims and foreigners.
Administrative Divisions and Government
Government
Moscow is the seat of power for the Russian Federation. At the center of the city, in Central Administrative Okrug, is the Moscow Kremlin, which houses the home of the President of Russia as well as many of the facilities for the national government. This includes numerous military headquarters and the headquarters of the Moscow Military District. Moscow, like with any national capital, is also the host of all the foreign embassies and diplomats representing a multitude of nations in Russia. Moscow is designated as one of only two Federal cities of Russia (the other one being Saint Petersburg). Among the 83 federal subjects of Russia, Moscow represents the most populated one and the smallest one in terms of area. Lastly, Moscow is located within the central economic region, one of twelve regions within Russia with similar economic goals.
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