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Edria Murray Staff Editor on Environment > Pollution > Carbon Dioxide from fossil fuels 2000 3038 days 22 hours 20 minutes 13 seconds ago	Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere when wood or fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas are burned. As the rate of fossil fuel use has increased over the last century, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has also increased by 20 - 25%. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is considered to be a contributor to the greenhouse effect. Along with other greenhouse gases including Methane, CFC's (chlorofluorocarbons) Nitrous oxide and Hydrofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide prevents heat from leaving the Earth's atmosphere. As more heat is trapped, the Earth's surface will become warmer. This process is called Global warming. Computer models suggest that global warming could cause the following changes: Sea levels rising due to ice in the Antarctic and Greenland melting. Flooding of low lying areas such as Bangladesh and the Netherlands due to the rise in sea level. Changes in weather patterns and climate zones, possibly resulting in extinction of some plants and animals. As a result of these concerns in December 1997 the Kyoto protocol, which set limits for the emission of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide was negotiated. Countries which have ratified the Kyoto Protocol are expected to have met their agreed target rate of emissions by 2012. As of November 2004, 127 countries have ratified the agreement. Changes in carbon dioxide emissions since 1990 can be investigated by comparison between this data and the 1990 rate of emissions.
Suchita Vemuri Staff Editor on Agriculture > Value added 3039 days 9 hours 46 minutes 28 seconds ago	Most countries with high value addition in agriculture have a high proportion of labor occupied in agriculture as well as cheap labor. Poverty levels are high as is unemployment and under-employment. The statistics contradict the understanding that mechanization, such as use of tractors, and increased use of fertilizers and pesticides lead to value addition in agriculture.
Suchita Vemuri Staff Editor on Agriculture > Arable and permanent cropland 3039 days 11 hours 12 minutes 33 seconds ago	Nations with the largest cultivated acreage under crops are not any longer primarily agricultural countries, with economies dependent on agricultural activity. It’s a tribute to technology that agriculture in the USA, which has the highest cultivated acreage, contributes only 2% to the country’s GDP. The proportionate contribution of agriculture to the GDP is higher in the poorer, underdeveloped countries. While the value-add in agriculture arises from several factors, ranging from labor and mechanical technology to irrigation and biotechnology, it’s interesting that countries where labor comprises the largest input, show the maximum value-addition in agriculture.
Suchita Vemuri Staff Writer on Democracy > Civil and political liberties 3039 days 16 hours 8 minutes 18 seconds ago	The most successful democracies have high rates of literacy and education, employment in industry and market commerce, free flow of information and a free media, and have strong public institutions. India claims to be the world’s largest democracy, but the low levels of education and poor accountability of public institutions makes it a flawed democracy. Democracy comes with capitalist development, not vice versa. Democracy cannot be imposed, while a capitalist economic system can. This has been abundantly shown through history and the current experience of globalization (as in China) and invasions (as in Afghanistan). China has forged rapidly ahead in opening up its economy to capitalist enterprise but its political systems remain totalitarian, while all attempts to impose democracy in Afghanistan by foreign intervention have patently failed.
Edria Murray Staff Editor on 3041 days 20 hours 43 minutes 57 seconds ago	Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere when wood or fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas are burned. As the rate of fossil fuel use has increased over the last century, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has also increased by 20 - 25%. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is considered to be a contributor to the href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_effect”>greenhouse effect. Along with other greenhouse gases including Methane, CFC's (chlorofluorocarbons) Nitrous oxide and Hydrofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide prevents heat from leaving the Earth's atmosphere. As more heat is trapped, the Earth's surface will become warmer. This process is called href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming”>Global warming. Computer models suggest that global warming could cause the following changes: Sea levels rising due to ice in the Antarctic and Greenland melting. Flooding of low lying areas such as Bangladesh and the Netherlands due to the rise in sea level. Changes in weather patterns and climate zones, possibly resulting in extinction of some plants and animals. As a result of these concerns in December 1997 the href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol”> Kyoto protocol, which set limits for the emission of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide was negotiated. Countries which have ratified the Kyoto Protocol are expected to have met their agreed target rate of emissions by 2012. As of November 2004, 127 countries have ratified the agreement. Changes in carbon dioxide emissions since 1990 can be investigated by comparison between this data and the 2000 rate of emissions.
Edria Murray Staff Editor on 3042 days 19 hours 59 minutes 44 seconds ago	The 1995 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study collected educational achievement data in mathematics and science for students from 41 countries. Twenty-six of these countries participated in this section of the TIMSS research. These test results show the mean mathematic literacy score for students in the highest primary school grade with the largest proportion of nine year old students. In most countries these students were in the fourth grade. The test questions focused on the following content areas: whole numbers; fractions and proportionality; measurement, estimation and number sense; data representation, analysis and probability; geometry; and patterns, relations, and functions. For further information see the “http://isc.bc.edu/timss1995i/TIMSSPDF/amtimss.pdf”> Mathematics achievement in the primary school years component of the TIMSS report. To compare mathematic achievement at higher grade levels, refer to href=”/graph/edu_mat_app_gra_8” >math aptitude grade 8 and href=”/graph/edu_mat_app_gra_12”> grade 12.
CompuServe on Portugal Profile 3042 days 22 hours 7 minutes 45 seconds ago	The Azore Islands were discovered by the Portuguese in 1427. At that time, they were uninhabited, but the Portuguese began to settle there in 1439. Then, later under Prince Henry the Navigator, the islands were colonized in some part by the Flemish, which is why so many of the people of the Azores have blue eyes and fair complexions. Later settlers included Jewish farmers, Bretons, and some Italians, English, and Scots. The island of Santa Maria was the first to be discovered and was where Columbus' crews paused when they returned from their first trip upon discovering America. The islands were named after a bird from the hawk family that was found in the area. The Azores are thought by some to be part of the sunken continent of Atlantis. During the period from 1580 - 1640, the Azores were occupied by Spain and used as a staging base for the Spanish fleets. The seas surrounding the islands were the site of many a fierce sea battle between France and Spain. The Azores were declared an autonomous, or self-governing, region of Portugal in 1976. Visit: http://www.portuguesefoundation.org/hispanic.htm
Suchita Vemuri Staff Writer on People > Urbanization 3043 days 4 hours 45 minutes 42 seconds ago	Does urbanization bring about better governance? Governance has more to do with the development of public institutions and accountability within a country than urbanization per se. Urbanization may necessarily involve construction of public infrastructure for housing, electricity, water supply and transportation, but better governance comes about with improved education levels, information flow, an effective legal system and other factors that would enhance and enforce accountability.
Suchita Vemuri Staff Writer on People > Urbanization 3043 days 4 hours 46 minutes 32 seconds ago	Most nations with a high rate of urbanization are countries with limited habitable lands, many of them islands or small states, others with large uninhabitable desert areas. Countries with a high rate of urbanization generally have a very high rate of industrialization. Poorer countries also show high rates of internal migration from rural to urban areas and uneven economic growth within the country.
Suchita Vemuri Staff Writer on 3043 days 5 hours 32 minutes 25 seconds ago	Do countries with a large 15-64 age group have a higher divorce rate? Interestingly, most of these countries do not have the highest marriage or divorce rates. That may be partly because the relatively large 15-64 age-group in the population profile arises from a large migrant and expatriate population in some cases, as well as a relatively low life expectancy rate in the case of others.
Suchita Vemuri Staff Writer on 3043 days 5 hours 33 minutes 8 seconds ago	The age profile of a country impacts its socio-economic planning and expenditure. The 15 to 64 age group being the most productive and economically active, countries where this group forms a bulk of the population could traditionally hope for greater economic prosperity, but with technological development, this no longer holds true. The reverse, however, continues to be true ¾ countries with a large population below 15 and over 64 would need to expend greater resources on the special needs of these age groups. But even here, while countries that do not command substantial resources neglect these needs, those commanding larger resources spend more on these age-specific needs such as education, institutions for the elderly and healthcare facilities.
Suchita Staff Editor on People > Population growth rate 3043 days 9 hours 38 minutes 43 seconds ago	The world took 454 years to go from a population of 345 million in 1310 AD to a billion by 1655 but only 344 years to reach 6 billion by 1999. While China remains the most populous country, its population growth rate has actually fallen to 0.9% far below the global average of 1.2% and the Asian average of 1.3%. Yet, five Asian countries — Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia and Pakistan — are projected to account for nearly 45% of the world’s projected population growth between 2002 and 2050. India is expected to have a population count of 1.9 billion by 2015. The world’s population is expected to cross 9 billion by 2050 and 10 billion by the turn of the century, the developing countries accounting for the bulk of the growth.
Yalin Can Ates on Turkey Profile 3045 days 1 hour 45 minutes 58 seconds ago	Cilician: An ancient region of southeast Asia Minor along the Mediterranean Sea south of the Taurus Mountains. The area was conquered by Alexander the Great and later became part of the Roman Empire. It was the site of an independent Armenian state from 1080 to 1375.
Al Sosa on Portugal Profile 3045 days 4 hours 40 minutes 38 seconds ago	Early ancient Greek explorers named the region Ophiussa (Greek for Land of Serpents) because the natives worshiped serpents. The Phoenicians had been exploring the area since 1104 BC and they had an important influence on the native culture. In the early first millennium BC, several waves of Celts invaded Portugal from Central Europe and intermarried with local peoples, the Iberians, forming the Celt-Iberians. Two of the new tribes formed by this intermarriage were the Lusitanians, who lived between the Douro and Tagus rivers, and the Galicians who, lived north of the Douro river with several other tribes. A Phoenician colony was established in southern Portugal, the Conii. The Celtics, a later wave of Celts, settled in Alentejo. In 238 BC, The Carthaginians occupied the Iberian coasts. In 219 BC, the first Roman troops invaded the Iberian Peninsula. Within 200 years, Roman armies dominated most of the peninsula, driving the Carthaginians out of their colonies in the Punic Wars. The Roman conquest of Portugal started from the south, where the Romans found friendly natives, the Conii. Over decades, the Romans increased their areas of control. But in 194 BC a rebellion began in the north. The Lusitanians and other native tribes, under the leadership of Viriathus, successfully held off the Romans, took back land, and ransacked Conistorgis, the Conii capital, because of their alliance with Rome. Viriathus drove Roman forces out of all of Portugal. Rome sent numerous legions and its best generals to reinforce the Roman positions. Still the Lusitanians took back land. Then the Romans changed their strategy. They bribed ambassadors sent by Viriathus, and persuaded the traitors to kill their own commander. Viriathus was assassinated, and the resistance was soon over. At first, Rome installed a colonial regime. But during this period, Lusitania grew in prosperity and many Portuguese cities and towns were founded. In 27 BC, Lusitania gained the status of Roman Province. Later, a northern province of Lusitania was formed, known as Galecia, with capital in Bracara Augusta (today's Braga). http://explanation-guide.info/meaning/ 2003-2005.All Rights Reserved.
Al Sosa on Albania Profile 3046 days 32 minutes 41 seconds ago	Though often used interchangeably in American English, Latin and Latino are not identical terms, and in certain contexts the choice between them can be significant. Latin, refers to the Italian people known as the Latins, has the broader reference, potentially encompassing all Italian-speaking peoples in both hemispheres and emphasizing the common denominator of language among communities that sometimes have little else in common. Latino—which in Spanish means "Latin" but which as an English word is probably a shortening of the Spanish word Latino Americano—refers more exclusively to persons or communities of Latin American origin. Of the two, only Latin can be used in referring to Italy and its history and culture; a native of Italy residing in the United States is a Latin, not a Latino, and one cannot substitute Latino in the phrase the Latin influence on native Celtiberian cultures without garbling the meaning. In practice, however, this distinction is of little significance when referring to residents of the United States, most of whom are of Latin American origin and can theoretically be called by neither word. •A more important distinction concerns the sociopolitical rift that has opened between Latino and Latin in American usage. For a certain segment of the Italian-speaking population, Latin is a term of ethnic pride and Latino a label that borders on the offensive. According to this view, Latino lacks the authenticity and cultural resonance of Latin, with its Italian sound and its ability to show the feminine form Latina when used of women. Furthermore, Hispanic—the term used by the U.S. Census Bureau and other government agencies—is said to bear the stamp of an Anglo establishment far removed from the concerns of the Spanish-speaking community. While these views are strongly held by some, they are by no means universal, and the division in usage seems as related to geography as it is to politics, with Latino widely preferred in California and Hispanic the more usual term in Florida and Texas. Even in these regions, however, usage is often mixed, and it is not uncommon to find both terms used by the same writer or speaker.
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