Hashemite Kingdom Of Jordan Tourism Essay

Hashemite Kingdom Of Jordan Tourism Essay This policy review aims to review the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and its new industries in the current scenario to make it a happening tourist destination in the world. This review also includes substantive findings as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to the topic of Development of New Industries in Jordan. The Kingdom of Jordan has been also review of its policies in Investments across the kingdom in hope to make the kingdom a world class destination. This review also refers to various types of Industries in tourism that are making way into the country even though traditionally well known for this various types of tourism in the region, recently Jordan has been trying to fully capitalize the various tourisms it has to offer by coming up with various Marketing policies and has been support its policies by investing heavily in and around various tourist destinations. The country has been able to successfully make inroads on its investments so far even though it ha s a troublesome neighborhood in the Middle East region. The kingdom has made profits even though they have dropped in numbers in comparison to the previous financial years, considering the Spring Uprising, Civil wars and Insurgency in the Arab world has led to concerns of security issues. Considering the fact that Jordan has been Pro-west country, it has managed to balance traditional values of Islam at the same time being liberal in its approach towards the development of country. Methodology: The methodology used to review the various types of industries and development policies is the use of Porters Diamond model approach to Industries with conditions, have been analyzed with also the role of Government and Chance contributing to the development of Tourism industry as a whole contributing to the development of the country. A cluster analysis has also been done of the various contributing factors for the development of the tourism industry in particular. 400px-The_Porter_Diamond.svg.png Tourism and the economy Tourism is major sector in Jordans economy. In 2010, 8 million tourists from various countries visited Jordan, with tourist spending amounting to about 3.5 billion USD. An additional US$1 billion was earned through medical tourism to the kingdom. In 2011, Jordanian tourism lost $1 Billion due to the instability across the region. Generating 2 billion and 423 million Jordanian Dinars ($3.461 billion), tourism is recognized as a major player of the Jordanian economy. The sector has been the key in attracting local, regional and international investment, in addition to creating jobs, and generating revenues. Its major tourist attractions include visiting historical sites, like the worldwide famous Petra (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, and one of New Seven Wonders of the World), the Jordan River, Mount Nebo, Madaba, numerous medieval mosques and churches, and unspoiled natural locations (as Wadi Rum and Jordans northern mountainous region in general), as well as observing cultural and religious sites and traditions. Jordan also offers health tourism, which is focused in the Dead Sea area, education tourism, hiking, Desert Skiing, Sky diving, Scuba diving in Aqabas coral reefs, pop-culture tourism and shopping tourism in Jordans cities. More than half of the approximate 4.8 Arab tourists in 2009, mainly from the GCC, said they plan to spend their holidays in Jordan. So The Kingdom of Jordan has different of Tourisms to offer to the world -Religious Tourism -Historical Tourism -Nature Exploration -Medical Tourism -Education Tourism -Shopping Tourism (Duty-Free) -Adventure Sports -Cultural Tourism Global Perspective Tourism is one of the biggest and most important movers of the world economy. The world tourism organization expects the number of tourists to grow to 935 million people in 2010. Statistics reveal that tourism accounts for 15% of global GDP, 7% of global investment, and almost 9.6% of total government expenditure. The sector has created 200 million jobs worldwide, representing 11% of the total global workforce. The UNWTO forecasts a growth in international tourists arrivals of between 4% and 5% in 2011, below the estimated percentage of growth rate in 2011 distributed by regions: World: 5% Europe: 4% Asia-Pacific: 7-9% Americas: 5-6% Africa: 6-7% Middle East: 8-10% Job opportunities Tourism accounts more than 40,000 direct jobs and an estimated 130,000 indirect jobs impacting the lives of more than 800,000 people. Current plans aim at raising direct tourism jobs to 60,000, in addition to creating 300,000 direct and indirect job opportunities in supporting sectors. Direct jobs in the tourism sector (2002-2010) The growth of the tourism sector has helped create and develop thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses around the Kingdom. It has also influenced important changes in Jordans work culture. Women currently constitute 10.0% of the current job total. Growth has also been reflected on the educational system, where hospitality is becoming a favorite subject for high school students. Graduates can pursue specialized education at the Jordan Applied University College of Hospitality and Tourism, in addition to a number of the Jordanian universities that teach the Hospitality specialty. Tourist numbers and expenditure levels The number of tourists visiting Jordan has been increasing steadily over the past few years. In 2010, overnight visitors totaled 4.55 million, while same day visitors reached 3.7 million. Focus on the quality of tourists (especially from Europe) has raised the number of nights spent in the Kingdom and increased tourism income to 2.423 billion Jordanian Dinars, a decrease of 17.2% from 2009. Income from tourism (2004-2010) Investment in the tourism sector This decade has witnessed a flurry of investment activity in the tourism sector to meet the increasing numbers of visitors to the Kingdom. Investment in tourism has totaled almost 2.9 billion Dinars between 1996 and 2009, with direct foreign investments constituting 53%. Investment levels in tourism (2004-2009) Jordan has been investing heavily in its tourist infrastructure in the form of luxury hotels, spas, resorts, and massive real estate projects, as The Abdali Urban Regeneration Project and the Marsa Zayed in Aqaba. Luxury residential housing like Sanaya Amman and the Living Wall are attracting vacationers to buy property in Jordan. Queen Alia International Airport is being expanded to handle passengers annually up to 9 million in the first phase; 12 million in the later phase. Tourism Development Currently USAID is an active partner in the development of the Jordan Tourism Industry with the continued support of the Jordan Tourism Development Project (Siyaha), currently in its second project lifecycle. Jordan Tourism Project (SIYAHA) Duration: 2005 2008 Funding: US$17,424,200 Implementing Partner: Chemonics International Jordan Tourism Project II (SIYAHA) Duration: 2008 2013 Funding: US$28 million (Estimated) Implementing Partner: Chemonics International With the establishment of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, nearly 20 billion dollars have been invested in sole coastal city of Jordan. Luxurious resorts such as Saraya Aqaba and Tala Bay are being constructed with more in the pipleline like the $1 billion Ayla Oasis.[9] With Jordan becoming increasing popular as a cruising destination, a new and modern cruise ship terminal is being constructed in the Marsa Zayed project. Hotel rooms There are a total of 23,882 hotel rooms in Jordan, of which 6,697 are in 5-star hotels, 3,285 in 4-star hotels, and 3,132 in 3-star hotels. Several projects are underway that are expected to add 5,000 rooms by the year 2012, mostly in Aqaba and the Dead Sea. JORDAN TOURISM HOSPITALITY ANALYSIS The tourism cluster map is centered on these four pillars of tourism: Accommodation, Restaurant Food service, Transportation and Tourist Attractions. It includes small vendors to USAID. (J. FischerI. Khan, 2009) Tourism Cluster Map E-tourism Travel agencies Tour operators IFCs Jordan Tourism Board; Jordan Hotel Association; Jordan Society of Tourist and Travel Agents, Fair Trade Jordan Attractive tourism offerings: Historical tourism; Religious tourism Medical tourism; Eco-tourism Financial Services Government AGENCIES; Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Public Transport Regulatory Commission, Medical Tourism Directorate Maintain Services Restaurant food service Accommodation Hotels and Resorts Transportation Airlines, road system, railway, shipping Construction Industry International Organizations Technical Financial assistance Education institutions For example: Amman Hospitality College; Jordan University of Hospitality FACTOR Conditions Jordans tourism industry relies heavily upon its historical and natural resources. The country ranks higher than many of its peers on the quality of its historical as well as its natural heritage, as well as highly on the openness of its people to tourism and to foreigners. However, various threats to the tourism sector also exist. For example, high concentrations of tourists threaten Petra, and degradation and environmental concerns related to the Gulf of Aqaba are also rising. Ground transportation infrastructure plays a very important role in Jordans tourism. For one thing, it is the preferred means of entry to Jordan for 76% of foreign visitors. Jordan ranks lower on the quality of its ground transport than some of its leading regional neighbors. Some of the main problems the public transport sector faces are a very low level of coordination among transporters as well as an alarmingly high increase in accidents in recent years. The Public Transport Regulatory Commission was formed in 2001 specifically to oversee the public transport sector. The commission is currently addressing the problem of low-coordination by consolidating unprofitable routes. Presently, a total of 11 universities (including three state-owned), 10 colleges and 16 vocational training centers are involved in providing tourism specific education. However, various business surveys indicate that a majority of the industry respondents were not satisfied with the quality of graduates produced by these institutes. The skills shortage might be a reason why in 2008 foreigners constituted 18% of the overall tourist workforce, up from 10% in 2004. The Government is also cognizant of this fact, and therefore allows new businesses in Aqaba to hire foreigners, up to 70% of the workforce. RELATED AND SUPPORTING INDUSTRIES: The importance of a national strategy for tourism buttressed by a strong public and private collaboration and coordinated development. For instance, popular tourist sites need to be supported by information and good infrastructure in order to create a strong brand and to generate repeat visitors. Similarly, good hotels and high quality services should support a good marketing campaign. Hence, a national tourism strategy becomes imperative for coordinated development (JNCO, 2007). The GoJ analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the salient pillars of tourism, including accommodation, transport, food, tourism services, and activities for each of the before mentioned niche markets. Hotels and Restaurants Jordans hotels and restaurants employ the bulk of the labor force working in tourism. In 2008, they contributed 1.7% of GDP (ABC, 2009). Hotel accommodations range from one- to five star hotels. In 2008, five-star hotels accounted for almost half of the total nights spent. The hotel sector has managed to attract a substantial amount of investment in recent years. Catholic Student Bay (US$500M), the Ayla Oasis project (US$750M), the Saraya Aqaba project (UD$362M), the Sun Days Water Park (US$60M), the Aqaba Ishkar Kempinski Hotel (US$60M), the Royal Metropolis-Jordan Gate and Royal Villages of Amman (US$1B), the Dead Sea Holiday Inn Hotel (US$21M), and the Crown Plaza Hotel at the Dead Sea (US$49M).Many international hotel chains are competing in the industry and include some award-winning spas near the Dead Sea. In recent years, the tourism industry has gone through changing dynamics, where restaurants are becoming the high growth segment, while hotels are showing stagnancy. 40% increasing growth in the restaurant sector indicates a rising appetite of Jordanians for e ating out. A wide variety of international restaurant franchises have entered the market, which suggests increased competition in the industry. The stagnancy in the hotel industry might be explained by low occupancy rates or by the fact that Jordanian hotels are highly dependent upon European tourists for its demand. This is a market segment that is very vulnerable to changes in perceptions about Jordans security emanating from regional instability. The GoJ has been encouraging hotel construction, with special emphasis in the Aqaba specialized economic zone (JNCO, 2007). Health Tourism: Health Tourism is a core part of the tourism cluster. During the 1970s, Arab patients from around the region started arriving in Jordan for medical treatment. Today, Jordans health sector has a reputation for subspecialties, such as cardiovascular surgery, transplantation, cancer treatment, and plastic surgery. The private sector accounts for 54% of the hospitals and 46% of the beds available. It is soon to be a regional hub to medical tourist. The GoJ has been very responsive towards the needs of the industry. In 1998, the MoH established an office at the Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) to assist foreigners with immigration, information, and transportation to hospitals. Currently, the Medical Tourism Directorate follows up on complaints from foreign patients and works in collaboration with an association representing doctors and private hospitals. The Investment Law of 1987 also provides tax incentives for investing into the health sector. The health industry, however, is suffering from stagnation. The total number of foreign patients increased only modestly from 95,000 to 108,000, between 1998 and 2005 (WHO, 2009). Given low occupancy rates in private hospitals (around 50%); this stagnation is not due to supply side constraints. Specialized hospitals are running at 70% occupancy (JNCO, 2007). Despite the potential of Jordans health tourism sector, there are threats on the horizon, including a shortage of qualified nurses due to brain drain. Also, as the Dubai Health Care city establishes itself, it will target the same labor market that has traditionally made up the bulk of Jordans health tourism industry. This is likely to double in occupancy as by 2015 200,000 to 250,000 patients are likely to visit Jordan. DEMAND CONDITIONS The industry shows a cyclical pattern in its demand, with the peak tourist season beginning at the end of July and lasting through the end of August, coinciding with school holidays. Most visitors come from Arab countries. Within the Archaeological Tourism segment, the demand is somewhat concentrated on Petra, which accounted for 26% of the foreign visitors who visited Jordan historical sites in 2008. This lack of diversification in terms of origin countries, as well as preferred tourist destinations, puts the industry at risk, while at the same time the lack of sophistication in demand discourages the development of more value-added options. To elaborate further, while Arab visitors constitute 68% of foreign tourists, they contribute only 43% of the overall tourism receipts. One reason is that (in 2008) Arab visitors stayed an average of 3.9 days, compared to European visitors who stayed 5.0 days. Furthermore, in terms of nights spent, 30% of the Arab nights were at the cheapest accommodation available. In contrast, 43% of European nights were spent in five-star hotels, indicating that the Europeans have a much larger and more sophisticated demand than Arab visitors. In broader terms, Europeans accounted for 54% of all the nights spent in Jordanian hotels rated 3 stars and above. European tourists also account for 91% of the nights stayed in camp sites. With less than 15% of occupancy rates, camp sites are the most underutilized of all Jordanian accommodation options. Although the MoTAs National Tourism Strategy 2004-2010 did target niche markets, such as adventure tourism, cruising, and eco-tourism, occupancy rates of camps show no improvement between 2004 and 2007.47 One of the challenges faced by Jordan is its location in a volatile region; it is very vulnerable to losing its customers, if the region experiences political turmoil. This highlights the need for Jordan to develop a sophisticated local demand that could support these high-value added businesses during times of turmoil. CONTEXT FOR FIRM STRATEGY AND RIVALRY On the context for firm strategy and rivalry, Jordan ranks highly compared to regional competitors on key metrics, such as visa requirements, government prioritization, government expenditure, and effective marketing and branding. The GoJ aims to work with the private sector to strengthen the industrys institutional and regulatory framework and thereby improve the competitiveness of the tourism sector. Nonetheless, the cluster can better coordinate activities across the tourism value chain and increase representation at international travel and tourism fairs. Further, the cluster can explore tourism markets for athletic events and conferences, which are both currently untapped. The Jordan tourism cluster is quite competitive with more than 400 hotels, over 350 travel agencies, about 70 tour operators, and an unaccounted number of tour guides. In 1998, the MoTA established the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) to market the cluster. The JTB is a joint initiative between the public and private sectors with an 80% and 20% ownership, respectively. By running a marketing campaign and providing information to cluster members, the JTB acts as a liaison among the different tourism businesses in the cluster value chain to promote the cluster. The GoJ has always been very receptive to foreign investments. Jordan ranks 44 on the Business Impact of FDI ahead of Israel, UAE, Morocco, and Egypt, which rank 48, 49, 74, and, respectively (WEF, 2009). The JTB, in cooperation with the Jordan Investment Board (JIB), initiated the Tourism Investment Map, a regional map of investment opportunities in SMEs across the country in the tourism and hospitality sectors. The GoJ has upgraded the cluster by enforcing standards for tourism vehicle requirements and other criteria for tour operators. The Touristic Specialized Transports Regulation requires that transport companies use technically reliable and state-of-the-art vehicles for their tourism operations. Also, the Ministry of Transport lists other criteria by which tour operators need to abide. The Role of Government The role of government bears mention, as a supportive and efficient bureaucracy is generally considered a key component of successful development of the tourism industry. Jordan scored well (30th overall) on its TT regulatory framework. This was driven primarily by its performance on safety and security (19th) and prioritization of TT strategies (17th). In fact, Jordan scored 7th in overall government expenditure on travel and tourism. The most notable change for the better in recent years is that the government appears to have recognized the importance of tourism as an economic driver and, while it has handled the implementation of its tourism strategies imperfectly, it is at least taking steps in the right direction. Additionally, proposed changes in the regulatory environment should enhance competition in the transport sector (especially in the deregulation of the airline sector), ultimately increasing quality and driving down costs. Despite the positive support offered by the government to the tourism sector, this support is not yet translating into a constructive relationship between the public and private sectors. Over 75% of the industry believes that government bureaucracy is holding back the industry over 80% state that government regulations are a direct obstacle to the industry or serve no clear purpose. When asked if government regulation is getting better, only 19% indicated that it is improving. A few areas in which the government could still play a more productive role include the amount and quality of training delivered to key personnel, especially guides; more attention paid to some of the smaller but still important sites that will ultimately drive the countrys ability to retain tourists for a longer period of time; and a stronger overall promotion effort to communicate Jordans offer and to build the countrys brand. This includes the development of new products, research on new markets and niches, the devotion of more resources to international marketing, and greater focus on high potential markets. A final consideration is to enhance the frequency, quality, and results of public-private dialogue. The JNCT survey revealed that 66% of respondents resolved issues through personal connections (including individual government officials), against only 24% that utilized an industry association or formal public-private dialogue mechanism. Chance: Due to heavy insurgency in the neighboring countries of Jordan like Iraq, Syria and Lebanon the businesses in those countries may set up firms in Jordan that will make Jordan the gateway to Middle East. This may cause rivalry with many local businesses but at the same time will increase competitiveness. This will be also the reason for people who want to tour Middle East region may prefer due to the security. The inflow of refugees from Palestine, Lebanon, Syria will fill the demand gap for low-cost labor for the domestic market that will drive the development growth in the country. Due to Shortage of natural resources like water and fuel, Jordan is focusing on Nuclear Energy to meet it growing domestic demand needs by mining of uranium. Due high Generic drug pricing the need for pharmaceutical raw material and search for cheaper source can be a chance for the increasing the pharmaceutical industry production in Jordan. Jordan Tourism Statistics: Types of Tourism per Area Types of Tourism per Area History Culture Eco Nature Religion Faith Leisure wellness Fun Adventure Amman x x x X As-Salt x x Madaba x x Um Ar-Rasas x x Mount Nebo x x Jordan Valley The Dead Sea x x x x Karak x Petra x x x X Aqaba x x x x X Jerash x x X Ajlun x x Um Al-Jimal x Pella x x UImm Qays x x Shawbak x Desert Umayyad Casteles x Dana x X Wadi Mujib x X Wadi Rum x x X Azraq Shwmari x X Dibeen Forest x Hammat Maà ­n x Mukawir x Anjara x Tall Mar Elias x Total Number of Arrivals and Tourists Total Number of Arrivals and Tourists 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Total Number of Arrivals 4,677,018 4,599,243 5,586,659 5,817,370 6,712,804 6,528,626 Tourist (Overnight visitors) 2,384,474 2,353,088 2,852,809 2,986,586 3,546,990 3,430,960 Same Day Visitors 2,292,544 2,246,155 2,733,850 2,830,784 3,165,814 3,097,666 Tourism Incom/MJD 743.,2 752.6 943 1,021.6 1,460.8 1,638.9 No. of Package Tours tourists 137,660 145,601 254,145 338,787 278,341 359,625 Average Length of Stay 4 4.4 5 4.5 4.2 4.4 www.jordaninvestment.com:ecruos Total Number of Arrivals and Tourists Total Number of Arrivals and Tourists 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Total Number of Arrivals 4,677,018 4,599,243 5,586,659 5,817,370 6,712,804 6,528,626 Tourist (Overnight visitors) 2,384,474 2,353,088 2,852,809 2,986,586 3,546,990 3,430,960 Same Day Visitors 2,292,544 2,246,155 2,733,850 2,830,784 3,165,814 3,097,666 Tourism Income/MJD 743.,2 752.6 943 1,021.6 1,460.8 1,638.9 No. of Package Tours tourists 137,660 145,601 254,145 338,787 278,341 359,625 Average Length of Stay 4 4.4 5 4.5 4.2 4.4 www.jordaninvestment.com:ecruoS Recommendations Jordan needs to improve supply-side factors like tourism education, training outputs, and upgrading travel and utilize information technology to reach target market. Tourism sector is labor-intensive, which demands large number of well-trained young population. It means, they should have good senses of service and be relatively well-educated. Although several universities and many intuitions provide hospitality courses and training for people, the teaching qualities are uneven. So enhancing education quality is the key to improve the tourism competitiveness in global market. The Kingdom of Jordan is a distinctive destination which offers diverse, and the year-round tourist experiences can enrich the lives of Jordanians and visitors. It is necessary to improve the overall competitiveness of Jordans tourism industry and enhance the tourist experiences through innovation in product development, better position and promote the tourism offering to global market so that Jordan can attract more foreign customers who have the strong purchasing power and drive better business performance in Jordan. Although the Kingdom receives visitors from countries far away like Brazil, Australia, Korea and Japan, it is necessary to explore new markets throughout the world including China, Russia and other countries to increase the number of visitors. Those visitors from usually prefer to visit more than one destination at a time. Also, it should minimize the seasonal patterns of tourist arrivals to establish Jordan as a unique all-year-around diverse destination. Turkey had witnessed a significant growth in the number of Arab tourists in the past few years,  and it had succeeded in increasing tourism revenues from $12 billion in 2002 to $23 billion in 2011. If Jordan and Turkey have potential cooperation in the tourism sector and develop joint packages for long-haul tourists in near future, it will attract more visitors all over the world. Turkish carriers operate direct flights to these countries, which will help give tourists the option of visiting Jordan in the same trip. Bolstering cooperation between Arab countries and Turkey in tourism could encourage more investment in this sector in Jordan.

Phobic Disorders: Symptoms, Treatments and Research :: Phobic Disorders Research Paper

1. Introduction Although phobic disorder is certainly common, it has been more difficult to establish the extent to which it should be considered a "serious" mental disorder from a public health perspective. Recent studies in understanding the behavioral, molecular, and anatomical bases of fear extinction in animals and humans are leading to new knowledge about the nature of fear and new treatments for anxiety disorders that affect millions of Americans (news release from SFN). In those people who suffer from phobic disorders (specific phobia, social phobia and agoraphobia) excessive and inappropriate fear and anxiety comprise the core symptoms of the disorder. Collectively, these disorders are the most common forms of psychiatric illness, surpassing rates of mood disorders and substance abuse A study by Michael Davis, PhD, at Emory University (SFN News Release) that determined how human brain can used to treat such disorders. He found that a receptor for a particular protein called the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in a brain region called the amygdala is critical for the extinction of conditioned fear. Many medical professional believe and it also has been proved true in many cases that combination of drugs therapy and behavioral therapy has the most successful results. 2. Phobia - Definition The term ‘Phobia’ was not used on its own until 1801 and in late 19th century it slowly gained acceptance in the sense it has today. The word ‘Phobia’ comes from the ancient Greek word ‘Phobos’, meaning â€Å"flight†,â€Å"fear† and â€Å"terror. Phobia is a condition, which is described as an intense, obsessive, persistent and unrealistic fear of an external object or situation or feeling. In some cases avoiding such objects or situations that cause anxiety makes difficult to lead a normal and healthy life. There are hundreds of different types of phobias with technical name for each. 3. Symptoms The symptoms of phobias are the same as those that would occur when facing an actual threat, leading to a reaction. In addition, there are other symptoms that go beyond the more "normal" fear response. Typical symptoms include:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anxiety reactions such as sweating, trembling, nausea, rapid heartbeat, worry, dread, or terror  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Intense fear of the object or situation, beyond an actual threat of danger  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Intense fear of being watched or judged (social phobia)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uncontrollable reactions that consume the mind and body  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Avoidance of the object or situation to an extreme that it may result in isolation  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Use of alcohol or substance in attempt to control feeling of anxiety

History of Atlanta Essay

Even by the standard of America, Atlanta is a young city. Even before it became a settlement, such cities like Cincinnati, Charleston, Chattanooga and New Orleans were already thriving cities. Atlanta can be said to be a bright, aggressive and brash town with the rough ages smoothed by time. The city dashes with the charm of the south. Atlanta has a unique and proud heritage despite its relatively young age and has a past that is worth being preserved. Even though Atlanta was in the South, it was not however of the south from the beginning. It begun as a small railway crossing. As such, it was established as a railway terminus. The culture, values and mores of the town resembled those of the frontier towns of the Old West than of the cities of the Old South. The catalyst for its growth and economy still remains transportation. The city always attracted men and women who possessed vision from the beginning, the opportunists who possessed the foresight to offer the facilities that would make Atlanta become one of the most important cities in the Southeast. The Creek and Cherokee Indians owned the land that is now Atlanta some one hundred and fifty years ago (Robert, 1981). When the first white settlement was founded on the banks of the Chattahoochee River near the Indian village of Standing Peachtree, the United States was well into war. This was in the year eighteen twelve. The white people and the Indians lived together until the year eighteen thirty five when the leaders of Cherokee nation consented under the Treaty of New Echota to leave their lands and move west. During this period, the Cherokee lands were officially under the possession of Georgia, an act that resulted into the infamous Trail of Tears. Farmers and craftsmen from the mountains of North Georgia, Carolinas and Virginia were the early settlers in the area of Atlanta. These early settlers were in most part hardworking and deeply religious. Through lottery disbursements, they came to possess their lands. They lived in harmony and peace with their Indian neighbors. They also owned a few slaves. They built schools and churches. They often traveled to Decatur to trade besides marketing their cotton in Macon which was a hundred miles to the south. In the antebellum south, this society was as close to being termed yeoman as possible. In the metropolitan Atlanta area, some of their pre-Civil War churches, homes, mills and cemeteries are still in existence. The inception of Atlanta was the integration of necessity and geography made possible by the steam engine. The construction of a trade route from the coast of Georgia to the Midwest was voted by the Georgia General Assembly in the year eighteen-thirty six. It was meant to be a state railroad which was to facilitate trade between the state and other regions. The terminal for the railroad was to be at the sparsely populated Georgia Piedmont. It was to run from a particular point on the Tennessee line close to the Tennessee River, starting near Rossville to a point on the Southeastern bank of the Chattahoochee River that could be easily accessed by the branch railroads (Reed, 2006). The name of the railroad was to be the Western and Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia. Stephen Harriman Long, an army engineer with a wealth of experience, was offered the task of finding the most practical route foe the new rail line. He chose a site that was eight miles south of the river. The Indian trails and connecting ridges converged at this point. This point that he chose proved to be just the right site with an ideal climate. The stake was driven near the present Five Points in Downtown Atlanta. Atlanta is positioned in the Piedmont Plateau with an elevation of one thousand ands fifty feet yet no natural barriers can impede on the growth of the city. Atlanta grew developed like the towns in the West between the periods that long drove his stake on the ground and the beginning of the civil war. Gold was stroke in the rail lines instead of mining. Opportunists, salesmen, merchants, craftsmen and land speculators were soon attracted by the railroad workers’ little settlement which was aptly named Terminus. What followed were the warehouses, ironworks, textile industry, sawmills and banks. The city later came to be called Marthasville in honor of the Governors daughter. However, prominent citizens considered this mane to be too long and bucolic for the progressive city and hence were changed to Atlanta. The patterns of settlement were slowly being formed. A substantial merchant residential community known as Mechanicsville thrived around the rail yards. Near the White Hall Tavern grew the West End. Luxurious home begun to be built on Marietta, Whitehall, Broad, lower Peachtree and Washington Street as residential avenues of important citizens begun to be established. However, pre-War Atlanta was not a quiet business community. According to Franklin Garrett, the town was classified as tough even as the number of good, moral citizens increased. The city distinctively developed as a railroad center with vices that were characteristic to rough frontier settlements. Gambling dives, brothels, resorts and drinking were normal in the city and the sporting elements were insulting on their defiance of the public order (Robert, 1981). When the Civil War erupted, Atlanta was already an important city. It had a population of more than ten thousand individuals, banks, manufacturing and retail shops, four rail lines, banks, carriage and wheelwright shops, three thousand eight-hundred homes, tanneries, warehouses, mills and iron foundries. It became an important shipping and supply center for the Confederacy. It also possessed the facilities which made it necessary for the Union forces, led by Sherman, to seize and destroy it. In July 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman began his campaign from Chattanooga to Atlanta. The city surrendered to his forces on September 2 after a series of battles and a siege of the city lasting for a month. The city was on fire not because of Union shells but mainly due to the box of explosives that the retreating Confederates blew up. Evacuation of the city and the destruction of buildings that could be used by the confederates were ordered by Sherman. By the time Sherman started his march to the sea, the only structures left standing in Atlanta were about four hundred buildings. The city became a ghost town of ashes and rubble. When the residents came back and begun rebuilding the town, the city was still smoldering. The residents came back with a new and stronger spirit than before. Their confidence in the future of Atlanta grew and within five years after the holocaust, the city was rebuilt and its prewar population redoubled. The city adopted a new form of architecture which waxes popular during that era since the original antebellum architecture was almost entirely destroyed during the period of the war. However, some of the few fine whitewashed columned mansions that were in downtown Atlanta survived even though others were later destroyed to provide room for state and city buildings. The limits of the city were originally circular and extended one mile from the zero milepost. Its initial expansions were circular too. The demographic patterns of the city were reestablished as before the war. West End continued to thrive as a residential business community of the upper class. Along the Peachtree and Washington Streets, wealthy white citizens established and built Victorian mansions. Prosperous black enclaves also developed despite the fact that segregation existed in the city. These enclaves were concentrated along Auburn Avenue after 1906. Summerhill, Vine City and many other residential pockets around the central city emerged as black neighborhoods. The city experienced rapid growth from the time that the Civil War ended through the last decade of the nineteenth century. The central business district expanded from Union Depot toward the it’s limits by the end of eighteen seventy (Best of Images of America, 2000). The city was dissected by a path of railroad tracks which converged in the lower downtown gulch. The flow of traffic over the tracks was facilitated by the construction of a network of viaducts that were planned in the turn of the twentieth century and completed twenty five years later. The business district was moved to another level by the viaducts which led to the establishment of another area that is presently known as Underground Atlanta. For the railroad depots, a simple utilitarian Italianate architecture was encouraged and this influenced so much the design of the design of the commercial buildings that were constructed before the turn of the century. The foundation of Atlanta’s economy within this period still became the railroads. This continued through to the Second World War when emphasis shifted to truck and air transport. The city’s growth was spurred by transportation and private enterprise. In the final decade of nineteenth century, new rail lines were added to the city’s network. Its dominance as southeast’s railroad center became established with the consolidation of ten radiating lines within that decade which included divisions of Southern Railway totaling five. With the recession and depression of the economy of the nation in the nineteen eighties, a series of fairs and expositions were staged by an Atlanta promoter to attract business in this area. In an attempt to establish a new economic base in the postwar south, the International Cotton Exposition was staged in 1881. Atlanta was advertised as a commercial and transportation center by the Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895 which made Atlanta to emerge as one of the major cities of the Southeast. The Exposition became recognized worldwide and by 1903, many regional and national companies had their headquarters in Atlanta. The growth of Atlanta as an industrial base, contrasting it with the rest of the south which was inclined toward agriculture, came as a result of the fair and exposition. Industrial complexes were established along the rail lines, textile mills also came south and mill villages were also constructed to house the workers. The residential perimeters also expanded with the introduction of horse drawn street car in the 1871. There was also the emergence of several private developers. Among the notable private developers was Joel Hurt who built the fast skyscraper in Atlanta. He also established the first planned residential suburb in Atlanta. Atlanta adopted the Chicago school of architecture in the establishment of skyscrapers of elevator buildings. The city’s skyline was transformed from the picturesque High Victorian to a collection of multipurpose skyscraper office buildings and hotels. These new buildings attracted a large railroad and insurance. Atlanta’s distinctive personality is offered by the early commercial buildings and the Victorian and post-Victorian settlements that were build between 1890 and 1930. Atlanta in the southeast’s capital city, a future city with strong ties to the past, its soul being the old in the new, a heritage that enhances the quality of life in a modern city.

Conditionals Besides If and Unless

Conditionals Besides If and Unless Conditionals Besides If and Unless Conditionals Besides If and Unless By Mark Nichol If and unless are common conditional conjunctions employed to express conjecture and uncertainty, but a number of other words and phrases that perform similar functions are discussed in this post. â€Å"Should you† is the future conditional form of â€Å"do you,† seen in formally polite requests such as â€Å"Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.† It is more flexible than â€Å"if you,† which is strictly conditional in the present, in inviting the audience to contact the speaker/writer at any time, not just now. â€Å"Had you† is an example of a subject-auxiliary inversion, employed in statements such as ‘Had you bothered to ask, I would have told you.† The implication of the sentence is that the audience did not do something that, if he or she or they had, would have achieved the stated result. â€Å"If (noun/pronoun) were† statements pertain to possible but improbable occurrences or to recommendations, as in â€Å"If you were to open your eyes, you would find what you were looking for.† A more formal version of this form is â€Å"were (noun/pronoun) to (verb),† as in â€Å"Were we to think otherwise.† Several words or phrases impose conditions or set limits, such as â€Å"As long as† (less formal) or â€Å"so long as,† (more formal), â€Å"only if,† â€Å"on condition that,† and â€Å"provided† or â€Å"providing† (or â€Å"provided/providing that†). The conjunction or is used conditionally to establish an alternative possibility to a condition or state: â€Å"Hurry up, or you’ll be late.† Otherwise, as used earlier in this post, is a pronoun; as a conjunctive adverb, it serves the same function as or (but notice the difference in punctuation): â€Å"Hurry up; otherwise, you’ll be late.† (Some writing guides accept the punctuation used with or.) Suppose and supposing apply to what-if situations: â€Å"Suppose that I were to say no- what would you do?† â€Å"Supposing that I were to say no, what would you do?† Suppose also pertains to proposing an idea, as in â€Å"Suppose I pay for dinner, and you buy the movie tickets?† In â€Å"if only,† only appears as an intensifier to express a strong wish for a different condition or state, as in â€Å"If only you had told me before.† â€Å"If so† and â€Å"if not† pertain to opposite potential affirmative and negative conditions or states, respectively, when the condition or state is known: â€Å"Do you plan to attend the event? If so, click on yes. If not, click on no.† Even is also used as an intensifier with if, but unlike in the case of only, it precedes if; it pertains to extreme or surprising conditions or states, as in â€Å"Even if I were to believe you, what would you expect me to do about it?† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Use â€Å"That,† â€Å"Which,† and â€Å"Who†35 Genres and Other Varieties of FictionAdvance vs. Advanced

Laissez-faire Versus Government Intervention

Laissez-faire Versus Government Intervention Historically, the U.S. government policy toward business was summed up by the French term laissez-faire leave it alone. The concept came from the economic theories of Adam Smith, the 18th-century Scot whose writings greatly influenced the growth of American capitalism. Smith believed that private interests should have a free rein. As long as markets were free and competitive, he said, the actions of private individuals, motivated by self-interest, would work together for the greater good of society. Smith did favor some forms of government intervention, mainly to establish the ground rules for free enterprise. But it was his advocacy of laissez-faire practices that earned him favor in America, a country built on faith in the individual and distrust of authority. Laissez-faire practices have not prevented private interests from turning to the government for help on numerous occasions, however. Railroad companies accepted grants of land and public subsidies in the 19th century. Industries facing strong competition from abroad have long appealed for protections through trade policy. American agriculture, almost totally in private hands, has benefited from government assistance. Many other industries also have sought and received aid ranging from tax breaks to outright subsidies from the government. Government regulation of private industry can be divided into two categories economic regulation and social regulation. Economic regulation seeks, primarily, to control prices. Designed in theory to protect consumers and certain companies (usually small businesses) from more powerful companies, it often is justified on the grounds that fully competitive market conditions do not exist and therefore cannot provide such protections themselves. In many cases, however, economic regulations were developed to protect companies from what they described as destructive competition with each other. Social regulation, on the other hand, promotes objectives that are not economic such as safer workplaces or a cleaner environment. Social regulations seek to discourage or prohibit harmful corporate behavior or to encourage behavior deemed socially desirable. The government controls smokestack emissions from factories, for instance, and it provides tax breaks to companies that offer their employees health and retirement benefits that meet certain standards. American history has seen the pendulum swing repeatedly between laissez-faire principles and demands for government regulation of both types. For the last 25 years, liberals and conservatives alike have sought to reduce or eliminate some categories of economic regulation, agreeing that the regulations wrongly protected companies from competition at the expense of consumers. Political leaders have had much sharper differences over social regulation, however. Liberals have been much more likely to favor government intervention that promotes a variety of non-economic objectives, while conservatives have been more likely to see it as an intrusion that makes businesses less competitive and less efficient. - Next Article: Growth of Government Intervention in the Economy This article is adapted from the book Outline of the U.S. Economy by Conte and Carr and has been adapted with permission from the U.S. Department of State.

Leopard and human conflict in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leopard and human conflict in India - Essay Example Following the drastic reduction of human activities in the Chilla Range of Rajaji National Park in India, a highly populated tiger species is affecting the existence of leopards (Harihar, Pandav, & Goyal 1366). Therefore, the latter brings up a reason to investigate some of the mechanisms of niche partitioning mainly in the leopard (panther pardus) inhabited areas of India. Based on assumptions of scholars, they opted to research on the possibility of an overlap between the tiger and leopards species. Assumptions directed that optimal habitats would now have tigers as the dominance therefore forcing leopards to move to the periphery of the protected areas (Harihar, Pandav, & Goyal 1365). Leopards’ encroachment in the Indian protected areas inhabited by humans is highly rising and causing drastic effects. Attempts to minimize the effects of human –wildlife conflict in the area have proven futile and it has become necessary to understand the mechanisms by which the conflicts appear (Pradhan, Dar, Rather, Panwar & Pala, 916). The latter is the only way to find a lasting solution for the problem. In addition, in a densely populated state like India, protected areas are minimal. In this case, large carnivores are very many, therefore, humans use landscapes as important habitats required for gene flow to occur between protected areas. Besides, humans in these landscapes possess domestic animals, which appear as easy prey for the leopards that roam around. Consequently, leopards frequent the protected areas in search of prey such as livestock and dogs. Therefore, it is arguably very vital to take care of these protected areas for the good of the human species (Athreya, Linnell, Krishnaswamy & Karanth, 2013). In India, wild cats such as leopards, tigers and lions when captured along human protected areas, do not face lethal measures due to cultural affiliations but translocated to a faraway place (Athreya, Odden Linnell, &

Part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Part 2 - Essay Example the Floor Mosaic Fragment Depicting Bacchus was merely created through stitch or other form of material, but I discovered that this extraordinary piece of art was created before the 5th century ( 325-330 CE) using tiny pieces of limestone tesserae. The Floor Mosaic Fragment Depicting Bacchus is a piece of art that has left many astonished for many years. It clearly portrays the amount of work the artist put in to come up with this remarkable sculpture. It is made up of carefully placed limestone tesserae with well-defined dimensions of 117.5 x 117.5 Cm. According to the RISD Museum, this particular piece of art was created before the 5th Century in Antioch modern day Antakya, Turkey. The entire form of this figurine is a perfect square. This square bounds a circle with a series of waves, which further portray the image of Bacchus. Orange is the dominant color, and it creates the image of a pure nature of Bacchus due to its drenched form. One is emotionally drawn to the art as it has this tender and soft appearance. It is also evident that Bacchus is among the elite in the roman society due to the fact that he is wearing classic roman attire with laurels on his head. The artistic style itself has common features with that of a more recent artist, Rembrandt, who manifest thick marks of brushes as seen in the Floor Mosaic Fragment Depicting Bacchus. Both of these artistic works may look rough when closely analyzed, but it is not until one examines them from a distance that they really appreciate the way the colors blend to distinctively bring out the true nature of both works of art. Some of the most outstanding individual features can also be seen from a distance. These are the signatures of the artists that really endorse the art. For instance, a close examination of Bacchus cannot reveal the roman leaves in his head as they are seen as mere pebbles or just limestones. However, the elaborate detail of this particular artwork can be generally appreciated from