A hyperlink, or simply a link, is a reference in a hypertext document to another document or other resource. As such it is similar to a citation in literature. Combined with a data network and suitable access protocol, a computer can be instructed to fetch the resource referenced.
Hyperlinks are part of the foundation of the World Wide Web created by Tim Berners-Lee.
There are a number of ways to format and present hyperlinks on a web page. An embedded link is one of the more common formats: one or more words of distinctively styled text. The ninth word of this sentence is an example of an embedded link.
Hyperlinks in various technologies [edit]
Hyperlinks in HTML
Tim Berners-Lee saw the possibility of using hyperlinks to link every unit of information to any other unit of information over the Internet. Hyperlinks were therefore integral to the creation of the World Wide Web.
Thus, the complex link string is reduced to, [BendGovt]. This contributes to a clean, easy to read text or document.
When the cursor hovers over a link, depending on the browser and/or graphical user interface, some informative text about the link can be shown:
* It pops up, not in a regular window, but in a special hover box, which disappears when the cursor is moved away (sometimes it disappears anyway after a few seconds, and reappears when the cursor is moved away and back). IE and Mozilla Firefox show the title, Opera also shows the URL. * In addition, the URL may be shown in the status bar.
Normally, a link will open in the current frame or window, but sites that use frames and multiple windows for navigation can add a special "target" attribute to specify where the link will be loaded. Windows can be named upon creation, and that identifier can be used to refer to it later in the browsing session. If no current window exists with that name, a new window will be created using the ID.
Creation of new windows is probably the most common use of the "target" attribute. In order to prevent accidental reuse of a window, the special window names "_blank" and "_new" are usually available, and will always cause a new window to be created. It is especially common to see this type of link when one large website links to an external page. The intention in that case is to ensure that the person browsing is aware that there is no endorsement of the site being linked to by the site that was linked from. However, the attribute is sometimes overused and can sometimes cause many windows to be created even while browsing a single site.
Another special page name is "_top", which causes any frames in the current window to be cleared away so that browsing can continue in the full window. [edit]
Hyperlinks as the currency of the World Wide Web
The Google search engine uses PageRank, a measure of link popularity to determine which page should be ranked first. The more pages that have a hyperlink pointing to a page, the higher rank that page gets. Other factors are important as well; see PageRank for more information. [edit]
History of the hyperlink
The term "hyperlink" was coined in 1965 (or possibly 1964) by Ted Nelson at the start of Project Xanadu. Nelson had been inspired by "As We May Think," a popular essay by Vannevar Bush. In the essay, Bush described a microfilm-based machine in which one could link any two pages of information into a "trail" of related information, and then scroll back and forth among pages in a trail as if they were on a single microfilm reel. The closest contemporary analogy would be to build a list of bookmarks to topically related Web pages and then allow the user to scroll forward and backward through the list.
In a series of books and articles published from 1964 through 1980, Nelson transposed Bush's concept of automated cross-referencing into the computer context, made it applicable to specific text strings rather than whole pages, generalized it from a local desk-sized machine to a theoretical worldwide computer network, and advocated the creation of such a network. Meanwhile, working independently, a team led by Douglas Engelbart (with Jeff Rulifson as chief programmer) was the first to implement the hyperlink concept for scrolling within a single document (1966), and soon after for connecting between paragraphs within separate documents (1968). See NLS. [edit]
Legal and moral issues concerning hyperlinks
See also: Deep linking
While hyperlinking among pages of Internet content has long been considered an intrinsic feature of the Internet, some websites have claimed that linking to them is not allowed without permission. [1].
In some jurisdictions it is or has been held that hyperlinks are not merely references or citations, but are devices for copying web pages. In the Netherlands, for example, Karin Spaink was initially convicted of copyright infringement for linking, although this ruling was overturned in 2003. Although this principle is generally rejected by digerati [2], the courts that adhere to it see the mere publication of a hyperlink that connects to illegal material to be an illegal act in itself, regardless of whether referencing illegal material is illegal.
In Japan, it is considered rude to link to a personal website-- especially that of an artist-- without getting permission beforehand. Because of this, many Japanese artists, and some American artists who have ties to the Japanese CG world[3], use the phrase "Link Free" on their websites to indicate that they will not be upset by unauthorized linking.
In 2000, British Telecom sued Prodigy claiming that Prodigy infringed its patent (U.S. Patent 4,873,662) on web hyperlinks. However, after costly litigation, a court found for Prodigy, ruling that British Telecom's patent did not actually cover web hyperlinks. [4] [edit]
See also
* Hyperlinking objects * HTML element.
[edit]
References
1. ↑ For example, see Irisnet (in Dutch). 2. ↑ [1] 3. ↑ For example, Fred Gallagher's FredArt. 4. ↑ CNET News.com, Hyperlink patent case fails to click. August 23, 2002.
[edit]
External links
* Anatomy and Deployment of Links - an in-depth guide to hyperlinks * LinkTutorial.com - Guide to links and linking for webmasters * Links & Law - Overview of legal issues and court rulings involving linking
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The Ford Focus is an automobile made by the Ford Motor Company and sold in most Ford markets worldwide. It was launched in 1998 in Europe, and in 2000 in North America. Since then, it has become the most popular car in the United Kingdom, following in the success of the Escort, its predecessor. A new version of the Focus was launched in Europe in January 2005, while the United States received an updated version of the old model. In 2001 and 2002, Focus was the world’s best selling car.
Codenamed CW170 during its development, and briefly known to some Ford contractors as the Ford Fusion, the original Focus took its eventual name from a Ghia concept car which was shown in 1991. Certain elements of the design had been seen even earlier in prototypes used by Ford to demonstrate forthcoming safety features such as the eye-level rear lighting clusters. Initial spy photographs of the car seen in 1995 took the world by storm at the design's apparent boldness - further developing Ford's "New Edge" styling philosophy first seen in the Ka in 1996 and Cougar in 1998. The daring styling made it largely unchanged when it entered production three years later.
The Focus, unlike the Mondeo Mk I intended to be, was a true "world car", which saw Ford coordinate and pool its resources from all over the globe and use the same design globally. Like the Mondeo, most of the design and engineering work took place in Europe. The Focus is arguably the biggest indication of the change in Ford's design and engineering philosophy. After the Escort Mk IV was criticised by the motoring press as being designed by the "bean counters" and for its mediocre ride, handling and quality, Ford decided to take more risks in its replacement. As a result, the Focus had bold styling, increased quality and critically-acclaimed handling and refinement.
It is produced by factories in: Saarlouis, Germany; Valencia, Spain; Pacheco, Argentina; and Wayne, Michigan in which the US Knocked down kits are supplied for assembly to Vsevolzhsk near Saint Petersburg, Russia. Some North American Focuses were built in Hermosillo, Mexico, before all post-2005 North American Focuses were built in Wayne, Michigan. The Hermosillo plant was then retooled to build the Ford Fusion.
Unlike previous Fords in the North American market, the Pinto and the Escort, no luxury Mercury version is available.
In Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other countries in the region, it replaced the Laser, based on the Mazda 323 (called the Mazda Protege in some markets).
North American MK1
Mechanically, it drew heavily from other European Ford models, using a sophisticated fully independent multi-link rear suspension (dubbed "Control Blade") derived from the Short-Long Arm system used in the Mondeo station wagon (estate), giving the Focus class-leading handling and ride.
The body styles available were 3 and 5 door hatcbacks, a 4 door saloon and a 5 door estate. When the Focus was launched in North America the car featured different front and rear bumpers and a grille which incorporated the indicators/running lights, but all the sheet metal was the same as the European version - unlike the Mondeo and Contour. 2005 Focus Wagon Enlarge 2005 Focus Wagon
While Europe received an all new Mk II Focus in 2004, the Mk I was heavily facelifted in North America in late 2004 for the 2005 model year and featured an all new front end and interior, with the grille and headlights looking very similar to the Focus Mk II. Ford apparently decided that a completely new car would not be profitable in this heavily price and incentive-driven market, while sales of the Mk I eventually slid in North America.
The American Ford Focus fits smallest into a line of sedans (smallest to largest) by Ford:
* Ford Focus * Ford Fusion * Ford Taurus * Ford Five Hundred * Ford Crown Victoria
[edit]
Engines (North American)
* 2.0 L CVH/SPI: Sedan only. * 2.0 L Zetec: 128BHP; 33.1MPG; 125MPH top speed; 9.0s 0-60. * 2.0 L Duratec: SVT Only; 170BHP; 25MPG; 133MPH top speed; 8.2s 0-60. * 2.3 L Duratec From 2004 onwards.
The North American Focus recieved trim levels in LX, SE, ZTS, ZTW, SVT, and ZX3/ZX5 Premium editions. [edit]
Bodystyles
* 3-door Hatchback * 5-door Hatchback added for North America starting in 2002) * 4-door Sedan (Not available in Japan or New Zealand) * 4-door Wagon (Only available in Europe, Japan and North America)
In the US and Canada, the second generation Focus are coded with a 'ZXx' designation. ie ZX3, ZX4, ZX5, ZXW Two 2005 Saleen S121s Enlarge Two 2005 Saleen S121s
Tuner Saleen modified the second generation USA Focus into the S121 and N20 performance cars. The S121 includes a 150 hp (112 kW) Duratec 2.0l I4 engine with improved suspension, custom body kit, custom graphics, tire and wheel package, customized interior components, and optional upgraded brakes. The performance boost to the factory Duratec 2.0l I4 engine was achieved by replaceing the factory paper air filter with a more freely flowing reuseable air cleaner and by replacing the restrictive factory exhaust with a cat back exhaust system. The N20 offers the same base engine and other improvements along with a factory installed nitrous oxide system that offers a 75 hp boost bringing the N2O to 225 hp The S121/N2O are sold as new at many Ford dealers. There were 200 S121/N2O's produced by Saleen in 2005.
Several American companies offer genuine Ford parts to modify North American built Focuses to full or partial European standards. [1] There is also a V-8 engine conversion for the Focus. [2] [3] [edit]
Competition
* Chevrolet Cavalier (Until 2006) * Chevrolet Cobalt * Dodge Neon * Honda Civic * Hyundai Elantra * Mazda3 * Mitsubishi Lancer * Nissan Sentra * Pontiac Vibe * Saturn Ion * Toyota Corolla * Volkswagen Golf
[edit]
European MK1
In 2001 the European version of the Mk I Focus was facelifted, receiving a new grille, headlights and front and rear bumpers. The facelifted version also saw the introduction of the ST170, which shared it's engine with the North American Focus SVT launched earlier, and in 2002 the long awaited Focus RS appeared although it was not available in North America and was only produced in limited numbers.
The engines available were the well-proven 1.8 litre and 2.0 litre Zetec units from the Mondeo/Contour family and 1.4 litre and 1.6 litre versions of the Zetec-SE units found in the Fiesta and Puma, with the Endura diesel (a development of the old Deutz-designed motor which Ford had been using since the 1980s), although the Duratorq unit replaced this in 2002. The SVT and ST170 used a 168 Bhp (170 Ps) variable valve timing version of the 2.0 litre Zetec engine while the RS used a 212 Bhp turbo version of the same engine, but without variable valve timing. [edit]
* Millennium (1.8 petrol), 5-door hatchback. o Special features included: Millennium Yellow paint, heated leather seats and ABS * MP3 (1.8 petrol), 3-door hatchback. o Special features included: 17" 7 spoke alloy wheels, limited paint colour choice (Metropolis Blue or Moondust Silver), Harlequin Blue seat trim and MP3 compatible radio * Black (1.6 petrol), 3-door hatchback. o Special features included: Panther Black paint, 15" 3x2 spoke alloy wheels, mesh Upper Grill (commonly known as the Collection Mk1 Grill), chrome tailpipe, Midnight Black leather heated seats, air conditioning, heated fron windscreen and scuff plates * Chic (1.6 petrol), 3-door hatchback. o Special features included: Magnum Grey paint, chrome tailpipe, 15" 3x2 spoke alloy wheels, Midnight Black heated leather seats, air conditioning, heated front windscreen and ABS * Ebony (1.6 petrol), 3-door hatchback. o Special features included: Panther Black paint, 15" 3x2 spoke alloy wheels, mesh Upper Grill (commonly known as the Collection Mk1.5 Grill), chrome tailpipe, Midnight Black heated leather seats, 6 disc cd autochanger radio, air conditioning, heated front windscreen, titanium finish scuff plates, ABS, traction control, parking sensors and side airbags * Edge (1.6 petrol, 115PS diesel), 3/5-door hatchback. o Special features included: Spoiler (commonly known as the Collection spoiler), 16" 5 spoke alloy wheels, Midnight Black heated leather seats, air conditioning, titanium effect radio surround and side airbags * Elle (1.6 petrol), 3-door hatchback. o Special features included: Moondust Silver paint, chrome tailpipe, 15" 3x2 spoke alloy wheels, Midnight Black heated leather seats, air conditioning, side airbags and ABS * Flight (1.6 petrol), 3/5-door hatchback. o Special features included: 15" steel wheels with wheeltrims, Midnight Black heated leather seats, air conditioning, titanium effect radio surround and side airbags * Ink (1.6 petrol), 3/5-door hatchback. o Special features included: Ink Blue paint, 15" 3x2 spoke alloy wheels, chrome tailpipe, mesh Upper Grill (commonly known as the Collection Mk1.5 Grill), Midnight Black heated leather seats, titanium effect scuff plates and ABS * Silver (1.6 petrol), 3-door hatchback. o Special features included: 15" 3x2 spoke alloy wheels, Machine Silver paint, chrome tailpipe, heated front windscreen, Midnight Black heated leather seats, air conditioning, rear disc brakes and ABS * Collection (1.8 petrol), 3-door hatchback. o Special features included: Official ford body kit comprising side skirts (optional), front bumper with mesh lower grill and round fog lights and rear bumper with mesh lower grill and cut out for exhaust. Also, Amadine blue pattern seats, leather gear knob and blue collection floormats * RS (2.0 turbo petrol), 3-door hatchback. o Special features included: Garret GT2560 TurboCharger, Water to Air charge cooling, Sachs Racing dampers, Brembo Brakes, Rally-derived suspension, wide track, Thatcham Cat 1 alarm, leather Sparco seats, metal pedals, alloy gear knob, air conditioning, 6CD multichanger radio, start button, blue backlit dials, turbo boost gauge and shift light, only 4500 produced
[edit]
Engines (European/Other markets)
* 1.4 L Zetec-SE: 74BHP; 42.8MPG; 106MPH top speed; 14.1s 0-60. * 1.6 L Zetec-SE: 99BHP; 40.9MPG; 115MPH top speed; 10.9s 0-60. * 1.6 L Zetec: (Other Markets) * 1.8 L Zetec: 113BHP; 37.2MPG; 123MPH top speed; 10.2s 0-60. (All Markets) * 1.8 L Endura-D diesel: 75 PS (56 kW) and 90 PS (67 kW) non-common-rail (TDi/TDdi) * 1.8 L Duratorq diesel: 100 PS (75 kW) and 115 PS (86 kW) common rail (TDci) * 2.0 L Zetec: 128BHP; 33.1MPG; 125MPH top speed; 9.0s 0-60. * 2.0 L Duratec: From 2004 onwards. (Latin America) * 2.0 L Duratec: ST170 and SVT Only; 170BHP; 25MPG; 133MPH top speed; 8.2s 0-60. * 2.0 L Duratec: RS Only; 212BHP; 19.9MPG; 144MPH top speed; 6.4s 0-60.
* 3-door Hatchback * 5-door Hatchback (Part of the original line in Europe) * 4-door Saloon/Sedan (Not available in Japan or New Zealand) * 4-door Estate/Wagon (Only available in Europe, Japan and North America)
[edit]
European Mk II
The all-new European Mk II Ford Focus was launched in 2004 and was a task few manufacturers would have relished; to replace a car which was universally praised and set unpredecented new standards to a class. The Mk I was a rare car which dominated its class with such consumate ease and set new standards for rivals to follow. Indeed, it took the Mk V Volkswagen Golf to claim class best honours - 5 years years after the Ford was launched.
Dynamically, the Focus is again held in high regard by the motoring press. Although the latest generation Opel/Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf have much improved handling (over their respective predecessors), they still were short of the ability offered by the Mk I Focus. The Mk II Focus moves the game on, offering even better hanlding and ride and, as with its predecessor, it is regarded as having the best chassis in its class. Although the BMW 1-Series offers marginally better handling, and the Volkswagen Golf a slightly better ride, the Focus still offers the best handling/ride compromise, and is superior even over its mechanically similar Volvo and Mazda cousins.
Along with its more spacious interior, better refinement, more powerful but frugal and refined engines, and improved quality the Mk II reclaimed the Focus' crown as best car in its class. However, unlike the daylight its predecessor enjoyed over its rivals at launch the gap between the Mk II Focus and the next best car in the class, the Mk V Volkswagen Golf, is slim. [edit]
Design and Engineering
The Focus Mk II, codenamed C307, uses a new platform called C1 which is shared with the Volvo S40, V50 and C70, Mazda3 and Focus C-Max. Ford calls this platform sharing programme Global Shared Technologies. The Focus was launched at the Paris Motor Show on September 23, 2004 as a three and five-door hatchback and a station wagon, although the Focus was truly previewed, in 4-door saloon form, as the 'Focus COncept' developed by Ford Australia at the Beijing Motor Show in mid-2004. The production saloon joined Focus the range in 2005.
The basic suspension design, which contributed much to the Mk I's dominance, has been carried over largely unchanged from its predecssor which, along with a stiffer bodyshell, offers even better handling and ride according to Ford.
The Focus Mk II is much larger than its predecessor with a 25 mm (1 in) increase in wheelbase, 168 mm (6.6 in) longer, 8 mm (0.3 in) taller and 138 mm (5.4 in) wider. As a result the interior and boot space has increased. New technologies include a KeyFree system, a solar-reflect windshield, adaptive front lighting, Bluetooth hands-free phones and voice control for audio, telephone and climate control systems. The interior and dashboard follows on from the Mondeo's Germanic feel and are made from far higher quality plastics than before, and the overall feeling of solidity of the car has been increased markedly in a deliberate attempt to emulate the standards set by the Volkswagen Golf. It also features either a Durashift 6-speed manual, Durashift 4-speed automatic transmission or the all-new Durashift advanced manual transmission or just the standard manual.
Stylistically, the Mk II's styling features the same design language found in the Mondeo and Fiesta and like its siblings the Focus has been criticised by the motoring press for what some perceive as a lack of flair, originality and boldness of its predecessor's New Edge design even though the new model looks more classy and mature. Although still recogniseable as a Focus the new car uses styling features from the abandoned B-Proposal for the original Focus which were never signed off for production. The interior design has not faced such harsh criticism with many journalists believing it represents a significant improvement through more sober styling and better quality plastics than the ageing first generation design, although the general concensus is that the Focus' interior is still a notch down from the Mk V Volkswagen Golf.
The new car has gained the best ever Euro NCAP ratings for its class, beating such contenders as the Renault Mégane and Volkswagen Golf.
Auto Express in 2005 hailed the European Focus Mk II "Supreme Champion" in its New Car of the Year awards. The Focus also won the subcategory of Best Compact Family Car in the same awards.
The European Ford Focus is in the middle of a line of saloon/hatchback cars (smallest to largest) by Ford:
* Ford Ka * Ford Fiesta * Ford Focus * Ford Mondeo
The Focus Mk II is also built in South Africa for export to Australia and New Zealand but is not available in North America, Ford prefering to continue with a heavily revised version of the Mk I Focus. [edit]
Coupé-Cabriolet
The Focus Coupé-Cabriolet was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in February 2006. Originally named the Vignale by designer Pininfarina, it was previewed at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show. It has a two-piece metal folding roof, and final assembly will be handled by Pininfarina, making it an exotic in a mainstream marque. Ford plans to sell about 20,000 annually in Europe, and initial reaction has been extremely positive. [edit]
Focus ST
Another new model is the Focus ST. It uses the same powerplant from the Volvo S40 T5, a turbocharged 2.5 L 5-cylinder engine capable of achieving 225 hp DIN (166 kW). [edit]
Engines
The engine line up for the Mk II is a mixture of old and new. Revised versions of the 1.4 litre and 1.6 litre all aluminium Zetec-SE engines from the previous generation Focus were carried over, although the units were now renamed Duratec (see next paragraph). The 1.8 litre and 2.0 litre Zetec petrol engines of the original were dropped, with the 1.8 litre unit being replaced by an all-new 1.6 litre Duratec Ti-VCT engine with variable valve timing, while the 2.0 litre engine was replaced by the Mk 2 Mondeo's 2.0 litre Duratec engine.
It should be noted that Ford's 1.8 litre and 2.0 litre Duractec engines are heavily revised versions of the old 1.8 litre and 2.0 litre Zetec engines from the previous Focus and Mk I Mondeo and bear no relation to the 1.4 litre and 1.6 litre Duratec engines, the latter being revised versions of the Yamaha developed Zetec-SE engines.
The PSA-developed Duratorq diesel engine in 1.6 L 100 hp and 110 hp editions, Ford's own 'Lynx' Duratorq 1.8L 115 hp diesel carried over from the previous model and the PSA DW10 diesel in 2.0 L form rounds off the range in standard Focus guise (this is a different unit to the 'Puma' diesel in the Mondeo).
The new Focus ST, however, has a 2.5 litre 220bhp 5 cylinder straight engine, derived from Volvo as used in the S40 T5. The Focus ST's engine uses a turbo and offers a healthy 236 lb ft torque peaking as low as 1,600rpm.
Petrol
* 1.4 L Duratec * 1.6 L Duratec * 1.6 L Duratec Ti-VCT * 2.0 L Duratec-HE * 2.5 L Duratec-HE 5-cylinder
Diesel
* 1.6L (100bhp and 110bhp) Duratorq (PSA type) * 1.8 L Duratorq (Ford "Lynx" type) * 2.0 L Duratorq (PSA DW10)
[edit]
World Rally Championship
In 1999, Ford revealed its first version for the World Rally Championship: the Focus WRC. Subsequent variants followed, piloted by such men as Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, Markko Martin and Francois Duval. The next version of the Focus WRC hit the special stages on the 2005 Rally Australia with Toni Gardemeister and Roman Kresta, notching victory on its 'full' championship debut on the 2006 Monte Carlo Rally in the hands of Marcus Gronholm. [edit]
Competition
* Citroën Xsara (recently, Citroën C4) * Fiat Stilo * Honda Civic * Hyundai Elantra * Opel Astra/Vauxhall Astra * Mazda 3 * Mitsubishi Lancer * Peugeot 307 * Renault Megane * Toyota Corolla * Volkswagen Golf
[edit]
Overall Sales and history
In Europe, the hatchback is the biggest selling bodystyle. Ford attempted to market the sedan in Europe as a mini-executive car by only offering it in the Ghia trim level, something that it had tried before with the Orion of the 1980s. It has since given up on this strategy, and has started selling lower specified versions of the sedan.
Despite its radical styling (the hatchback version in particular), and some controversial safety recalls in North America, the car has been a runaway success across the globe, even in the United States, where Ford has traditionally failed to successfully sell its European models.
This was the best-selling car in the world in 2000 and 2001. It was elected Car of the Year in 1999. The Focus won the North American Car of the Year award for 2000. In Europe, the original had a very subtle facelift in 2001.
The Focus, unlike the Escort, was never offered in a panel van body style in the U.S. However a commercial focus is available in Europe.[4]
Ford was therefore left without a light-duty commercial vehicle when the Escort finally went out of production in 2000. The purpose-designed Transit Connect, introduced in 2002, largely served as its replacement. A convertible version was another notable omission, although there is talk of producing a drop-top version of the Mk II for Europe. [edit]
Reliability
In the US spec models, despite a series of major recalls early in the car's life [5], reliability has steadily been improving. In fact, there have been no Focus recalls in the United States since 2002 [6]. The Focus now at Ford dealerships has Consumer Reports Best in Class rating for small cars [7]. The car has also received a Consumers Digest Best Buy Rating, [8] an award that takes numerous factors into consideration, including reliability and recall history.
The European Focus would also suffer from some recall issues, but in 2002, according to German reports and surveys, the Focus was claimed to be the most reliable car between 1 to 3 years old on the German car market [9]. This was a remarkable feat as the Focus was competing against German prestige manufacturers as well as Japanese manufacturers, all of which have strong reputations for quality and reliability. [edit]
Awards
Since its launch in 1998 the Focus Mk I has won over 60 awards including 13 Car of the Year awards in both Europe and North America, and more recently, the best family car ever (Autocar UK 2003). The Focus was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for five consecutive years (2000 through 2004). In 2005, in a poll by the Men & Motors TV channel in the UK, it was placed 19th in the nation's favourite 100 cars of all time.
The North American version has been a favorite of Car and Driver magazine, which has elected it to its Ten Best list every year since its introduction in 2000 [10]. Motor Trend magazine has also given the Focus favorable reviews, writing comments like "As entry-level sedans go, few can touch Ford's Focus on the fun-to-drive front" [11].
[edit]
See also
* Ford Fusion
[edit]
External links
* Focusworld - The Focus Enthusiast Site * Ford Focus ST170 * How Not to Build a V-8 Ford Focus * AustinSVT.com Austin & Central Texas SVT Owners website * Ford Focus owners + pics (CarDomain) * Ford Focus Info * Focus Fanatics - Online Ford Focus Community and photo gallery * fOCUS Owners.com * Ford Focus ST Owners Club * Ford Fiesta & Focus ST Owners Club Portal * Ford Focus Owners Club (UK) * US Ford Focus website * Owner's idiosyncratic review of 2005 Focus ZX4 SES * The New Ford Focus * AutoGuideWiki.com * Used Ford Focus information * Ford Club of Poland (in Polish language). * Ford Auto IN :: Home Page New Focus Central Europe (in Czech language). * Russian Ford Focus club (in russian)
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edit template * focus night and day * focus on the family * focus do it all * focus contact lenses * focus night & day * www focus com * focus night & day contact lenses * power of focus * focus * focus night day * ford focus rs * focus diy uk * 2004 ford focus * 2001 ford focus * 2003 ford focus * in focus projector * online focus groups * micro focus cobol * focus monthly visitint * ford focus svt * ford focus performance parts * focus dailies contact lenses * focus night and day contact lenses * focus on africa * in focus projectors * ford focus accessories * focus monthly contact lenses * online focus group * focus contact lense * marketing focus groups * ford focus zx3 * 2003 ford focus zx3 * ford focus wagon * paid focus groups * focus factor supplement * focus 1 2 week * ford focus manual * turbo ford focus * focus group moderator * used ford focus * ford focus uk * focus monthly lenses * ford focus st170 * focus body kit * ford focus zts * ford svt focus * auto focus binoculars * paid focus group * ford focus tuning * focus night and day contact * focus night & day contact lens * focus body kits * focus on the family org * www focus de * ford focus performance * ford focus wrc * focus camera * ford focus body kits * ford focus lx * ford focus zetec * ford focus recall * focus group facility * ford focus 2003 * ford focus body kit * focus group survey * camera focus * ford focus station wagon * ford focus price * ford focus cars * new ford focus # wicks # paint # b&q # doors # plaster # coving # bbq # bathroom # plasterboard # do it all # upvc # b and q # & # service # news # capital # ftd # mobile # playboy # online # taz # und # express # sueddeutsche # ron # max # lotto # worldsex # tagesschau # kostenlos # kicker # b�ch er # altavista # web # www # htm # rp # info # ntv # thehun # ryanair # faz # cnn # leo # vodafone # lufthansa # liebe # fireball # payback # chip # db # single # geo # amica # neu # bild # homo # lycos # ww # otto # gala # ficken # ampland # n24 # ikea # suchmaschinen # esprit # handelsblatt # antenne # giga # brigitte # uniwarez # ag # bunte # netzeitung # heise # deutschland # bol # falk # waz # postleitzahlen # songtexte # mediamarkt # welt # sport1 # de # witze # spinchat # fernsehprogramm # magazin # tagesspiegel # sperrmï¿&frac 12;ll # horoskop # gru� karten # nachrichten # rtl # zeit # firma # freemail # grusskarten # buecher # pro7 # hypovereinsbank # telefonauskunft # wdr # routenplaner # wetter # bildzeitung # adac # uboot # diba # gmbh # boerse # zeitschrift # jobpilot # mopo # epost # zdf # swr3 # telepolis # gmx # autobild # firemail # sat1 # arcor # wahreliebe # t online de # sperrmuell # donnerwetter # consors
A web browser is a software application that enables a user to display and interact with text, images, and other information typically located on a web page at a website on the World Wide Web or a local area network. Text and images on a web page can contain hyperlinks to other web pages at the same or different websites. Web browsers allow a user to quickly and easily access information provided on many web pages at many websites by traversing these links. Popular browsers available for personal computers include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Netscape, and Apple Safari. Web browsers are the most commonly used type of HTTP user agent. Although browsers are typically used to access the World Wide Web, they can also be used to access information provided by web servers in private networks or content in file systems.
Protocols and standards
Web browsers communicate with web servers primarily using HTTP (hyper-text transfer protocol) to fetch webpages. HTTP allows web browsers to submit information to web servers as well as fetch web pages from them. As of writing, the most commonly used HTTP is HTTP/1.1, which is fully defined in RFC 2616. HTTP/1.1 has its own required standards that Internet Explorer does not fully support, but most other current-generation web browsers do.
Pages are located by means of a URL (uniform resource locator), which is treated as an address, beginning with http: for HTTP access. Many browsers also support a variety of other URL types and their corresponding protocols, such as ftp: for FTP (file transfer protocol), rtsp: for RTSP (real-time streaming protocol), and https: for HTTPS (an SSL encrypted version of HTTP).
The file format for a web page is usually HTML (hyper-text markup language) and is identified in the HTTP protocol using a MIME content type. Most browsers natively support a variety of formats in addition to HTML, such as the JPEG, PNG and GIF image formats, and can be extended to support more through the use of plugins. The combination of HTTP content type and URL protocol specification allows web page designers to embed images, animations, video, sound, and streaming media into a web page, or to make them accessible through the web page.
Early web browsers supported only a very simple version of HTML. The rapid development of proprietary web browsers led to the development of non-standard dialects of HTML, leading to problems with Web interoperability. Modern web browsers support standards-based HTML and XHTML, which should display in the same way across all browsers. Internet Explorer does not fully support HTML 4.01 and XHTML 1.x yet. Currently many sites are designed using WYSIWYG HTML generation programs such as Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft Frontpage. These often generate non-standard HTML by default, hindering the work of the W3C in developing standards, specifically with XHTML and CSS (cascading style sheets, used for page layout).
Some of the more popular browsers include additional components to support Usenet news, IRC (Internet relay chat), and e-mail. Protocols supported may include NNTP (network news transfer protocol), SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol), IMAP (Internet message access protocol), and POP (post office protocol). These browsers are often referred to as Internet suites or application suites rather than merely web browsers. [edit]
Brief history
Tim Berners-Lee, who pioneered the use of hypertext for sharing information, created the first web browser, named WorldWideWeb, in 1990 and introduced it to colleagues at CERN in March 1991. Since then the development of web browsers has been inseparably intertwined with the development of the web itself.
The web browser was thought of as a useful application to handle CERN's huge telephone book. In terms of user interaction it follows the protocols gopher/telnet, enabling every user to easily browse sites others have written. However, it was the later integration of graphics into the web browser that made it the "killer application" of the internet.
The explosion in popularity of the web was triggered by NCSA Mosaic which was a graphical browser running originally on Unix but soon ported to the Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows platforms. Version 1.0 was released in September 1993. Marc Andreessen, who was the leader of the Mosaic team at NCSA, quit to form a company that would later be known as Netscape Communications Corporation.
Netscape released its flagship Navigator product in October 1994, and it took off the next year. Microsoft, which had thus far not marketed a browser, now entered the fray with its Internet Explorer product, purchased from Spyglass Inc. This began what is known as the browser wars, the fight for the web browser market between Microsoft and Netscape.
The wars put the web in the hands of millions of ordinary PC users, but showed how commercialization of the web could stymie standards efforts. Both Microsoft and Netscape liberally incorporated proprietary extensions to HTML in their products, and tried to gain an edge by product differentiation. Starting with the acceptance of the Microsoft proposed Cascading Style Sheets over Netscape's JavaScript Style Sheets (JSSS) by W3C, the Netscape browser started being generally considered inferior to Microsoft's browser version after version, from feature considerations to application robustness to standard compliance. The wars effectively ended in 1998 when it became clear that Netscape's declining market share trend was irreversible. This trend may have been due in part to Microsoft's integrating its browser with its operating system and bundling deals with OEMs; Microsoft faced antitrust litigation on these charges.
Netscape responded by open sourcing its product, creating Mozilla. This did nothing to slow Netscape's declining market share. The company was purchased by America Online in late 1998. At first, the Mozilla project struggled to attract developers, but by 2002 it had evolved into a relatively stable and powerful internet suite. Mozilla 1.0 was released to mark this milestone. Also in 2002, a spin off project that would eventually become the popular Mozilla Firefox was released. In 2004, Firefox 1.0 was released; Firefox 1.5 was released in December 2005. As of 2005, Mozilla and its derivatives account for approximately 10% of web traffic.
Opera, an innovative, speedy browser popular in handheld devices, particularly mobile phones, as well as on PCs in some countries was released in 1996 and remains a niche player in the PC web browser market.
The Lynx browser remains popular for Unix shell users and with vision impaired users due to its entirely text-based nature. There are also several text-mode browsers with advanced features, such as Links and its forks such as ELinks.
While the Macintosh scene too has traditionally been dominated by Internet Explorer and Netscape, the future appears to belong to Apple's Safari which is based on Apple's WebKit layout engine, derived from the KHTML layout engine of the open source Konqueror browser. Safari is the default browser on Mac OS X.
In 2003, Microsoft announced that Internet Explorer would no longer be made available as a separate product but would be part of the evolution of its Windows platform, and that no more releases for the Macintosh would be made. However, more recently in early 2005, Microsoft changed its plans and announced that version 7 of Internet Explorer would be released for its Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server operating systems in addition to the upcoming "Windows Vista" operating system. [edit]
Features
Different browsers can be distinguished from each other by the features they support. Modern browsers and web pages tend to utilize many features and techniques that did not exist in the early days of the web. As noted earlier, with the browser wars there was a rapid and chaotic expansion of browser and World Wide Web feature sets.
The following is a list of some of the most notable features: [edit]
Standards support
* HTTP and HTTPS * HTML, XML and XHTML * Graphics file formats including GIF, PNG, JPEG, and SVG * Cascading Style Sheets * JavaScript (Dynamic HTML) * Cookie * Digital certificates * Favicons * RSS, Atom
[edit]
Fundamental features
* Bookmark manager * Caching of web contents * Support of media types via plugins such as Macromedia Flash and QuickTime
[edit]
Usability and accessibility features
* Autocompletion of URLs and form data * Tabbed browsing * Spatial navigation * Caret navigation * Screen reader or full speech support
* History of the Internet * Accessibility * Browser exploit * Microbrowser * Web application * List of web browsers * Offline Browser * Comparison of web browsers * Usage share of web browsers * Refreshing/reloading a page
[edit]
External links
* Browser timeline (1993-2001) * evolt.org - Browser Archive * Deja Vu: (re-)creating web history * iCapture - Safari "emulator" * Viewable with Any Browser: Campaign * Macintosh Web Browsers * MultiOS Browser Test * W3Schools Browser Statistics * What's my Browser?
A web browser is a software application that enables a user to display and interact with text, images, and other information typically located on a web page at a website on the World Wide Web or a local area network. Text and images on a web page can contain hyperlinks to other web pages at the same or different websites. Web browsers allow a user to quickly and easily access information provided on many web pages at many websites by traversing these links. Popular browsers available for personal computers include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Netscape, and Apple Safari. Web browsers are the most commonly used type of HTTP user agent. Although browsers are typically used to access the World Wide Web, they can also be used to access information provided by web servers in private networks or content in file systems.
Protocols and standards
Web browsers communicate with web servers primarily using HTTP (hyper-text transfer protocol) to fetch webpages. HTTP allows web browsers to submit information to web servers as well as fetch web pages from them. As of writing, the most commonly used HTTP is HTTP/1.1, which is fully defined in RFC 2616. HTTP/1.1 has its own required standards that Internet Explorer does not fully support, but most other current-generation web browsers do.
Pages are located by means of a URL (uniform resource locator), which is treated as an address, beginning with http: for HTTP access. Many browsers also support a variety of other URL types and their corresponding protocols, such as ftp: for FTP (file transfer protocol), rtsp: for RTSP (real-time streaming protocol), and https: for HTTPS (an SSL encrypted version of HTTP).
The file format for a web page is usually HTML (hyper-text markup language) and is identified in the HTTP protocol using a MIME content type. Most browsers natively support a variety of formats in addition to HTML, such as the JPEG, PNG and GIF image formats, and can be extended to support more through the use of plugins. The combination of HTTP content type and URL protocol specification allows web page designers to embed images, animations, video, sound, and streaming media into a web page, or to make them accessible through the web page.
Early web browsers supported only a very simple version of HTML. The rapid development of proprietary web browsers led to the development of non-standard dialects of HTML, leading to problems with Web interoperability. Modern web browsers support standards-based HTML and XHTML, which should display in the same way across all browsers. Internet Explorer does not fully support HTML 4.01 and XHTML 1.x yet. Currently many sites are designed using WYSIWYG HTML generation programs such as Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft Frontpage. These often generate non-standard HTML by default, hindering the work of the W3C in developing standards, specifically with XHTML and CSS (cascading style sheets, used for page layout).
Some of the more popular browsers include additional components to support Usenet news, IRC (Internet relay chat), and e-mail. Protocols supported may include NNTP (network news transfer protocol), SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol), IMAP (Internet message access protocol), and POP (post office protocol). These browsers are often referred to as Internet suites or application suites rather than merely web browsers. [edit]
Brief history
Tim Berners-Lee, who pioneered the use of hypertext for sharing information, created the first web browser, named WorldWideWeb, in 1990 and introduced it to colleagues at CERN in March 1991. Since then the development of web browsers has been inseparably intertwined with the development of the web itself.
The web browser was thought of as a useful application to handle CERN's huge telephone book. In terms of user interaction it follows the protocols gopher/telnet, enabling every user to easily browse sites others have written. However, it was the later integration of graphics into the web browser that made it the "killer application" of the internet.
The explosion in popularity of the web was triggered by NCSA Mosaic which was a graphical browser running originally on Unix but soon ported to the Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows platforms. Version 1.0 was released in September 1993. Marc Andreessen, who was the leader of the Mosaic team at NCSA, quit to form a company that would later be known as Netscape Communications Corporation.
Netscape released its flagship Navigator product in October 1994, and it took off the next year. Microsoft, which had thus far not marketed a browser, now entered the fray with its Internet Explorer product, purchased from Spyglass Inc. This began what is known as the browser wars, the fight for the web browser market between Microsoft and Netscape.
The wars put the web in the hands of millions of ordinary PC users, but showed how commercialization of the web could stymie standards efforts. Both Microsoft and Netscape liberally incorporated proprietary extensions to HTML in their products, and tried to gain an edge by product differentiation. Starting with the acceptance of the Microsoft proposed Cascading Style Sheets over Netscape's JavaScript Style Sheets (JSSS) by W3C, the Netscape browser started being generally considered inferior to Microsoft's browser version after version, from feature considerations to application robustness to standard compliance. The wars effectively ended in 1998 when it became clear that Netscape's declining market share trend was irreversible. This trend may have been due in part to Microsoft's integrating its browser with its operating system and bundling deals with OEMs; Microsoft faced antitrust litigation on these charges.
Netscape responded by open sourcing its product, creating Mozilla. This did nothing to slow Netscape's declining market share. The company was purchased by America Online in late 1998. At first, the Mozilla project struggled to attract developers, but by 2002 it had evolved into a relatively stable and powerful internet suite. Mozilla 1.0 was released to mark this milestone. Also in 2002, a spin off project that would eventually become the popular Mozilla Firefox was released. In 2004, Firefox 1.0 was released; Firefox 1.5 was released in December 2005. As of 2005, Mozilla and its derivatives account for approximately 10% of web traffic.
Opera, an innovative, speedy browser popular in handheld devices, particularly mobile phones, as well as on PCs in some countries was released in 1996 and remains a niche player in the PC web browser market.
The Lynx browser remains popular for Unix shell users and with vision impaired users due to its entirely text-based nature. There are also several text-mode browsers with advanced features, such as Links and its forks such as ELinks.
While the Macintosh scene too has traditionally been dominated by Internet Explorer and Netscape, the future appears to belong to Apple's Safari which is based on Apple's WebKit layout engine, derived from the KHTML layout engine of the open source Konqueror browser. Safari is the default browser on Mac OS X.
In 2003, Microsoft announced that Internet Explorer would no longer be made available as a separate product but would be part of the evolution of its Windows platform, and that no more releases for the Macintosh would be made. However, more recently in early 2005, Microsoft changed its plans and announced that version 7 of Internet Explorer would be released for its Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server operating systems in addition to the upcoming "Windows Vista" operating system. [edit]
Features
Different browsers can be distinguished from each other by the features they support. Modern browsers and web pages tend to utilize many features and techniques that did not exist in the early days of the web. As noted earlier, with the browser wars there was a rapid and chaotic expansion of browser and World Wide Web feature sets.
The following is a list of some of the most notable features: [edit]
Standards support
* HTTP and HTTPS * HTML, XML and XHTML * Graphics file formats including GIF, PNG, JPEG, and SVG * Cascading Style Sheets * JavaScript (Dynamic HTML) * Cookie * Digital certificates * Favicons * RSS, Atom
[edit]
Fundamental features
* Bookmark manager * Caching of web contents * Support of media types via plugins such as Macromedia Flash and QuickTime
[edit]
Usability and accessibility features
* Autocompletion of URLs and form data * Tabbed browsing * Spatial navigation * Caret navigation * Screen reader or full speech support
* History of the Internet * Accessibility * Browser exploit * Microbrowser * Web application * List of web browsers * Offline Browser * Comparison of web browsers * Usage share of web browsers * Refreshing/reloading a page
[edit]
External links
* Browser timeline (1993-2001) * evolt.org - Browser Archive * Deja Vu: (re-)creating web history * iCapture - Safari "emulator" * Viewable with Any Browser: Campaign * Macintosh Web Browsers * MultiOS Browser Test * W3Schools Browser Statistics * What's my Browser?
Application software is a loosely defined subclass of computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer directly to a task that the user wishes to perform. This should be contrasted with system software which is involved in integrating a computer's various capabilities, but typically does not directly apply them in the performance of tasks that benefit the user. The term application refers to both the application software and its implementation.
A simple, if imperfect, analogy in the world of hardware would be the relationship of an electric light—an application—to an electric power generation plant—the system. The power plant merely generates electricity, itself not really of any use until harnessed to an application like the electric light which performs a service that the user desires.
The exact delineation between the operating system and application software is not precise, however, and is occasionally subject to controversy. For example, one of the key questions in the United States v. Microsoft antitrust trial was whether Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser was part of its Windows operating system or a separable piece of application software. As another example, the GNU/Linux naming controversy is, in part, due to disagreement about the relationship between the Linux kernel and the Linux operating system.
Typical examples of software applications are word processors, spreadsheets and media player
Multiple applications bundled together as a package are sometimes referred to as an application suite. Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org, which bundle together a word processor, a spreadsheet, and several other discrete applications, are typical examples. The separate applications in a suite usually have a user interface that has some commonality making it easier for the user to learn and use each application. And often they may have some capability to interact with each other in ways beneficial to the user. For example a spreadsheet might be able to be embedded in a word processor document even though it had been created in the separate spreadsheet application.
User software tailors systems to meet the user's specific needs. User software include spreadsheet templates, word processor macros, scientific simulations, graphics and animation scripts. Even email filters are a kind of user software. Users create this software themselves and often overlook how important it is.
In some types of embedded systems, the application software and the operating system software may be indistinguishable to the user, as in the case of software used to control a VCR, DVD player or Microwave oven. Contents [hide]
* 1 Application software classification o 1.1 Computer-mediated communication o 1.2 Multimedia o 1.3 Analytical software o 1.4 Collaborative software o 1.5 Business software o 1.6 Databases o 1.7 Other * 2 External links
[edit]
Application software classification Microsoft Word is a well-known example of application software Enlarge Microsoft Word is a well-known example of application software
See also: List of software applications
[edit]
Computer-mediated communication
* Email * Web browser
[edit]
Multimedia
* Media players * Graphics programs * Graphics file formats * Raster graphics * Vector graphics * 3D graphics * Art software * Computer games * Video editing software * Computer-aided design (CAD)
Add-ons are optional computer hardware or software modules that supplement or enhance the original unit they are adding on to. Also known as plugins, extensions, snap-ins, or various other vendor-specific names, these modules often have proprietary interfaces that are tightly held by the company that manufactured the original unit in order to prevent competing companies from producing add-ons.
For example, a network switch may ship with an unoccupied but non-standard port to accommodate various optional physical layer connectors, while games and productivity applications often use plug-in architectures which allow original and third-party publishers to add functionality. Web browsers use plug-ins to enable the presentation of new content formats without modifying the underlying web browser.
Manufacturers can use add-ons can to create vendor lock-in by limiting upgrade options to only those available from or endorsed by the original manufacturer. IBM's Micro Channel architecture, technically superior to Industry Standard Architecture as a way to add components to IBM PCs, largely failed to gain wide support due to the difficulty in getting certification for third-party devices.
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If you're showing your ads on broad-matched keywords, these queries may trigger your ads. To increase your clickthrough rate, you should consider replacing your general keywords with any relevant, more specific alternatives you see here. 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The Cable News Network, usually referred to as CNN, is a cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner[1] [2]. It is a division of the Turner Broadcasting System, owned by Time Warner. CNN introduced the concept of 24-hour television news coverage, and celebrated its 25th anniversary on June 1, 2005.
In terms of cumulative Nielsen ratings, CNN rates as America's #1 cable news network, however, it is superseded by Fox News in long-term viewers. (cite?) CNN broadcasts primarily from its headquarters at the CNN Center in Atlanta, and from studios in New York City and Washington, DC. As of December 2004, it is available in 88.2 million U.S. households and more than 890,000 U.S. hotel rooms. Globally, the network has combined branded networks and services that are available to more than 1.5 billion people in over 212 countries and territories.
History
Since CNN's launch on June 1, 1980, the network has expanded its reach to a number of cable and satellite television networks (such as CNN Headline News), 12 web sites, two private place-based networks (such as CNN Airport Network), and two radio networks. The network has 42 bureaus around the world and more than 900 affiliates worldwide. CNN has launched many regional and foreign-language networks around the world. CNN debuted its news website CNN.com (then referred to as CNN Interactive) on August 30, 1995.
CNN's global reputation was greatly enhanced in 1991 during the Gulf War, where its saturation coverage was carried around the world. However controversy arose years later when Eason Jordan, chief news executive of CNN, admitted that CNN had kept quiet about some of Saddam Hussein's atrocities and threats in order to keep its Baghdad Bureau open. CNN's integrity and bias came under fire during the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election, when two of Presidential candidate John Kerry's advisors, Paul Begala and James Carville, were allowed to host CNN's Crossfire show during the election. In an effort to quell another blossoming controversy, Eason Jordan resigned from CNN on February 11, 2005, after making defamatory innuendo suggesting that the U.S. military was "targeting" journalists in Iraq.
A television movie, Live from Baghdad, was later made about the network's coverage of the war. Coverage of this and other conflicts and crises of the early 1990s (including, perhaps most famously, the Battle of Mogadishu) led to the coining of the term "the CNN effect", which testified to the perceived impact its pioneering real time, 24 hour news coverage had in influencing the decision-making processes of the American government.
CNN International now provides regional editions of its news service in response to foreign demand for less U.S.-centric news coverage, rivaling services such as BBC World (CNN's main global competitor). CNN International uses local reporters in many of its news-gathering centers, though they cover stories from an international (some would still say U.S.) perspective.
On September 11, 2001, CNN was the first network to break news of what would prove to be the September 11 attacks. Anchor Carol Lin was on the air at that time. Paula Zahn Enlarge Paula Zahn
CNN launched two specialty news channels for the American market which would later close amid competitive pressure: CNNSI shut down in 2002, and CNNfn shut down after nine years on the air in December 2004.
CNN has also been parodied. See for instance, Groland and CNNNN. Many movies outside of the Turner Broadcasting Network also mention CNN in their storylines. Ted Turner doesn't mind as long as they don't use CNN for promotional purposes or for malicious use.
The most famous station ID is a five-second musical jingle with James Earl Jones's simple but classic line, "This is CNN." Jones' voice can still be heard today in updated station IDs.
The term "CNNing" [3] is sometimes used to refer to how television news has become "news entertainment" by focusing on celebrity, ratings, storylines, and spectacle, as well as on its own authority and corporate-related products and features.
The most widely-used slogan at time of writing is "The Most Trusted Name In News".
On March 21, 2006, The Gallup polling company has dropped CNN as its outlet for electronic distribution, due in part to CNN's lower ratings. [4] [edit]
Management
The current President of CNN/U.S. is Jonathan Klein. He was appointed in November 2004. [edit]
CNN shows [edit]
Current CNN shows American Morning anchors Miles O'Brien and Soledad O'Brien. Enlarge American Morning anchors Miles O'Brien and Soledad O'Brien.
* American Morning - The network's morning news program, airing from 6-10am ET. Hosted by former NBC News anchor Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien. Carol Costello provides news updates. * The Situation Room- A fast-paced look at the day's top stories, focusing on politics and homeland security. Anchored by Wolf Blitzer. Airs weekdays from 4-6pm ET and from 7-8 pm ET. * Lou Dobbs Tonight - A nightly news and discussion program airing live at 6pm ET weeknights; evolved from Moneyline, a nightly business newscast. * Paula Zahn Now - A look at the current issues affecting the world, with former CBS and Fox News anchor Paula Zahn. Airing at 8pm ET weeknights. * Larry King Live - A nightly talk program that airs daily at 9pm ET and reruns 12am-1am ET. * Anderson Cooper 360° - A fast-paced, nightly news program with former ABC News reporter Anderson Cooper. Airs weekdays from 10pm-12am ET, and reruns 1am-3am ET. * Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer - CNN's political talk show, similar to CBS's "Face the Nation" or NBC's "Meet the Press." Airs from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST on Sundays.
* CNN Live Today / CNN Live Saturday / CNN Live Sunday - A daily look at what's making news airing live from Atlanta at 10am ET on weekdays and various times on the weekends. Hosted by Daryn Kagan on weekdays and Fredricka Whitfield on weekends. * Live From... - A lively look at the day's stories airing live from Atlanta at 1pm ET. Hosted by Kyra Phillips. * CNN Saturday Morning/CNN Sunday Morning - The network's weekend morning news program, airing at 7am ET. Hosted by Betty Nguyen and Tony Harris. * CNN Saturday Night/CNN Sunday Night - The network's weekend evening news program, airing at 6pm ET and 10pm ET. Hosted by Carol Lin. * CNN Presents - A program that hosts various documentaries and productions. Airs on weekends. * House Call - A medically oriented program, hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Airs on weekends. * On The Story- CNN's interactive "week-in-review" ; series featuring an in-depth look at the story behind some of the week's biggest stories. Anchored by Ali Velshi.
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Former CNN shows
* The Capital Gang - One of cable news' longest running programs, focusing on political news. Original panelists included Pat Buchanan, Al Hunt, Mark Shields, and Robert Novak. When Buchanan left the network to run for president, Margaret Carlson and then Kate O'Beirne became regular panelists. The Capital Gang aired Saturday nights at 7pm ET from 1988 to 2005. * Crossfire - A political debate program, consisting of views from left-wing and right-wing ideologies, that aired during primetime and daytime until mid-2005. Former hosts included Robert Novak, Tucker Carlson, James Carville, Paul Begala, Pat Buchanan, Geraldine Ferraro, Bay Buchanan, and Donna Brazile. Crossfire was discontinued in 2005, with Klein denouncing the show as "just two men screaming at each other." The demise of Crossfire is generally attributed to an interview with comedian Jon Stewart. * Next@CNN - A scientific and technology oriented program hosted by Daniel Sieberg. Aired on weekends. Despite its cancellation on CNN in the US, the show continues to air new episodes on CNN International. * Inside Politics - A political program that aired from 3:30–5pm ET weekdays. * Wolf Blitzer Reports - A daily look at the day's stories that aired live from Washington at 5pm ET. * NewsNight With Aaron Brown - A hard-news program anchored by Aaron Brown which took an in-depth look at the main U.S. and international stories of the day. Was axed from CNN's schedule on November 5th, 2005, leading to Brown's immediate resignation from the network. * CNN Daybreak - A first look at the day's stories that aired live from New York at 5am ET.
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CNN specialized channels
* CNN Airport Network * CNN en Español * CNNfn (Financial network, closed in December 2004) * CNN Headline News * CNN International * CNN Pipeline (24-hour multi-channel broadband online news service) * CNN Plus (CNN+, a partner network in Spain, launched in 1999 with Sogecable) * CNN Sports Illustrated (a.k.a. CNNSI), the network's all-sports channel, closed in 2002. * CNN Turk * CNN-IBN An Indian newschannel. * CNNj
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CNN personalities [edit]
Past
* Natalie Allen -(Now with MSNBC) * Peter Arnett * Jane Arraf * Sharyl Attkisson - (Now with CBS News) * Rudi Bakhtiar - (FOX News Channel) * Bobbie Battista - (retired) * Ralph Begleiter * Jason Bellini - (Now with Logo) * Charles Bierbauer * Mike Boettcher - (Now with NBC News) * Rym Brahimi(retired) * Aaron Brown
* Pat Buchanan - (FOX News Channel) * Tucker Carlson - (Now with MSNBC) * Joie Chen - (Now with CBS News) * Connie Chung -(Now with MSNBC) * Wesley Clark -(FOX News Channel) * Reid Collins * Chris Curle * Don Farmer * David Goodnow * Nick Gregory - (Now with WNYW-Fox)
* Leon Harris(Now with WJLA-TV) * Don Harrison - (deceased) * Lois Hart * James Hattori - (Now with NBC News) * Bill Hemmer - (FOX News Channel) * Maria Hinojosa - (Now with "Now" on PBS) * John Holliman - (deceased) * Jan Hopkins * Sachi Koto (left in 2005) * Lawrence Kudlow -(Now with CNBC)
* Greg Lamont -(Now with KULR-8 Billings Montana) * Tumi Makgabo * Miguel Marquez * Jim Moret * Robert Novak - (FOX News Channel) * Christina Park * Veronica Pedrosa - (Now with Al-Jazeera International) * Gene Randall * Dallas Reines * Maria Ressa * Susan Rook(retired) * Sonia Ruseler * Lynne Russell(retired) * Martin Savidge (Now with NBC News)
* Daniel Schorr-(Now with NPR as Senior News Analyst) * Bella Shaw * Bernard Shaw(retired) * Flip Spiceland-(Now with WXIA-NBC) * Kathleen Sullivan * Greta Van Susteren - (FOX News Channel) * Dave Walker * Lou Waters * Mary Alice Williams - (Now with WCBS News Radio) * Judy Woodruff(retired)
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Present
* Christiane Amanpour * Becky Anderson * Brooke Anderson * Guillermo Arduino * Kelli Arena * Terry Baddoo * Dana Bash * Paul Begala * Todd Benjamin * Satinder Bindra * Jim Bittermann * Wolf Blitzer * Jim Boulden * Andrew Brown * Josie Burke * Chris Burns * Diego Bustos * Sean Callebs * Jack Cafferty * Catherine Callaway * Susan Candiotti * Margaret Carlson * Jason Carroll
* James Carville * Matthew Chance * Allan Chernoff * Ryan Chilcote * Mike Chinoy * Alina Cho * Rosemary Church * Jim Clancy * Elizabeth Cohen * Heidi Collins * Anderson Cooper * Carol Costello * Candy Crowley * Veronica De La Cruz * Lou Dobbs * Deborah Feyerick * Tom Foreman * Delia Gallagher * Liz George * Hala Gorani * Jeff Greenfield * Dr. Sanjay Gupta * Thelma Gutierrez * Mike Hanna * Tony Harris
* Erica Hill * Michael Holmes * Al Hunt * Jacqui Jeras * Daryn Kagan * Mallika Kapur * John King * Larry King * Jeff Koinange * Andrea Koppel * Howard Kurtz * Maggie Lake * Ed Lavandera * Chris Lawrence * Carol Lin * Dan Lothian * Suzanne Malveaux * Jonathan Mann * Colleen McEdwards * Rob Marciano * David Mattingly * Jamie McIntyre * Jeanne Meserve * Ana Maria Montero * Jeanne Moos
* Chad Myers * Octavia E. Nasr * Betty Nguyen * Robin Oakley * Kate O'Beirne * Miles O'Brien * Soledad O'Brien * Christi Paul * Karl Penhaul * Kyra Phillips * Kitty Pilgrim * Richard Quest * Aneesh Raman * Anjali Rao * Hugh Rimington * John Roberts * Nic Robertson * Christine Romans * Richard Roth * Ted Rowlands * Brent Sadler * Rick Sanchez * Jacki Schechner * Bill Schneider * Andrew Serwer * Mark Shields * Atika Shubert
* Daniel Sieberg * Mary Snow * Barbara Starr * Lisa Sylvester * Abbi Tatton * Jeffrey Toobin(political analyst) * Gary Tuchman * Adaora Udoji * Alphonso Van Marsh * Sibila Vargas * John Vause * Ali Velshi * Zain Verjee * Alessio Vinci * Kelly Wallace * Carlos Watson * Ben Wedeman * Harris Whitbek * Fredricka Whitfield * Gerri Willis * Kareen Wynter * Eunice Yoon * Paula Zahn * John Zarrella
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CNN Bureaus
Note: Boldface indicates that they are CNN's original bureaus, meaning they have been in operation since the network's founding.
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CNN Bureaus within United States
* Atlanta (Headquarters) * Boston * Chicago * Dallas * Detroit * Los Angeles
* Miami * New Orleans (opened in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina) * New York City * San Francisco * Washington, DC
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CNN Bureaus outside United States
* Baghdad, Iraq * Bangkok, Thailand * Berlin, Germany * Beijing, China * Beirut, Lebanon * Buenos Aires, Argentina * Cairo, Egypt * Dubai, United Arab Emirates * Havana, Cuba * Hong Kong, China * Islamabad, Pakistan * Jakarta, Indonesia * Jerusalem, Israel
* London, United Kingdom * Mexico City, Mexico * Moscow, Russia * New Delhi, India * Rome, Italy * Seoul, South Korea
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Similar networks
The CNN format has been replicated by other cable news services (year of launch in parentheses):
* ABC News Now (2004) * ABS-CBN News Channel (1994) * Al-Arabiya (2003) * Al Jazeera (1996) * BBC News 24 (1997) * BBC World (1995) * CBC Newsworld (1989) * CBS Telenoticias (no longer a news network; known as Telemundo Internacional since 2000) * CNBC (1989) * CNN Airport Network (1992) * CNN en Español (1997) * CNNfn (1995; closed 2004) * CNN Headline News (1982) * CNN International (1985) * CNN Pipeline (2005) * CNN Plus (1999) * CNN/SI (CNN/Sports Illustrated) (1996; closed 2002) * CNN Turk * Court TV (1991) * ESPNEWS (1996) * Euronews (1993) * ITV News Channel (2000; closed 2005) * LCI (1994) * MSNBC (1996) * Noticias ECO (1988; closed 2001) * Satellite News Channel (1982; acquired by CNN and closed in 1983) * Sky News (1989) * TVE Canal 24 Horas * TVN24 (2001) * The Weather Channel (1982)
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See also
* Breaking news * CNN effect * CNN controversies and allegations of bias
[edit]
External links
* Official Site (U.S. Edition) * CNN International * New Georgia Encyclopedia: CNN * CNNfan.org * MSNBCNN.com - a digest of RSS feeds from MSNBC and CNN
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A sport consists of a physical and mentally competitive activity carried out with a recreational purpose for competition, for self-enjoyment, to attain excellence, for the development of a skill, or some combination of these. A sport has physical activity, side by side competition, self-motivation and a scoring system. The difference of purpose is what characterises sport, combined with the notion of individual (or team) skill or prowess.
History of sport
The development of sport throughout history teaches us a great deal about social changes, and about the nature of sport itself.
There are many modern discoveries in France, Africa, and Australia of cave art (see, for example, Lascaux) from prehistory which provide evidence of ritual ceremonial behaviour. Some of these sources date from over 30,000 years ago, as established by carbon dating. Although there is scant direct evidence of sport from these sources, it is reasonable to extrapolate that there was some activity at these times resembling sport.
There are artifacts and structures which suggest that Chinese people engaged in activities which meet our definition of sport as early as 4000 BC. Gymnastics appears to have been a popular sport in China's past. Monuments to the Pharaohs indicate that a range of sports were well developed and regulated several thousands of years ago, including swimming and fishing. Other sports included javelin throwing, high jump, and wrestling. Ancient Persian sports such as the traditional Iranian martial art of Zourkhaneh had a close connection to the warfare skills. Among other sports which originate in Persia are polo and jousting.
A wide range of sports were already established at the time of the Ancient Greece. Wrestling, running, boxing, javelin, discus throwing, and chariot racing were prevalent. This suggests that the military culture of Greece was an influence on the development of its sports and vice versa. The Olympic Games were held every four years in Ancient Greece, at a small village in Pelopponisos called Olympia.
Sport has been increasingly organised and regulated from the time of the Ancient Olympics up to the present century. Activities necessary for food and survival became regulated activities done for pleasure or competition on an increasing scale, for example hunting, fishing, horticulture. The Industrial Revolution and mass production brought increased leisure which allowed increases in spectator sports, less elitism in sports, and greater accessibility. These trends continued with the advent of mass media and global communication. Professionalism became prevalent, further adding to the increase in sport's popularity. Not only has professionalism helped increase the popularity of sports, but additionally the need to have fun and take a break from a hectic workday or to relieve unwanted stress, as with any profession. [edit]
A classification of sports
Main article: List of sports
One system for classifying sports is as follows, based more on the sport's aim than on the actual mechanics. The examples given are intended to be illustrative, rather than comprehensive. [edit]
Sportsmanship is defined as "conduct and attitude considered as befitting participants, including a sense of fair play, courtesy toward teammates and opponents, a striving spirit, and grace in losing."
It is interesting that the motivation for sport is often an elusive element. For example, beginners in are often told that dinghy racing is a good means to sharpen the learner's sailing skills. However, it often emerges that skills are honed to increase racing performance and achievements in competition, rather than the converse. Sportsmanship expresses an aspiration or ethos that the activity will be enjoyed for its own sake. The well-known sentiment by sports journalist Grantland Rice, that it's “not that you won or lost but how you played the game," and the Modern Olympic creed expressed by its founder Pierre de Coubertin: "The most important thing . . . is not winning but taking part” are typical expressions of this sentiment.
But often the pressures of competition (See the related article, "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing." or an obsession with individual achievement - as well as the intrusion of technology - can all work against enjoyment and fair play by participants.
People responsible for leisure activities often seek recognition and respectability as sports by joining sports federations such as the IOC, or by forming their own regulatory body. In this way sports evolve from leisure activity to more formal sports: relatively recent newcomers are BMX cycling, snowboarding, wrestling, etc. Some of these activities have been popular but uncodified pursuits in various forms for different lengths of time. Indeed, the formal regulation of sport is a relatively modern and increasing development.
Sportsmanship, within any given game, is how each competitor acts before, during, and after the competition. Not only is it important to have good sportsmanship if one wins, but also if one loses. For example, in football it is considered sportsmanlike to kick the ball out of play to allow treatment for an injured player on the other side. Reciprocally, the other team is expected to return the ball from the throw-in.
Compare Sportsmanship with Gamesmanship.
Violence in sports involves crossing the line between fair competition and intentional aggressive violence. Athletes, coaches, fans, and parents sometimes unleash violent behaviour on people or property, in misguided shows of loyalty, dominance, anger, or celebration. [edit]
Professionalism and the regulation of sport
The entertainment aspect of sport, together with the spread of mass media and increased leisure time, has led to professionalism in sport. This has resulted in some conflict, where the paycheck can be seen as more important than recreational aspects: or where the sport is changed simply to make it more profitable and popular therefore losing some of the traditions valued by some.
The entertainment aspect also means that sportsmen and women are often elevated to celebrity status, or in some cases near-god-like.
The successful execution of a sport requires the consensus agreement of the participants on a set of rules for fair competition. This has led to the control of each sport through a regulatory body to define what methods of competition are acceptable and what are considered cheating. [edit]
Sport and politics
There have been many dilemmas for sports where a difficult political context is in place.
When apartheid was the official policy in South Africa, many sportspeople adopted the conscientious approach that they should not appear in competitive sports there. Some feel this was an effective contribution to the eventual demolition of the policy of apartheid, others feel that it may have prolonged and reinforced its worst effects.
The 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin was an illustration, perhaps best recognised in retrospect, where an ideology was developing which used the event to strengthen its spread through propaganda.
In the history of Ireland, Gaelic sports were connected with cultural nationalism. Even until the mid 20th century a person could have been banned from playing Gaelic football, hurling, or other sports administered by the GAA if s/he played or supported football, or other games seen to be of British origin. Until recently the GAA continued to ban the playing of football and rugby union at Gaelic venues under the controversial Rule 42, although Gaelic games are frequently played on football and rugby arenas, particularly outside of Ireland. Until recently, under Rule 21, the GAA also banned members of the British security forces and members of the RUC, now reconstituted as the PSNI, from playing Gaelic games, but the advent of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 led to the eventual removal of the ban.
Nationalism in general is often evident in the pursuit of sport, or in its reporting: people compete in national teams, or commentators and audiences can adopt a partisan view. These trends are seen by some as contrary to the fundamental ethos of sport being carried on for its own sake, for the enjoyment of its participants.
See also: List of countries by national sport [edit]
Art and sport
Sport has many affinities with art. Ice skating and Tai chi, for example, are sports that come close to artistic spectacles in themselves: to watch these activities comes close to the experience of spectating at a ballet. Similarly, there are other activities that have elements of sport and art in their execution, such as performance art, artistic gymnastics, Bodybuilding, Parkour, Yoga, dressage, etc. Perhaps the best example is Bull-fighting, which in Spain is reported in the arts pages of newspapers.
The fact that art is so close to sport in some situations is probably related to the nature of sport. The definition of "sport" above put forward the idea of an activity pursued not just for the usual purposes, for example, running not simply to get places, but running for its own sake, running as well as we can.
This is similar to a common view of aesthetic value, which is seen as something over and above the strictly functional value coming from an object's normal use. So an aesthetically pleasing car is one which doesn't just get from A to B, but which impresses us with its grace, poise, and charisma.
In the same way, a sporting performance such as jumping doesn't just impress us as being an effective way to avoid obstacles or to get across streams. It impresses us because of the ability, skill, and style which is shown.
Art and sport were probably more clearly linked at the time of Ancient Greece, when gymnastics and calisthenics invoked admiration and aesthetic appreciation for the physical build, prowess and 'arete' displayed by participants. The modern term 'art' as skill, is related to this ancient Greek term 'arete'. The closeness of art and sport in these times was revealed by the nature of the Olympic Games which, as we have seen, were celebrations of both sporting and artistic achievements, poetry, sculpture and architecture. [edit]
The terms 'sport' and 'sports'
In Commonwealth English, sporting activities are commonly denoted by the collective noun "sport". In American English, "sports" is more common for this usage. In all English dialects, "sports" is the term used for more than one specific sport. For example, "football and swimming are my favourite sports" would sound natural to all English speakers, whereas "I enjoy sport" would sound less natural than "I enjoy sports" to many North Americans. [edit]
Recommended reading
* The Meaning of Sports by Michael Mandel (PublicAffairs, ISBN 1-58648-252-1).
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See also
The following entries go into further detail into issues important to sport:
* History of sport * List of sports * List of sporting events * List of sportspeople * Sport governing bodies * Olympic Games * regulation of sport * List of professional sports leagues * Sports league attendances * Sponsorship * Sports coaching * Sports equipment * Sports injuries * Sports terms named after people * Sports timeline * Spectator sport * Multi-sport events * Sport in film * Disabled sports * Female sport * Nationalism and sport * TV Sports * Fandom
Alabama is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States.
Geography
Alabama is the 30th largest state in the United States with 135,775 km2 (52,423 mi2) of total area. 3.19% of that is water, making Alabama 23rd in the amount of surface water, also giving it the second largest inland waterway system in the United States. About three-fifths of the land area is a gentle plain with a general decline towards the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The North Alabama region is mostly mountainous, with the Tennessee River cutting a large valley creating numerous creeks, streams, rivers, mountains, and lakes. The lowest point east of the Mississippi River lies in Dekalb County along a creek cutting tower ridges, and creating Buck's Pocket State Park. Another natural wonder is "Land Bridge" the longest natural bridge span east of the Mississippi River. Alabama generally ranges in elevation from sea level at Mobile Bay, to a little more than 1,800 feet (550 m) in the Appalachian mountains in the northeast. The highest point is Mount Cheaha.
Other U.S. states bordering Alabama include: Tennessee to the north; Georgia to the east; Florida to the south; and Mississippi to the west. Alabama has coastline at the Gulf of Mexico in the extreme southern edge of the state.
National Parks include: Horseshoe Bend National Military Park in Daviston; Little River Canyon National Preserve in Fort Payne; Russell Cave National Monument in Bridgeport; Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in Tuskegee; and Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site near Tuskegee.
Alabama also contains the Natchez Trace Parkway, the Selma To Montgomery National Historic Trail, and the Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail. [edit]
History
Main article: History of Alabama
The memory of the Native American presence is particularly strong in Alabama. Among Native American people once living in present Alabama were Alabama (Alibamu), Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Koasati, and Mobile. Trade with the Northeast via the Ohio River began during the Burial Mound Period (1000 BC-A.D. 700) and continued until European contact. Meso-American influence is evident in the agrarian Mississippian culture that followed.
The French established the first European settlement in the state with the establishment of Mobile in 1702. Southern Alabama was French from 1702–1763, part of British West Florida from 1763–1780, and part of Spanish West Florida from 1780–1814. Northern and central Alabama was part of British Georgia from 1763–1783 and part of the American Mississippi territory thereafter. Its statehood was delayed by the lack of a coastline (rectified when Andrew Jackson captured Spanish Mobile in 1814). Alabama became the 22nd state in 1819.
The state of Alabama seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861 and became a Confederate state, known as the Alabama Republic on February 18, 1861. While not many battles were fought in the state, Alabama contributed about 120,000 soldiers to the Civil War. After the war a provisional government was set up in 1865, and Alabama was officially readmitted to the Union on July 14 1868.
Alabama was the cradle of the Confederacy during the Civil War and played stage center in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. [edit]
Demographics Alabama Population Density map Enlarge Alabama Population Density map
Main article: Demographics of Alabama
As of 2005, Alabama has an estimated population of 4,557,808, which is an increase of 32,433, or 0.7%, from the prior year and an increase of 110,457, or 2.5%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 77,418 people (that is 319,544 births minus 242,126 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 36,457 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 25,936 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 10,521 people.
The state had 108,000 foreign-born (2.4% of the state population), of which an estimated 22.2% were illegal aliens (24,000). [edit]
Race and ancestry
The racial makeup of the state and comparison to the prior census: Census year: 2000 1990 White 71.1% 73.6% Black 26.0% 25.3% Asian 0.7% 0.5% Native American 0.5% 0.4% Other race 0.7% 0.1% Mixed race 1.0% * White, non-Hispanic 70.3% 73.3% Hispanic‡ 1.7% 0.6% Notes:
* Not available; mixed race was first reported in the census of 2000. ‡ Hispanics may be of any race and are included in applicable race categories.
The largest reported ancestry groups in Alabama: American (17.0%), English (7.8%), Irish (7.7%), German (5.7%), and Scotch-Irish (2.0%). 'American' includes those reported as Native American or African American. [edit]
Religion
The major religions of Alabama:
* Christian – 92% o Protestant – 79% + Baptist – 49% + Methodist – 10% + Presbyterian – 3% + Episcopalian – 2% + Church of God – 2% + Church of Christ – 2% + Pentecostal – 2% + Lutheran – 2% + Other Protestant – 7% o Catholic – 13% * Other religions – 1% * Non-religious – 7%
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Economy Greetings from Alabama Enlarge Greetings from Alabama
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the 2003 total gross state product was $132 billion. The per capita income for the state was $26,505 in 2003. Alabama's agricultural outputs include poultry and eggs, cattle, plant nursery items, peanuts, cotton, grains such as corn and sorghum, vegetables, milk, soybeans, and peaches. Although known as "The Cotton State," Alabama's quarter depicting famous resident Helen Keller along with the longleaf pine branch and Magnolia blossoms from the 50 State Quarters program. Released March 19, 2003. Enlarge Alabama's quarter depicting famous resident Helen Keller along with the longleaf pine branch and Magnolia blossoms from the 50 State Quarters program. Released March 19, 2003.
Alabama ranks between eight and ten in national cotton production, according to various reports [1][2], with Texas, Georgia and Mississippi comprising the top three. Its industrial outputs include iron and steel products (including cast-iron and steel pipe); paper, lumber, and wood products; mining (mostly coal); plastic products; cars and trucks; and apparel. Also, Alabama produces aerospace and electronic products, mostly in the Huntsville area, which is home of the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center and the US Army Missile Command, headquartered at Redstone Arsenal.
Also, the city of Mobile is a busy seaport on the Gulf of Mexico, and with inland waterway access to the Midwest via the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.
Alabama levies a 2, 4 or 5 percent personal income tax, depending upon the amount earned and filing status. The state's sales general tax rate is 4 percent. The collection rate could be substantially higher, depending upon additional city and county sales taxes. The corporate income tax rate is currently 6.5%. [edit]
Transportation
Alabama has four major interstate roads that cross it: I-65 runs north-south rough through the middle of the state; I-59/I-20 travels form the central west border to the north-east corner of the state; and I-85 goes from the border of Georgia and ends in Montgomery, providing a main thoroughfare to Atlanta.
Major airports in Alabama include, Birmingham International Airport (BHM), Dothan Regional Airport (DHN), Huntsville International Airport (HSV), Mobile Regional Airport (MOB), Muscle Shoals - Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL), and Tuscaloosa Municipal Airport (TCL) [edit]
Law and government
Main article: Law and Government of Alabama [edit]
Local and county government
Alabama has 67 counties. Each county has its own elected legislative branch, usually called the Board of Commissioners, which usually also has executive authority in the county. Due to the restraints placed in the Alabama Constitution, all but 7 counties (Jefferson, Lee, Mobile, Madison, Montgomery, Shelby, and Tuscaloosa) in the state have little to no home rule. Instead, most counties in the state must lobby the Local Legislation Committee of the state legislature to get simple local policies such as waste disposal to land use zoning.
Alabama is an alcoholic beverage control state; the government holds a monopoly on the sale of alcohol. [edit]
Political climate
The current governor of the state is Bob Riley and the two U.S. senators are Jefferson B. Sessions III and Richard C. Shelby (all three from the Republican Party). The current state constitution was adopted in 1901.
During Reconstruction following the American Civil War, Alabama was occupied by federal troops of the Third Military District under General John Pope. In 1877, the Reconstruction period ended with the recognition of Rutherford B. Hayes as President-elect. White Southerners assumed control of the government and passed laws to segregate and disenfranchise black residents. The state became part of the "Solid South," a one-party system in which the Democratic Party became essentially the only political party in every Southern state. For nearly 100 years, local and state elections in Alabama were decided in the Democratic Party primary, with generally no Republican challenger running.
From 1876 through 1956, Alabama supported only Democratic presidential candidates, by margins as high as 73 percentage points. In 1960, Alabama gave most of its electoral votes to Harry F. Byrd as a protest. In 1964, the national Republican Party began to win more votes in the South by following a "Southern Strategy" which emphasized "states' rights" and the increasing liberalism of the national Democratic Party. The first such candidate was conservative Barry Goldwater, who became the first Republican candidate supported by Alabama. In 1968, Alabama supported native son and American Independent Party candidate George Wallace.
The last Democratic candidate to win Alabama's votes in a presidential election was Southerner Jimmy Carter in 1976. Today, the Republican party has become increasingly dominant in conservative Alabama politics. However, in local politics, Democrats still control many offices, including majorities in both houses of the Legislature, and registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in the state.
In 2004, George W. Bush won Alabama's nine electoral votes by a margin of 25 percentage points with 62.5% of the vote. The only 11 counties voting Democratic were Black Belt counties, where African Americans are in the majority.
Further information: U.S. presidential election, 2004, in Alabama, and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]]
Alabama is located in the Bible Belt.
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, Alabama requires sex education classes to emphasize "that homosexuality is not an acceptable lifestyle to the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense under the laws of the state." While the mandate is not typically enforced in Alabama classrooms, it is unclear whether or not the official requirements have changed since the Supreme Court's ruling in Lawrence v. Texas. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2000, Alabama was home to 4,561 same-sex male couples and 4,167 same-sex female couples. [edit]
* Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman Metropolitan Area * Mobile Metropolitan Area * Huntsville-Decatur Metropolitan Area * Montgomery Metropolitan Area * Tuscaloosa Metropolitan Area * Decatur Metropolitan Area * Florence-Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Area * Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area * Dothan Metropolitan Area * Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area * Gadsden Metropolitan Area
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Education [edit]
Colleges and Universities
Main article: List of colleges and universities in Alabama
* Air University * Alabama A&M University * Alabama State University * Andrew Jackson University * Athens State University * Auburn University * Auburn University Montgomery * Birmingham-Southern College * Bishop State Community College * Calhoun Community College System o Decatur-Main Campus o Huntsville/Cummings Research Park o Redstone Arsenal * Capps College * Concordia College-Selma * Faulkner University * Heritage Christian University * Huntingdon College * Jacksonville State University * Judson College * Miles College * Oakwood College * Remington College * Samford University * Selma University * Southeastern Bible College * Southern Christian University
* Spring Hill College * Stillman College * Talladega College * Troy University System (formerly "Troy State University System") o Main Campus (Troy) o Troy University at Dothan o Troy University at Montgomery o Troy University at Phenix City * Tuskegee University * United States Sports Academy * University of Alabama System o Main Campus (Tuscaloosa) o Birmingham o Huntsville * University of Mobile * University of Montevallo * University of North Alabama * University of South Alabama * University of West Alabama * Virginia College
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Miscellaneous topics
¹ The phrase The Heart of Dixie is required by state law to be included on standard state vehicle license plates, but has recently been reduced to a very small size and eclipsed by the phrase Stars Fell on Alabama. [edit]
See also
* Famous Alabamians * Music of Alabama
Cultural sites
* Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery * USS Alabama * U.S. Space & Rocket Center/U.S. Space Camp * Old State Bank * Vulcan statue
Events
* Alabama Shakespeare Festival * Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic * Spirit of America Festival * Mobile Bay jubilee * Alabama Sports Festival
Sports
* Rickwood Field * Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail * Point Mallard Aquatic Center * Talladega Superspeedway and the The International Motorsports Hall of Fame & Museum
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References
* Atkins, Leah Rawls, Wayne Flynt, William Warren Rogers, and David Ward. Alabama: The History of a Deep South State (1994) * Flynt, Wayne. Alabama in the Twentieth Century (2004) * Owen Thomas M. History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography 4 vols. 1921. * Jackson, Harvey H. Inside Alabama: A Personal History of My State (2004) * Peirce, Neal R. The Deep South States of America: People, Politics, and Power in the Seven Deep South States (1974). Information on politics and economics 1960-72. * Williams, Benjamin Buford. A Literary History of Alabama: The Nineteenth Century 1979. * WPA. Guide to Alabama (1939) * for a detailed bibliography see History of Alabama
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External links Find more information on Alabama by searching Wikipedia's sister projects:
Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary Textbooks from Wikibooks Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Images and media from Commons News stories from Wikinews
* Alabama.gov - Official website. * Alabama Association of Regional Councils * TourAlabama.org - Alabama Department of Tourism and Travel * Archives.state.al.us - Alabama Department of Archives and History o All About Alabama at the Archives Department site * Alabama National Guard - Alabama National Guard * Code of Alabama 1975 - at the Alabama Legislature site * Alabama QuickFacts from the U.S. Census Bureau * County Maps of Alabama - Full color maps. List of cities, towns and county seats * Alabama Literature from the Southern Literary Review
State of Alabama History | People | Rivers | Governors Capital Montgomery Major cities Anniston | Auburn | Birmingham | Decatur | Dothan | Florence | Gadsden | Hoover | Huntsville | Mobile | Montgomery | Tuscaloosa Metro Areas Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman | Huntsville-Decatur | Mobile | Montgomery | Anniston-Oxford | Auburn-Opelika | Decatur | Dothan | Gadsden | The Shoals | Tuscaloosa Regions Black Belt | Central Alabama | Lower Alabama | Mobile Bay | North Alabama | South Alabama Counties Autauga | Baldwin | Barbour | Bibb | Blount | Bullock | Butler | Calhoun | Chambers | Cherokee | Chilton | Choctaw | Clarke | Clay | Cleburne | Coffee | Colbert | Conecuh | Coosa | Covington | Crenshaw | Cullman | Dale | Dallas | DeKalb | Elmore | Escambia | Etowah | Fayette | Franklin | Geneva | Greene | Hale | Henry | Houston | Jackson | Jefferson | Lamar | Lauderdale | Lawrence | Lee | Limestone | Lowndes | Macon | Madison | Marengo | Marion | Marshall | Mobile | Monroe | Montgomery | Morgan | Perry | Pickens | Pike | Randolph | Russell | Shelby | St. Clair | Sumter | Talladega | Tallapoosa | Tuscaloosa | Walker | Washington | Wilcox | Winston Note: Cities over 100,000 and counties over 75,000 in population are bolded Political divisions of the United States States Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming Federal district District of Columbia Insular areas American Samoa | Guam | Northern Mariana Islands | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands COFA Republic of the Marshall Islands | Republic of Palau | Federated States of Micronesia Minor outlying islands Baker Island | Howland Island | Jarvis Island | Johnston Atoll | Kingman Reef | Midway Atoll | Navassa Island | Palmyra Atoll | Wake Island
Flag of Alaska Seal of Alaska Nickname(s): The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Map of the United States with Alaska highlighted Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area - Total
- Width
- Length
- % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 1st 663,267 sq mi 1,717,854 km² 808 miles 1,300 km 1,479 miles 2,380 km 13.77 54°40'N to 71°50'N 130°W to 173°E Population - Total (2000) - Density Ranked 47th 626,932 1.09/sq. mi 0.42/km² (50th) Elevation - Highest point
- Mean
- Lowest point
20,321 feet 6,194 m 10,039 feet 3,060 m 0 feet 0 m Admission to Union January 3, 1959 (49th) Governor Frank Murkowski (R) U.S. Senators Ted Stevens (R) Lisa Murkowski (R) Time zone(s) Alaska: UTC-9/-8 Aleutian: UTC-10/-9 (west of 169° 30') Abbreviations AK US-AK Web site www.state.ak.us
Alaska (IPA: [əˈlæskə]) U.S. state located on the west coast of North America.
Geography
Alaska is one of the two states that is not bordered by another US state, Hawaii being the other. It is the only state that both is in North America and is not part of the 48 contiguous states; about 500 miles (800 km) of Canadian territory separate Alaska from Washington. Therefore, Alaska is an exclave of the United States that is part of the continental U.S. but is not part of the contiguous U.S. It is also the only mainland state whose capital city is accessible only via ship or air. There are no roads connecting Juneau to the rest of the state.
It is bordered by Yukon Territory and British Columbia, Canada to the east, the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea to the west, and the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Alaska is the largest state by area in the United States. It is larger in area than all but 18 of the world's nations. Near Little Port Walter in Southeast Alaska. Enlarge Near Little Port Walter in Southeast Alaska.
Alaska is the largest state in the United States in terms of land area, 570,374 square miles (1,477,261 km²). In fact, it covers more than twice as much land than the next largest state, Texas. If a map of Alaska were superimposed upon a map of the Continental United States, Alaska would overlap Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico and Colorado. Alaska has the longest coastline of any state.
One scheme for describing the state's geography is by labeling the regions:
* South Central Alaska is the southern coastal region and is the population center for the state. The Municipality of Anchorage and many small but growing towns, such as Palmer, and Wasilla, lie within this area. Petroleum industrial plants, transportation, tourism, and two military bases form the core of the economy here. * The Alaska Panhandle, also known as Southeast Alaska, is home to Juneau, many small towns, tidewater glaciers and extensive forests. Tourism, fishing, forestry and state government anchor the economy. * The Alaska Interior is home to Fairbanks. The geography is marked by large braided rivers, such as the Yukon River and the Kuskokwim River, as well as Arctic tundra lands and shorelines. * The Alaskan Bush is the remote, less crowded part of the state, encompassing 380 native villages and small towns such as Nome, Bethel, Kotzebue and, most famously, Barrow, the northernmost town in the United States.
The northeast corner of Alaska is covered by the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which covers 19,049,236 acres (79,318 km²).
With its numerous islands, Alaska has nearly 34,000 miles (54,700 km) of tidal shoreline. The island chain extending west from the southern tip of the Alaska Peninsula is called the Aleutian Islands. Many active volcanoes are found in the Aleutians. For example, Unimak Island is home to Mount Shishaldin, a moderately active volcano that rises to 9,980 ft (3,042 m) above sea level. The chain of volcanoes extends to Mount Spurr, west of Anchorage on the mainland.
North America's second largest tides occur in Turnagain Arm just south of Anchorage, which often sees tidal differences of more than 35 feet (10.7 m).
Alaska is home to 3.5 million lakes of 20 acres (8 ha) or larger. Marshlands and wetland permafrost cover 188,320 square miles (487,747 km², mostly in northern, western and southwest flatlands. Frozen water, in the form of glacier ice, covers some 16,000 square miles (41,440 km²) of land and 1,200 square miles (3,108 km²) of tidal zone. The Bering Glacier complex near the southeastern border with Yukon, Canada, covers 2,250 square miles (5,827 km²) alone.
The Aleutian Islands actually cross longitude 180°, technically making Alaska the easternmost state as well as the westernmost - but nobody thinks of it that way because meridians of longitude are artificial lines drawn upon maps, whereas the peninsula that is Alaska and the Aleutian Islands that extend westward from it are physically and undeniably the westernmost points of North America. Alaska and, especially, the Aleutians are one of the extreme points of the United States. The International Date Line jogs west of 180° to keep the whole state, and thus the entire continental United States, within the same legal day.
According to the October 1998 report of the United States Bureau of Land Management, approximately 65% of Alaska is owned and managed by the U.S. Federal Government as national forests, national parks, and national wildlife refuges. Of these, the Bureau of Land Management manages 87 million acres (350,000 km²), or 23.8% of the state. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Of the remaining land area, the State of Alaska owns 24.5%; another 10% is managed by thirteen regional and dozens of local Native corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Various private interests own the remaining land, totaling less than 1%. Map of Alaska Map of Alaska - PDF
Alaska is administratively divided into "boroughs," as opposed to "counties." The function is the same, but whereas most states use a three-tiered system of decentralisation - state/county/township - Alaska only uses two tiers - state/borough. Owing to the state's low population density, most of the land is located in the Unorganized Borough which, as the name implies, has no intermediate borough government of its own, but is administered directly by the state government.
For purposes of the federal census, the state is also divided into a number of artificial divisions defined geographically by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. For a list of boroughs and census areas in Alaska, see List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska.
See also:
* List of Alaska rivers * List of Alaska National Parks * Alaska Peninsula * Bristol Bay
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History
Main article: History of Alaska
Alaska was first inhabited by humans who came across the Bering Land Bridge. Eventually, Alaska became populated by the Inupiaq, Inuit and Yupik Eskimos, Aleuts, and a variety of American Indian groups. Most, if not all, of the pre-Columbian population of the Americas probably took this route and continued further south and east.
The first written accounts indicate that the first Europeans to reach Alaska came from Russia. Vitus Bering sailed east and saw Mt. St. Elias. The Russian-American Company hunted sea otters for their fur. The colony was never very profitable, because of the costs of transportation.
The news of the British North America Act, 1867, was nervously received in Washington, DC. It would create, on July 1, 1867, "one dominion under the name of Canada," and this led to expressions of "grave misgivings on the establishment of a monarchial state to the north" in what Canadians then called "the republic to the south." (See McNaughton's excellent Short History of Canada.) U.S. Secretary of State William Seward thus urged, and the United States Senate thus approved the treaty authorizing the purchase of Alaska from Russia for US$7,200,000 on 9 April 1867. The United States took possession and the American flag was raised over Alaska on 18 October, which is commemorated as Alaska Day.
Russia still used the Julian Calendar in 1867, and the world had not yet been divided into standard time zones - thus, there was no international date line, and the day began in the morning instead of starting at midnight. So, whereas the American day now ends with sunset in western Alaska, the Russian day - in those days - started with sunrise in 'eastern' Alaska. Thus, Friday, October 6, 1867, the day before the physical transfer of ownership, was followed by Friday, October 18, 1867 - which was Saturday, October 7, 1867 in Russia. The change in date was due to America bringing the Gregorian Calendar to Alaska, which the lack of change in day resulted from Alaska's shift from being the starting point of the Russian day to being the ending point of the American day.
The first American administrator of Alaska was Polish immigrant Włodzimierz Krzyżanowski. The purchase was not popular in the United States, where it became known as "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox." Alaska celebrates the purchase each year on the last Monday of March, calling it Seward's Day.
Upon purchase, the area was called Department of Alaska. Between 1884 and 1912 it was called the District of Alaska. Alaska was granted territorial status in 1912. The Last Frontier State bird Willow Ptarmigan State land mammal Moose State marine mammal Bowhead Whale State fish King Salmon State insect Skimmer Dragonfly State flower Forget-me-not (Myosotis alpestris) State motto "North To The Future" State song "Alaska's Flag" State tree Sitka Spruce State fossil Woolly Mammoth State gem Jade State sport Dog Mushing
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act on 7 July 1958, and Alaska formally became a state on January 3, 1959.
Alaska suffered one of the worst earthquakes in recorded history on Good Friday 1964 (see Good Friday Earthquake).
In 1976, the people of Alaska amended the state's constitution, establishing the Alaska Permanent Fund. The fund invests a portion of the state's mineral revenue, including revenue from the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline System, "to benefit all generations of Alaskans." In March 2005, the fund's value was over $30 billion.
Prior to 1983, the state lay across four different time zones—Pacific Standard Time (UTC -8 hours) in the southeast panhandle, a small area of Yukon Standard Time (UTC -9 hours) around Yakutat, Alaska–Hawaii Standard Time (UTC -10 hours) in the Anchorage and Fairbanks vicinity, with the Nome area and most of the Aleutian Islands observing Bering Standard Time (UTC -11 hours). In 1983 the number of time zones was reduced to two, with the entire mainland plus the inner Aleutian Islands going to UTC -9 hours (and this zone then being renamed Alaska Standard Time as the Yukon Territory had several years earlier (circa 1975) adopted a single time zone identical to Pacific Standard Time), and the remaining Aleutian Islands were slotted into the UTC −10 hours zone, which was then renamed Hawaii–Aleutian Standard Time.
Over the years various vessels have been named USS Alaska, in honor of the state.
During World War II three of the outer Aleutian Islands—Attu, Agattu and Kiska—were occupied by Japanese troops. It was the only territory within the current borders of the United States to have land occupied during the war. [edit]
Demographics Historical populations Census year Population 1950 128,643 1960 226,167 1970 300,382 1980 401,851 1990 550,043 2000 626,932
As of 2005, Alaska has an estimated population of 663,661, which is an increase of 5,906, or 0.9%, from the prior year and an increase of 36,730, or 5.9%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 36,590 people derived from its 53,132 births of which 16,542 deaths is subtracted from, and an increase due to net migration of 1,181 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 5,800 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 4,619 people.
Alaska is the least densely populated state. The population of the state is 626,932, according to the 2000 U.S. census. Alaska is most likely ranked the fourth smallest state population wise in the U.S. with Wyoming, Vermont, and by now North Dakota smaller than Alaska. Alaska Population Density Map Enlarge Alaska Population Density Map [edit]
Race and ancestry
The racial breakdown of the state is:
* 67.6% White (Non-Hispanic) * 15.6% Native American or Alaska Native * 4.1% Hispanic * 4% Asian * 3.5% Black * 5.4% Mixed race
The largest ancestry groups in the state are: German (16.6%), Alaska Native or American Indian (15.6%), Irish (10.8%), English (9.6%), American (5.7%), and Norwegian (4.2%). Alaska has the largest percentage of American Indians (16%) of any state.
The vast, sparsely populated bush regions of northern and western Alaska are primarily inhabited by Alaska Natives, and they also have a large presence in the southeast. Anchorage, Fairbanks, and other parts of south-central and southeast Alaska have many whites of northern and western European ancestry. The Wrangell-Petersburg area has many residents of Scandinavian ancestry and the Aleutians have many Filipinos. Most of the state's black population lives in Anchorage.
As of 2000, 85.7% of Alaska residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 5.2% speak Native American languages. Spanish speakers make up 2.9% of the population, followed by Tagalog speakers at 1.5% and Korean at 0.8%. [edit]
Religion
* Christian – 81% o Protestant – 68% + Baptist – 11% + Lutheran – 8% + Methodist – 6% + Pentecostal – 2% + Episcopal – 1% + Quaker – 1% o Orthodox – 8% o Catholic – 7% o Latter-day Saint – 1% * Other religions – 1% * Not religious/agnostic – 17%
Notable is Alaska's relatively large Eastern Orthodox Christian population, a result of early Russian colonization and missionary work among indigenous Alaskans. [edit]
Economy Greetings from Alaska. Enlarge Greetings from Alaska.
The state's 2003 total gross state product was $31 billion. Its per-capita income for 2003 was $33,213, 14th in the nation. Alaska's main export is seafood. Agriculture represents only a fraction of the Alaska economy. Agricultural production is primarily for consumption within the state and includes nursery stock, dairy products, vegetables, and livestock. Manufacturing is limited, with most foodstuffs and general goods imported from elsewhere. Employment is primarily in government and industries such as natural resource extraction, shipping, and transportation. Military bases are a significant component of the economy in both Fairbanks and Anchorage. Its industrial outputs are crude petroleum, natural gas, coal, gold, precious metals, zinc and other mining, seafood processing, timber and wood products. There is also a growing service and tourism sector. Tourists have contributed to the economy by supporting local lodging.
The cost of goods in Alaska has long been higher than in the contiguous 48 states. This has changed for the most part in Anchorage and Fairbanks, where the cost of living is actually less than some major cities in the Lower 48, thanks to lower housing and transportation costs. The introduction of big-box stores in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau also did much to lower prices. However, rural Alaska suffers from extremely high prices for food and consumer goods, compared to the rest of the country due to the relatively limited transportation infrastructure. Many rural residents come in to these cities and purchase food and goods in bulk from warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam's Club. Some have embraced the free shipping offers of some online retailers to purchase items much more cheaply than they could in their own communities, if they are available at all.
Alaska is one of only six states that do not collect state sales tax and one of seven states that do not levy an individual income tax. To finance state government operations, Alaska depends primarily on petroleum revenues. The Department of Revenue Tax Division reports regularly on the state's revenue sources. The Department also issues an annual overview of its operations, including new state laws that directly affect the tax division. While Alaska does not charge a state sales tax, 89 municipalities collect a local sales tax, with a range of between 1 percent and 7 percent. Typical sales tax rates are 3 to 5 percent. Other types of local taxes levied include raw fish taxes, hotel and motel "bed" taxes, severance taxes, liquorand tobacco taxes, gaming (pull tabs) taxes, tire taxes and fuel transfer taxes. A percentage of revenue collected from certain state taxes and license fees (such as petroleum, aviation motor fuel, telephone cooperative) is shared with municipalities in Alaska. Property taxes are reasonable too, with only 25 of 161 incorporated municipalities or boroughs in the state assessing property taxes. The average per capita property tax paid in all municipalities, excluding oil and gas properties, was US$999 (2003 data). [edit]
Transportation Bridge on Alaska Highway between Watson Lake and Whitehorse. Enlarge Bridge on Alaska Highway between Watson Lake and Whitehorse.
Alaska is arguably the least-connected state in terms of road transportation. The state's road system covers a relatively small area of the state, linking the central population centers and the Alaska Highway, the principal route out of the state through Canada. The state capital, Juneau, is not accessible by road, which has spurred several debates over the decades about moving the capital to a city on the road system. One unique feature of the road system is the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, which links the Seward Highway south of Anchorage with the relatively isolated community of Whittier. The tunnel held the title of the longest road tunnel in North America (at nearly 2.5 miles [4 km]) until completion of the 3.5 mile (5.6km) Interstate 93 tunnel as part of the "Big Dig" project in Boston, Massachusetts. The Anderson Tunnel combines a one-lane roadway and train tracks in the same housing. Consequently, eastbound traffic, westbound traffic, and the Alaska Railroad must share the tunnel, resulting in waits of 20 minutes or more to enter. As reflected on the Alaska Department of Transportation Tunnel Website, it is now considered "North America's longest railroad-highway tunnel."
The Alaska Railroad runs from Seward through Anchorage, Denali, and Fairbanks to North Pole, with spurs to Whittier and Palmer. The railroad is famous for its summertime passenger services but also plays a vital part in moving Alaska's natural resources, such as coal and gravel, to ports in Anchorage, Whittier and Seward. The Alaska Railroad is the only remaining railroad in North America to use cabooses on its freight trains. A stretch of the track along an area inaccessible by road serves as the only transportation to cabins in the area.
Most cities and villages in the state are accessible only by sea or air. Alaska has a well-developed ferry system, known as the Alaska Marine Highway, which serves the cities of Southeast and the Alaska Peninsula. The system also operates a ferry service from Bellingham, Washington up the Inside Passage to Skagway. Cities not served by road or sea can only be reached by air, accounting for Alaska's extremely well-developed Bush air services—an Alaskan novelty.
Anchorage itself, and to a lesser extent Fairbanks, are serviced by many major airlines. Air travel is the cheapest and most efficient form of transportation in and out of the state. Anchorage recently completed extensive remodeling and construction at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to help accommodate the upsurge in tourism (unofficial sources have estimated the numbers for 2004 at some four million tourists arriving in Alaska between May and September).
However, regular flights to most villages and towns within the state are commercially challenging to provide. Alaska Airlines is the only major airline offering in-state travel with jet service (sometimes in combination cargo and passenger Boeing 737-200s) from Anchorage and Fairbanks to regional hubs like Bethel, Nome, Kotzebue, Dillingham, Kodiak, and other larger communities as well as to major Southeast and Alaska Peninsula communities. The bulk of remaining commercial flight offerings come from small regional commuter airlines like: Era Aviation, PenAir, and Frontier Flying Service. The smallest towns and villages must rely on scheduled or chartered Bush flying services using general aviation aircraft such as the Cessna Caravan, the most popular aircraft in use in the state. Much of this service can be attributed to the Alaska bypass mail program which subsidizes bulk mail delivery to Alaskan rural communities. The program requires 70% of that subsidy to go to carriers who offer passenger service to the communities. But perhaps the most quintessentially Alaskan plane is the Bush seaplane. The world's busiest seaplane base is Lake Hood, located next to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, where flights bound for remote villages without an airstrip carry passengers, cargo, and lots of items from stores and warehouse clubs.
Another Alaskan transportation method is the dogsled. In modern times, dog mushing is more of a sport than a true means of transportation. Various races are held around the state, but the best known is the Iditarod, a 1,150-mile (1850 km) trail from Anchorage to Nome. The race commemorates the famous 1925 serum run to Nome in which mushers and dogs like Balto took much-needed medicine to the diphtheria-stricken community of Nome when all other means of transportation had failed. Mushers from all over the world come to Anchorage each March to compete for cash prizes and prestige. [edit]
Law and government
Alaska is often characterized as a Republican-leaning state with strong Libertarian tendencies. Local political communities often work on issues related to land use development, fishing, tourism, and individual rights as many residents are proud of their rough Alaskan heritage.
Alaska Natives, while organized in and around their communities, are often active within the Native corporations which have been given ownership over large tracts of land, and thus need to deliberate resource conservation and development issues.
In presidential elections, the state's Electoral College votes have been most often won by a Republican nominee. Only once has Alaska supported a Democratic nominee, when it supported Lyndon B. Johnson in the landslide year of 1964, although the 1960 and 1968 elections were close. No state has voted for a Democratic presidential candidate fewer times. President George W. Bush won the state's electoral votes in 2004 by a margin of 25 percentage points with 61.1% of the vote. Juneau stands out as an area that supports Democratic candidates.
When the United States Congress, in 1957 and 1958, debated the wisdom of admitting it as the 49th state, much of the political debate centered on whether Alaska would become a Democratic or Republican-leaning state. Conventional wisdom had it that, with its penchant for new ideas and dependence on the Federal Government largess for basic needs, it would become a Democratic stronghold, about which Republicans, and the Republican Administration of Dwight Eisenhower had reservations. Given time, those fears proved roundly unfounded. After an early flirtatious period with liberal politics, the political climate of Alaska changed quickly once petroleum was discovered and the federal government came to be seen as 'meddling' in local affairs. Still, despite its libertarian leanings, the state regularly takes in more federal money than it gives out, a fact that can be attributed at least partially to its equal representation in the United States Senate.
In recent years, the Alaska Legislature is a 20-member Senate serving 4-year terms and 40-member House serving 2-year terms. It has been dominated by conservatives, generally Republicans. Likewise, recent state governors have been mostly conservatives, although not always elected under the official 'Party' banner. Republican Wally Hickel was elected to the office for a second term in 1990 after jumping the Republican ship and briefly joining the Alaskan Independence Party ticket just long enough to be reelected. He subsequently officially 'rejoined' the Republican fold in 1994.
Alaska's members of the U.S. Congress are all Republican. U.S. Senator Ted Stevens was appointed to the position following the death of U.S. Senator Bob Bartlett in December of 1968, and has never lost a re-election campaign since. As the longest-serving Republican in the Senate (some political wits call him Senator-For-Life), Stevens has been a crucial force in gaining Federal money for his state.
Until his resignation from the U.S. Senate to run for governor, Republican Frank Murkowski held the state's other senatorial position and, as governor, was allowed to appoint his daughter, Lisa Murkowski as his successor. She won a full six-year term on her own in 2004.
Alaska's sole U.S. House Representative, Don Young won re-election to his 17th-straight term, also in 2004. His seniority in House ranks him as one of the most influential Republican House members. His position on the House Transportation Committee allowed him to parlay some $450 million to two bridge projects in Alaska, named the Bridges to Nowhere, for which he gained national notoriety following the devastation in the State of Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina and his insistence that the money not be returned to aid in rebuilding the Gulf Coast. [edit]
Important cities and towns
Alaska's most populous city is Anchorage, home of 260,283 people, 225,744 of whom live in the urbanized area. It ranks third in the List of U.S. cities by area, behind two other Alaskan cities. Sitka ranks as America's largest city by area, followed closely by Juneau. The fishing town of Sitka. Enlarge The fishing town of Sitka.
* Bethel * Barrow * Kenai * Soldotna * Unalaska * Kotzebue * Nome * North Pole * Houston
* Petersburg * Homer * Dillingham * Valdez * Seward * Delta Junction * Glennallen * Circle * Unalakleet
[edit]
25 richest places in Alaska
Ranked by per capita income:
1. Halibut Cove, Alaska $89,895
2. Chicken, Alaska $65,400
3. Edna Bay, Alaska $58,967
4. Sunrise, Alaska $56,000
5. Lowell Point, Alaska $45,790
6. Petersville, Alaska $43,200
7. Coldfoot, Alaska $42,620
8. Port Clarence, Alaska $35,286
9. Hobart Bay, Alaska $34,900
10. Red Dog Mine, Alaska $34,348
11. Adak, Alaska $31,747
12. Meyers Chuck, Alaska $31,660
13. Pelican, Alaska $29,347
14. Ester, Alaska $29,155
15. Chignik Lagoon, Alaska $28,941
16. Four Mile Road, Alaska $28,465
17. Healy, Alaska $28,225
18. Moose Pass, Alaska $28,147
19. Cube Cove, Alaska $27,920
20. Womens Bay, Alaska $27,746
21. Skagway, Alaska $27,700
22. Nelson Lagoon, Alaska $27,596
23. Valdez, Alaska $27,341
24. McKinley Park, Alaska $27,255
25. Attu Station, Alaska $26,964
See also: Richest Places in Alaska [edit]
Education [edit]
Colleges and universities
* University of Alaska System o University of Alaska Anchorage o University of Alaska Fairbanks o University of Alaska Southeast * Alaska Bible College * Alaska Pacific University * Charter College * Ilisagvik College * Sheldon Jackson College
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Miscellaneous topics
The name "Alaska" is most likely derived from the Aleut word Alyeska, meaning greater land as opposed to the Aleut word Aleutia, meaning lesser land. To the Aleuts, this distinction was a linguistic variation distinguishing the mainland from an island. [edit]
Social issues
Alaska has long had a problem with alcohol use and abuse. Many rural communities in Alaska have outlawed its import. "Dry", "wet", and "damp" are terms describing a community's laws on liquor consumption. This problem directly relates to Alaska's high rate of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) as well as contributing to the high rate of suicides. This is a controversial topic for many residents.
Alaska has also had a problem with "brain drain" as many of its young people, including most of the highest academic achievers, leave the state upon graduating high school. While for many this functions as a sort of walkabout, many do not return to the state. The University of Alaska has been successfully combating this by offering four-year scholarships to the top 10 percent of Alaska high school graduates, the Alaska Scholars Program.
Domestic abuse and other violent crimes are also at notoriously high levels in the state; this is in part linked to alcohol abuse. [edit]
Notable Alaskans
The National Statuary Hall of the United States of America is part of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Each state has selected one or two distinguished citizens and provided statues. Alaska's are of its first two senators:
* Edward Lewis "Bob" Bartlett (1904–1968) was the territorial delegate to the US Congress from 1944 to 1958, and was elected as the first senior U.S. Senator in 1958 and re-elected in 1964. There are streets, buildings, and even the first state ferry, named for him. * Ernest Gruening (1886–1974) was appointed Governor of the Territory of Alaska in 1939, and served in that position for fourteen years. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1958 and re-elected in 1962. * Jay Hammond (1922–2005) was Governor during the building of the Alaska Pipeline and established the Alaska Permanent Fund, providing Alaskans with essentially free money. He is regarded as somewhat of a hero because of this. He was also governor during passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and effectively served to moderate associated issues within the state among disparate interest groups ranging from conservationists to natives to pro-development interests. * Fran Ulmer was the first woman elected to statewide office—she became Lieutenant Governor in 1994. * George Sharrock (1910–2005) moved to the territory before statehood, eventually elected as the mayor of Anchorage and served during the Good Friday Earthquake in March 1964. This was the most devastating earthquake to hit Alaska and it sunk beach property, damaged roads and destroyed buildings all over the south central area. Sharrock, sometimes called the "earthquake mayor," led the city's rebuilding effort over six months.
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Motto
"North to the Future" is the official state motto of Alaska, adopted by the Alaska Legislature for the 1967 centennial of the Alaska Purchase. The motto, meant to portray Alaska as a land of promise, was coined by Juneau journalist Richard Peter, who called it "a reminder that beyond the horizon of urban clutter there is a Great Land beneath our flag that can provide a new tomorrow for this century's 'huddled masses yearning to be free'." [edit]
External links Find more information on Alaska by searching Wikipedia's sister projects:
Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary Textbooks from Wikibooks Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Images and media from Commons News stories from Wikinews
* Wikia has a wiki about: Alaska * State of Alaska website * US Census Bureau * Alaska.com Information * Alaska Travel Industry Association * Alaska Newspapers * Photos of Alaska
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Political parties
* Alaska Republican Party * Alaska Democratic Party * Alaska Republican Moderate Party * Alaskan Independence Party * Alaska Libertarian Party * Alaska Green Party
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Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Type Public TYO: 7267 Founded September 24, 1948 Location Tokyo, Japan Key people Soichiro Honda, Founder Takeo Fukui, CEO Industry Automobile & Truck manufacturer Products automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, electrical generators, robotics, marine equipment, and lawn and garden equipment Revenue $79.222 billion USD (2004) Employees 131,600 Website www.honda.co.jp
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (in Japanese: 本田技研工業株式 社, in romaji: Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki Kaisha) TYO: 7267 (NYSE: HMC), is a Japanese manufacturer of automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, and scooters. They also make ATVs, water craft, electrical generators, marine engines, and lawn and garden equipment. With more than 14 million internal combustion engines built each year, Honda is the largest engine-maker in the world. In 2004, the company began to produce diesel motors, which were both very quiet whilst not requiring particulate filters to pass pollution standards. Honda's high-end line of cars are branded Acura in North America. It is arguable, however, that the foundation of Honda's success is the motorcycle division.
Honda is headquartered in Tokyo. Their shares trade on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange, as well as exchanges in Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kyoto, Fukuoka, London, Paris and Switzerland. American Honda Motor Co., is based in Torrance, CA. Honda Canada is based in Alliston, Ontario.
Company history The 1832cc Honda Rune motorcycle Enlarge The 1832cc Honda Rune motorcycle
Soichiro Honda began by manufacturing piston rings in November 1937. He quickly became a sub-contractor to Toyota, and then expanded into other engine parts.
On September 24, 1948 the Honda Motor Co. was founded. Soichiro Honda took advantage of a gap in the Japanese market that was decimated by World War II, Japan was starved of money and fuel, but still in need of basic transport. Honda, utilizing his manufacturing facilities, attached an engine to a bicycle, creating the cheap and efficient transport that was required.
The Honda piston manufacturing facilities were almost completely destroyed. Soichiro Honda created a new company with what he had left, giving it the unusual name of "Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki Kaisha" which translates to "Honda Research Institute Co. Ltd." Despite its grandiose name, the first facility bearing that name was a simple wooden shack where Mr. Honda and associates would fit engines to bicycles. Interestingly, the official Japanese name for Honda Motor Co. Ltd. remains the same, in honor of Soichiro Honda's efforts.
Honda quickly began to produce a range of scooters and motorcycles and Soichiro Honda quickly recovered from the losses incurred during the war. By the late 1960s, Honda had conquered most world markets. The British were especially slow to respond to the Honda introduction of electric starters to motorcycles. By the 1970s, Honda was the largest producer of motorcycles in the world, a title it has never relinquished.
Honda began producing road cars in 1960, mostly intended for the Japanese market. Though participating in international motorsport (see Racing), Honda was having difficulty selling its automobiles in the United States. Built for Japanese buyers, Honda's small cars had failed to gain the interest of American buyers.
Honda finally established a foothold in the American market in 1972 with the introduction of the Civic—larger than their previous models, but still small compared to the typical American car—just as the 1970s energy crisis was impacting worldwide economies. New emissions laws in the US, requiring American car makers to affix expensive catalytic converters to exhaust systems, noticeably increased sticker prices. However, Honda's introduction of the 1975 Civic CVCC, CVCC being a variation on the stratified charge engine, allowed the Civic to pass emissions tests without a catalytic converter.
In 1976, the Accord was immediately popular because of its economy and fun-to-drive nature; Honda had found its niche in the United States. In 1982, Honda was the first Japanese car manufacturer to build car plants in the US, starting with an Accord plant in Marysville, Ohio. They now have plants in Marysville, Anna, and East Liberty, as well as in Lincoln, Alabama (Honda Manufacturing of Alabama), and Timmonsville, South Carolina, and plan to open a new plant in Tallapoosa, Georgia. Honda's North American and U.S. headquarters are located in Torrance, California. Honda's Canadian and many US-market Civics are manufactured in their plant in Alliston, Ontario since 1985.
Honda was also the second Japanese automaker to introduce a separate luxury line of vehicles. Created in 1986 and known as Acura, the line is made up of modified versions of Honda vehicles usually with more power and sportiness than their Honda counterparts.
In 1989 Honda launched their VTEC variable valve timing system in its production car engines, which gave improved efficiency and performance across a broader range of engine speeds. One of the first of its kind in passenger vehicles, it worked on the premise of tuning one engine to operate at two different 'settings' depending on load. Normal driving would use a "shorter" cam lobe that resulted in more efficient operation. A more aggressive, longer duration, cam engages when engine RPM reaches a set point resulting in more power during hard acceleration.
For the 2007 model year, Honda plans to improve the safety of its vehicles by providing front-seat side airbags, side-curtain airbags, and anti-lock brakes as standard equipment in all automobiles available in North America (except the Insight, S2000, and Acura NSX, which will not have side-curtain airbags). By 2006, Honda plans to have as standard equipment Vehicle Safety Assist and rollover sensors in all light trucks, including the CR-V, Odyssey, and Acura MDX. Honda also plans to make its vehicles safer for pedestrians, with more safely-designed hoods, hinges, frame constructs, and breakaway wiper pivots. [edit]
Racing history
See also Honda F1
Soichiro Honda, being a race driver himself, could not stay out of international motorsport. In 1959, Honda entered five motorcycles into the Isle of Man TT race, the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world. While always having good power, it took until 1961 for Honda to tune their chassis well enough to allow Mike Hailwood to claim their first race victories in the 125 and 250 cc classes. Hailwood would later pick up their first senior TT win in 1966.
In 1968, Jo Schlesser was killed in a Honda RA302 at the French Grand Prix. This racing tragedy, coupled with their commercial difficulties selling automobiles in the United States, prompted Honda to withdraw from all international motorsport that year.
In 2003, Honda became an engine supplier to the Indy Racing League. In 2004, Honda-powered cars won 14 of 16 IRL events, including the Indianapolis 500, and claimed the IRL Manufacturers' Championship, Drivers' Championship and Rookie of the Year titles. [edit]
During the 1960s, when it was a small manufacturer, Honda broke out of the Japanese motorcycle market and began exporting to the US. Taking Honda’s story as an archetype of the smaller manufacturer entering a new market already occupied by highly dominant competitors, the story of their market entry, and their subsequent huge success in the US and around the world, has been the subject of some academic controversy. Competing explanations have been advanced to explain Honda’s strategy and the reasons for their success.
The first of these explanations was put forward when, in 1975, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) was commissioned by the UK government to write a report explaining why and how the British motorcycle industry had been out-competed by its Japanese competitors. The report concluded that the Japanese firms, including Honda, had sought a very high scale of production (they had made a large number of motorbikes) in order to benefit from economies of scale and learning curve effects. It blamed the decline of the British motorcycle industry on the failure of British managers to invest enough in their businesses to profit from economies of scale and scope.
The second story is told in 1984 by Richard Pascale, who had interviewed the Honda executives responsible for the firm’s entry into the US market. As opposed to the tightly focused strategy of low cost and high scale that BCG accredited to Honda, Pascale found that their entry into the US market was a story of “miscalculation, serendipity, and organizational learning” – in other words, Honda’s success was due to the adaptability (and hard work) of its staff, rather than any long term strategy. For example, Honda’s initial plan on entering the US was to compete in large motorcycles, around 300cc. It was only when the team found that the scooters they were using to get themselves around their US base of San Francisco attracted positive interest from consumers that they came up with the idea of selling the Supercub.
The most recent school of thought on Honda’s strategy was put forward by Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad in 1989. Creating the concept of core competencies with Honda as an example, they argued that Honda’s success was due to its focus on leadership in the technology of internal combustion engines. For example, the high power-to-weight ratio engines Honda produced for its racing bikes provided technology and expertise which was transferable into mopeds.
Honda's entry into the US motorcycle market during the 1960s is used as a case study for teaching introductory strategy at many business schools worldwide. [edit]
Robots
* ASIMO ASIMO, a bipedal humanoid robot * ASIMO Humanoid Robot - Official US Site
* List of Honda engines * List of Honda Engine Throttle Body Sizes * List of Honda vehicles * Honda Automotive VIN codes * List of Honda motorcycles * Acura * Honda Type-R * VTEC * Dongfeng Honda Automobile Company - joint venture * Honda Automobile (China) Company - importer of cars into China * Honda Canada Inc. * Honda "Cog" commercial * Honda engine swaps
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External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Category:Honda
* Sites for only Automobile o Temple of VTEC, enthusiast site o nonVTEC.com enthusiast site o Official automobiles site (US) o Official parts and accessories site o EPA 2004 Fuel Economy Report (Honda) o AMAYAMA.COM - Honda all specs, generations and pics. o Honda Gallery o Honda Performance Club - Swedish enthusiast site o Honda S2000, enthusiast site o 7th Generation Honda Civic enthusiast site (7thgencivic.com) o 8th Generation Honda Civic enthusiast site (8thgencivic.com)
* Sites for only Motorcycle o Official motorcycles site (US) o Honda Motocross - Official Site o Honda Road Racing - Official Site o Honda Off-road Racing - Official Site o Honda Gallery an enthusiast site — features every Honda motorcycle by Motorera.com o Honda motorcycle resources, SOHC4 enthusiast site o High resolution Honda pictures o High quality Honda motorcycles pictures
* Sites for both Automobile and Motorcycle o Honda Global site o Honda USA o Honda Canada o Honda Pakistan o Honda UK o Honda Australia o Honda-Tech, technical expertise o Honda News o Honda Press Library (Japanese, but with graphical timelines of car and bike models)
* Sites for Portable Generators o Honda Generators - Official US Site o Honda Generators
* Sites for Marine Outboard and Other Engines o Honda Outboard Motors - Official US Site o Honda Engines - Official US Site
* Adverts o Famous Honda Accord - The Cog - TV Advert o New 2006 Honda Civic - TV Advert o Power of Dreams - TV Advert o Honda - Crazy Sensible - TV Advert o Honda FR-V - Dots - TV Advert o Honda - Yume no Chikara - TV Advert o Honda - HR-V 'Joy Machine' - TV Adverts
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References
* "Move Over, Volvo: Honda Sets New Safety Standard for Itself", an article in the "News" section of the March, 2004 issue of Motor Trend, on page 32 * 2004 Annual Corporate Report * The story of Honda's entry and growth in the American market is documented in Terry Sanders' film The Japan Project: Made in Japan.
Honda logo
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Technology is a word with origins in the Greek word technologia (τεχν& omicron;λο για), techne (τεχν& eta;) "craft" and logia (λογ ια) "saying." It is an broad term dealing with the use and knowledge of humanity's tools and crafts.
Different meanings of technology
Depending on context, the word technology has the following definitions and uses: [edit]
In its most common use, technology refers to tools and machines that may be used to help solve problems. In this use, technology is a far-reaching term that may include both simple tools, such as a wooden spoon, and complex tools, such as a space station or the written sets of procedures and maintenance manuals for it. [edit]
Technology as technique
In this use, technology is the current state of our knowledge of how to combine resources to produce desired products, to solve problems, fulfill needs, or satisfy wants. Technology in this sense includes technical methods, skills, processes, techniques, tools and raw materials (for example, in such uses as computer technology, construction technology, or medical technology). [edit]
Technology as a cultural force
Technology can also be viewed as an activity that forms or changes culture (such as in manufacturing technology, infrastructure technology, or space-travel technology). (McGinn)
As a cultural activity, technology predates both science and engineering, each of which formalize some aspects of technological endeavor. This is not to imply that technology is the only, or the dominant, culture-forming activity. Culture itself acts strongly upon, and shapes, the form and nature of technology. However, due to the increasingly widespread use of ever more complex technologies and their frequently unintended consequences, problems arise in their use. These which have been separately studied. Such topics include technological ethics, environmental effects, technological byproducts, and technological risk. The cultural force of technology (e.g., as seen in the invention of writing) may be said to be the driving force that sets us apart from other species. [edit]
Science, engineering and technology
The distinctions between science, engineering and technology are not always clear. Generally, science is the reasoned investigation or study of nature, aimed at discovering enduring relationships (principles) among elements of the (phenomenal) world. It generally employs formal techniques, i.e., some set of established rules of procedure, such as the scientific method. Engineering is the use of scientific principles to achieve a planned result. However, technology broadly involves the use and application of knowledge (e.g., scientific, engineering, mathematical, language, and historical), both formally and informally, to achieve some "practical" result (Roussel, et al.).
For example, science might study the flow of electrons in electrical conductors. This knowledge may then be used by engineers to create artifacts, such as semiconductors, computers, and other forms of advanced technology. In this sense, scientists and engineers may both be considered technologists, but scientists generally less so. [edit]
History of technology
Main article: History of technology
See also: Timeline of invention
See also: History of science and technology
Flint spear, circa 100,000BC Enlarge Flint spear, circa 100,000BC
The history of technology is at least as old as humanity. Some primitive forms of tools have been discovered with almost every find of ancient human remains dating from the time of homo habilis). Nevertheless, other animals have been found to use tools—and to learn to use and refine tools—so it is incorrect to distinguish humans as the only tool-using or tool-making animal. The history of technology follows a progression from simple tools and simple (mostly human) energy sources to complex high-technology tools and energy sources.
The earliest technologies converted readily occurring natural resources (such as rock, wood and other vegetation, bone and other animal byproducts) into simple tools. Processes such as carving, chipping, scraping, rolling (the wheel), and sun-baking are simple means for the conversion of raw materials into usable products. Anthropologists have uncovered many early human habitations and tools made from natural resources. Birds and other animals often build elaborate nests and some simple tools out of various materials. We normally don't consider them to be performing a technological feat, primarily because such behavior is largely instinctive. There is some evidence of occasional cultural transferrence, especially among the other, nonhuman primates. Nevertheless, there is now considerable evidence of such simple technology among animals other than humans.
The use, and then mastery, of fire (circa 1,000,000 - 500,000 BC [1]) was a turning point in man's technological evolution, affording a simple energy source with many profound uses. Perhaps the first use of fire beyond providing heat was the preparation of food. This enabled a significant increase in the vegetable and animal sources of food, while greatly reducing perishability.
The use of fire extended the capability for the treatment of natural resources and allowed the use of natural resources that require heat to be useful. (The oldest projectile found is a wooden spear with fire hardened point, circa 250,000 BC.) Wood and charcoal were among the first materials used as a fuel. Wood, clay, and rock (such as limestone), were among the earliest materials shaped or treated by fire, for making artifacts such as weapons, pottery, bricks, and cement. Continuing improvements led to the furnace and bellows and provided the ability to smelt and forge native metals (naturally occurring in relatively pure form). Gold, copper, silver, and lead, were such early metals. The advantages of copper tools over stone, bone, and wooden tools were quickly apparent to early humans, and native copper was probably used from near the beginning of Neolithic times (about 8000 BCE). Native copper does not naturally occur in large amounts, but copper ores are quite common and some of them produce metal easily when burned in wood or charcoal fires. The wheel was invented circa 4000 BCE. Enlarge The wheel was invented circa 4000 BCE.
Eventually, the working of metals led to the discovery of alloys such as bronze and brass (about 4000 BCE). The first uses of iron alloys such as steel dates to around 1400 BCE.
Meanwhile, humans were learning to harness other forms of energy. The earliest known use of wind power is the sailboat. The earliest record of a ship under sail is shown on an Egyptian pot dating back to 3200 BCE. From prehistoric times, Egyptians probably used "the power of the Nile" annual floods to irrigate their lands, gradually learning to regulate much of it through purposely built irrigation channels and 'catch' basins. Similarly, the early peoples of Mesopotamia, the Sumerians, learned to use the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for much the same purposes. But more extensive use of wind and water (and even human) power required another invention.
It is still a mystery as to who invented the wheel and when and why it was invented. According to some archaeologists, it was probably originally invented about 8000 B.C. The wheel was almost certainly independently invented in Mesopotamia -— present-day Iraq. Estimates on when this may have occurred range from 5500 to 3000 B.C., with most guesses closer to a 4000 B.C. date. The oldest artifacts with drawings that depict wheeled carts date from about 3000 B.C., though for all anyone knows, the wheel may have been in use for millennia before these drawings were made. But there is also evidence from the same period of time that wheels were used for the production of pottery. (Note that the original potter's wheel was probably not a wheel -— but rather an irregularly shaped slab of flat wood with a small hollowed or pierced area near the center and mounted on a peg driven into the earth. It would have been rotated by repeated tugs by the potter or his assistant.) More recently, the oldest-known wooden wheel in the world was found in the Ljubljana marshes of Slovenia.
The invention of the wheel revolutionized activities as disparate as transportation, war, and the production of pottery (for which it may have been first used). It didn't take long to discover that wheeled wagons could be used to carry heavy loads and fast (rotary) potters' wheels enabled early mass production of pottery. But it was the use of the wheel as a transformer of energy (through water wheels and windmills and even treadmills) that revolutionized the application of nonhuman power sources.
Tools include both simple machines (such as the lever, the screw, and the pulley), and more complex machines (such as the clock, the engine, the electric generator and the electric motor, the computer, radio, and the Space Station, among many others). Integrated circuit Enlarge Integrated circuit
As tools increase in complexity, so does the type of knowledge needed to support them. Complex modern machines require libraries of written technical manuals of collected information that has continually increased and improved -— their designers, builders, maintainers, and users often require the mastery of decades of sophisticated general and specific training. Moreover, these tools have become so complex that a comprehensive infrastructure of technical knowledge-based lesser tools, processes and practices (complex tools in themselves) exist to support them, including engineering, medicine, and computer science. Complex manufacturing and construction techniques and organizations are needed to construct and maintain them. Entire industries have arisen to support and develop succeding generations of increasingly more complex tools. [edit]
Electronics Growth of transistor counts for Intel processors (dots) and Moore's Law (upper line=18 months; lower line=24 months) Enlarge Growth of transistor counts for Intel processors (dots) and Moore's Law (upper line=18 months; lower line=24 months)
Electronics items have grown ever smaller and more sophisticated. Components have progressed from vacuum tubes, through transistors, to integrated circuits.
Moore's law is about the empirical observation, that at our rate of technological development, the complexity of an integrated circuit, with respect to minimum component cost, will double approximately every 18 months.
It is attributed to Gordon E. Moore[2], a co-founder of Intel. However, Moore had heard Douglas Engelbart's similar observation possibly in 1965. Engelbart, a co-inventor of today's mechanical computer mouse, believed that the ongoing improvement of integrated circuits would eventually make interactive computing feasible.
These advances have pervaded many aspects of life in the industrialized world, such as leading to personal computers, advanced telecommunications, computerized parts within many simpler machines, and digital entertainment.
But unintended consequences include potential for identity theft. In addition, although eqipment such as cellular phones can backfire, by connecting people to their work more, instead of giving them more freedom from their work. [edit]
The nature of technology [edit]
General characteristics
With the ubiquity of technology in use in modern society, it may seem futile to attempt a comprehensive list of common characteristics. Still, many authors, such as McGinn (1991) and Winston (2003), list the following as key:
Complexity refers to the characteristic that most modern tools are difficult to understand (i.e., require substantial preparatory training to manufacture, use or both). Some are relatively easy to use (and understand the use of), but relatively difficult to comprehend as to their source and means of manufacture, such as a kitchen knife, a baseball, or highly processed food. Others are both difficult to use and difficult to comprehend, such as a tractor, a television, or a computer.
Dependency refers to the fact that most modern tools depend on other modern tools, which, in turn, depend on still other modern tools, for their manufacture or proper use. Cars, as an example, have a huge supporting complex of industry for their manufacture and maintenance. And to use them requires a complex of roads, streets, highways, gasoline and service stations, waste collection, etc.
Valence refers to the multitude of types or variations of the same tool. Imagine the many different types of spoons available today, or scissors; even the most complex tools, such as the construction crane or the automobile, generally come in a variety of shapes and forms.
Scale refers to the sheer magnitude, size, and pervasiveness of modern technology. Simply put, technology seems to be everywhere. It dominates modern life. (Modern man and his society would quickly succumb without it.) Scale refers also to the scope of many modern technological projects, such as the cellular telephone network, the Internet, air travel, communications satellites, and their effect on most people in the world. [edit]
Types of technology
See also: List of technologies
[edit]
Relationship with society
The relationship between society and technology is complex, creating what many see as a co-dependence of one upon the other: society creates and depends upon technology to meet its needs and desires. Modern technology is essential for supporting the six billion plus inhabitants of the Earth today—and technology's very existence arises due to society's needs and historical patterns of meeting them. However, this symbiosis goes further than that: Advancements in technology influence and eventually change society. So the needs of society change, creating other needs, and eventually creating new technology, and conversely. (McGinn 1991) The headquarters of the cellphone company "T-mobile" Austria, Vienna Enlarge The headquarters of the cellphone company "T-mobile" Austria, Vienna
Consider only communications: telegraphy, radio, and the telephone—with its latest progeny, the mobile phone. With the invention of electrical forms of communication, society began to depend on ever quicker means of communication among its members. Higher expectations for speedier communications were initially met using telegraphy, then radio, then telephone systems. This demand for ever speedier (and more accessible) communications led to the invention of the portable phone. The influence of such technology is so pervasive, that now people can be said to be accessible at all times in most places in the world. Gone are the days of lost explorers and mysterious "lost worlds" (thanks also to GPS and Satellite geodesy).
Many technologies allow one society to have a significant advantage over another society. This may be indirect -— as something that promotes population growth -— or this can be direct -— in the form of markedly superior weapons. The effects of these technologies on human society are complex -— at the extreme, resulting in one human society enslaving, assimilating, or annihilating another. Some technologies are initially employed for one social purpose, but then used for one or more others. Moreover, the widespread adoption of a new technology invariably starts the need for the rapid adaptation of old technologies and the invention of new technologies. The car is an example of this: it was created and marketed as a substitute for the horse, initially for the wealthy, but as its use spread among the population to people of all walks of life, it began to require many supporting activities and industries, such as road building, gas and service stations, etc. Its superiority as a means of transportation inspired its use in war, but its increasing need for fuel may eventually lead to resource wars.
The use of mass media, such as newspapers, radio, and television programming, allows a select number of society's members to have great influence over the attitudes and opinions of others. And mass media often shapes mass opinion, thereby effecting and affecting social change.
The perceived effect of technology upon the population's well-being may also sway public opinion. The Chernobyl accident may well have played a part in undermining the confidence that citizens of the Soviet Union had in their government. But in any event, it has had a marked effect on the nuclear power industry in Russia. In the United States, no new nuclear reactors have been built since the Three Mile Island accident. [edit]
Economics and technological development Nuclear reactor, Doel, Belgium Enlarge Nuclear reactor, Doel, Belgium
Economics can be said to have arrived on the scene when the occasional, spontaneous exchange of goods and services began to occur on a less occasional, less spontaneous basis. It probably didn't take long for the maker of arrowheads to realize that he could probably do a lot better by concentrating on the making of arrowheads and barter for his other needs. Clearly, regardless of the goods and services bartered, some amount of technology was involved -— if no more than in the making of shell and bead jewelry. Even the shaman's potions and sacred objects can be said to have involved some technology. So, from the very beginnings, technology can be said to have spurred the development of more elaborate economies.
In the modern world, superior technologies, resources, geography, and history give rise to robust economies; and in a well-functioning, robust economy, economic excess naturally flows into greater use of technology. Moreover, because technology is such an inseparable part of human society, especially in its economic aspects, funding sources for (new) technological endeavors are virtually illimitable. However, while in the beginning, technological investment involved little more than the time, efforts, and skills of one or a few men, today, such investment may involve the collective labor and skills of many millions. [edit]
Funding
Consequently, the sources of funding for large technological efforts have dramatically narrowed, since few have ready access to the collective labor of a whole society, or even a large part. It is conventional to divide up funding sources into governmental (involving whole, or nearly whole, social enterprises) and private (involving more limited, but generally more sharply focused) business or individual enterprises. [edit]
Government funding for new technology
The government is a major contributor to the development of new technology in many ways. In the United States alone, many government agencies specifically invest billions of dollars in new technology.
[In 1980, the UK government invested just over 6 million pounds in a four-year programme, later extended to six years, called the Microelectronics Education Programme (MEP), which was intended to give every school in Britain at least one computer, microprocessor training materials and software, and extensive teacher training. Similar programmes have been instituted by governments around the world.]
Technology has frequently been driven by the military, with many modern applications being developed for the military before being adapted for civilian use. However, this has always been a two-way flow, with industry often taking the lead in developing and adopting a technology which is only later adopted by the military.
Entire government agencies are specifically dedicated to research, such as America's National Science Foundation, the United Kingdom's scientific research institutes, America's Small Business Innovative Research effort. Many other government agencies dedicate a major portion of their budget to research and development. [edit]
Private funding
Research and development is one of the biggest areas of investments made by corporations toward new and innovative technology.
Many foundations and other nonprofit organizations contribute to the development of technology. In the OECD, about two-thirds of research and development in scientific and technical fields is carried out by industry, and 20 percent and 10 percent respectively by universities and government. But in poorer countries such as Portugal and Mexico the industry contribution is significantly less. The U.S. government spends more than other countries on military research and development, although the proportion has fallen from about 30 percent in the 1980s to less than 20 percent. [3] [edit]
Other economic considerations
* Intermediate technology, more of an economics concern, refers to compromises between central and expensive technologies of developed nations and those which developing nations find most effective to deploy given an excess of labour and scarcity of cash. In general, a so-called "appropriate" technology will also be "intermediate". * Persuasion technology: In economics, definitions or assumptions of progress or growth are often related to one or more assumptions about technology's economic influence. Challenging prevailing assumptions about technology and its usefulness has led to alternative ideas like uneconomic growth or measuring well-being. These, and economics itself, can often be described as technologies, specifically, as persuasion technology. * Technocapitalism * Technological diffusion * Technology acceptance model * Technology lifecycle * Technology transfer
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Sociological factors and effects Downtown Tokyo (2005) Enlarge Downtown Tokyo (2005)
The use of technology has a great many effects; these may be separated into intended effects and unintended effects. Unintended effects are usually also unanticipated, and often unknown before the arrival of a new technology. Nevertheless, they are often as important as the intended effect.
The most subtle side effects of technology are often sociological. They are subtle because the side effects may go unnoticed unless carefully observed and studied. These may involve gradually occurring changes in the behavior of individuals, groups, institutions, and even entire societies. [edit]
Values
The implementation of technology influences the values of a society by changing expectations and realities. The implementation of technology is also influenced by values. There are (at least) three major, interrelated values that inform, and are informed by, technological innovations:
* Mechanistic world view: Viewing the universe as a collection of parts, (like a machine), that can be individually analyzed and understood (McGinn). This is a form of reductionism that is rare nowadays. However, the "neo-mechanistic world view" holds that nothing in the universe cannot be understood by the human intellect. Also, while all things are greater than the sum of their parts (e.g., even if we consider nothing more than the information involved in their combination), in principle, even this excess must eventually be understood by human intelligence. That is, no divine or vital principle or essence is involved. * Efficiency: A value, originally applied only to machines, but now applied to all aspects of society, so that each element is expected to attain a higher and higher percentage of its maximal possible performance, output, or ability. (McGinn) * Social progress: The belief that there is such a thing as social progress, and that, in the main, it is beneficent. Before the Industrial Revolution, and the subsequent explosion of technology, almost all societies believed in a cyclical theory of social movement and, indeed, of all history and the universe. This was, obviously, based on the cyclicity of the seasons, and an agricultural economy's and society's strong ties to that cyclicity. Since much of the world (i.e., everyone but the hyperindustrialized West) is closer to their agricultural roots, they are still much more amenable to cyclicity than progress in history. This may be seen, for example, in Prabhat rainjan sarkar's modern social cycles theory. For a more westernized version of social cyclicity, see Generations : The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069 (Paperback) by Neil Howe and William Strauss; Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (September 30, 1992); ISBN 0688119123, and subsequent books by these authors.
This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it. [edit]
Ethics
Winston provides an excellent summary of the ethical implications of technological development and deployment. He states there are four major ethical implications:
* Challenges traditional ethical norms. * Creates an aggregation of effects. * Changes the distribution of justice. * Provides great power.
This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it. [edit]
Lifestyle
Technology, throughout history, has allowed people to complete more tasks in less time and with less energy. Many herald this as a way of making life easier. However, work has continued to be proportional to the amount of energy expended, rather than the quanitiative amount of information or material processed. Technology has had profound effects on liftestyle throughout human history, and as the rate of progress increases, society must deal with both the good and bad implications.
In many ways, technology simplifies life.
* The rise of a leisure class * A more informed society can make quicker responses to events and trends * Sets the stage for more complex learning tasks * Increases multi-tasking * Global Networking * Creates denser social circles * Cheap price
In other ways, technology complicates life.
* Sweatshops and harsher forms of slavery are more likely to be found in technologically advanced societies, relative to primitive societies. However, the replacement of workers with machines and social progress such as emancipation transcends this in many post-industrial societies. * The increasing disparity between technologically advanced societies and those who are not. * More people are now starving now that at any point in history or pre-history, however the majority of these people live in subsistence and therefore less technological societies. This is also relative to the world's population explosion. Technology, such as genetics, hopes to alleviate the stress put on resources. * Work to drive to drive to work to work to drive -- consequently dealing with the traffic jams. The increase in transportation technology has brought congestion in some areas. * Technicism * New forms of danger existing as a consequence of new forms of technology, such as the first generation of nuclear reactors. * New forms of entertainment, such as video games and internet access could have possible social effects on areas such as academic performance. * Creates new diseases and disorders such as obesity, laziness and a loss of personality.
This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it. [edit]
Institutions and groups
Technology often enables organizational and bureaucratic group structures that otherwise and heretofore were simply not possible. Example of this might include:
* The rise of very large organizations: e.g., governments, the military, health and social welfare institutions, supranational corporations. * The commercialization of leisure: sports events, products, etc. (McGinn) * The almost instantaneous dispersal of information (especially news) and entertainment around the world.
This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it. [edit]
International
Technology enables greater knowledge of international issues, values, and cultures. Due mostly to mass transportation and mass media, the world seems to be a much smaller place, due to the following, among others:
* Globalization of ideas * Embeddedness of values * Population growth and control * Others
This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it. [edit]
Environment
Most technologies have negative environmental side effects, such as pollution and lack of sustainability. Some technologies are designed specifically with the environment in mind, but most are designed first for economic or ergonomic effects.
The effects of technology on the environment are both obvious and subtle. The more obvious effects include the depletion of nonrenewable natural resources (such as petroleum, coal, ores), and the added pollution of air, water, and land. The more subtle effects include debates over long-term effects (e.g., global warming, deforestation, natural habitat destruction, costal wetland loss)
Each wave of technology creates a set of waste previously unknown by humans: toxic waste, radioactive waste, electronic waste. This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it. [edit]
Control [edit]
Autonomous technology
In one line of thought, technology develops autonomously, in other words, technology seems to feed on itself, moving forward with a force irresistible by humans. To these individuals, technology is "inherently dynamic and self-augmenting." (McGinn, p. 73)
Jacques Ellul is one proponent of the irresistibleness of technology to humans. He espouses the idea that humanity cannot resist the temptation of expanding our knowledge and our technological abilities. However, he does not believe that this seeming autonomy of technology is inherent. But the perceived autonomy is due to the fact that humans do not adequately consider the responsibility that is inherent in technological processes.
Another proponent of these ideas is Langdon Winner who believes that technological evolution is essentially beyond the control of individuals or society. [edit]
Government
Individuals rely on governmental assistance to control the side effects and negative consequences of technology.
* Supposed independence of government. An assumption commonly made about the government is that their governance role is neutral or independent. Often, if not usually, that assumption is misplaced. Governing is a political process, more so in some countries than in others, therefore government will be influenced by political winds of influence. In addition, government provides much of the funding for technological research and development. Therefore, even government has a vested interest in certain outcomes. * Liability. One means for controlling technology is to place responsibility for the harm with the agent causing the harm. Government can allow more or less legal liability to fall to the organizations or individuals responsibile for damages. * Legislation.
This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it. [edit]
Choice
Society also controls technology through the choices it makes. These choices not only include consumer demands; they also include:
* the channels of distribution, how do products go from raw materials to consumption to disposal; * the cultural beliefs regarding style, freedom of choice, consumerism, materialism, etc.; * the economic values we place on the environment, individual wealth, government control, capitalism, etc.
This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it. [edit]
Technology and philosophy [edit]
Technicism
Generally, technicism is an over reliance or overconfidence in technology as a benefactor of society.
Taken to extreme, some argue that technicism is the belief that humanity will ultimately be able to control the entirety of existence using technology. In other words, human beings will eventually be able to master all problems, supply all wants and needs, possibly even control the future. (For a more complete treatment of the topic, see the work of Egbert Schuurman, for example at [4].) Some, such as Monsma, et al., connect these ideas to the abdication of God as a higher moral authority.
More commonly, technicism is a criticism of the commonly held belief that newer, more recently-developed technology is "better." For example, more recently-developed computers are faster than older computers, and more recently-developed cars have greater gas efficiency and more features than older cars. Because current technologies are generally accepted as good, future technological developments are not considered circumspectly, resulting in what seems to be a blind acceptance of technological developments. [edit]
Optimism, pessimism and appropriate technology [edit]
Pessimism
On the somewhat pessimistic side are certain philosophers like Herbert Marcuse, Jacques Ellul, and John Zerzan, who believe that technological societies are inherently flawed a priori. They suggest that the result of such a society is to become evermore technological at the cost of freedom and psychological health (and probably physical health in general, as pollution from technological products is dispersed).
Perhaps the most poignant criticisms of technology are found in what are now considered to be dystopian literary classics, for example Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and other writings, Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange, and George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. [edit]
Optimism
On the other hand, the optimistic assumptions are made by proponents of technoprogressivist views or ideologies such as transhumanism and singularitarianism, that view technological development as generally having beneficial effects for the society and the human condition. In these ideologies, technological development is morally good. Some critics see these ideologies as examples of scientism, mathematical fetishism, or techno-utopianism and fear the idea of technological singularity which they support. Some technological optimists are Karl Marx and James Hughes. [edit]
Appropriate technology
The notion of appropriate technology, however, was developed in the 20th century to describe situations where it was not desirable to use very new technologies or those that required access to some centralized infrastructure or parts or skills imported from elsewhere. The eco-village movement emerged in part due to this concern. [edit]
Theories and concepts in technology
There are many theories and concepts that seek to explain the relationship beteen technology and society:
* Appropriate technology * Diffusion of innovations * Jacques Ellul's Technological Society is considered a classic criticism of modern culture's pursuit of technology for its own sake. For more on these ideas, see [5]. * Posthumanism * Precautionary principle * Strategy of technology * Radovan Richta's theory of technological evolution * Technological determinism * Technological singularity * Transhumanism * The Technocratic movement
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References
* Adas, Michael. Machines as the Measure of Men: Science, Technology, and Ideologies of Western Dominance, Cornell University Press, 1990. * McGinn, Robert E. Science, Technology and Society, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1991. * Monsma, S.V., C. Christians, E.R. Dykema, A. Leegwater, E. Schuurman, and L. VanPoolen. Responsible Technology. Grand Rapids, Michigan (USA): W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1986. * Nobel, David. Forces of Production: a social history of industrial automation, New York: Knopf 1984, Paperback Edition: Oxford University Press, 1990. * Roussel, P.A., K. N. Saad, and T. J. Erickson. Third Generation R&D, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press, 1991. * Smil, Vaclav. Energy in World History, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1994, pp. 259-267, as quoted in http://www.thenagain.info/web..., maintained by David W. Koeller, Northpark University, Chicago, Illinois (USA), downloaded September 11, 2005. * Winston, M.E. "Children of Invention", in Society, Ethics, and Technology, Second Edition, M.E. Winston and R.D. Edelbach (eds.), Belmont, California (USA): Wadsworth Group/Thomson Learning, 2003.
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External link
* Engines of Our Ingenuity, site for a radio program that tells the story of how our culture is formed by human creativity. * Examples for Innovation and New Technologies
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See also Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Technology Commons logo Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Technology
* Golden hammer * History of science and technology * High technology * Innovation * Internet * Knowledge economy * Lewis Mumford * Technique * Technology assessment * Timeline of invention * Technological convergence * Technology Tree * List of technologies * List of "ologies" * Technological superpowers
Types Major fields of technology Edit Applied Science Artificial intelligence | Ceramic engineering | Computing technology | Electronics | Energy | Engineering physics | Materials science | Materials engineering | Microtechnology | Nanotechnology | Nuclear technology | Optical engineering Athletics and Recreation Camping equipment | Playground | Sports | Sports equipment The Arts and Language Communication | Graphics | Music technology | Speech recognition | Visual technology Business and Information Construction | Financial engineering | Information technology | Management information systems | Manufacturing | Machinery | Mining | Telecommunication Military Bombs | Guns and Ammunition | Military technology and equipment | Naval engineering Domestic / Residential Domestic appliances | Domestic technology | Food products and production Engineering Agricultural engineering | Bioengineering | Biochemical engineering | Biomedical engineering | Chemical engineering | Civil engineering | Computer engineering | Electrical engineering | Electronics engineering | Environmental engineering | Industrial engineering | Mechanical engineering | Nuclear engineering | Petroleum engineering | Software engineering | Structural engineering Health and Safety Biomedical engineering | Bioinformatics | Biotechnology | Fire protection technology | Health technologies | Pharmaceuticals | Safety engineering Travel and Trade Aerospace | Aerospace engineering | Marine engineering | Motor vehicles | Space technology | Transport
Connecticut (pronounced /kəˈnɛtɪkət/; the second C is silent) is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States.
Geography
Connecticut is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound, on the west by New York State, on the north by Massachusetts, and on the east by Rhode Island. The state capital is Hartford, and the other major cities include New Haven, New London, Norwich, Stamford, Waterbury, Torrington and Bridgeport. In all, there are a total of 169 incorporated towns in Connecticut. There is an ongoing civic pride and economic competition between Hartford and New Haven, which stems back to the days when the two cities shared the state's capital, and even back to when New Haven and Hartford were two separate colonies. Bear Mountain, highest peak in Connecticut Enlarge Bear Mountain, highest peak in Connecticut Highest point in Connecticut on slope of Mount Frissell, as seen from Bear Mountain Enlarge Highest point in Connecticut on slope of Mount Frissell, as seen from Bear Mountain
The highest peak in Connecticut is Bear Mountain in Salisbury in the northwest corner of the state. Once the location of a stone tower, currently a stone plaque alongside the Appalachian Trail identifies the point as "the highest ground in Connecticut, 2354 feet above the sea"; however, this is wrong on both counts. The current estimate of the height of the summit is only 2,316 feet 706 m); and although it is the highest peak in Connecticut, it is not actually the highest point in the state. That distinction belongs to an anonymous location just east of the point where Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York meet (42° 3' N; 73° 29' W), on the southern slope of 2,453 foot (747 m) high Mount Frissell, whose peak lies 740 feet (225 m) north in Massachusetts. Only a green metal stake set into a rock ledge marks this, the 2,372 foot (723 m) high top of Connecticut. According to Peakbagger.com, this makes Connecticut the only state whose highest point is not also its highest peak.
The Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state, flowing into Long Island Sound, Connecticut's outlet to the Atlantic Ocean.
Further information: List of Connecticut rivers
Erroneous inscription at summit of Bear Mountain Enlarge Erroneous inscription at summit of Bear Mountain
The state, although small, has regional variations in its landscape and culture from the wealthy estates of Fairfield County's "Gold Coast" to the rolling mountains and farms of the Litchfield Hills of northwestern Connecticut. Connecticut's rural areas and small towns in the northeast and northwest corners of the state contrast sharply with its industrial cities, located along the coastal highways from the New York border to New Haven, then northwards to Hartford, as well as further up the coast near New London. Many towns center around a small park, known as a "green," (like New Haven Green). Near the green may stand a small white church, a town meeting hall, a tavern and several colonial houses. Forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and a sandy shore add to the state's beauty.
The northern boundary of the state with Massachusetts is marked by the distinctive Southwick Jog, an approximately 2.5 mile (4.0 km) square detour into Connecticut slightly west of the center of the border. Somewhat surprisingly, the actual origin of this anomaly is not absolutely certain, with stories ranging from surveyors who were drunk, attempting to avoid hostile Native Americans, or taking a shortcut up the Connecticut River; Massachusetts residents attempting to avoid Massachusetts' (even then) high taxes for the low taxes of Connecticut; Massachusetts' interest in the resources represented by the Congamond Lakes which lie on the border of the jog; and the need to compensate Massachusetts for an amount of land given to Connecticut due to inaccurate survey work.[1] [2] [3] Perhaps the only suggested reason which can be safely ruled out is that the jog is necessary to prevent Massachusetts from sliding out into the Atlantic Ocean. In any event, the dispute over the border retarded the development of the region, since neither state would invest in even such basic amenities as schools for the area until the dispute had been settled.
The southwestern border of Connecticut, where it abuts New York State, is marked by a panhandle in Fairfield County, containing Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien, housing some of the wealthiest residents in the world. This irregularity in the boundary is the result of territorial disputes in the late 1600s, culminating with New York giving up its claim to this area, whose residents considered themselves part of Connecticut, in exchange for an equivalent area extending northwards from Ridgefield, Connecticut to the Massachusetts border as well as undisputed claim to Rye, New York.[4]
Areas maintained by the National Park Service include: Appalachian National Scenic Trail; Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor; and Weir Farm National Historic Site [edit]
Regions Connecticut Enlarge Connecticut
The state of Connecticut can be said to be sub-divided into eight general regions which generally correspond with the eight counties of the state, though there are differences in the boundaries. Each region boasts varied qualities which distinguish it within the state, and at times there are minor cultural frictions between the regions and their major cultural centers as each competes for tourists, new residents, and internal state pride. Fairfield County's "Gold Coast" and towns west of Waterbury and New Haven, for example, are often derided by residents of the rest of the state as being more similar to New York than to New England, and many of the residents go for years or even decades without ever traveling to other regions of the state, considering themselves more attached to New York City and its suburbs in eastern New York State.
The eight regions of Connecticut are:
* Gold Coast * Litchfield Hills * Naugatuck River Valley * Greater New Haven * Greater Hartford * Lower Connecticut River Valley * The Quiet Corner * Southeastern Connecticut
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History
Main article: History of Connecticut
The name "Connecticut" comes from the Mohegan Indian word "Quinnehtukqut" meaning "Long River Place" or "Beside the Long Tidal River." Connecticut is the fifth of the original thirteen states. The first Europeans to settle permanently in Connecticut were English Puritans from Massachusetts in 1633. Its first constitution, the "Fundamental Orders," was adopted on January 14, 1639, while its current constitution, the third for Connecticut, was adopted in 1965. The traditional abbreviation of the state's name is "Conn." Connecticut's official nickname, adopted in 1959, is "The Constitution State." Another popular nickname for Connecticut is "The Nutmeg State," so a resident of Connecticut is known as a "Nutmegger."
The western boundaries of Connecticut have been subject to dramatic changes over time. According to a 1650 agreement with the Dutch, the western boundary of Connecticut ran north from the west side of Greenwich Bay "provided the said line come not within 10 miles of Hudson River." On the other hand, Connecticut's original Charter in 1662 granted it all the land to the "South Sea," i.e. the Pacific Ocean. This probably added confusion to the early forefathers because the Pacific Ocean is located on the west coast of the United States. Agreements with New York, the "Pennamite Wars" with Pennsylvania over Westmoreland County, followed by Congressional intervention, and the relinquishment and sale of the Western Reserve lands brought the state to its present boundaries.
Connecticut was particularly hard-hit on 9/11 as many of the state's residents work in New York City. Seventy-two Connecticut residents were killed [5]. Many schools in Connecticut closed for the day because of the number of students who had parents who worked in New York City. [edit]
Demographics Historical populations Census year Population 1790 237,946 1800 251,002 1810 261,942 1820 275,248 1830 297,675 1840 309,978 1850 370,792 1860 460,147 1870 537,454 1880 622,700 1890 746,258 1900 908,420 1910 1,114,756 1920 1,380,631 1930 1,606,903 1940 1,709,242 1950 2,007,280 1960 2,535,234 1970 3,031,709 1980 3,107,576 1990 3,287,116 2000 3,405,565 Connecticut Population Density Map Enlarge Connecticut Population Density Map
As of 2005, Connecticut has an estimated population of 3,510,297, which is an increase of 11,331, or 0.3%, from the prior year and an increase of 104,695, or 3.1%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 67,427 people (that is 222,222 births minus 154,795 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 41,718 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 75,991 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 34,273 people.
As of 2004, 11.4% of the population (400,000) was foreign-born, and 10% of the foreign-born in the state were illegal aliens (about 1.1% of the population).
As of 2000, 81.7% of Connecticut residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 8.4% speak Spanish. Italian is the third most spoken language at 1.6%, followed by French at 1.6% and Polish at 1.2%. [edit]
Race and ancestry
The racial / ethnic makeup of Connecticut:
* 77.5% White non-Hispanic * 9.4% Hispanic * 9.1% Black * 2.4% Asian * 0.3% Native American * 2.2% Mixed race
The five largest reported ancestries in the state are: Italian (18.6%), Irish (16.6%), English (10.3%), German (9.9%), African American (9.1%).
Connecticut has a large Italian-American population, although residents of British, Irish, German, and other ancestries are also present, with old-stock Americans being the largest percentage of the population in the eastern part of the state. Italian is the largest ancestry group in five of the state's counties, while the Irish are the largest group in Tolland county, French-Canadians the largest group in Windham county, and old stock New England Yankees are present throughout. Connecticut is the second most Italian-American state percentage-wise, after Rhode Island. Blacks and Hispanics (mostly Puerto Ricans) are numerous in the urban areas of the state. Connecticut also has a sizeable Polish minority, with New Britain containing the largest Polish-American population in the state.
6.6% of its population was reported as being under 5 years old, 24.7% under 18 years old, and 13.8% were 65 years of age or older. Females made up approximately 51.6% of the population, with 48.4% male. [edit]
Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of Connecticut are:
* Christian – 83% o Protestant – 48% + Baptist – 10% + Episcopal – 6% + Methodist – 4% + Lutheran – 4% + Congregational/United Church of Christ – 2% + Other Protestant or general Protestant – 22% o Roman Catholic – 34% o Other Christian – 1% * Jewish – 3% * Other Religions – 1% * Non-Religious – 13%
There is a significant Jewish population in the state, mostly concentrated in the "Gold Coast" towns between Greenwich and New Haven and in the Hartford suburb of West Hartford. New Haven once had a significant Jewish population, but it has mostly moved elsewhere, although there is still a large concentration in the suburban towns west of New Haven. Recent immigration has brought other non-Christian religions to the state, but the numbers of adherents of other religions are still low. [edit]
Economy Greetings from Connecticut. We hope your day is full of surprises. Enlarge Greetings from Connecticut. We hope your day is full of surprises.
The total gross state product for 2004 was $187 billion. The per capita income for 2004 was $45,506, ranking 1st among the states [6]. There is, however, a great disparity in incomes through the state; although New Canaan has one of the highest per capita incomes in America, Hartford is one of the ten cities with the lowest per capita incomes in America. This is due to Fairfield County having become a bedroom community for higher paid New York City workers seeking a less urban lifestyle, as well as the spread of businesses outwards from New York City having reached into southwestern Connecticut, most notably to Stamford. The state did not have an income tax until 1991, making it an attractive haven for high earners fleeing the heavy taxes of New York State, but putting an enormous burden on Connecticut property tax payers, particularly in the cities with their more extensive municipal services. As a result, the middle class largely fled the urban areas for the suburbs, taking stores and other tax-paying businesses with them, and leaving only the urban poor in the now impoverished Connecticut cities. As evident from the dichotomy in income figures described above, this problem has yet to be successfully solved. Exacerbating this problem, the state has a very high cost of living, due to a combination of expensive real estate, expensive heating for the winters, the need to import much food from warmer states, and the dependence on private automobiles for mobility.
While Connecticut is home to four poor cities (Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven and Waterbury), the state in general is extremely wealthy. Surrounding these four cities are some of the wealthiest areas on the globe, and many visitors of the state note the lack of middle class. This is due to the exodus of the middle class, as homes in the suburbs start around $450,000, and the further south in the state, the more expensive. In southern Connecticut, a three bedroom home on 1/4 acre (1000 m) will run about US$1 million. Connecticut has the highest amount of million-dollar plus homes in the country.
The agricultural output for the state is nursery stock, eggs, dairy products, cattle, and tobacco. Its industrial outputs are transportation equipment (especially helicopters, aircraft parts, and nuclear submarines), heavy industrial machinery and electrical equipment, fabricated metal products, chemical and pharmaceutical products, and scientific instruments.
The income tax rate on Connecticut individuals is divided into two tax brackets of 3% and 5%. All wages of a Connecticut resident are subject to the state's income tax, even when the resident works outside of the state. However, in those cases, Connecticut income tax must be withheld only to the extent the Connecticut tax exceeds the amount withheld by the other jurisdiction.
Connecticut levies a 6 percent state sales tax on the retail sale, lease or rental of most goods. Some items and services in general are not subject to sales and use taxes unless specifically enumerated as taxable by statute. There are no additional sales taxes imposed by local jurisdictions.
All real and personal property located within the state of Connecticut is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. All assessments are at 70 percent of fair market value. The maximum property tax credit is $350 per return and any excess may not be refunded or carried forward. The maximum property tax credit will rise to $400 for tax year 2006. Connecticut does not levy an intangible personal property tax. [edit]
Transportation
Transportation in Connecticut is predominantly via highway. Bradley International Airport (BDL) is located in the central part of the state (15 miles (24 km) north of Hartford). Another large airport mostly used by corporate executives is the Oxford Airport in western Connecticut. The airport is located 15 miles (24 km) east of Danbury and 12 miles (19 km) south of Waterbury. There is railway service along the coastline from New York City to Boston, including commuter rail service between New Haven and New York and a new commuter service along the river north of New Haven, with spur service running northwards to cities such as Hartford. Bus service is supplied by Connecticut Transit, owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. In practice, most Connecticut residents find public transportation not fully adequate for all their needs and either own a private vehicle or have access to one.
The glaciers carved valleys in Connecticut running north to south; as a result, many more roadways in the state run north to south than do east to west, mimicking the previous use of the many north-south rivers as transportation. The Interstate highways in the state are I-95 (the Connecticut Turnpike) running southwest to northeast along the coast, I-84 running southwest to northeast in the center of the state, I-91 running north to south in the center of the state, and I-395 running north to south near the eastern border of the state. The other major interstate traffic arteries in Connecticut are the Merritt Parkway and Wilbur Cross Parkway, which together form Connecticut State Route 15, running from the Hutchinson River Parkway in New York State parallel to I-95 before turning north of New Haven and running parallel to I-91, finally becoming a surface road in Berlin, Connecticut. This road and I-95 were originally toll roads; they relied on a system of toll plazas at which all traffic would stop and pay an incremental fare, rather than the alternative system of providing drivers a ticket where they entered the highway and charging them when they exited. A series of terrible crashes at these plazas eventually led to abandonment of the whole toll system in 1988. Other major arteries in the state include State Routes 8 and 25 and U.S. Highway 7.
I-95 from south of New Haven to the New York border is one of the most congested highways in the United States due to increasing population density, increasing business in the New York area, and a general increase in American driving, and the congestion spills over to clog the parallel Merritt Parkway. At rush hours, multiple backups tens of miles long are common, and the daily radio broadcasts of where crashes have completely blocked traffic are a fact of life for commuters in this area. As a result, commuter rail is also heavily crowded, along with parking facilities and traffic at the stations. Funds to relieve the situation, either by enhancing commuter rail, increasing highway capacity, or both, are lacking, and the problem is noted as one hindering further economic development for the state.
See [7] for an in-depth discussion of Connecticut roadways, current, past, and future. [edit]
Law & Government
Hartford has been the sole capital of Connecticut since 1875. Prior to that, New Haven and Hartford alternated as capitals. Unlike most other states, Connecticut does not have county governments or county seats; rather, there is only the state government and the governments of the local municipalities. The associated state marshal system, however, is still divided by county. The judicial system is divided, at the trial court level, into judicial districts. The boundaries of the judicial districts largely track county lines, though in some instances a county may have more than one judicial district within it. For example, the Litchfield, Middlesex, New London, Tolland, and Windham judicial districts are co-terminous with the old county lines. On the other hand, there are three judicial districts each within Fairfield County and New Haven County. Hartford County contains two judicial districts. [8] The eight counties are still widely used for purely geographical purposes, such as weather reports. There are 169 incorporated cities and towns across the state. Most cities are coterminous with their namesake towns and have a merged city-town government. The three exceptions are the City of Groton, which is a subsection of the Town of Groton the City of Winsted in the Town of Winchester, and the City of Milford, which is most, but not all, of the Town of Milford. There are also nine incorporated boroughs, eight of which provide additional services to a section of town. One, Naugatuck, is a consolidated town and borough.
The two U.S. senators representing Connecticut are Christopher J. Dodd (Democrat) and Joseph I. Lieberman (Democrat). Connecticut currently has five representatives in the U.S. House.
Once considered one of the most conservative states in the Northeast, the state now tends to vote Democratic for presidential and congressional elections. Connecticut has given its electoral votes to Democratic presidential candidates in the past four presidential elections. In 2004 election, John Kerry had a comfortable margin of 10 percentage points with 54.3% of Connecticut's popular vote. George W. Bush had only won Litchfield County at a small margin. Connecticut Republicans tend to be more liberal than their counterparts in many other states. The majority of Republican senators voted in favor of the civil unions bill, which passed the General Assembly, and was signed into law in 2005. Christopher Shays, a Republican representing Connecticut in the U.S. House of Representatives, has sided with the Democrats on a range of issues including gun control, abortion, and the environment. Governor Jodi Rell and former governors John Rowland and Lowell Weicker have all been considered more liberal than most Republicans. Conversely, some state Democrats tend to be conservative or moderate, Senators Joe Lieberman and Christopher Dodd being the most notable cases.
The supreme executive power is vested in the governor, who heads the executive branch. The current Governor of Connecticut is Her Excellency, M. Jodi Rell (Republican). There are several executive departments responsible for administering the laws of Connecticut: Administrative Services, Agriculture, Children and Families, Correction, Education, Environmental Protection, Higher Education, Information Technology, Insurance, Labor, Military, Motor Vehicles, Public Health, Public Utility, Revenue Services, Social Services, Transportation, Veterans Affairs. In addition to these departments, there are many other independent bureaus, offices and commissions [9]. Historically, from 1639 until the adoption of the 1818 constitution, the governor presided over the General Assembly.
The legislature, referred to as the General Assembly, is a bicameral body consisting of an upper body, the Senate (36 senators); and a lower body, the House of Representatives (151 representatives). Before a bill can be signed into law, it must be passed by a vote of at least two thirds of each house. The governor can veto the bill, but this veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority in each house. Senators and representatives, all of whom must be at least eighteen years of age, are elected to two-year terms in November on even-numbered years. The Lieutenant Governor presides over the senate, except when absent from the chamber, when the President Pro Tempore presides. The Speaker of the House presides over the House; James A. Amann is the current Speaker of the House of Connecticut. The Democrats currently hold the majority in both houses of the General Assembly.
The highest court of Connecticut's judicial branch is the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of Connecticut. The Supreme Court is responsible for deciding on the constitutionality of the law or cases as they relate to the law. Its proceedings are similar to that of the United States Supreme Court, with no testimony given by witnesses, and the lawyers of the two sides each present an oral argument no longer than thirty minutes. Following a court proceeding, the court may take several months to arrive at a judgment. The current Chief Justice is William J. Sullivan. Historically, the highest court in Connecticut was the General Assembly, and later, the Upper House, with the Governor having the title "Chief Judge". In 1818, the court became a separate entity, independent of the legislative and executive branches. Below the Supreme Court are the Appellate Court and the Superior Courts. [edit]
Politics
Connecticut is a solidly Democratic state, alloting its electoral votes (currently 7) to Democratic candidates in the past four Presidential elections. While Connecticut is the wealthiest state in America per capita, its less affluent urban areas account for the majority of its registered voters; this along with its proximity to New York City and its typically socially-liberal suburban voters have made Connecticut a Democratic bastion.
Republicans are the minority in the state legislature, but they currently hold three of the five congressional seats. As of 2006, the two Senate seats from Connecticut are held by Democrats Christopher Dodd and Joseph Lieberman. Connecticut's last Republican to serve in the U.S. Senate was Lowell P. Weicker Jr, who was a Senator from 1971-1989 when he was defeated by Joe Lieberman. Weicker was known as a liberal Republican, who served as governor of Connecticut from 1991-1995 as a member of the independent A Connecticut Party. Weicker later supported Howard Dean in 2004 Presidential Election. Before Weicker, the last Republican to represent Connecticut in the Senate was Prescott Bush from 1953-1963. Bush is the father of former president George H.W. Bush and the grandfather of President George W. Bush.
The state's Republican stronghold is rural Litchfield County as well as some wealthy towns in Fairfield County near the New York State border. While Litchfield County supported George W. Bush in the 2004 Presidential Election, all other counties in Connecticut, including Fairfield County (often referred to as the Gold Coast) voted for his opponent, Senator John Kerry. The suburban towns of New Canaan and Darien in Fairfield County are considered the most Republican areas in the state, and perhaps one of the most reliably conservative areas in New England, the former being the hometown of conservative activist Ann Coulter. On the contrary, Westport, a wealthy town on the same tier as New Canaan and Darien, is widely known as a liberal place, and one of the most loyally-Democratic towns in Fairfield County. Former first selectwoman of Westport, Diane Farrell, a Democrat, ran for Christopher Shays' (a longtime incumbent Republican) congressional seat, and lost by only two percentage points in 2004. She is campaigning to face him again in the next congressional election.
Democrats are the majority almost everywhere else, especially in the cities of Hartford (the state capital), New Haven and Bridgeport, the largest cities in the state. The once Republican strongholds of Stamford and Waterbury have become predominantly Democratic over the years, increasing their mandate in the state.
President George W. Bush was born in New Haven, Connecticut and lived there for a short time before moving to Texas.
Further information: U.S. presidential election, 2004, in Connecticut
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Important cities and towns
Population > 10,000 (urbanized area)
* Danbury * Bridgeport * Hartford * New Haven * New London * Norwich * Stamford * Waterbury
* Albertus Magnus College * Briarwood College * Central Connecticut State University * Charter Oak State College * Connecticut College * Eastern Connecticut State University * Fairfield University * Holy Apostles College and Seminary * Manchester Community College * Mitchell College * Norwalk Community College * Paier College of Art * Post University * Quinnipiac University * Rensselaer at Hartford
* Sacred Heart University * Saint Joseph College * Southern Connecticut State University * Trinity College * United States Coast Guard Academy * University of Bridgeport * University of Connecticut * University of Hartford * University of New Haven * Wesleyan University * Western Connecticut State University * Yale University
[edit]
Sports teams
* Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association * Until 1997, the National Hockey League had a franchise in Hartford, the Hartford Whalers. Their departure to North Carolina caused great controversy and resentment.
Minor League Hockey Teams:
* Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League * Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League * Danbury Trashers of the United Hockey League
Minor League Baseball Teams:
* Connecticut Defenders Double-A Affiliate of the San Francisco Giants * New Britain Rock Cats Double-A Affiliate of the Minnesota Twins
Both of the Eastern League
Independent League Baseball Teams:
* Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League * Manchester Silkworms of the New England Collegiate Baseball League * New Haven County Cutters of the Canadian-American League
Professional Cycling Teams:
* Team Nerac.com presented by OutdoorLights.com
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference is the state's sanctioning body for high school sports. Xavier High School (Middletown, CT) claimed the 2005 Class LL football championship. Other state champions in football include Staples (in Westport), Branford, Daniel Hand (in Madison), Woodland Regional (in Beacon Falls), and Hyde Leadership (in Hamden). [edit]
Miscellaneous topics
Connecticut is the southernmost state in New England and the wealthiest state in the country per capita as well as the third smallest state in landmass. It was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution.
Famous residents:
* Leona Helmsley, real estate maven who lives in Greenwich, Connecticut * Martha Stewart, domestic diva who lives in Westport, Connecticut * Paul Newman, salad dressing guru and actor with ties to New Canaan, Connecticut * David Letterman, late night talk show host with ties to New Canaan, Connecticut * Phil Donahue, former talk show host who lives in Westport, Connecticut * Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State who lives in Kent, Connecticut * Ivan Lendl, former tennis pro who maintains a residence in Litchfield, Connecticut * 50 Cent, rapper who maintains a residence in Farmington, Connecticut * Rivers Cuomo, lead singer of Weezer, attended high school in Storrs, Connecticut * John Mayer, singer, native of Fairfield, Connecticut * Ralph Nader, consumer advocate and former U.S. presidential candidate, native of Winsted, Connecticut * Diana Ross, singer, maintains a residence in Belle Haven, Greenwich, Connecticut * Vince McMahon, Chairman of the WWF/WWE, also lives in Greenwich, Connecticut * Keith Richards, member of The Rolling stones who lives in Weston, Connecticut * Patty Hearst, member of the Hearst media empire who lives in Westport, Connecticut
[edit]
See also
* Connecticut State Troubadour * Connecticut Conservative- A weblog dealing primarily with Connecticut politics. * List of television shows set in Connecticut
[edit]
External links Find more information on Connecticut by searching Wikipedia's sister projects:
Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary Textbooks from Wikibooks Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Images and media from Commons News stories from Wikinews
* State of Connecticut - official state website * CTBound.org - official state tourism website * Travel guide to Connecticut from Wikitravel * Connecticut Historical Society * U.S. Census Bureau * Connecticut Newspapers * - Free tourism site for western Connecticut * Review of book on Connecticut furniture makers * CTmenus.com - Free directory of Connecticut dining and restaurants * American Decorative Arts collection of the Wadsworth Atheneum, with pictures of Connecticut furniture in the collection. * Connecticut County Maps Full color maps with list of cities, towns. * Connecticut Business Hall Of Fame
[edit]
References
* CT.gov: About Connecticut. URL accessed on [[December 18, 2005]].
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Delaware is a Mid-Atlantic state in the United States of America. It was one of the original 13 states and is known as the "First State" as it was the first of them to ratify the United States Constitution.
Geography
Delaware is the second smallest state in the United States
Delaware is bounded to the north by Pennsylvania, to the east by the Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean and to the west and south by Maryland. Small portions of Delaware are also situated on the far, or eastern, side of the Delaware River Estuary, and these small parcels share land boundaries with New Jersey.
The state of Delaware, together with the Eastern Shore counties of Maryland and two counties of Virginia, form the Delmarva Peninsula, a geographical unit stretching far down the Mid-Atlantic Coast.
The definition of the northern boundary of the state is highly unusual. Most of the boundary between Delaware and Pennsylvania is defined as an arc extending 12 miles (19 km) from the cupola of the courthouse in New Castle, and is referred to as the Twelve-Mile Circle. This is the only true-arc political boundary in the United States. This border extends all of the way to the low-tide mark on the New Jersey shore, which continues down the shoreline until it again reaches the twelve-mile arc in the south; then the boundary continues in a more conventional way in the middle of the main channel (thalweg) of the Delaware River Estuary. A portion of this arc extends into Maryland to the west, and the remaining western border is a tangent to this arc that runs a bit to the east. The Wedge of land between the arc and the Maryland border remained in dispute until 1921, when Delaware's claim was confirmed.
Main articles: Twelve-Mile Circle, The Wedge, Mason-Dixon line, Transpeninsular Line
[edit]
Topography
Delaware lies on a level plain, the highest elevation being less than 450 feet (137 m) above sea level. The northern part is associated with the Appalachian Piedmont and is hilly with a rolling surface. South of Newark and Wilmington, the state follows the Atlantic Coastal Plain with flat, sandy, and, in some parts, swampy ground. A ridge about 75 to 80 feet in altitude extends along the western boundary of the state and is the drainage divide between the two major watersheds of the Delaware River in the east and of several streams falling into Chesapeake Bay in the west. The principal streams draining into the Delaware are the Christina River and the Brandywine Creek. The Christina is navigable for large ships as far as Wilmington, and for small ships as far as Newport. The coast of Delaware Bay is marshy; the Atlantic coast has many sand beaches enclosing shallow lagoons. The largest of these are Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay, and a portion of St. Martin's Bay. The only harbors of consequence are Wilmington, Lewes, and New Castle. [edit]
Climate
Since the majority of Delaware is a part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the climate is moderated by the effects of the ocean. The southern third of the state has a mild subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and mild winters. The middle portion is the transition to the upper portion of the state, which has a warm continental climate and receives occasional winter snowfall.
See also: List of counties in Delaware [edit]
History
Main article: History of Delaware
The USS Delaware was named in honor of this state. [edit]
Native Americans
Before Delaware was settled by Europeans, the area was home to the Eastern Algonquian tribes known as the Unami Lenape or Delaware throughout the Delaware valley, and the Nanticoke along the rivers leading into the Chesapeake Bay. The Unami Lenape in the Delaware valley were closely related to Munsee Lenape tribes along the Hudson River. They had a settled hunting and agricultural society, and they rapidly became middlemen in an increasingly frantic fur trade with their ancient enemy, the Minqua or Susquehannock. With the loss of their lands on the Delaware River and the destruction of the Minqua by the Iroquois of the Five Nations in the 1670's, the remnants of the Lenape left the region and moved over the Alleghany Mountains by the mid 18th century. [edit]
Colonial Delaware
The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle in present day Delaware by establishing a trading post at Zwaanendael, near the site of Lewes in 1631. Within a year all the settlers were killed in a dispute with Native Americans. In 1638 a Swedish trading post and colony was established at Fort Christina (now in Wilmington) by the Dutchman Peter Minuit at the head of a group of Swedes, Finns and Dutch. Thirteen years later the Dutch, reinvigorated by the leadership of Peter Stuyvesant, established a new fort in 1651 at present day New Castle, and in 1655 they took over the entire Swedish colony, incorporating it into the Dutch New Netherlands.
Only nine years later, in 1664, the Dutch were themselves forcibly removed by a British expedition under the direction of James, the Duke of York. Fighting off a prior claim by Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, Proprietor of Maryland, the Duke passed his somewhat dubious ownership on to William Penn in 1682. Penn badly wanted an outlet to the sea for his Pennsylvania province and leased what were now known as the "Lower Counties on the Delaware" from the Duke.
Penn established representative government and briefly combined his two possessions under one General Assembly in 1682. However, by 1704 the Province of Pennsylvania had grown so much, their representatives wanted to make decisions without the assent of the Lower Counties and the two groups of representatives began meeting on their own, one at Philadelphia, and the other at New Castle. Penn and his heirs remained the Proprietors of both and always appointed the same person Deputy Governor for their Province of Pennsylvania and their territory of the Lower Counties. [edit]
American Revolution
Like the other middle colonies, the Lower Counties on the Delaware initially lacked much enthusiasm for a break with Great Britain. They had a good relationship with the Proprietary government, and generally were allowed more independence of action in their Colonial Assembly than other colonies. Nevertheless, there was strong objection to the seemingly arbitrary measures of Parliament, and it was well understood that the territory's very existence as a separate entity depended upon its keeping step with its powerful neighbors, especially Pennsylvania.
So it was that New Castle lawyer, Thomas McKean denounced the Stamp Act in the strongest terms, and Kent County native, John Dickinson, became the "Penman of the Revolution." Anticipating the Declaration of Independence, patriot leaders Thomas McKean and Caesar Rodney convinced the Colonial Assembly to declare itself separated from British and Pennsylvania rule on June 15, 1776, but the person best representing Delaware's majority, George Read, could not bring himself to vote for a Declaration of Independence. Only the dramatic overnight ride of Caesar Rodney gave the delegation the votes needed to cast Delaware's vote for Independence. Once the Declaration was adopted, however, Read signed the document.
Initially led by John Haslet, Delaware provided one of the premier regiments in the Continental Army, known as the "Delaware Blues" and nicknamed the "Blue Hen Chickens." In August 1777 General Sir William Howe led a British army through Delaware on his way to a victory at the Battle of Brandywine and capture of the city of Philadelphia. The only real engagement on Delaware soil was fought on September 3, 1777, at Cooch's Bridge in New Castle County. It is believed to be the first time that the Stars and Stripes was flown in battle.
Following the Battle of Brandywine, Wilmington was occupied by the British, and State President John McKinly was taken prisoner. The British remained in control of the Delaware River for much of the rest of the war, disrupting commerce and providing encouragement to an active Loyalist portion of the population, particularly in Sussex County. Only the repeated military activities of State President Caesar Rodney was able to control them.
Following the American Revolution, statesmen from Delaware were among the leading proponents of a strong central United States government with equal representation for each state. Once the Connecticut Compromise was reached—creating a U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives—the leaders in Delaware were able to easily secure ratification of the U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787, making Delaware the first state to do so. [edit]
Slavery
With two-thirds of the state settled by descendants of slave holding Maryland tobacco farmers, large parts of Delaware had a long tradition of acceptance of the institution of slavery. This was despite the fact that farmers increasingly had such little use for slaves that by the 1860 census there were only about 1,800 slaves in a state of 90,000 people, including nearly 20,000 free African Americans. When he freed his slaves in 1777, John Dickinson was Delaware's largest slave owner with 37 slaves.
The oldest black church in the country was chartered in Delaware by former slave Peter Spencer in 1813 as the "Union Church of Africans," which is now the A.U.M.P. Church. The Big August Quarterly began in 1814 and is the oldest such cultural festival in the country.
During the American Civil War, Delaware was a slave state that remained in the Union (Delaware voted not to secede on January 3, 1861). Delaware had been the first state to embrace the Union by ratifying the constitution and would be the last to leave it, according to Delaware's governor at the time. While most Delaware citizens who fought in the war served in the regiments of the state, some served in companies on the Confederate side in Maryland and Virginia Regiments.
Two months before the end of the Civil War, however, Delaware voted on February 18, 1865 to reject the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution and so voted unsuccessfully to continue slavery beyond the Civil War. Delaware symbolically ratified the amendment on February 12, 1901—40 years after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Slavery ended in Delaware only when the Thirteenth Amendment took effect in December of 1865. Delaware also rejected the 14th amendment during the Reconstruction Era. [edit]
Demographics Delaware Population Density Map Enlarge Delaware Population Density Map
As of 2005, Delaware has an estimated population of 843,524, which is an increase of 13,455, or 1.6%, from the prior year and an increase of 59,924, or 7.6%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 21,978 people (that is 58,699 births minus 36,721 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 39,138 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 11,226 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 27,912 people.
The racial breakdown of the state is:
* 72.5% White * 19.2% Black * 4.8% Hispanic * 2.1% Asian * 0.3% Native American * 1.7% Mixed race
The five largest ancestries in Delaware are: African American (19.2%), Irish (16.6%), German (14.3%), English (12.1%), Italian (9.3%). Delaware has the largest African American population, percentage-wise, north of Maryland, and had the largest population of free blacks (17%) prior to the Civil War. As of 2000, 90.5% of Delaware residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 4.7% speak Spanish. French is the third most spoken language at 0.7%, followed by Chinese at 0.5% and German at 0.5%. [edit]
Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of Delaware are:
* Christian – 79% o Protestant – 68% + Methodist – 22% + Baptist – 21% + Lutheran – 4% + Presbyterian – 3% + Pentecostal – 3% + Other Protestant or general Protestant – 15% o Roman Catholic – 10% o Other Christian – 1% * Other Religions – 2% * Non-Religious – 19%
Delaware is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington and the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware. The A.U.M.P. Church, the oldest African-American denomination in the nation, was founded in Wilmington and still has a very substantial presence in the state. Delaware also hosts an Islamic mosque in the Ogletown area, as well as a Hindu temple in Hockessin.
Synagogues include Congregation Beth Emeth (Reform) in Wilmington, Congregation Beth El (Reform) in Newark, and Congregation Beth Shalom (Conservative) in Wilmington, Congregation Beth Sholom (Conservative) in Dover, and Adas Kodesh Shel Emeth (Traditional) in Wilmington. [edit]
Economy Greetings from Delaware Enlarge Greetings from Delaware
The gross state product of Delaware in 2003 was $49 billion. The per capita personal income was $34,199, ranking 9th in the nation.
Delaware's agricultural output consists of poultry, nursery stock, soybeans, dairy products and corn. Its industrial outputs include chemical products, processed foods, paper products, and rubber and plastic products. Delaware's economy generally outperforms the national economy of the United States.
The state's largest employers are concentrated in government (State of Delaware, New Castle County, University of Delaware), chemical and pharmaceutical companies (E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., Syngenta, AstraZeneca, and Hercules, Incorporated), banking (MBNA America, Wilmington Trust Company, First USA / Bank One / JPMorgan Chase, AIG, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank), automotive manufacturing (General Motors, DaimlerChrysler), and farming, specifically chicken farming in Sussex County (Perdue, Mountaire Farms).
The United States headquarters of ING Group, and the U.S. operations of its online bank, ING Direct, are located in Wilmington, as are the world headquarters of MBNA.
Dover Air Force Base, just outside Dover, is one of the largest in the country and is a major employer in Central Delaware. In addition to its other responsibilities, the base serves as the entry point and mortuary for American military persons (and some U.S. government civilians) who die overseas.
Delaware has 6 different income tax brackets, ranging from 2.2% to 5.95%. The state does not assess sales tax on consumers. The state does, however, impose a tax on the gross receipts of most businesses. Business and occupational license tax rates range from 0.096% to 1.92%, depending on the category of business activity.
Delaware does not assess a state-level tax on real or personal property. Real estate is subject to county property taxes, school district property taxes, vocational school district taxes, and, if located within an incorporated area, municipal property taxes. [edit]
Transportation
The transportation system in Delaware is under the governance and supervision of the Delaware Department of Transportation, also known as "DelDOT".([1]) DelDOT manages programs such as a Delaware Adopt-a-Highway program, major road route snow removal, traffic control infrastructure (signs and signals), toll road management, Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, the Delaware Transit Corporation (branded as "DART First State", the state government public transportation organization), among others. Almost ninety percent of the state's public roadway miles are under the direct maintenance of DelDOT which far exceeds the United States national average of twenty percent for state department of transportation maintenance responsibility; the remaining public road miles are under the supervision of individual municipalities.
One major branch of the U.S. Interstate Highway System, Interstate 95, crosses Delaware southwest-to-northeast across New Castle County. In addition to I-95, there are seven principal highways: U.S. Highway 9, U.S. Highway 13, U.S. Highway 40, U.S. Highway 113, U.S. Highway 202, U.S. Route 301, and Delaware Route 1. U.S. 13 and DE Rt. 1 are primary north-south highways connecting Wilmington and Pennsylvania with Maryland, while U.S. 40, the primary east-west route, connects Maryland with New Jersey. The state also operates two toll highways, the Delaware Turnpike, which is Interstate 95 between Maryland and New Castle and the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, which is DE Rt. 1 between Dover and Interstate 95 between Wilmington and Newark.
Delaware has around 1,450 bridges, of which ninety-five percent are under the supervision of DelDOT. About thirty percent of all Delaware bridges were built prior to 1950 and about sixty percent of the number are included in the National Bridge Inventory. Some bridges not under DelDOT supervision includes the four bridges on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, which is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Delaware Memorial Bridge, which is under the bi-state Delaware River and Bay Authority.
The public transportation system, DART First State, was named "Most Outstanding Public Transportation System" in 2003 by the American Public Transportation Association. Coverage of the system is broad within New Castle County with close association to major highways in Kent and Sussex Counties. The system includes bus, passenger rail, subsidized taxi and paratransit modes, the latter consisting of a state-wide door-to-door bus service for the elderly and disabled. Passenger rail service, like interstate highway service, is limited to a single southwest-to-northeast corridor in New Castle County. Ferry service exists between Lewes, Delaware and Cape May, New Jersey, across the mouth of the Delaware Bay. [edit]
Law and government
Delaware's fourth and current constitution, adopted in 1897, provides for executive, judicial and legislative branches. [edit]
Legislative branch
Delaware General Assembly consists of a House of Representatives with 41 members and a Senate with 21 members. It sits in Dover, Delaware, the state capital. Representatives are elected to two-year terms, while senators are elected to four-year terms. The Senate confirms judicial and other nominees appointed by the governor. [edit]
Judicial branch
The Delaware Constitution establishes a number of courts:
* The Delaware Supreme Court is the state's highest court. * The Superior Court of Delaware is the state's trial court of general jurisdiction. * The Court of Chancery deals primarily in corporate disputes. * The Family Court handles domestic and custody matters. * The Court of Common Pleas has jurisdiction over a limited class of civil and criminal matters.
Minor non-constitutional courts include the Justice of the Peace Courts and Aldermen's Courts.
Significantly, Delaware has one of the few remaining Courts of Chancery in the nation, which has jurisdiction over equity cases, the vast majority of which are corporate disputes, many relating to mergers and acquisitions. The Court of Chancery and the Supreme Court have developed a worldwide reputation for rendering concise opinions concerning corporate law which generally (but not always) grant broad discretion to corporate boards of directors and officers. In addition, the Delaware General Corporation Law, which forms the basis of the Courts' opinions, is widely regarded as giving great flexibility to corporations to manage their affairs. For these reasons, Delaware is considered to have the most business-friendly legal system in the United States; therefore a great number of public and private companies are incorporated in Delaware. [edit]
Executive branch
The executive branch is headed by the Governor of Delaware. The present governor is Ruth Ann Minner (Democrat), who was elected as the state's first female governor in 2000. The lieutenant governor is John C. Carney, Jr.. Delaware's U.S. Senators are Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (Democrat) and Thomas R. Carper (Democrat). Delaware's single US Representative is Michael N. Castle (Republican).
Further information: List of Governors of Delaware, and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]]
[edit]
Politics
Delaware has three counties: Kent County, New Castle County, and Sussex County. Each county elects its own legislative body (known in New Castle and Sussex counties as County Council, and in Kent County as Levy Court), which deal primarily in zoning and development issues. Most functions which are handled on a county-by-county basis in other states — such as courts, law enforcement, and the like — have been centralized in Delaware, leading to a significant concentration of power in the Delaware state government.
The Democratic Party holds a plurality of registrations in Delaware. Until the 2000 Presidential election, the state tended to be a Presidential bellwether, sending its three electoral votes to the winning candidate for over 50 years in a row. Bucking that trend, however, in 2000 and again in 2004 Delaware voted for the Democratic candidate. John Kerry won Delaware by eight percentage points with 53.5% of the vote in 2004.
Historically, the Republican Party had an immense influence on Delaware politics, due in large part to the wealthy du Pont family. This trend was so notable that Ralph Nader assembled a working group to investigate Delaware's political-industrial complex, resulting in a book published in 1968 entitled The Company State. As DuPont's might has declined, so has that of the Delaware Republican Party. The Democrats have won the past four gubernatorial elections and currently hold five of the nine statewide elected offices (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner, Attorney General, and two U.S. Senators). However, this belies the fact that the Democratic Party gains most of its votes from heavily-developed New Castle County, whereas the lesser-populated Kent and Sussex Counties vote Republican. [edit]
Important cities and towns
Wilmington is the state's largest city and its economic hub. It is located within commuting distance of both Philadelphia and Baltimore. Despite Wilmington's size, all regions of Delaware are enjoying phenomenal growth, with Dover and the beach resorts expanding immensely.
Further information: Delaware locations by per capita income, and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]]
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Education
Delaware was the origin of Belton v. Gebhart, one of the four cases which was combined into Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court of the United States decision that led to the end of segregated public schools. Significantly, Belton was the only case in which the state court found for the plaintiffs, thereby ruling that segregation was unconstitutional. Even more ironically, Delaware's segregated school system was substantially supported by donations from the wealthy du Pont family beginning with the Civil War, when the Du Pont Company's profits grew thanks to a high demand for its gunpowder products.
Unlike many states, Delaware's educational system is centralized in a state Superintendent of Education, with local school boards retaining control over taxation and some curriculum decisions. A statewide standardized test, the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP), was implemented to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act.
A "three-tiered diploma" system fostered by Governor Ruth Ann Minner, which awarded "basic", "standard", and "distinguished" high-school diplomas based on a student's performance in the Delaware State Testing Program, was recently discontinued by the General Assembly after many Delawarians questioned its fairness. [edit]
Colleges and universities
* Widener University School of Law * Delaware State University * Delaware Technical and Community College * Drexel University at Wilmington * Goldey-Beacom College
* University of Delaware * Wesley College * Wilmington College
[edit]
Sports teams
Delaware's professional sports teams are the Wilmington Blue Rocks minor league baseball team, a Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox who play at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium, and the Delaware Griffins, part of the Women's Professional Football League. Delaware is also home to the Delaware Smash who play World Team Tennis. The Smash were led in 2005 by Wimbledon champion Venus Williams.
In place of in-state professional sports teams, many Delawareans follow either Philadelphia, New Jersey, or Baltimore teams, depending on their location within the state, with Philadelphia teams receiving the largest fan following. In addition, the University of Delaware's football team has a loyal following, with Delaware State University's team enjoying popularity on a much lesser scale.
Delaware is home to Dover International Speedway and Dover Downs. DIS, also known as the Monster Mile, hosts two NASCAR races each year. Dover Downs is a popular harness racing facility. In what may be the only co-located horse and car-racing facility in the nation, the Dover Downs track is located inside the DIS track.
Delaware has been home to professional wrestling outfit CZW, particularly the annual Tournament of Death. [edit]
Miscellaneous topics [edit]
Media
There are no network broadcast-television stations operating solely in Delaware. A public-television station from Philadelphia, WHYY, maintains a studio and broadcasting facility in Wilmington. Philadelphia's ABC affiliate, WPVI, maintains a news bureau in downtown Wilmington. The northern part of the state is served by network stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the southern part by network stations in Baltimore and Salisbury, Maryland. Salisbury's CBS affiliate, WBOC, maintains bureaus in Dover and Milton. [edit]
Botanical gardens
* Delaware Center for Horticulture * Mt. Cuba Center * University of Delaware Botanic Gardens * Winterthur Museum and Grounds
[edit]
Festivals
The Big August Quarterly is an annual religious festival held in Wilmington, Delaware, and is sometimes called "Big Quarterly" or "August Quarterly". The festival began in 1814 by Peter Spencer in connection with the "quarterly" meeting (or "conference") of the African Union Church. Out of the four meetings during the year, the one in August became the "annual conference" of the Church when ministers' assignments for the next year were announced, among other business — it was a time for free blacks and slaves alike to come together (from the multi-state area) and celebrate their faith with singing, dancing, testifying, and feasting. It is the oldest such celebration in the country. Senator Biden's remarks on the significance of the "Big Quarterly" were published in the Congressional Record for 30 July 1981 (Vol. 127, No. 117) and for 9 August 1984 (Vol 130, No. 106).
Every year, the Delaware Sängerbund (German for Singers Alliance) holds a three day long Oktoberfest. Although the cultural significance of the Sängerbund has diminished over the years, the festival is extremely popular and attracts visitors from all over the East Coast.
The city of Wilmington is home to several ethnic festivals, including the Puerto Rican Festival, which includes a parade, the Polish Festival, the Greek Festival held at the Greek Orthodox Church, and the Italian Festival. Wilmington's substantial Polish-American population supports a yearly Pulaski Day Parade in March as well as a summer Polish Festival, hosted by Saint Hedwig's Roman Catholic Church. The Italian Festival is held in an area of Wilmington known as Little Italy by Saint Anthony's Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, and covers several blocks. It runs from sunup to sundown for a week, and features Italian food, merchandise, live music, bars, amusement park rides, and the All Saints parade on the closing night of the festival.
In Bethany Beach, the end of the summer season is honored each year with a traditional jazz funeral down the town's boardwalk. And at the end of October, Rehoboth Beach holds its annual "Sea Witch Halloween and Fiddlers' Festival".
One of Delaware's most bizarre — and enjoyable — traditions is Sussex County's Punkin Chunkin, where unused pumpkins from the Halloween season are ejected almost one mile high in the air by hydraulic or air-powered cannons. Putatively a competition to see which team can create the most powerful cannon, it is also a popular occasion for drinking and tailgate parties.
ation)}} [edit]
Delaware Native Americans
Delaware is also the name of a Native American group (called in their own name Lenni Lenape) that was very influential in the dawning days of the United States. A band of the Nanticoke tribe of Indians still remains in Sussex County. [edit]
See also
* Delaware Colony * Delaware corporation * Some neighboring states contain locations named Delaware Township or Delaware County. * Delaware state symbols * Music of Delaware
[edit]
External links Find more information on Delaware by searching Wikipedia's sister projects:
Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary Textbooks from Wikibooks Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Images and media from Commons News stories from Wikinews
* State of Delaware homepage * Delaware Map Data * Delaware Population Projections * The Emancipation Proclamation Includes a short introduction. * U.S. Senate site with the full U.S. Constitution and the Thirteenth Amendment "Slavery and Involuntary Servitude" * U.S. Census Bureau * Delaware Newspapers * Delaware's Historical Markers * Article on the Delaware-New Jersey border dispute (1/26/2006)
[edit]
References
supporting the transportation section
* Delaware Department of Transportation Public Relations (2004). Delaware Transportation Facts 2004, DelDOT Division of Planning.
Flag of Delaware State of Delaware Counties | Hundreds | Municipalities | Rivers | Roads | Railroads | Business Government | Governors | General Assembly | Courts | U.S. Senators | U.S. Representatives History | Education | Religion | Parks & Museums | Communications Flag of Delaware State capital: Dover
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A photograph (often shortened to photo) is an image (or a representation of that on e.g. paper) created by collecting and focusing reflected rays electromagnetic radiation. The most common photographs are those created of reflected visible wavelengths, producing permanent records of what the human eye can see.
Most photographs are made with a camera, which focuses the light onto either photographic film or a CCD or CMOS image sensor. Photographs can also be made by placing objects on photosensitive paper and exposing it to light (the result is often called a photogram) or by placing objects on the platen of a flatbed scanner (see scanner art). [edit]
History and special effects
Most traditional photographs are produced with a two-step chemical process. In the two-step process the film holds a negative image (colours and lights/darks are inverted), which is then transferred onto photographic paper as a positive image. Another widely used film is the positive film used for producing transparencies, usually mounted in cardboard or plastic frames called slides. Slides are widely used by professionals mostly due to their sharpness and accuracy of colour rendition. Most photographs published in magazines are still originally taken on colour transparency film.
Originally all photographs were black-and-white if not hand-painted in color. Although methods for developing color photos were available as early as the late 19th century, they did not become widely available until the 1940s or 50s, and even so, until the 1960s most photographs were taken in black and white. Since then, color photography has dominated popular photography, although the black and white format remains popular for amateur photographers and artists. Black and white film is considerably easier to develop than colour.
Panoramic format Images can be taken by using special cameras like the Hasselblad Xpan on standard film. Since the 1990s, panoramic photos have been relatively easy for the general population to take on Advanced Photo System film. APS was developed by several of the major film manufacturers to provide a "smart" film with different formats and computerized options available, though APS panoramas were created using a mask in panorama-capable cameras, far less desirable than a true panoramic camera which achieves its effect through wider film format. As with many past ideas in consumer film formats, APS has become less popular and will be discontinued in the near future.
Digital photos can be stored in various file formats, of which JPEG is one of the most popular. Many other graphic formats are used, including TIFF, GIF, TGA and RAW. [edit]
See also Commons logo Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Photographs
* Largest photographs in the world * Photo archive * Photography * Photo op * Digital photography * Macro photography * Pseudo-photograph * Voyager Golden Record * Stock photography * Photograph stability * Copyright protection of photographs in Switzerland
Iowa is bordered by Minnesota on the north; Nebraska and South Dakota on the west; Missouri on the south; and Wisconsin and Illinois on the east.
The Mississippi River forms the eastern boundary of the state. The boundary along the west is formed by the Missouri River south of Sioux City and by the Big Sioux River north of Sioux City. There are several natural lakes in the state, most notably Spirit Lake, West Okoboji Lake, and East Okoboji Lake in northwest Iowa (see Iowa Great Lakes). Man-made lakes include Lake Odessa[1], Saylorville Lake, Lake Red Rock, and Rathbun Lake.
The topography of the state is gently rolling plains. Loess hills lie along the western border of the state. Some of these are several hundred feet thick. In the northeast along the Mississippi River is a section of the Driftless Zone, which in Iowa consists of low rugged hills covered with conifers—a landscape not usually associated with this state.
The point of lowest elevation is Keokuk in southeastern Iowa, at 480 feet (146 m). The point of highest elevation, at 1,670 feet (509 m), is Hawkeye Point, located in a feedlot north of Sibley in northwest Iowa. The mean elevation of the state is 335 m. Considering the size of the state at 56,271 square miles (145,743 km²), there is very little elevation difference.
Iowa has 99 counties. The state capital, Des Moines, is located in Polk County (#60).
Areas controlled and protected by the National Park Service include:
* Effigy Mounds National Monument near Harpers Ferry * Herbert Hoover National Historical Site in West Branch * Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail * Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail
[edit]
Climate Bales of hay on a farm near Ames, Iowa. Enlarge Bales of hay on a farm near Ames, Iowa.
Iowa experiences a continental climate with extremes of both heat and cold. The average annual temperature at Des Moines is 50.0° F (10.0° C); for some locations in the north the figure is under 45°, while Keokuk, on the Mississippi River, averages 52.1°. Winters are brisk and snowfall common, the capital receiving an average of 36.3 inches per season. Spring ushers in the beginning of the severe weather season, as well as bringing increased precipitation and warming temperatures. The Iowan summer is known for heat and humidity, with daytime temperatures sometimes exceeding 100° F (37.8° C). [edit]
History
Main article: History of Iowa.
Highlights:
* French explorers Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette are believed to be the first Europeans to visit Iowa. They described Iowa as lush, green, and fertile. * Iowa has been home to approximately 17 different tribes. Today, only the Meskwaki tribe remains. * The first American settlers officially moved to Iowa in June 1833. Primarily, they were families from Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri. * Iowa became the 29th state in the union on December 28, 1846. * The Chicago and North Western Railway reached Council Bluffs in 1867. Council Bluffs was designated the eastern terminus for the Union Pacific Railroad. The completion of five major railroads across Iowa brought major economic changes as well as travel opportunities. * During the American Civil War, more than 75,000 Iowans participated in the war, 13,001 of whom died (mostly by disease). Iowa had a higher percentage of soldiers serve in the Civil War, per capita, than any other state in the Union, with nearly 60% of eligible males serving. * Iowa saw a large increase in farming of beef, corn, and pork during World War I, but farmers saw economic hardships after the war. These hardships were the result of the removal of war-time farm subsidies. Total recovery did not happen until the 1940s. * The Farm Crisis of the 1980's saw a major decline of family farms in Iowa and around the Midwest, and it was marked by a sharp drop in the state's rural population. * Although Iowa's primary industry is agriculture, it also produces refrigerators, washing machines, fountain pens, farm implements, and food products that are shipped around the world. * Iowa is also a major producer of ethanol and biodiesel. * Bergman, Marvin, ed. Iowa History Reader (1996) essays by scholars. * Ross, Earl D. Iowa Agriculture: An Historical Survey (1951) * Sage, Leland. A History of Iowa (1974) * Schwieder, Dorothy. Iowa: The Middle Land (1996) excellent scholarly history * Wall, Joseph Frazier. Iowa: A Bicentennial History (1978)
As of 2005, Iowa has an estimated population of 2,966,334, which is an increase of 13,430, or 0.5%, from the prior year and an increase of 39,952, or 1.4%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 53,706 people (that is 197,163 births minus 143,457 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 11,754 people out of the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 29,386 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 41,140 people.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2004, Iowa's population included about 97,000 foreign-born (3.3%).
The racial makeup of the state is:
* 92.6% White non-Hispanic * 2.1% Black * 2.8% Hispanic * 1.3% Asian * 0.3% Native American * 1.1% Mixed race
The five largest ancestry groups in Iowa are: German (35.7%), Irish (13.5%), English (9.5%), American (6.6%), Norwegian (5.7%).
Iowans are mostly of Northern European origin. There are large numbers of German-Americans in the state (1 in 3 Iowans answered that they were of German ancestry on the 2000 Census), as well as people of British, Scandinavian, and Dutch ancestry, among others.
6.4% of Iowa's population were reported as under 5, 25.1% under 18, and 14.9% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.9% of the population. [edit]
Rural flight
Iowa, in common with other Great Plains states (especially Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota), is feeling the brunt of falling populations. 89% of the total number of cities in those states have fewer than 3000 people; hundreds have fewer than 1000. Between 1996 and 2004, almost half a million people, nearly half with college degrees, left the six states. "Rural flight" as it is called has led to offers of free land and tax breaks as enticements to newcomers. [edit]
Religion
Most Iowans are Protestant Christians, with Lutheranism being the largest single Protestant denomination, followed by Methodist. The state has the second largest population of Reformed Christians, both RCA and CRC.
The religious affiliations of the people of Iowa are:
* Christian – 73% o Protestant – 50% + Lutheran – 16% + Methodist – 13% + Baptist – 5% + Presbyterian – 3% + Pentecostal – 2% + Congregational/United Church of Christ – 2% + Other Protestant or general Protestant – 11% o Catholic – 23% o Other Christian – 1% * Other Religions – 6% * Non-Religious – 13% * Refused to Answer – 5%
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Economy Iowan stamp Enlarge Iowan stamp Iowa state quarter by Grant Wood Enlarge Iowa state quarter by Grant Wood
The state's total gross state product for 2003 was US$103 billion. Its per capita income for 2003 was US$28,340. Iowa's main agricultural outputs are hogs, corn, soybeans, oats, cattle and dairy products. Its industrial outputs are food processing, machinery, electric equipment, chemical products, publishing and primary metals. Iowa produces the nation's largest amount of ethanol. Des Moines also serves as a center for the insurance industry.
Iowa imposes taxes on net state income of individuals and estates and trusts. There are currently nine income tax brackets, ranging from 0.36% to 8.98%. The state sales tax rate is 5%. Iowa has two local option sales taxes that may be imposed by counties after an election at which the majority of voters favors the tax. They are in addition to the 5 percent state sales tax. The regular local option tax is imposed on the gross receipts from sales of tangible personal property. It usually remains in effect until it is repealed, but the ordinance may include a sunset clause. The school infrastructure local option tax is automatically repealed 10 years after it is imposed, unless the ballot imposes a shorter time frame.
Property tax is levied on the taxable value of real property, that is, mostly land, buildings, structures, and other improvements that are constructed on or in the land, attached to the land or placed upon a foundation. Typical improvements include a building, house or mobile home, fences, and paving. The following five classes of real property are evaluated: residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial and utilities/railroad (which is assessed at the state level). Homeowners pay less than half of the property tax collected each year in Iowa. Farmers pay 21 percent, and businesses and industry, a total of 23 percent. Utility companies, including railroads, pay 10 percent. Iowa has more than 2,000 taxing authorities. Most property is taxed by more than one taxing authority. The tax rate differs in each locality and is a composite of county, city, school district and special levies. [edit]
Transportation [edit]
Interstate highways
These are the interstate highways that go through Iowa:
* 29, 35, 74, 80, 129, 235, 280, 380, 480, 680
[edit]
US highways
These are the United States highways that go through Iowa:
Law and government Current sample Iowa license plate Enlarge Current sample Iowa license plate
The current Governor is Tom Vilsack (Democrat) and the two U.S. Senators:
* Chuck Grassley (R) * Tom Harkin (D)
The five U.S. Congressmen:
* Jim Leach (R) * Jim Nussle (R) * Steve King (R) * Tom Latham (R) * Leonard Boswell (D)
The Code of Iowa contains the statutory laws of the State of Iowa. The Iowa Legislative Service Bureau is a non-partisan governmental agency that is responsible for organizing, updating and publishing the Iowa Code. The Iowa Code is republished in full in odd years (i.e., 1999, 2001, 2003, etc..) and is supplemented in even years.
Iowa has a liberal populist tradition but now is fairly evenly divided between the two major political parties. The state supported Democrats in the presidential contests from 1988 through 2000. It was one of only two states that supported Democrat Al Gore that switched to supporting George W. Bush in 2004. President Bush narrowly won the state's 7 electoral votes by a margin of 0.7 percentage points with 49.9% of the vote. Democratic strength is concentrated in the eastern region of the state and in Des Moines.
Iowa is an alcohol monopoly or Alcoholic beverage control state.
See List of Governors of Iowa, Iowa General Assembly, and Iowa State Capitol
[edit]
Iowa Presidential caucus
The state gets considerable attention every four years because it holds the first presidential caucus, a gathering of voters to select delegates to the state convention. Along with the New Hampshire primary a week later, it has become the starting gun for choosing the two major-party candidates for president. The caucus, held in January of the election year, involves people gathering in homes or public places and choosing their candidate, rather than casting secret ballots, as is done in a primary election. The national and international media give Iowa (and New Hampshire) about half of all the attention accorded the national candidate selection process, which gives the voters enormous leverage. Some candidates decide to skip the Iowa caucus, especially those who oppose ethanol subsidies, and use their resources in other early states such as New Hampshire and South Carolina. Those who enter the caucus expend enormous effort to reach voters in each of Iowa's 99 counties. [edit]
U.S. senators from Iowa
List of United States Senators who have represented Iowa: Seat 1 Senator Took Office Left Office Party Chuck Grassley 1981 present Republican John Culver 1975 1981 Democrat Harold E. Hughes 1969 1975 Democrat Bourke B. Hickenlooper 1945 1969 Republican Guy M. Gillette 1936 1945 Democrat Richard Louis Murphy 1933 1936 Democrat Smith W. Brookhart 1927 1933 Republican David W. Stewart 1926 1927 Republican Albert B. Cummins 1908 1926 Republican William B. Allison 1873 1908 Republican James Harlan 1867 1873 Republican Samuel J. Kirkwood 1865 1867 Republican James Harlan 1855 1865 Free Soil and Republican Augustus C. Dodge 1848 1855 Democrat Capitol in 2003 after regilding Enlarge Capitol in 2003 after regilding Seat 2 Senator Took Office Left Office Party Tom Harkin 1985 present Democrat Roger Jepsen 1979 1985 Republican Dick Clark 1973 1979 Democrat Jack R. Miller 1961 1973 Republican Thomas E. Martin 1955 1961 Republican Guy M. Gillette 1949 1955 Democrat George A. Wilson 1943 1949 Republican Clyde L. Herring 1937 1943 Democrat L.J. Dickinson 1931 1937 Republican Daniel F. Steck 1926 1931 Democrat Smith W. Brookhart 1922 1926 Republican Charles A. Rawson 1922 1922 Democrat William S. Kenyon 1911 1922 Republican Lafayette Young 1910 1911 Democrat Jonathan P. Dolliver 1900 1910 Republican John H. Gear 1895 1900 Republican James F. Wilson 1883 1895 Republican James W. McDill 1881 1883 Republican Samuel J. Kirkwood 1877 1881 Republican George G. Wright 1871 1877 Republican James B. Howell 1870 1871 Republican James W. Grimes 1859 1869 Republican George W. Jones 1848 1859 Democrat [edit]
Important cities and towns [edit]
Population > 100,000 (urbanized area)
* Des Moines, state capital * Cedar Rapids * Davenport, home of Saint Ambrose University * Sioux City * Waterloo * Iowa City, home of University of Iowa * Council Bluffs
[edit]
Population > 10,000 (urbanized area)
* Dubuque, college town, manufacturing center, river port * Ames, home of Iowa State University * West Des Moines, suburb and insurance center * Cedar Falls, suburb and college town * Fort Madison, home of Iowa State Penitentiary * Clinton, industrial river town * Burlington, industrial river town * Muscatine, location of many chemical plants * Newton, Maytag washers used to be made here * Urbandale, large suburb of Des Moines * Keokuk, river port in extreme southeast * Pella, Pella Windows headquarters, Central College, Wyatt Earp's childhood home, Tulip Fest * Carroll, a common shopping destination in western Iowa * Boone, an important hub for the Union Pacific Railroad
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Other cities
* Bettendorf part of the Quad Cities * Cedar Falls, home of the University of Northern Iowa (part of the Waterloo metropolitan area) * Fayette, home of Upper Iowa University
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Education
Iowa has historically placed a strong emphasis on education, which is shown in standardized testing scores. In 2003, Iowa had the second highest average SAT scores by state, and tied for second highest average ACT scores in states where more than 20% of graduates were tested. The national office of ACT is in Iowa City, and the ITBS and ITED testing programs used in many states are provided by the University of Iowa.
An overhaul of the current education system is being discussed. One of the suggested ideas is switching from 180 days to a year-round school system. [2] [edit]
State universities
* Iowa State University * University of Iowa * University of Northern Iowa
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Independent colleges and universities
* Ashford University * Briar Cliff University * Buena Vista University * Central College * Clarke College * Coe College * Cornell College * Divine Word College * Dordt College * Drake University * Emmaus Bible College * Faith Baptist Bible College * Graceland University * Grand View College * Grinnell College
* Iowa Wesleyan College * Loras College * Luther College * Maharishi University of Management * Morningside College * Mount Mercy College * Northwestern College * Simpson College * Saint Ambrose University * University of Dubuque * Upper Iowa University * Vennard College * Waldorf College * Wartburg College * William Penn University
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Community colleges
* Clinton Community College * Des Moines Area Community College * Ellsworth Community College * Hawkeye Community College * Indian Hills Community College * Iowa Central Community College * Iowa Lakes Community College * Iowa Western Community College * Kirkwood Community College
* Marshalltown Community College * Muscatine Community College * North Iowa Area Community College * Northeast Iowa Community College * Northwest Iowa Community College * Scott Community College * Southeastern Community College * Southwestern Community College * Western Iowa Community College
[edit]
Professional business and technical colleges and universities
* AIB College of Business * Allen College of Nursing * Des Moines University * Hamilton College * Kaplan College * Mercy College of Health Sciences
* Palmer College of Chiropractic * St. Luke's College of Nursing and Health Sciences * Vatterott College
* Clinton LumberKings (A, Midwest League) * Swing of the Quad Cities (A, Midwest League) * Waterloo Bucks (collegiate summer) * Sioux City Explorers (Northern League, independent)
The Minor League hockey teams are:
* Iowa Stars * Cedar Rapids RoughRiders * Waterloo Blackhawks * Omaha Lancers (located in Council Bluffs)
* Des Moines Buccaneers * Sioux City Musketeers * Quad City Mallards
The Minor League soccer teams are:
* Des Moines Menace (USL Premier Development League; amateur)
[edit]
Miscellaneous topics
The state is named for the Native American Iowa people. [edit]
Famous Iowans
The following is an alphabetical list of famous people born in Iowa (who don't necessarily live in Iowa) as well as famous Iowans in general. Name Occupation Description James Van Allen Scientist Born in Mount Pleasant in 1914. Tom Arnold Film actor Born in Ottumwa on 6 March 1959. Buffalo Bill Born William Frederick Cody near Le Claire in 1846. Bill Bryson Popular writer of travel books Born in Des Moines in 1951. Norman Ernest Borlaug Nobel Peace Prize laureate Born near Cresco on March 25, 1914. Johnny Carson Comedian Born in Corning on 23 October 1925. Mamie Eisenhower Wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower Born in Boone in 1896. Hayden Fry College football coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes Coached into national prominence with several Rose Bowl Game appearances and high national rankings throughout his tenure. George Gallup American statistician; inventor of the Gallup poll Born in Jefferson in 1901. Frank Gotch Professional wrestler; world heavyweight champion Born south of Humboldt in 1878. Chad Hennings American football player and US Air Force officer Born in Elberon on October 20, 1965. Herbert Hoover 31st President of the United States Born in West Branch in 1874. He is also buried there. Ashton Kutcher Film and television actor Born in Cedar Rapids on February 7, 1978. William D. Leahy Five star admiral Born in Hampton on May 6, 1875. Frederick L. Maytag Maytag founder Lived his childhood years near Laurel. Robert Millikan Physicist Measured the charge of the electron, spent part of his childhood in Maquoketa. Charles Murray American policy writer Best known for being the co-author of the controversial best seller, The Bell Curve. Born in Newton, Iowa on January 8, 1943. Harry Reasoner Journalist Born 17 Apr 1923 at Dakota City, Iowa Donna Reed Actress Born as Donna Belle Mullenger January 27, 1921 on a farm near Denison, Iowa Sage Rosenfels NFL quarterback Born in Maquoketa in 1978 and played college football at Iowa State University. Slipknot Alternative metal/nu metal band Formed in Des Moines. Sullivan brothers Died together on the USS Juneau during the Battle of Guadalcanal, were born in Waterloo. Billy Sunday a professional baseball player; evangelist Born in Bina in 1862 and lived in Glenwood, Nevada, and Ames. Grant Wood Artist Known mostly for his painting American Gothic, was born in Anamosa on 13 February 1891. Wright Brothers Lived for a short time in Cedar Rapids while their father was posted there as a bishop with the Church of the Brethren. Kurt Warner American football player Born in 1971 in Burlington. John Wayne Film actor Born as Marion Morrison in Winterset in 1907. Elijah Wood Film actor Born in Cedar Rapids on January 28, 1981. [edit]
Animals
Some of the wild animals that can be found in Iowa:
* White-tailed deer * Pheasant * Quail * Muskrat * Raccoon * Red fox * Jackrabbit * Cottontail * Fox squirrel * Gray squirrel * Coyote * Beaver
Iowa is home of 49 endangered & 35 threatened animal species as well as 64 endangered & 89 threatened plant species [3]. [edit]
State symbols
* Nickname: The Hawkeye State * Bird: Eastern Goldfinch * Fish: Channel catfish (unofficial) * Flower: Wild Rose * Grass: Bluebunch wheatgrass * Insect: Honey Bee * Tree: Oak * Colors:Red, white, and blue (in state flag) * Fossil: Crinoid (proposed) * Motto: Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain * Rock: Geode * Ships: Iowa class battleship, USS Iowa (BB-4), USS Iowa (BB-53), USS Iowa (BB-61) * Song: The Song of Iowa * Soil: Tama (unofficial)
[edit]
See also
* Iowa: Facts, Map and State Symbols - EnchantedLearning.com * State Symbols * The Graduate Center, CUNY: Research Studies: American Religious Identification Survey
[edit]
External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Category:Iowa
* http://www.iowa.gov/ * Iowa News. * U.S. Census Bureau * Iowa Code online at Iowa General Assembly * Iowa Newspapers * Iowa Employment - State and County Data * Iowa News. (civil liberties) * Midwest Regional Climate Center (climate statistics) * Karl King, Iowa's March King
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E-marketing is a type of marketing that can be defined as achieving objectives through the use of electronic communications technology such as Internet, e-mail, Ebooks, database, and mobile phone. It is a more general term than online marketing which is limited to the use of internet technology to attain marketing objectives.
Dave Chaffey, working from a relationship marketing perspective, has defined e-marketing as:
Applying Digital technologies which form online channels (Web, e-mail, databases, plus mobile/wireless & digital TV) to contribute to marketing activities aimed at achieving profitable acquisition and retention of customers (within a multi-channel buying process and customer lifecycle) through improving our customer knowledge (of their profiles, behaviour, value and loyalty drivers), then delivering integrated targeted communications and online services that match their individual needs. (Source: [1] with permission of the author)
Chaffey's definition emphasises that:
1. It should not be the technology that drives e-marketing, but the business returns from gaining new customers and maintaining relationships with existing customers. 2. It also emphasises how e-marketing does not occur in isolation, but is most effective when it is integrated with other communications channels such as telemarketing, direct-mail, personal selling, advertising, publicity, sales promotion, and other promotional techniques. 3. Online channels should also be used to support the whole buying process from pre-sale to sale to post-sale and further development of customer relationships where this is appropriate. 4. It should be based on knowledge of customer needs developed by researching their characteristics, behaviour, what they value, and what keeps them loyal. 5. The web and e-mail communications should be personally tailored to individual buyers based on the infomation obtained in the research.
[edit]
See also
* Online marketing * The Cluetrain Manifesto * Purple cow
[edit]
References
* Smith, P.R. and Chaffey, D. (2005) eMarketing eXcellence: at the heart of eBusiness. Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, UK. 2nd edition. http://davechaffey.com/E-mark...
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Louisiana (pronounced /luːˌiːziˈænə/ or /ˌluːziˈænə/) (French: Louisiane, pronounced Image:ltspkr.png/lwizjan/) is a Southern state of the United States of America.
Geography
Topography
The state is bordered to the west by the state of Texas; to the north by Arkansas; to the east by the state of Mississippi; and to the south by the Gulf of Mexico.
The surface of the state may properly be divided into two parts, the uplands, and the alluvial and coast and swamp regions. The alluvial regions, including the low swamps and coast lands, cover an area of about 20,000 square miles (52,000 km2); they lie principally along the Mississippi River, which traverses the state from north to south for a distance of about 600 miles (1000 km) and ultimately emptying into the Gulf of Mexico, the Red River, the Ouachita River and its branches, and other minor streams. The breadth of the alluvial region along the Mississippi is from 10 to 60 miles (15 to 100 km), and along the other streams it averages about 10 miles (15 km). The Mississippi flows upon a ridge formed by its own deposits, from which the lands incline toward the low swamps beyond at an average fall of six feet per mile (3 m/km). The lands along other streams present very similar features. These alluvial lands are never inundated save when breaks occur in the levees by which they are protected against the floods of the Mississippi and its tributaries. These floods, however, do not occur annually, and they may be said to be exceptional. With the maintenance of strong levees these alluvial lands would enjoy perpetual immunity from inundation.
The uplands and contiguous hill lands have an area of more than 25,000 square miles (65,000 km2), and they consist of prairie and woodlands. The elevations above sea-level range from 10 feet (3 m) at the coast and swamp lands to 50 and 60 feet (15-18 m) at the prairie and alluvial lands. In the uplands and hills the elevations rise to Driskill Mountain the highest point in the state at only 535 feet (163 m) above sea level, located in northwest Louisiana.
Besides the navigable rivers already named (some of which are called bayous), there are the Sabine, forming the western boundary, and the Pearl, the eastern boundary, the Calcasieu, the Mermentau, the Vermilion, the Teche, the Atchafalaya, the Boeuf, the Lafourche, the Courtableau, the D'Arbonne, the Macon, the Tensas, the Amite, the Tchefuncte, the Tickfaw, the Natalbany, and a number of other streams of lesser note, constituting a natural system of navigable waterways, aggregating over 4,000 miles in length, which is unequalled in the United States. The state also has 1,060 square miles (2,745 km2) of land-locked bays, 1,700 square miles (4,400 km2) of inland lakes, and a river surface of over 500 square miles (1300 km2). [edit] Geology
The underlying strata of the state are of Cretaceous age and are covered by alluvial deposits of Tertiary and post-Tertiary origin. A large part of Louisiana is the creation and product of the Mississippi River. It was originally covered by an arm of the sea, and has been built up by the silt carried down the valley by the great river.
Near the coast, there are many salt domes, where salt is mined and oil is often found.
Owing to the extensive flood control measures along the Mississippi river and to natural subsidence, Louisiana is now suffering the loss of coastal land area. State and Federal government efforts to halt or reverse this phenomenon are under way; others are being sought. [edit] National Park Service
Areas under the management and protection of the National Park Service include:
* Cane River National Heritage Area near Natchitoches * Cane River Creole National Historical Park in Natchez * Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in New Orleans * New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park * Poverty Point National Monument at Epps
[edit] History
Louisiana was inhabited by Native Americans when European explorers arrived in the 17th century. Settlement and colonization began in the 18th century. Some current place names, including Atchafalaya, Natchitouches (now spelled Natchitoches), Caddo, Houma, Tangipahoa, and Avoyel (Avoyelles), are from Native American dialects.
Several native tribes inhabited the region (using current parish boundaries to describe approximate locations):[1]
* The Atakapa in southwestern Louisiana in Vermilion, Cameron, Lafayette, Acadia, Jefferson Davis, and Calcasieu parishes. * The Chitimacha in the southeastern parishes of Iberia, Assumption, St Mary, lower St. Martin, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Bo St. Charles, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines. * The Bayougoula, part of the Choctaw nation, in areas directly north of the Chitimachas in the parishes of St. Helena, Tangipahoa, Washington, East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livingston, and St. Tammany. * The Houma in East and West Feliciana, and Pointe Coupee parishes (about 100 miles (160 km) north of the town named for them). * The Avoyel, part of the Natchez nation, in parts of Avoyelles and Concordia parishes along the Mississippi River. * The Tunica in northeastern parishes of Tensas, Madison, East Carroll and West Carroll. * The remainder of central and north Louisiana was home to a substantial portion of the Caddo nation.
[edit] Exploration and settlement
The first European explorers to visit Louisiana came in 1528. The Spanish expedition (led by Panfilo de Narváez) located the mouth of the Mississippi River. In 1541, Hernando de Soto's expedition crossed the region. Then Spanish interest in Louisiana lay dormant. In the late 17th century, French expeditions, which included sovereign, religious and commercial aims, established a foothold on the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast. With its first settlements, France lay claim to a vast region of North America, and set out to establish a commercial empire and French nation stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada.
The French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle named the region Louisiana to honor France's King Louis XIV in 1682. The first permanent settlement, Fort Maurepas (at what is now Ocean Springs, Mississippi, near Biloxi), was founded by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, a French military officer from Canada, in 1699.
The French colony of Louisiana originally claimed all the land on both sides of the Mississippi River and north to French territory in Canada. The settlement of Natchitoches (along the Red River in present-day northwest Louisiana) was established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, making it the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory. The French settlement had two purposes: to establish trade with the Spanish in Texas, and to deter Spanish advances into Louisiana. Also, the northern terminus of the Old San Antonio Road (sometimes called El Camino Real, or Kings Highway) was at Natchitoches. The settlement soon became a flourishing river port and crossroads, giving rise to vast cotton kingdoms along the river. Over time, planters developed large plantations and built fine homes in a growing town, a pattern repeated in New Orleans and other places.
Louisiana's French settlements contributed to further exploration and outposts, concentrated along the banks of the Mississippi and its major tributaries, from Louisiana to as far north as the region called the Illinois Country, around Peoria, Illinois and present-day St. Louis, Missouri. See also: French colonization of the Americas
Initially Mobile, Alabama and Biloxi, Mississippi functioned as the capital of the colony; recognizing the importance of the Mississippi River to trade and military interests, France made New Orleans the seat of civilian and military authority in 1722. From then until the Louisiana Purchase made the region part of the United States on December 20, 1803, France and Spain would trade control of the region's colonial empire.
Most of the territory to the east of the Mississippi was lost to the Kingdom of Great Britain in the French and Indian War, except for the area around New Orleans and the parishes around Lake Pontchartrain. The rest of Louisiana became a colony of Spain by the Treaty of Fontainebleau of 1762.
Although Spain presided over Louisiana for about the same amount of time as France, Spain held the territory during its later, more rapid development. Still, French immigration and cultural influences had a lasting effect. During the period of Spanish rule, several thousand French-speaking refugees from the region of Acadia made their way to Louisiana following British expulsion; settling largely in the southwestern Louisiana, the Acadian refugees were welcomed by the Spanish, and descendants came to be called Cajuns.
In 1800, France's Napoleon Bonaparte acquired Louisiana from Spain in the Treaty of San Ildefonso, an arrangement kept secret for some two years.
Then in 1803, Bonaparte sold the territory to the United States, which (see Louisiana Purchase) divided it into two territories: the Orleans Territory (which became the state of Louisiana in 1812) and the District of Louisiana (which consisted of all the land not included in Orleans Territory). The Florida Parishes were annexed from Spanish West Florida by proclamation of President James Madison in 1810. The western boundary of Louisiana with Spanish Texas remained in dispute until the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1819, with the Sabine Free State serving as a neutral buffer zone as well as a haven for criminals.
Louisiana was a slave state. It also had one of the largest free black populations in the United States. Some free blacks in Louisiana were themselves slave owners; some accounts say the state's population of slave-owning blacks was among the largest in the country.
In the American Civil War, Louisiana seceded from the Union on January 26, 1861. New Orleans was captured by Federal troops on April 25, 1862. Because a large part of the population had Union sympathies (or compatible commercial interests), the Federal government took the unusual step of designating the areas of Louisiana under federal control as a state within the Union, with its own elected representatives to the U.S. Congress. [edit] Louisiana in the 21st Century
Further information: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on Louisiana and Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck and devastated southeastern Louisiana, while damaged levees in New Orleans flooded the city. The city was essentially closed until October. Estimates are that more than two million people in the Gulf region were displaced by the hurricane, with more than a thousand storm fatalities in Louisiana. The next month, southwestern Louisiana was struck by Hurricane Rita. [edit] Demographics Historical populations Census year Population 1810 76,556 1820 153,407 1830 215,739 1840 352,411 1850 517,762 1860 708,002 1870 726,915 1880 939,946 1890 1,118,588 1900 1,381,625 1910 1,656,388 1920 1,798,509 1930 2,101,593 1940 2,363,880 1950 2,683,516 1960 3,257,022 1970 3,641,306 1980 4,205,900 1990 4,219,973 2000 4,468,976 Louisiana Population Density Map Enlarge Louisiana Population Density Map
As of 2005, Louisiana has an estimated population of 4,523,628, which is an increase of 16,943, or 0.4%, from the prior year and an increase of 54,670, or 1.2%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 129,889 people (that is 350,818 births minus 220,929 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 69,373 people out of the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 20,174 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 89,547 people.
As of 2003, the state's population included approximately 215,000 native French-speakers.
The racial makeup of the state is:
* 62.5% White * 32.5% Black * 2.4% Hispanic * 1.2% Asian * 0.6% Native American * 1.1% Mixed race
The five largest ancestries in the state are: African American and Franco-African (32.5%), French/French Canadian (16.2%), American (10.1%), German (7.1%), Irish (7%). The U.S. Census, which continues to use race as a determinant, does not recognize that much of Louisiana's African-American heritage is, in fact, distinctly Franco-African with a sizable number designating themselves not as African-American but as Creole, which to many of them is a non-racial term.
Ancestors of both Franco-Africans and African-American blacks, who long made up the majority of the state's population in slavery days, dominate much of the southeast, central, and northern parts of the state, particularly those parishes along the Mississippi river valley. But, in recent years, the percentage of whites has experienced a growth due to all of the predominantly white senior citizens that have begun to relocate there because of the friendly atmosphere, mild winters, and beautiful scenery. Creoles of West-African descent, French and Spanish ancestry and Cajuns of French-Canadian ancestry are dominant in much of the southern part of the state. Whites of Southern U.S. background predominate in the hillier areas of northern Louisiana.
As of 2000, 91.2% of Louisiana residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 4.8% speak French. Spanish is the third most spoken language at 2.5%, followed by Vietnamese at 0.6% and German at 0.2%.
Among the states, Louisiana has a unique culture, owing to its French colonial heritage. While the state has no declared "official language," its law recognizes both English and French. [edit] Religion
Like the other Southern states, Louisiana is mostly Protestant; however there is also a large native Catholic population in the state, particularly in the southern part of the state, which makes Louisiana unique among Southern states. The current religious affiliations of the people of Louisiana are shown in the table below:
* Christian — 90% o Protestant — 60% + Baptist — 38% + Methodist — 4% + Pentecostal — 2% + Other Protestant – 16% o Roman Catholic — 30% o Other Christian — 1% * Other Religions — <1% * Non-Religious — 10% The New Orleans area has a small but significant Jewish community. [edit] Economy Greetings from Louisiana Enlarge Greetings from Louisiana The total gross state product in 2003 for Louisiana was US$140 billion. Its per capita personal income was US$26,312, forty-third in the United States. The state's principal agricultural outputs include seafood (It is the biggest producer of crayfish in the world), cotton, soybeans, cattle, sugarcane, poultry and eggs, dairy products, and rice. Its industrial outputs include chemical products, petroleum and coal products, food processing, transportation equipment, paper products, and tourism. Louisiana has 3 personal income tax brackets, ranging from 2 percent to 6 percent. The sales tax rate is 4 percent: a 3.97 percent Louisiana sales tax and a .03 percent Louisiana Tourism Promotion District sales tax. Political subdivisions also levy their own sales tax in addition to the state fees. The state also has a use tax, which includes 4 percent to be distributed by the Department of Revenue to local governments. Property taxes are assessed and collected at the local level. [edit] Transportation Further information: List of Louisiana numbered highways Interstate highways: * Interstate 10 o Interstate 110 (Baton Rouge downtown spur) o Interstate 210 (Lake Charles Loop) o Interstate 310 (Spur connecting Houma-area to 10) o Interstate 510 (Spur connecting New Orleans East and Chalmette to 10) o Interstate 610 (New Orleans Downtown Bypass) o Interstate 910 (Unofficial designation of West Bank Expressway, future 49) * Interstate 12 (Baton Rouge to Slidell, New Orleans Bypass) * Interstate 20 o Interstate 220 (Shreveport/Bossier City bypass) * Interstate 49 * Interstate 55 * Interstate 59 There are proposed plans to extend Interstate 69 to the Texas/Mexico border, which will go through north-eastern Louisiana. Also, Interstate 49 is slated to be expanded north into Arkansas and east along Interstate 10 to New Orleans, replacing part of U.S. Highway 90. The city of Lake Charles has an east-west loop called Interstate 210, which provides interstate highway access throughout the city. United States highways: North-south routes East-west routes * U.S. Highway 11 * U.S. Highway 425 * U.S. Highway 51 * U.S. Highway 61 * U.S. Highway 65 * U.S. Highway 165 * U.S. Highway 167 * U.S. Highway 71 * U.S. Highway 171 * U.S. Highway 371 * U.S. Highway 79 * U.S. Highway 80 * U.S. Highway 84 * U.S. Highway 90 * U.S. Highway 190 [edit] Law and government Further information: List of Louisiana Governors Louisiana State Quarter From its time as a possession of France, Louisiana retains a civil law legal system, based on the Louisiana Civil Code, which is similar to (and often confused with) the Napoleonic Code (like France, and unlike the rest of the United States, which uses a common law legal system derived from England). Also derived from French governance is the use of the term "parishes" in place of "counties" for the subdivisions of government. In 1849 the state moved the capital from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Donaldsonville, Opelousas, and Shreveport have briefly served as the seat of Louisiana state government. The current Louisiana governor is Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (Democrat), and its two U.S. senators are Mary Landrieu (Democrat) and David Vitter (Republican). Louisiana has seven Members of Congress: five Republicans and two Democrats. Louisiana is the only state whose legal system is based on Roman, Spanish, and French civil law as opposed to English common law. Technically, it is known as "Civil Law," or the "Civilian System." It is often incorrectly referred to as the "Code Napoléon" or The Napoleonic Code. It is important to note that the Louisiana Civil Code and the French Civil Code, often referred to as the Napoleonic Code, came into existence at roughly the same time. Louisiana was never governed by the Napoleonic Code. Great differences still exist between Louisiana Civil Law and the Common Law found in her 49 sister states. While some of these differences have been bridged due to the strong influence of the Common Law in the United States,[2] it is important to note that the "Civilian" tradition is still deeply rooted in most aspects of Louisiana private law. Thus property, contractual, business entities structure, much of civil procedure, and family law are still mostly based on traditional Roman legal thinking and have little in common with English law. In contrast, criminal law and public administrative law are entirely based on the Anglo-American Common Law. Moreover, as in the rest of the U.S., federal law in Louisiana is entirely Anglo-American Common Law, except in the rare case where it deals with an area of Louisiana law that is Civilian (such as property law). Louisiana is unique among U.S. states in its method for state, local, and congressional elections. All candidates, regardless of party affiliation, run in an open primary on Election Day. If no candidate has more than 50% of the vote, the two candidates with the highest vote total compete in a runoff election approximately one month later. This runoff does not take into account party identification; therefore, it is not uncommon for a Democrat to be in a runoff with a fellow Democrat or a Republican to be in a runoff with a fellow Republican. All other states use the First Past the Post electoral system to elect Senators, Representatives, and statewide officials. Louisiana has a statewide police force, the Louisiana State Police. It began in 1922 and its motto is "courtesy, loyalty, service." Its troopers have statewide jurisdiction with power to enforce all laws of the state, including city and parish ordinances. Each year, they patrol over 12 million miles (20 million km) of roadway and arrest about 10,000 impaired drivers. Troopers are also responsible for investigating the casino and gaming industry, all hazardous material incidents, anti-terrorism training and general criminal, narcotics and insurance fraud investigations. Louisiana is the only state that calls its subdivisions parishes, rather than counties. Each parish in Louisiana has an elected sheriff, with the exception of Orleans Parish. It has two elected sheriffs - one criminal and one civil. The sheriffs are responsible for general law enforcement in their respective parish. Orleans Parish is an another exception to this rule as the general law enforcement duties fall to the New Orleans Police Department. The sheriff also controls and manages the parish jail and/or correctional facility. The sheriff is also the tax collector for each parish. Most parishes are governed by a Police Jury. Eighteen of the sixty-four parishes are governed under an alternative form of government under a Home Rule Charter. They oversee the parish budget and operate the parish maintenance services. This includes parish road maintenance and other rural services. See also LA Sheriff's Association,LA Parish Government [edit] Important cities and towns Further information: List of cities, towns, and villages in Louisiana Cities with a population of over 10,000: Population > 10,000 (urbanized area)
* Hammond * New Iberia * Luling * Opelousas * Morgan City * West Monroe * Ruston * Thibodaux * Natchitoches * Plaquemine * Abbeville * Fort Polk (Leesville) * Bastrop * Crowley * Donaldsonville * Franklin * Bogalusa * Minden * Eunice * De Ridder * New Roads * Tallulah * Jennings * Sulphur
Population > 100,000 (urbanized area)
* Alexandria * Baton Rouge * Shreveport * Lafayette * Lake Charles * Houma * Monroe
1. Orleans Parish: pop.473,681 2. Jefferson Parish: pop.452,789 3. East Baton Rouge Parish: pop.412,008 4. Caddo Parish: pop.251,145 5. St. Tammany Parish: pop 201.462
* Five least populous parishes in Louisiana
1. Tensas Parish: pop.6,493 2. Red River Parish: pop.9,592 3. Cameron Parish: pop.9,644 4. St. Helena Parish: pop.10,403 5. Catahoula Parish: pop.10,890
* Parishes with highest Latino Population
1. Jefferson Parish 7.12% 2. Vernon Parish 5.92% 3. St. Bernard Parish 5.09% 4. Allen Parish 4.50% 5. Bossier Parish 3.15%
* Parishes with highest White non-Hispanic Population
1. Livingston Parish 94.35% 2. Cameron Parish 93.65% 3. St. Bernard Parish 88.29% 4. La Salle Parish 86.13% 5. Grant Parish 85.43%
* Parishes with highest African American population
1. East Carroll Parish 67.29% 2. Orleans Parish 67.25% 3. Madison Parish 60.45% 4. Tensas Parish 55.38% 5. St. Helena Parish 52.42%
* Ten richest places in Louisiana
Further information: Richest places in Louisiana
* Ranked by per capita income
1. Mound: $92,200 (population 12, as of the 2000 census) 2. Oak Hills Place: $34,944 3. Elmwood: $34,329 4. Eden Isle: $31,798 5. Gilliam: $30,264 6. Shenandoah: $29,722 7. Westminster: $28,087 8. River Ridge: $27,088 9. Prien: $26,537 10. Mandeville: $26,420
[edit] Education
Further information:
* List of school districts in Louisiana * Universities and colleges in Louisiana
[edit] Professional sports teams
As of 2005 Louisiana is nominally the least populous state with more than one major professional sports league franchise. However, the effects of Hurricane Katrina have forced the National Basketball Association's New Orleans Hornets to play their games in Oklahoma City for the 2005-06 season. The National Football League's New Orleans Saints played three of their 2005 regular season games in San Antonio, with four games in Baton Rouge. The long-term future of that franchise is uncertain. [edit] Football [edit] National Football League
* Minor League baseball teams o New Orleans Zephyrs o Shreveport Sports o Alexandria Aces o Baton Rouge River Bats o Houma Hawks o New Orleans Pelicans (1887-1959) o New Orleans Creoles (Negro League) (dates?)
[edit] Basketball
* National Basketball Association: o New Orleans Jazz (1974) team moved to Salt Lake City and became the Utah Jazz in 1979 o The Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2002 to become the New Orleans Hornets - Now known as The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (at least for 2005-06).
[edit] Hockey
* Minor League Hockey o Louisiana IceGators (1995 - 2005) - ECHL o Baton Rouge Kingfish (1996 - 2003) - ECHL o New Orleans Brass (1997 - 2003) - ECHL o Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs - CHL
[edit] Miscellaneous topics
For almost 20 years there was only one small amusement park in Louisiana, called Hamel's Amusement Park in Shreveport, which is now mostly closed. There is now a Six Flags in New Orleans East.
Since Louisiana is under constant threat from hurricanes, the Louisiana State Police are sponsoring a contraflow lane reversal program in order to evacuate the New Orleans metropolitan area as quickly as possible.
Louisiana's license plates depict a brown pelican and include the motto "Sportsman's Paradise," which emphasizes the state's opportunities for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities. The motto is often used in state tourism campaigns. [edit] State symbols
* State dog : Catahoula Leopard Dog * State bird : Eastern Brown Pelican * State flower : Magnolia * State fossil : Petrified palmwood * State tree : Bald Cypress * State mammal : Louisiana Black Bear * State wildflower : Louisiana Iris * State reptile : American Alligator * State insect: Honeybee * State crustacean : Crawfish * State amphibian: Green Tree Frog * State food: Gumbo * State songs: "You Are My Sunshine," "Every Man a King," and "Give Me Louisiana" * State Tartan * State drink: Milk * State instrument: Diatonic Accordian * State freshwater fish: Sac-au-Lait * State Gemstone: Agate * State Soil: Ruston * State Colors: Blue, White, Gold * State Pledge: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the state of Louisiana and to the motto for which it stands: A state, under God, united in purpose and ideals, confident that justice shall prevail for all of those abiding here.
[edit] Culture
Louisiana is home to two distinct cultures: the non-Anglo Creole and the French-speaking Cajun. The ancestors of Creoles came to Louisiana before the Louisiana Purchase (1803) from Western Europe France, Germany, Spain, and from Senegal (West Africa) and settled along the major waterways in the State. The blending of these disparate lifestyles is called "Creole" and continued as the dominant cultural, social, economic and political lifestyle of Louisiana well into the 20th Century when it would finally be overtaken by the Anglo-American mainstream.
The ancestors of the Cajuns are the Acadians, a French-speaking people of what are now New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada. When the British won the French and Indian War, the British forcibly separated families and evicted them (today called ethnic cleansing) because of their long-stated political neutrality. Most captured Acadians were placed in internment camps in England and the New England colonies for 10 to 30 years. Many of those who escaped the British remained in French Canada. Once freed by England, many scattered, some to France, Canada, Mexico, the Falkland Islands, with the majority finding final refuge in south Louisiana centered in the region around Lafayette and the LaFourche Bayou country. Until the 1970s, Cajuns were often considered lower class citizens with the term "Cajun" being derogatory. But, once flush with oil & gas riches, Cajun culture, food, music and their infectuous "joie de vivre" lifestyle quickly gained international acclaim.
There is also a distinct Spanish-descended group in Louisiana. The Islenos are direct descendants of Canary Islanders forced to migrate by the Spanish King beginning in the mid-1770s. There were intended to help guard the eastern approaches to New Orleans from invasion by the British. They settled in what is modern-day St. Bernard Parish, in the river passes east of the city, along an old mouth of the Mississippi River which they named Terre aux Boeufs (literally "Land of Cattle" for the cattle living there). Many of their descendants remained insulated from the city, and continued to speak an archaic version of Spanish well into the 20th Century. They still maintain contacts with the Canary Islands, and have an annual "Caldo" festival named for a native dish. [edit] References
1. ^ Sturdevent, William C. (1967): Early Indian Tribes, Cultures, and Linguistic Stocks, Smithsonian Institution Map (Eastern United States).
* Yiannopoulos, A.N., The Civil Codes of Louisiana (reprinted from Civil Law System: Louisiana and Comparative law, A Coursebook: Texts, Cases and Materials, 3d Edition; similar to version in preface to Louisiana Civil Code, ed. by Yiannopoulos) * Rodolfo Batiza, The Louisiana Civil Code of 1808: Its Actual Sources and
Present Relevance, 46 TUL. L. REV. 4 (1971); Rodolfo Batiza, Sources of the Civil Code of 1808, Facts and Speculation: A Rejoinder, 46 TUL. L. REV. 628 (1972); Robert A. Pascal, Sources of the Digest of 1808: A Reply to Professor Batiza, 46 TUL. L. REV. 603 (1972); Joseph M. Sweeney, Tournament of Scholars Over the Sources of the Civil Code of 1808,46 TUL. L. REV. 585 (1972).
* Kinsella, N. Stephan, A Civil Law to Common Law Dictionary, 54 Louisiana Law Review 1265 (1994)
[edit] Historical
The standard history of the state, though only thru the Civil War, is Charles Gayarré's History of Louisiana (various editions, culminating in 1866, 4 vols., with a posthumous and further expanded edition in 1885).
A number of travel relations by 17th and 18th century French explorers, among whom the following at least should be cited: Jean-Bernard Bossu, François-Marie Perrin du Lac, Pierre-François-Xa vier de Charlevoix, Dumont (as published by Fr. Mascrier), Fr. Louis Hennepin, Lahontan, Louis Narcisse Baudry des Lozières, Jean-Baptiste Bénard de La Harpe, and Laval. In this group, the explorer Antoine Simon Le Page du Pratz may be considered the first historian of Louisiana with his Histoire de la Louisiane (3 vols., Paris, 1758; 2 vols., London, 1763)
François Xavier Martin's History of Louisiana (2 vols., New Orleans, 1827-1829, later ed. by J. F. Condon, continued to 1861, New Orleans, 1882) is the first scholarly treatment of the subject, along with François Barbé-Marbois' Histoire de la Louisiane et de la cession de colonie par la France aux Etats-Unis (Paris, 1829; in English, Philadelphia, 1830).
Alcée Fortier's A History of Louisiana (N.Y., 4 vols., 1904) is the most recent of the large-scale scholarly histories of the state.
The works of Albert Phelps and Grace King should also be mentioned among the more important, as well as the publications of the Louisiana Historical Society and several works on the history of New Orleans (q.v.), among them those by Henry Rightor and John Kendall Smith. [edit] See also Commons logo Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Louisiana
{{|List of people from Louisiana|List of Louisiana musicians|Music of Louisiana}} [edit] External links
* Official State of Louisiana website * U.S. Census Bureau * History of Louisiana * Photos of Louisiana - Terra Galleria * Louisiana Politics & News * Parish Maps Louisiana Louisiana parish maps cities towns full color * Louisiana Authors and Literature from the Southern Literary Review
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State of Louisiana Regions:
Acadiana | Florida Parishes | Greater New Orleans | Northwest Louisiana | River Parishes Largest cities:
Alexandria | Baton Rouge (Capital) | Bossier City | Houma | Kenner | Lafayette | Lake Charles | Metairie | Monroe | New Iberia | New Orleans | Shreveport Metropolitan Areas: Greater New Orleans | Shreveport-Bossier City | Lafayette-New Iberia | Lake Charles-Sulfur | Monroe-West Monroe | Alexandria-Pineville | Baton Rouge, Louisiana Parishes:
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Flag of Malaysia Coat of arms of Malaysia Flag Coat of arms Motto: Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu (English: Unity Is Strength) Anthem: "Negaraku" Location of Malaysia Capital Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya1 2°30′ N 112°30′ E Largest city Kuala Lumpur Official language(s) Malay Government • Paramount Ruler • Prime Minister Federal constitutional monarchy Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Independence
Formation From the UK (Malaya only) August 31, 1957 With Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore September 16, 1963 Area - Total
- Water (%) 329,758 km² (64th) 127,287 mi² 0.3 Population - 2005 est. - 2000 census - Density 26,207,102 (46th) 23,953,136 78/km² (97th) 206/mi² GDP (PPP) - Total - Per capita 2005 estimate $290 billion (33rd) $12,106 (62nd) HDI (2003) 0.796 (61st) – medium Currency Ringgit (RM) (MYR) Time zone - Summer (DST) SST (UTC+8) Not observed (UTC+8) Internet TLD .my Calling code +602 1. Kuala Lumpur is the legislative capital and Putrajaya is the administrative centre. 2. 020 from Singapore
The Federation of Malaysia is a federation of 13 states in Southeast Asia, formed in 1963.
The country consists of two geographical regions divided by the South China Sea:
* West Malaysia (or Peninsular Malaysia) on the Malay Peninsula shares a land border on the north with Thailand and is connected by the Johor-Singapore Causeway and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link on the south with Singapore. It consist of the 11 states Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Selangor and Terengganu, and the two federal territories Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur. * East Malaysia occupies the northern part of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia and the Sultanate of Brunei. It consists of the federal territory of Labuan islands and the states of Sabah and Sarawak.
History
Main article: History of Malaysia
The Malay Peninsula has long benefited from its central position in the maritime trade routes between China and the Middle East. Ptolemy showed it on his early map with a label that translates as "Golden Chersonese", the Straits of Malacca as "Sinus Sabaricus".
The earliest recorded Malay kingdoms grew from coastal city-ports established in the 10th century AD. These include Langkasuka and Lembah Bujang in Kedah, as well as Beruas and Gangga Negara in Perak and Pan Pan in Kelantan. It is thought that originally these were Hindu or Buddhist nations. The first evidence of Islam in the Malay peninsula dates from the 14th century in Terengganu.
In the early 15th century, the Sultanate of Malacca was established under a dynasty founded by Parameswara, a prince from Palembang, who fled from the island Temasek (now Singapore). Parameswara decided to establish his kingdom in Malacca after witnessing an astonishing incident where a white mouse deer kick one of his hunting dogs. With Malacca as its capital, the sultanate controlled the areas which are now Peninsula Malaysia, southern Thailand (Patani), and the eastern coast of Sumatra. It existed for more than a century, and within that time period Islam spread to most of the Malay Archipelago. Malacca was the foremost trading port at the time in Southeast Asia.
In 1511, Malacca was conquered by Portugal, who established a colony there. The sons of the last sultan of Malacca established two sultanates elsewhere in the peninsula - the Sultanate of Perak to the north, and the Sultanate of Johor (originally a continuation of the old Malacca sultanate) to the south. After the fall of Malacca, three nations struggled for the control of Malacca Strait: the Portuguese (in Malacca), the Sultanate of Johor, and the Sultanate of Aceh. This conflict went on till 1641, when the Dutch (allied to the Sultanate of Johor) gained control of Malacca.
Britain established its first colony in the Malay peninsula in 1786, with the granting of the island of Penang to the British East India Company by the Sultan of Kedah. In 1824, the British took control of Malacca following the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 which divided the Malaya archipelago between Britain and the Netherlands, with Malaya in the British zone. In 1826, Britain established the crown colony of the Straits Settlements, uniting its three possessions in Malaya: Penang, Malacca and Singapore. The Straits Settlements were administered under the East India Company in Calcutta until 1867, when they were transferred to the Colonial Office in London.
Sultan Abdul Samad Building in Kuala Lumpur houses the High Court of Malaya at Kuala Lumpur and the Trade Court. Kuala Lumpur was the capital of the Federated Malay States and is the current Malaysian capital. Enlarge Sultan Abdul Samad Building in Kuala Lumpur houses the High Court of Malaya at Kuala Lumpur and the Trade Court. Kuala Lumpur was the capital of the Federated Malay States and is the current Malaysian capital. Kuala Lumpur, the capital and largest city of Malaysia Enlarge Kuala Lumpur, the capital and largest city of Malaysia
During the late 19th century, many Malay states decided to obtain British help in settling their internal conflicts. The commercial importance of tin mining in the Malay states to merchants in the Straits Settlemens led to British government intervention in the tin-producing states in the Malay Peninsula. British gunboat diplomacy was employed to bring about a peaceful resolution to civil disturbances caused by Chinese gangsters, and the Pangkor Treaty of 1874 paved the way for the expansion of British influence in Malaya. By the turn of the 20th century the states of Pahang, Selangor, Perak, and Negeri Sembilan, known together as the Federated Malay States (not to be confused with the Federation of Malaya), were under the de facto control of British Residents appointed to advise the Malay rulers. The British were "advisers" by name but in reality they were the puppet masters behind the Malay rulers who had to abide to their whims and fancies.
The remaining five states in the peninsula, known as the Unfederated Malay States, while not directly under rule from London, also accepted British advisors around the turn of the 20th century. Of these, the four northern states of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu had previously under Siamese control.
On the island of Borneo, Sabah was governed as the crown colony of British North Borneo, while Sarawak was acquired from Brunei as the personal kingdom of the Brooke family, who ruled as white rajahs.
Following the Japanese occupation of Malaya (1942-1945) during World War II, popular support for independence grew. Post-war British plans to unite the administration of Malaya under a single crown colony called the Malayan Union foundered on strong opposition from the Malays, who opposed the emasculation of the Malay rulers and the granting of citizenship to the ethnic Chinese. The Malayan Union, established in 1946 and consisting of all the British possessions in Malaya with the exception of Singapore, was dissolved in 1948 and replaced by the Federation of Malaya, which restored the autonomy of the rulers of the Malay states under British protection.
During this time, Chinese rebels under the leadership of the Communist Party of Malaya launched guerrilla operations designed to force the British out of Malaya. The Malayan Emergency, as it was known, lasted from 1948 to 1960, and involved a long anti-insurgency campaign by Commonwealth troops in Malaya. Against this backdrop, independence for the Federation within the Commonwealth was granted on 31 August 1957 (see Hari Merdeka.
In 1963 the Federation was expanded with the admission of the then-British crown colonies of Singapore, Sabah (British North Borneo) and Sarawak, and renamed Malaysia. The Sultanate of Brunei, though initially expressing interest in joining the Federation, withdrew from the planned merger due to opposition from certain segments of the population as well as arguments over the payment of oil royalties.
The early years of independence were marred by conflict with Indonesia (Konfrantasi) over the formation of Malaysia, Singapore's eventual exit in 1965, and racial strife in the form of racial riots in 1969 (popularly known as the "May 13" riots). The Philippines also made an active claim on Sabah in that period based upon the Sultanate of Brunei's cession of its north-east territories to the Sultanate of Sulu in 1704, which is still ongoing.
After the May 13 racial riots of 1969, the controversial New Economic Policy - intended to increase the share of the economic pie owned by the bumiputeras as opposed to other ethnic groups - was launched by Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak. Malaysia has since maintained a delicate ethno-political balance, with a system of government that has attempted to combine overall economic development with political and economic policies that favour Bumiputras, the native population which includes the majority Malays.
Between the 1980s and the early 1990s, Malaysia experienced significant economic growth under the premiership of Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad. The period saw a shift from an agriculture-based economy to one based on manufacturing and industry in areas such as computers and consumer electronics. It was during this period, too, that the physical landscape of Malaysia has changed with the emergence of numerous mega-projects. The most notable of these projects are the Petronas Twin Towers (at the time the tallest building in the world), KL International Airport (KLIA), the Sepang F1 Circuit, the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), the Bakun hydroelectric dam and Putrajaya, a new federal administrative capital.
In the late 1990s, Malaysia was shaken by the Asian financial crisis as well as political unrest caused by the sacking of the deputy prime minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In 2003, Dr Mahathir, Malaysia's longest serving prime minister, retired in favour of his deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, commonly known as Pak Lah. [edit]
Politics
Main article: Politics of Malaysia
The Parliament building Enlarge The Parliament building
Malaysia is a federal constitutional elective monarchy. It is nominally headed by the Paramount Ruler or Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commonly referred to as the King of Malaysia. Yang di-Pertuan Agong are selected for five-year terms from among the nine Sultans of the Malay states; the other four states, which have titular Governors, do not participate in the selection.
The system of government in Malaysia is closely modeled on that of Westminster parliamentary system, a legacy of British colonial rule. In practice however, more power is vested in the executive branch of government than in the legislative, and the judiciary has been weakened by sustained attacks by the government during the Mahathir era. Parliamentary elections are held at least once every five years, with the last general election being in March 2004. Since independence in 1957, Malaysia has been governed by a multi-racial coalition known as the Barisan Nasional (formerly the Alliance).
Executive power is vested in the cabinet led by the prime minister; the Malaysian constitution stipulates that the prime minister must be a member of the lower house of parliament who, in the opinion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commands a majority in parliament. The cabinet is chosen from among members of both houses of Parliament and is responsible to that body.
The bicameral parliament consists of the upper house, the Senate or Dewan Negara (literally the "Chamber of the Nation") and the lower house, the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (literally the "Chamber of the People"). All 69 Senators sit for 6-year terms; 26 are elected by the 13 state assemblies, and 43 are appointed by the king. The 219 members of the House of Representatives are elected from single-member constituencies by universal adult suffrage, for a maximum term of 5 years. Legislative power is divided between federal and state legislatures.
The state governments are led by chief ministers (Menteri Besar or Ketua Menteri, the latter term being used in states without hereditary rulers), selected by the state assemblies (Dewan Undangan Negeri) advising their respective sultans or governors.
The national media are largely controlled by the government and by political parties in the Barisan Nasional/National Front ruling coalition and the opposition has little access to the media. The print media are controlled by the Government through the requirement of obtaining annual publication licences under the Printing and Presses Act.
See also: Courts of Malaysia
* List of Malaysian political parties
[edit]
States
Main article: States of Malaysia
Further information: State emblem of Malaysia
Malaysia is divided into two types of political divisions: states (negeri) and Federal Territories (Wilayah Persekutuan) that collectively have the status of a state.
Eleven states are situated on Peninsular Malaysia, two on Borneo Island. Nine peninsular states are monarchies (hereditary sultanates unless otherwise mentioned): Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan (which has an elected hereditary Yang di-Pertuan Besar), Pahang, Perak (like Malaysia itself, a system of revolving monarchy with three royal families), Perlis (the only Raja), Selangor, and Terengganu. Malacca and Penang, both on the peninsula and formerly part of the Straits Settlements under direct British control, as well as Sabah and Sarawak, both on Borneo, each have a federally appointed titular Governor or Yang di-Pertua Negeri.
Two federal territories Kuala Lumpur (the legislative capital; often called "KL") and Putrajaya (the new administrative capital) are located on the Malay Peninsula, while the third, Labuan, is an island off the coast of Sabah.
See also Malaysian state code [edit]
Geography Map of Peninsular and East Malaysia Enlarge Map of Peninsular and East Malaysia
Main article: Geography of Malaysia
The two distinct parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by the South China Sea, share a largely similar landscape in that both West and East Malaysia feature coastal plains rising to often densely forested hills and mountains, the highest of which is Mount Kinabalu at 4,095.2 metres (13,435.7 ft) on the island of Borneo. The local climate is equatorial and characterised by the annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons.
Tanjung Piai, located in the southern state of Johor, is the southernmost tip of continental Asia — if Singapore, an island connected to the continent by a man-made causeway, is excluded.
The Straits of Malacca, lying between Sumatra and West Malaysia, is arguably the most important shipping lane in the world.
Putrajaya is the newly created administrative capital for the federal government of Malaysia, aimed in part to ease growing congestion within Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur. The prime minister's office moved in 1999 and the move is expected to be completed in 2005. Kuala Lumpur remains the seat of parliament, as well as the commercial and financial capital of the country. Other major cities include George Town, Ipoh, Johor Bahru and Kuching. See also List of cities in Malaysia. [edit]
Economy
Main article: Economy of Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur's landmark, the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world Enlarge Kuala Lumpur's landmark, the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world
The Malay Peninsula and indeed Southeast Asia has been a centre of trade for centuries. Various items such as porcelain and spice were actively traded even before Malacca and Singapore rose to prominence.
In the 17th century, large deposits of tin were found in several Malay states. Later, as the British started to take over as administrators of Malaya, rubber and palm oil trees were introduced for commercial purposes. Over time, Malaya became the world's largest major producer of tin, rubber, and palm oil. These three commodities, along with other raw materials, firmly set Malaysia's economic tempo well into the mid-20th century.
In 1970s, Malaysia began to imitate the footsteps of the original four Asian Tigers and committed itself to a transition from being reliant on mining and agriculture to an economy that depends more on manufacturing. With Japanese investment, heavy industries flourished and in a matter of years, Malaysian exports became the country's primary growth engine. Malaysia consistently achieved more than 7% GDP growth along with low inflation in the 1980s and the 1990s.
During the same period, the government tried to eradicate poverty with a controversial race-conscious program called New Economic Policy (NEP) with mixed success.
The rapid economic boom led to a variety of supply problems, however. Labour shortages soon resulted in an influx of millions of foreign workers, many illegal. Cash-rich PLCs and consortiums of banks eager to benefit from increased and rapid development began large infrastructure projects. This all ended when the Asian Financial Crisis hit in the fall of 1997, delivering massive shock to Malaysia's economy.
As characteristic of other countries affected by the crisis, there was speculative short-selling of the Malaysian currency, the ringgit. Foreign direct investment fell at an alarming rate and, as capital flowed out of the country, the value of the ringgit dropped from MYR 2.50 per USD to, at one point, MYR 4.80 per USD. The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange's composite index plummeted from approximately 1300 points to nearly merely 400 points in a matter of weeks. After the sacking of finance minister Anwar Ibrahim, a National Economic Action Council was formed to deal with the monetary crisis. Bank Negara imposed capital controls and pegged the Malaysian ringgit at 3.80 to a US dollar. Malaysia refused economic aid packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, however, surprising many analysts.
In March 2005, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) published a paper on the sources and pace of Malaysia's recovery, written by Jomo K.S. of the applied economics department, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. The paper concluded that the controls imposed by Malaysia's government neither hurt nor helped recovery. The chief factor was an increase in electronics components exports, which was caused by a large increase in the demand for components in the United States, which was caused, in turn, by a fear of the effects of the arrival of the year 2000 (Y2K) upon older computers and other digital devices.
However, the post Y2K slump of 2001 did not affect Malaysia as much as other countries. This may have been clearer evidence that there are other causes and effects that can be more properly attributable for recovery. One possibility is that the currency speculators had run out of finance after failing in their attack on the Hong Kong dollar in August 1998 and after the Russian ruble collapsed. (See George Soros)
Regardless of cause/effect claims, rejuvenation of the economy also coincided with massive government spending and budget deficits in the years that followed the crisis. Later, Malaysia enjoyed faster economic recovery compared to its neighbours. In many ways, however, the country has yet to recover to the levels of the pre-crisis era.
While the pace of development today is not as rapid, it is seen to be more sustainable. And, although the controls and economic housekeeping may not have been the principal reason for recovery, there is no doubt that the banking sector is more resilient to external shocks now. The current account has also settled into a structural surplus providing a cushion to capital flight. Asset prices are now a fraction of their pre-crisis heights.
The fixed exchange rate regime was abandoned in July 2005 in favour of managed floating system within an hour of China's announcing of the same move. In the same week, the ringgit strengthened a percent against various major currencies and was expected to appreciate further. As of December 2005, however, expectations of further appreciation was muted as capital flight exceeded USD 10 billion.
In September 2005, Sir Howard J. Davies, director of the London School of Economics, at a meeting Kuala Lumpur, cautioned Malaysian officials that if they want a flexible capital market, they will have to lift the ban on short-selling put into effect during the crisis. On March 23 2006, Malaysia removed the ban on short selling. [1]
* Islamic banking in Malaysia * List of Malaysian companies
[edit]
Natural resources
Malaysia is well-endowed with natural resources in areas such as agriculture, forestry as well as minerals. In terms of agriculture, Malaysia is the world's primary exporter of natural rubber and palm oil, which together with saw logs and sawn timber, cocoa, pepper, pineapple and tobacco dominate the growth of the sector. Palm oil is also a major foreign exchange earner.
Regarding forestry resources, it is noted that logging only began to make a substantial contribution to the economy during the nineteenth century. Today an estimated 59 percent of Malaysia remains forested. The rapid expansion of the timber industry, particularly after the 1960s, has brought about a serious erosion problem in the country's forest resources. However, in line with the Government's commitment to protect the environment and the ecological system, forestry resources are being managed on a sustainable basis and accordingly the rate of tree felling has been on the downtrend.
In addition, substantial areas are being silviculturally treated and reforestation of degraded forest land is also being carried out. The Malaysian government provide plans for the enrichment of some 312.30 square kilometres (120.5 sq mi) of land with rattan under natural forest conditions and in rubber plantations as an intercrop. To further enrich forest resources, fast-growing timber species such as meranti tembaga, merawan and sesenduk are also being planted. At the same time, the cultivation of high-value trees like teak and other trees for pulp and paper are also encouraged. Rubber, once the mainstay of the Malaysian economy, has been largely replaced by oil palm as Malaysia's leading agricultural export.
Tin and petroleum are the two main mineral resources that are of major significance in the Malaysian economy. Malaysia was once the world's largest producer of tin until the collapse of the tin market in the early 1980s. In the 19th and 20th Century, tin played a predominant role in the Malaysian economy. It was only in 1972 that petroleum and natural gas took over from tin as the mainstay of the mining sector. Meanwhile, the contribution by tin has declined. Petroleum and natural gas which were discovered in oilfields offshore from Sabah, Sarawak and Trengganu have contributed much to the Malaysian economy particularly in those three states. Other minerals of some importance or significance include copper, gold, bauxite, iron-ore and coal together with industrial minerals like clay, kaolin, silica, limestone, barite, phosphates and dimension stones such as granite as well as marble blocks and slabs. Small quantities of gold are produced.
In 2004, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, revealed that Malaysia's oil reserves stood at 4.84 billion barrels while natural gas reserves increased to 89 trillion cubic feet (2,500 km³). This was an increase of 7.2 percent.
The government predicts that at current production rates Malaysia will be able to produce oil for 18 years and gas for 35 years. In 2004 Malaysia is ranked 24th in terms of world oil reserves and 13th for gas. 56% of the oil reserves exist in the Peninsula while 19% exist in East Malaysia. The government collects oil royalties of which 5% are passed to the states and the rest retained by the federal government. [edit]
Transport & Communications
Main article: Communications in Malaysia
Main article: Transportation in Malaysia
The Kuala Lumpur Tower enchances communication quality within Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley. Enlarge The Kuala Lumpur Tower enchances communication quality within Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley.
Malaysia has extensive railroads that connect all major cities and town on the peninsular and east Malaysia itself. The North-South Expressway basically span from the northern tip of Bukit Kayu Hitam and Johor Baru in the south, which also connects roads into Thailand and Singapore. There are sea ports in Tanjong Kidurong, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Pasir Gudang, Penang, Port Kelang, Sandakan and Tawau. There are also world class airports that provide international and domestic destinations.
Roads in the East Malaysia and the eastern coast of West Malaysia are still relatively undeveloped. Those are highly curved roads passing through mountainous regions and many are still unsealed, gravel roads. This has resulted in the continued use of rivers as the main mode of transportation for interior residents.
Malaysia is also the home of the first low-cost carrier in the region, Air Asia. It retains Kuala Lumpur as its hub and maintains flights around Southeast Asia and now China as well.
The intercity telecommunication service is provided on Peninsular Malaysia mainly by microwave radio relay. International telecommunications are provided through submarine cables and satellite.
In December 2004, Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik reported that only 0.85 percent or 218,004 people in Malaysia used broadband services. However these values are based on subscriber number, whilst household percentage can reflect the situation more accurately. This represented an increase from 0.45% in three quarters. He also stated that the government targeted usage of 5% by 2006 and doubling to 10% by 2008. Lim Keng Yaik had urged local telecommunication companies and service provider to open up the last mile and lower prices to benefit the users. One of the largest and most significant telecommunication companies of choice in Malaysia is Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), providing products and services from fixed line, mobile to Internet Service Provider.
* List of Malaysian television stations * List of Malaysian radio stations * List of Malaysian newspapers
[edit]
Healthcare
Malaysian society places importance on the expansion and development of healthcare, putting 5% of the government social sector development budget into public healthcare - an increase of more than 47% over the previous figure. This has meant an overall increase of more than RM 2 billion. With a rising and aging population, the Government wishes to improve in many areas including the refurbishment of existing hospitals, building and equipping new hospitals, expansion of the number of polyclinics, and improvements in training and expansion of telehealth. Over the last couple of years they have increased their efforts to overhaul the systems and attract more foreign investment.
The Malaysian healthcare system requires doctors to perform a compulsory 3 years service with public hospitals to ensure the manpower of these hospitals are maintained. Recently foreign doctors have also been encouraged to take up employment here. There is still, however, a compound shortage of medical workforce, especially that of highly trained specialists resulting in certain medical care and treatment only available in large cities. Recent efforts to bring many facilities to other towns have been hampered by lack of expertise to run the available equipment made ready by investments.
There are currently 114 government hospitals and healthcare centers with a total of 28,163 beds. There are also seven special medical institutions (including psychiatric institutions) with a total of 6,292 beds. As for private hospitals, there are 225 of them (including maternity and nursing homes) in Malaysia, and they provide 9,498 beds. The majority are in urban areas and, unlike many of the public hospitals, are equipped with the latest diagnostic and imaging facilities. Private hospitals have not generally been seen as an ideal investment - it has often taken up to 10 years before companies have seen any profits. However, the situation has now changed and companies are now looking into this area again, particularly in view of the increasing interest by foreigners in coming to Malaysia for medical care.
* List of Malaysian hospitals
[edit]
Education
Main article: Education in Malaysia
Malaysian children begin schooling from the age of 5 or 6 in kindergarten. Year One begins the year a child turns 7. There is an exam taken when leaving Primary school, called 'Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah', or UPSR (Primary School Assessment Examination) which is taken by all Year Six students before going into secondary schools. The purpose of this examination is to assess the quality of the primary education in Malaysia. An exam called Penilaian Tahap Satu (PTS; First Level Assessment) was used to measure the ability of bright students, and to allow them to move from Year 3 to 5. This exam has since been removed.
Secondary education lasts five years. At the end of the third year or Form Three, students must sit for the 'Penilaian Menengah Rendah' (PMR; Lower Secondary Assessment), to guide them on what subjects to take in the next year. The combination of subjects available to Form 4 students vary from one school to another. In the last year (Form 5), students sit for 'Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia', or SPM (Malaysian Certificate of Education; equivalent to the British Ordinary or 'O' levels, now referred to as GCSEs).
Some Chinese choose to study in Independent High School, where most subjects are taught in Chinese. Independent high school takes 6 years to complete. Instead of sitting for PMR or SPM, student will sit for UEC in Junior Middle 3 (Form 3) and Senior Middle 3 (Form 6). Some independent high school teach in Malay and Chinese, so that the students can sit for PMR, SPM and UEC.
Students wishing to enter university must complete 2 more years of secondary schooling.They must take up either the school based Form Six and sit for Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia', or STPM (Malaysia Higher Certificate of Education; equivalent to the British Advanced or 'A' levels), matriculation (1 year only), or other pre-university courses before they may apply for entry into local universities. Independent High School students can enter some of the universities using their UEC result.
Students can opt to go to private colleges after secondary studies. Most colleges have education links with overseas universities especially in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Malaysian students abroad study mostly in the UK, United States, Australia, Singapore, Japan and Canada.
Until recently, all subjects except foreign languages (English, Mandarin and Tamil) were taught in Bahasa Melayu (Malay). The result was that while many Malaysian students were proficient with the Malay language, they later struggled with English based tertiary education, especially in overseas universities and colleges.
Currently Mathematics and Science are the only subjects other than languages that are taught in English. The reasoning was that students would no longer be hindered by the language barrier during their tertiary education in fields such as medicine and engineering. All other subjects are taught in Bahasa Melayu.
In addition to the National Curriculum, Malaysia has many international schools. International schools offer students the opportunity to study the curriculum of another country. These schools mainly cater for the growing expatriate population in the country. International schools include - Australian International School, Malaysia (Australian curriculum), The Alice Smith School (British curriculum), The International School of Kuala Lumpur (International Baccalaureate and American curriculum), The Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur (Japanese curriculum), Lycée Français de Kuala Lumpur (French curriculum) amongst others.
* List of Malaysian schools * List of Malaysian universities and colleges
[edit]
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Malaysia
Malaysia's population is comprised of many ethnic groups, with the politically dominant Malays making up the majority. By constitutional definition, all Malays are Muslim. About a quarter of the population are Chinese, who have historically played an important role in trade and business. Malaysians of Indian descent comprise about 10% of the population and include Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and Buddhists. About 90% of the Indian community is Tamil but various other groups are represented, including Malayalis, Punjabis and Telugus.
Non-Malay indigenous groups make up more than half of the state of Sarawak's population, constitute about 66% of Sabah's population, and also exist in much smaller numbers on the Peninsula, where they are collectively called Orang Asli. The non-Malay indigenous population is divided into dozens of ethnic groups, but they share some general cultural similarities. Other Malaysians also include those of, inter alia, European, Middle Eastern, Cambodian, and Vietnamese descent. Europeans and Eurasians include British who colonized and settled in Malaysia and some Portuguese, and most of the Middle Easterners are Arabs. A small number of Kampucheans and Vietnamese settled in Malaysia as Vietnam War refugees. Population distribution is uneven, with some 20 million residents concentrated on the Malay Peninsula.
May 13, 1969 saw an incident of civil unrest which was then thought to be largely due to the socio-economic imbalance of the country along racial lines, though in retrospect it may have been more motivated by political firebrands in both governing and opposition parties, as the violence involved only the areas in and around the capital, with much of the country remaining at peace. This incident led to the adoption of the New Economic Policy as a two-pronged approach to address racial and economic inequality and to eradicate poverty in the country.
Due to the rise in labour intensive industries, Malaysia has 10 to 20 percent foreign workers with the uncertainty due in part to the large number of illegal workers; there are a million legal foreign workers and perhaps another million unauthorized foreigners. The state of Sabah alone has nearly 20% of its 2.5 million population listed as illegal foreign workers in the last census. Unauthorized foreigners are subject to RM10,000 fines and two-year prison terms, while Malaysian employers face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to RM50,000 for each illegal worker hired, with those hiring more than five also liable to caning. Caning is a standard punishment for more than 40 crimes in Malaysia, ranging from sexual abuse to drug use. Administered with a thick rattan stick, it splits the skin and leaves scars.
Some 380,000 unauthorized foreigners left during an "amnesty" that began in Fall 2004 and was extended several times. During amnesties, unauthorized foreigners can leave without paying fines for being illegally in the country. On March 1, 2005, some 300,000 policemen as well as the 560,000-strong Peoples Volunteer Corp began searching for the remaining unauthorized foreigners under Operation Tegas; the volunteers receive RM100 for each foreigner arrested. Source: Migration News, April 2005 Volume 12 Number 2
* List of Malaysian people
[edit]
Religion Masjid Jamek is one of the most recognizable mosques in Malaysia. Enlarge Masjid Jamek is one of the most recognizable mosques in Malaysia.
Malaysia is a multi-religious society, but Islam is the official religion of the country. The four main religions are Islam (60.4% of the population according to government census figures in 2000), Buddhism (19.2%), Hinduism (6.3%), and Christianity (9.1%, mostly in East Malaysia, i.e. Borneo). Until the 20th century, most practiced traditional beliefs, which arguably still linger on to a greater degree than Malaysian officialdom is prepared to acknowledge.
Although the Malaysian constitution theoretically guarantees religious freedom, in practice the situation is not so simple (See Status of religious freedom in Malaysia). Non-Muslims often experience restrictions in activities such as construction of religious buildings. Meanwhile Muslims are obliged to follow the decisions of sharia courts. Whether Muslims may freely leave Islam is not yet legally clear. In some situations, the Malaysian courts have denied one's right to freedom of religion even when one has renounced Islam (such as the Yeshua Jalilludin versus the Minister of Home Affairs case in the 1980's). Generally one who wishes to leave Islam makes a legal declaration, but this is still not recognised by the Malaysian civil courts. One is said to have to obtain a declaration of apostasy with a Syariah Court, but the court will not generally grant one.
Malaysians tend to personally respect one another's religious beliefs, with inter-religious problems arising mainly from the political sphere.
* Buddhism in Malaysia * Islam in Malaysia * Christianity in Malaysia * Hinduism in Malaysia * Status of religious freedom in Malaysia
[edit]
Culture
Main article: Culture of Malaysia
Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multilingual society, consisting of 65% Malays and other indigenous tribes, 25% Chinese, 7% Indians. The Malays, which form the largest community, are all Muslims since one has to be Muslim to be legally Malay under Malaysian law. The Malays play a dominant role politically and are included in a grouping identified as bumiputera. Their native language is Malay (Bahasa Melayu). Bahasa Malaysia which is largely similar to Bahasa Melayu in most practical terms is the national language of the country.
In the past, Bahasa Melayu was written widely in Jawi, a script based on Arabic. Over time, romanized script overtook Jawi as the dominant script. This was largely due to the influence of the colonial education system which taught children in romanised writing rather than in Arabic script.
The largest indigenous tribe in terms of numbers is the Iban of Sarawak, who number over 600,000. The Iban who still live in traditional jungle villages live in longhouses along the Rajang and Lupar rivers and their tributaries. The Bidayuh (170,000) are concentrated in the south-western part of Sarawak. The largest indigenous tribe in Sabah is the Kadazan. They are largely Christian subsistence farmers. The Orang Asli (140,000), or aboriginal peoples, comprise a number of different ethnic communities living in Peninsular Malaysia. Traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers and agriculturists, many have been sedentarised and partially absorbed into modern Malaysia. However, they remain the poorest group in the country.
The Chinese comprise of about a quarter of the population. They are mostly Buddhists (of Mahayana sect), Taoists or Christian, and speak a variety of Chinese dialects including Hokkien/Fujian, Cantonese, Hakka and Teochew. Many middle to upper-middle class Chinese in Malaysia also speak English as a first language. The Chinese in Malaysia have been historically dominant in the business community.
The Indians account for about 7% of the population. They are mainly Hindu Tamils from southern India, speaking Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi, living mainly in the larger towns on the west coast of the peninsula. Many middle to upper-middle class Indians in Malaysia also speak English as a first language.
There is also a sizeable Sikh community. Eurasians, Cambodians, Vietnamese, and indigenous tribes make up the remaining population. A small number of Eurasians, of mixed Portuguese and Malay descent, speak a Portuguese-based creole, called Papiá Kristang. There are also Eurasians of mixed Malay and Spanish descent, mostly in Sabah. Descended from immigrants from the Philippines, some speak Chavacano, the only Spanish-based creole language in Asia. Cambodians and Vietnamese are mostly Buddhists (Cambodians of Theravada sect and Vietnamese, Mahayana sect).
Malaysian traditional music is heavily influenced by Chinese and Islamic forms. The music is based largely around the gendang (drum), but includes other percussion instruments (some made of shells); the rebab, a bowed string instrument; the serunai, a double-reed oboe-like instrument; flutes, and trumpets. The country has a strong tradition of dance and dance dramas, some of Thai, Indian and Portuguese origin. Other artistic forms include wayang kulit (shadow puppet theatre), silat (a stylised martial art) and crafts such as batik, weaving, and silver and brasswork. [edit]
Citizenship
Main article: Malaysian citizenship
All Malaysians are Federal citizens with no formal citizenships within the individual states. Every citizen is issued with an biometric identity card, known as MyKad, at the age of 12, and must carry the card with them. A citizen is required to present his/her identity card to the police, or in the case of an emergency, to any military personnel, to be identified. If the card cannot be produced immediately, the person technically has 24 hours under the law to produce it at the nearest police station. [edit]
References
1. ↑ Financial Times. Malaysia relaxes short-selling ban. Extracted March 28, 2006.
[edit]
Miscellaneous topics
Portal:Malaysia Malaysia Portal
* Cuisine of Malaysia * Foreign relations of Malaysia * Holidays in Malaysia * Military of Malaysia * Films of Malaysia * Music of Malaysia * Civil Service in Malaysia * Malaysian writers * Malaysian National Projects
[edit]
External links Find more information on Malaysia by searching Wikipedia's sister projects:
Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary Textbooks from Wikibooks Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Images and media from Commons News stories from Wikinews [edit]
Official sites
* myGovernment Portal - Malaysian Government Portal * Bernama - Malaysian national news agency * Malaysian Department of Statistics * Tourism Malaysia - Malaysian tourism portal * Office of the Prime Minister of Malaysia * Radio Televisyen Malaysia - Government-owned television network
[edit]
Other sites
* CIA World Factbook entry on Malaysia * CIA - Disputes - International
Countries in Southeast Asia Brunei | Cambodia | East Timor | Indonesia | Laos | Malaysia | Myanmar | Philippines | Singapore | Thailand | Vietnam
Territory Flag Territory Emblem Mayor Datuk Ruslin Hasan Area - Total (City) 243.65 km² Population
- City (2004) - Metropolitan
1,479,388
4,200,000 Time zone UTC+8 Solar time UTC+06:46:48 Location 3°8′N 101°42′E Car Plate Prefix
- City Cabs - City Vehicles
-Hxx xxxx
-Wxx xxxx Phone Prefix 03-xxxxxxxx
Kuala Lumpur (Jawi:كوالا لمڤور Tamil: கோலாலம்ப ர் Chinese: 吉隆坡) is the capital city and legislative capital of Malaysia and it is also the largest city in the country. In Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is commonly referred to as KL.
Kuala Lumpur is one of the three Malaysian Federal Territories, and an enclave within the state of Selangor, on the central west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Although the executive branch of the federal government of Malaysia has moved to a new administrative capital, Putrajaya, the residence of the King of Malaysia, the Parliament of Malaysia, and sections of the judicial branch remain in Kuala Lumpur as a legislative capital.
History [edit]
Pre-Independence Era (1857-1957) The junction of the Gombak and Klang rivers, from which Kuala Lumpur takes its name. Enlarge The junction of the Gombak and Klang rivers, from which Kuala Lumpur takes its name.
Kuala Lumpur was founded in 1857 at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers. In Malay, the name literally means "muddy confluence". The settlement started when a member of the Selangor royal family, Raja Abdullah, opened up the Klang Valley for tin prospectors. 87 Chinese prospectors went up the river Klang and began prospecting in the Ampang area, which was then jungle. Despite 69 of them dying due to the pestilential conditions, a thriving tin mine was established. This naturally attracted merchants who traded basic provisions to the miners in return for some of the tin. The traders set up shop at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers. Thus was a city born.
As the town grew, the British, who ruled Malaya at the time, felt the need to appoint a headman (Kapitan Cina, or Captain of the Chinese) to administer the settlement and ensure law and order. The first Kapitan Cina was Hiu Siew. It was the third Kapitan Cina, Yap Ah Loy, who oversaw the rise of Kuala Lumpur from a sleepy little mining town to become the foremost city of Selangor. In the early years, Kuala Lumpur was the centre of the Selangor Civil War, in which two conflicts could be discerned; a fight between Selangor princes over the revenue of tin mines, and the other one a vendetta between Kapitan Yap and Chong Chong, who wanted the Kapitanship. Kapitan Yap and his backer, Tengku Kudin, were successful and it was from then, thanks to Kapitan Yap's able leadership, that Kuala Lumpur became Selangor's biggest city. He rebuilt Kuala Lumpur, which was devastated by the Civil War and repopulated it with Chinese miners from elsewhere in Selangor. He also encouraged Malay farmers to settle near Kuala Lumpur in order to have a steady and accessible source of food. Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) in central Kuala Lumpur, where the independence of Malaya was declared in 1957 Enlarge Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) in central Kuala Lumpur, where the independence of Malaya was declared in 1957
It was made capital of Selangor in 1880 due to Kapitan Yap's success. He gave Kuala Lumpur a system of frontier justice which effectively maintained law and order, and ensured that Kuala Lumpur became the centre of commerce in Selangor. After Kuala Lumpur burnt down in 1881, Kapitan Yap decided to rebuild Kuala Lumpur in brick and tile to replace the dangerous attap houses. He set up Kuala Lumpur's first school and a shelter for the homeless. Yap's Kuala Lumpur was very much a rough frontier town as Yap himself was a member of the Hai San triad and gang warfare was common. Kapitan Yap licensed brothels, casinos and drinking saloons. Sir Frank Swettenham was at this time appointed Resident of Selangor and he was the person responsible for making Kuala Lumpur the seat of administration of Selangor. It was under his rule that after Kapitan Yap's death the city continued to prosper. When the Federated Malay States were incorporated with Swettenham in charge in 1896, Kuala Lumpur was made the capital. The National Monument (Tugu Negara) commemorates those who died in Malaysia's struggle for freedom (principally against the Japanese occupation and during the Malayan Emergency) Enlarge The National Monument (Tugu Negara) commemorates those who died in Malaysia's struggle for freedom (principally against the Japanese occupation and during the Malayan Emergency)
During World War II Japanese forces captured Kuala Lumpur on January 11, 1942 and occupied the city for 44 months. [edit]
Post-Independence Era (1957-1990)
After independence in 1957, Kuala Lumpur was the capital of the Federation of Malaya and continued to be the capital of the renamed Federation of Malaysia in 1963. For the occasion of independence, A large stadium, Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), was built, where Malaysia's first prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, declared Malaya's independence in front of a massive crowd. The Union Flag was lowered from the flagpole at Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) and the Malayan flag was raised. The site symbolized British sovereignty as it was a cricket ground for the colonial administrators and fronted the Royal Selangor Club, Malaya's most exclusive whites-only club.
In 1974 Kuala Lumpur seceded from Selangor and the city became a Federal Territory (Wilayah Persekutuan). [edit]
Contemporary Era (1990-Present) Masjid Negara (National Mosque), the largest mosque in East Asia Enlarge Masjid Negara (National Mosque), the largest mosque in East Asia Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Enlarge Sultan Abdul Samad Building.
Kuala Lumpur advanced by leaps and bounds ever since the Asian Economic Boom of the early 1990s (when economic growth was averaging at 10%). Skyscrapers have shot up and Kuala Lumpur, formerly a languid colonial outpost, has become one of the most lively, advanced and vibrant cities in South East Asia. Unfortunately the infrastructure has barely been able to keep up with this rapid growth, even though a new rapid transit system was built in the 1990s. Traffic jams are a scourge commuters endure daily, despite the numerous 6-lane highways constructed all over the city (including two elevated highways). Bus services are notoriously irregular and inadequate and water quality has suffered severely.
Most of central KL has grown without any central planning whatsoever, so the streets in the older parts of town are extremely narrow, winding and congested. The architecture in this section is a unique colonial type, a hybrid of European and Chinese forms.
The stretch of road facing Dataran Merdeka is perhaps the most famous road in Kuala Lumpur. The Sultan Abdul Samad building with its signature copper domes and Moorish architecture stands here, as does one of the tallest flagpoles in the world, which stands in the Dataran Merdeka itself. Up until 2004, the superior courts of the federation (the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court) were housed in the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, since then the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court have moved to the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya. The Dayabumi building is visible, being down the road. This area used to be the focal point of Malaysia's Independence Day parade, which was televised all over Malaysia. In 2003 however, the parade was moved to the boulevard in Putrajaya, keeping with Putrajaya's status as the new administrative capital of Malaysia. Interestingly, the white Police Headquarters located atop Bukit Aman (literally "Peace Hill") also faces the Dataran.
The rest of the city has mostly developed in the standard way, with the standard skyscraper format. Aware of this, architects have been urged to incorporate traditional design elements into their work. Notable examples of this fusion are the Dayabumi building, Kuala Lumpur's first skyscraper, the Tabung Haji Building and Menara Telekom, both designed by local architect Hijjas Kasturi, and of course, the Petronas Twin Towers. [edit]
Mayors of Kuala Lumpur
Since Kuala Lumpur became part of Malaysian Federal Territory on February 1, 1972, the city has been led by seven mayors. They are:
1. Tan Sri Dato' Lokman Yusof (1972) 2. Tan Sri Yaakob Latiff (1973 - 1983) 3. Tan Sri Dato' Elyas Omar (1983 - 1992) 4. Dato' Dr. Mazlan Ahmad (1992 - 1995) 5. Tan Sri Dato’ Kamaruzzaman Shariff (1995 - 2001) 6. Datuk Mohmad Shaid Mohd Taufek (2001 - 2004) 7. Datuk Ruslin Hasan (2004 - current) [1]
[edit]
Culture [edit]
Arts
Kuala Lumpur, which is the capital of a multiracial nation, is the hub for cultural activities and events. Among the important centers is the National Museum which is situated along the Mahameru Highway. It offers various types of collection such as artifacts and paintings collected from throughout the country. This museum symbolises the nation's rich cultural heritage and history.
Another venue for the appreciation of arts is the Kuala Lumpur Philharmonic Hall.This classical concert hall features a shoe-box shaped stage and is equipped with the latest facilities. The design is sophisticated, while the seating is spacious. It is headquarters to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra(MPO), comprising an impressive cast of international musicians and features regular concerts, chamber concerts and traditional cultural performances.
Another proud success of Malaysians, the National Theater is among the top ten most sophisticated theaters in the world. It is the first Asian country to install cutting-edge equipments that is on par with Royal Albert Hall in London. Walking within this hall will also allow visitors to experience Malaysian culture and heritage.It is well decorated with wooden hand-carved flowers and leaves and Langkawi marble. The Petronas Art Gallery, a center where elegant and fine arts around the world are displayed,is situated in Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC). A platform called 'Experimental Space' is also included to boost innovation and experimentation in art. The National Art Gallery is a platform to showcase outstanding art collection and to cultivate awareness of the arts among all levels of society. [edit]
Media
In Kuala Lumpur, there are several types of newspaper, including daily newspaper, business newspaper and also digital newspaper. Daily newspapers are The Star, New Straits Times ,The Sun, Malay Mail, and other language newspaper. Digital version of newspapers may be easily aceess troough computer equipped with internet.
Kuala Lumpur is also the headquarters for Malaysia premier pay-TV, Astro. It is a pay-per-view TV which broadcast local and global television programs such as CNN, BBC, Star World and HBO. Local TV stations are also available and they are broadcasted in English, Malay, Mandarin, [edit]
Transportation [edit]
Land The Federal Highway, connecting Kuala Lumpur and Klang, Selangor. Enlarge The Federal Highway, connecting Kuala Lumpur and Klang, Selangor.
Kuala Lumpur has a comprehensive road network that can lead you to all parts of Malaysia. With almost 7 highways in the city, it is convenient to travel in the city with a car. Cars can be rented from the airport or in the city. Motorists may have a choice of paying cash, using stored value card Touch n' Go or SmartTag to pay at the toll booths while using the highways/expressways. A near-completion project, SMART Tunnel will facilate motorists to enter the city without crawling trough the congestions in the city using an underground tunnel. Another completed project, ITIS will also facilitate motorists to get around the city by using advance systems. [edit]
Air
Kuala Lumpur is directly connected to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang via the KLIA Ekspres high-speed train service which takes only 28 minutes. The former international airport, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang is now used for chartered flights. [edit]
Public transportation [edit]
Taxis
Metered taxis can be hailed throughout the city. However, traffic jams, especially during rush hour are fairly common in KL and it might be difficult to get a taxi during rush hour. [edit]
Buses New Rapid KL buses at Cheras Bus Station, Kuala Lumpur. Enlarge New Rapid KL buses at Cheras Bus Station, Kuala Lumpur.
Due to a lack of investment and maintenance, and coupled with traffic congestion, bus travel in Kuala Lumpur can be difficult. There is also severe lacking in information for passengers.
There are several bus operators operating in Kuala Lumpur, linking the city centre with the suburbs of the Klang Valley. The main operator is the government-owned Rapid KL, which stands for Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Kuala Lumpur Sdn Bhd. Other operators include Metrobus, Selangor Omnibus, Len Seng, Transnasional/Kenderaan Klang-Banting, Triton, Permata Kiara and others.
Beginning January 2006, Rapid KL began the first phase of the revamp of its bus network by introducing 15 City Shuttle bus routes which serve major areas in the central business district of Kuala Lumpur. The fare is RM2 for the whole day. Further changes will take place in stages until July 2006 which will see current routes replaced with new ones and old buses being phased out.
KL City Shuttle Service, which was introduced in January 2006 , consists of 5 hubs. They are KLCC, KL Sentral, Medan Pasar, Titiwangsa and Maluri. For just RM 2 per day, you can whiz through the city's major business districts and surrounding areas.The revamp of KL's bus service also consists of renewing bus fleets for the KL City Shuttle Bus routes. [edit]
Rail Kuala Lumpur's rail-based rapid transit network map Enlarge Kuala Lumpur's rail-based rapid transit network map
Kuala Lumpur's rail-based transit system consists of three light rail transit (LRT) lines, one monorail, one commuter rail system consisting two lines, and two high-speed airport rail links.
* The three lines used by the LRT are Ampang Line, Kelana Jaya Line and Sri Petaling Line. * The two commuter rail lines, known as KTM Komuter are the Sentul-Port Klang Line and the Rawang-Seremban Line. * The sole monorail line is known as the Kuala Lumpur Monorail. * The high speed KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit lines connect Kuala Lumpur to the international airport.
Different companies operate the various systems and developed them separately at different times. As a result, many of the lines do not integrate well, making transferring from system to system inconvenient for passengers. Moving from one system to another often require a lot of walking, stair-climbing, escalator-use and even crossing busy roads.
There is also no common ticket for all systems, forcing transferring commuters to buy new tickets when transferring. However, the LRT, monorail, and commuter rail systems now accept the Touch 'n Go stored value farecard, easing the hassle. [edit]
Transit hubs Top view of the Kuala Lumpur Monorail. Enlarge Top view of the Kuala Lumpur Monorail.
The main transit hubs in Kuala Lumpur are:
* Puduraya — a major intercity bus terminal located in the city centre * Putra Bus Terminal — serving buses heading to the East Coast destinations * Pasar Rakyat — a new bus terminal to take away some of Puduraya's load * Duta Bus Terminal — for buses operated by Transnasional and Airport Coach (bus services to KLIA) * KL Sentral — a modern rail transport hub for all KTM intercity trains, KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit
Puduraya, Putra Bus Terminal and KL Sentral are served by rail-based public transport while the rest are served by buses and taxis. [edit]
Places of interest Kuala Lumpur's landmark, the Petronas Twin Towers Enlarge Kuala Lumpur's landmark, the Petronas Twin Towers View from the Skybridge on the Petronas towers. Enlarge View from the Skybridge on the Petronas towers. The Batu Caves, a Hindu shrine and a tourist attraction near Kuala Lumpur Enlarge The Batu Caves, a Hindu shrine and a tourist attraction near Kuala Lumpur
There are popular tourist locations in and around Kuala Lumpur. [edit]
Within Kuala Lumpur
* The Golden Triangle, the commercial hub of the city, contains the famed Petronas Twin Towers and has a hectic nightlife. * The Petronas Twin Towers are the world's tallest twin towers and second and third-tallest singular towers, standing adjacent to one of the busiest shopping malls in Malaysia, Suria KLCC. * The Menara Kuala Lumpur, currently the world's fifth tallest telecommunication tower, is located on the Bukit Nanas hill beside Convent Bukit Nanas. * Lake Gardens, a 920,000 square metre manicured garden near the Malaysian Parliament building, was once home to a British colonial official. They include a Butterfly Park, Deer Park, Orchid Garden, Hibiscus Garden and South-East Asia's largest Bird Park. * The sports Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), was initially erected for the country's declaration of independence on August 31, 1957. * Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square), was the site of the lowering of the Union Jack flag and hoisting of the Malayan flag on the start of August 31, 1957. The square itself has historic association with its surroundings, namely the Royal Selangor Club and the architecturally Victorian-Moorish or 'Raj' influenced Sultan Abdul Samad Building. * Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, a Victorian-Moorish railway station, was completed in 1911, and surpassed by KL Sentral in 2001; it currently serves commuter trains only. * The Muzium Negara (National Museum) incorporates neo traditionalism into its architectural design. * The Masjid Negara (National Mosque), a post modernist mosque, was completed in 1965. * The Tugu Negara (National Monument) commemorates those who died in Malaysia's struggles for freedom (principally against the Japanese occupation and during the Malayan Emergency of 1946-60). * The Istana Negara, official residence of Their Majesties the King and Queen. * Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, a gazetted small tropical forest located on the centre of Kuala Lumpur city rich with variety of flora remained as the city natural green lung that is surrounded by the city concrete jungles. * Many of the largest celebrations of Chinese cultural festivals are held at the Thean Hou Temple on Robson Hill. * The Chinese Night Market area (Chinatown), Petaling Street, has recently undergone a makeover; the most notable feature is the new covered walkway. * Cheap hawker food on the street is sold at Jalan Alor. * Mid Valley Megamall, the largest shopping mall at the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur (To be more specific: Bangsar). * Berjaya Times Square, the largest shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur.
[edit]
Around the Kuala Lumpur area
* The Batu Caves are a series of tall limestone caves, home to a Hindu temple, that lie 13 kilometres north of Kuala Lumpur. This is a beautiful temple situated in a cave on the top of a very high hill. Every year, a festival is held here where devout Hindus impale themselves with sharp rods and carry idols up this hill. These caves are within an hour drive from downtown Kuala Lumpur, and are worth a visit by tourists. On the other side of Batu Caves (the other side of Batu Caves temple), lies few climbing spots for rock climbers [2]. * About 40 kilometres west of Kuala Lumpur is the city of Shah Alam, site of the famous Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque, and 10 kilometres away from Shah Alam is the town of Klang famous for its seafood and Bah Kut Teh (Pork rib soup). * Genting Highlands is a hill top resort near Kuala Lumpur, famous for its casino, and Theme Parks. This is visible from Kuala Lumpur downtown on a clear day and as well on most nights. * Putrajaya, new administration centre. This is a modern futuristic looking township that houses all government ministries. The administritive buildings have been built on either side of a long road - in a manner stated to be modeled after the National Mall in Washington DC. At one end of this driveway is the Prime Minister's office and at the other end is a national conference center. * Sepang International Circuit is a Formula 1 circuit located in the outskirts of the city. * National Sports Complex Park is the venue for Commenwealth Games 1998.
See also List of old roads in Kuala Lumpur [edit]
Sister Cities
* Malacca Town, Melaka * Berlin, Germany * London, United Kingdom
[edit]
External links
* Stormwater Management Road Tunnel * ITIS Kuala Lumpur * Kuala Lumpur City Hall * Geographia Article * Lonely Planet - Kuala Lumpur * VisionKL * Pictures of Kuala Lumpur * Satellite picture by Google Maps * Google Earth Kuala Lumpur (with KMZ file) * Sepang International Circuit * The Star Online: Malaysia News * Travel guide to Kuala Lumpur from Wikitravel
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kuala Lumpur
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