Basic Info, History, Geography and Climate of Spain

Basic Info, History, Geography and Climate of Spain Spain is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula to the south of France and Andorra and to the east of Portugal. It has coastlines on the Bay of Biscay (a part of the  Atlantic Ocean) and the  Mediterranean Sea. Spains capital and largest city are Madrid and the country is known for its long history, unique culture, a strong economy and very high living standards. Population: 46,754,784 (July 2011 estimate)Capital: MadridBordering Areas: Andorra, France, Gibraltar, Portugal, Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla)Area: 195,124 square miles (505,370 sq km)Coastline: 3,084 miles (4,964 km)Highest Point: Pico de Teide (Canary Islands) at 12,198 feet (3,718 m) History of Spain The area of present-day Spain and the Iberian Peninsula has been inhabited for thousands of years and some of the oldest archeological sites in Europe are located in Spain. In the 9th century B.C.E. the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and Celts all entered the region but by the 2nd century B.C.E., the Romans had settled there. Roman settlement in Spain lasted until the 7th century but many of their settlements were taken over by the Visigoths who arrived in the 5th century. In 711 the North African Moors entered Spain and pushed the Visigoths to the north. The Moors remained in the area until 1492, despite several attempts to push them out. Present-day Spain was then unified by 1512 according to the U.S. Department of State. By the 16th century, Spain was the most powerful country in Europe because of wealth obtained from its exploration of North and South America. By the latter part of the century, however, it had been in several wars and its power declined. In the early 1800s, it was occupied by France and it was involved in several wars, including the Spanish-American War (1898), throughout the 19th century. In addition, many of Spains overseas colonies revolted and gained their independence at this time. These problems led to a period of dictatorial rule in the country from 1923 to 1931. This time ended with the establishment of the Second Republic in 1931. Tensions and instability continued in Spain and in July 1936 the Spanish Civil War began. The civil war ended in 1939 and General Francisco Franco took over Spain. By the beginning of World War II, Spain was officially neutral but it supported Axis power policies; because of this though it was isolated by the Allies following the war. In 1953 Spain signed the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement with the United States and joined the United Nations in 1955. These international partnerships eventually allowed Spains economy to begin growing because it had been closed off from much of Europe and the world prior to that time. By the 1960s and 1970s, Spain had developed a modern economy and in the late 1970s, it began to transition to a more democratic government. Government of Spain Today Spain is governed as a parliamentary monarchy with an executive branch made up of a chief of state (King Juan Carlos I) and a head of government (the president). Spain also has a bicameral legislative branch made up of the General Courts (made up of the Senate) and the Congress of Deputies. Spains judicial branch is composed of the Supreme Court, also called the Tribunal Supremo. The country is divided into 17 autonomous communities for local administration. Economics and Land Use in Spain Spain has a strong economy that is considered mixed capitalism. It is the 12th largest economy in the world and the country is known for its high standard of living and quality of life. The major industries of Spain are textiles and apparel, food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment. Agriculture is also important in many areas of Spain and the main products produced from that industry are grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus, beef, pork, poultry, dairy products, and fish. Tourism and the related service sector is also a major part of Spains economy. Geography and Climate of Spain Today most of Spains area is located in southwestern Europe on the mainland of the country that is south of France and the Pyrenees Mountains and east of Portugal. However, it also has territory in Morocco, the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, islands off the coast of Morocco as well as the Canary Islands in the Atlantic and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. All of this land area makes Spain the second largest country in Europe behind France. Most of the topography of Spain consists of flat plains that are surrounded by rugged, undeveloped hills. The northern part of the country, however, is dominated by the Pyrenees Mountains. The highest point in Spain is located in the Canary Islands with Pico de Teide at 12,198 feet (3,718 meters). The climate of Spain is temperate with hot summers and cold winters inland and cloudy, cool summers and cool winters along the coast. Madrid, located inland in the center of Spain has an average January low temperature of 37ËšF (3ËšC) and a July average high of 88ËšF (31ËšC). Sources Central Intelligence Agency.  CIA - The World Factbook - Spain. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sp.htmlInfoplease.com. (n.d.). Spain: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107987.htmlUnited States Department of State. Spain. Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2878.htm

Vocabulary Words for Vegetables in Spanish

Vocabulary Words for Vegetables in Spanish If you were a botanist, you might call vegetables vegetales in Spanish. If you were a culinary expert, youd probably say verduras or, less commonly, hortalizas. But whatever you call them, knowing the names of vegetables can come in handy if youre poring over a restaurant menu or  want to eat a balanced diet where Spanish is spoken. Talk About Vegetables in Spanish Here are the names of the most common vegetables (and some foods that are often thought of as such, even if they technically dont fit the definition), along with a few of the uncommon ones: A-B artichoke: la alcachofa arugula: la rà ºcula, la rà ºgula asparagus: los esprragos (The singular form esparrago is used to refer to asparagus as a plant, while the plural is used for asparagus as a food.) avocado: el aguacate, la palta (The English word comes from the Spanish avocado, which is no longer widely used.) bamboo shoots: los tallos de bambà º (In other contexts, a tallo is a stem or stalk.) bean: la judà ­a, la haba, la habichuela, el frijol beet: la remolacha bell pepper: el pimiento, el ajà ­ bok choy: la col china broccoli: el brà ©col, el brà ³culi Brussels sprouts: la col de Bruselas C-G cabbage: la col, el repollo (Many of the Spanish names for cabbage-related vegetables include col, which comes from the Latin caulis and is a cognate of the cole in coleslaw.) carrot: la zanahoria (The Spanish word can also refer to the plant itself, not just the root.) cassava: la yuca, la mandioca, la casava, la casabe cauliflower: la coliflor celery: el apio chard: la acelga chickpea, garbanzo: el garbanzo, el chà ­charo chicory: la achicoria chives: cebollino, cebolleta, cebollà ­n corn (American English): el maà ­z cucumber: el pepino (Pepino can also refer to various types of small melons.) dandelion: el diente de leà ³n (The word literally means lions tooth.) eggplant: la berenjena endive: la endivia, la endibia (Because the Spanish b and v have the same pronunciation, the two variations are pronounced alike.) escarole: la escarola garlic: el ajo ginger: el jengibre green pepper: el pimiento verde, el ajà ­ verde J-P Jerusalem artichoke: el tupinambo, la pataca, la papa de Jerusalà ©n jicama: la jà ­cama kale: la col crespa, la col rizada, el kale leek: el puerro lentil: la lenteja lettuce: la lechuga mushroom: el champià ±Ãƒ ³n, el hongo mustard: la mostaza okra: el quingombà ³ onion: la cebolla parsley: el perejil parsnip: la chirivà ­a, la pastinaca pea: el guisante, la arveja, el chà ­charo potato: la patata, la papa pumpkin: la calabaza R-Z radish: el rbano red pepper: el pimiento rojo, el ajà ­ rojo rhubarb: el ruibarbo, el rapà ³ntico rutabaga, swede: el nabo sueco (literally, Swedish turnip) shallot: el chalote, el ajo chalote sorrel: la acedera soybean: la semilla de soja (Semilla is the word for seed.) spinach: las espinacas (The singular form espinaca is used to refer to spinach as a plant, while the plural is used for spinach as a food.) squash: la cucurbitcea string beans: las habas verdes sweet potato: la batata tapioca: la tapioca tomatillo: el tomatillo tomato: el tomate turnip: el nabo water chestnut: la castaà ±a de agua, el abrojo acutico watercress: el berro yam: el à ±ame, el boniato, la batata, el yam zucchini: el calabacà ­n Vocabulary Notes Not all vegetables are classified identically in the two languages. For example, not all the coles are thought of by most English speakers as cabbages, and not all beans would be thought of by Spanish speakers as habas. Also, as in English, names of some vegetables can vary with region or because of how theyre prepared. A vegetarian diet can be referred to as a rà ©gimen vegetariano or dieta vegetariana, and a vegetarian is a vegetariano or vegetariana. A vegan is a vegetariano estricto, although the term may not be  understood in all places without an explanation. Preparing Vegetables Following is a selection of verbs used in discussing methods of preparing vegetables. Also, the verbs cocer and cocinar can be used generically to refer to many methods of cooking. boil: hervirbraise, stew: hervir a fuego lento, estofarfry: freà ­rgrill: asar/hacer a la parrillapickle: encurtirroast, bake: asarsautà ©, stir-fry: saltearsteam: cocer/cocinar al vapor

Macroeconomics Problem Set 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Macroeconomics Problem Set 3 - Assignment Example d. What will the capital-output ratio be at the Golden Rule steady-state? (Hint: recall from Chapter 3 that for the Cobb-Douglas production function, the capital-output ratio is related to the marginal product of capital). 1. In this question, we examine how the goals of the Federal Reserve influence its response to shocks. Suppose that in scenario A, the Fed cares only about keeping the price level stable whereas in scenario B, the Fed cares only about keeping output and employment at their natural levels. Explain how in each scenario the Fed would respond to the following: A decrease in velocity causes a downward shift on the aggregate demand. Prices are fixed in the short run meaning only output decreases. To ensure output and unemployment are at their natural rates Fed B should increase the money supply to attain the initial equilibrium where prices and output will be constant. Fed, A should also increase the money supply to shift the aggregate demand curve upwards since this is the only way to ensure stable prices at their original equilibrium. This results to an upward shift of the supply curve. To ensure stable prices, Fed B should hold aggregate demand constant since prices will rise in the short run and then fall in the long run achieving the natural rate of unemployment. This might however result to a recession. To keep output and unemployment at their natural rate Fed B should increase the money supply hence shift the aggregate demand curve upwards. This results to a new equilibrium at higher prices, but there is no loss in output. Based on the quantity equation MV=PY, if Fed reduces the money supply by 5% the aggregate demand curve will shift downwards. A decrease in M will hence result in a decrease in PY provided V is constant. In the short run, the assumption is that the price levels are fixed meaning that that the aggregate

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 23

Case Study Example The company’s website offers customers a platform in which they can track their orders and make inquiries regarding their requests. Interestingly, the service is offered at very affordable rate. Therefore, it can be clearly stated that given UPS business strategy, the key success factors and risk that are responsible for the company’s fortune growth are, prompt response to customer needs. The success is also attributed to competition based pricing strategy and accuracy. The company’s ability to offer a service that enables customer track their order is a major milestone for the organization. In addition to the service, the UPS introduced another service that allows customers to change the destination of their orders before the order reaches its destination (Study mode, 2014). However, the company also faces when it comes to managing its fleet of cars and airplanes. Maintaining the huge number of vehicles and airplanes is very expensive for the company. The cars and planes require regular servicing because of the many trips that are made hence have to be in a good condition. Achieving the objective can be a daunting task to the management because it translates to more cash outflow. Conversely, the company also uses its staff to send orders to customer. Workers may fail to respond to customer’s orders promptly a situation that may extend the lead time for an order. Furthermore, they may fail to deliver according to the expectations of the customer, or even may not deliver. Moral issues put UPS operations at a risk (Study mode, 2014). The performance of UPS has been growing over the current years. In the year 2012 during the first month, the price of a share was $4.53 while the revenue stood at an estimated $5.4 billion. In the current financial year, the dividends of the company are expected to fall between $4.80 and $5.06. The fall represents a 6%-12% increase from the year 2012 which is a remarkable

The Nobel Prize and The Bluest Eye :: Bluest Eye Essays

The Nobel Prize and The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison's Nobel prize acceptance speech has many interesting parallels between that and her novel The Bluest Eye. The speech opens up new ideas and interesting correlations between the address and the story. In this paper, I will document how parts of Morrison's speech uses situations in The Bluest Eye. The first being that of the story about the blind woman and the bird. Morrison says, "Her answer can be taken to mean: if it is dead, you have either found it that way or you have killed it. If it is alive, you can still kill it. Whether it is to say alive, it is your decision. Whatever the case, it is your responsibility." The characters in the novel are also responsible for their own actions, regardless if situations happen beyond their control. Meaning that the characters in the novel cannot lament their life because things got away from them. While there is incest and a subsequent pregnancy involved, it is possible that the character is able to reach beyond the path set for them and exceed anyone's expectations. By talking about responsibility, Morrison is able to make people think about their lives and make them realize that it is possible to have things be better. "Sexist language, racist language, theistic language all are typical of the policing languages of mastery, and cannot, do not permit new knowledge or encourage the mutual exchange of ideas." This quote by Morrison seems rather unusual, considering that she did incorporate some of these ideas into her work. It sounds as though in this quote that by using such characteristics in a work, it somehow loads it down with extraneous details. However, in Morrison's The Bluest Eye, it only enhances the reading and furthers the reader's understanding of the time. In accordance with the understanding of the reading and the enhancement of the words on the pages, Morrison fulfills the obligation of the following quote in The Bluest Eye: "The vitality of language lies in its ability to limn the actual, imagined and possible lives of its speakers, readers, writers.

Dystopian High Rise

Dystopian High Rise The novel ‘High Rise’ written by J. G. Ballard focuses on a massive forty story apartment building that houses thousands of people. Anthony Royal, who is the architect of the apartment, designed the building with shops, a school, swimming pools, and enough space to accommodate an overwhelming amount of people. Ballard does not write the plot of ‘High Rise’ in an attempt to illustrate the urban possibilities of modern innovations or future novelties of our evolving world. Ballard expresses how a newly designed building that seems as though it is a well thought out idea of a safe haven can turn into a dystopian underworld.A dystopian society is the idea of a community of people that live in miserable conditions of life, characterized by disease, pollution, oppression, war, violence, poverty, and the classism of systematic discrimination based on sex, age, or IQ. The tower in the novel houses the vision of a dystopia through the fictional ch aracters depicted, and how the building is the agent that pushes the society within to turn into a felonious world. Through the eyes of medical school lecturer Dr. Robert Laing, we see how minor altercations between floors quickly escalate into anarchy, harsh violence, rape, and murder.Laing is eventually dragged into the lifestyle of the tower. Since everything for essential living is located within the tower, such as shops and swimming pools, Dr. Laing has no need to leave the building other than going to work. This entrapment in the building of many residents is the cause of this anarchic activity. The building is a small vertical city (Ballard 15). Within the introduction of the novel, Laing states, that even being two miles from the city, the building that he resides in feels as if the tower were in a different world, in time and as well as space (Ballard 15).The high-rise in turn becomes an alternate world separating the people living inside from the real city giving them the higher chances of confrontation. What we perceive as development through the creation of a structure that can work independently for the common wellness of society, comes with a price to pay. With all social classism in the world, the High Rise becomes a part of the dreadful tradition. Ballard’s dystopia is divided into three classes: upper, middle, and lower class. The upper portion, floors 36 to 40, of the building is where the upper class resides in, this includes the architect Anthony Royal.The middle class’ subdivision, Where Dr. Laing lives, is located from the 10th floor to the 35th floor, from the 10th floor swimming pool to the 35th floor restaurant deck. The swimming pool on floor 10 clearly formed the boundary for everyone under that floor, the lower class residents. The lower class is subjected to faulty maintenance where they go for days without electricity and air conditioning. The residents soon find themselves in a ‘Lord of the Flies’ state of emergency where the different classes and levels of the tower are at war. Works Cited Ballard, J. G. High Rise. New York: Liveright, 2012. Print.

Ifrs Adoption Challenges Ifrs - 755 Words

IFRS Adoption Challenges When it comes to IFRS adoption challenges our research has shown that, while the U.S. adoption of IFRS may bring many benefits, several challenges must first be overcome. Some of the most notable of these challenges include the Security Exchange Commission’s apparent diminishing support, the sheer cost of implementation for corporations, overcoming the belief that IFRS adoption would sacrifice the â€Å"gold standard† of U.S. GAAP, and a lack of enforcement. The SEC drafted its new strategic plan for the next 4 years in February 2014. In doing so, it appeared to be backing away from its earlier plan to support IFRS (Chasan, 2014). This becomes evident by contrasting the SEC’s 2010-2015 plan with its new plan. The 2010-2015 plan reads: The agency will promote high-quality financial reporting worldwide through, among other things, support for a single set of high-quality global accounting standards and promotion of the ongoing convergence initiatives between the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board. Conversely, the SEC’s most recent plan states: The agency will work to promote higher quality financial reporting worldwide and will consider, among other things, whether a single set of high-quality global accounting standards is achievable. Clearly, the SEC’s priorities have changed regarding IFRS adoption. 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