Portugals Global Empire

Portugal's Global Empire Portugal is a small Western European country located at the western tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Beginning in the 1400s, the Portuguese, led by famous explorers such as Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco de Gama and financed by the great Prince Henry the Navigator, sailed to, explored, and settled in South America, Africa, and Asia. Portugals empire, which survived for more than six centuries, was the first of the great European global empires. Its former possessions are now located in across 50 countries around the world. The Portuguese created colonies for numerous reasons: to trade for spices, gold, agricultural products, and other resources; to create more markets for Portuguese goods; to spread Catholicism; to civilize the natives of these distant places. Portugals colonies brought great wealth to this small country. The empire gradually declined, as it did for other colonizers because Portugal did not have enough people or resources to maintain so many overseas territories. Here are the most important former Portuguese possessions. Brazil Brazil  was by far Portugals largest colony by area and population and was reached by the Portuguese in 1500. Due to the  Treaty of Tordesillas, signed with Spain in 1494 and agreeing which nation could colonize where Portugal was allowed to claim Brazil. The Portuguese imported African slaves and forced them to grow sugar, tobacco, cotton, coffee, and other cash crops. The Portuguese also extracted brazilwood from the rainforest, which was used to dye European textiles; they also helped to explore and settle the vast interior of Brazil. In the 19th century, the royal court of Portugal lived in and governed both Portugal and Brazil from Rio de Janeiro. Brazil gained independence from Portugal in 1822. Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau In the 1500s, Portugal colonized the present-day west African country of Guinea-Bissau and the two southern African countries of Angola and Mozambique.   The Portuguese enslaved many people from these countries and sent them to the New World. Gold and diamonds were also extracted from these colonies. In the 20th century, Portugal was under international pressure to release its colonies, but Portugals dictator, Antonio Salazar, refused to decolonize. Several independence movements in these three African countries erupted into the Portuguese Colonial War of the 1960s and 1970s, which killed tens of thousands and was associated with communism and the Cold War. In 1974, a military coup in Portugal forced Salazar out of power, and the new government of Portugal ended the unpopular, very expensive war. Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau gained independence in 1975. All three countries were underdeveloped, and civil wars in the decades after independence took millions of lives. More than a million refugees from these three countries emigrated to Portugal after independence and strained the Portuguese economy. Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe, two small archipelagos located off the western coast of Africa, were also colonized by the Portuguese. They were uninhabited before the Portuguese arrived and were important in the slave trade. They both achieved independence from Portugal in 1975. Goa, India In the 1500s, the Portuguese colonized the western Indian region of Goa. Goa, located on the Arabian Sea, was an important port in spice-rich India. In 1961, India annexed Goa from the Portuguese and it became an Indian state. Goa has many Catholic adherents in primarily Hindu India. East Timor The Portuguese also colonized the eastern half of the island of Timor in the 16th century. In 1975, East Timor declared independence from Portugal, but the island was invaded and annexed by Indonesia. East Timor became independent in 2002. Macau In the 16th century, the Portuguese colonized Macau, located on the South China Sea. Macau served as an important Southeast Asian trading port. The Portuguese empire ended when Portugal handed over control of Macau to China in 1999. The Portuguese Language Today Portuguese, a Romance language, is spoken by 260 million people, with between 215 and 220 native speakers. It is the sixth most spoken language in the world. It is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, and East Timor. It is also spoken in Macau and Goa. It is one of the official languages of the European Union, the African Union, and the Organization of American States. Brazil, with more than 207 million people (July 2017 estimate), is the most populated Portuguese-speaking country in the world. Portuguese is also spoken in the Azores Islands and the Madeira Islands, two archipelagos that still belong to Portugal. The Historic Portuguese Empire The Portuguese excelled in exploration and trade for centuries. The countrys former colonies, spread across continents, have varying areas, populations, geographies, histories, and cultures. The Portuguese tremendously affected their colonies politically, economically, and socially. The empire has been criticized for being exploitative, neglectful, and racist. Some colonies still suffer from high poverty and instability, but their valuable natural resources, combined with current diplomatic relations with and assistance from Portugal, may improve the living conditions of these numerous countries. The Portuguese language will always be an important connector of these countries and a reminder of how vast and significant the Portuguese empire once was.

Is speaking of addiction in terms of sin illuminating, dangerous, or Essay

Is speaking of addiction in terms of sin illuminating, dangerous, or both - Essay Example For Christians, abstinence and â€Å"temperance† are the only acceptable types of behaviour with respect to the consumption of addictive substances (Cook, 2006). Applying this reasoning to addiction is illuminating because it establishes boundaries in which addiction can be judged. It is dangerous only because it does not recognize the scientific pathology of addiction. Scientifically, addiction is a disease and unless the addict seeks the appropriate therapeutic treatment, the addict has no control over his or her craving for the addictive substance (Cook, 2006). As such, the addict cannot control his or her consumption and cannot abstain. Moreover, an addict who has fully recovered from his or her addiction will be complying with Christian tenets if he/she practices temperance but would be acting in a manner inconsistent with Scientific standards. These scientific standards dictate that temperance would create the addiction all over again. Theological definitions of addictio n place it squarely in the realm of sin. One such definition perceives addiction as â€Å"the inability to say no because of captivity to pathological desires† (Myers, 2001, p. 89). It can be assumed that the pathological desires as cravings and/or dependency. ... Another biblical representation of the sin of addiction is the belief that addiction runs counter to the requirement to â€Å"limit consumption based on need and to distribute the goods equitably† (Myers, 2001, p. 89). Aligning addiction with sin based on biblical teachings is illuminating because it points to the necessity of flexibly interpreting the bible so that addiction can be understood in biblical contexts. It is dangerous because it seeks to place addiction in biblical contexts that do not contemplate addiction to either illegal or illicit substances. For instance, aligning addiction with sin on the basis that it is against the will of God because there is a need for the fair distribution of goods implies that the substance addicted to is good. Many of the substances addicted to such as tobacco, unlawful drugs and alcohol are not good for human health on both a spiritual and physical level. Regardless, using the fair distribution of goods as a basis for aligning addic tion with sin can be misleading and this may be dangerous for theologians’ attempt to validate religious standards. Augustine’s view is perhaps more illuminating in that according to Augustine, human evil originates out of the â€Å"self-imposed, radical bondage of the will† (Harkins, 2008, p. 185). According to Harkins (2008) in the Augustinian tradition, sin is perceived not only as â€Å"a cause of suffering† but also â€Å"in response to it† (p. 185). Therefore sin is: ...a tragically structured vulnerability of the human condition, including our vulnerability to various forms of psychopathology (Harkins, 2008, p. 185). Harkins (2008) raises a number of questions for exploring whether or not one can truly align addiction with sin. The suggestion that addictive items, such as alcohol,

Is the green house effect operating in Earth's atmosphere helpful or Essay

Is the green house effect operating in Earth's atmosphere helpful or harmful Give examples. What are the consequences of an enhanced greenhouse effect - Essay Example But excessive greenhouse effects, induced by human activities such as burning of fossil fuels, emission CFCs, etc are harmful for the atmosphere. Scientists note that during the past 200 years the average global has increased about .40C to .80C (in Fahrenheit Scale about .70 to 1.40). Experts also estimate that if this rate of increase in the temperature remains uninterrupted, the average temperature is supposed to rise up to 10.4 degrees F by 2100. The increase in the atmospheric temperature is mostly a response to a process called greenhouse effect that â€Å"is a natural phenomenon†¦.whereby certain gasses in the atmosphere keep the earth’s temperature significantly higher than it would otherwise be, making it suitable for life† (Dispensa & Brule 87). The gasses prevent the magnified heat radiation to return to the space and preserve it as heat in the environment. Climatologists suggest that global warming is caused mainly by human activities that contribute to the increase in the green-house gas in the atmosphere. Natural causes such as â€Å"sunspots and natural variation of temperature change by the evolution of earth† (Dispensa & Brule 87) may increase the temperature of earth. Though some natural causes are found responsible for the emission of greenhouse gasses, environment also has its own process to absorb them. But the emission of these gasses caused by human activities is so excessive that natural absorption process cannot consume all of the produced gasses. In this regard, Dispensa and Brule (2003) notes, â€Å"The IPCC†¦uses the term climate change to refer exclusively to change in the climate brought about by human activities.† (p.87) Studies show that the occurring of â€Å"killer heat-waves† (Houghton 188) is more frequent than ever. The August of 2003 was the hottest summer in the European continent in 500 years killing almost 27000 people. The rise in the global atmospheric temperature is

Factors to be considered when planning to fill a vacancy and carry out an interview Essay Example for Free

Factors to be considered when planning to fill a vacancy and carry out an interview Essay The purpose of recruitment is too attract the best candidates for the job, and to then pick the most suitable. To make sure that the best person is picked Human resources will have to make sure that they are clear about * What the job entails * What qualities are required to do the job? * What rewards are needed to retain and motivate employees. If the wrong person is recruited and then finds the job too boring or difficult, then the business will not get the best out of its Human resources Department. It will also mean additional costs for the organisation because if the employee leaves because they are unsuitable they would have wasted money on training and will have advertise for their replacement. When filling a vacancy a number of things have to be considered. Before even thinking about filling the job vacancy the organisation needs to carry out a job analysis. The job analysis is a study of what the job entails. It contains skills, training and tasks that are needed to carry out the job. The reason why the organisation needs to recruit to fill the vacancy is a very important aspect to consider, because the person in the job before may have been unhappy. To prevent this from happening again managers can set up exit interviews with the previous employee to see if they are able to improve the job. Are records of Past Employees available? Records of past employees would also be a good thing for any organisation to have because then the business may be able to hire someone who has worked for them before this would save induction and training costs. Whether or not the organisation recruits internally or externally is an important factor to consider. If the organisation recruits internally * Savings can be made, and individuals with inside knowledge of how the business operates will need less time for induction and shorter periods of training. * The organisation is unlikely to be disrupted by someone who is used to working there. * Internal promotion acts will act as a motivator to other members of staff within the organisation. * From the organisations point of view, they will be able to asses the strengths and weaknesses of an insider, however there is always a risk attached to hiring an outsider who may only prove to be good on paper. The disadvantages to recruiting internally are that * You will have to replace the person who has been promoted. * An insider may be less likely to make criticisms of the business to get the organisation working in a more effective way. * Promotion of one person is an organisation may upset another. Has the appropriate Recruitment documentation been drawn up? Recruitment documentation is another important aspect this includes the job description, person specification, advertisements and interview sheets. Job Description Purpose The job description needs to include the job title, responsibilities and a simple description of the role and duties of the employee within the organisation. To make sure that the job description is up-to-date a job analysis should be carried out. The Job Description has a number of uses * It tells the candidates for a job what is expected of them. * It helps personnel officers to compare the job description with the candidate. * The Job Description can be used as a gauge to see whether or not the employee is doing the job properly, by comparing their activities with the job description. * Arguments about what the employee has to do can be settled by looking at the job description. The job description is a means of communication between the organisation and candidate to maximise relevance of potential applicants. Person Specification The purpose of a person specification is to outline the type of applicant the business is looking for. The person specification also gives potential applicants the chance to match themselves against the specification. The organisation needs to know the type of person they are looking for this can be set out in the person specification. The person specification sets out the mental and physical attributes, which will be needed for the job. A person specification is used so the prospective candidates know what qualities they should have and what is expected from them. It can also be called upon in an interview situation where the employer can match the candidate to the person specification and the position. Advertisement Job advertisements are an important aspect to the recruitment process. An organisation is able to advertise job vacancies to a selected audience through their job advertisements. Advertisements must reach the people who have the qualities needed to fill the vacancy. The nature of the advert will depend on * The target audience managers, supervisors, retail assistants etc. * Where the advert will be placed on a notice board in a local or national newspaper, etc. A good job advertisement will provide prospective candidates with information and will also discourage people who are not qualified for the vacancy. The way in which the vacancy is advertised will be different is the job is being advertised internally or externally. If the job is being advertised internally it will be most likely to be advertised on the staff notice board or in the jobs bulletin, however if the job is being advertised externally it is more likely to be advertised in a newspaper. Interview Assessment Form In an interview assessment form the areas for evaluation are usually * Physical appearance and deportment Does the candidate have the right image suited to the advertised post? * Attainments What experience and qualifications that they have meet the needs of the post. * General Intelligence * Special Aptitudes What skills does the candidate have which relates to the job for example foreign languages or knowledge in the latest software package. * Personality/disposition Another factor of recruitment, which needs to be considered, is the legislation, which affects it. If the organisation does not comply with the set legislation then the individual responsible will be taken to court or the industrial tribunal. To avoid legal action an organisation will make sure that the recruitment criteria are made clear and that any terms of employment are made obvious to the candidate. The organisation needs to make sure that its company policy and practice comply with the relevant legislation. A number of the laws affecting the recruitment process are * Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1958 This deals with an obligation on firms of more than twenty employees to employ disabled people up to at least three per cent of the workforce. * Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and 84 This deals with the prohibition placed upon job advertisers to discriminate against women in advertising or conditions of service. * Race Relations Act 1980 and 1982 This is the outlawing of discrimination against employees because of their race, colour or ethnic origin. After the vacancy has been filled, the Human Resources department needs to be sure that they leave enough time for vetting and background checks if the job requires this for example any jobs involving children. If this is not dealt with effectively the organisation will be in the position of having an empty vacancy until they are completed.

American Hawaii Essay -- essays research papers

American Hawaii American Hawaii Hawaii is known for its beautiful beaches, it’s nice year-round weather, and its culture. Thousands of vacationers come to Hawaii each year to get away from the stressful city and relax. But do they know how cruel the Americans were to the natives? Do they know how we corrupted their culture and their religion? Do they know how Hawaii really became a state? Probably not. When most people think of Hawaii, they think of happy Hawaiian babes hula dancing and palm trees swaying in the warm breeze. Hawaii has still held on to many of their traditions although they were invaded by Americans. But you have to go to a museum to see their old way of life. Hawaii is now populated mostly by Americans. Native Hawaiians have adapted to our American lifestyle and much of their old traditions and beliefs are lost in history books. America dominated over the Hawaiians just as they did with the Native Americans. The Hawaiians didn’t even stand a chance against big b rother. They probably feel the same way towards America just as a child does with stubborn parents. Now I will tell you about the history of Hawaii so you will see how the United States came to annex Hawaii. Hawaii was first inhabited by the Polynesians. They came in canoes from other islands around the pacific. They called the new found island "Hawaii", which means "home" in Polynesian language. Hawaii was their home until the white man came in and took advantage of these simple, happy aborigines. The corruption of this unique and fragile culture first started when Captain James Cook ran into the islands on January 18, 1778. After Cook’s discovery, many other foreigners (mostly American) visited the islands. They brought clothes, livestock, orange trees, horses weapons and souvigners. Foreigners also brought with them a handful of deadly diseases such as smallpox, measles, syphilis, tuberculosis, and whooping cough. During the time period of Cook&# 8217;s arrival in 1778 to 1820, the population of Hawaii dropped from 300,000 to 135,000 due to the diseases! Another problem was the introduction of alcohol. Like the native americans, Hawaiians were not immune to alcohol. Hawaiian’s were very sensitive to alcoholism. Hawaiians religion was a very complex one with many gods. They worshiped idols and they belived in many f... ...ature consisted of a council of chiefs and an elected house of representatives. In 1842, the Hawaiian islands were seen as an independent government. Sugar production was Hawaii’s largest buissiness. Tons of sugar was grown in Hawaii. Many of the Hawaiians worked on the sugar farms. Sugar was sold to the United States and large amounts of money flowed into Hawaii. Hawaii’s economy grew and banks were built. Annexation America’s main goal was to overthrow monarchy and Annex Hawaii as the 50th state. In 1887, the Americans forced king Kalakaua to sign a new constitutions that lessened the king’s powers and limited the rights of native Hawaiians to hold office. After Kalakaua’s death, Queen Liliuokalani ruled Hawaii. She was stubborn and wanted Hawaiian independence. But the Americans took over the government and ended monarchy and set up their own government. They put up the American flag where the Hawaiian flag originally flew. So, in other words, Hawaii was stolen from its original owners. Defenseless, Hawaii couldn’t do anything about United States’ control. Hawaii was then Annexed to the United states in 1898.

How Markets and Investors value stocks Essay

Collectively, Team B believes stock is a security that shows possession in a company or asset and symbolizes claim from investors or the owner. The market and invests are interested in two types of stocks which are common and preferred. Common stock typically gives a share of ownership in a corporation, to which gives owners and investors rights to vote or make decisions, and a right to receive dividends. Preferred stock, gives no decision-making or voting rights, but has a greater return on assets and earnings to investors than the common shares. When preferred stocks are purchased, the investor has an expectation when dividends are to be received because of the regular intervals they are paid. With common stocks, the board of directors determines if a dividend will be paid or not. When evaluating stocks, there are two key variables, which are profitability and growth (Mcconnache, 2007). Stock ownership is decided by the quantity of shares a shareowner has comparative to the quantit y of outstanding shares. When appraising stocks, a valuation should include all risk, expansion plans and a strategy to diversify. With Internet technology investors have a considerable amount of resources to measure the profitability of stocks. This technology allows investors to aggressively and vigorously searches for corporations that can provide a high return on investment. Investors should be interested in the future growth of a corporation vice only considering the present day value. New ideas should be considered a strategy when estimating the future growth and profitability of a stock cash flow (â€Å"How To Value A Stock†, 2009). The market has a tremendous effect on the value of a stock and its profitability through supply and demand. The market has the abilities to determine when to allocate resources to adjust the supply and  demand. When that shift happens it regulate the increase or decrease of the stock price in the market. The stock market can undervalue a stock for countless intention such as dividends, earnings, and sales. These intensions attract investor that anticipates purchasing stocks prior to the market snowballing the prices. When investors find it safe or feel knowledgeable about the stock or market, and understand the rules governing the market are fair, it grows at a faster pace (â€Å"How To Value A Stock†, 2009). Even through the stock market can seen intimidating, there are safeguards for investors, which are the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD). SEC controls and develops laws and regulations that govern the securities industry and NASD manages added regulations and put in force federal securities acts. These two organizations provide investor protection and allow an even playing to all. Conclusion Markets and investor evaluate stocks from many different perspectives before making a decision to invest. Many factors to include political, economical, social & cultural and technology influences how a stock can generate revenue for an investor. Moreover, Present Value and Future Value are also methods investors used to determine an valuations of stocks for profitability. Reference Mcconnache, S. (2007). How to Do A Basic Stock Evaluation. Retrieved from http://www.ezinearticles.com How to Value a Stock. (2009). Retrieved from http://www/forbes.com/2009/04/14/investingstock Parrino, R., Kidwell, D.S., & Bates, T.W. (2012). Fundamentals of corporate finance (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Civil Disobedience in Todays World - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 936 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/05/05 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Civil Disobedience Essay Did you like this example? The definition of civil disobedience given in class was that it is a public, non-violent and conscientious breach of law that attempts to bring about a change in laws. According to this definition, there are a few characteristics that define if an act or protest is considered to be following civil disobedience or not. The act must be conscientious, it must be public, and it must be non-violent. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X are the two thinkers I chose to compare in how each one viewed and executed civil disobedience. Civil disobedience requires conscientious because the protesters are willingly breaking the law. Usually, protesters are choosing to participate because it is a law that they believe should be amended or completely thrown out. When participating, you are showing support for what you believe is right. Engaging in such acts of civil disobedience entails that the person is accepting the fact that there can be legal consequences against them.Civil disobedience requires publicity in the sense that the protest takes place in a public setting, not in a secretive location. Sometimes legal authorities are even notified in advance of a protest. Being open and public about the protests demonstrates the participants compliance to working fairly with legal authorities, as well as showing that the respect the law enforcement officers. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Civil Disobedience in Todays World" essay for you Create order However, the open publicity can also hurt a protest, as it gives law enforcement a chance to prevent it, or for the public to prepare to stop it or fight against it as well. Though the protest must be held in the public eye in order to be considered a form of civil disobedience, it does not require giving law enforcements a warning in advance.Civil disobedience should be non-violent in such a way to reduce the negative effects of breaking the law. Non-violent protests provide an excuse for others to rebuttal with non-violence as well. This minimizes the risk of people getting hurt during the protest. It can also make law enforcement hesitant to use violence to stop the protest, again, making it safer for participants.Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were both civil rights activists who wanted justice and equal rights for African Americans. The difference was how they believed it should be done. Martin Luther King exercised civil disobedience with peaceful and non-violent protests, wh ile Malcolm X believed in doing whatever it takes, even if that involved violence.Martin Luther King believed violence was not the answer. He based his protests off of non-violent acts to make powerful statements. Many people acted violently back at him, but he did not retaliate with any aggressive actions. He thought that reacting back with the same violence would lead to even more violence, just fueling the fire. Instead, Martin Luther King made strategic, peaceful plans, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, to show his emotions towards things he considered unfair and wanted to have changed. To Martin Luther King, civil disobedience meant just what the definition stated at the beginning of this paper said. He protested publicly, non-violently, and conscientiously, trying to bring attention to the matters he knew to be unjustified and morally unacceptable. His goal was for white people and black people to live in integration with equal rights. He wanted to end racism and segregation. Malcolm X, on the other hand, challenged the views of Martin Luther King. He believed in self-defense, and argued that if people tried to fight and beat up either him or any other participants of his protests, tha t they should fight back. I believe that to Malcolm X, civil disobedience simply meant defending yourself against others and to fight for what you believe is morally right. Malcolm X believed in separation. To him, there was a difference between segregation and separation. He stated Separation is when you have your own. You control your own economy; you control your own politics; you control your own society; you control you own everything. You have yours and you control yours; we have ours and we control ours (Malcolm X, speech at Michigan State University, 1963). His goal was to end racism and segregation as well, but not by the same methods as Martin Luther King.I think that the concept of civil disobedience has not changed much since back then. Civil disobedience has its set definition, but people still interpret it in whichever way they see fit. Martin Luther King agreed with the non-violent protests, however Malcolm X did not. Both were considered to be breaching the law with their protests, however the methods they used were complete opposite of one another. Today, I think this mentality has continued more than changed. People still exercise thei r right to protest, and can do so either non-violently or not. The Constitution does state that people have the freedom to peacefully assemble or petition, which goes along with civil disobedience. However, there will always be people who feel that violence will solve problems, and it will continue to be an issue in todays world of politics. Wolins idea of specialized vocabulary for political science was critiqued for being too vague. People argued that it seemed to be vague deliberately, as to avoid describing the political experience. I think it seems very fitting with the definition of civil disobedience as well. The line between civil disobedience can seem vague, as there are different ways to interpret the definition of it. Overall, I think that in order to see a change in todays world, a more clear sense of the word civil disobedience must be established, as well as defining the concept of it as a whole.