Azerbaijan Essay Example for Free

Azerbaijan Essay The country was among the birthplaces of mankind and is located at the heart of ancient civilizations. Furthermore the country is known to be among the most progressive and secular Islamic societies. Aside from having been the first Muslim country to have operas, theater plays, and a democratic republic, Azerbaijan today is among the Muslim countries where support for secularism and tolerance is the highest. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world, was established in 1918, but was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920. Azerbaijan regained independence in 1991. The Constitution of Azerbaijan does not declare an official religion but the majority of people adhere to the Shia branch of Islam, although Muslim identity tends to be based more on culture and ethnicity rather than religion and Azerbaijan remains as one of the most liberal majority-Muslim nations. The pre-Turkic Azerbaijani population spoke an Iranian language called the Old Azeri language, which was gradually replaced by a Turkic language, now known as the Azerbaijani language from the 11th century onward until it became completely extinct in the 16th century. To distinguish it from the Turkic Azerbaijani or Azeri language, this Iranian language, is designated as the Azeri language (or Old Azeri language), because the Turkic language and people are also designated as Azeri in the Persian language. Azerbaijan is in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, straddling Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It lies between latitudes 38Â ° and 42Â ° N, and longitudes 44Â ° and 51Â ° E. The total length of Azerbaijans land borders is 2,648 km (1,645 mi), of which 1007 kilometers are with Armenia, 756 kilometers with Iran, 480 kilometers with Georgia, 390 kilometers with Russia and 15 kilometers with Turkey. The coastline stretches for 800 km (497 mi), and the length of the widest area of the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea is 456 km (283 mi). The territory of Azerbaijan extends 400 km (249 mi) from north to south, and 500 km (311 mi) from west to east. Three physical features dominate Azerbaijan: the Caspian Sea, whose shoreline forms a natural boundary to the east; the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north; and the extensive flatlands at the countrys center. There are also three mountain ranges, the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, and the Talysh Mountains, together covering approximately 40 percent of the country. The main water sources are the surface waters. However, only 24 of the 8,350 rivers are greater than 100 km (62 mi) in length. All the rivers drain into the Caspian Sea in the east of the country. Since the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991, the Azerbaijani government has taken drastic measures to preserve the environment of Azerbaijan. But national protection of the environment started to truly improve after 2001 when the state budget increased due to new revenues provided by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Within four years protected areas doubled and now make up eight percent of the countrys territory. Since 2001 the government has set up seven large reserves and almost doubled the sector of the budget earmarked for environmental protection. Azerbaijans diverse landscape affects the ways air masses enter the country. The Greater Caucasus protects the country from direct influences of cold air masses coming from the north. That leads to the formation of subtropical climate on most foothills and plains of the country. Meanwhile, plains and foothills are characterized by high solar radiation rates. Rivers and lakes form the principal part of the water systems of Azerbaijan; they were formed over a long geological timeframe and changed significantly throughout that period. This is particularly evidenced by fragments of ancient rivers found throughout the country. The countrys water systems are continually changing under the influence of natural forces and human introduced industrial activities. Artificial rivers (canals) and ponds are a part of Azerbaijans water systems. From the water supply point, Azerbaijan is below the average in the world with approximately 100,000 m? year of water per km?. The first reports on the richness and diversity of animal life in Azerbaijan can be found in travel notes of Eastern travelers. Animal carvings on architectural monuments, ancient rocks and stones survived up to the present times. The first information on the animal kingdom of Azerbaijan was collected during the visits of naturalists to Azerbaijan in 17th century. Unlike fauna, the conce pt of animal kingdom covers not only the types of animals, but also the number of individual species. There are 106 species of mammals, 97 species of fish, 363 species of birds, 10 species of amphibians and 52 species of reptiles which have been recorded and classified in Azerbaijan. The national animal of Azerbaijan is the Karabakh horse, a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse endemic to Azerbaijan. The Karabakh horse has a reputation for its good temper, speed, elegance and intelligence. It is one of the oldest breeds, with ancestry dating to the ancient world. Azerbaijans vegetation consists of more than 4,500 species of higher plants. Due the unique climate in Azerbaijan, the vegetation is much richer in the number of species than the flora of the other republics of the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan is divided into 10 economic regions; 66 rayons and 77 cities of which 11 are under the direct authority of the republic. Also, Azerbaijan includes the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan. The President of Azerbaijan appoints the governors of these units, while the government of Nakhchivan is elected and approved by the parliament of Nakhchivan Self-ruling Republic. Tourism is an important part of the economy of Azerbaijan. The countrys large abundance of natural and cultural attractions make it an attractive destination of visitors. The country was a well-known tourist spot in the 1980s; yet, the Nagorno-Karabakh War during the 1990s crippled the tourist industry and damaged the image of Azerbaijan as a tourist destination. It was not until 2000s that the tourism industry began to recover, and the country has since experienced a high rate of growth in the number of tourist visits and overnight stays. In the recent years, Azerbaijan has also becoming a popular destination for religious, spa, and health care tourism. Around 95 percent of the populations are Muslims. 85% of the Muslims are Shia Muslims and 15% Sunni Muslims, and the Republic of Azerbaijan has the Second highest Shia population percentage after Iran. There are some other faiths practiced among the different ethnic groups within the country. By article 48 of its Constitution, Azerbaijan is a secular state and ensures religious freedom. Of the nations religious minorities, Christians are mostly Russian and Georgian Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic (almost all Armenians live in the break-away region of Nagorno-Karabakh). The culture of Azerbaijan has developed as a result of many influences. Today, Western influences, including globalized consumer culture, are strong. National traditions are well preserved in the country. Some of the main elements of the Azerbaijani culture are: music, literature, folk dances and art, cuisine, architecture, cinematography and Novruz Bayram. The latter is the traditional celebration of the ancient New Year. Novruz is a family holiday. The traditional cuisine is famous for richness of vegetables and greens used seasonally in the dishes. Fresh herbs, including mint, dill, basil, parsley, tarragon, leeks, chives, thyme, marjoram, green onion, and watercress, are very popular and often accompany main dishes on the table. Climatic diversity and fertility of the land are reflected in the national dishes, which are based on fish from the Caspian Sea, local meat (mainly mutton and beef), and an abundance of seasonal vegetables and greens. Saffron-rice ploy is the flagship food in Azerbaijan and black tea is the national beverage. Azerbaijan–Turkey relations have always been strong with the two often being described as one nation with two states by the ex-president of Azerbaijan Abulfaz Elchibey due to a common culture and history, and the mutual intelligibility of Turkish and Azerbaijani. Turkey has been a staunch supporter of Azerbaijan in its efforts to consolidate its independence, preserve its territorial integrity and realize its economic potential arising from the rich natural resources of the Caspian Sea. The countries share a short border, with the Aras River separating Turkey from the Nakhchivan exclave for just a few kilometers. Today, the relationship with Azerbaijan represents the most important bilateral partnership in current Turkish foreign policy while Azerbaijani foreign policy affirms its relationship with Turkey as one of its most enduring bilateral relationships, as evidenced in aligned political affairs, mutual cooperation in the areas of trade, commerce, finance, technology, academics, as well as the arts and sciences; the sharing of government and military intelligence, and joint combat operations and peace keeping missions carried out between Azerbaijani Armed Forces and Turkish Armed Forces.

Mediatek India Technology Private Limited Essay -- manufacturing compan

Mediatek is a leading manufacturing company in India and also has a major share outside the country. Here, I have tried to analyse the strengths and weaknesses present in the company. What are the different opportunities and threats present in the external environment for the company? Strengths: Mediatek makes the technology that’s at the heart of the things that we use every day. Its strength lies in optimising system design, perfectly integrating software and hardware design to offer users an uninterrupted and always connected technology by providing smartphones, tablets and dual SIM experience. It’s riding high on amking cheap, user friendly smartphones across Asia. Global presence, technology, innovation and taking care of customer’s taste and preference are some its strength over its competitors. Weakness: The weakness for the company is that being a manufacturing company it belongs to a mature industry which means that it faces tough competition and there is small room for growth. Opportunities: It is a knowledge dependent company with highly specialised workers which makes it difficult for the low wage countries to compete in this market segment. The shipments of Mediatek jumped 80% in volume terms to more than 200 million in 2013. It held 47% share in the Chinese market year, up 14% points from 2012 and outstripping its rival Qualcomm of the U.S, the world’s largest market of chips for mobile devices that pushed Mediatek’s sales 37% higher on the year to a record 136 billion New Taiwan dollars( $ 4.52 billion) ( source: The Nikkie) Threats: Rising price of manufacturing in the global economy poses a threat to the company. Intense competition from Broadcom, Spreadtrum and Qualcomm is also a major concern for the... ...ce has a great impact on the achievement of the organisational performance as a whole. Works Cited Flippo, E.B (1984), Personnel Management (sixth edition) .( K.A Meyer), Mc Graw: Hill Book Company Beach D.S. (1975), Personnel: the management of people at work, New York: Macmillan Thompson, K.R. & Luthans, F. (1990), â€Å"Oragnisational Culture: A behavioural Perspective,† In Schneider, B. (ed), Organisational climate and Culture, Oxford: Jessey-Bass, Chapter 9 Kumari, Neeraj (2012), â€Å"a study of the recruitment and selection process: SMC Global†, volume 2, No.1, 2012 Ishrat, Ghazala (2013), â€Å"Comparative study of recruitment and selection, training and development policies in Indian MNCs and foreign MNCs†, Journal of business and management, volume 7, issue 5 Dessler, Garry(2005), Human Resource Management, Tenth edition www.ibef.org www.mediatek.com

Gambling: a cash cow for provincial government Essay

1. What do you think? Is it okay for government to be in the gambling business? As far as I am concerned, it is very vital for government to be in the gambling business. Government is the most powerful department of the country, so it is okay for government to be in the gambling business and there are many reasons for it: 1. . Only the government can make good use of the taxation in the gambling business. The government can use the fiscal policy. The first half of the policy involves taxation. The government can important the taxation of the casino and lotteries and other forms of the gambling. This is a useful way to strengthen the power of the government. It is also a good way to limited people to go to casino because of the high taxation. Besides that , the government can use the taxation to help move the economy when it is weak, such as lower the people’ s taxation with their income and daily expenses. The second half of fiscal policy involves government spending. The government can use the taxation in the social programs, highways, environmental protection and so on. 2. The government can publish some rules and regulations to standard the gambling industry, such as the ages of the people, the behavior of the people and the so many things. For the government is the most powerful construction, every people will follow the rules and regulations in the gambling places. 3. The government can use the criminal laws to punish the people who break the laws in the society because of the gambling. Some people lose all his money in the casino, so he will choose to rob in the society. The government can use the laws to limit their behavior and can lead them to the right way 4. The government can make the gambling business to be a better entertaining business for people than the gambling business that owed by providing business. 2. How do you feel that? Do you buy that argument? Explain! In my opinion, I do not agree with that and I do not buy that argument. Gambling business is a good way to raise money, which is under the control of the governments. However, the reason why governments participate to the gambling business is to keep the business and society environments peaceful. In addition, â€Å"the Canadians do not seem to mind creating revenue by having some fun, instead of just paying higher taxes†, I do not agree with this statement. Under the great pressure of the work and the competition of the society, many people think that gambling can make them feel relaxed and can help them to release their stress. They are also worried about the tax will become higher and higher. â€Å" nobody is forced to gamble, so it is a kind of voluntary tax† I also do not agree with this statement. Some people find it difficult to support their life and they will choose to put all of their money and property into gamble. As result, they lose all of their money even lose their families. These kinds of people find no way to get money and the life force them to take a risk. 3. Do you agree with either of these concerns? Why? What can be done to improve the situation? I agree with these concerns. In the society, many people indulge gambling because of the high stress and curiosity. They stay in the casino or other gambling places day and night and forget everything. When they lose money, they will not be reconciled and they want to win all the money back. When they win some money, they want to win more money. As a result, these kinds of people lose all the money, which make all their friends are disappointed. Some family members can stand anymore and they want to separate with these gamblers, so the families are broken down. In addition, these gamblers will become more and more depressed with their life and they find no hope with their life. Finally, their lives will be in trouble. Also, easy access to VLTs is very bad for young persons. It will bring great harm to the young people. There are 3 ways can improve the situation. Firstly, the government must be attach great importance at this situation and arouse people to hard working, instead of gambling. The governments can provides people with some skill training courses for free that people can obtain more skills to work better. Besides that, government can give more support to the low- income people, and give hope to their life. Secondly, the society should form a good atmosphere of hard-working. In addition, the societal construction can bring some mind tutorial courses to the people who have the trouble with their life. Thirdly, some businesses can sponsor some activities to their employees that can release their stress and give them some bonus in the proper way. This is a good way to encourage the employees to work harder and improve their life. Finally, people should have a good attitude to life. Working hard can bring them happiness and do not hope to get anything from the gambling. 4. Wouldn’t taxes have to be raised to replace these revenues? Would you mind paying more taxes? Do you think your parents or family members would mind? Do you have other suggestion? Taxes should not be raised to replace the gambling revenues. I do mind paying more taxes to replace the gambling revenues, so do my family members. Nowadays, the taxation is enough for people to carry, such as the income taxes, business taxes, consume taxes and so on. There is no need to improve the tax rate. The government should perform its duties well. Firstly, running the gambling business in a proper way is vital. The government should have the strict laws and regulations that make all the people to follow. Secondly, the government should receive the proper taxes from the gambling business. Thirdly, the government should show more concern to the people and try best to offer help to the people, instead of increasing the tax rate. Finally, the government can have different level tax rate of the gambling. For example, the person who put a lot of money to the gambling, he will have higher tax rate. The more money that people have, the higher tax rate he will receive.

Graduation Rate Four Years Versus Six Years - 1454 Words

Graduation Rate: Four Years vs Six Years Undergraduate students are taking longer than the four year program to finish their schooling because of finances, stress, lack of motivation, and lack of being prepared emotionally and academically. Approximately 28 percent of Texas undergraduates graduate with a four year degree on time. Meanwhile, a little over half of all undergraduates graduate in six years instead of four. (â€Å"Graduation Rates By State†) College is an expensive investment for any student. Although college puts many young people into debt, a four year college graduate is said to make 84 percent more than a high school graduate, according to the O.E.C.D. (Porter) Now that college degrees are almost a must for finding a good†¦show more content†¦Working while in college, can lead to inflexibility in class schedules and lack of time for studies, this can result in failing or being forced to drop a class. Failing classes due to other responsibilities is a major reason in why students are graduating in six years instead of four. Another reason college students may work during their time of education, is to fund their idea of the college lifestyle they must have. Donald Asher, a writer and speaker who specializes in higher education said: Students today are working tons of hours at real jobs, trying to juggle classes and activities with these external obligations. The results are lower grades, inflexibility in taking the right classes when they’re offered, isolation and disengagement from the college experience, and longer time to graduation. One thing I’ve noticed is that many of these students are working so hard to finance a lavish college lifestyle. Mr. Donald Asher points out the responsibilities many college students have, and also points out that many students are working so hard at real jobs to be able to afford things like a Starbucks latte every morning. Somehow, modern college students have forgot that college is not about the formals, the parties, the concerts, and even the cute dorm dà ©cor. Many college students work to enjoy this lifestyle and end up having to stay in school longer due to their unrealistic ideas of how college life should be. It