Geogrpahy of Glaciers

Glaciers throughout the world

This past summer our family took a cruise to Alaska. This was a very cool experience and I got to not only learn about Geography but also learn about a new environment that I had never seen before. I was able to also get to see with my own eyes and up close several glaciers. Our cruise ship got to see a fjord that no other cruise ships have been able to get clearance for in Alaska. I have posted a few pictures of the glaciers from this fjord we got to see.

I remember waking up really early one morning to see these glaciers. The glaciers were very cold but breath takingly gorgeous. Our grandparents had a balcony off their room that was located on the back of the boat. This room made our glacier viewing experience even better because we didn’t have to fight for room with all the other cruise ship members on the top deck. From this view, we got to take lots of pictures.

This cruise allowed me to see glaciers with my own eyes rather than seeing them in textbooks. They are so much better than pictures. Although pictures are beautiful it is not able to capture the temperature and the sounds around it. What made these glaciers so cool was the fact that we got to hear the calving. Calving astounded me because just a tiny piece of ice, made such a loud noise in the water.

It was also cool because a small boat came out of the cruise ship and went to pick a piece of the floating glacier and ice caps from the water and brought it to the top deck so we could feel and see the pieces up close. Also it was really cool to be able to experience the wild life of seals and whales that had inhabited the glaciers.

Posted on this blog along with pictures from our trip, is a map of where different glaciers are located in the world. I had not stopped to think about how many truly beautiful glaciers there are in the world, until I saw this map.

Glaciers are a very beautiful sight and I would encourage anyone to see them if they get the chance. Glaciers are placed throughout the world and are geographically located among many different countries.

Learning Geography Of Names

After searching this website with several names, I learned a lot and found many interesting things. My name is uniquely spelled and I only know of two people in the United States that share the same similar spelling of my name.

My parents picked this name because it is Irish and I was born two days before St. Patrick’s Day. I was also told that my name means dark hair and I got this name because I was born with a full head of black hair. Up until this point, that was the extent of the knowledge I had know about my name. This website expanded my knowledge and allowed me to learn new things about my name.

I also learned from this website that I my name is rooted in the African culture group and derives from the Yoruba language. I have never even heard of the Yoruba language. I did some research on this language and this language is a dialect continuum of West Africa. This language has over 25 million speakers and is spoken among other languages.

Carrie is a very common name but there are many different ways to spell it. I grew up in grade school with three Carries and we all spelled it a different way. Also since I have only have heard of two people who spell my name the way I do, there must not be many Kerri’s in the United States. After researching this website, that idea was confirmed. The United States only has a 0.14 FPM for the name Kerri. The top country for the spelling Kerri is Luxembourg followed by France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Also the top city with the name Kerri is in Canada.

This website gave me hope that other than the famous gymnast Kerri Strug, there are other people out in the world who share the spelling of Kerri as their name. This website was really interesting and it allowed me to learn a lot more about my name.

Press Restrictions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxymwN7nYQQ

This is a link to the youtube video of an episode of Sponge Bob square pants in China. After watching this clip I can see how the government controls the press even the cartoon episodes within the country.

After watching this video, you can see how this cartoon varies between the Untied States and China. You can also see the differences in Geography and how cartoons are ran without any press controls. The episode that I posted on this blog entry, Sponge Bob yells at Patrick for taking the day off. This episode tells Chinese citizen that the government needs citizens to work everyday. The government uses these episodes to practically condition citizens from even a young age to act certain way in life.

This episode also explained differences in Geography. In this episode, Sponge Bob wore black hair and they created him to look the like the citizens of China. Also they have made Sponge Bob’s house more like Chinese style living too. In the first part of the episode, Sponge Bob’s house is decorated with a Chinese calendar. Sponge Bob also lives in a Chinese take out carton instead of a pineapple like in the United States.

You can also tell the press restrictions, Chinese government places on press. The honorable governor of China even speaks in the first part of the episodes. Sponge Bob even has a different accent in China than he does in the United States’s episodes.
Another difference that was noted in Geography was heard through the types of music they play on the episodes.

Sponge Bob is called Sponge Bob comrade on this episode as well, meaning that government even controls his name along with the things they are condition citizen who watch this episode.

Not only are they conditioning citizens too but they also are stereotyping Americans. In this episode, they tell citizens they need to work so that they can supply goods and products to America to companies like Walmart. This episode also shows they Chinese military combats that are the ones controlling their society.

It also emphasizes their one child policy. This was shown through Sponge Bob's calendar when Saturday, said "Don't have babies day!" A lot of what we have been talking about in class was shown in this episode. Not only does these episode condition citizens through their press restrictions in China, but also shows the difference in Geography.

Varied Foods Around The World!

Trying Lobster For The First Time!

How Americans Love Their McDonalds and Coffee Drinks!

Different liking of foods varies from region to region and very much depends on culture. There are many animals that we take for granted that are considered privileges in other countries, and on the other hand other animals we would never think about eating like they do in other countries. For example, in America we attempt to kill all the ants we can since they are unwelcome in our society, but in other countries it is a very big privilege to eat ants. All these foods depend on what our parents and society around us have taught us through culture.

Through globalization and travels, other countries around the world will be able to come into contact and experience tasting of new foods. As globalization spreads also will different restaurants and food preference will be shared with many new cultures. Even in America, do we have varied foods across the states. For example, you can’t buy cheesy toasted ravioli hardly anywhere but St.Louis. When we had some friends move away and we had to mail them shipments of it because they couldn’t buy it in Florida.

The atmosphere and climate also have an impact on the foods we eat and the types of crops that grow best in the suitable weather or the distance they are from the ocean . Although America prefers their fast food restaurants, many other countries specialize in other areas which I have learned through many trips out of the country.

Although I’m a picky eater, every time we have been out of the country my parents makes us try a new food that the country we are visiting are known for throughout the world. Even though I thought eating snails called escargot in Paris was strange and unthinkable, I loved them! Now any chance we get I try to eat it.

When we traveled to London, we were able to try their fish-in-chips, which was a popular local food. Other travels on cruises have allowed us to try different types of seafood such as salmon and shrimp. Although those may be common foods, putting seafood in seaweed and rice called sushi may be weird to some people. I, however, really enjoy certain types of sushi.

While fish is common, calamari or squid, may never want to be tried. I refused to try calamari until my parents tricked me into telling me it was chicken. Through this lesson I have learned that regardless of the name or animal, we should try it. Although you may not care for it, other types of food you may love. Although our culture does not care for the food, when traveling eating the local food is one of the best ways to learn of their region and to get an accurate picture.

Just over this past weekend, I went to Colorado for Easter break. Easter dinner included lamb and herbs made out of dandelions. Although I thought I could never eat lamb or never thought of eating dandelions, I grew to like lamb. I did not care for the bitter herbs of dandelions that they put on the bread without yeast though.

Not only does culture and traveling have a huge impact on the foods we consume, we must keep an open mind. Just as my grandma says, you must try the food while asking if we want a little or a lot when it comes to food amounts that are placed on your plate. We must be open minded and willing to try new things so we can expand our horizons and get to know other cultures around the world.

The G-20 just met recently and is very important in terms of human relations with other countries around the world. Posted on this blog are several pictures from the Summit as well. I think that pictures can tell us a lot about the meeting and it is also interesting to see how many different cultures and countries are represented at the summit. It is truly unique for all of these countries to be able to meet and yet alone communicate even though many countries speak different languages from the others. I also think that this summit is a good idea because it helps to build strong bonds through other countries leaders and also also them to meet and discuss important issues.

The G-20 includes finance ministers and central bank governors for 19 countries. These countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Also include is the European Union, which is represent by the Council presidency and the European Central Bank.

Veiwing the World in New Perspectives

My House

Nebraska's Irrigation

Australia and Antarctica

By viewing the world from different perspectives, it allows us to learn new things about the world. Posted in this blog are three images in which I discovered new things about the world around us. When we take time to look at situations, places, and experiences from new angles in life it allows us to step back and think of new things with new solutions to the problems. Google Earth is a great application that allows to easily fly around the world and see places from above that we may never be able to see in our lifetimes. Not only can we see new things, but also new angles and new directions.

The first image that I saved from Google Earth is my house in St. Louis Missouri. Based on this picture, you can see that my subdivision is right on the river. Although I can see the river when the trees lose their leaves in the fall, I never knew the shape that the river outlined. The river truly curves our subdivision and it allowed me to see things from above and to be able to put my house in perspective to how big the river is. Normally when we hike down to the river in the fall, you just think of the river as a straight line. From this Google Earth image, you can see that the river is very large and does not flow in a straight line but rather in a curve.

My neighbors also told me that before most of the other houses were built in our subdivision, the barge lights would hit their house every night as the river curved the bend. By viewing this picture from above, I’m now able to picture just how the lights could shine on my neighbor’s house.

The next image is taken from the area just outside of Seward, Nebraska. This image I just found fascinating. These images would not be able to be seen from land but can only be seen from this new perspective from above. From this bird’s eye view, so to speak, you are able to depict all the different patterns and how irrigation is such a big part of Nebraska.

The next image is of Australia and Antarctica. I have always known Australia to be very warm and sunny. From this Google Earth image, we are able to see that is very close to Antarctica where it is cold and snowy for the majority of the time. It is hard to imagine that they are so close together and just separated by an ocean but it affects so much of their climate.

From these three images and new angles, we can learn so much more about the world. These new angles allow us to learn new things. This application will allow us to enhance our understanding of Geography better.

Learning Geogrpahy Through The Multi-Media

The art of viewing movies helps us to be enlightened to the world around us and the events that are happening. Movies allow us to engage and expand our imagination along with experiencing new places that we may not be able to travel to in the world. Slumdog Millionaire allows us to see places, like India, in which most of us has never had the chance to travel to in our lifetimes. By seeing these movies, it also sparks our interest and excitement to travel. We are also not only able to see Geography, but experience daily life and people of that region.

Some movies do not accurately portray the region properly. Some movies make the regions look appealing to the movie audience, while there are few movies that portray the region in all aspects of daily life correctly.

Slumdog Millionaire portrays India as a very poor and rundown area. As they showed the cities from above, there were many poor houses all very close together. There were many people trying to live in any square foot of land they could. This region was very dirty and kids ran wild in the street. The area of India that the movie showed also showed the city very dirty. There was trash everywhere and the water was filthy. It looked like kids could die of infections from the unsanitary living conditions.

Not only did India have dirty and unsanitary living conditions, but also there was much violence in the town. Many citizens feared for their lives and families were broken apart. There was also much violence and people were treated as slaves and possessions. There was a very big gap between rich and poor. The rich had no respect for the poor. The rich took for granted the poor and used them as servants or for personal gain. Families were broken apart and even families were turned against each other.

The area was so poor that anyone would do anything for money. The movie even showed kids striving for money. They put money before their own personal safety. When the kids were giving tours, they did anything including going against morals such as lying to gain money. They even faced punishment and violence no matter what they did and risked it all in terms of money.

Violence also affected even the kids, and they were conditioned to love violence. The kids in the movie risked even their lives as they were captured and abused for a good meal and home. Kids were separated from their families at and early age and were forced to protect themselves and raise themselves. They fought for their own survival. Not only were they abused with violence but also they were forced to live in unsuitable living conditions.

Life in India was very risky and most citizens were forced to live one day at a time. No one knew if they would survive that day, but were forced to fight for survival amongst violence and dirty close living conditions.

This movie made me appreciate where we live in America. After seeing this movie, we forget even the little things in life we take for granted. This movie made me appreciate to live in safe environment where we are blessed to live in clean conditions with our families. We are blessed to not have to fear our life everyday.

After seeing this movie, it not only made me thankful for living in America but it also opens are eyes for life around us. This movie opens our eyes and encouraged me to help those who are less fortunate than us. God calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves, along with spreading the good news of His love.

This movie portrays life in India very accurately along with opening our eyes to Geography and the world around us. Movies cannot only be watched for enjoyment but also can be used as a learning lesson about the world and events around us.

Historic Main Street

The hats we got at the St. Patrick's Parade

Kayaking at Lake Innsbrook

St. Louis Cardinal Baseball Stadium

Seeing the St. Louis Arch

Spring Break was filled with many unforgettable travels, friends, family, and memories. Spring Break was enjoyed with touring and sightseeing St. Louis, along with many relaxing moments.

The first destination on spring break was in Kansas City. My boyfriend flew into Kansas City and we enjoyed touring the Plaza and downtown Kansas City with my cousins. We enjoyed a relaxing time playing games at Starbucks along with chatting in the park at the Plaza.

The next stop was in St. Louis. Even though this is home to me, it was fun being a tourist while showing my boyfriend a taste of St.Louis. The first day we went with my family to the arch, Cardinals stadium, the famous ice cream place called Ted Drews, and eating on the Italian hill.

Along with a day of downtown touring, we also took in the sights of the countryside. Our family owns a lake place outside St.Louis. We spent the day walking on the beach, enjoying the scenery, and kayaking.

Other highlights of spring break included taking pictures at historic Main Street in St.Charles. St.Charles is well known for the crossing of Lewis and Clark. We spent the day seeing the boathouse, walking along the brick historic roads, and seeing the Lewis and Clark monument.

The last day we were able to celebrate my birthday and St.Patricks holiday. Every year in St.Louis a St.Patricks parade is held. We dressed in our green as we enjoyed sitting on the streets of downtown St. Louis as the parade passed by us. That night we had a BBQ with friends and family to celebrate my Birthday. It was nice to see everyone again since I hadn’t been home since Christmas.

Although we haven’t converted my boyfriend into a Cardinals fan yet, spring break was blessed with warm weather, relaxation, sightseeing, friends, family, and scenic drives in my dad’s 1966 mustang.

Aiding Sub-Saharan Africa

As of now aid for funding development in Sub-Saharan Africa is a very controversial issue that I can see both sides too. I think it is very important that other countries help Africa develop so they are not depended on the support of aid, but at the same time they cannot develop without the aid. Therefore, I take the side that we should continue to aid Sub-Saharan Africa. We are blessed with so many luxuries here and God calls us to share with those that are less fortunate. I think by helping this country develop along with sending aid is just one of the ways we can love our neighbors, as God commanded.

According to our textbook, foreign direct investment in has increased from 1990 to 2004. Many are optimistic about this statistic and it shows signs of economic renewal. This statics shows that by aiding a country we can help also in helping it to develop. If we continue to aid Sub-Saharan Africa then I think that we can help to continue in the development of this country.

Another reason according to our textbook that we should help aid Sub-Saharan Africa is because it is craving capital. This country is seen as too poor and unstable and therefore gets overlooked. Foreign investors also take advantage of low wages and put their money in other countries like Asia or Latin America. Therefore it is our job to help to aid them. They cannot defend themselves and cannot afford to be taken advantaged of. If more countries were to help aid Sub-Saharan Africa then maybe this would help them have higher prices and therefore could stand up themselves, leading to development.

The country is not depending on the aid just for daily living, but is using it for steps needed to work towards development. This shows me that they are taking advantage of aid but are using it wisely to develop their country. According to our book, many African countries have begun to privatize areas of the economy. This process can help lead to faster economic growth as well.

I also think that is kind of other countries, like the United States, send aid in other ways than money. I think that in order for a country to develop they are going to need more than money to develop. The used clothing trade supports economic growth because it employs many citizens along with supplying customers with affordable daily needs. The reason this trade exists is due to the fact that many people live on little money. If we continue to send aid and money we are also providing jobs, which provides more income for families. This will help to increase the price of daily living and can lead to development.

After reading the article, I also found it important to give aid with out a loan. I think that we should give from the heart of helping our neighbor. If we were to set a price of a loan for aid, then the country will be so busy trying to pay back the loan, that will take away from the attention of developing the country.

Also if we can help lend a hand in developing the country, it could also bring positive rewards for other countries. If we were to send aid and help them develop then later down the road we could benefit from trade from Africa. Also if we were to stop the aid that has been currently sending to Africa, this could have a negative effect on political relationships with Africa and other countries that use to support them.

It is very important to continue to aid Africa because if we can help to develop the country then they will be able to support themselves, and become less dependent on aid. Although it looks like the country will not be developed in the near future we must be patient because in the long run if they can develop Africa, it would lead to many benefits for other countries around the world.

Human Develop Index

Every year since 1990, human development index has been published by the Human Development Report Office. This index measures three important factors of human development. These factors include life expectancy, literacy rates, and purchasing power parity. It does not however include important factors such as gender, income, political freedoms, or human rights. This index is very helpful in tracking the progress oh human development along with the relationship between income and well-being.
The HDI was created to reflect those simple three factors of human development. Measurement issues and methods of collecting data have led to some problems in the past but are being worked out. For this reason there are is still many gaps in the data collected for even basics areas of human development. For a country to be included in their measurements, data needs to be available for a reliable source for all the factors that contribute into the index calculations. For many counties data is missing for at least one and if not more of the factors that determines the human development rate.
The HDI index than classifies the countries into high human development, medium development, and low development. There are very distinct patters of HDI across the world. Due to this statics, most of the high human development is associated with more developed countries. Countries from Europe and the United States are placed under the high human development column. Also the majority of least developed countries are placed in the low human development range.
Most of Sub-Saharan Africa is classified as low human development. I think that the main reason for this is due the statics of being the country with the highest rate of AIDs. AIDs are consuming the lives of many of its citizens leading to a low life expectancy rate.
Another factor is that most of Sub-Saharan Africa is very poor and cannot afford school. Many of the families are blessed with lots of children. The parents can't afford to send all of them to school and the children are need for labor for their family farms. Due to these large families wealth is sparse to feed that many mouths. This leads to a low PPP, which is also one of the factors determining the human development rate.
Many of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa is very more and in need of help. The citizens are great suffering from AIDs and need to be educated. This is a controversial issue that we need to be aware of and try our best to help. We are blessed with a high human development and it is our responsibility to share with those who are less fortunate and in need of our help.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

"Kindred headlands called The Three Sisters look to sea near Smerwick on the Dingle Peninsula"

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photos/pod-irish-landscapes/irish-headlands_pod_image.html

Pictures are worth a thousands words and is sometimes the best way to learn about the region. Such great beauty is so hard to put into words and describe to other people. There is so many locations around the world that is breath-taking and can leave you speechless and the only way that the description can provide justice for such great beauty is through a picture.

Not only do pictures tell us such great detail around the world but allows the photographer to express the land or region in his or her own way. Pictures allow the photographer to capture images in new ways. The new ways in which pictures are captured could teach us about the region because it was veiwed at a new angle. These new angles can help us discover something we had never seen before or never thought about in life.

Another reason why the pictures are so important is because it allows the viewer to feel like they were there even if they will never be able to see that object or travel to that region. I would love to travel here to Ireland someday but may never get the chance. I picked this picture because it is part of the country I would love to see and visit. This picture brings a peaceful feeling to me and a sense of serenity. This picture allows me to feel like I was there and learn about the region and its beautiful landscape. These pictures also bring color to our lives and allow emotions, such as peace and serenity, to be reminded and present in our daily lives.

As discussed previously, angles of the pictures are very important too. These new angles not only show new features of the region but is an angle that few are likely to see. I think that overview pictures are very meaningful because even if you have seen this place thousands of times, looking through it through a new lenses you learn and discover so much more. These are angles in which few are likely to see and therefore with one picture many are able to express this view.

Pictures allow many to learn about the world and discover new places even if they never get the opportunity to travel. Through the use of pictures we are able to learn and relate to people and societies of the wold.

Lifting the Ban on Cuba

After reading this article and learning more about the embargo and travel ban on Cuban that is currently in place, I think that the right thing to do is to continue to take steps to eliminate this ban. I think that the ban should be lifted for many reasons, which would lead to several positive outcomes.
It is hard to imagine how the people feel with this ban on Cuban, until we put ourselves in their shoes. We, here in America, take our everyday freedoms for granted and forget that we are privileged to have such an honor. I think that everyone should not have the government controlling every aspect of his or her life. I think that the people of Cuba should be able to worship as they please, voice their opinions, and be able to travel the world. Not everyone likes to be controlled and kept in such harsh situations.
Another reason I think the ban should be lifted, is for the safety of the citizens living in Cuba. The blog also commented that in the 21st century alone more than 100 million people killed by communist governments. I don’t think that should have to fear their life because their government controls their life.
Another positive outcome of the ban being lifted, would be the fact that citizens from other countries would be able to travel to Cuba. I think this is an important factor for geography. I think that sharing knowledge about this land would be hard if someone wasn’t able to experience it first hand. This would also cause a limited amount of information about the land and people for schools and educations. I think that we should learn as much as we can about other cultures and it can help to influence and shape our culture as well. It would also be a positive outcome for people to travel to this part of the land so that they can bring help to the citizens living in Cuba and learning about the country and its geography first hand.
Also I would think that tourism to Cuba would be a positive contributor to their economy. This would not only allow the people to interact with the world’s citizens around them but also provide jobs. Part of globalization is to be able to communicate and economic reorganization. Without being able to interact with the people here in Cuba, how can we communicate without understanding the people? The economy here in Cuba does indeed need reorganization which can help lead to globalization. Also we need to be able to understand Cuba’s environment, which can help people in other countries recognize the great aspects Cuba has to offer.

A New Constitution in Bolivia

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090207/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_bolivia_constitution;_ylt=AgbKmkz2mENJC2csu_hlmMC3IxIF

I found this article to be very interesting and I thought it not only related to out topic about Latin America, but also was an important global issue that we should know about. Global issues are very important in society today even though fewer and fewer have time to be informed of global issues with their busy every day lives.
This article informed the public that a new constitution is taking effect in Bolivia. This constitution was first approved in Bolivia by popular vote but promised more power for the poor, recognizes communal justice, grants regional autonomy, and declares coca a plant of their heritage.
In the last class period, we talked about new world and old world plants. Bolivia in this article stated that its new constitution would declare coca as their plant of heritage. This helped to enforce our discussion about new world and old world global products.
Another important detail that this article informs the public on is the fact that this constitution will help to end centuries of oppression. Our textbook talked about the oppression from migration and how slaves were use in the past for the production of many crops. This will help end oppression in future generations.
There are still many mixed feelings over this new constitution and will lead to more global issues in the future, which will be important to research in global issues.

Sharing Smiles Around the World.

Posted with this bog is a map showing the world’s population of dentists. Dental is becoming more and more important in some societies today, while other countries put dental as least priority. In the United States not only do citizens pay for annually dental cleaning, but also go through braces. Smiles are very important and make the world a brighter place, this is all due to the help of local dentists.

Another reason why I chose this map is due to the fact that my parents own an orthodontics society. Every summer I get to help them manage and organize all the orthodontists meeting. Whenever we travel to all these meetings I sometimes like to listen in on their lectures. Here the orthodontists show slides filled with pictures of citizens from other countries who cannot afford dental history and all the major problems that it causes. Not only do they tell of missionary trips that some orthodontist participate in to provided dental services to low income countries but they also share knowledge and continue education about the new technology advances in the dental field today.

After listening to these presentations, I realize that we, especially in the United States, take for granted how important dental is. As you can tell by the map that United States, China, and Brazil does stress the importance of dental. Also I learned from this map that North America has twice as many dentists per person than any other country.

Our teeth are a big part of our daily lives, which includes being able to eat and smile. Without teeth this would make eating a harder part of your daily life. It is also a big factor that influences our health. There are many countries that citizens can die because they do not have the opportunity to see a dentist. According to the map countries such as Africa have very few dentists and this could also affect its population. In many African territories there were less than one dentist for every 100,000 citizens living there.

We take for granted in every day lives how important dental services are in life. I know many Americans have a strong dental fear and refuse to go to the dentists but overall the map shows that citizens, even though they are scared, take advantage of the dental services provided. Even if you are scared of going to the dentist we should be thankful for the opportunity to have such a great resource offered to us.

Population Pyramids For Haiti and Japan

Over the past several decades, the global economy has grown more complicated and many LDC and MDC countries have evolved. There are many factors that play a role into determining if a country is developed or not. As you can see based on the population pyramids that I made for Japan and Haiti they are very different. Japan is a more developed country while Haiti on the other hand is a less developed country and the difference can be seen in their population pyramids.

Haiti is one of the poorest countries and 80% of the population lives under the poverty line. The main reason for this high poverty percentage is because Haiti suffers from high inflation, lack of investments because of insecurity, and limited infrastructure. Another factor though that is unique to Haiti is related to its agricultural. Two-thirds of people living in Haiti depend on agricultural such as small subsistence farming.

According to our textbook, it says that agricultural or industrial output of a country may have positive implications for development of growth. This can obviously be seen in the population size of Haiti. Even though money is sparse in Haiti, they have more kids than families in Japan. I find this fact strange because here Haiti has less money to support children and yet they have more than the wealthier countries like Japan.

The textbook also says that critics want less growth and more development. This can be seen in countries like Japan. Japan is focusing more on their development and exports rather than focusing on having kids. Another reason why the graphs are so different can be seen through their varying total fertility rates. While Japan has TFR of 1.22, Haiti has a TFR rate of 4.79. This shows us that Haiti’s population is growing because women in Haiti are having more kids.

Another reason for the differing results in the charts is due to the age expectancy rates. Due to the lack of money and funds people in Haiti live shorter lives and are averaged to live only 49.2 years. This would explain why they are much narrow graph results for the older generation in Haiti. Due to the fact that Haiti has more kids and live shorter lives the base of the graph would be bigger, like the results I got for my graph. Japan, on the other hand, expects the average person to live about 80.7 years. This would explain the results of the graph I got for Japan’s population because they would also have the older generation still living.

Although it is difficult to explain why a LDC has a growing population while MDC population is having little growth, there are many factors that determine the varying results in graphs.

The Golden City of San Franscisco

Throughout my life I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel most of the world, including most of the United States and even internationally. There are so many places that immediately come to mind when I am asked the question, “ Where is your favorite place you have traveled to?” Although it is hard to just discuss one place in this post, I would have to say that our family vacation to San Francisco. Last summer my family stayed at Half Moon Bay, which is just on the outskirts of San Francisco. San Francisco offers a variety of things to do and so many great restaurants to be tried. It is most famous for, my most favorite food, Clam Chowder. Since San Francisco is located on the coast it offers a chance to get fresh seafood. Another important feature that made San Francisco popular was that it was home for the Ghirardelli chocolate.
San Francisco not only has a variety of food options, but a variety of things to do around the area. From sight seeing, to Alcatraz prison tours, to shopping and golfing, to hiking to see elephant seals rest on the ocean shore at Elephant Seals State Park, to experiencing culture of the Chinese people in Chinatown, to enjoying sunsets on the ocean horizon, to taking long walks on the beach, to driving down the Crooked Street, to walking the Golden Gate Bridge. There are so many things to do here and you will not have enough time to participate in all the activities you wish to do here at San Francisco.
The weather also makes San Francisco unique. Most people picture sunny California with warm weather. This is not generally the case in San Francisco. Although it may be sunny it is often cloudy and is chilly with a slight breeze. A unique feature that San Francisco has to offer is the fact that is has many climates and weather forecasts. San Francisco is just the right temperature, not being too hot or too cold, but yet during the night a jacket can be worn.
San Francisco is a truly unique place that is very fun to visit. Although visiting new places is fun and exciting, it makes you appreciate God’s beauty and also makes you thankful to return home. By visiting these new places and traveling the world, we are able to gain a first-hand learning experience of other places and cultures.

A New Experience

I recently transferred from Concordia University Wisconsin to Concordia University Nebraska. I enjoy Geography and love to learn about new places to add to my travel list. This blog will not only allow me to share my traveling experiences with my classmates in Geography class but gain a knowledge of the places in the world around me. While transferring to a new state and learning my way around Nebraska is exciting it is also an opportunity to try new things, experience adventure, and meet so many new friends.