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g-dragon

Which Asian Nations Were Never Colonized by Europe? - 0 views

www.thoughtco.com/not-colonized-by-europe-195273

nations European colonization

shared by g-dragon on 24 Oct 17 - No Cached
  • Between the 16th and 20th centuries, various European nations set out to conquer the world and take all of its wealth.
  • Rather than being colonized, Japan became an imperial power in its own right.
  • uncomfortable position between the French imperial possessions of French Indochina (now Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) to the east, and British Burma (now Myanmar) to the west
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  • managed to fend off both the French and the British through skillful diplomacy. He adopted many European customs and was intensely interested in European technologies. He also played the British and French off of one another, preserving most of Siam's territory and its independence.
  • The Ottoman Empire was too large, powerful, and complex for any one European power to simply annex it outright.
  • the European powers peeled off its territories in northern Africa and southeast Europe by seizing them directly or by encouraging and supplying local independence movements.
  • the Ottoman government or Sublime Porte had to borrow money from European banks to finance its operations. When it was unable to repay the money it owed to the London and Paris-based banks, they took control of the Ottoman revenue system, seriously infringing on the Porte's sovereignty. Foreign interests also invested heavily in railroad, port, and infrastructure projects, giving them ever more power within the tottering empire. The Ottoman Empire remained self-governing until it fell after World War I, but foreign banks and investors wielded an inordinate amount of power there.
  • Like the Ottoman Empire, Qing China was too large for any single European power to simply grab. Instead, Britain and France got a foothold through trade
  • Both Great Britain and Russia hoped to seize Afghanistan as part of their "Great Game" - a competition for land and influence in Central Asia. However, the Afghans had other ideas; they famously "don't like foreigners with guns in their country,
  • They slaughtered or captured an entire British army
  • , that gave Britain control of Afghanistan's foreign relations,
  • This shielded British India from Russian expansionism while leaving Afghanistan more or less independent.
  • Like Afghanistan, the British and Russians considered Persia an important piece in the Great Game
  • Russia nibbled away at northern Persian territory
  • Britain extended its influence into the eastern Persian Balochistan region
  • Like the Ottomans, the Qajar rulers of Persia had borrowed money from European banks for projects like railroads and other infrastructure improvements, and could not pay back the money.  Britain and Russia agreed without consulting the Persian government that they would split the revenues from Persian customs, fisheries, and other industries to amortize the debts. Persia never became a formal colony, but it temporarily lost control of its revenue stream and much of its territory - a source of bitterness to this
  • Nepal, Bhutan, Korea, Mongolia, and the Middle Eastern protectorates:
  • Nepal lost about one-third of its territory to the British East India Company's
  • However, the Gurkhas fought so well and the land was so rugged that the British decided to leave Nepal alone as a buffer state for British India. The British also began to recruit Gurkhas for their colonial army.
  • Bhutan, another Himalayan kingdom, also faced invasion by the British East India Company but managed to retain its sovereignty.
  • they relinquished the land in return for a tribute of five horses and the right to harvest timber on Bhutanese soil. Bhutan and Britain regularly squabbled over their borders until 1947, when the British pulled out of India, but Bhutan's sovereignty was never seriously threatened.
  • g-dragon on 24 Oct 17
     
    A list of Asian nations that the Europeans were unable to colonize and why. This shows us the strengh that Europe gained and had especially during the expansion era. We also see how the Ottoman Empire fell and patterns with other nations.
malonema1

Nicaragua facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Nicaragua - 0 views

www.encyclopedia.com/...nicaragua

nicaragua environment facts

shared by malonema1 on 02 Nov 16 - No Cached
  • The nation lost an average of 3% of its forest and woodland each year between 1990 and 2000
  • As of 2002, 93% of Nicaragua's city dwellers and 65% of its rural population have access to improved water sources
  • Dumping of sewage and chemical wastes has made Lake Managua unsuitable for swimming, fishing, or drinking. Primary responsibility for resource conservation is vested in the Nicaraguan Institute of Natural Resources and Environment (Instituto Nicaragüense de Recursos Naturales y del Ambiente—IRENA), established in October 1979
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Nicaragua's economy is predominantly agricultural. Arable land amounted to 2,161,000 hectares (5,340,000 acres), or about 17.8% of the total land area
  • malonema1 on 02 Nov 16
     
    This is a website that has facts about various topics in Nicaragua. The ones I highlighted focus mainly on the Environment and Agriculture
nick_gauthier

OAS: Save Human Rights Body | Human Rights Watch - 0 views

www.hrw.org/...oas-save-human-rights-body

human rights human IACHR OAS economy diplomacy politics

shared by nick_gauthier on 05 Nov 16 - No Cached
  • Member countries of the Organization of American
  • Member countries of the Organization of American
  • Member countries of the Organization of American
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • Member countries of the Organization of American
  • States (OAS) should promptly ensure that the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights receives enough financial support to fulfill its mandate, Human Rights Watch said today. The commission, a key defender of human rights in the Americas, faces a financial crisis that threatens justice and protection to victims of abuses across the continent.
  • If OAS member countries don’t address this financial crisis, it will cast serious doubts on their commitment to human rights, and raise suspicions that they want to do away with the commission’s scrutiny.”
  • Such standards relate, amongst others, to the incompatibility of amnesties for serious human rights violations with human rights law, the scope of criminal military jurisdiction, access to public information, the rights of LGBT people, and gender-based violence.
  • OAS member states fail to promptly address this financial crisis, the risks for activists, human rights defenders, and others are likely to increase, Human Rights Watch said.
  • dozens of human rights organizations bring complaints of abuses before the commission and have the opportunity to call government authorities to account on their rights record in what is the most important human rights forum in the Americas
  • However, the OAS has yet to live up to its commitment and the commission continues to rely on voluntary donations, which account for around half of its budget. Such donations – especially from non-OAS member states – steeply decreased in 2015 and 2016, fostering this financial crisis.
  • nick_gauthier on 05 Nov 16
     
    This article is a plea for money to fund the IACHR which relies 50% on volunteers and donations, when in fact it needs money from OAS member states and the OAS to fully support itself and advocate sufficiently for Human Rights.
Javier E

US Relations with Saint Kitts and Nevis - 0 views

www.state.gov/...2341.htm

caribbean US relations

shared by Javier E on 23 May 14 - No Cached
  • Javier E on 23 May 14
     
    State Dept fact sheet
oliviaodon

IDB - Nicaragua improves respond to natural disasters - 0 views

www.iadb.org/...o-natural-disasters,10676.html

nicaragua natural disasters

shared by oliviaodon on 23 Oct 16 - No Cached
  • Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $186 million contingent loan to help Nicaragua mitigate the impact that severe or catastrophic natural disasters could have on its public finances.
  • country is highly exposed to meteorological and geophysical threats such as earthquakes, floods, tropical storms, and volcanic eruptions. In fact, Nicaragua is the second most vulnerable country in the world to hurricanes and tropical storms, and ranks thirtieth in the world in its vulnerability to earthquakes.
  • This operation will help Nicaragua not only improve its financial planning but also promote the development of effective mechanisms for the comprehensive management of natural disaster risks through the Comprehensive Natural Disaster Risk Management Program (CNDRMP) required to access the proceeds of this loan. The CNDRMP promotes improvements in the identification, reduction, and financial management of risks, as well as in disaster management.
bennetttony

Nicaragua president's running mate: his wife | Albuquerque Journal - 1 views

www.abqjournal.com/...nts-running-mate-his-wife.html

nicaragua politics president wife

shared by bennetttony on 04 Nov 16 - No Cached
  • “That woman is the one who rules in the country. She is powerful,” said fruit vendor Roberto Mayorga. “If ‘the man’ dies, she’ll be there. She has been his shadow. There is nobody who can keep her from being next.”
  • She is said to run Cabinet meetings and many Nicaraguans credit her for social programs that have helped keep the ruling Sandinista party’s popularity ratings high.
  • And she’s equally reviled by government opponents, who see her presence on the ticket as another step in the 70-year-old Ortega’s push to maintain the couple’s grip on power in a country with a long and uncomfortable history of dynastic families.
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  • “The Ortegas really seem to be intent on increasing the family’s control over much of Nicaraguan political, social and economic life …” he added. “And so this would be a way to really guarantee that sho
  • Critics accuse Ortega of blatantly rigging the system despite the fact he would likely win anyway.
  • “And mafia-style, he picks his wife to give her the kind of institutional power that she already had de-facto.”
  • bennetttony on 04 Nov 16
     
    This article shows how one of the candidates in the the presidential election in Nicaragua has his wife as a running mate so that they get what they want in the government.
runlai_jiang

Colombia's Santos wins Nobel Peace Prize in boost for troubled talks | Antigua Observer... - 0 views

antiguaobserver.com/ze-in-boost-for-troubled-talks

colombia santos peace prize

shared by runlai_jiang on 04 Nov 16 - No Cached
  • Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his efforts to end a 52-year-old war with Marxist guerrillas, a surprise choice and a show of support days after voters rejected a peace deal he signed with the rebels.
  • Santos has promised to revive the plan even though Colombians narrowly rejected it in a referendum on Sunday.
  • The fact that a majority of the voters said ‘No’ to the peace accord does not necessarily mean that the peace process is dead.”
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  • his makes it even more important that the parties … continue to respect the ceasefire
  • More than 220,000 people have died on the battlefield or in massacres during the conflict between leftist guerrillas, government troops and right-wing paramilitaries.
  • Santos has used his two terms in office to open negotiations with rebel leaders in four years of talks.
  • The peace accord was indeed a major achievement and, although the referendum was a setback,
  • hopefully this award will help peace builders maintain the momentum needed to keep the process moving forward,” Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Director Dan Smith said in a statement.
  • runlai_jiang on 04 Nov 16
     
    Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. He accord the rebelling guerrilla to ceasefire. Although the majority of voters said no in the referendum, President promised that they would continue the peace process. His negotiations to ceasefire helped the peace process in the future decision and also have made sure people's safety. The Nobel Peace Prize adviced us to keep solving the Colombia Peace Process.
g-dragon

Antigua and Barbuda Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Anti... - 3 views

www.encyclopedia.com/...Antigua_and_Barbuda.aspx

shared by g-dragon on 12 Jun 16 - No Cached
    • g-dragon
      g-dragon on 12 Jun 16
       
      Antigua's little existing water supply left is threatened by pollution from liquor manufactures, food processing facilities and other industrial facilities. One reason why the water escapes so quickly is because of all the soil erosion from deforestation and agricultural development. This has also causes threat to two bird species, five reptile species, eleven fish species, and four plant species. Not only is the water crisis hurting the natives, but also the economy. Since Antigua is a tourist country, the lack of water decreased the amount of tourists, which decreased the GDP. -Daniel Lin
Javier E

Latin Lovers' Quarrel - By James Traub | Foreign Policy - 0 views

www.foreignpolicy.com/...latin_lovers_quarrel

latin foreign policy US drugs immigration Cuba diplomacy

shared by Javier E on 21 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • the big news out of Cartagena -- outside of the Secret Service wing of the Hotel Caribe, that is -- was the united front that Latin American countries put up against the United States on several big issues.
  • whether Cuba should be admitted to the next summit, in 2015, which the United States and Canada opposed and all 30 Latin American countries, both left-wing bastions like Ecuador and traditional U.S. allies like Colombia, favored, thus bringing the meeting to an end without a planned joint declaration
  • The idea of an "American camp" in Latin America has been an anachronism for some while, but this became glaringly clear in Cartagena. "We need them more than they need us," as Christopher Sabatini, senior director of policy at the Americas Society, puts it. The United States remains the region's largest trading partner, the source of 40 percent of its foreign investment and 90 percent of its remittances. U.S. foreign aid still props up shaky countries like Colombia and Guatemala. But trade with both China and Europe has grown sharply over the last decade. And both big economies like Brazil and Argentina, and smaller ones like Chile and Peru, have experienced solid growth at a time when the United States has faltered. "Most countries of the region view the United States as less and less relevant to their needs,"
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  • The big issues that divide the United States (and let's not forget, Canada) from its Latin American allies are Cuba, drugs, and immigration. On a trip to Latin America last year, in fact, Obama promised Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes that he would push immigration reform through Congress -- an effort he later abandoned. But for all their recent maturation, Latin American countries are affected by U.S. domestic issues in a way that no other region could be. Latin America therefore suffers from the paralysis of U.S. domestic politics as Europe or Asia does not.
  • even Washington's closest allies in the region have lost patience with U.S. politics
  • This year, Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina, a former general elected as a hard-liner, dramatically reversed course and spoke up in favor of drug legalization. This earned him extraordinary visits from both U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. According to Eduardo Stein, the former vice president of Guatemala, Biden said that the United States was eager to discuss drug reform, just not at the summit, while Napolitano reportedly plainly said, "Don't think of raising the issue at the summit." Pérez then went ahead and called a meeting of regional leaders, who could not agree on an alternative set of policies but decided to raise the issue in Cartagena. Pérez later said that drug policy was the only issue discussed at the summit's final closed-door session.
Javier E

Caribbean Nations to Seek Reparations, Putting Price on Damage of Slavery - NYTimes.com - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...rice-on-damage-of-slavery.html

caribbean slavery reparations suit

shared by Javier E on 22 Oct 13 - No Cached
  • Spurred by a sense of injustice that has lingered for two centuries, the countries plan to compile an inventory of the lasting damage they believe they suffered and then demand an apology and reparations from the former colonial powers of Britain, France and the Netherlands.
  • “Our constant search and struggle for development resources is linked directly to the historical inability of our nations to accumulate wealth from the efforts of our peoples during slavery and colonialism,” said Baldwin Spencer, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, in July this year. Reparations, he said, must be directed toward repairing the damage inflicted by slavery and racism.
  • “What happened in the Caribbean and West Africa was so egregious we feel that bringing a case in the I.C.J. would have a decent chance of success,” Mr. Day said. “The fact that you were subjugating a whole class of people in a massively discriminatory way has no parallel,” he added.
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  • Some Caribbean nations have already begun assessing the lasting damage they suffered, ranging from stunted educational and economic opportunities to dietary and health problems, Mr. Day said.
krystalxu

'But what about the railways ...?' ​​The myth of Britain's gifts to India | W... - 0 views

www.theguardian.com/...in-empire-railways-myths-gifts

history politics diplomacy economy British India

shared by krystalxu on 10 Oct 17 - No Cached
  • the British took what they could for 200 years, but didn’t they also leave behind a great deal of lasting benefit?
  • Indeed, the British like to point out that the very idea of “India” as one entity (now three, but one during the British Raj), instead of multiple warring principalities and statelets, is the incontestable contribution of British imperial rule.
  • The idea of India is as old as the Vedas, the earliest Hindu scriptures, which describe “Bharatvarsha” as the land between the Himalayas and the seas.
  • ...26 more annotations...
  • Indian Muslims, whether Pathans from the north-west or Tamils from the south, were all seen by Arabs as “Hindis”
  • there is little doubt that some Indian ruler, emulating his forerunners, would have done so.
  • the dismantling of existing political institutions, the fomenting of communal division and systematic political discrimination with a view to maintaining British domination.
  • Later, in 1857, the sight of Hindu and Muslim soldiers rebelling together,
  • As early as 1859, the then British governor of Bombay, Lord Elphinstone, advised London that “Divide et impera was the old Roman maxim, and it should be ours”.
  • The effort to understand ethnic, religious, sectarian and caste differences among Britain’s subjects inevitably became an exercise in defining, dividing and perpetuating these differences.
  • entire new communities were created by people who had not consciously thought of themselves as particularly different from others around them.
  • many other kinds of social strife were labelled as religious due to the colonists’ orientalist assumption that religion was the fundamental division in Indian society.
  • the creation and perpetuation of Hindu–Muslim antagonism was the most significant accomplishment of British imperial policy
  • The British ran government, tax collection, and administered what passed for justice.
  • Indians were excluded from all of these functions.
  • As late as 1920, under the Montagu-Chelmsford “reforms”, Indian representatives on the councils – elected by a franchise so restricted and selective that only one in 250 Indians had the right to vote
  • Democracy, in other words, had to be prised from the reluctant grasp of the British by Indian nationalists.
  • British law had to be imposed upon an older and more complex civilisation with its own legal culture
  • only three cases can be found of Englishmen executed for murdering Indians, while the murders of thousands more at British hands went unpunished.
  • In his notorious 1835 Minute on Education, Lord Macaulay articulated the classic reason for teaching English, but only to a small minority of Indians
  • The language was taught to a few to serve as intermediaries between the rulers and the ruled
  • But the facts are even more damning.
  • the third-class compartments, with their wooden benches and total absence of amenities, into which Indians were herded, attracted horrified comment even at the time
  • their Indian mechanics became so adept that in 1878 they started designing and building their own locomotives.
  • today rely extensively on Indian technical expertise, provided to them by Rites, a subsidiary of the Indian Railways.
  • The process of colonial rule in India meant economic exploitation and ruin to millions, the destruction of thriving industries, the systematic denial of opportunities to compete, the elimination of indigenous institutions of governance, the transformation of lifestyles and patterns of living that had flourished since time immemorial, and the obliteration of the most precious possessions of the colonised, their identities and their self-respect.
  • In the 17th and 18th centuries, British shopkeepers tried to pass off shoddy English-made textiles as Indian in order to charge higher prices for them.
  • there is no earthly reason why this could not again have been the case, if its resources had not been drained away by the British.
  • Today Indians cannot live without the railways;
  • As I’ve often argued, you don’t need to seek revenge upon history. History is its own revenge.
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