Confucius Say...

Today we enjoyed a time filled with events relating to the impact of Confucian philosophy.  Professor Peterson led a lecture/discussion on the bus about some basics of Confucianism.  Confucian philosophy focused on making sure there was a moral rightness in five different relationships: king to subjects, parents to child(ren), husband to wife, elders to youngers, and friend to friend.  If these relationships are perfected then harmony can exist within this life.

Our first stop was to Ok San Seo Won, a regional school for learning about the philosophies of Confucius.  After touring the grounds, we all sat inside the learning center of the school for continued discussion on Confucian ideology and education as well as Korean literature styles.  It was noted that the primary career of choice was to be a public official or government bureaucrat/adviser.  Because Korean leaders of the Josen period had so heavily embraced Confucian ideology, having a firm grounding in the teachings of the great philosopher was imperative prior to obtaining such a government related job.  In order to show your worthiness you had to pass a serious of tests.  There were three levels of potential service and each level had three distinct tests which must be passed.  Professor Peterson mentioned that this could be a significant reason for why there is such a strong focus on education and test scores to this day in Korea.

We then ventured to Yangdong Village, a traditional 15th-16th century community.  This village is of the style built and used during the primary era of Confucian political importance.  Following a traditional lunch, served on tables at which you must sit on the floor, we met with the spiritual leader of this community.  The leader's title is Jongson and the current leader is the 17th generation of his family serving in this position....it is passed to the first born son of each successive generation.  The Jongson is responsible for leading his community in the various religious ceremonies related to the traditional practices of Confucianism in this part of Korea.  We sat down in the ceremonial room adjacent to his house for a question and answer period.

17th generation Jongson with his 2nd eldest son

Following our visit with the Jongson we then walked around and visited many places within the village.  Yangdong has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and thus all buildings, including new construction, must be accomplished in the traditional manner.  This was one of those days in which the full sun, strong humidity, and overall heat combined for a day that made many of us so miserable that we probably did not appreciate the visit and experiences and much as we otherwise would have done.

It was a great day learning more about Confucian philosophies and visiting sits associated with such.  Even with the weather, it was still enjoyable to roam the roads of lands remote.

Lectures...Round Two

I'll post professor pictures ASAP

During our second day at Korea University we had lectures/discussions on the following topics: Modern History, Society, Traditional Arts, and (following lunch in the university cafeteria) Cinema.

Modern History: While the session's title was geared to the modern era, it included background information on the legacy Korea's 2000 years of written history.  Nationalistic maps often portray the era of the "Three Kingdoms" as being much larger than they most likely were.  This era of "Three Kingdoms" might better be classified as the first era of a divided Korea (as compared with the current North-South split). The Choson Dynasty was 500 years and there are other examples of dynasties elsewhere in the world.  An interesting discussion focused on the heroes' images placed on currency: in Korea such are dominated by the Confucian scholars rather than key political or military leaders.  It was noted that there were three waves of the era of Japanese occupAtion and only the third (1931-1945, assimilationist era) in which Japanese behavior become deplorable and most Koreans truly developed a strong hatred.  The speaker's analysis contends that Gen. MacArthur is highly responsible for the current North-South split: his telegraphed ideas about an invasion of China during Korean War so as to oust Mao were intercepted and resulted in the Chinese invasion which caused UN/US/Southern forces to lose ground and shift back to armistice line.  A short discussion focused on "dictators" of the south which impacted economic development.

Society: The presentation began with a 21 minute video of the 1980s pro-democracy protest movements in South Korea so as to help contextualize the political society.  The discussion which followed focused on what could be an intriguing dynamic considering such a strong social push for increased democracy; there is a strong conservative perspective with a longing toward the leaders of the 60s-early 80s. Why might this be...not long after the political structural shifts there was some economic turmoil that occurred in the same era as the political liberalization.  The American montra of "it's the ecomomy, stupid" might help put the longing to the era of pseudo-democracy.  In the recent 2012 presidential elections, lower-class (economically frustrated) voters had a 65.7% bend toward the more conservative (era of less democracy and more governmental control of the economy) perspective.  It's little surprise that the daughter of one of the former president-dictators won the election, especially with a campaign making strong overtures to the success of her father's era.

Traditional Arts: A discussion which rapidly covered a progression of time using the various mediums of traditional Korean art.  Slides were shown of items used as examples as the era and medium being discussed.  One especially important aspect of the discussion which grabbed my attention involved the diffusion of culture, religion, and art from China to Korea to Japan: slides were shown of "National Treasure No. 83", a bronze bodhisattva statue made in Korea, connects with the diffusion of Buddhism from China into Korea and then a later, near identical, red pine statue found at a temple in Japan shows the continued diffusion of Buddhism on to Japan and yet in a Japanese traditional art form.  As Confucianism migrated into Korea the styles changed from elaborate to a more non-di script symbol design in white ceramics.

Cinema: Korean cinema has a troubled history often linked with strong censorship during both the era of Japanese occupation as well as the pseudo-democratic dictatorships.  Recent relaxing in censorship and international attention to domestic film festivals have advanced Korean cinema into international perspective.  Korea has 50+ university departments with degrees in film making.  Going to the theaters is big among viewers where as home viewing (DVD or online) is low.  40-60% of tickets purchased are for local films rather than those from other countries.  Many stars get their start on TV and then transition with popularity.  Korean films tend to be less ironic and more emotionally direct than films from other countries.

Learning...and...Teaching

The Learning

This morning our group headed off to Korea University for the first three sessions of our lecture series while here in Seoul.  Various professors from both KU as well as other colleges/universities in Korea and the U.S. are sharing their expertise on a variety of Korean social, political, and economic issues.  Today our lectures where over "Language", "Economy", and "Education" in Korea.

Language: The Korean alphabet, better known as Hangeul, was created in the mid-1400s under the leadership of King Sejung.  The Korean people had been heavily influenced by the Chinese for centuries, and while they spoke a distinct language the Chinese alphabet had been used for the written version of Korean.  Sejung felt that the Chinese characters were too complicated for the common people and wanted something more simple in hopes that they could learn to read.  It is estimated that today there are 79 million speakers of Korean world-wide: 60% in South Korea, 31% in North Korea, and 9% elsewhere (China, Russia, USA, etc.).

David = 데이비드 (pronounced: deibideu)

Oklahoma = 오클라호마 (pronounced: okeullahoma

Professor Mikyung Chang

Economy: A very intriguing discussion regarding South Korea's economic development growth.  In the aftermath of the Korean War South Korea was the poorest country in Southeast Asia (even below North Korea).  Due to multiple five-year plans and lots of regulations from a strong "dictatorial" government the economy rapidly developed.  As of 2012, South Korea joined an economic group which their media calls the "20-50 Club", those countries who have an annual per capita income of $20,000 or more AND a population of at least 50 million people.  There are currently only seven total countries that meet both qualifications: Japan (joined in 1987), USA (1988), France (1990), Italy (1990), Germany (1991), UK (1996), and South Korea (2012).  One interesting point raised was that the government understood that the fertility rate (average number of children born per woman) is linked to economic development and thus a policy was enacted to discourage couples from having more than two children each: any government based economic incentives, like health insurance, was denied to the 3rd or subsequent child.  However, significant concerns developed in the 1990s with the economic advancement combined with declining population growth that there would eventually not be enough workers paying taxes so as to help finance government-based elder care programs (like our Social Security) so now there are cash bonus plus the other benefits if couple will have more than two children--it is too early to tell how much long-term success will come from these programs.

Professor Innwon Park

Education:  Following a brief video created by the Korean Ministry of Education, the discussion noted that Korean education was much of the driving force behind the economic growth.  The government wanted to profit from its human capital so it tried to provide the best quality education possible.  So much in Korean society has been linked with the "best" education that many parents place a large amount of pressure on their students to earn the highest possible grades and national standardized test scores.  So important is this quest for high grades, many families hire tutors for their children's after school hours.  It was "claimed" that the most influential indicator of a couple's marital happiness is(are) the score(s) of their child(ren) on standardized tests.  With her blessing, the discussion ventured away from the presenters pre-planned PowerPoint presentation to a discussion on the importance of educational systems which place so much emphasis on standardized test scores, an issue of concern to many educators and parents within the United States.

Professor Mimi Bong

The Teaching

Following the morning of being "students" and our special lunch meeting at Korea University, we traveled across Seoul to Goyang Foreign Language High School.  As we entered the meeting hall we were welcomed by thunderous applause from the pre-selected student guides for the afternoon.  Word of greeting were given by the school's principal and two student leaders.  GFLHS is a private Christian school in which most of the students live on campus due to the distance from their families' homes.  The nearly 1400 students are involved in school-related studies (classes and co-curricular activities) from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM Monday through Friday and until 1:00 PM on Saturdays (yes, that's 18 hours of school per day!!!).

washing up after PE class

The students then broke up into small groups to accompany pairs of teachers from our team on a campus tour which would concluded at their home room class.  Once at the classrooms we were able to spend about 15 minutes on a lesson we had previously prepared (originally we were told 25 minute lessons...but hey, things change, right?).  I quickly passed out some bookmarks of Sequoya and Clara Luper I had taken as gifts and briefly explained each person's significance in Oklahoma's history.  It was cool to be able to connect Sequoya's Cherokee story with that of King Sejung and the Korean alphabet.

lesson handouts and Sequoya bookmark 

I then passed out the handouts I had made for my lesson/discussion on "Natural Disasters and Community Response".  Due to the time changes, I wasn't able to provide the time for individual writing and small group discussions for which I had planned.  I was able to, however, briefly discuss the recent May 20 tornado in Moore and SW Oklahoma City and show them pictures of the tornado with Southmoore in the foreground as well as before/after pictures of the overall tornado path and Plaza Towers Elementary School.  Students enjoyed the fact that my handouts included pictures of the front pages of two Korean newspapers with headlines/pictures of the tornado event.  I then drew their attention to recent natural disasters in Korea and we briefly discussed how a community might react in the aftermath...one young lady had a great word for it: "help!".

my student guides for the afternoon

We then headed back to the hotel to be dropped off for dinner and running around on our own.  It was great to do some remote road roaming today in the forums of each a student and a teacher.

Community Spirit in Face of Tragedy

As part of my upcoming trip to South Korea I am supposed to prepare a lesson to teach in an English speaking class at a local high school.  The topics of our lessons was left open for each individual U.S. teacher.  Something hit me that perhaps the recent events in the community of my school & students would provide an ideal platform for a lesson.

I began thinking about natural disasters and the way that communities respond and help each other to overcome the disaster.  "Community" can be a very broad term to include just those in the immediate vicinity all the way to interpreting "community" as a common bond of human spirit across the planet.  So that the lesson is relevant to my Korean students I don't want this lesson to solely focus on the F5 tornado which hit Moore, OK on May 20th.  I've already begun researching natural disasters which have impacted the Korean Peninsula over the last decade or so: events which include a few typhoons (we call them hurricanes) and a massive flood in Seoul in 2011.  I hope to work these events into the lesson so as to help my Korean students make local connection with international events; I also hope to refine and replicate this lesson for my students back at Southmoore.

In preparation, I've found these images of front pages from newspapers in the aftermath of the May 20th tornado.  The Newseum, my current favorite museum in Washington, DC, has archived these images on their website.  I'm working on the best way to incorporate them into my lesson.  If you have any constructive ideas to help flush out this lesson please leave them in the comments section below; honestly, your insight is greatly appreciated

Korean Homework: Part Five

"North Korea proposes talks with South." Al Jazeera. 6 June 2013. Web. 7 June 2013. Click Here for Article Link.

Summary:

Official lines of communication between the two Korean governments were shut off in April 2013 following several weeks of behavior by the North which appeared aggressive to the South and the United States.  Now after more than a month of cooling down (and a month of its 50,000 workers from the Kaesong Industrial Zone joint economic venture being out of work) the North is making overtures to resume communication.  Such talks appear to have been scheduled in Seoul for June 12th.  The North has indicated, in addition to a resumption of the joint ventures in Kaesong, that reopening of tours to the Mt. Kumgang resort and resumption of visits between families separated by the divide in the 1950s are topics which are open for discussion.

Response:

When the noise coming from North Korea first began and friends who are aware of my upcoming travels began asking if I was still going and if it would be safe I came to a conclusion that much of the "noise" was posturing on the part of the North or, more specifically, on the part of Kim Jong-Un.  Some of my reading from the book which I've been summarizing in other postings here tend to reinforce this thought.  I am encouraged by the upcoming talks and the fact that the noise had died down several weeks ago.  I am excited about my upcoming trip!!  It would be awesome to get a chance to see the Kaesong zone and even the Mt. Kumgang resort area but I'm sure those are not widely open for tours by non-Koreans.  As of now the trip into the DMZ is still a go.

Korean Homework: Part Four

Pereltsvaig, Asya.  "The Deportation of Soviet Koreans and Its Reverberation in the Lyrics of Korean Songwriters."  GeoCurrents.  29 May 2013.  Web.  3 June 2013.  Click Here for Article Link.
(a special "thanks" to Robin Manning, a personal friend and a fellow on my upcoming Korea trip, who shared this article in our traveling team's Facebook group)

Summary:
By the outbreak of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, approximately 85,000 Koreans were already living in eastern Russia.  Such immigration had been encouraged so as to help populate and develop this region; an encouragement initially continued by the new Soviet regime.  The thriving Korean community submitted an application for an autonomous region, similar to what had recently been granted to a Jewish community, but were denied.  Due to suspicions of disloyalty, the Soviets created a plan to relocate this Korean population; by 1937 100,000 had been deported to Kazakhstan and another 74,000 were deported to Uzbekistan.  With no food/shelter provided, thousands died in the extremely cold weather in the first three years of relocation.  During World War II, arguing that they were really Japanese spies, many Koreans were forced into hard labor in mines and factories.  Additionally, all forms of traditional Korean cultural, linguistic, and religious expression were forbidden.  In the 1950s, Nikita Khrushchev allowed the Koreans to migrate at will within the Soviet Union. While many remained in central Asia, most migrated to urban areas; more than 80% of ethnic Koreans in Russia today live in cities.  During this new policy of openness Koreans once again began to economically and culturally thrive.  While most of the decedents of the initial Korean deportees are assimilated into Russia culture, there is still a strong resentment to the Soviet policies.

Today, two of the most well-known Russian Koreans are musicians who have made a name for themselves as the anti-establishment voices of their respective generations.

Yulyi Kim, his father was executed in 1937 as "an enemy of the people".

The judge at one with the prosecutor

Don't give a damn about detailed analysis,

All they need is to cover by talking

Their ready-made conviction.

Viktor Tsoi, paternal grandparents were original deportees

Changes! -- our hearts demand.

Changes! -- our eyes demand.

In our laughter and in our tears,

And in the pulsation of our veins:

"Changes!  We wait for changes!"

Response:
Much of this deportation story makes me reflect upon a part of the larger American story, especially it's specific connection to the story of my home state of Oklahoma: Indian Removal.  While the title "Trail of Tears" originated in the experience of the Cherokee Nation's forced removal to Indian Territory it is often used as the identifier of the larger story of relocation for all of the Southeastern tribes and is closely connection to the post-Civil War relocation of numerous other tribes, especially those of the Great Plains.  Even with almost two centuries having passed since this initial round of forced relation, the pain and bitterness which is felt by decedents is just as strong as the that which is expressed by the two decedents noted here of the Korean relocation in the Soviet Union.

For me and the focus of "Global Education" which I place in my classroom, I see this story as another way to make historic and cultural connections between the stories of the "here" and the "there".  While there are so many differences between the peoples of this great planet there are also a whole host of connections which truly link us into a more significant sense of community and unity than we often wish to admit.

When I think of "Agriculture"...

Today, my AP Human Geography began our unit on Agriculture and Rural Use of Land.  To help "inspire" them to begin thinking about that which is connected to agriculture, I showed a couple of music videos from the employees of Peterson Farm and Livestock in Assaria, Kansas.  These videos parody songs from pop culture and yet give a very pro-agriculture message.

"I'm Farming and I Grow It" (parody of "I'm Sexy and I Know It")

"Farming Style" (parody of "Gangnam Style")

We followed this up with each student responding, via polleverywhere.com, to the prompt "When I think of "agriculture", I think of ...".  Students were asked to respond with a minimum number of terms or phrases.  Here is a word cloud (generated at wordle.net) of their responses.

I know that most of my students' responses link to stereotypes based on where they live (country and region in country).  As we study this unit, a remote road for most of my suburban kids, I hope that they are able to understand how agriculture encompasses so much more than the farms of "middle America".  This could be fun!

Indonesia: Urban Geography

Indonesia

An Urban Geography Profile

• Largest City: Jakarta
• Rank Size Rule Population Estimate: 9,751,937
• Actual Population: 9,751,937
• 2nd Largest City: Surabaya
• Rank Size Rule Population Estimate: 4,875,969
• Actual Population: 2,814,867
• 3rd Largest City: Bekasi
• Rank Size Rule Population Estimate: 3,250,646
• Actual Population: 2,581,539
• 4th Largest City: Bandung
• Rank Size Rule Population Estimate: 2,437,984
• Actual Population: 2,488,390
• 5th Largest City: Medan
• Rank Size Rule Population Estimate: 1,950,387
• Actual Population: 2,162,805

To what extent is the Rank Size Rule shown to be valid or invalid based upon the population information for your country?

The Rank Size Rule suggests that the 2nd largest city in a country will be about half the size of the population of the country's largest city, the 3rd largest city will be about 1/3 the size of the largest city, so on and so forth such that the N largest city would be 1/N the size of the largest city's population.  The actual populations for Indonesia's 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th largest cities are much closer together than they should be according to the estimates of the Rank Size Rule.  There is little, if any evidence, would could be used to support a claim that the Rank Size Rule is valid for Indonesia. Jakarta's situation is better defined as a primate city due to being disproportionately larger than other cities (proportion as suggested by the Rank Size Rule).

Population: 238,181,000

Population Density: 125 people per sq km

% Urban Population: 43%

% Urban Population Living in Slums: 26%

Average Annual % Change in Urban Population: 3.3%

% with Improved Urban Sanitation: 67%

% with Improved Urban Water Supply: 89%

Information from World Gazetteer and the Population Reference Bureau

Honduras: Urban Geography

Honduras

An Urban Geography Profile

• Largest City: Tegucigalpa
• Rank Size Rule Population Estimate: 1,135,309
• Actual Population: 1,135,309
• 2nd Largest City: San Pedro Sula
• Rank Size Rule Population Estimate: 567,655
• Actual Population: 687,018
• 3rd Largest City: Choloma
• Rank Size Rule Population Estimate: 378,436
• Actual Population: 260,439
• 4th Largest City: La Ceiba
• Rank Size Rule Population Estimate: 283,827
• Actual Population: 189,078
• 5th Largest City: El Progreso
• Rank Size Rule Population Estimate: 227,062
• Actual Population: 141,007

To what extent is the Rank Size Rule shown to be valid or invalid based upon the population information for your country?

The Rank Size Rule suggests that the 2nd largest city in a country will be about half the size of the population of the country's largest city, the 3rd largest city will be about 1/3 the size of the largest city, so on and so forth such that the N largest city would be 1/N the size of the largest city's population.  While the Rank Size estimates for San Pedro Sula, Choloma, La Ceiba, and El Progreso do not match up exactly with the actual populations of each city, there is some validity to the use of the Rank Size Rule in estimating the population of Honduras' cities.  Despite the populations not fitting exactly, one can see a general decline in the population ratios of each city as compared to Tegucigalpa which resemble the trend suggested by the Rank Size Rule.

Population: 7,754,700

Population Density: 69 people per sq km

% Urban Population: 52%

% Urban Population Living in Slums: 35%

Average Annual % Change in Urban Population: 2.9%

% with Improved Urban Sanitation: 80%

% with Improved Urban Water Supply: 95%

Information from World Gazetteer and the Population Reference Bureau

Honduras: Development & Industry

Honduras:

A Development & Industry Profile

Population: 7,754,700

CO2 Emissions per Capita: 1.0 metric tons

% Women as Non-Farm Wage Earners: 34%

Human Development Index: 0.667

# of TVs per Capita: 0.074

# of Physicians per 1000 people: 0.57

Medical Spending per Capita (in US$): $107.33

Education Spending (% of GDP): N/A

Pupil-Teacher Ratio (Secondary Level): N/A

% of GDP as Industry: 26.3%

Total Labor Force: 3.461 million

% of Labor Force in Industry: 20.9%

Unemployment Rate: 4.8%

Public Debt (% of GDP): 29.6%

Inflation Rate: 7%

Industries:

sugar, coffee, woven and knit apparel, wood products, cigars

Electricity Production: 6.58 billion kWh

Electricity Consumption: 6.54 billion kWh

Oil Production: 0 bbl/day

Oil Consumption: 51,000 bbl/day

Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m

Natural Gas Consumption: 0 billion cu m

Value of Exports: $6.839 billion

Export Partners and %:

U.S. (65%), El Salvador (4.4%), Germany (4%)

Value of Imports: $10.04 billion

Import Partners and %:

U.S. (50.7%), Guatemala (8.2%), Mexico (5.3%), El Salvador (4.8%)

# of Internet Hosts: 27,074

# of Internet Users: 731,700

# of Airports (total): 104

# of Airports with Paved Runways: 13

# of km of Roadways (total): 14,239 km

# of km of Paved Roadways: 3,159 km

# of km of Waterways: 465 km

Location of Ports & Terminals:

La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela

Information from Population Reference Bureau, NationMaster.com, and the CIA's Worldfact Book.

Indonesia: Development & Industry

Indonesia:

A Development & Industry Profile

Population: 238,181,000

CO2 Emissions per Capita: 1.5 metric tons

% Women as Non-Farm Wage Earners: 32%

Human Development Index: 0.697

# of TVs per Capita: 0.058

# of Physicians per 1000 people: 0.13

Medical Spending per Capita (in US$): $41.77

Education Spending (% of GDP): 1.2%

Pupil-Teacher Ratio (Secondary Level): N/A

% of GDP as Industry: 47.2%

Total Labor Force: 117.4 million

% of Labor Force in Industry: 12.8%

Unemployment Rate: 6.6%

Public Debt (% of GDP): 24.5%

Inflation Rate: 5.7%

Industries:

petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, footwear, mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, food, tourism

Electricity Production: 141.2 billion kWh

Electricity Consumption: 126.1 billion kWh

Oil Production: 1.03 million bbl/day

Oil Consumption: 1.292 million bbl/day

Natural Gas Production: 82.8 billion cu m

Natural Gas Consumption: 40.47 billion cu m

Value of Exports: $208.9 billion

Export Partners and %:

Japan (16.3%), China (10%), U.S. (9.1%), Singapore (8.7%), South Korea (8%), India (6.3%), Malaysia (5.9%)

Value of Imports: $172.1 billion

Import Partners and %:

China (15.1%), Singapore (14.9%), Japan (12.5%), U.S. (6.9%), Malaysia (6.4%), South Korea (5.7%), Thailand (5.5%)

# of Internet Hosts: 1.342 million

# of Internet Users: 20 million

# of Airports (total): 676

# of Airports with Paved Runways: 185

# of km of Roadways (total): 437,759 km

# of km of Paved Roadways: 258,744 km

# of km of Waterways: 21,579 km

Location of Ports & Terminals:

Banjarmasin, Belawan, Kotabaru, Krueg Geukueh, Palembang, Panjang, Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok

Information from Population Reference Bureau, NationMaster.com, and the CIA's Worldfact Book.

Indonesia: Agricultural Profile

Indonesia:

An Agricultural Profile

Total Area: 1,904,569 sq km

Land Area: 1,811,569 sq km

Water Area: 93,000 sq km

Climate:

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain:

mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains

Arable Land Use: 11.03%

Permanent Crop Use: 7.04%

Irrigated Land: 67,220 sq km

Total Renewable Water Resources: 2,838 cu km

Total Freshwater Withdrawal: 82.78 cu km per year

Per Person Freshwater Withdrawal: 372 cu m per year

Natural Hazards:

occasional floods; severe droughts; tsunamis; earthquakes; volcanoes; forest fires

Current Environmental Issues:

deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires

Total Labor Force: 117.5 million

% Agricultural Labor Force: 38.3%

Agricultural Products:

rice, cassava (manioc), peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, copra; poultry, beef, pork, eggs

Information from CIA's World Factbook

Honduras: Agricultural Profile

Honduras:

An Agricultural Profile

Total Area:112,090 sq km

Land Area: 111,890 sq km

Water Area: 200 sq km

Climate:

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Terrain:

mostly mounains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Arable Land Use: 9.53%

Permanent Crop Use: 3.21%

Irrigated Land: 800 sq km

Total Renewable Water Resources: 95.9 cu km

Total Freshwater Withdrawal: 0.86 cu km per year

Per Person Freshwater Withdrawal: 119 cu m per year

Natural Hazards:

frequent, but generally mild earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast

Current Environmental Issues:

urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and the cleaning of land for agricultural purposes; further land degradation and soil erosion hastend by uncontrolled development and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest source of fresh water), as well as several rivers and streams, with heavy metals

Total Labor Force: 3.461 million

% Agricultural Labor Force: 39.2%

Agricultural Products:

bananas, coffee, citrus, corn, African palm, beef, timber, shrimp, tilapia, lobster

Information from CIA's World Factbook

Honduras: Political Profile

Honduras:

A Political Profile

Country's Name: Republic of Honduras

Capital City: Tegucigalpa

Type of Government: democratic constitutional republic

Independence Date: September 15, 1821 (from Spain)

Chief of State (public face): President Porfirio Lobo Sosa

Head of State (actual leader): President Porfirio Lobo Sosa

Description of Executive Powers:

President (who serves as both Chief of State and Head of State) and Vice President are elected by popular vote for a four-year term; the last election was held on November 29, 2009 with the next to be held in November 2013. Additionally, the President appoints a Cabinet.

Description of Legislative Powers:

A unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) with 128 seats; members are elected proportionally by the various departments to serve a four-year term.  The last elections were held on November 29, 2009 with the next to be held in November 2013.

Description of Judicial Powers:

The Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia) has 15 judges which are elected for seven-year terms by the National Congress.

Suffrage (voting rights): 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Their Ambassador to U.S.: Jorge Ramon Hernandez Alcerro

Location of Embassy in U.S.: Washington, DC

Location of Consulates in U.S.: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans New York, Phoenix, and San Francisco (honorary in Jacksonville)

U.S. Ambassador to Them: Lisa J. Kubiske

Location of U.S. Embassy There: Tegucigalpa

Location of U.S. Consulates There: none

Representative to the UN: Mary Elizabeth Flores Flake

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white (middle), and blue (bottom), with five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an "X" pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua); the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea; the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water and the peace and prosperity of its people

Information from CIA's World Factbook and CIA's World Leaders

Indonesia: Political Profile

Indonesia:

A Political Profile

Country's Name: Republic of Indonesia

Capital City: Jakarta

Type of Government: republic

Independence Date: August 17, 1945 (from the Netherlands)

Chief of State (public face): President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Head of State (actual leader): President Susilo Bambung Yudhoyono

Description of Executive Powers:

President (who serves as both Chief of State and Head of State) and Vice President are elected for five-year terms (eligible for a second term) by direct vote of the citizenry; the last election was held on July 8, 2009 with the next to be held in 2014.  Additionally, the President appoints a Cabinet.

Description of Legislative Powers:

The People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) is the upper house; it consists of members of the DPR and DPD and has a role in inaugurating and impeaching the President and in amending the constitution but does not formulate national policy.  The House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat or DPR) has 560 seats and its members are elected to serve five-year terms.  The DPR formulates and passes legislation at the national level.  The House of Regional Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD) has the constitutionally mandated role of providing legislative input to the DPR on issues affecting the country's various regions (132 members, four from each of Indonesia's 30 provinces, two special regions, and one special capital city district).  The last elections were held on April 9, 2009 with the next to be held in 2014.

Description of Judicial Powers:

The Supreme Court (Mahkamah Agung) is the final court of appeal but does not have the power of judicial review.  Justices are appointed by the President from a list of candidates selected by the legislature.  In March of 2004 the Supreme Court assumed administrative and financial responsibility for the lower court system from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.  The Constitutional Court (Mahkamah Konstitusi) has the power of judicial review, has jurisdiction over the results of the general elections, and reviews actions to dismiss a President from office.

Suffrage (voting rights): 17 years of age; universal

all married persons regardless of age

Their Ambassador to U.S.: Dino Patti Djalal

Location of Embassy in U.S.: Washington, DC

Location of Consulates in U.S.: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco

U.S. Ambassador to Them: Scot A. Marciel

Location of U.S. Embassy There: Jakarta

Location of U.S. Consulates There: Surabaya, with presence in Medan and Bali

Representative to the UN: Desra Percaya

two equal horizontal band of red (top) and white (bottom); the colors derive from the banner of the Majapahit Empire of the 13th-15th centuries; red symbolizes courage and white represents purity

Information from CIA's World Factbook and CIA's World Leaders

Indonesia: Culture Profile

Indonesia:

A Cultural Profile

Nationality:

Indonesian

Ethnic Groups:

Languages:

Bahasa Indonesia (official; a modified form of Malay), English, Dutch,

and local dialects (of which the most widely spoken is Javanese)

Religions:

Information from CIA's World Factbook

Honduras: Culture Profile

Honduras:

A Cultural Profile

Nationality: Honduran

Ethnic Groups:

Languages:

Spanish (official) with Amerindian dialects

Religions:

Information from CIA's World Factbook