Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Attitudes to the First World War in Poetry :: Poetry World War Poems Poets Essays

The Attitudes to the First World War in Poetry Compare and contrast the attitudes to the First World War in the poetry you have read. Focus in detail on four poems, two of which should be by the same author. When the war started the general feeling of the English was that the war was great and would be over before Christmas. This is evident in much of the early war poetry. As the war progressed, however, people began to feel disillusioned and eventually had an overwhelming feeling of futility in that so many lives were wasted for such little gain. The people back home were left feeling bitter as they gained knowledge about the suffering these young men had endured. The poetry I am going to analyse ‘The Soldier’ by Rupert Brooke, ‘Cricket’ by Jessie Pope, ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ and ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ by Wilfred Owen reflects these changing views. Rupert Brooke was born in 1887. He joined the Navy at the start of the war, but died in 1915 whilst going to take part in the Dardenelles campaign. In 1914, Brooke composed his poem ‘The Soldier’ which is the fifth poem in a collection of five which displays the glory of war. As he saw little action in the Great War, Rupert Brooke was unaware of the terrible conditions in the trenches. This was because he never fought on the battlefields and due to this Brooke holds a much more glorified view of war. Brooke describes his death in ‘The Soldier’. He talks about how he is not scared of dying; describing the way in which he will rest in peace â€Å"under an English heaven.† Rupert Brooke sees England as idyllic and tranquil and talks about his love for his motherland. Brooke feels by fighting for England he is giving something back. Brooke uses many language techniques to portray his feelings. He uses repetition of the word â€Å"England† to show his patriotism. He refers to the English country as a female; â€Å"Gave once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam† This makes highly effective use of personification. It shows Brooke's romantic view towards his country, making the reader feel proud for his country as well. Religious overtones such as â€Å"evil shed away†, â€Å"eternal mind†, â€Å"blessed† and â€Å"English heaven† are used throughout ‘The Soldier’ to show purity and to portray the typical views of a Christian country. To make the poem calm and poetic, Brooke uses natural imagery such as â€Å"air†, â€Å"river† and â€Å"flowers†. The effects of these words make the reader feel happy and calm. Sibilance is used with; â€Å"Sights and sound†. This soft sounding alliteration slows the pace which makes the The Attitudes to the First World War in Poetry :: Poetry World War Poems Poets Essays The Attitudes to the First World War in Poetry Compare and contrast the attitudes to the First World War in the poetry you have read. Focus in detail on four poems, two of which should be by the same author. When the war started the general feeling of the English was that the war was great and would be over before Christmas. This is evident in much of the early war poetry. As the war progressed, however, people began to feel disillusioned and eventually had an overwhelming feeling of futility in that so many lives were wasted for such little gain. The people back home were left feeling bitter as they gained knowledge about the suffering these young men had endured. The poetry I am going to analyse ‘The Soldier’ by Rupert Brooke, ‘Cricket’ by Jessie Pope, ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ and ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ by Wilfred Owen reflects these changing views. Rupert Brooke was born in 1887. He joined the Navy at the start of the war, but died in 1915 whilst going to take part in the Dardenelles campaign. In 1914, Brooke composed his poem ‘The Soldier’ which is the fifth poem in a collection of five which displays the glory of war. As he saw little action in the Great War, Rupert Brooke was unaware of the terrible conditions in the trenches. This was because he never fought on the battlefields and due to this Brooke holds a much more glorified view of war. Brooke describes his death in ‘The Soldier’. He talks about how he is not scared of dying; describing the way in which he will rest in peace â€Å"under an English heaven.† Rupert Brooke sees England as idyllic and tranquil and talks about his love for his motherland. Brooke feels by fighting for England he is giving something back. Brooke uses many language techniques to portray his feelings. He uses repetition of the word â€Å"England† to show his patriotism. He refers to the English country as a female; â€Å"Gave once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam† This makes highly effective use of personification. It shows Brooke's romantic view towards his country, making the reader feel proud for his country as well. Religious overtones such as â€Å"evil shed away†, â€Å"eternal mind†, â€Å"blessed† and â€Å"English heaven† are used throughout ‘The Soldier’ to show purity and to portray the typical views of a Christian country. To make the poem calm and poetic, Brooke uses natural imagery such as â€Å"air†, â€Å"river† and â€Å"flowers†. The effects of these words make the reader feel happy and calm. Sibilance is used with; â€Å"Sights and sound†. This soft sounding alliteration slows the pace which makes the

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Love and Hate in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet :: Free Romeo and Juliet Essays

'Romeo and Juliet' is a play written by William Shakespeare. A prologue is included at the start of the play, which portrays the tragedy between 'star-cross'd lovers'. Elizabethans believed that their fate is in the stars and the prologue increases the anticipation as it shows the way they are destined. Shakespeare has also included devices to dramatise the themes of love and hate throughout the play. In Elizabethan times the audience were involved in the ongoing play. Shakespeare involves the audience in scenes such as the ballroom scene (Act 1, Scene 5.) In Act 1, Scene 5 Romeo enters an enemy?s ball where he and Juliet fall in love for the first time, which angers Tybalt. At the end of Act 1, Scene 4 the mood is foreboding as Romeo believes that things could go wrong at the ball which he was to intrude on. He shows his fear by saying: ?I fear to early, for my mind misgive some consequences yet hanging in the stars? Romeo shows his fear by saying ?fear too early?. This suggests that he believes something there was something not right which made him highly anxious. There is a use of dramatic irony as the audience already know that there was to be problems because of the prologue, which makes keeps the interest from the audience. Elizabethans believed that their fate and destiny is written in the stars. The phrase ?hanging in the stars? which Romeo commented to himself, implies his destiny is in the stars, and it also suggests that because it is in the stars then the Elizabethan audience know definitely that here are going to be ?consequences?. In the beginning of Act, Scene 5 the mood changes from worrying to joyful, as the guests begin to enter the ball which is held by Capulet who is welcoming them. The mood is uplifting because the party is ready to start. The joyful mood is shown when Capulet says: ?Welcome, Gentlemen! Ladies that have toes Unplagu?d with corns will walk a bout with you.? The mood has changed quite drastically from the end of Act 1, Scene 4 to Act 1, Scene 5. This is show by when Capulet is welcoming people to the ball, ?Welcome, Gentlemen!? His excitement showed through the exclamation mark, which suggests that Capulet is full of energy which would lift the spirits of anyone who was to enter. The quotation creates the image of people bustling in, smiling and ready for the party.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

M&M History

How many of you like M&M’s? I’m sure a lot of you do, but do you know how they were introduced to us? Well, let me tell you. Forrest Mars came up with the idea of creating the now famous M&M’s. Mars saw soldiers eating pieces of chocolate covered with a hard sugary coating. The coating preventing the candy from melting in the hot sun. In 1940, he made his first, independent move into the candy business in the United States.Somewhere in his travels, Mars had come across a candy that was essentially tiny chocolate pellets surrounded by a sugar shell. He may have seen soldiers eating them during the Spanish civil war; no one seems to know for sure. What is known is that in 1940, Mars concocted his own version of candy-coated chocolate drops and took them to the Hershey Corporation. There he proposed an 80-20 partnership to Bruce Murrie, the son of Hershey executive William Murrie, where Bruce would be the 20-percent partner.At the time, World War II was developing, and chocolate would be rationed during this period. The Hershey Corporation, however, already had a deal to provide chocolate for the troops. Bruce Murrie helped create this candy. M&M’s got their name of the abbreviation of their inventors Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie. In 1941, the first M&M’s were introduced to American GIs serving in WWII. The first wrapper that they came out in was a cardboard tube and in 1948 it became the brown bag we now know.In 1950, the first â€Å"m† was imprinted in black, now giving them a trademark. In 1954, chocolate peanut M&M’s are introduced and also the black m on the candies was changed to white. They get their own logo â€Å"melts in your mouth, not hands† and animated characters made a television debut. Throughout time more and more different types of M&M’s came out like the peanut butter, pretzel, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, dark chocolate peanut, coconut, mint chocolate, almonds, wild cherry, amon g other special lines he brought out.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Marketing Mix for Beats by Dr. Dre Essay

MARKETING MIX A. PRODUCT – Dr. Dre Beats is a company that creates high-end quality headphones. It’s products allow listeners a full music experience with the capability of producing the songs as played from professional recording studios. Their target market is: Teens the youth with allowances to spend on the latest gadgets. The Generation Y, the people under this category are those who are all about what’s new, trendy, and value brand names. Tag-line : â€Å"People aren’t hearing all the music† – Dr. Dre – Products are: Headphones Earphones Speakers – Special Products founded in: HTC Phones ( It’s Built-in audio system; Dr. Beats Earphones) HP Laptops ( Audio of PCs and Monitors) Chrysler Cars (Car audio system) -Competitors: Jay-Z in partnership with Skull Candy for RocNation’s Aviator headphones. Ludacris in partnership with Signeo for Soul by Ludacris 50cent in partnership with SMS for SYNC/ SMA Audio 50 B. PRICE – Products ranges from $199 – $699. – It’s top-end pricing are determined from the quality materials used for the finishing product accompanied by a refined packaging. – Beats used a  similar price strategy of APPLE’S with’price skimming’ wherein they set the price of the product high upon entering the market before competitors show up. C. PLACE – They manufacture their products -> send to officially selected distributors per State/Country -> send to official retailers of State/Country. 12 Verified retailers of Dr. Dre Beats in Philippines: Abenson Ambassador Astroplus Automatic Center Cebu Circuit City Digital Hub Gadgets in Style PowerMac Center Saver’s Digital Hub Appliance Depot SM Appliance, Inc. Switch – Products can also be bought from Dr. Dre Beat’s official web-site and web-sites of official retailers. D. PROMOTION – Beats by Dr. Dre has proved their effective promotion by: advertisements in commercials, music videos, and the world wide web media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.) endorsements from popular celebrities, iconic musicians, and even athletes. – From their successful promotions Beats are branded not just as quality headphones but also as fashion accessories. E. PEOPLE – The founders: Dr. Dre – renowned modern music artist. Jimmy Lovine- famous producer of artists. Luke Wood- known as a musician, producer, and songwriter. – People behind: Monster Cable Sound Technology- audio company who are known for producing quality but overpriced HDMI cables. Robert Brunner – former design executive for Apple. F. PROCESS What can be found in Beats by Dr. Dre’s official web-site: Customer service/ Contact details. Product Manuals. Safe Buying Guide (to avoid buying of fraud products). Authorized Retailers (to find stores that legally sell legit products). All About the Company and the People behind it. All available products. Policies: Private and Return Policies. Sources: http://ph.beatsbydre.com/support/authorized-retailers,en_PH,pg.html http://business.time.com/2013/01/16/how-dr-dre-made-300-headphones-a-must-have-accessory/ http://ph.beatsbydre.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-beats-Intl-Site/en_PH/Default-Start http://monstercable2011.blogspot.com/

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Marketing Plan Soft Drink Company 1st Half Essay

The following plan is intended to provide a basic marketing communications plan for a fictitious company. The company in question operates in China and produces soft drinks, particularly adult soft drinks. The information in the plan has been sourced from various textbooks and online research including the National Bureau of Statistics China. It has been found that the company should target the market aged 18 to 44, married, living in urban China, and purchasing for personal use. In order to address and leverage the current internal and external situation, the recommended marketing communications objectives have been set as follows: 1. Increase awareness of the brand name to 50% of the target market 2. Increase awareness of the portability and attractive design of the product to 25% of the target segment Introduction The following plan has been compiled in order to provide the basis for a comprehensive marketing communications plan for a fictitious. The company produces and sells soft drinks. It specializes in adult soft drinks. The company and brand are new to the market. In order to provide a useful plan, the target segment has been identified and defined, a SWOT analysis has been carried out for the brand and organization, and marketing communications objectives have been set. The plan identifies the target market through segmentation variables. Following this is an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that the company must either address or leverage. Finally the marketing communications objectives are set in the final section. Segmenting the Market In order to develop a sufficient marketing communications plan, it is necessary to first know the target market that marketing messages will be directed toward. The market for this company’s offering can be defined according to the segmentation variables discussed by Schiffman et al(2005). The variables most relevant to this market are age, family life cycle, geography, awareness level, and user-situation(Schiffman et al, 2005). By using these variables it is possible to define the market as aged between 18 and 44, single or newly married, living in urban areas, unaware of the brand, and buying for personal use. Within this market it is possible to further segment the preferred target market for this company’s offering. Age can be used to further segment the market. Although older members of the family have a large influence on purchase decisions in China, Duncan(2005) implies that these older people are part of the ‘late majority’ group, which is not an attractive group for new products(Duncan, 2005 p229). Therefore the age of the target segment will be 18 to 44, as these individuals should be more likely to adopt new products or at least be influenced by ‘early adopters’(Duncan, 2005 p230). These individuals make up almost 35% of the total population(National Bureau of Statistics China, 2004), and so form a profitable target segment. The target segment can be further limited to those in the ‘young marrieds’ and ‘parenthood’ stages of the family life cycle(Schiffman et al, 2005). Geography is another useful variable. The target segment will live in the inner city or suburban areas of cities, and not on the outskirts of major urban areas or in rural areas. The income gap between urban and rural areas is substantial, with urban households averaging CNY9421. 6 per annum, and rural households CNY2936. 4, in 2004(National Bureau of Statistics China, 2004). By using the above segmentation variables we now have a target segment at which to direct the marketing communications strategy. SWOT Analysis In order to reach useful marketing objectives it is necessary to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that can be leveraged or addressed by the communications effort. This is known as a SWOT analysis(Duncan, 2005). The external environment will be considered first. According to an analysis of the external environment, two major opportunities exist. These are an increase on sales of adult soft drinks over the past year, and a minimum of new adult soft drink products being marketed by competitors. According to an article in China Daily(2006), sales of adult soft drinks increased by 47% in 2006. This shows that there is an increasing market for ‘adult’ soft drinks. Internal factors are also evaluated in the SWOT analysis. Analysis of this company has revealed two major strengths and one major weakness. The strengths are a devotion to customer service, and the design and innovativeness of the products. Customer service is something that is still at a basic level in China in terms of building relationships with new customers. This company offers outstanding after sales service, with teams located in every major Chinese city who are available 7 days a week and after hours on weekdays. This level of after sales service is not common among drink manufacturers in China. The company also has a follow-up strategy that includes phone calls and emails to new customers giving them the chance to open dialogues with the firm. The other strength, the design and innovativeness of the products, is more tangible. This company produces only adult soft drinks and is therefore able to allocate more time and resources to improving only one line of product, unlike other soft drink manufacturers. The look of the adult soft drinks in this company’s range is modern, using metallic colours on slim bottles, rather than the traditional images of fruit. There is one major internal weakness that should be addressed by any marketing communication efforts: brand awareness. Being a new brand, there is 0% awareness of this company’s brand in the target segment. This will almost certainly present a weakness that will have to be addressed by the marketing communications effort. The above SWOTs can be prioritized to reveal which should be leveraged or addressed by the marketing communications effort. These are brand awareness, the appearance and functionality of the product, and the lack of attention to the adult soft drinks in the market. These factors will now be considered in relation to marketing communications objectives. Marketing Communications Objectives According to Duncan, marketing objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, and challenging(2005, p180). In order to address the major weakness of the brand, increasing brand awareness should be a high priority. According to the AIDA decision making hierarchy(Duncan, 2005), communications cause customers to begin a process which moves from awareness to interest to desire to action. Since there is 0% awareness of the brand, communications will begin by creating brand awareness, particularly awareness of the brand name. This will be the first of the company’s marketing communications objectives: Increase awareness of the brand name to 50% of the target market. The achievement of this objective will create awareness, which will be transformed into interest and desire through the second objective. The second objective will be: Increase awareness of the portability and attractive design of the product to 25% of the target segment. According to the AIDA hierarchy, ‘making people aware of a brand is much easier than persuading them to buy a brand or take some other action’(Duncan, 2005 p182). The figure of 25% is set due to this theory. Aiming to create awareness of the products tangible qualities will ideally create interest in the brand, which may result in action on behalf of the target segment. With these objectives set it will be possible to create marketing messages that are directed and can be evaluated in terms of their effectiveness and ability to achieve the company’s objectives. The objectives have been set in close attention to the SWOTs that were revealed earlier, in order to maximize the effect of the marketing communications effort. Conclusion In conclusion it can be seen that the first half of the marketing communications plan has been completed. The target market has been identified as aged between 18 and 44, married or married with children, residing in urban areas in major Chinese cities, and purchasing the product for personal use. The SWOT analysis revealed that the company’s major advantages are the lack of attention to the adult soft drink market in China, and the attractive design and functionality of the product. The company’s major disadvantages are the domination of the market by major manufacturers, and the lack of brand awareness. However, the marketing communications objectives set in the plan will ideally address and leverage each of the pros and cons that exist in the situation. References Schiffman, L.et al, 2005, Consumer Behaviour, Pearson Education Australia, Frenchs Forest. China Daily, 2006, Soft drink sales cooling down, www. chinadaily. com. cn, viewed 4th April 2008 http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/china/2006-10/06/content_702416. htm Duncan, T. 2005, Principles of Advertising & IMC (2nd ed. ), McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York. National Bureau of Statistics China, 2004, www. stats. gov. cn, viewed 4th April 2008 at http://www. stats. gov. cn/tjsj/ndsj/2005/indexeh. htm.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Lies, Lies, Lies Essay

The white lie is an age old embellishment that has different reasons for being told. When it is all said and done a white lie is still a lie. A lie told with perfectly good intentions. A lie told to spare someone’s feelings. A lie about something trivial, which will have few consequences if you’re caught. A minor, polite, or harmless lie, a white lie is considered harmless as opposed to a black lie which is evil. Anything that is not accurate is a lie. There are a million reasons to tell a social white lie. Being nice leads to lying to prevent hurting someone’s feelings and it is commonly used by all. The baby in a stroller and the mother looks up, it is natural to say â€Å"What a cute baby† It could be the ugliest baby; yet the need to make a charitable response leads to a lie. Or Men say â€Å"I love you too† a white lie commonly told by men. The boss has on a dress that looks horrible, â€Å"What a beautiful dress† would someone tell the boss her dress is ugly. These are just examples of how we get caught up and we feel the need to say something positive instead of telling the truth. Lying begins early, if you observe children most know how to fib at the age of 4. By 6 they stop fibbing and begin lying. Watching and observing their parents, they gain insight in imitating their parents in the art of deception, they are told how to lie to relatives about gifts they may not like, and thus starts the white lies. The proverbial lie is used in our society to make small talk, to have someone show favor, when we greet someone, and we often lie to ourselves, â€Å"I am going to get up each day and walk.† I’ve said it, and I know I want to but I don’t. Salesman says anything you want to hear to sell a product. The doorman says â€Å"Have a good day†, no tip, doesn’t care if you even live another day almost every white lie is because of what a person wants to achieve with that white lie. It is almost second nature to living how we deceive, the Landlord I mailed that check yesterday. I lost my debt card can’t make the payment today will call as soon as I get my replacement! *I can’t come in today I have diarrhea; you’re going to the movie matinee. Researchers have been studying deception for decades, trying to figure out why we tell lies. It seems that our capacity for deceit appears nearly endless. That doesn’t mean we just tell a lie to hear it there is a purpose for the madness. Still lying is generally regarded as immoral and distasteful, â€Å"No one likes being lied to,† says former FBI agent and lying expert Joe Navarro. â€Å"We use lies to grease the wheels of social discourse.† Says University of Massachusetts psychologist Robert Feldman.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Brazilian Economics Essay Research Paper Executive Summary

Brazilian Economics Essay, Research Paper Executive Summary Brazil is a big state with a big population. The natural resources that Brazil possesses are some of the richest in the universe. From minerals to timber to manpower, Brazil has all the natural stuffs to be an economic human dynamo. However, Brazil is being held back from doing great industrial paces. The job for Brazil lies in its inability to travel its supplies and merchandises. The roads, although better than they have of all time been, are non up to par with other industrial states. Until Brazil becomes more efficient they will non go an industrial giant. The economic crisis that has hit Brazil threatens to destruct all the advancement that has been made in the last decennary. Its high rate of rising prices must be brought under control for foreign investors to recover assurance. There is much promise in Brazil but its inefficiencies and current economic jobs must be overcome for Brazil to take its topographic point among the industrial giants. Introduction The Republic of Brazil is one of the largest states in the universe. Its population of more than one hundred sixty million topographic points it fifth among universe population centres. Its wealth of natural resources and easiness of entry makes it a valued trading spouse and an chance for new market growing. Population Brazil is one of the most thickly settled states in the universe. With a population of more than one hundred 60 million people it ranks 5th among universe population centres. The population growing rate of Brazil is keeping steady around 1.2 per centum. The birth rate is 20.4 births/1,000 population, this translates into about three million two hundred and 64 thousand unrecorded births each twelvemonth. Thirty per centum of Brazil s population is under 15 old ages of age and 65 per centum of the population is between 15 and 64 old ages old. Merely five per centum of the population is over 65 old ages of age. The ratio of work forces to adult females is.98 , which is about the same as the planetary ratio. One characteristic that has ever been present in Brazilian society is migration from one portion of the state to another. During the late twentieth century the western portion of the state has had the highest net inflow of population. The Southeast has besides received big Numberss of migrators, but these have been really unevenly distributed. The most rural southeasterly provinces have had steady decreases of their population through migration. There are three basic racial beginnings for Brazilian people. To the original dwellers ( Indians ) were added consecutive moving ridges of Europeans ( largely Portuguese ) and slaves ( largely Africans ) . The integrating between the Europeans and the Indians began shortly after colonisation ; it was non until the 1600 s that this procedure besides grew to include the freshly arrived Africans. A mixture of these three beginnings makes up the bulk of the Brazilian population. This is non to st ate that there are no other mixes in Brazil. Recently many people of Asiatic decent ( chiefly Japanese ) have begun to immigrate to Brazil. Members of all nationalities and races immigrate to Brazil every twenty-four hours in hunt of better things. Economic statistics and activity The GDP for Brazil is around one trillion dollars. This breaks down into the mean Brazilian holding about $ 6,300 of buying para. This figure is non bad, but it is non every bit high as the more industrialised states. This figure is expected to turn, but the economic crisis that has seized Brazil will most probably decelerate this growing. The growing rate is 2.9 % which shows that Brazilian industry is turning, merely non at an explosive rate. Brazil has an copiousness of natural resources, which, with suited direction, could go on to be good for coevalss to come. Improved transit has made more of these resources accessible either for export of for usage by Brazil s increasing industries and turning popul ation. Brazil is known to incorporate highly rich mineral sedimentations, this includes huge Fe ore militias. Brazil s industries absorb most of its other mineral production. This includes chrome, Mg, vitreous silica, Cu, lead, asbestos, and nickel. Brazil is a major gold and diamond manufacturer, but measures fluctuate widely from twelvemonth to twelvemonth and topographic point to topographic point as sedimentations are located and exhausted. Brazil is besides the largest universe provider of semiprecious rocks. These rocks include topazes, amethysts, opals, aquamarines, tourmalines, emeralds and others. Brazil has oil and natural gas militias, which became significant with the development of offshore Fieldss. The mineral militias are under changeless geographic expedition by authorities and private beginnings. Brazil is besides rich in biological resources. About two-thirds of the state is under wood, supplying about one-seventh of the universe s entire forest country. Hardwoods predominate in the Amazon and Atlantic coastal zone. Exploitation of the Amazon rain forest, nevertheless, has been hampered by the insufficiency of conveyance installations. Arable land is non abundant, sing the size of the state. With a coastline of more than 4,600 stat mis and legion well-stocked rivers, Brazil has entree to significant fishing evidences. This resource, nevertheless, is developing and productiveness is low. For a state every bit big as Brazil, development of an efficient agencies of transit has been a affair of critical importance. Throughout much of its history the state s different parts remained stray from each other, but this changed dramatically after World War II, foremost with the growing of air conveyance and, two decennaries subsequently, with the extension of a modern route web. Most rider and cargo traffic moves over the main roads, with coastal and inland transporting the following largest manner of transit. Brazil, like most states has four major man ners of transit. These manners include railroads, main roads, waterways, and airdromes. Except for commuter lines in the major metropoliss, railwaies are merely of minor importance in Brazil s transit web, Brazil has merely 27,000 kilometers of rail. Few new railroads of any significance have been built since World War II, when Rio de Janeiro was linked by rail to Salvador because German pigboats were taking a heavy toll on transporting. Most of Brazil s path day of the months from the nineteenth century, when the economic system was based on exports of natural stuffs. Brazil has improved its main road system greatly since the terminal of World War II. During the rainy season surface communications could be interrupted along the major regional links for hebdomads at a clip, marooning automobilists in countries with limited lodging and nutrient supplies. The building of Brasilia, the capital of Brazil in 1964, for which many bulky stuffs had to be airlifted in during the rainy season , alerted the state to the hapless province of its roads. When the armed forces assumed power in 1964, the upgrading of the route system became a primary aim. As a consequence, an first-class system of paved roads now connects all the major points in Brazil, including several links northerly into the Amazon part. Brazil has about two million kilometer of roads, of this one hundred 80 1000 stat mis are paved. Brazilian coastal transportation was, for many old ages, in no better status than its railroads. Like the railroads, the transportation industry was confined to transporting low-value majority goods that could digest long holds and non infrequent losingss. After the federal authorities launched a ship building plan in the 1960 s, nevertheless, the tunnage of ladings increased markedly, and more significantly a larger per centum of higher valued goods was carried. The more important ocean ports in Brazil are located in Rio de Janeiro, Paranagua, and Recife. The extended Brazilian river system has a entire river navigability of about 27,000 stat mis. Within the Amazon Basin navigable waterways are the rule means of transit in northern Brazil, widening into the Spanish speech production states to the West. The two rule Amazonian ports are connected by a modern, if at times fickle, steamer service are Belem, at the oral cavity of the river, and Manaus, some 1,000 stat mis inland. These and lesser ports are of import as trade centres for the broad assortment of trade that sail the Waterss of the chief rivers and some 1,000 feeders. As with most states, air passages are highly of import to the Brazilian economic system. Brazil has over two thousand five 100 airdromes, of this one thousand five 100s have paved tracks. Every capital and of import metropolis in Brazil has a major airdrome, and most of the smaller metropoliss are serviced by jet aircraft. Few locations are without a least a soil set downing strip. Most of the major metropoliss are besides linked by a shuttle service. However, overall flight frequences and the size of terminuss are at a much smaller graduated table than at comparable centers in west Europe or North America. This is due to the relatively high cost of fare and competition from inexpensive intercity bus services. Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo handle most of the international air traffic. Numerous airlines flourished in Brazil at one time or another, but they have been consolidated into three major ones that compete nationwide. Brazil has three major communication systems; telephones, radios, and television. There are over seventeen million telephones in Brazil. The Brazilian telephone system is fairly efficient as long as one remains close to a city. As the distance from a city increases, the number of phones and the reliability of service tends to drop. As one might expect there are no conventional phone lines in the deep Amazonian jungle. Radio broadcast stations are very important in Brazil. Brazilians own seventy-five million radios, and use them to listen to almost one thousand five hundred AM radio stations. Radios are cheaper than television sets so more Brazilians can afford them. Television is a major industry in Brazil. One hundred twenty stations can be found on Brazilian TV. This makes Brazil the fourth largest television broadcasting system in the world, reaching an estimated forty million Brazilians who own televisions. Foreign companies have been investing in Brazil for years. Because of its large population and plentiful natural resources, Brazil is very attractive to companies looking to expand into new markets. Large companies form Coca-Cola and Pepsi to Wal-Mart and Kentucky Fried Chicken have invested millions of dollars in order to gain a foothold in Brazil. One reason for the large number of companies with interests in Brazil is ease of entry. There are few barriers to entry in Brazil and the government encourages foreign investment. With Brazil s increasing population it can expect the foreign influx to continue for many years to come. Brazil exports about fifty billion dollars worth of products every y ear. The largest importer of Brazilian goods is the European Union (26%), followed by the United States (23%), Latin America (22%), and Argentina (11%). Brazil is the world s leading exporter of coffee, which is its most important single export. Most Americans think of Columbia as being the biggest producer of coffee, but Brazil produces almost twice as much as Columbia. Brazil is also a prominent producer of minerals. Brazil is one of the largest producers of iron ore in the world, and thanks to new mining techniques and technology this trend is expected to continue. Brazil also exports soybeans, tropical fruits, footwear, and sugarcane. Brazil is also the world leader in the production of semiprecious stones, gold and diamonds. Brazil imports about fifty-five billion dollars worth of goods every year. Crude oil is one of the major imports that Brazil receives regularly. In order to lessen its dependence on gasoline, the Brazilian government decided to run the country s vehicles on something a little less pricey, sugar. The government planned to replace gasoline with ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Processing the sugarcane in modern plants became the most successful such program in the world. For a number of years, virtually all new automobiles in Brazil have been engineered to run on this fuel. Brazil also imports other products that it is lacking at home. These products include capital goods for industry, chemical products, foodstuffs, and coal. Brazil has had a trade deficit for almost its entire history. There are many reasons for this but the main reason is a lack of ability to get to its resources. Brazil is a country with huge amounts of natural resources, but they are hard to get to. New roads and shipping channels have helped open up some more of Brazil s resources, but more must be done if Brazil ever expects to have a trade surplus. One thing that has been beneficial to Brazil is the influx of new business from outside the country that helps Brazil s abil ity to export more products. Unfortunately for Brazil its economy has recently taken a downturn. The inflation has gone through the roof and there has been a leveling off of foreign investment. The World Bank and the United States recently formulated a bailout plan for Brazil. This bailout included loans and other economic aid. The reason for the bailout lies in the belief that South America goes as Brazil goes; if Brazil encounters a recession than so will the rest of South America. A South American economic crisis combine with the one that has hit Asia would mean an almost certain worldwide recession. Brazil s labor force is a relatively strong one. Sixty-one million people are included in Brazil s work force, and this number is increasing every year. Forty-two percent of the work force is employed in services, while thirty-one percent work in agriculture, and twenty-seven percent work in industrial occupations. The unemployment rate is not large, but it is growing. Six percent of the Brazilian population is unemployed and the number is increasing with the recent economic crisis. Developments in science and technology With the help of foreign investors, Brazil is quickly increasing its technological capabilities. With the influx of new businesses from other countries, better technology became essential. These companies came into Brazil and trained their new Brazilian employees in the use of state of the art equipment. Advances were also made in the mining and extraction fields which were put to good use in Brazil. These advances will make it possible for Brazil to get back on its feet and compete in the global marketplace once the inflation is curtailed. Another reason for the growth of Brazilian technology is the educational system. More and more students are learning to use computers and at a younger age. There can only be benefits for Brazil in the long run if this trend continues. Channels of Distribution Brazil s businesses work in much the same way as they do in the United States. The retailers come in all shapes and sizes, from small family stores to multinational chains like Wal-Mart. Items are mainly purchased through cash transactions but buying through credit is also done. There seems to be less of a reliance on credit cards than the United States. The penetration of urban centers is high for the simple reason that there are more people able to buy products in urban areas. In rural areas it is more likely to see a small family store than a large outlet because there are simply not enough people to support a larger store. Media Brazil is a large country with a large population and therefore has many sources of media available to the public. Television, radio, and print media are all found in Brazil. Brazil s major newspapers are published in the cities of Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, but numerous others are published in the smaller cities and towns. There are also a number of weekly magazines that cover subjects from news t o hobbies. Press and broadcasting are intimately linked in Brazil, including television s TV Manchete and the TV Globo, which, with Radio Globo, is the largest and most influential of the county s broadcasting media. There are also several lesser networks in radio and television as well as a large number of regional and local stations. An educational channel broadcasts to a limited number of cities. Common television fare includes the tremendously popular prime-time novelas (soap operas), sporting events, news, special reports, foreign movies dubbed into Portuguese, and children s programming. In many ways television, in conjunction with massive urban migration, has furthered the homogenization of Brazilian culture and the modification of regional differences. When the Brazilian government as run by its military many of the stations were owned by the state. This is not the case today. Today television and radio stations operate in much the same manner as they do in the United States . Commercials are paid for by companies wishing to advertise in a form of media and are played. The only noticeable difference would be the amount of nudity on regular stations at all hours of the day. Bibliography Britanica Online. Brazil: Physical and Human Geography. http://www.eb.com:180/cgi-bin/g?DocF=macro/5000/84/24.html October 29, 1998. Brazilian Embassy, London. Brazil in Brief. http://www.brazil.org.uk. Oct 19, 1998. Brazilian Embassy, Washington DC. The Brazilian People. http://brasil.emb.nw.dc.us/bzpeople.htm. October 24, 1998. CIA Factbook. Brazil. http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/br.html October 29,1998. Eletronic Library. Brazil. http://www.encyclopedia.com, October19, 1998. Republica Federativa de Brasil. The Wonders of Brazil. http://psg.com/walter/brasil.htm. October 24, 1998. [Home] [Brazil] [Economic Paper] [cultural paper] [marketing]