External Factors in a Country Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

External Factors in a Country - Assignment Example It was clearly evident that the atmosphere of political turbulence affected the stock markets badly. Adding on the fuel, the Chinese and the British relations deteriorated further putting the markets in jeopardy. At that point of time, the market was also jittery about the rising US interest rates and moreover, the standoff that prevailed over the democratic reforms between the Hong Kong and China sent made the traders feel a little insecure. Hang Seng received a lot of foreign money in the period of 1992-1993 from different investors all over the world, which could sustain the market, at least to some extent. However, many traders argued that the investors had made huge investments eyeing the economic boom in China and not Hong Kong itself. They felt that the investors were looking to invest in China via the shares of the blue-chip companies in Hong Kong. To a large extent, their speculation seems right at the moment, because, at that time when there was absolute political instabili ty in the Hong Kong market, no investor would’ve come forward to invest in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s governor had proposed to go ahead with the electoral reforms put forward by the British government had been straight away by China and had, in fact, enraged them to a great extent, thus signaling the break-up. Under such circumstances, it is too naive for one to expect the stock market to be functioning well.

Development and the Environment-Environmental Factors and Human Essay

Development and the Environment-Environmental Factors and Human Activity - Essay Example This growth will be mostly seen in the urban areas of several developing countries worldwide (United Nations Population Fund, 2007). China, Indonesia, India and Brazil, whose combined populations account almost half of the world, have highly cosmopolitan centers that were rapidly changing and growing. The socio-economic as well as the political landscapes of these areas have metamorphosed over time due to the sudden proliferation of migrants from within and outside of the country (Jones & Visaria, 1997). It was hypothesized that the large inflows of migrants that precipitated the growth of urban areas were largely due to the multifaceted advantages that people think of cities (Gilbert & Gugler, 1992). The powerful presence of sophisticated infrastructures such as the health-care facilities, transportation services and communication channels, among others, which are hardly evident in rural areas, was believed to be the reason why there is a massive exodus bound for the metropolis (Bar tone, 1991; Gugler, 1988). The proximity of numerous financial institutions and academic organizations also explained these city-ward migrations (Dickenson, 1996). People who are lured by the many an opportunity in business and study relocated to the cities (Kasarda & Crenshaw, 1991). For aspiring investors, the city is a place where the promise of financial rewards abounds. Furthermore, a great deal of the population assumes that the universities and colleges in the city would not only bring them prestige but also outstanding privileges of employment. Consequently, the main rationalization of urbanization is the existence of employment opportunities in the cities (Yamazaki, 1993). Global statistics show that the swift sprouting of industries of multinational corporations in countries like Mexico and South Africa, and the cities of Dubai and Hongkong, spurred the arrival of people from the countryside or the provinces. In the Philippines, although there was a great number of out-mig rations and expatriation in the country, a significant swelling of urban cities was also reported (Stretton, 1981). A noticeable shift of the textile industries to the developing counties was documented in the in the last few decades (Fitzpatrick, 1983). Major players of the automobile industry were also focusing their manufacturing services in the Third World, as the palpable rise of car makers from the developing nations was observed (Cramer, 2005). These major transformations were derived from the proliferation of trading districts, corporate centers and tourism destinations in the Third World, where countries saw the need to gain a competitive edge by creating ‘global cities’ (Melchert, 2005). Hazards to the Urban Poor The story of urbanization is a paradox. While opportunities exist, problems also persist. As populations in urban areas grow swiftly and irrepressibly, the urbanites are confronted with a host of man-made and natural hazards. It is a wide-ranging pred icament to the urban poor: from high levels of risk due to inferior shelters and dangerous infrastructures to vulnerabilities in health-care provision, epidemics and criminality. Poverty is seen as the root of all powerlessness and the violations of the rights of the low-income citizens. Aside from this, the urban poor is faced with environmental hazards in their homes and workplaces that would lead to