#8 Aid to Africa

After reading the articles and the book, I think that the United States and other countries should seriously reconsider how they invest in Africa. Africa definitely needs the aid, but are we reall supplying them with real help the way it is now. Instead of just giving them money, we need to pay closer attention to what it is used for. They need to develop their infrastructure and trade. Most of the countries also lack a stable government, which I think is the first key to becoming more developed. If people can not depend on the government to protect them and key control, outside investors will not build and invest in that area.

#7 HDI and Sub Saharan Africa

The variables on the HDI include life expectancy, GDP per capita, access to clean water, and children underweight for their age.

The geographic pattern is that the HHD tend to be the "Western world" and some of the Middle East. The MHD include South America, Middle East, Eastern Europe and some of Asia.

Sub Saharan Africa is probably so low because they are some of the poorest countries, which effects alot of the variables. Many of the countries do not have ports, or access to trade, and even the ones that do, do not have much to trade with the Western world. I think another factor is the way that SUb Saharan Africa was colonized. Most of the natives were treated as second class, and not allowed education and properity.

#5 Cuba Travel Ban?

Lifting the ban on travel to Cuba will not serve to combat communism. Cubans already seem to know the benefits of capitalism and the US, because so many try to escape to the States. It is not like China, where they have been suppressed so long, and slowly integrating communism might help to show the people that there are better governments. I think that in Cuba, the only thing that lifting the travel ban will accomplish is to supply the country(government) with more money, and probably strengthen it.

#6 National Geographic Photography

This picture is from London, England. I like it because it shows several London landmarks all in the same shot. In the front of the picture are the double decker red buses that are common to London. In the background is Big Ben and the House of Parliament. Just off to the left of Big Ben, you can see part of the Eye of London, which is a Ferris wheel on the bank of the Thames. I mostly like this picture because Big Ben, the Eye of London and the buses have all been featured in Doctor Who (Boomtown, Rose and Planet of the Dead, respectively).

#4 Current Events

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/swine-flu/5242000/Swine-flu-cruise-lines-suspend-trips-to-Mexico.html

After many identified cases of swine flu in Mexico, many major cruise lines are bypassing ports in Mexico for the safety of their passengers. While have already been cased identified in Britain and the US, it is still not as wide spread there as in Mexico.

#3 Cartograms - Extinct Species

This cartogram depicts the countries based on extinct species.

I thought that it would relative to MDC or population, but it is not really.
It's not MDC, because look how small Western Europe is.
And it's not population, because look at India and China.
I can not really decide what it means.
Some places that surprised me were New Zealand and Australia, Sri Lanka, and the Caribbean. Also, South America is small than I thought it would be. It is a very interesting map.

#2 LDC and MDC -- Maldives and United Kingdom

Maldives is classified as a LDC. There are several reasons for this. The country was a sultanate for the Dutch and then the British and only achieved independence in 1968. Since then it has been a republic, but not very democratic. The country also have to import most of its staple foods, and relies primarily on the tourism and fishing industries.

The United Kingdom has a well established government, and a good supply of resources as well as a diversified economy.