Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Exam - Essay Example From the ‘means to expand’ side or expansionism it was argued by Jared Diamond (1997) that some of the major factors that helped Europeans dominate other nations was simply Guns, Germs and Steel. At the time of colonial expansion European technological expertise had given them a significant advantage in firepower. An example of this would be at the Battle of Rorke's Drift during the Anglo Zulu war in which A few hundred British soldiers were able to repel an attacking force of several thousand Zulu Warriors largely because the British had an advantage in firepower (Heavy caliber rifles). It could also be argued that because of prolonged fighting amongst neighboring European powers had given them a sort of ‘Veterans’ advantage, insofar as many colonial armies had actively been engaged in combat for many years and the commanding officers had several hundred years of battle texts to draw examples from. A second contributing factor according to Jared Diamond wou ld be the advantage of germs. Although it is the case that several tropical diseases exist in these continents Europeans had been living in dense, overcrowded, over-polluted populations for many generations that they had developed a better tolerance to serious diseases such as smallpox. When European colonists came into contact with indigenous populations in many places, local populations were often nearly wiped out because of the introduction of infectious disease. A final factor that gave Europeans an advantage in the colonization of new lands was an advantage in infrastructure and supply chains. Because Europeans had better supply chains they were better equipped for long standoffs with indigenous populations, by having preserved food, better access to ammunition, easier access to luxuries which in turn helps morale. It was even argued by Diamond (1997) agricultural techniques that produced more food per acre for the colonial powers (Through the use of draft animals, irrigation s ystems, and domesticated crops) allowed the nations to provide food for larger armies than the armies they hoped to defeat. With all of this in mind it could also be argued that the Europeans had desires of expansionism in order to gain an advantage over their European contemporaries or to further their own wealth. Some of the most important colonies were often established because of access to natural resources (Such as the Belgian colony in the Congo being exploited for its rubber, or the Dutch East Indies being exploited for its spices). These sorts of economic factors would play a huge role in motivating European nations to expand outward. The second main issue that this paper will address is what the legacy of imperialism in our contemporary world is?’ It could be argued that there are really only three perspectives that could be left by imperialism in the contemporary world which is that the legacy is positive, negative or somewhere in-between. From a positive perspectiv e of positive influence according to the Whittington writing for the BBC (2005) it was argued that one lasting legacy was strong infrastructure. Because European powers were looking to export significant resources

Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Qatar - Essay Example Qatar is a little peninsula that is on the western shore of the Arabian Gulf and it covers approximately 4,247 square miles (6,286 square kilometers). Qatar is just 160 kilometers north into the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia. It is located between latitudes 24Â ° and 27Â ° N, and longitudes 50Â ° and 52Â ° E. Qatar mostly consist of low and barren plain that is covered with sand. To the southeast lies the Khor al Adaid (‘Inland Sea’), which is a region of rolling sand dunes surrounding Persian Gulf’s inlet? The landmass creates a rectangle that is described by the local folklore as resembling right hand’s palm that is extended in a prayer. The neighboring nations include Iran to the northeast. Bahrain to the northwest, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to the south. Both Qatar and Bahrain claim the Hawar Islands located west of Qatar and it is uninhabited. Just recently, only few semi-permanent seasonal encampments have been found in the interi or desert. Resources of water that are near the coast together with opportunities for pearl diving, fishing, and seagoing trade have facilitated larger, and additional permanent settlements. The patterns of these settlements have contributed to the social differences between Hadar and Bedouin. Qatar’s climate can be described as subtropical dry, hot desert climate that has low annual rainfall. During the summer the temperatures are extremely high and there is a big difference between maximum and minimum temperatures, more so in the inland areas. The Persian Gulf slightly influences the coastal areas and have lower maximum, however, it has higher minimum temperatures and the moisture percentage in the air are higher. Summer ‘June – September’ is extremely hot with low rainfall. Daily maximum temperatures are able to easily reach 40Â °C or more. Winter is cooler with irregular rainfall.