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Places and Things

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Zambia: A Brief Summary:

Located in the south central Africa, Zambia has eight neighboring countries. The country is the home of 19 national parks and 34 game management areas. Interestingly, the country’s about 30 percent or 752,614 sq kms is engaged in providing a home to natural species. Zambia enjoys the largest water resources in Southern African region. In addition to it, the country is considerably rich in minerals. Minerals including copper, precious stones and lumber; both native hard wood and soft exotic pinewood timber are available in large number in Zambia.

Zambia Safari Holidays in the National Parks

The South Luangwa is one of the largest national parks in Zambia, covering an area of about 9,990 sq kms. The national park is famous for encompassing the different variety of gaming activities in Africa. Travelers can witness some of the interesting and rare views in this national park. The South Luangwa is considered one of the best facilities among the finest wildlife reserves as it is the home for uncountable wildlife including some of the rarest in the world as well.

Kafue National park is another very famous and well-known national park of Zambia. The national park covers 22,400 sq kms, becoming the largest national park in the country and second largest in African continent. The national park is known for providing best game viewing facilities, bird watching, and fishing.

According to World Tourism organization, Zambia is the fasted developing tourism destinations in Africa. Taking a quick holiday trip would be a complete worth!

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When sailing in Sweden close to Finland, you can bring your fishing gear and catch the freshest marine produce anytime you like. Nevertheless, don’t make any mistake of damaging the country’s natural resources. The Stockholm archipelago is protected by a foundation that doesn’t only preserve the flora and fauna of this region but also the culture of its inhabitants.

The Swedens West Coast is another region worth exploring. Besides getting yourself acquainted with the people in the fishing villages, you can have a challenging trek along the forests of Halland and Bohuslan islands. You can also visit the island of Marstrand, which played a huge part in Sweden’s history. On this island, you can find the magnificent Carlsten Fortress.

The charm of Sweden extends to the island Gotland on the Swedish east coast, which is also popular for several things. It isn’t only blessed with a lot of nice and quiet fishing villages, but there are also true-blue Swedish restaurants, where you can get a taste of their cuisines during your vacation. Moreover, you can dazzle yourself with several unique architectural designs. On the Swedish west coast is also interesting cities. For example, if you stroll Gothenburg, you will discover Kungsportsavenyn, which is their version of Paris’ Champs Elysees.

Truly, Sweden’s beauty doesn’t only lie on its archipelagoes or the number of its buildings that populate the cities. Farther into the west coast, into Stockholm archipelago, and down to the fishing villages of Gotland, you’ll have the vacation of your lifetime. Sailing in Sweden can also give you the most thrilling adventure.

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Jamaica and Its Reef

Situated below Cuba and west of Haiti, Jamaica is a small Caribbean island with about 2.65 million residents as of the year 2000. Tourism is this country’s main industry, with many cruise lines docking in Jamaica’s ports every day. Their coral reef is a prime destination for those interested in snorkeling, diving, and fishing.

The reef is on the fringe of the northern coast, naturally growing on a narrow shelf around the island. It is less structured in the south, where river sediment breaks up coral growth on a shallower, wide shelf. Many Jamaicans fish along designated areas of this reef, while areas mostly in the north are limited to tourists interested in water sports.

Problems with the Jamaican Reef

In the past few decades, scientists have found that Jamaica’s coral reef was deteriorating at an alarming rate. Studies of this deterioration have shown three major problems:

• Jamaican residents have overused reef resources. Because there are few job opportunities on this island, many families rely on fishing as a way to feed themselves and their children. As a result, the marine life slowly dwindled, contributing to the rise of algae in the water
• Farming has caused increasing erosion along the coast. As sediment flows into the water, it smashes and covers the reef, killing the coral. Agriculture is one of the main industries in Jamaica.
• Waves of tourists have caused an over-development of coastal regions. While this did relieve some of the pressure on fishing, since the increase in tourism created more jobs, the coral reefs were damaged as the land near the water was developed. Pollution and other disturbances created a less than ideal situation for coral reefs.

The Natural History of the Coral Reefs

Not every problem with Jamaica’s coral reef is due to human behavior. In fact, the coral reefs off the coast of Jamaica have been naturally destroyed and then slowly rebuilt over the decades. This is nature’s way of making the ecosystem stronger. The same thing occurs with wildfires, for example; the result is a stronger forest in the long run. However, it is because of human involvement that the coral reefs have not been able to rebuild as easily.

Hurricanes are a major problem for the coral reef. They naturally sweep through the Caribbean many times each year, and when this happens, the coral reefs are broken down. Major hurricanes in 1980 and 1988 were factored into the deterioration of Jamaica’s coral reefs today. In addition, a natural disease among sea urchins in 1983 caused significant problems with algae, which reduces a coral’s ability to survive and rebuild after a major hurricane. Because of over-fishing, these urchins were the last major algae eaters in the area, and their disappearance led to a major increase in algae.

Coral bleaching and other coral diseases also occur naturally from time to time. Once there is aggressive algae growth, it is difficult for coral to rebuild on the reef after a plague. In recent history, these type of major coral reef problems occurred in 1987, 1989, 1990, and 1998.

New Hope for Jamaica’s Coral Reefs

Luckily, there is hope for Jamaica’s coral reef ecosystem. In recent years, as people began to care more about the environment, scientists began to study the coral reef and work on renewing it to its former splendor. Stricter laws were placed in effect to help with erosion, pollution, and fishing problems. While there are still a number of problems, Jamaica’s government understands that the Caribbean coral reefs are directly responsible for protecting the islands and pulling in tourists. More of an effort is made today than in the past to help preserve these natural treasures.

On top of that, “Eco-tourism” popularity is on the rise. This type of vacation is based on learning about the environment and helping to understand how to make things better. More and more tourists are coming to Jamaica not to snorkel and fish, but to learn about the environment. If you’re considering a Jamaican vacation, this might be your best option in order to ensure that your children and their children – and their children – will also be able to explore and enjoy the reefs someday.

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The SEEK Employment Index, which measures the ratio of new job ads to job applications, now sits at its highest point since October 2004 following a further 4.6% rise in September. Its strong upward trend provides clear evidence to Australian employers that the tight employment market has some way to run.

The index was considerably higher in all states in September. South Australia recorded the greatest increase at 6.8%, followed by Queensland (5.8%), NSW (4.3%) and the ACT (4.1%).

Job Advertisements
Strong growth in job vacancies in the mining, construction, IT&T and consumer goods sectors helped fuel a 4.9% increase in new job ads across Australia last month. New jobs advertised were strongest in South Australia where they increased by 5.9%. Victoria (4.9%) and Queensland (4.2%) also experienced strong gains.

Job Applications
Job seeking activity remained steady in September with the number of job applications posted rising by just 0.3%. Western Australia experienced a 2.3% increase in job applications, suggesting that publicity around the resources boom may now be attracting applicants from other areas, but Queensland (-1.6%) South Australia (-0.9%) and NSW (-0.6%) all experienced falls in job application numbers.

Commenting on the results, SEEK Sales Director Joe Powell said:

“There’s been a lot of talk about skills shortages driving the tightening of the labour market in relation to the current resources boom. It seems as though the retirement of the baby boomers is possibly a far greater, lurking problem.

“In September, property valuers seemed to appear quite suddenly within the five most candidate-short occupations nationally and in WA, QLD and Victoria. Anecdotal evidence suggests that demand for valuation services has remained fairly steady, but an ageing workforce and the siphoning of graduates by large funds managers and property developers is creating significant workforce shortages that are likely to be ongoing.

“We are hearing about many other professional groups, among them nurses, solicitors and teachers that are facing a mass exodus of talent due to retirement. More than ever there is a strong role for industry associations, as well employers themselves, to help educate students and skilled professionals about the career opportunities on offer and to attract ongoing interest from future employees”, he said.

Professor Peter Sheehan of the Centre for Strategic Economic Studies said: “A strong economy, the resources boom and more affordable goods and services are driving demand for labour at a rate the market cannot supply. Detailed SEEK data point to skills shortages in the IT&T, Insurance, Science and Technology and Legal sectors, while a slow down in manufacturing and hospitality and tourism has made job seeking more competitive in these industries”, he said.

–
onrec.com

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Actually the secret to good cruise deals is not hidden. There are always some good deals available in the market. You just need to be patient and keep a check on the latest quotes. The offers always change. An offer made by some agency might not be the same next year. Sometimes, a travel agency offer very low prices but you may discover it was because of the cruise line being so inexpensive.

There are many online cruise dealers available as well. There are many thousands of sites that offer you attractive cruise deals. Each and every one of them guarantees for the best possible deal. While some of them are genuine and reputed sites, there are some sites that are scam. Make sure that the site you choose has a seal of approval. Approved travel sites must have met rigorous criteria to reach so far. These are the sites you can bank upon. Before agreeing to the terms and conditions, make sure there are no hidden charges involved. Also ask the travel agencies if the fee would be returned on cancellation. Ask for their contact information before any agreement. The site should also be able to assist the customers easily.

Some people however like to see the agents face to face. In that case, a travel agent is best suited for you. Also, visiting a travel agent gives you the idea of what the market is offering you. You can then compare the online quotes to those from agents. Sometimes, the travel agencies also show their gratitude of choosing them by throwing some surprises while you are onboard.

However it is the bottom line that there are numerous options to choose from while looking for a cruise deal. They are available at any time of the year. The main thing to keep in mind is your pocket. Exhaust all the resources you have before settling for the final deal.

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The Australian Government’s new citizenship test will ensure new Australian citizens are committed to Australia’s values and way of life.

The 2007-08 Budget provides funding of $123.6 million over five years to deliver the Australian Government’s new citizenship test, to be introduced in 2007.

The planning number for the Migration Programme will be set at 152,800 places in 2007-08. This level will strengthen our economy and maintain a strong cohesive community.

The Skilled Migration Stream will have a modest increase of 5,000 places with a total of 102,500 places. The family stream will be maintained at the 2006-07 level of 50,000 places.

The 2007-08 Budget will strengthen Australia’s borders against the increasingly sophisticated criminal networks who engage in people smuggling. Ten additional Airline Liaison Officers (ALOs) will be placed at overseas airports. The Australian Government will also provide funding of $7.7 million to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Indonesia. The funding will provide training and resources for the care of intercepted people and a dedicated unit to manage voluntary returns.

The Australian Government is committed to supporting humanitarian entrants to settle in Australia and become part of the Australian community. The 2007-08 Budget delivers $209.2 million over four years to assist recently arrived refugee and humanitarian entrants to settle into the community. The Budget also maintains 13,000 places for refugees and humanitarian entrants.

Kevin Andrews MP, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

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The Beyond the Resources Boom study was commissioned by the State Training Board (STB), and examines Western Australia’s economic growth and the challenges faced by the state’s workforce.

Skill shortages are set to remain a feature of the labour market, the report concludes, due to the strength of the economy and the ageing workforce. STB chairman Keith Spence said the demand would be met through a combination of general population growth, skilled immigration from interstate and overseas, and the development of local training initiatives.

Among the top performing occupations, in terms of projected annual average employment growth between 2006 and 2016, are intermediate mining and construction workers, plumbers, structural construction tradespersons, and mining, construction and related labourers. Demand for jobs in the mining and construction sectors is very high and a downturn is considered unlikely.

Many of these occupations are on the Australia Skilled Occupation List and the Australia MODL (Migration Occupations in Demand List), which entitles people applying for Australian immigration to extra points.

Economic projections modelled by the report indicate there is unlikely to be a boom-bust scenario in the short to medium term. This reflects the resource-driven construction boom, which is underpinned by strong growth in demand from China and record commodity prices, particularly for the state’s main export, iron ore.

Skilled occupations currently make up nearly 60 per cent of the workforce and the report forecasts that overall demand for higher skills in Western Australia is likely to remain constant as a proportion of the economy. Other skilled occupations in demand include managers, administrators, professionals, associate professionals, tradespersons and related clerical, sales, transport and production workers.

- -TheAustralians

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where locals are proud of the city’s 700-year history. Its rich

traditional heritage and unique culture is a perfect foundation for the

development of the city. Chiang Mai is one of the few places in

Thailand where it is possible to find in the heart of the city centuries

-old chedis and temples next to modern convenience stores and

boutique hotels. The original city layout still exists as a neat square

surrounded by a moat with vestiges of the fortified wall and its four

main gates offering prime access to the old town.

For years, tourists have mistaken Chiang Mai as the northern

junction and the base from which they can explore other provinces.

The phrase “a day in Chiang Mai is enough to see things around”

was common. Today, tourists are surprised by the fact that there is

always something new to discover Chiang Mai. Intriguing diversity

among ethnic tribes coupled with breathtaking scenery makes

Chiang Mai one of Asia’s most attractive tourist destinations. Two

weeks in Chiang Mai may not be long enough for serious travelers.

The old city of Chiang Mai with its fascinating indigenous cultural

identity such as diverse dialects, cuisine, architecture, traditional

values, festivals, handicrafts and classical dances is a prime location

in its own right. In addition, the presence of hill tribes and their

wealth of unique cultures enhance Chiang Mai’s distinctive diversity.

Chiang Mai is also blessed with pristine natural resources of

mountains (dois), waterfalls, and other nature-based tourist

attractions. At the same time, Chiang Mai residents are warm,

gracious and congenial providing authentic hospitality making visits

memorable and meaningful. Moreover, visitors from all walks of life

can collect handicrafts of silk, silver and wood produced locally as

timeless souvenirs. Chiang Mai is a place where both backpackers

and luxury tourists can enjoy themselves to the fullest.

Chiang Mai literally means new city and has retained the name

despite having celebrated its 700th anniversary in 1996. King Meng

Rai founded the city as the capital of the Lanna (A Million Rice

Fields) Kingdom on Thursday, 12th April 1296 during the same

period of time as the establishment of the Sukhothai Kingdom. King

Meng Rai the Great conferred with his friends, King

Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai and King Ngam Muang of Phayao

before choosing the site where the capital of the Lanna Kingdom

was to be founded.

From then, Chiang Mai not only became the capital and cultural core

of the Lanna Kingdom, it was also the centre of Buddhism in

northern Thailand. King Meng Rai himself was very religious and

founded many of the city’s temples, which are still important today.
At the height of its power, the Lanna Kingdom extended its territory

far into Burma and Laos, and southwards to Kamphaeng Phet a

province above Sukhothai.

The Burmese conquered the Lanna Kingdom in 1556 ending the

dynasty founded by King Meng Rai that lasted over 250 years. As

Burma had occupied Chiang Mai for nearly 200 years, Burmese

architectural influences are visible in many temples. At the end of

the 18th century, King Taksin the Great regrouped the Thais in the

south and finally drove the Burmese out with the help of King Kawila

of Lampang thereby regaining Thai independence from Burma.

Chiang Mai was then governed by a succession of princes who ruled

the north as a Siamese protectorate under the Chakri dynasty. In

the late 19th century, King Rama V appointed a high commissioner

in Chiang Mai and it was only in 1939 that Chiang Mai finally came

under the direct control of the central government in Bangkok the

same time the country was renamed Thailand.

In the past, Chiang Mai was only accessible by river and elephants.

More convenient access was achieved only when the railway line

was completed in the late 1920′s. Moreover, the first motor vehicle

driven directly from Bangkok arrived in Chiang Mai in 1932. Such

isolation was more favorable to Chiang Mai as it helped to nurture

and preserve the unique Lanna culture.
When we look at Chiang Mai today, it is the economic, cultural and

communications hub of northern Thailand complete with excellent

infrastructure, good roads, by passes and road tunnels, and reliable

communications infrastructure.

Most of Chiang Mai’s mountains are oriented from north to south.

Together they create a multitude of streams and tributaries

including Mae Chaem, Mae Ngat and Mae Klang. One of Chiang

Mai’s distinctive features is Doi Inthanon, Thailands highest peak,

which is 2,575 meters above sea level. In addition, the province

boasts flat, fertile valleys, which spread along the banks of the

largest and most important river in Chiang Mai Mae Nam Ping (Ping

River) which originates from the Chiang Dao mountain range.

For more information about Chiang Mai, or Thailand tourist spots.

See http://thailand -vacation-info.blogspot.com.

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