Why are some nations rich & others poor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Why are some nations rich & others poor - Essay Example Therefore, new explanations for the success of one nation over another are still forthcoming. Jared Diamond and David S. Landes are two gentlemen offering different explanations for the unequal distribution of wealth around the globe. Jared Diamond is a historical geographer. As such, he offers an explanation for this unequal distribution of wealth that focuses on such realities as the availability of key natural resources. Specifically, he states: †¦the differences between human societies on different continents seems to me to be attributable to differences among continental environments, and not to biological differences among peoples themselves. In particular, the availability of wild plant and animal species suitable for domestication†¦contributed decisively to the varying rates of rise of agriculture and herding, which in turn contributed decisively to the rise of human population numbers, population densities, and food surpluses, which in turn contributed decisively to the development of epidemic infectious diseases, writing, technology and political organization (6). Through the course of his essay, Jared Diamond argues persuasively that this unbroken chain of bioregional realities is what determines the wealth of a group of people. He offers many examples for each of these determinants, or as he calls them, "proximate reasons" as to why the wealthiest and most powerful on earth are located where they are. Diamond structures his argument as if each "proximate reason" were a link in a chain. The first link in the chain is the domestication of plants and animals. This occurrence resulted in a food surplus that opened the many facets of what we call civilization today. According to Diamond, the geographic structure of the continents had much to do with the creation of this food surplus. He argues that domestication was more successful and widespread in Eurasia and North America

Bermuda Triangle Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Bermuda Triangle - Research Paper Example In this essay, we shall explain the mystery by examining the theories that have been postulated then give a conclusion. The Bermuda Triangle, also popularly referred to as the Devil’s Triangle, is an area in the Atlantic Ocean where it is believed several airplanes, ships, and other vessels have vanished without probable cause or explanation. Therefore, the disappearances are believed to be mysterious. The Bermuda Triangle’s specific location is the North western part of the vast Atlantic Ocean (Gibbs, 3). The area covering the triangle is a large area which is between the Puerto Rico, Florida, and Bermuda. It is one of the busiest sea routes frequently used by fishing vessels, cruise ships and other freight vessels destined to sea ports in Europe, North America, South America and the Caribbean Islands. Besides being a busy shipping lane, the triangle is also a busy route for both private and commercial airplanes. In a study conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature whose main objective was to identify areas at sea that were most dangerous for shipping crew, the Bermuda Triangle was n ot included in the top ten list (McKinnon and Scott-Ireton, 193). The United States Coast Guard also has also distanced itself from the claims and theories offered to explain its mystery. It is prudent that to examine the theories that have been advanced to explain the mystery surrounding the Bermuda Triangle. There are several theories that have been suggested. However, there exist three major ones. The first theory is that the area in the Bermuda Triangle has magnetic properties which deviate from the norm and are thus unusual. This theory claims that compasses in ships plying the shipping lane across the Bermuda fail to indicate the true north and actually go off while within the triangle. This causes the ships to lose direction and disappear. However, the US Coast Guard, while indicating that it is