International - Scotland

           Scotland’s leading export industries include five sectors that account for almost two-thirds of total Scotland’s exports.  These are food and beverages, chemicals, business services, electronics, textiles, oil and gas.  Scotland’s top exports markets include USA, Netherlands, France, and Germany.  The total value of international exports from Scotland in 2012 is 26 billion Euros, of which 15.4 billion was from the manufacturing sector and 8.7 billion was from the services sector.  However, the main imports from Scotland to the USA include polyester, cows, paper, and cars.   The total value of imports to Scotland was 14.8 billion Euros, the only positive import growth rate of the four United Kingdom countries. 

            Scotland is one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom, together with England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  It has its own parliament, legal and education systems, and even has its own currency.  The official currency in Scotland is the British pound sterling, consisting of 100 pence.  1 US dollar is equal to 0.6 British pound sterling.  However, when comparing the US dollar to the Euro, 1 dollar is equal to 0.72 Euros.  This goes to show an individual how weak the dollar currency actually is in today’s day and age.

            Historically, Scotland has been a country where more people are leaving to live elsewhere than moving to live in Scotland. However, since the 1960s, emigration has greatly reduced and, in some years during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Scotland experienced more immigration. Scotland has now entered a period of immigration. The highest rates of migration from outside Scotland were in the areas of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Stirling. The highest rates of migration outside of Scotland were in East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and North Ayrshire.   

            Scotland has the same allies and enemies with that of the rest of the United Kingdom.  Scotland’s allies include Canada, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Japan, and the US.  There aren’t any countries that are enemies, but countries that are considered neutral include Spain and France.

A Fez of the Heart - Seal

            The main concept that I found interesting was that the fez hats were illegal for citizens of Turkey and were “acceptable” for the tourists.  I don’t understand how fezzes can be acceptable one day by society, and the next day they are forbidden.  Moreover, the topic about topless beaches also had a similar effect.  Initially it was seen as terrible by society, and now it is acceptable by society. 

It seemed as though the town of Pomegranate made a complete three hundred sixty degree turn with its economics and customs or ways of life.  The life of a Turk changed dramatically during and after the death of Mustafa.  The narrator was able to remember the large amount of fezzes that were in the family attic.  Now, the narrator describes how they are “forbidden” in the Turkish culture.  This change had a direct effect on the market for merchants as well.  As the fezzes were looked down upon by Turkish culture, the demand for fezzes decreased.  The fezzes were cheap to begin with, and the sellers received even less money when the fezzes were not part of Turkish norms.

Beyond the specific example of this town in Turkey, there are conflicts between tourism and culture.  Simply stated, tourists are allowed to do things whereas the Turks are not.  This even goes back to the fez example and how it is forbidden for Turks to wear it but acceptable to tourists.  However, I also see connections between tourism and economics.  As a whole, tourism positively contributes to the overall market because individuals bring in money from other countries to spend in these countries.  As a result, this provides money flow in the country, Turkey in this case, and even keeps the merchants in business.

Tourism - Scotland

Scotland is a well-known tourism destination with tourist spending averaging around 4 billion Euros per year.  Since tourism is a big attraction in Scotland, it is responsible for creating 200,000 jobs mainly in the service sector.  It is also shocking to see that citizens of the United Kingdom also spend the most money while they are in Scotland, as opposed to other foreigners.  “In 2002, UK visitors made 18.5 million visits to Scotland, staying 64.5 million nights and spending 3.7 billion Euros.  In contrast, overseas residents made 1.58 million visits to Scotland, staying 15 million nights and spending 806 million Euros.”  The overseas visitors comprise mostly of individuals from the United States, which accounts for 24% of the population that visits Scotland.  Other countries include Germany (9%), France (8%), Canada (7%), Australia (6%), and a variety of other countries making up the rest of the visits to Scotland.

Scotland is composed of thousands of historic sites and attractions, which include prehistoric stone circles, standing stones, burial chambers, and Bronze Age remains.  There are also several historic castles, houses, battlegrounds, ruins, and museums.  However, the Edinburgh Castle is one of Scotland’s largest tourist attractions and the ruins of Melrose Abbey on the Scottish border are also nearly equally popular.  Other attractions include Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Aberdeen Art Gallery, Glasgow, Stirling, and Aberdeen.  In fact, the United States news channel “CNN” has named Scotland as the number one destination for tourists to visit in 2013.

            At the Cairngorms National Park, visitors can find castles, historic sites, breweries and can even participate in adventure sports including mountain biking and white water rafting.  This national park is UK’s largest national park located in northeast Scotland, and established in 2003.  There are several unique species of nearly extinct animals including ospreys, red squirrels, and the Scottish wildcat.  Further to the south near Glasgow is Scotland’s other national park called Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.  Loch Lomond is the largest inland area of freshwater in Britain and this location is a popular destination for windsurfing in Scotland.  The loch also offers sailing, canoeing, waterskiing, and tours around the loch via boat. 

Economics - Scotland

           The GDP of Scotland is $250 billion, which includes revenues from North Sea oil and gas.  The GDP per capita is $47,369, which also includes revenues from North Sea oil and gas.  The life expectancy is 76.5 years old for males and 80.7 years hold for females.  17% of children in Scotland live in poverty and 220,000 children (more than 1 in 5) are living in poverty.  The Scottish Survey of Adult Literacy revealed that 73.3% of the Scottish population could read and write.  Scotland had an employment rate of 72.3% as of December 2013, making it the highest of all UK countries.  The inflation rate of Scotland is 1.7% year over year.  Inflation from January 2014 to February 2014 was 0.5%.

            The climate of Scotland is moderate.  January and February are the coldest months of the year and typically average around 41°F.  July and August are normally the warmest months with temperatures averaging around 66°F.  Due to the long coastline of rivers and lakes, the people of Scotland are heavily involved in fishing and shipbuilding.  Loch Fyne and Loch Lomond are the most popular water attractions by tourists because of their natural beauty and calm waters.  Some major rivers include the Forth, the Clyde, the Tay, and the Tweed. 

            The size of the labor force in UK is 30.09 million as of November 2013.  The educational system of Scotland is different from other UK countries such as England, Wales, and Ireland.  Children in Scotland complete seven years of primary school, then six years of secondary school.  Secondary schools are also known as high schools.  However, students are not required to attend the last two years of secondary school. 

            The government of Scotland is looking to improve its infrastructure.  They are improving the current rail network by working with Network Rail to target resources to improve the quality of tracks, bridges, crossings, and tunnels.  They are also trying to improve the road systems particularly Routes 24, 25, and 26.  In addition, an increasing demand for transportation on trains has lead to overcrowding.  The government is working with stations and trains to improve cleanliness, passenger comfort, and station and train facilities.

Chapter 3 McMillan - He Who Can't Pay Die

AIDS killed numerous individuals in Africa.  There are several Africans that can’t pay for the drug nor do they have the sufficient level of health care in order to maintain its progression.  Simply stated, Africans do not have the resources or money available to them to fully cure themselves.  The “only real solution is to eliminate poverty” (31).  Economic growth such as receiving a better education will be the only cure for AIDS. A better education will allow Africans to obtain a better job, which leads to more income.  In turn, this income can be used to pay for the expensive drugs.  Since the pharmaceutical companies can dictate the price of their drugs, the Africans need to obtain enough money in order to pay for the good.

Due to the need for demand for drugs, pharmaceutical industries can charge whatever price they want for their drug.  “This is because the patient’s need is great, decisions on use and not made by the user but by a physician, and the bill is often paid not by the user but by an insure company or a government health plan” (34).  With the assistance of the Clinton administration, the government worked out a plan to benefit the individuals that were suffering from AIDS in the underdeveloped countries.  Other continents such as Africa and Asia would negotiate lower prices on the drugs so that they could afford them.  In addition, they also recreate similar drugs to that in the developed countries and sell them for a cheaper price.