Final assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final assignment - Essay Example The amount of arable farmland in China continues to decline sharply even as the region faces yet another problem, which is water shortage (Imura 93). This paper will examine some of the ways China is trying to curb the recent trends, and what it might mean to the future of the region if these techniques do not work. In order to be an economic powerhouse, the country has to have its affairs in order so as to be able to control most of what it imports into the region. The fact that arable farmland is diminishing and water shortages are becoming rife, the region may soon be faced with problems its citizens or government may not be fully equipped to handle. A recent report by the Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, Zhang Ping, indicates that the severe shortages of the reserve farmlands and water resources present the biggest challenges to ensuring food security for the region. Urbanization that is considered to be rather rapid and natural disasters are said to be among the top reasons why the region is losing cultivatable or arable land, thus; making it a herculean task to save the remaining percentage of land that is still cultivatable (Imura 97). China’s National Bureau of Statistics indicates that China is responsible for 20pc of the globe’s population. However, only 7pc of this has been recorded as cultivatable land. It goes on to claim that; of the over 130 million hectares of arable land that was present in China in 1996, there was only a little over 120 million hectares left by the year 2008. Bank of America has, unfortunately, claimed that China has already bypassed the 120 million hectare mark, meaning that only 115 million will be available by the year 2015. China, at the moment, can only boast of having less than 5 million hectares of land as reserve farmland (Imura 101). Further statistics by an agricultural consultancy firm indicate that there is need to maintain or preserve the remaining 120 million

The Great Depression of the 1930's Research Paper

The Great Depression of the 1930's - Research Paper Example The depression not only resulted in loss of jobs, but also resulted in psychological crisis which was attributed to loss of income and property, and the resultant sense of gloom which was endured by the country during those tragic years. Such events put the government and the Federal Reserve under great pressure to safeguard the rapidly deteriorating economy from worsening further and eliminate the social and commercial crisis faced by its people (Campbell, 2008). The exact reasons which led to the great depression are highly complicated in nature, and have been the subject of various debates among historians. Initially during the beginning of 1920s, the nation’s economy was relatively strong and consumer-oriented, with a booming automobile and consumer goods industry which produced products in large numbers to cater to the wide market. This could be substantiated with the presence of large companies such as General Motors and General Electric, which were not only successful i n the consumer goods market but also a major source of investments in the New York Stock Exchange along with other financial markets. The stock markets and financial institutions prospered greatly during those years, which led to a huge investment in those sectors, leading to an unprecedented rise in stock prices. The government concern increased, with the increase in stock prices, and the Federal Reserve along with the government began to introduce and develop policy measures to control the rising stock prices. Such measures taken by the government and the Federal Reserve paved way for the impending crash of the stock market, which began during October 1929. Although historians so far, have failed to pinpoint one single event which led to the collapse of the stock markets, and the resultant economic downturn that followed, resulting in billions of dollars worth of loss, large scale unemployment, failure of banks, and years of economic and social unrest. Timeline history of the peri od Year Events 1929 Feb 2 Federal Reserve Bank bans bank loans for margin trades June 15 - August Agricultural Marketing Act passed, Economic expansion peaks Sept, 3 Stock prices peak Oct 24, Oct 29 Black Thursday, sales of stocks was recorded at an all time high of 12,895,000, and 16,410,000 respectively resulting in a record forty points drop in the New York Times index Nov 13 Stock prices record a new low 1930 October Unemployment rises, Committee for unemployment relief formed Dec 2 Government funds a $150 million public works program. By the end of 1930, nearly 1350 banks suspend their operations 1931 Official report suggests that nearly 4-5 million people were unemployed Oct 16 New York Federal Bank increases its discount rate from 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent Oct 23 New York Federal Bank once again increases its discount rate from 2.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent Dec 11 New York Bank collapses. By the end of the year nearly 2293 banks shut down Lack of economic safeguards During the depression there was large scale unemployment, various banking and other financial institutions failed and had to shut down, and there was a sharp decline in the GNP leading to disastrous outcomes. Such widespread and negative repercussions were mainly as a result of lack