Defence set to give US greater military access

What are the US and Australian military forces agreeing to currently? What the specific implications of this agreement?
TEAMS of US and Australian officials are finalising a series of agreements, to be signed at this month's AUSMIN summit, that will give US forces greater access to Australian military bases. They will result in a significant escalation of military co-operation, including more visits by US ships, aircraft and troops, and their forces exercising here regularly.

What is the name of the summit where Australia's Defense Minister and the US's Secretary of Defense will meet?
AUSMIN summit

Which country is the US specifically reacting to?
China

What are the US planners looking to achieve with this agreement regarding troop movement?
As US planners looking for ways to move forces around the world more effectively broke the globe down into regions, Australian officials worked closely with them on the Asia-Pacific.

What are other key areas of discussion at the summit?
Other key areas for discussion at the talks will be cyber security, progress in Afghanistan and the state of the Joint Strike Fighter project.

What does this agreement mean for Australia's future in the Regional and Global context?
this agreement ensures that Australia's Defence network and connections with other countries will be a lot stronger - especially the US. it also means we will have a "big brother" (US) and will be able to make more rash decisions involving other countries if need be. it is strengthening our alliance with the US which is beneficial for the country.

Source A-C
What is the predicted population growth rate in 2030?

0.75%

What is the predicted population change in 2030?

60 million

What region of the world is predicted to have the greatest gross increase in percentage between 1800 and 2050?

South and Central Africa

Source D
How many males and females are there in Ethiopia for the age range 60-64 in the year 2000?

500 000

How many males and females are there in Italy for the age range 60-64 in the year 2000?

1.8 million

Why do you think that there is such a difference between these two countries?

because etheopia is a developing nation and has a larger population.

Source E
What is located at GR831979?

Dicks Hill

What is the highest point at AR7997?

490

What is the contour interval for the map?

10 metres

What physical feature is located at GR820975?

wet swamp

Approximately how far is the Laurieton Sporting Complex from Hanleys Point on the Camden Haven Inlet?

 

Give the GR for the North Haven Public School.

GR829005

What is the highest point at Camden Head? Give the height and GR.

Laurieton 79m GR847986

Go Back To Where You Came From Reflection

• What is your initial reaction to the show?

it was a realisation that we are an extremely privlidged country in so many ways. it made me realise that there are people who are faced with horrific conditions that are unimaginable to someone like me who has grown up in such a lucky country. i felt sympathy towards the people in their situation, and can understand why they make the choices that are put in front of them. such as going on a boat and fleeing their home countries. it truly is a rude awakening and a reality check for someone like me.

• What percentage of immigrants are refugee?

1.5 percent are refugees.

• Why does such a small number of people make for such a big deal both politically and in the media? (Give your opinion)

although there is only such a small percentage, because the issue gets s much media coverage it is blown up into something a lot bigger. it's out there in the open for discussion although people don't completely know what their talking about. a lot of people make harsh judgments when really they don't have any idea. this is what makes it such a big deal both politically and in the media.

• Where does Australia rank among countries accepting refugees?

Australia ranks 18th among countries accepting refugees.

• To what extent do we have an obligation to help other people suffering in the world? (your opinion)

i think that - as a country - we need to figure out when we should stop letting people in as refugees. obviously there are more people wanting to come in as refugess than we have the capacity for, which makes the decision to decide whether someone should be allowed to share our freedom or not very difficult. i think that as a country it is our duty to help other developing countries as much as we can. after all, sooner or later, bigger things like global warming and environmental destruction are going to be the most imminent threats we've ever faced as a unified planet.

• How much extra support do refugees receive in comparison to other Australian citizens?

they don't recieve any extra support in comparison to other Australians

• How many Asian nations have signed the UN Refugee Convention?

11 Asian nations have signed the UN Refugee Convention

• Why is it important to note that Malaysia has not signed the UN Refugee Convention? What does this mean for refugees in Malaysia?

Australia is negotiating a deal to send Malaysia unprocessed asylum seekers in exchange for resettling refugees here. However, as a non-signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, Malaysia does not recognise the rights of refugees as defined in the convention, nor does it have the same responsibilities as signatory countries. this means that refugees will notbe treated the same in Malaysia, other countries that defer refugees to Malaysia can not guaruntee the conditions they face will be pleasurable or morally right.

Australia may be a Nuclear target - Kevin Rudd

1. What title does Kevin Rudd have in the Australian Government? Explain what this role entails.
Kevin Rudd is the Foreign Affairs minister for the Australian government. this involves interacting with various countries around the world and keeping an eye on things such as this imminent threat to Australia in the form of nuclear weapons.

2. What is Kevin Rudd's concern?

Kevin Rudd's concern is that North Korea's nuclear missiles and weapon programs are a direct threat to Australia. he believes that North Korea are "detached from reality" and are chasing after their own goals and endeavours and only doing what will benefit them. an example is their lust to continue with their uranium powered weapons program.

3. What forum was he at to express his concerns?

Kevin Rudd was at the ASEAN region forum ministers "meeting" in Nusa Dua, Bali. the other foreign ministers of the organisation were also present.

4. What actions have North Korea performed recently which have Rudd alarmed and the region lacking stability?

North Korea have recently torpedoed a South Korean naval frigate and also shelled civilians' homes across the border which is an act of unnecessary violence that is worrying for the rest of the world. they have also defied two UN security council resolutions by pursuing an enriched uranium weapons program

5. What is a 'direct threat' to Australia according to Rudd?

a direct threat to Australia according to our foreign affairs minister Kevin Rudd is the long range North Korean missile program. "Its a serious matter; it’s not out there on the margins of our national security concerns; it’s real and I reflected those concerns to the North Koreans today".

6. What do you think that Rudd is trying to accomplish diplomatically by calling out his North Korean counterpart publicly? How does this relate to Australia's relationship and role in the region? 

i think that Rudd is trying to raise the awareness of this threat. he's trying to bring it out and put it in the spotlight so other countries who are at risk can also see the dangers North Korea pose. this also puts Kevin Rudd in the spotlight and shows that he is worried not only for his countries sake but for our allies in the region. it shows that Australia is a wary country and isn't going to let a risk like this simply drift away.

7. How does this relate to Australia's relationship to major allies?

this instance shows to Australia's major allies that we are investigating this matter, our allies know we are being cautious as we should be which is a good thing. it also makes them more wary of the situation and the possible threat to their country as well. Australia is being seen as the country that is questioning North Korea's weapons program which personally i think other nations have been thinking about as well. Kevin Rudd has simply put it out there to debate about.

Foreign Aid Review

1. make dot points on the article:

• in the past 5 years our overseas aid budget has doubled and in the next 5 years it will double again
• by 2015 we'll be spending 8 billion dollars a year helping people overseas
• the report Kevin Rudd undertook along with a panel of experts last year about our foreign aid policy came back recently. neither the panel's report or the governments response answers the bigger question about the purpose of our aid program and why it's growing so fast
• 7 percent of our aid program is in emergency relief
• our aid program is aimed to help people who live on less than $1.25 a day
• In 1981, 54 per cent of the world's people lived in extreme poverty. By 2005 this had fallen to 25 per cent. In 2015 it will be less than 15 per cent, according to the World Bank
• poverty is not being beaten by aid but by ecenomic growth
• economic growth requires a confluence of factors such as social, political and technological, to start whole populations moving from semi-subsistence farming to paid work
• the alchemic growth depends on these factors
• Australia's aid program to PNG has and still is one of the biggest and most innovative programs in the world. even still, PNG has not made any sort of progress since it's independence in 1975
• Australia view some countries such as Indonesia as poor countries when really they are richer than us. Measured in purchasing power parity terms, which avoids exchange rate distortions and gives the truest index of relative economic weight, Indonesia's GDP is now significantly larger than ours

2. paragraph to summarise what the author is saying in my point of view:

i think that the author is trying to say to the reader that Australia is using an obsurd amount of money to support countries in need such as Indonesia and PNG when really some of them (Indonesia) don't really need any help as they are richer that us when it comes to reality. the author is giving us the facts about Australia's economic situation in terms of Aid and ecenomic growth and how they interrelate with each other. despite this evidence that contradicts the intensions of the government in providing aid for other countries, i think that what we are doing as a country is good for the economy and in a way shows to the world that we are making the effort to help people we believe are in need. i think we should keep doing what we are doing for the meantime untill we have more relevent information on the topic at hand that can be used for the benefit of the country and the country that is being cared for.

3. Why do you think Australia is giving more Aid?

i think australia is giving moe aid because it feels like it's not giving enough to make a difference. a perfect example is our programs in PNG which is one of the most recognised in the world and yet since it started the country has barely changed in terms of ecenomic growth and living standards. the solution to this problem hasn't been found yet, personally i dont belive the answer lies in money as that has already proved itself to be useless.

    What would be the benefits of such a policy?

this policy is not only going to be something that helps people who are in great need but it makes us as a country look good in the eyes of other countries such as the USA and the united kingdom. people from countries around the world would admire our generosity and think of us in a good way if they previously had not. also the countries we are helping would be forever greatful for what Australia has done.

    What would be the negatives?

less money for Australia is one of the main  negatives of this policy. things like infrastructure, our own instinces of unemployment and homlessness and the like, need to be supported as well and many would argue that they deserve to be treated before people overseas. personally i believe that Australians do take a lot of the things we have access to for granted. people overseas are a lot worse off then we are and i still think this policy should go ahead as it may provide peole in a more desperate situation with the help they need to survive.

Mapping

1. What is it about the pressure system stalled over Australia that relates to the weather over the next 4 days?
high pressure system
 2. What is the air pressure in each of the next 4 days for each of the capital cities? How does this correspond with the predicted weather for these cities?

THURSDAY
Sydney - 1020 Hectopascals
Adelaide - 1030 Hectopascals
Melbourne - 1026 Hectopascals
Brisbane - 1018 Hectopascals
Perth - 1022  Hectopascals
Darwin - 1016 Hectopascals
Hobart - 1024 Hectopascals

FRIDAY
Sydney - 1018 Hectopascals
Melbourne - 1027 Hectopascals
Brisbane - 1016 Hectopascals
Adelaide - 1027 Hectopascals
Perth - 1024 Hectopascals
Darwin - 1012 Hectopascals
Hobart - 1024 Hectopascals

SATURDAY
Sydney - 1018 Hectopascals
Melbourne - 1020 Hectopascals
Brisbane - 1017 Hectopascals
Adelaide - 1020 Hectopascals
Perth - 1024 Hectopascals
Darwin - 1012 Hectopascals
Hobart - 1016 Hectopascals

SUNDAY
Sydney - 1016 Hectopascals
Melbourne - 1020  Hectopascals
Brisbane - 1017 Hectopascals
Adelaide - 1020 Hectopascals
Perth - 1016 Hectopascals
Darwin - 1012 Hectopascals
Hoabrt - 1024 Hectopascals




1. What is the contour interval (sometimes abbreviated CI)? Convert to metric.
the contour interval is 20 feet.


2. What is the scale of the map? Convert it into the metric system.
 the scale of the map is 1 cm:1.6 kilometres


3. What is the gradient of the line? Calculate in metric system.
121 feet = 36 metres, 2 miles = 3200 metres == gradient is 0.01125

Venice a City in Five Images

1. 5 aspects that make Venice unique

• brick restoration - the salt water that fills the canals wears away the bricks over time and causes them to desintergrate. this means they often need to be replaced which involves the isolation of various canals, drainage and rebuilding of the walls.
• flooding - the tides in venice can cause a whole area of the city to flood if it is high enough above average. this doesnt happen as regularly anywhere else in the world.
• bridges - there are 438 bridges in venice which is a lot more than there used to be. bridges make it easier to get from place to place in venice and the use of boats and canoes and the like has become less and less needed, although they are still a major part of the cities cultural identity.
• building techniques - the buildings on venice are structured to suit their geographical location and environment. the walls are designed so they will lean inwards if they do lean at all. this means the floors wont fall through as they are being pushed together. if the walls leant outwards the floors would loose its support and cave in.
• sewerage - the sewearge in venice is very unique as it doesnt really run through a labyrinth of pipes, it simply gets depositied into the surrounding canals.

2. Paris, France - 5 aspects that make this city unique.

The French Eiffle Tower is a monument that represents the city of Paris and the country of France. when people see this magnificant structure they instantly think of Paris which adds to why this city is so unique in so many ways.

the river cruise on the river thames in paris is a representation of relaxation and a feel good lifestyle. Paris is known globaly for its "young" lifestyle and modernised culture. its such a feel good city and place to be which is why so many people from all around the world travel here to have a taste of their lifestyle. the people in paris are also generally polite and welcoming which is also another fantastic element that adds to this cities identity.

paris has a rich history which gives the city even more culture and identity. and example of this can be the notre dame. this is a major tourist attraction that is intriguing and unique. on a larger scale france has a rich history as well, and this only adds to why paris is such a good place to be. not only is it different in its own way it represents france as a country.

France is known for its exquisite food and drink, especially cheese and wine. when people talk of good wines and delicious cheese, french wine and cheese are always of the best quality and among the most expensive. as paris is the main city in france it is the forefront of this notion and represents the country accordingly. this is another aspect that makes the city unique.

Paris is also known for its amazing architectual structures and its artwork. the Louvre musium in Paris is one of a kind as it holds some of the finest artworks in the world. this included the fabled mona lisa by leonardo da vinci which is probably the most well known and most famous painting in the world in history. even just having the painting in the city makes Paris unique.