The US Patriot Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The US Patriot Act - Essay Example ng the tools by which law enforcement agencies fight crime and improves communication capabilities between these government agencies and in spite of the prevailing majority opinion, protects, not degrades civil liberties. According to the Justice Department, the PATRIOT Act gives support to and encourages enhanced sharing of information among various law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels. In addition, this law assists law enforcement in their efforts to â€Å"connect the dots† from a wider scope of agencies when assembling evidence so as to â€Å"develop a complete picture† regarding possible threats from terrorists. The Act also allows law enforcement officials more latitude when attempting to intercept transmissions of suspected terrorist’s discussions via electronic surveillance. (Ward, 2002). Since the PATRIOT Act was enacted in October of 2001, it has been an essential instrument in ensuring the safety of American citizens in the ongoing ‘War on Terror.’ The more conducive sharing of information augments the same, constitutionally lawful, forms of law enforcement that had been employed to apprehend and prosecute criminals prior to 9/11. In addition, the legislation has increased the effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Justice in its efforts to interrupt terrorist actions while simultaneously and earnestly defending the civil liberties of American citizens. â€Å"America still faces dangerous enemies, and no priority is more important to the President than protecting the American people without delay† (â€Å"US PATRIOT Act†, 2006). According to President Bush, â€Å"The Patriot Act defends our liberty. The Patriot Act makes it able for those of us in positions of responsibility to defend the liberty of the American people. It’s essential law† (Allen, 2004). Paul Rosenzweig, a senior legal research fellow at Heritage is convinced that Ronald Reagan, the champion of modern-day conservatism, would support the PATRIOT

Autism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Autism - Research Paper Example Autism is not one specific condition, but refers to a group of disorders with disparate underlying etiologies (Corbier, 2005). Hence, treatment for autism is multidimensional, including behavioral management, individualized education plan, medical treatment, psychoanalytic therapy, and rehabilitative therapeutic strategies, together with patience, faith and belief. Integrated treatment plans focus on preparing people with autism to live in their home community in the least restrictive environment (Hardman et al, 2007). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current treatments for children with autism, and determine their effectiveness. Behavioral Management as a Treatment Intervention in Autism Behavioral interventions aim to improve specific appropriate behaviors, or to lessen inappropriate behavior (Hardman et al, 2007). This approach is commonly considered to be the most effective in treating autism in children. A research study was conducted by Sallows and Graupner (2005) on twenty-four children with autism, aged between 24 to 42 months at the beginning of the study. They were randomly assigned to early intensive behavioral treatment, and to treatment involving intensive hours but less supervision by equally qualified supervisors. The results were similar for both groups, after four years of multidimensional treatment including cognitive, language, adaptive, social and academic measures. This indicates that supervision by trained staff is not an essential criterion for improved behavioral outcomes, when the same intensive treatment is given to both the study sample and the control group. By combining the two groups, it was found that the results were optimized, and by age seven the children could adapt themselves to mainstream classrooms. However, pretreatment skills played a significant part in determining the success of the interventions, particularly verbal imitation ability, language and social responsiveness. Lovaas (1993) di scovered that early identification of the environmental variables that controlled the extent of treatment gains, was essential. Effective treatment for severe behavioral disorders requires early intervention which is conducted throughout the child’s waking hours, while taking all significant behaviors in all the child’s environments into consideration, by all significant persons caring for the child, and for many years. Research on early intensive behavioral treatment for children with autism was conducted by Cohen et al (2006) in the community setting, to replicate earlier studies which had shown favorable results. The three-year prospective outcome study using a quasi-experimental design consisted of the sample group of 21 children which received early intensive behavioral therapy (EIBT) from a community agency, and the other control group of 21 children who of equal age and IQ as compared to the first group, and belonging to special education classes at local public schools. The results showed marked improvement in language, nonverbal skill, and adaptive behavior; hence early intensive behavioral therapy can be successfully undertaken in the community setting. Individualized Education Plan and Educational Interventions â€Å"Early intervention and a highly structured education program are currently regarded as the best treatment for chi

Railway ticketing lines Essay Example for Free

Railway ticketing lines Essay This proposal will outline a comprehensive proposal for setting up railway ticket selling and information center for Paddington Railway Station. This will be achieved through outlining the operational as well as management aspects of the project. Operational Issues Waiting is often considered as frustrating and a boring job which most of the passengers have to bear while waiting for their turn to receive tickets for their journey. For a learning organization, it is therefore necessary that a system of procedures shall be implemented which helped it achieve the operational excellence by carefully managing different timings i. e. peak times, low times etc during ticket selling procedure. Since it is often believed that services are experienced and goods are consumed therefore from a operational point of view management of waiting lines carries great significance in order to achieve necessary efficiency as well as productivity. (Maister,1985). We propose to manage waiting lines during following times: Peak Hours We propose to set up different counters i. e. increase number of counters to manage peak hours. This will allow us to reduce time spent on delivering each ticket or providing information. Queuing theory will be used to manage peak hours also. (Young, 1996). In order to avoid the usual problems happening at this time, we also intend to upgrade our database and system in order to analyze the travelling patterns of passengers coming at this time. This would allow us to prepare in advance to gather resources which best suit that time and type of customers. Interpeak Hours Waiting lines during this period will be managed by increasing the coordination between the counters and the passengers. This will be achieved by employing extra professionals who will guide our customers to right counters and will provide them right guidance to reach the correct counter to receive their tickets. Off Peak Hours Since off peak hours do not produce the similar amount of passenger rush therefore normalized operations with focus on delivering accurate service will be performed. It is also important that this will be the time which also be utilized for marketing purposes. References 1. David Maister. (1985). the Psychology of Waiting Lines. Available: http://davidmaister. com/articles/5/52/. Last accessed 8 November 2008. 2. Scott T. Young, (1996). Managing Global Operations: Cultural and Technical Success Factors. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group. 209.

How Polluted Is The Brisbane River Environmental Sciences Essay

How Polluted Is The Brisbane River Environmental Sciences Essay This paper described the water pollution in Brisbane River and its effect in the environment and human health. It constructed an index that focuses on the effects and vulnerability to the environment. Councils and industries affect the Brisbane River by polluting and not following proper precautions. This paper examines the contaminants present and how primarily reduces its number. There is a wide range of industrial pollutants in Brisbane River discussed in this paper. It affects the Entire River and bodies of water around the location. These pollutants are generally addressed in various ways. Benefits of effective environmental management include improved water working conditions and reduced pollution incidents significantly due to industrial and structural processes. Some environmental advocates of water ecotourism choose to think of it as a true return to nature by minimizing realty development in natural areas and preserving their intrinsic beauty. The balance of costs and benef its is difficult to assess due to the insufficient data. Introduction The government initiated measures to control Brisbane water pollution by regulating its source that prevent the pollutants from being released into the atmosphere. Emission control systems set by the government are seen as the solution rather than considering ways to eliminate or minimize pollutant. By virtue of government mandate, the Environmental Protection Agency has been charged with the responsibility for developing programs on Hazardous waste regulation as well as a regulatory body for Brisbane River (Miller, 2008). The Environmental Protecting agency may make rules subject to the negative designation of hazardous substances and the performance standard, safeguard, procedures and licensing requirement with accordance with which such hazardous substances shall be handled. The management investigate the environment generally and such premises necessary to ascertain the nature of pollutants. It also develops and implements programs for the management of such wastes which include registration and further characterization of significant sources being disposed to the environment There is a wide range of industrial pollutants in Brisbane River that started when European settlement establish around the area causing pollution and increase waste products (Gleick Palaniappan, 2008). These include combustion and sewage products from power generation, transport and incineration. The common contaminants generated by these processes include, nitrous oxides, phosphoric substances, particulates, carbon oxides and nitrogen oxides. Effects of the development in the area such as industrial pollutants are directly affecting river as well as health of the population. There are also significant amount of sulfuric or nitric acid detected in aquatic reservoir that can destruct vegetation, drinking water, erode buildings and damage aquatic life in the River. The community utilizes Modification of the Transmission to disperse pollutants and most of the other waste products generated are re-shipped to manufacturers for recycling (Agar, 2001). An Analysis of Past and Current Pollution Levels SURVEY_DATE Nitrogen (total) as N (mg/L) Phosphorus (total) as P (mg/L) 4/10/2006 0.54 0.24 15/11/2006 0.52 0.23 15/12/2006 0.51 0.2 16/01/2007 0.46 0.2 14/02/2007 0.48 0.2 16/03/2007 0.47 0.19 17/04/2007 0.43 0.2 15/05/2007 0.51 0.25 14/06/2007 0.66 0.28 12/07/2007 0.56 0.25 10/08/2007 0.41 0.25 10/09/2007 0.5 0.24 9/10/2007 0.49 0.23 7/11/2007 0.55 0.25 5/12/2007 0.48 0.25 8/01/2008 0.7 0.31 5/02/2008 0.57 0.19 5/03/2008 0.35 0.098 4/04/2008 0.37 0.14 15/05/2008 0.44 0.17 17/06/2008 0.57 0.16 16/07/2008 0.57 0.17 15/08/2008 0.45 0.14 11/09/2008 0.38 0.13 13/10/2008 0.43 0.15 12/11/2008 0.46 0.15 10/12/2008 0.71 0.14 8/01/2009 0.58 0.1 9/02/2009 0.42 0.11 10/03/2009 0.59 0.17 8/04/2009 0.68 0.18 7/05/2009 0.48 0.13 5/06/2009 0.55 0.1 6/07/2009 0.71 0.095 5/08/2009 0.42 0.084 3/09/2009 0.5 0.12 5/10/2009 0.46 0.12 4/11/2009 0.3 0.088 3/12/2009 1.9 0.16 13/01/2010 0.51 0.11    These data can be used as a proxy for water pollution in general, which impacts on many aspects of the riverà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s ecosystem and public health including such things as quality of water and biodiversity. But there is no continuous data monitoring for Nitrogen and Phosphorus and other hazardous chemical in Brisbane River (Miller, 2008). Therefore estimation for this pollutant indicator could not be determined. The data indices was developed in the past which describe the risks associated with sustainability, climate change, economic and social conditions, climate change, natural disasters, anthropogenic impacts in the river. Most of these figures describe the vulnerability of human systems with only limited attempts having been made to describe effects of air pollution on the environment (Donald, 2002). Nature There is a wide range of industrial pollutants in Brisbane River. These pollutants are generally addressed in various ways. These include oil products from manufacturers, industries, transport and incineration. The common contaminants generated by these processes include phosphorus and nitrogen. There are also non-combustion sources. Examples of these are industrial processes, transportation, agriculture and construction that produce water pollutants and particulates (Gleick Palaniappan, 2008). These are release directly from the source into the water in a harmful form. A typical pollutant would be nitrogenous compound. Moreover, particulates are also present and serve as atmospheric pollutants that consist of the vapor phase of such compounds. Its chemical composition is depending upon source chemicals. The pollution level in the past years in Brisbane River is continually increasing partly because of industrialization and technology (Ostopowich, 2006). There is also inorganic water pollutants consist of many types of substances present in the river. Many of these liquid and solid substances may become particulate air contaminants. These inorganic water pollutants consist of sulfur, oxides of carbon, and nitrogen. Nitrogen and phosphorus are considered as a directly fatal and toxic material (Miller, 2008). Carbon dioxide in the water may turn out to be the most significant water pollutant of all because of its potential health hazard that might cause devastating water destruction. Oxides of nitrogen and sulfur are acid forming gases that can facilitate acid formation. These pollutants enter the water system as the result of industrial activities. The trends are continually fluctuating without normal ranges (Agar, 2001). Effects Water pollution from mechanical and industrial sources is the most widespread form of pollution in Brisbane River. It affects the Entire River and bodies of water around the location. Continuous Water protection monitoring is presently conducted in the river. Over the period 2000-2010 there has been a steady increase in the number of industries around the river (Gleick Palaniappan, 2008).The number of industrial processes in the area has remained more or less steady during this same period. There are pollution standard concentrations over a period of time that is considered to be acceptable on health and on the environment (Donald, 2002). They can also be used as a bench mark to see if water pollution is getting worse. Moreover, water pollution has a wide range of effects on human health resided along the river, ecosystems, structures and other human communities. Adverse effect and discomfort on human health and environment result to functional and physical damages. Australian Healt h Ministry reported incidence of respiratory diseases related to chemical pollutants around the area. They detected significant amount of phosphoric or nitrogenous chemicals in aquatic reservoir which can be attributed to acid rains. It can contaminate drinking water, vegetations and erode river wall buildings and damage aquatic life. Some environmental advocates of water ecotourism choose to think of it as a true return to nature by minimizing realty development in natural areas and preserving their intrinsic beauty. For example, instead of using up large tracts of land for building hotel complexes, these advocates prefer the construction of small, more ecologically friendly lodges that can take in a limited number of people only. The idea behind this thinking is to lessen the negative impact that tourist activities make on the environment, keeping consumption well within the carrying capacity of the area. (Miller, 2008). Others, however, see ecological benefits is being compromise because it accounts for benefits and uses that the host communities can get from the tourist activities in their area as well as the profits that travel agencies can also realize. They believe that conscientious consumption of the environmental resources and economic progress can be enjoyed simultaneously. The main thrust of this paper is therefore to determine if ecotourism he trending situations and is actually possible to reduce the pollutants, given the conflicting interests at play in these kinds of activities (Ostopowich, 2006). Control The number of collected data on control measures in Brisbane River is aggressively planned by our office (Environmental Protection Agency) with collaboration of various private and public sectors. It is difficult to determine accurately the percentage of effectively managed or controlled pollutants per year but the effort is continuous. Water pollutants resulted from industrial processes in the river is treated by different water treatment process (Gleick Palaniappan, 2008). It disperses pollutants to reduce the concentration at the susceptible target location to an acceptable level. The pollutant was transported with a considerable distance and transform to clean water. In this process, the water pollutants are brought to a designated area and are compacted. Most of the other waste products generated are re-shipped to manufacturers for recycling. In Trinidad only waste oil is recycled, therefore, given that 897.8 cubic meters of oil is generated per year, with 35.8 cubic meters bei ng recycled, the mean percent of hazardous waste recycled locally is about 4 per cent (Donald, 2002). Environmental Protection on water is also stressed out by the government. They prohibit the deposition or release of rubbish, scrap metal, motor vehicle parts, motor vehicle bodies, building waste, solid or liquid waste from an on-site domestic waste water treatment system, degreasing agent, paint, varnish or paint thinner or any manufactured product, or any by-product or waste from a manufacturing processes, that has a pH less than 6 or greater than nine (Agar, 2001). Recommendations The Environmental Protection agency gathers the most relevant information to come up with recommendations on how to decrease water pollution in Brisbane River. To help protect human health and ecosystem around Brisbane River, these recommendations suit to control and minimize water pollution Water quality indexes must be used to serve as warning for susceptible people of a possible air pollution health risk. The modified Environmental Vulnerability Index must aid to summarize a wide range of environmental vulnerability for Brisbane River. A significant number of data collections are requirement to extract important information from various government or private agencies and international environmental organizations the country Administrative controls and legislative protocol can be utilized to minimize or prevent the generation of pollutants by the adoption of appropriate industrial practices and rules for specific processes including maintenance, waste disposal procedures and management controls. Engineering measures and controls can be used by Industries to minimize or prevent the release of pollutants. This approach includes polluting material elimination and substitution to prevent harmful emission into the atmosphere. Modification of the process to eliminate or reduce emissions is also part of engineering control. Emission control systems are also effective method to discharge gas streams adequately Government must continually provide support for strengthening the environmental management capacity of participating agencies to provide advice and access to data in support of its activities relating to complaints, environmental emergencies, monitoring compliance, enforcement and assessment of the state of environment. Properly dissemination of information and co-coordinate activities to promote and enhance environmental awareness of the public. A Predictive Model of Future Pollution The establishment of the predictive mode for water pollution is basically outlined from environment law and the plan provided a new set of perspective and basic ideas for the future environmental policies and trend regarding water pollution. This model established a framework with a long-term course. The model is a prediction on how the Brisbane River will progress and how the present effort affects the future. Previously, pollution problems were regional and the resulting damage was easy to see. It was therefore relatively easy to appreciate the causes and effect (Gleick Palaniappan, 2008). By contrasting the present situation to the past, many of todays water and environmental problems are caused by the activities of human being and many different elements that go to build up current complex and huge economic society. In order to solve these environmental problem, collaboration and partnership is a very important component. Collaboration in this case involves various private and l ocal elements in society working together in sharing and cooperating responsibilities. It also contains understanding the relationship between the activities of human and the natural environment, and also the connection that between socio-economic activities and the ecosystem. (Miller, 2008) People around Brisbane River have always been dependent on the environment as well as many people around the world. It is significantly essential for us to take into consideration, and realize, the relationship that between people and his environment, and to open a way for a sustainable future with the active cooperation and involvement of all people (Ostopowich, 2006). Conclusions Human systems and the environment are dependent on one another so that risks to the environment will eventually translate into harm and risks for humans and their welfare. Air pollutants from industrial facilities and industrial processes in Brisbane River include: oil refineries, power plants, chemical plants and steel mills. The amount of emissions are variously controlled, licensed and permitted emissions by the government, Waste production indicator is based on the amount of wastes produced by industrial processes and pollutants being generated or brought into the river.

Serotonin Receptors and Transport Essay -- Prozac Medical Neurology Es

Serotonin Receptors and Transport Being that Fluoxetine (commercial name Prozac) basically functions as a selective reuptake inhibitor for the neurotransmitter serotonin, some discussion of this transmitter is needed before its reuptake inhibition can be addressed. Serotonin (5 hydroxytrytophan or 5HT, for short) is synthesized from the precursor amino acid tryptophan through the enzyme action of tryptophan hydroxylase (Abelson & Andrews,1997,p.794). This synthesis process occurs in the terminal boutons and the serotonin is contained in vesicles awaiting release when an action potential opens the calcium gates in the presynaptic terminal. Calcium flowing through the gate adheres to the vesicle membrane and to the terminal membrane causing the vesicle to rupture and release the transmitter across the synaptic gap (Kalat,2004,p.61). Serotonin has multiple receptor types and subtypes that are linked to many diverse neurological functions. Beginning in the 1970’s, radioligand techniques identified two broad categories of receptors, namely types 5-HT1 and 5-HT2, however, research has since identified another twelve types and associated subtypes bringing the current total to fourteen: 5HT1a,b,d,e,f, 5HT2a,b,c 5HT3, 5HT4, 5HT5a,b 5HT6, and 5HT7 (numbered suffixes represent types, lettered suffixes are subtypes). These serotonin receptor types vary by location within the brain, e.g., the highest density of 5HT1A receptors a found in the hippocampus and dorsal raphe nucleus, whereas the highest concentration of 5-HT2 sites are found in the medial prefrontal cortex (Abelson et al. 1997,p.794). Once released into the synaptic gap, serotonin is not broken down by... ... membrane (Williams et al,1998,p.3291). The exact mechanism for the inhibition is not, as yet, fully understood, however, a more complete chemical analysis of the likely processes is provided in the preceding section entitled â€Å"Specific Chemical Mechanisms.† References Abelson, J., & Andrews, P.(Eds.)(1997). Encyclopedia of Human Biology. San Diego, CA: Academy Press. Adelman, G. (Ed.)(1987). Encyclopedia of Neuroscience (Vol.2). Boston: Birkhauser. Kalat, J. W. (2004). Biological Psychology (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson-Wadsworth. Siegel, G.J., Agranoff, B.W., Albers, R.W., & Molinoff, P.B. (1994). Basic neurochemistry (5th ed.). New York: Raven Press. Shepherd, G.M. (1994). Neurobiology (3rd ed.). London: Oxford University Press. Williams, S., & Mauro, S. (1998). European journal of neuroscience, 10(10),3288-3295.

EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION : A SUPERNATURAL :: essays research papers

Extrasensory perception or ESP is the knowledge of external objects or events without using our five basic senses. People that believe that they have a kind of ESP are people such as psychics or spiritualists that believe they can communicate with the dead (Encarta). ESP is a supernatural and is nothing of the natural world that can be explained. Most believers in the phenomena of extrasensory perception do not understand physics at all and maintain that spatial distance is irrelevant to the exercise of ESP. People often have the tendency to make psychic experiences seem unusual, out of the ordinary, special, somehow set apart, or frightening (edgarcayce.org). Skeptical people of the widespread belief in ESP find themselves having to do practically nothing. ESP supporters do most of their work for them by dipping into the sensational, proponents of ESP effectively remove all believability they might have been able to convey. If their involvement with TV psychics, mediums and spiritualists was not quite so obvious or vocal, ESP promoters might well find themselves with a willing market for their similar things and for their values( wheel.ucdavis.edu ). Computers and other instruments have been used in the study of ESP. Most scientists do not believe that ESP exists. These scientists say that thousands of controlled studies have failed to show any evidence of psychical phenomena, and that no person has ever successfully demonstrated ESP for independent investigators(Encarta). Most sciences try to explain observable phenomena, but parapsychology tries to observe unexplainable phenomena (wheel.ucdavis.edu). The scientific method of investigation dictates that any observable results from experimentation be copied under the same sort of circumstances, and also be copied by investigators other than the original ones provided the circumstances and environment are the same (wheel.ucdavis.edu). This is the downfall of all known and described investigation into the existence of ESP. Research in this area has been characterized by incompetence, deception and fraud. When properly controlled experiments are done they have usually yielded negative results, have been unable to demonstrate a single clear case of psychic power or paranormal phenomena (wheel.ucdavis.edu). Experimentation following the believer method but performed by nonbelieving investigators has consistently come up with negative results that have been criticized by the believing side and vice versa (wheel.ucdavis.edu). Most of the research into the existence of parapsychological phenomena has had the effect of proving nothing verifiable, giving the two sides fresh facts and information with which to attack each other (wheel.

My Country

Our Country Our Country, the Union of Myanmar, is known as the land of golden pagodas. Myanmar is surrounded by big countries like China in the north and India and Bengladish to the west. Thailand and laos lie to the east of Myanmar and the south is the east of Myanmar and the south is the sea. Its area is about 676553 square kilometers, and it is the second largest country in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. Although it is still a developing country, we can say it has good neighbours, great resources and beautiful natural surroundings. And, Myanmar is divided into seven states and seven divisions. There are althogether 135 ethnic groups, like Kachin, Kayar, Kayin, Chin, Bamar, Mon, Rakhine, Shan, Palaung, Paoh and different races like Chinese and Indians, living in unity. Our country is situated near the Bay of Bengal, it has monsoon climate. It is colder in the north than in the south, and the central region is dry. It has three separated seasons, the hot season, the rainy season and the cold season (winter). Each season lasts about four months. The hot season begins in February and ends in May. The rainy season is from June to September. The cold season starts in October and ends is January. The hot season is the most unfavourable season in our country as it is the most unpleasant time to live. It is really hot, dry and dusty. The lakes and wells dry up in this season. Leaves fall from trees, making some trees bare with dry branches till the middle of the season. New buds come out after that and make them look pleasant thought. People have to cool themselves in various ways using fans, air-cons, and travelling and staying in summer resorts like Pyin Oo Lwin and Kalaw. In spite of the annoying heat, there are festivals like Water Festival, Kason water Sprinkling Festival and Pagoda Festival, which can release the people from the extreme weather. The Thingyan is one of the most enjoyable festivals in this season. After the hot season, it is the rainy season. In this season, it is very wet and some places are very muddy. The trees and leaves turn very green as their original colour returns when the dust is removed. Sometimes, it is very frightening because of the thunder, lightning, storms and floods. But, farmers expect the rain to start growing paddy, and rainwater is essential for everyone to live. The next season to come is the cold season. It is quite pleasant and cold in most parts of our country. Flowers bloom beautifully under the mist and fruits and vegetables are abundant in this season. People take exercise and walk in the early morning to get fresh air. Sporting events like marathon, running and walking races are held throughout the world. Religious Lighting Festival, Tazaungdine also falls in this season and it is very delightful to see the surroundings with colourful lights. After enjoying the Christmas festival and hailing the new year, our Independence Day tournaments which are also full of fun and merry-making arrive on the fourth of January. It is the best time of the year in our country as the weather is neither hot nor wet. Our country has four important rivers, called the Ayeyarwady, the Chinwin, the Thanlwin and the Sittaung. They are a great help in transportation and make it possible to grow different kinds of crops. As our country is an agricultural country, we grow rice, and crops the whole year round, and export rice, beam, prawns and fishes. It is also full of mineral resources like Jade, sapphire, ruby, gold, silver and various kinds of metal. Myanmar pearl is also world famous for its quality. In the forests, we have abundant supply of teak, ironwood and other kinds of hard wood. Myanmar woven clothes and handicrafts like tapestries, lacquerwares, sculptures of various kinds of wood and other wares also reflect the culture of Myanmar people. The national museum, Planetarium Yangon Zoological graden, Hlawga Wildlife park, Aquarium lakes, amusement parks, natural caves, waterfalls, bird sanctuaries, mountain resorts, summer resorts, various creeks and rivers and botanical gardens are the countless attraction of Myanmar, our country. However, as it was once a colony of the British and the Japanese the people were influenced by different missions of different religions So, there are some Christians, Hindus and Muslims. But, our country have independent since 1954. So, the other religions live together peacefully under the teachings f different religions So, one can see various sizes, styles and shapes of pagodas, images, monasteries, churches, temples and mosques everywhere in our country, Myanmar. The capital of our country is Yangon and, Mandalay is the second largest city and the last capital of Myanmar kings. Naypyitaw is also the large and important city for our country. Bagan is the most famous places with thousands of pagodas. It is very attractive for all people because we can see most of the religious relics and buildings. It is also attractive for foreigners because it has ancient culture, arts and crafts. Bagan is situated on the east bank of the Ayeyarwady in central Myanmar. It is about 5 kilometers south of Nyaung Oo. Its area is about 16 square miles and it has a hot and dry climate. It was the capital of the Myanmar kingdom during the Bagan dynasty which was from 11th to 13th centuries. It became the centre of Buddhism after King Anawrahta attacked Thaton in 1057 and brought to Bagan the Buddhist monk, Shin Arahan, the sacred Pitakas and the sacred Pali language. Bagan has always been famous for its ancient pagodas and monuments and is recognized by the world’s travellers as one of the world’s wonders. The architecture and the artistry of the craftsmen show Myanmar’s wounderful achievement in arts and crafts. The lacquareware of Bagan is still very much in use, and stands as a traditional attraction for all of us. There are also places of interest like the Bagan Archaeological Museum, the Myanmar handicraft shops and many other antique shops. Today, Bagan has become a tourist attraction because of its archeological sites and unspoilt beauty. It is such as attractive place for both natives and foreigners. The Shwedagon Pagoda is the most ancient historical pagoda in Myanmar. The history of the Shwedagon says that the Gotama Buddha gave eight hair relics to the two brothers, Taphussa and Ballika, who went to India as traders. They brought the relics to their hometown, Okkalapa, now known as Yangon. They gave the sacred relics to the king of Okkalapa. The king and the citizen built the first pagoda in Myanmar. This pagoda, known as the Shwedagon, enshrines not only the eight hair relics of Gotama Buddha but also the relics of Kakusam Buddha, Konagan Buddha and Kassapa Buddha. So, it is regarded as the most sacred pagoda. This pagoda was rebuilt and enlarged by later kings. The last person to rebuilt the pagoda to the present size and shape was Queen Shin Saw Pu. The pagoda is 326 feet tall and its circumference at the base is 1420 feet. Its festival is celebrated every year in the last month of the Myanmar calendar called Tabaung. It is celebrated for seven days culminating on the full-moon day of Tabaung. The Pagoda is covered with gold from top to bottom. It glitters in the sun-light like solid gold. It is well known not only in Myanmar but also in the whole world and many pilgrims from all over Myanmar as well as from abroad have visited the Shwedagon. There are also many other places of interest in Myanmar, our country. Inlay is one of the most beautiful places in Myanmar. Most of the people who live there are Shans, Pa-ohs, and Danus. They are hospitable and honest. Inlay is a big lake with floating islands. Various kinds of vegetables are grown there. Vegetables are fresh, cheap and plentiful. People in Inlay have a market day every five days. It is very crowded with people selling and buying all kinds of goods, in moving boats. Their lives in boats are very interesting. There are only two places in the world where people row the boats with their legs. One is in Venice, Italy and the other is in Inlay. That is why Inlay is known as Venice of the east. As it is in Shan State, the weather is cool and pleasant. We can also enjoy ourselves by taking a motor boat ride on the lake. It is very exciting to feed the sea-gulls from a moving boat because they sometimes bite our fingers. The famous Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda is in Inlay so we can go on a pilgrimage there. Its festival is held in October and people from all over the country go there to pay homage to the images of Buddha. There are many beautiful and pleasant places which are worth visiting and seeing in Myanmar. Pyin Oo Lwin is a hill station. It is 42 miles from Mandalays. The sight of the blue mountains and green valleys along the way is pleasant. It is a quiet town with beautiful gardens. The streets are clean and less crowded and there is hardly any noisy traffic except in the town centre. The atmosphere is peaceful and the climate is pleasant. It is refreshing to go for a walk in the early morning. It is cold during the winter months and cool in summer months. In the evening, the breeze often brings its sweet smell, and the air is clean. Fruits and vegetables are cheap and plentiful the whole year round. The main attraction of Pyin Oo Lwin is the famous National Kandawgyi Garden. There, we can see real natural beauty and different varieties of the most beautiful and colourful flowers in Myanmar. The Pwe Kauk water fall is the place where families have their meals enjoying the beautiful views. We can go on to visit the Maha Arnthtoo Kantha Pagoda and pay homage to the Buddha image. Many visitors take photographs at the Peit Chin Hmyaung Cave which is the pride and wonder of the town, Pyin Oo Lwin. The cool breeze and the beautiful landscape attract many holiday – makers. Natural beaches like Ngapali, Ngwe Saung, Kan Thar Yar, Chaung Thar and Maungmakan are also natural unspoilt places where we can get perfect peace and relax ourselves. Myanmars are carefree and fun-loving people. So, there are many festivals in our country for the whole year round. Among them, the Thingyan Festival is the most famous and the year’s greatest event. It is also the most enjoyable festival in our country. The Thingyan marks the end of the old year and welcomes a new one. It usually last for three or four days. During the festival, people throw water on one another. It means washing away the impurities of the old year. People of different ages, young and old, take part in it. People set up pandals or stages and throw water and revellers who go round the city in open cars. Most of the revellers are teenagers and children get lots of fun, playing in the wet. Water-throwing, shouting and teasing are accepted as a natural process during Thingyan. People get into a forgiving mood and even mere strangers treat each other as long-lost brothers. No one seems to be angry for being wet. We can watch many stage shows and dance shows everywhere. It is not only a time for doing good things. Old people go to pagodas and monasteries to meditate or keep Sabbath. Young people wash the hair of the elders and cut their nails. Most people avoid doing bad things during this period. The whole country is alive with fun and activities. Thingyan is the festival in which we can get the greatest fun for the longest period. The Myanmar people are kind, hospital and generous. They are also simple, honest, helpful and friendly. In fact, they are peace-loving people. It has an international air-port and a beautiful port for ocean lines. It is also the gateway into Myanmar. We can be proud of our tradition and culture, and Myanmar is self sufficient. It also produces building materials such as wood and bamboo. There are also many scenic places and pleasant beaches which are very attractive for tourists. People in our country love, regarded by foreigners as helpful, smiling and even easy-going people mistakenly. In fact, Myanmar people are simple and loving. They are also hardworking. Although Myanmar is a developing country, there are a lot of natural resources that we haven’t explored and places of interest to be renovated and attract the tourists. With the improvement of modern technology, we will be able to discover all these and apply for the all-round development of our country, Myanmar. Presented by, 2 GC – 19 Ma Hnin Ei Khaing TU (HINTHATA)