Black Voices The Harlem Renaissance - 1587 Words

Black Voices: The Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was a movement that climaxed during the 1920s. It was a movement North by African Americans, who had lived down in the rural South. Taking place in major cities such as New York City, Chicago, Detroit, and Pittsburgh, the industry of the Blacks boomed. The Harlem Renaissance took place when the Blacks showed a longing for equality amongst the Whites and many similar events. The â€Å"National Association got the Advancement of Colored People† was formed and is still around. It was dedicated to the rights of equality for all. During the Harlem Renaissance the Blacks emerged with powerful voices and strong minds, and formed a national voice to represent all of their people as they continued to fight for rights and equality. The Harlem Renaissance fell in a perfect time slot. The years between World War I and the Great Depression were times for the United States, where the lands boomed, and jobs were abundant in the city . Between 1920 and 1930, almost 750,000 African Americans left the South, and many of them migrated to urban areas in the North to take advantage of the prosperity—and the more racially tolerant environment. The Harlem section of Manhattan, which covers just 3 sq mi, drew nearly 175,000 African Americans, turning the neighborhood into the largest concentration of black people in the world. Also referred to as the â€Å"Great Migration†, The Harlem Renaissance was a movement beginning in 1910 and closing out inShow MoreRelatedLangston Hughes And The Harlem Renaissance1219 Words   |  5 PagesLangston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance The Harlem renaissance is an artistic revolutionary period that took place between 1917 and 1937. This was after the First World War. Harlem was a district in New York. The Harlem renaissance impacted the social, cultural as well as artistic aspects of the black community. Many black people were encouraged to flee the southern sides where the caste system continued to oppress the black people. At this period, racial inequalities as well as other social injusticesRead MoreEssay on The Harlem Renaissance and Its Societal Effects 1133 Words   |  5 PagesWhat Is the Harlem Renaissance, and What Effects Did It Have On Society? Harlem was like a great magnet for the Negro intellectual, pulling him from everywhere. Or perhaps the magnet was New York, but once in New York, he had to live in Harlem(Langston Hughes, The Big Sea). When one is describing a â€Å"fresh and brilliant portrait of African American art and culture in the 1920s (Rampersad, Arnold),† the Harlem Renaissance would be the most accurate assumption. The Harlem Renaissance proved to AmericaRead MoreBlack Lives During The Harlem Renaissance1373 Words   |  6 PagesBlack Lives During the Harlem Renaissance New Negro Movement, the elegant roaring times of the Billie Holidays’, Dorothy Wests’, and the Augusta Savages’. The rebirth of African American arts, took place in Harlem, New York in the early 1920’s. The New Negro Movement was utilized to describe African American as artistic, conscious, sophisticated. The Great Migration was the movement of 6 million African Americans who began to move from the rural southern parts of the United States to the NortheastRead MoreBlack And Blues - Langston Hughes1623 Words   |  7 PagesKelsee Robinson Mrs. Fiene English 12 14 March 2017 Black and Blues – Langston Hughes The Harlem Renaissance was a time in history when the African American culture had one of its most influential movements by using creativity and the arts (Hutchinson 1). This movement took place between 1918 and 1937 and was shaped by both African American men and women through writing, theatre, visual arts, and music. The purpose of this movement was to change the white stereotypes that were associated withRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance, A Social, Cultural, And Artistic Movement1298 Words   |  6 Pages The Harlem Renaissance was a social, cultural, and artistic movement that started in Harlem, New York during the 1920’s. Although it is generally considered to span from 1918 to the mid-1930, many of its ideas continue today. â€Å"The Harlem Renaissance was a phase of a larger New Negro movement that had emerged in the early 20th century and in some ways ushered in the civil rights movement of the late 1940’s and early 1950’s† (Thomas, 2017).  "The social foundations of this movement included the GreatRead MoreThe New Negro Of The Harlem Renaissance879 Words   |  4 PagesThe New Negro Movement, also known as The Harlem Renaissance, was a time in the early twentieth century where African Americans embraced literature, music, theatre, and visual arts (Alchin). They were inspired and gave inspiration to many blacks in the community. The Great Migration was the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance – it is, where it began the most significant movement in the black history. After World War I, â€Å"more than six million African Americans† traveled from â€Å"the rural South to theRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance : A Literary, Artistic, Cultural And Intellectual Movement1485 Words   |  6 PagesIII 26 March 2014 The Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was a literary, artistic, cultural and intellectual movement. The word renaissance means rebirth or revival. African Americans during this time were being pressured by Jim Crow Laws in the South. These laws separated the races tremendously (Roses). African Americans appeared ignorant, poor, and servile. Hate groups and hate crimes alarmed families, and they collectively decided it was time to make a change. Blacks, also known as ruralRead MoreClaude Mckay s Harlem Dancer And Ended Around 1929 Essay1535 Words   |  7 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance began in 1918 with the publication of Claude McKay’s â€Å"Harlem Dancer† and ended around 1929. During this period, there was a wave of literary works by, and about, Blacks. The Harlem Renaissance was a period of great intellectual expression as well as introspection (Bodenner). There were several key moments and individuals that made this era of time historical. African American artists rejected imitat ing the ideals of white Americans and championed black artistic expression onRead MoreThe Influence Of The Harlem Renaissance On African American Literature1144 Words   |  5 PagesThe Affect of the Harlem Renaissance on African American Literature The second half of the eighteenth century introduced a new expression to the literary world. The new expression was a voice that belonged to the African American writers. The African American writers wrote with a flair and brought a new perspective to the realm of literature. Literature, as America had known it, consisted of works from Christopher Columbus, John Smith, William Bradford, and Mary Rowlandson; these writers capturedRead MoreAlexandra Williams . Harlem Renaissance . Dr. Lean’Tin1237 Words   |  5 PagesWilliams Harlem Renaissance Dr. Lean’tin Bracks March 1, 2017 Langston Hughes â€Å"I Too† Langston Hughes, born February 1,1902 was a writer and a leader of the Harlem Renaissance era. Hughes was one who had a very firm revolutionary back groud even agreeing with the idea of communism as a segregation alternative. This theme showed up throughout his works. Often publishing revolutionary work and keeping certain associations is where Hughes began to receive backlash as an artist. The Harlem Renaissance

Swot Analysis for Bank of America free essay sample

I assumed the role of a mutual fund manager work for First Investment Inc Investment Inc. With the information I gathered in part one of my paper I made the decision to invest in Bank of America. In part two of these papers I will further explain why I chose to invest in Bank of America. This paper will address the financial health of Bank of America by reviewing the banks income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow (MGT/521 course syllabus). I will also analyze Bank of America’s financial health and compare it against another bank. After I do the comparison I will compare Bank of America technological advantages, or address any deficiencies they may have. This paper will also address the effects of globalization on the Bank of America and I will conduct a benchmarking analysis that will include the best practices of Bank of America, operational processes and procedures for Bank of America and products or services for Bank of America. Once regarded as one of the top banks in the banking industry Bank of America is on the decline. According to infoplease on March 31, 2010 Bank of America was ranked number one as one of the largest banks in the United States. Today they are second to JPMorgan Chase and they are in worst shape compared to the other large banks. Bank of America has made several faulty decisions that have cause the banks decline in the banking industry. Kenneth Lewis the CEO of Nations Bank acquired Bank of America after the acquisition Bank of America went on to acquire FleetBoston Financial for $48 billion and in 2005 Bank of America acquired Maryland Bank, National Association (MBNA). The acquisition of Maryland Bank, National Association positioned Bank of America at the top of the United States credit card business (New York Times 2012). First Investment Inc has come to pinpointed how Kenneth Lewis the CEO of Bank of America went wrong. In 2008 Countrywide Financial was acquired. Countrywide Financial would later bet caught up in the subprime disaster. Merrill Lynch investment bank was a billion dollar investment that was suffering from its own bad mortgages. With 30 billion in losses from Countrywide and 300 million to all the lawsuits filed against Bank of America; Kenneth Lewis had the corporation going on the decline. Bank of America didn’t do their homework on Merrill Lynch. Merrill Lynch had loses that were far above what Bank of America expected but they did convey the information to their shareholders. The lose cause bank of America to ask for a 20 billion dollar bailout in 2008 and 2009. Bank of America’s shares were cut in half after the news got out about the losses from Merrill Lynch investment bank (New York Times 2012). In 2012 Bank of America has started to turn around. Bank of America reported a first quarter gain. Bank of America had the lowest in credit loses between clientele. The failing business mortgages and Bank of Americas reputation balance out on Wall Street. Comparing Bank of America to the top two mortgage companies (JPMorgan and Wells Fargo) Bank of Americas gross is in decline. Both institutions (JPMorgan and Wells Fargo) announced a gain gross and income. Even though Bank of America’s first quarter earnings were greater than expected Bank of America’s earning fell short compared to JPMorgan and Wells Fargo. On a positive note Bank of America’s global market reported a 30 million dollar gain, but in the fourth quarter the combination of Bank of America and Merrill Lynch was down in profits after more than doubling in profits in the fourth quarter. First Investment Inc has a few concerns when it comes to investing in Bank of America. The first concern is the bad investment decision Kenneth Lewis made when he decided to purchase Countrywide Financial. When a purchase of this magnitude is made the business making the purchase must first review the company’s income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow and compare that to how they looked when they first started to how they look today and what the present outlook looks like. Clearly Kenneth Lewis did do his homework on Countrywide Financial. Kenneth Lewis knew the financial state of Countrywide Financial and failed to relay the messages to the other stakeholder in the company. If I were put in the same situation as Kenneth Lewis I would hire someone who is knowledgeable on how to conduct a SWOT on a business before a purchase. I would share the outcome of the SWOT with the stakeholders and I would hire someone to do a background and market analysis on Countrywide Financial. â€Å"The reason the stock is tanking is because the market does not believe Bank of Americas assets are worth what they say they are worth† (Henry Blodget 2011). First Investment Inc believes that the main reason is Bank of America’s failed to do the proper outlook investment analyses. Bank of America’s management should have conducted future analyses on where the business is today and where what the future holds. The managers at Bank of America should review the banks financial situation. Bank of America should have first looked at what their competitors were doing and the state of the economy. Bank of America should have should have taken the time to analyze the mortgage and real estate brokers, by not analyze the mortgage and real estate brokers people purchase property that they couldn’t afford. The price of houses declined in 2006 this caused the houses that were purchased to be worth less than what the price of the house was originally purchase for. This is when all the foreclosures started and Bank of America started losing money. Countrywide financial played a big part in the subprime loan lawsuit losses. First Investment Inc conducted a Bank of America benchmarking analysis. First Investment Inc will compare the top banking corporation (JPMorgan Chase) against Bank of America to determine who has the best practices, operational processes and procedures, and products or services. In the hands Kenneth Lewis Bank of America has made some bad investment decision; one in particular is the acquisition of Countrywide Financial. JPMorgan Chase made some risky decisions that could’ve backfired on the corporation, but during the economic disaster JPMorgan quarter earnings were positive, even after the bailout of Bear Stearns Cos and the acquisition of Washington Mutual Inc. JPMorgan increased units to the products business by doing this the number of branches has increased (VS Pages, 2011). The request by Bank of America to raise their share to one cent was refused by the federal Government, yet The Federal Government approved JPMorgan’s increase share from 5 cents a share to 25 cents a share. The approval was based on the fact the JPMorgan show a greater outlook during the financial decline. Bank of America and JPMorgan own several financial services, but unlike Bank of America JPMorgan is an investment bank. JPMorgan has services in over 60 million countries around the world, making them the king of the financial banking world (VS Pages, 2011). Throughout the economic crises Bank of America and JPMorgan have had their share of ups and downs. Bank of America angered many of its customers by increasing their loan interest rates. On the other hand JPMorgan became involved in one of the corporation’s worse lawsuits. JPMorgan was required to pay an Alabama county that was near bankrupt approximately 722 million dollars (VS Pages, 2011). The following is a table comparison of the products or services from Bank of America and JPMorgan. ServicesBank of AmericaJPMorgan Chase CDsyesyes Checkingyesyes Credit Cardsyesyes Debit Cardsyesyes Gift CardsNoyes Health Savings Account (HSAs)yesyes IRAsyesyes Savingsyesyes Number of Branches6,2335,490 Number of ATMs18,00015,000 After conducting a Benchmarking analysis First Investment Inc has concluded that Bank of America and JPMorgan are similar, but First Investment Inc feels that the cost per share is the number one reason First Investment Inc has chosen to invest in Bank of America.

Biker Gangs the Outlaws Mc free essay sample

The Outlaws MC: â€Å"God forgives, Outlaws Don’t† is the motto for one of America’s oldest and more notorious biker clubs, the Outlaws. The gang began it root in Matilda’s Bar on Route 66 in McCook, ILL in 1935. Since the start of the club chapters or local gang have spread widely across the United Stated and have established themselves in other countries such as Australia, Europe and South America. History: The Outlaws first began in 1935 prior to World War Two in McCook, Illinois just outside of Chicago. The club managed to stay intact during the war but the clubs activities were very limited. In the 1950’s the club grew immensely in size and with new members coming from all over the Chicago area the Outlaws moved from the small town of McCook and re-established themselves in Chicago. With the new change of location the Outlaws also changes their name from the McCook Outlaws to the Chicago Outlaws as well as updating their logo. We will write a custom essay sample on Biker Gangs: the Outlaws Mc or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The original sign of an Outlaw was a winged motorcycle this was replaced with a small skull. But after the 1954 movie â€Å"The Wild One† starring Marlon Brando the club would enlarge the skull and add a set of crossed pistons. In 1960 the A. M. A. or American Motorcycle Association, which supervises all official races in the United States banned the word outlaws from all race clothing. Then on the first of January in 1965 the American Outlaws Association (A. O. A. ) was born along with the first true 1%ers motorcycle club. These 1%ers differed from the rest of Americas motor cycle riders, the 99% who carry respectable careers and obey the law. The Outlaws believed in acting a pirates and mafia members. Take what you want and do whatever you have to too get it. ( outlawsmc) Becoming a member: Outlaw members must be male, at least 21 years old and own an American-made motorcycle 750cc’s or above. You must also be Caucasian in United States to be accepted as a member. Prospective members are first considered â€Å"hang-around† or associate members. Once becoming a potential member you become a prospect. Finally in as much as 2 years time a patch member. Members may be asked to perform a certain number of tasks to prove their loyalty to the club. A full patch member is entitled to wear a leather or denim vest bearing the Outlaws emblem or â€Å"colors. † These vests would be ecorated with the clubs logo, a skull and crossed pistons named Charlie that is always outlined in red and worn on the back of the jacket. A triangle shape patch would also be worn on the front left shoulder with the letters A. O. A surrounding a hand with the middle finger extended. Before 2000 a swastika would appear on the back side of the hand. Full patch membe rs are also given the right to attend so called church meetings, while prospects and â€Å"old ladies† would wait outside. The female members wear the traditional OMG or Outlaws Motorcycle Gang back patch with â€Å"Property of† on the top side rocker and the owners name on the lower rocker. The attitude of the Outlaws is once a member always a member. Currently there are over 1,700 members serving under the Outlaws MC today. (NDIC) Structure: The Outlaws MC is a very organized and disciplined organization. They used a basic military style format. The lowers level of each chapter consists of hang around members, chapter probates or prospects and chapter members or full patch members. These members are the henchmen and workers of the club. Moving up in the chain of command each chapter has a chapter president who is over seen directly by the regional president. The regional president ensures each chapter keeps as much power in that state as possible. After the regional president there is a national president. The national president oversees each countries regional president. On the top of the chain stand the international president. He is the lord of the biker gang. The most known world leader of the A. O. A. was Harry Joseph Bowman. (NCIC) Harry Joseph Bowman Harry â€Å"Taco† Bowman began his career with the Outlaws serving as the regional president and national vise-president. Later in 1984 Bowman became the international president and in control of over 30 chapter in the United States and 20 chapter in four other countries. He served as the international president for 13 years until 1997. While under Harry Bowman a war began to brew across the country between rival motorcycle gangs. While the Outlaws may have been allied with other groups like the Banditos and Southwestern motorcycle gangs, hatred formed around the Hells Angels, Pagans and Warlocks. The Outlaws would display slogans such as â€Å"AHAMD† or â€Å"All Hell’s Angels Must Die† and â€Å"ADIOS† or Angels Die in Outlaws States. † The ar broke out in 1990 when Bowman ordered Outlaws prospect, Alex â€Å"Dirt† Ankerich to kill Warlock member Raymond Chaffin. Chaffin was found in his garage with 4 shots to the head. In September of 1994 Michael Quale a member of the Hells Angels was murdered during an altercation with members of the Outlaws. At the funeral, a photographer captured a photo of members of the Hells Angel’s hugging members of the Fifth Chapter Motorcycle Club. The FCMC was a family oriented club made up of men and women who were recovering from substance abuse problems, who were neutral and maintained good standing with all clubs. Bowman saw this as a sign of disrespect and ordered the beating and near death of 15 member of the FCMC. The Outlaws used the slogan â€Å"Snitches are a dying breed†, so in 1994 when Bowman caught wind of one of their own had been talking to the police he ordered the murder of Donald Fogg. Fogg was located by authorities in a field with a single shot to the head. Besides murder Bowman was involved in kidnapping, the distribution of illegal drug and many other criminal activities. In 1997 Harry â€Å"Taco† Bowman became a fugitive of the FBI’s top ten most wanted list and was finally captured in 1999 while visiting family in Michigan. Bowman’s indictment included ten counts. Four counts allege violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (â€Å"RICO†). When in trial the jury found Bowman was guilty on eight counts and thirteen racketeering acts. Bowman was sentenced to life in prison. (USvB) Criminal Activity: The Outlaw’s MC has been involved in many different criminal activities. These include violent acts, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and illegal gambling. On March 17, 2009 22 members of the Outlaws, one being a corrections officer were arrested for running a 3. 6 million dollar cocaine ring in Pennsylvania.

Discussion #5 Example

Discussion #5 Example Discussion #5 – Essay Example Topic: Home Schooling Pros and Cons Homeschooling has the benefit of promoting home development due to the support that a child will receive from all family members. Slide ten proposes that the family members will utilize the routines, time and space in the home for promoting child development at home. However, it would be hectic in cases where both the parents are working and in other scenarios such as single parenting. This brings about a massive workload to the parents who will be forced to spare time for homeschooling (Windley, 2006). For the child to receive a quality education, parents will have to make homeschooling a full-time commitment to substantial investment in terms of effort and time. In terms of costs, it will also be expensive for the parents to purchase an up to date curriculum besides to the cost of materials, books, and other stationery. Unschooling is a new phenomenon that requires self-drive and a lot of discipline in making and adhering to a strict study plan. This philosophy is currently gaining popularity due to less pressure associated with the learning mechanism where a child will choose appropriate learning schedule and lessons to complete at any moment. Many schools should start thinking about incorporating unschooling with their regular program to encourage children explore their talents while at the same time indulge in various learning exercises. This setup wold make learning more attractive in terms of stimulating the mind and breaking the monotony of always indulging in books as the only learning routine. This learning mode would not be conducive for the children who need constant motivation to excel in their studies as well as those who need constant competition to excel in class work. The freedom associated with unschooling should be regularly assessed to ascertain its effectiveness in the learning process and impact on child development. ReferencesWindley, C. (2006). Home schooling. New York: Atlantic Monthly Books.

Is Political Intelligence a Powerful Form of a Leader Research Paper

Is Political Intelligence a Powerful Form of a Leader - Research Paper Example Intimidation, being a common managerial style among current business managers is gaining popularity in the corporate world. According to Kramer (2006), although subordinates find intimidating leaders rather tough and hard to deal with, these leaders, and managers find the style rather effective in managing their subordinates. Intimidation involves a number of elements, which prompts subordinates to work according to the desire of the managers. Subsequently, the managers in the organization decide on the most effective way of handling their employees. The bottom line of this research’s argument; leaders have to be intimidating and equally tough in order to achieve results. However, achieving intimidation for a leader does not happen automatically in an organization. The manager has to show readiness and willingness to coarse a number of individuals in order to achieve results. How effective then is this managerial style to a manager? The fact that subordinates are responsive to its application is the main reason why the author believes ion its efficiency. Addressing managers, the author argues that the most effective method that managers can use to achieve results is the use of a political style of leadership. Without any form of compromise, a manager can get subordinates to achieve results whenever he wishes. For instance, in an organization whose subordinates show an unwillingness to handle their work, the manager can effectively use this style of management in order to achieve results.

Follow the details Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Follow the details - Essay Example Like many photographs, this one is one in which my entire family is gathered about the time when I was celebrating my 10th birthday. One of the reasons that the photograph bears so much importance to me is that it has both sets of my grandparents as well as my mother and father in it. Only a few years after the photo was taken, three of my four grandparents had passed away. In this way, the photo itself is a way to remember the happiest memories of my childhood. The second object is one that I have brought with me in my travels abroad; a leather bound copy of the Holy Koran. The book belonged to my father and my grandfather before him. It was always something that was unique and holy within our household and I remember being fascinated by it since I was very young. This fascination was due in part to the fact that it was physically different than all other books that we had in our house. The leather engraving on the cover and on the back was exquisite and the Arabic calligraphy that covered it had always sparked my imagination. In this way, when my father learned that I would be going overseas to study, he entrusted me with this family treasure. This was done not as a way to keep me safe or as a good luck charm but to remind me of my culture and of the importance of my upbringing even though I would be far away in the land of different customs and interpretations of right and wrong. This type of moral compass and guiding principle of my fai th and of my ethnicity was and is something that I keep close to my heart and treasure to this very day. The final article that this brief essay will discuss is that of my high school graduation diploma. Although having a high school graduation diploma in and of itself signifies little within the current era, it is not the receipt of the diploma itself that is of the most importance. Rather, it is the strong memories that are associated with it, the friendships I made, the times I spent, and the

Ancient Greece Location Essay Example for Free

Ancient Greece Location Essay Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity (ca. 600 AD). Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the period of Classical Greece, which flourished during the 5th to 4th centuries BC. Classical Greece began with the repelling of a Persian invasion by Athenian leadership. Because of conquests by Alexander the Great, Hellenistic civilization flourished from Central Asia to the western end of the Mediterranean Sea. Classical Greek culture had a powerful influence on the Roman Empire, which carried a version of it to many parts of the Mediterranean region and Europe, for which reason Classical Greece is generally considered to be the seminal culture which provided the foundation of Western culture. Land: Greece has very hot, dry summers. Rain only falls in winter. This restricts crops in many areas to grapes and olives and the animals to sheep and goats. However, there are also rolling plains that are ideal for growing crops like wheat and barley. As only a certain amount of food could be obtained locally, the Ancient Greeks built boats to fish and to trade what they had. There was no sugar, so honey or boiled grape juice were used as sweeteners. There were often wars when cities wanted to take over the land of a neighboring city. Mountains Greece is made up almost entirely of mountainous land with only small areas of lowlands. The mountains are beautiful but made it hard to farm and make a living. They also made it hard to travel and communicate with people a distance away. The mountains divided the cities in Ancient Greece and each city had its own customs and ideas. Greece consists of a large mainland at the southern end of the Balkans; the Peloponnesus peninsula (separated from the mainland by the canal of the Isthmus of Corinth); and numerous islands (around 3,000), including Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Euboea and the Dodecanese and Cycladic groups of the Aegean Sea as well as the Ionian sea islands. Greece has more than 15,000 kilometres of coastline and a land boundary of 1,160 kilometres. About 80% of Greece consists of mountains or hills, thus making Greece one of the most montainous countries of Europe. Western Greece contains lakes and wetlands. Pindus, the central mountain range, has a maximum elevation of 2,636 m. The Pindus can be considered as a prolongation of the Dinaric Alps. The range continues by means of the Peloponnese, the islands of Kythera and Antikythera to find its final point in the island of Crete. (Actually the islands of the Aegean are peaks of underwater mountains that once consisted an extension of the mainland). The Central and Western Greece area contains high, steep peaks dissected by many canyons and other karstic landscapes, including the Meteora and the Vikos gorge the later being the second largest one on earth after the Grand Canyon in the US. Mount Olympus forms the highest point in Greece at 2,919 metres above sea level. Also northern Greece presents another high range, the Rhodope, located in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace; this area is covered with vast and thick century old forests like the famous Dadia. Plains are mainly found in Eastern Thessaly, Central Macedonia and Thrace.Greeces climate is divided into three well defined classes the Mediterranean, Alpine and Temperate, the first one features mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Temperatures rarely reach extremes, although snowfalls do occur occasionally even in Athens, Cyclades or Crete during the winter. Alpine is found primarily in Western Greece (Epirus, Central Greece, Thessaly, Western Macedonia as well as central parts of Peloponessus like Achaea, Arkadia and parts of Lakonia where the Alpine range pass by). Finally the temperate climate is found in Central and Eastern Macedonia as well as in Thrace at places like Komotini, Xanthi and northern Evros; with cold, damp winters and hot, dry summers. Its worth to mention that Athens is located in a transition area between the Mediterranean and Alpine climate, thus finding that in its southern suburbs weather is of Mediterranean type while in the Northern suburbs of the Alpine type. About 50% of Greek land is covered by forests with a rich varied vegetation which spans from Alpine coniferous to mediterranean type vegetation. Seals, sea turtles and other rare marine life live in the seas around Greece, while Greeces forests provide a home to Western Europes last brown bears and lynx as well as other species like Wolf, Roe Deer, Wild Goat, Fox and Wild Boar among others. Ancient Greece We begin to look at the geography of ancient Greece by examining how Greeks lived on their farms, why they traded, road systems, and the plant life that ancient Greece had. Geography has always had a great influence on Greece and its inhabitants. It is largely responsible for numerous continuities in its extensive history. While the mountains that split the Greek lands have contributed to localism they have been a major barrier to unity as a nation. The struggle of communication by land and the significant presence of the sea have made mariners out of Greeks for numerous generations. The natural resources ensure a steady flow of abundance and guarantee sustenance if governed wisely. Farming In ancient Greece, many cities had land that was used for farming within the city, but most of the people lived in small towns and villages outside of the city. Archeological survey indicates that there were even smaller settlements such as hamlets (very small villages), and isolated farms which were only lived in seasonally. According to this information, there would have been many villages, hamlets, single farms, and occasional small towns scattered over the land; as can still be seen in Crete. The Greeks had their private space that consisted of the agricultural fields in the territory of the polis and their houses compacted in settlements, whether in the central town of the city-state, in smaller towns, or villages. Ancient Greeks preferred to live in such compacted settlements, even when agriculture was their main source of support. Occasionally, there has been evidence of how agricultural land was organized by the residents of the settlements in rectangular and equal lots. The idea was that each family would farm a single plot of land. But, there was a tendency for farmland to become divided and for a landowner to own many plots of land scattered all over the community. The land was organized for mules and donkeys with built mule-tracks reaching every settlement. Since the Bronze Age, there had been chariots and wagons with roads that that were easy to drive on, but the roads were not easy to drive on. Classical Greek roads were more complete with grooves cut for the wheels in steep and rocky places. The road system, the landscape, the markets, and the farms were all part of the geography of ancient Greece. Greece has thousands of islands Ancient Greeks became a sea-going people due to the close proximity of the sea to most Greek city-states. These merchants and traders developed a sense of freedom and independence not seen before. Map of Phoenician and Greek colonies at about 550 BC In Ancient Greece, colonies were sometimes founded by vanquished people, who left their homes to escape subjection at the hand of a foreign enemy; sometimes as a sequel to civil disorders, when the losers in internecine battles left to form a new city elsewhere; sometimes to get rid of surplus population, and thereby to avoid internal convulsions. But in most cases the motivation was to establish and facilitate relations of trade with foreign countries and further the wealth of the mother-city (in Greek, metropolis). Colonies were established in Ionia and Thrace as early as the 8th century BC.[7] More than thirty Greek city-states had multiple colonies around the Mediterranean world, with the most active being Miletus, with ninety colonies stretching throughout the Mediterranean Sea, from the shores of the Black Sea and Anatolia (modern Turkey) in the east, to the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula in the west, as well as several colonies on the northern coast of Africa with the overall sum[citation needed] being 1500 from the late ninth, up to the 5th century BC. There were two similar types of colonies, á ¼â‚¬Ãâ‚¬ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ºÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ± apoikia (pl.: á ¼â‚¬Ãâ‚¬ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ºÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ¹, apoikiai) and á ¼ ÃŽ ¼Ãâ‚¬ÃŽ ¿Ã ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ± emporia (pl.: á ¼ ÃŽ ¼Ãâ‚¬ÃŽ ¿Ã ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ¹, emporiai). The first type of colonies were city-states on their own; the second were Greek trading-colonies. The Greek city-states began establishing colonies around 800 BC, at first at Al Mina on the coast of Syria and the Greek emporium Pithekoussai at Ischia in the Bay of Naples, both established about 800 BC by Euboeans.[8] Two flushes of new colonists set out from Greece at the transition between the Dark Ages and the start of the Archaic Period, one in the early 8th century BC and a second burst of the colonizing spirit in the 6th century. Population growth and cramped spaces at home seem an insufficient explanation, while the economical and political dynamics produced by the competitive spirit between the frequently kingless, newly introduced concept of the Greek city-states, striving to expand their sphere of economical influence better fits as their true incentive. Through this Greek expansion the use of coins flourished throughout the Mediterranean Basin. Ancient Greek colonies on the northern coast of the Black Sea, c. 450 BCE Influential Greek colonies in the western Mediterranean included Cyme (Aeolis), Rhegium (Rhegion) by Chalcis and Zankle (c. 8th century), Syracuse by Corinth/Tenea (c. 734 BC), Naxos by Chalkis (c. 734 BC), Massalia (what millennia later became Marseille, France) by Phokaia (c. 598 BC), Agathe by Phokaia (shortly after Massalia), Elea (Velia) by Phokaia and Massalia (c. 540 BC), Emporion (nowadays Spain) by Phokaia/Massalia (early 6th century), Antipolis (nowadays France) by Achaea, Alalia (Corsica) by Phokaia/Massalia (c. 545 BC) and Cyrene (North Africa) by Thera (762/61 and 632/31 BCE).[9] Several formulae were generally adhered to on the solemn and sacred occasions when a new colony set forth. If a Greek city was sending out a colony, an oracle, especially one such as the Oracle of Delphi, was almost invariably consulted beforehand. Sometimes certain classes of citizens were called upon to take part in the enterprises; sometimes one son was chosen by lot from every house where there were several sons; and strangers expressing a desire to join were admitted. A person of distinction was selected to guide the emigrants and make the necessary arrangements. It was usual to honor these founders of colonies, after their death, as heroes. Some of the sacred fire was taken from the public hearth in the Prytaneum, from which the fire on the public hearth of the new city was kindled. And, just as each individual had his private shrines, so the new community maintained the worship of its chief domestic deities, the colony sending embassies and votive gifts to the mother-citys principal festivals for centuries afterwards. The relation between colony and mother-city, known literally as the metropolis, was viewed as one of mutual affection. Any differences that arose were made up, if possible, by peaceful means, war being deemed excusable only in cases of extreme necessity. The charter of foundation contained general provisions for the arrangement of the affairs of the colony, and also some special enactments. The constitution of the mother-city was usually adopted by the colony, but the new city remained politically independent. If the colony sent out a fresh colony on its own account, the mother-city was generally consulted, or was at least requested to furnish a leader. Frequently the colonies declaring their commitment to the various metropolitic alliances formed in the Greek mainland and for religious reasons would pay tribute in religious centres, like Delphi, Olympia or Delos.[10] It is worth noting that the Peloponnesian War was in part a result of a dispute between Corinth and her colony of Corcyra (Corfu). The cleruchs, known in Greek as klà ªrouchoi, formed a special class of Greek colonists, being assigned individual plots of land in the place to which they had been assigned. The trade factories set up in foreign countries, such as Egypt, were somewhat different from the ordinary colonies, the members retaining the right of domicile in their own fatherland and confining themselves to their own quarter in the foreign city.