China, the US, Europe, India, and Australia - Geography, Culture and Religion, Political and Legal Systems - Statistics Project Example

FACT SHEET ANALYSIS Name: Institution Affiliation: FACT SHEET ANALYSIS Part 1: Geography China United States of America European Union Japan India Australia The land area (Sq. km) 9,388,211 9,147,420 4,236,562 364,560 2,973,190 7690000 The population (million) 1374.6 321.6 507.4 126.9 1292.7 23 Area of land per head of population 0.0068 0.0285 0.0084 0.0029 0.0023 0.3343 The above data indicated that China has the largest land area with 9,388,211 Sq. km while Japan is the least with 364,560 Sq. km. As well, China leads in population followed by India with the following figures 1374.6 million and 1292.7 million respectively. What surprised me more is the fact that the population of Australia is 23 million people while the land area is 7.69 million square kilometers (Meyer, 2006). The area of land per head of the population indicates that Australia has the leading with 0.3343. The means that there is still a larger land for agricultural production and thus the country’s food security is stable. On the other hand, India has the lowest area of land per head of population. This is a clear indication that there is minimal land for agricultural production. Thus, food insecurity is a common problem faced in such a country (House, 2014). Part 2: Culture and Religion China United States of America European Union Japan India Australia Official Language Mandarin English German Bulgarian Croatian English and others Japanese Hindi, English English Cultural practices, customs Chinese culture Diverse culture Diverse culture Japanese culture Indian culture and heritage Australian culture Artistic practices Cuisses Chinese arts and Crafts Bronze vessels, China Calligraphy American artistic practices Different artistic practices Painting art Ancient pottery Sculpture Plastic arts Pottery and sculpture Visual arts Use new techniques and new media Emerging and established artistic Education Largest state run education system in the world Number of universities 2491 Education assessment is based on graduation In 2015, 80% of the population age 25-54 had attained upper secondary education In 2013, the total number of students in school were 19,127,474 Male 9,878,168 Female 9,249,306 Primary school enrolment 98.6% Total adult literacy rate 62.8% International Students 410,925 (2013) The six countries have different culture and religions. One of the most significant variation comes on the official language used in each country. In china, the official language is Mandarin. However, most of the people in this country can speak English and some other popular languages. On the other hand, there is no official language that is used in the European Union countries. Some of the most significant languages include Bulgarian, German, English and others. Any person or tourist planning to visit Japan should have an idea of the Japanese language since this is the official language. In addition to the above, Hindi is the official language spoken in India. However, most of the literate people are in a position to speak English language which is also the official language in Australia. It is imperative to note that the education levels and statistics vary in these countries. One of the most significant thing that surprised me is that China has the largest state run education system in the world. for the case of European Union, the 2015 statistics revealed that 80% of the population age 25-54 had attained upper secondary education. This means that education is taken seriously in such a country since the number of universities 2,491. In the case of Japan, 2013 statistics indicate that the total number of students in school were 19,127,474 with a distribution of 9,878,168 males and 9,249,306 females. This is a close range meaning that the Japanese culture and religion value both the boy and girl child (Muûls & Pisu, 2009). Finally, it is worth noting that the Australian culture and religion is one of the most attractive to the international students. The figures indicate that in 2013, the total number of international students was 410,925. On artistic practices and related activities, China is well known for its Chinese arts and Crafts Such as Bronze vessels and China Calligraphy. What also surprised me is that the Japanese culture promote art practices such as painting art, ancient pottery, and sculpture. Finally, Indian culture is well known for the following activities such as plastic arts, pottery and sculpture, and visual arts such as paintings (Lopez, 2008). All these artistic activities play a vital role in the promotion of culture and religion. Part 3: Political and Legal systems China United States of America European Union Japan India Australia Right to vote All the peoples who have attained 18 years have a right to vote Every citizen has a right to vote 18 years of age Every member has a right to vote Any citizen who as attained 18 years have a right to vote Right to vote is a constitutional right in India Every eligible citizen has a right to vote The frequency of elections Democratic elections Held after every four years Occurs after every four years Elections takes place every five years General elections held every four years General elections conducted every five years Federal elections held at least every three years The political structure Congress National Provinces Regions Districts Townships and minority townships USA is headed by the president There are two political movements The democrats and the Republicans The EU political structure is mainly based on the European Parliament Japan government consist of the Unitary state, Constitutional monarchy, and the parliamentary system Federal government Australian government Relationship between legislature and judiciary The executive, legislature and judiciary are integral Interactions is common in both functions Legislative and judicial functions are separate Legislative and judicial functions are separate Legislative and judicial functions are separate Legislative and judicial functions are separate The above table is concerned with three critical issues in the political and legal systems in these countries. These issues include the right to vote, the frequency of elections, and the relationship between the judicial system and the judiciary. One of the most notable issue is that in all the countries all the citizens who are legible to vote have a right to vote. For instance, in USA every citizen who has attained the age of 18 has a right to vote (Marazzi & Sheets, 2007). In addition to the above, general elections occurs after every four years. The other crucial information and comparison is discussed in the above table. Part 4: Growth and Trade Table 1 China United States of America European Union Japan India Average real GDP growth (% change yoy) 2013- 7.7 2014- 7.3 2015- 6.9 2013- 1.5 2014- 2.4 2015- 2.4 2013- 0.3 2014- 1.4 2015- 2.0 2013- 1.4 2014- 0.0 2015- 0.5 2013- 6.6 2014- 7.2 2015- 7.3 Average GDP per capita (US$) 2013- 6,995.3 2014- 7,625.8 2015- 7,989.7 2013-52,615.3 2014-54,360.5 2015-55,805.2 2013- 35,730.9 2014- 36,662.4 2015- 31,969.1 2013- 38,551.5 2014- 36,156.2 2015- 32,485.5 2013- 1,479.5 2014- 1,600.9 2015- 1,617.3 Average Current account balance (US $b) 2013- 148.2 2014- 219.7 2015- 293.2 2013- -376.8 2014- -389.5 2015--484.1 2013- 314.9 2014- 319.1 2015- 382.4 2013- 40.7 2014- 24.4 2015- 137.5 2013- -32.4 2014- -26.7 2015- -26.2 Table 2 Australian merchandise trade with China United States Japan Exports to China 81,457 Exports 14,226 Exports 40,282 Imports from China 61,788 Imports 33,027 Imports 19,781 Total trade 143,246 Total trade 47,254 Total trade 60,064 Australian merchandise trade with India European Union Exports to India 10,536 Exports 13,074 Imports from India 4,773 Imports 46,381 Total trade 15,309 Total trade 59,455 Australia's investment relationship with European Union China Japan India USA Australia's investment in European Union 589,467 70,230 93,164 10,558 594,425 European Union's investment in Australia 990,857 74,862 199,596 11,621 860,313 Major Australian exports in China Major Australian imports in China Major Australian exports in USA Iron ores & concentrates 38,864 Telecom equipment & parts 6,709 Beef, f.c.f. 3,076 Gold 8,983 Computers 5,371 Aircraft, spacecraft & parts 991 Coal 6,105 Furniture, mattresses & cushions 2,749 Meat (excl beef), f.c.f. 879 Copper 2,197 Prams, toys, games & sporting goods 2,092 Alcoholic beverages 491 Major Australian imports Major Australian exports in Japan Major Australian imports in Japan Passenger motor vehicles 6,418 Coal 12,145 Passenger motor vehicles 6,418 Refined petroleum 3,264 Iron ores & concentrates 5,288 Refined petroleum 3,264 Beef, f.c.f. 1,887 Tubes & pipes of iron or steel 1,759 Copper ores & concentrates 1,545 Goods vehicles 1,273 Major Australian exports in India Major Australian imports in India Coal 5,241 Refined petroleum 1,650 Gold 930 Medicaments (incl veterinary) 277 Vegetables, f.c.f. 775 Pearls & gems 258 Copper ores & concentrates 682 Jewellery 171 The above tables clearly indicate the major Australian exports and Imports in European Union, India, Japan, China, and United States of America. For instance, the statistics reveal that the major Australian exports in Australia include Iron ores and concentrates, Copper, Gold, and coal. The export and imports in other countries are as indicated (Ralston & Holt, 2007). The other crucial thing that I learned is that the major Australian imports in India include Refined petroleum, medicaments, Pearls and Gems, and jewelry. The values of these commodities are indicated in the table. References Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2016). Retrieved from http://dfat.gov.au/about-australia/Pages/about-australia.aspx. Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2016). China Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://dfat.gov.au/about-australia/Pages/about-australia.aspx. Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2016). Japan Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://dfat.gov.au/about-australia/Pages/about-australia.aspx. Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2016). India Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://dfat.gov.au/about-australia/Pages/about-australia.aspx. Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2016). United States of America Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://dfat.gov.au/about-australia/Pages/about-australia.aspx. Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2016). European Union Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://dfat.gov.au/about-australia/Pages/about-australia.aspx. Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2016). Australian Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://dfat.gov.au/about-australia/Pages/about-australia.aspx. House, W. (2014). FACT SHEET: US-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change and Clean Energy Cooperation. Office of the Press Secretary, 11. Marazzi, M., & Sheets, N. (2007). Declining exchange rate pass-through to US import prices: The potential role of global factors. Journal of international Money and Finance, 26(6), 924-947. Muûls, M., & Pisu, M. (2009). Imports and Exports at the Level of the Firm: Evidence from Belgium. The World Economy, 32(5), 692-734. Lopez, M. (2008). The origins of multiculturalism in Australian politics 1945-1975. Melbourne University Meyer, C. (2006). The quest for a European strategic culture: changing norms on security and defence in the European Union. Springer. Ralston, D. A., Holt, D. H., Terpstra, R. H., & Kai-Cheng, Y. (2007). The impact of natural culture and economic ideology on managerial work values: a study of the United States, Russia, Japan, and China. Journal of International Business Studies, 28(1), 177-207. Read More