Tuesday, October 09, 2012

The Planet 2012

Via email



















'The Planet 2012 is a follow-up article to 'The Continents (teaching myself geography)' which presently resides third in my 'Top Ten Pageviews' list for this blog.

My source for this post shall be

http://www.worldatlas.com/

The new Blogger interface has made posting text and images together very difficult and so therefore with the relative complexity of this post I will present the text section first. This post for example was quite the chore.  Blogger has not been consistently placing images at the same locations. Sometimes an image will be placed at the bottom of the post where I am writing where I want an image to be or sometimes it will be placed at some random location.  Blogger also adds too much unnecessary HTML code which makes writing an article like this far more time consuming and complicated than it should be.

From my own personal perspective, I do have some local work presently, but ultimately and eventually, Lord willing, I would like to relocate, perhaps to the United States or Europe, with my European Union passport or elsewhere if needed for employment...

Africa

Africa is the second largest continent in size and population after Asia and includes 54 nations.

'With just over a billion people (a 2010 estimate) it accounts for just over 14% of the world's human population.'  It also has the longest river in the Nile and the largest desert in the Sahara.

With growing population there is always economic potential and it is perhaps the classic place for Christian missionary work for those reading that are missions minded. Personally, I would not be closed to teaching theology and philosophy of religion there at some point.  Universities and colleges may be looking for more and more assistance over the years.

For Westerners security issues could still be important. When I was on Christian Cafe several years ago one of the women I was in contact with from South Africa informed me that she carried a gun for fear of gangs of teenaged boys and potential sexual assault and this was apparently common and there are also stories of  family members of people from the West being kidnapped for money.

Australia/Oceania

'Population 32 million'
It includes Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and thousands of Melanesia and Polynesia island groups. 
It certainly would be a beautiful part of the world to live in with the tropical greenery and beaches and I have not been to the Southern Hemisphere as of yet. I am not certain how many employment options there are in Theology and Philosophy of Religion there but I would be open-minded. 

Watching Showcase television and 'Sea Patrol' one gets the impression Australia must be a major world power...

Antarctica

'Population Officially none, but governmental research stations are populated with small groups of scientists at all times. In addition, during the 2009/2010 season, nearly 37,000 tourists visited the continent.'

If one could establish a University or college there, one would have a monopoly....

With the reasoning of the National Hockey League and 1/3 of the League that is on solid financial footing, this would be as 'good place' as any for expansion... I mean at least there are winter conditions there unlike the Southern United States where many of the franchises have been placed.

Forget Southern Ontario with its thirteen million people and one franchise since 1917. That would just make too much sense.

Asia

'As the largest and most populous continent in the world with just over 3.8 billion people, Asia is composed of a wide variety of ethnic groups, cultures, environments, economics, historical ties, and governmental systems.'

Of course China with a population of over 1 billion persons would offer many economic opportunities including teaching, but then philosophically one has to balance opportunity verses living in a totalitarian country, even though it may be one which is slowly reforming somewhat due to economic need perhaps.

India also with a population of over 1 billion persons would offer I suppose some economic opportunities and like Africa from a Western perspective with its poverty in many places offers the missionary the classic missions opportunity.

Both places, like Europe would also offer an abundance of ancient religious and historical architecture and culture which would be fascinating.

Europe

Europe is the six largest continent with 47 countries. It has over 730 million persons.

‘In exacting geographic definitions, Europe is really not a continent, but part of the peninsula Eurasia. of which includes all of Europe and Asia. However, it's still widely referred to as an individual continent.’
Having done my MPhil and PhD theses over in the United Kingdom and Wales, although primarily through distance learning, I am willing to move back to Europe, most likely in a European Union setting. There are cultural benefits and I enjoy the football. However, there is not as much work in Religious Studies as in the United States.

North America

'North America is the planet’s 3rd largest continent, includes (23) countries and dozens of possessions and territories. It contains all Caribbean and Central America countries, Canada, Mexico, the United States of America, as well as Greenland - the world’s largest island.'

It has approximately 530 million persons.

As there are many religious academic institutions in the United States of America, many of them Christian or Christian orientated somewhat, most of my approximately four hundred PhD degree related work applications have been to the United Stated but with few employment opportunities available in academia in Theology, Philosophy of Religion and Biblical Studies as well as in academic publishing  and media, I will have to be intelligent and patient. I also have to factor in the poor United States economy and of course look worldwide for employment.

At one American institution I applied to (not a mental institution) the President stated he was impressed with my blogging ministry and of course I should admit that my readers, commenters, followers and links would deserve some of that credit as well if I am going to be realistic.

But only some....;)

South America

'South America is the planet's 4th largest continent, includes (12) independent countries...'
'In addition, it includes the largest rainforest, the Amazon Rainforest'.

It has over 385 million persons.
Looking at the American Academy of Religion, Evangelical Theological Society and other job listings, I have seen few listings in my fields of work, but imagine that there is plenty of missionary work available. A lot of work for those that want to work in the jungle with snakes and spider etc...
It would be a fascinating place to at least visit.

Africa A Guide

Very Demotivational

EU Website

Effective Africa map from africaguide.com




Sounds fun from Google Maps
Obvious to some... Very demotivational.com
A matter of perspective from Google Maps
A shot at Americans? Very demotivational.com
The European Union as of 2009 from the European Union. 


There is a pattern here... Very Demotivational

Overstated but work thinking about. Very Demotivational.
Very Demotivational
Is she from Australia, California or Florida by any chance? Leatherlady. Very Demotivational