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Discussion
of Case Study Themes
At
a Glance
Both Singapore and Australia are dominated by the influence
of important urban areas that boast excellent natural
harbors. Both nations were past colonial possessions
of the British Empire. While Singapore's economy was
never dependent upon the production and export of commodities,
Australia's was built upon that very system. Australia
possesses a vast natural resource and land base while
Singapore has a limited resource base and occupies a
mere 250 square miles. Both countries have important
histories of immigration, with Singapore's dating back
to the fourteenth century and Australia's primarily
occurring from the eighteenth through the mid-twentieth
centuries. Australia's population remains relatively
homogenous but has begun to change with the arrival
of Asian immigrants. Singapore's population composition
reflects considerable diversity, but is dominated by
the Chinese.
Case
Study 1 -- Singapore: Gateway to Southeast Asia
Historical
Trends in Population Patterns
Singapore's excellent harbor has made it a cultural
crossroads since the fourteenth century. Its population
reflects a diverse cultural geography of Chinese,
Indian, and Malay peoples. Over time, trade and the
introduction of ideas from different cultures have
resulted in a modem city-state of great contrast and
variety. British development of the port of Hong Kong
reduced trade in the mid-1800s, but the opening of
the Suez Canal in 1869, coupled with the advent of
steamships, began an era of prosperity for Singapore.
Western
demand for rubber and tin produced on the adjoining
Malay Peninsula were important in Singapore's development
into a major port. A legacy of British colonialism
can be found in the country's governmental structure,
and the early development of its port and many historic
buildings provide evidence of past human migrations.
British colonialism ended in 1963 when Singapore briefly
became part of the Malaysian Federation.
Singapore's
Location is Key to Its Economic Success
Even before Singapore's secession from Malaysia in
1965, this entrepot had become the fourth busiest
in the world based on the number of ships served.
Situated between the Strait of Malacca and the Strait
of Singapore, its deep natural harbor provides a critical
port linking the Indian Ocean with the South China
Sea. This strategic location has served a role in
commodity transactions for centuries among Southwest,
Southeast, and East Asia, especially Indonesia, China,
and Japan. In today's global economy, Singapore is
centrally located with respect to Asia and the rapidly
growing Pacific Rim, thus providing efficient and
cost-effective connections for the international business
community.
The
City-State's Role as a Global Distribution Hub
A combination of factors including relative location,
government policy, modem infrastructure, stable financial
structure and banking institutions, information technology,
and a highly-skilled work force have contributed to
Singapore's role as the key regional distribution
center linking the world to the Asia-Pacific region.
The tightly controlled government, dominated by a
single political party since 1959, has fostered an
extremely efficient port facility through its development
policy.
This
policy and capital investment funded by the government
have allowed Singapore to develop advanced sea and
air facilities that are competitive with others worldwide.
The modem port and the establishment of a free trade
zone that allows businesses to avoid import and export
duties have attracted international businesses. Hewlett
Packard, for example, has centered its regional operations
in Singapore, distributing its products to smaller
ports throughout the region.
Components
of a Modern Port Facility
To compete worldwide as a transportation center and
to attract new businesses, extremely efficient technological
and human management systems are required. A modem
infrastructure consisting of equipment, storage facilities,
and information technology is also necessary. Efficient,
computer-assisted container facilities at Singapore's
seaport, in tandem with the air freight center, distribute
products regionally as well as to Europe, the United
States, and Australia. Service industries such as
information management, finance, and telecommunications
have developed to sustain the port facilities and
the businesses operating in them.
Case
Study 2 -- Australia: New Links to Asia
Australia's
Population Distribution
Eighty-five percent of Australia's population lives
in towns and cities, making it one of the world's
most urbanized societies. This concentration of the
population in urban areas is a reflection of the development
of Australia's economy. Driven by the export of commodities
and capital investment from Britain, Australian cities
developed into centers of commercial activity. Job
opportunities became highly concentrated in urban
areas, and far fewer industries developed throughout
Australia's vast interior. The rail system necessary
to move natural resources and commodities allowed
central business districts to develop near ports where
goods were shipped overseas. The convergence of railroads
from outlying areas played a key role in the growth
of the city. Now the automobile has replaced the train
as the public's main mode of transportation and has
helped to create the sprawling suburbs of single-family
homes favored by modern Australian society.
The
video focuses on one major urban area in Australia,
the city of Sydney. Chosen in 1788 as the location
of the first British colony on Australian soil, Sydney
prospered early due to a strong wool trade and an
excellent natural harbor. Successful businesses developed
in the 1830s, serving the newly industrialized Britain
in the nineteenth century. The introduction of technology,
along with the infusion of British capital, created
commercial centers that are at the heart of Sydney
and other major cities of the British colonies in
Australia.
The
Shift in Economic Orientation from Europe to Asia
Australia's economy was primarily based upon agriculture
until the end of World War II. Beginning with the
wool industry, agriculture in Australia later expanded
into wheat, beef, dairy, and irrigated crops. Economic
diversification began at the end of the war with the
growth of the manufacturing and service industries.
The exploitation of minerals significantly accelerated
economic growth. This pattern of development remained
dependent upon foreign investment and capital and
was highly vulnerable to fluctuations of commodity
prices. The manufacturing sector has remained dependent
upon foreign interests, and has suffered a slow decline
since the1960s.
In
the 1990s, Australia's economy continues to be based
upon the export of commodities and the role of shipping
has remained very important. Commodity exchange is
now directed toward Asia, a significant change from
Australia's historically European-based trading partners.
Evidence of this shift can be found by analyzing financial
transactions, capital investments, air transportation
routes, and expanding telecommunications systems.
All indicate Australia's shift to trade with Asia,
notably Japan and the newly industrializing economies
of the Asia-Pacific region.
In
the 1980's Australia's economy went through a period
of restructuring which allowed it to weather Japan's
economic slowdown and the Asian economic crisis of
the late 1990's with little ill effect.
Immigration
and its Impact on Human Systems
Australian society has traditionally been regarded
as British or Anglo. This has been generally true
with the exception of small groups of Chinese, Germans,
and other largely European ethnic groups who formed
small concentrations in Australia beginning in the
nineteenth century. Ethnic diversification has remained
a controversial issue in Australia, and policies favoring
British and Irish immigration persisted for decades
in the twentieth century. Major world crises of the
twentieth century, particularly from the 1950s through
the 1980s, have produced fresh waves of immigrants
from Greece, Italy, and most recently from Hungary,
the former Czechoslovakia, Lebanon, Turkey, Chile,
Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and China. When government
policy favoring white immigrants was formally abolished
in 1973, increasing numbers of immigrants began arriving
from Asia. By the early 1980s, people of overseas
origin accounted for almost thirty percent of the
populations of Sydney and Melbourne and twenty-two
percent of the country as a whole.
The
shifting and dynamic economy of the Asia-Pacific region
in the 1990s has helped create opportunities for employment
in Australia, a key component of human migration.
Modern Australia is experiencing pronounced changes
in its population because of the immigration of Asian
immigrants (as shown in the video's depiction of Fairfield,
a suburb of Sydney). Asian immigrants are a significant
component of the Australian economy, marking a shift
away from Europe. Asians not only represent sources
of labor, skills, and capital, Asian contacts provide
access to overseas markets that are important to business.
These demographic changes reflect the economic transformation
underway in modern Australia.
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