Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state. Texas is in the south-central part of the United States of America. With 10 climatic regions, 14 soil regions, and 11 distinct ecological regions, regional classification becomes problematic with differences in soils, topography, geology, rainfall, and plant and animal communities. The Gulf Coastal Plains region wraps around the Gulf of Mexico on the southeast section of the state. Vegetation in this region consists of thick pineywoods. The Interior Lowlands region consists of gently rolling to hilly forested land is part of a larger pine-hardwood forest. In the state's extreme west, is the state's Basin and Range Province. The most complex of the regions, this area includes Sand Hills, the Stockton Plateau, desert valleys, wooded mountain slopes and desert grasslands.Texas has 3,700 named streams and 15 major rivers. The largest of these rivers is Rio Grande. While Texas does not have any large natural lakes, Texans have built over 100 artificial reservoirs.

Texas is the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. The continental crust forms a stable Mesoproterozoic craton which changes across a broad continental margin and transitional crust into true oceanic crust of the Gulf of Mexico.

The oldest rocks in Texas date from the Mesoproterozoic and are about 1,600 million years old. The oldest sediments were deposited on the flanks of a rifted continental margin, or passive margin that developed during Cambrian time. This margin existed until Laurasia and Gondwana collided in the Pennsylvanian era to form Pangea.

The economy of Texas is one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the United States. Texas has an economy that was the second largest in the nation and the 15th largest in the world based on GDP (nominal) figures. As the largest exporter of goods in the United States, Texas currently grosses more than $100 billion a year in trade with other nations.

Much economic activity in Texas is regional. Houston, the state's largest urban economic enclave stands at the center of the petrochemical, biomedical research trades, shipping, and aerospace (particularly NASA). Dallas/Fort Worth houses the state's predominant defense manufacturing interests and the expansive information technology labor market. West Texas and the panhandle is dominated by ranching and the petroleum industry.

Texas's growth can be attributed to the availability of jobs, the low cost of housing, the lack of a personal state income tax, the quality of higher education, low taxation and limited regulation of business, a central geographic location, a limited government, favorable weather, and plentiful supplies of oil and natural gas.

By Bernardo, Breno, Lucas, Rodrigo

California

California is the largest industrial center in the United States and a national leader in the production of agricultural products, accounting for approximately 14% of gross domestic product of the country. The gold rush of the 1850s is still seen as a symbol of California's economic style, which tends to generate technology, social and entertainment.

California is a national leader in the production of milk, beef, tomatoes, strawberries, melons, peaches and watermelons, producing most of the kiwis Americans. In addition, the state is the second largest producer of oranges in the United States. The total value of manufactured products produced in the state is the largest in the United States. The main industrial products manufactured in the state are computers and electronics, processed foods, transportation equipment, machinery and chemicals.

Californian culture has been greatly influenced by several large immigrant populations, especially those from Latin America and East Asia. In terms of socio-cultural mores and national politics, Californians are perceived as more liberal than other American.

The California state is the third-largest state in the United States in size, after Alaska and Texas if it were a country. The geography of the state is extensive and it includes a big central valley, big mountains, hot and dry deserts and a lot of forests. California has an area of about 410.000 km² and is the most populous state in the U.S, and is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Amaricas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil.

Hawaii

Hawaii is the southernmost state of the whole country and is considered part of the Pacific. The islands that form Hawaii is known historically by the name of Sandwich Islands. Hawaii is the only state whose nationals were used as the monarchy form of government.

The U.S. state of Hawaii extends over 2.400km in the Pacific Ocean, 3.800km away from the coast of California and consists of eight main islands. They are of volcanic origin and are edged with coral reefs. Oahu, where the capital, Honolulu, is located, is clearly the center of population, economic and cultural. The tropical climate is influenced by winds from the northeast and the mountains, where temperatures are milder.

The economy of Hawaii can best be described as in transition from agriculture/tourist/governmental based to tourist/low-tech/services based. Tourism provides 72% of the state's economy, offering an excellent level of service in the categories of hotels, transportation, entertainment and also restaurants, world-renowned.

Traditional Hawaiian culture and the customs of Hawaii's ethnically diverse immigrants are an integral part of the social fabric. In Hawaiian culture there is many things like Aloha Aina that means love of the land, English is the dominant language in Hawaii, music has always played a central role in Hawaiian culture. As example of Hawaii’s culture we can say about Hawaiian Cooking, there are every kind of Japanese food, an array of regional Chinese cuisine, spicy Korean specialties, native Hawaiian dishes and excellent Thai and Vietnamese food.

Hawaii is a nice place to visit and get to know many new things!

By Aline, Daniela, Isabella e Rayza

New York

Capital - Albany Largest city - New York City Area Ranked 141,299 km²

^Latitude 40°30' N to 45°1' N Longitude 71°51' W to 79°46' W

POPULATION(Ranked 3rd in the US) - Total 19,541,453 (2009 est.)

General

The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east. The state has a maritime border with Rhode Island east of Long Island, as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Ontario to the west, and Quebec to the north. New York was inhabited by the Algonquin, Iroquois, and Lenape Native American groups at the time Dutch and French nationals moved into the region in the early 17th century. First claimed by Henry Hudson in 1609, the region came to have Dutch forts at Fort Orange, near the site of the present-day capital of Albany in 1614. The Dutch colonized the Albany and Manhattan areas in 1624. The British took over Manhattan and the colony by annexation in 1664.

The borders of the British colony, the Province of New York, were roughly similar to those of the present-day state. About one third of all of the battles of the Revolutionary War took place in New York. New York became an independent state on July 9, 1776 and enacted its constitution in 1777. The state ratified the United States Constitution on July 26, 1788 to become the 11th state.

New York's agricultural outputs are dairy products, cattle and other livestock, vegetables, nursery stock, and apples The state has about a quarter of its land in farms and produced US$3.4 billion in agricultural products in 2001.Its industrial outputs are printing and publishing, scientific instruments, electric equipment, machinery, chemical products, and tourism.New York's largest imports are oil, gold, aluminum, natural gas, electricity, rough diamonds, and lumber.

New York City is the leading center of banking, finance and communication in the United States and is the location of the New York Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange in the world by dollar volume. Many of the world's largest corporations are based in the city

The culture of New York City is shaped by centuries of immigration, the city's size and variety, and its status as the cultural capital of the United States. Many major American cultural movements first emerged in the city.

Florida

Florida is a state located in the southeastern of the United States. With a population of 18.328.340 habitants the state is ranking as the 4^th most populous state in the U.S. Tallahassee is the state capital and Jacksonville is the largest city followed by Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Orlando. The Miami metropolitan area is the largest in the state.

Much of the land mass of the state is a large peninsula with the golf of Mexico to the west and the Atlantic ocean to the east. Because Florida is not located near any tectonic plate boundaries, earthquakes are very rare, but not totally unknown. In January 1879, a shock occurred near st. Augustine. There were reports that knocked plaster from walls and articles from shelves. At 345 feet (105m) above sea level, Britton hill is the highest point in Florida and the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state.

Religiously, Florida is mostly Protestant, but with a growing Roman Catholic community due to Hispanic immigration.

Florida ranks 45^th out of 50 states in total energy consumption per capita, despite the heavy reliance on air conditioners and pool pumps. The state’s energy production is 6% of the nation’s total energy output.

Per capita personal income was $38,417 in 2008 ranking 20^th in the nation. The state had the second highest credit card delinquency rate.

Florida has a semi-tropical climate and the year round sunshine attracts retiring people for all over the country. The state it is also the national gateway to Latin America. More than 200.000 refugees from Cuba have been absorbed into Miami’s population, and it has become a cosmopolitan and bilingual city.

Tourism makes up the largest sector of the state economy. Warm weather and hundreds of miles of beaches attract about 60 million of visitors to the state every year. Amusement parks, especially in the Orlando area, make up a significant portion of tourism. The Walt Disney World Resort is the largest vacation resort in the world, consisting of four theme parks and more than 20 hotels in Lake Buena Vista, this plus the universal Orlando resort, Busch Gardens, Sea World and other major parks drive state tourism. Many beaches towns are also popular tourism destinations, particularly in the winter months. Millions of tourists visit Florida beaches, spending billions of dollars every year.

The U.S Economy Nowadays

According to researches that have been done since the beginning of the “world economic crisis” more than 16 million people have lost their jobs, what means that many more had their lives destroyed by this crisis. In the US, where the crisis has made it first victims, the situation is getting better now, but ir is still very complicated, because many unemployed people are homeless, hungry, and asking for government help, as many big companies.

The main economic symbol of US, the golden bull of Wall Street, which appears in the journals when the economy is doing well, hasn’t been showed for almost a year, but some weeks ago it appeared in the “New York Times” again. It’s a signal that the US is coming back, but still weak. People now are more confident about money, but they are still afraid of losing their homes. The most important economy in the world will be back, the bright stars will shine again, but it’s not going to be quickly.

By Guilherme Gervásio

The beginning of the crisis in The U.S

The banks did not keep the loss limited to themselves. They issued bonds and banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions from all over the world invested money in those bonds. Lehman Brothers or AIG were the victims, others followed. Most of the loser banks have not written off all the loans and they show properties at higher prices to manipulate the loss. The companies all over the world which had invested in the bonds also show book value instead of showing the current value.

The crisis was caused by the people who did not pay the mortgage of their houses, making banks go bankrupted and 62,000 jobs were lost in June 2008, bringing the number of job losses to 438,000 for the first half of 2008. The unemployment rate appeared to remain steady at 5.5 percent, but many economists said that happened because many people stopped looking for jobs.

By José Victor, Allan, Marcelo, Caio

Pope meets with the Clergy

Meeting with pastors and clergy of the Diocese of Rome, Pope Benedict XVI discussed the economic crisis, the liturgy and evangelization. He considered the macroeconomic aspects and the shortcomings of a system founded on selfishness and the “idolatry of money”. The Pope invited people to intensify their efforts for the conversion of hearts. This involves parishes not just being active in their local community but also being open to all humanity.

By Aline, Daniela, Isabella M. e Rayza

Moral directions from the Pope concerning the economic crisis

On February 27, 2009, in a meeting with pastors and clergy of the Diocese of Rome to discuss the economic crisis Pope Benedict appointed the idolatry of money as a major shortcoming of the economic order. Benedict XVI has warned that large-scale reform can not be achieved without an individual conversion. According to the Pope, the Church has the duty of criticizing the mistakes that led to the current economic crisis. He indicated the selfishness and idolatry of money as one of the key issues for the failure of the economic system and concluded that these failures led the mankind towards error. Thus, the church must make its voice heard to show the true path of reason enlightened by faith.

By Bernardo's group

The American workplace : Economic Policy, moral dimensions

The impact of the economy on family life is a moral issue and a legitimate concern for voters once 62.000 jobs were lost in June. Voters should ask candidates about their economic policies because they impact family life. The bishops wrote: "The economy serves people, not the other way around. "And the Catholic church said : "Catholic voters need to test the policies of government and candidates positions with Catholic principles of Catholic teaching. The conclusion is that we should enter the voting booth focusing on the ethical and moral dimensions of public policies that affect the entire community.

By Wilson's Group

Pope blames idolatry of money for economic crisis

Pope Benedict XIV had a meeting with pastors and clergy of Diocese of Rome to discuss the economic crisis, the liturgy and evangelization. In this meeting, he warned that large-scale reform cannot be achieved without individual reform and conversion.

The Pope said that the obligation of presenting a reasonable and well-argued criticism of the errors that lead to an economic crisis is part of the church’s mission, and it must be exercised firmly and courageously. He considered the macroeconomic aspects of a system founded on selfishness and the “idolatry of money”, so he said the church must show the path of true reason illuminated by faith, which is also path of self-sacrifice and concern for the needy.

The Pope also focused on small-scale economics, advising that big reforms cannot be reach unless individuals reform their ways. He invited people to intensify their efforts to the conversion of hearts. He also said the evangelization of those who have moved away from the faith requires personal witness from individuals who live for others. He declared the need for priests who are capable of speaking to modern man with the simplicity of truth to show that God is not distant but active in the lives of all men. Nowadays the society puts the wealth before everything else, and the Pope words emphasize that selfishness is one of the reasons of economics crises and the role of the Church is to speak out.

By Bárbara #5 - Ester #11 - Rebeca #28 - Thiago #31

The Pope and the economic crisis

Pope Benedict XVI said that the Church has the duty to present a reasonable and well-argued criticism of the errors that have led to the current economic crisis. This duty is part of the Church’s mission and must be exercised firmly and courageously, avoiding both moralism and obscurity. He also blames the idolatry of money as the responsible for economic crisis. We noticed that Pope Benedict XVI wants people to increase their efforts for the conversion of hearts and give up the idolatry of money. And he also hopes that the priests approach members of the church. Finally the Pope wants to bring back those who have moved away from faith.

By Ana Carolina # 3 Gabrielle # 12 Leticia # 18 Paula # 25

International Women's Day

International Women's Day is held on March, 8 every year and celebrates women's achievements in history and across the whole world. It is also known as the United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace. For 2010 the main theme highlighted by the UN for the celebration is "Equal rights, Equal opportunities: Progress for all."

By Luísa Campos