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How To Create A Microniche AdSense Site

2011-03-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

How To Create A Microniche AdSense Site

Warning: This is is a VERY long post written over the course of several days. You may want to print it out for reference.

Today I thought I’d discuss creating “microniche” AdSense sites. Longtime readers of this blog will be somewhat familiar with the concept because of my recommendation to purchase the XFactor Micro Niche AdSense Course. What I’m going to do here is discuss essentially the same concepts and ideas presented in the course but with my own twists. I hope you find it useful and informative.

None of the information presented here is new, you can find it sprinkled throughout the Web. And if you don’t take action, nothing will happen, no matter what you read here.

Part 1: Background

Let’s start with some background information as to what we’re going to do and why we’re doing it.

1.1 What is a Microniche?

A microniche is a small and very specific niche market. Think “battery-powered lawn mowers” instead of more general topics like “lawn mower” or (even more generally) “garden tools” or (even broader) “lawn and garden”.

Microniches interest us because they are often underserved by existing websites. For example, there are lots of sites that about web hosting services in general, but fewer about virtual private server hosting specifically. Similarly, someone looking for red tennis shoes isn’t interested in general tennis shoes — they’re already past that. They want more specific information: what styles of red tennis shoes are available (pictures would be good!), and who has them in stock?

1.2 Why Do Microniches Exist?

There are probably good reasons why a microniche is underserved. The most likely reason is that’s it’s too small a market to interest the existing players. For example, say only 2 people a day look for red tennis shoes in the entire United States. That’s a very small market.

(Aside: That was a total guess… Out of curiosity, I checked the AdWords keyword tool… apparently 260 searches are done per month in the United States for the exact search term red tennis shoes, which equates to almost 9 searches a day. It’s likely a bit higher than that, in fact, so it’s more than I thought it would be.)

The other reason is that a microniche is not a paying market. Maybe people who search for red tennis shoes change their mind and never actually buy red shoes, opting for black or white ones instead because the red ones are just too dramatic a statement to make.

1.3 Why Do We Care About Microniches?

Some microniches are underserved because they’ve been overlooked by others, or not considered interesting or important enough to pursue. This means that no one has gone through the effort of created content tailored for the niche and applying specific search engine optimization (SEO) principles and techniques to a site in order to get natural (“organic”) search traffic to that content, even though the microniche is potentially profitable.

Which is where our opportunity arises. If we can create the right kind of content to tap into the small stream of searchers interested in a profitable microniche, we can make some money, either by placing advertisements (from AdSense or other programs) on the site, directing visitors to affiliate sites, etc.

1.4 The Top 10 Results Are All That Matter

The technique I’m describing here is all about getting pages from your site or sites to rank in the top 10 results for specific keywords. Getting listed on that first page, ideally at or near the first result, is key, because it’s the top 10 results that garner the lion’s share of free search engine traffic.

In competitive niches those top 10 results are dominated by expertly-tuned Big Sites with a large number of backlinks. It’s essentially impossible to compete with those sites unless you happen to have a Big Site of your own.

In a microniche, though, chances are good that many of the top 10 results are not Big Sites. The more specific the niche, the greater the probability that you can create a site that will rank in the top 10. Whether there’s actually any traffic in that niche that can be monetized is a separate question — not all microniches are profitable.

1.5 Where Do You Start?

So where do you find microniches? Well, to start with you need a broad topic/niche. Use your imagination. Did you purchase something recently? What are the top sellers on eBay selling? What are manufacturers advertising?

The XFactor course recommends specifically going after products, like the “red tennis shoes” I mentioned above. Stuff that people are searching for, that they want to buy.

Of course, the more interested you are in a topic, the easier it will be to write content for that topic. Best not to stray too far out of your comfort zone when creating your first site or two.

1.6 Caveats

Microniche marketing is not a quick path to riches. A single microniche site won’t make you a lot of money. It’s only by building a network of microniche sites that you’ll start to see real income develop. A lot of trial and error will be involved. You’ll create sites that won’t make you squat, while a few will perform exceptionally well.

Creating these sites will take time and effort on your part, at least if you’re planning on using whitehat methods. You’ll find no blackhat techniques here, look elsewhere if that’s what interests you.

Some money will be required to get started. Not a lot:

You’ll need to find and register domains — an important part of the microniche strategy is to create your own pieces of “virtual real estate” that you can own and develop for the long term. You can register .com/.net/.org domains for less than $10 each from a reputable domain registrar (hint: search for coupon codes). Note that domain registrations are public, so if you don’t want your personal information available to everyone, register your domains with privacy enabled — usually at extra cost, although some registrars offer it for free. Shop around!
You will need a hosting account capable of hosting multiple domains, so don’t get the cheapest plan that limits you to a single domain. Most hosting services offer “unlimited” domains at some level. (Try to go for a reseller account, it can make it simpler later if you want to sell the site to give each site its own cPanel. I’ve used HostingZoom with good success. HostGator is another good choice that I’ve used.) You should be able to find good hosting service for $15/month or less.

Later you may also want to purchase a keyword tool like Micro Niche Finder to speed up the keyword research process. But when you’re starting out you can do all your research using Google’s free keyword tool. So your initial outlay is just the hosting and the domains. And your time! Be prepared to dedicate at least one hour per day to this endeavor.

Part 2: Keyword Research

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” That’s what Alexander Graham Bell said, and he was right. You can’t be successful at microniche development without preparation, and most of that involves keyword research.

2.1 What is Keyword Research?

When a person uses a search engine like Google to find things on the web, they enter in a series of words that describes what they are looking for. The search engine uses those words to find the sites that it thinks are most relevant to the user’s query, listing them in order of relevance. These “key words” are therefore very important.

(Note: the term keyword is often used as shorthand for keyword phrase, i.e. a keyword may be two or more words strung together to form a complete query.)

Keyword research is all about determining which keywords are used for searching. Everyone is different, and so everyone uses different keywords when searching. The variety of keywords used is astounding. This makes keyword research particularly challenging, because what you would type into Google to find something isn’t necessarily what others would type.

2.2 Why Do Keyword Research?

Content publishers perform keyword research to answer two very important initial questions:

What do people search for?
How much will advertisers pay?

This is the first phase of keyword research, to find keywords within a niche that meet or exceed specific criteria for search volume and average per-click payout.

But the research doesn’t stop there! The second phase of research involves taking the keywords found in the first phase and determining the competition levels for those keywords. In other words, how easy it will be (or not be) to “crack into” the top 10 results for each keyword? As a small publisher, you’re not going to be able to bring together the same linking resources that the Big Sites can use to muscle their way onto the first page. You have to pick and choose very carefully.

2.3 Where Does Keyword Data Come From?

Ultimately, all reliable keyword data comes from the search engines. They’re the only ones who really know what people are searching for.

These days, most of the keyword data comes from Google, either directly through Google’s own tools (developed primarily for AdWords advertisers) or indirectly via third-party tools that scrape the data (or, in rare cases, obtain via legitimate means) from Google’s tools. (Yes, this includes Micro Niche Finder.)

Some keyword tools do use data from second-tier search engines. But those search engines have a tiny percentage of the total search volume in comparison to the big three (Google, Yahoo! and Bing — although really it’s Google and Bing now) that the numbers they release are extrapolations based on a tiny sample set.

2.4 Preparing the AdWords Keyword Tool For Research

The first phase of keyword research is done using the AdWords Keyword Tool, a free tool from Google that is available to everyone.

When you open the tool, make sure that the country and language settings are what you expect. If you plan on targeting Americans, for example, make sure the that “United States” and “English” are selected:

If not, click on the “Advanced Options” link and adjust the settings appropriately.

Now click on the “Columns” button on the right-hand side:

In the resulting popup, make sure that “Estimated Avg. CPC” is checked in the left column. In the right column, drag “Estimated Avg. CPC” to the to top:

Then press “Save”. This ensures that average per-click data (which is AdWords advertiser costs, NOT the per-click values an AdSense publisher would see — more on that later) shows up in the list.

Now in the “Word or phrase” box type in one or more keywords for the niche you want to target:

Press the “Search” button and wait a few seconds. You’ll see a bunch of results appear.

Stop! Before you do anything else, you need to tell AdWords you’re only interested in “Exact” results. Find the “Match Types” box on the left side and quickly uncheck “Broad” and check “Exact”:

This is very important! The Exact match type shows results only for searches that were done for the exact keyword phrase shown, with no other keywords added, no synonyms used, and no alteration in the order of the keywords. The other match types are best ignored.

After you change to exact matching, the keyword tool will reload its data. You should see all the keywords it generates surrounded by left (“[") and right ("]“) brackets — that’s what indicates an exact match:

If you don’t see those brackets, check your settings. And ignore any row of data in the table that isn’t exact match.

Now you’re ready to research!

2.5 The First Phase of Research

In the first phase of research you find keywords that meet your specific criteria for search volume and average CPC. This is done quite easily by clicking on the “Advanced Options” link and creating filters:

The filters I created above are:

Global Monthly Searches >= 300
Estimated Avg. CPC > $1.00

So I’m looking for keywords that have exact search values of at least 10 per day (10 * 30 = 300) with an estimated average cost to AdWords advertisers of more than $1 per click.

Why 300 searches per month? If your page ranks in the top 10 for a non-phrase exact search query (the keyword phrase not in quotes), chances are good that with 300 exact searches per month (which is a conservative estimate on Google’s part) you’ll get a few clicks per day. The more searches, the better, of course. There’s no hard rule here. You may have to settle with keywords that have as little as 100 exact searches per month.

Why $1 per click? The CPC values shown are the costs to advertise on Google’s search network, i.e. the search results page. Advertisers can and typically do pay much less to advertise on Google’s content network, i.e. AdSense sites. Plus AdSense publishers get 68% of what Google charges the advertiser. So if you go below $1, chances are good that you’ll be seeing clicks worth only a few cents. The cutoff is pretty arbitrary, though, and is something you can play with.

Once you’ve set your filters, press the “Search” button again and the keyword tool will remove the keywords that don’t match the filters from the list.

Now click on the “Global Monthly Searches” header to sort the data by search volume:

At this point you have an initial list of potential microniche keywords. In my case, I have 136 potential keywords. But many of them aren’t actually microniche keywords. Some are too broad — like “tennis” or “mens shoes” — and some are clearly off-topic — like “tennis racquets”.

Now what you do is run through the list of keywords and select the ones that are truly related to your chosen niche. After you’ve selected the keywords that seem appropriate, select the “Download Selected” dropdown menu:

Select the right type of download, which is probably “CSV for Excel” (CSV = comma-separated values, a portable spreadsheet format):

What you’ll actually end up downloading is a ZIP file containing the spreadsheet:

The spreadsheet is inside the ZIP file:

You should be able to open it directly from within the ZIP file, don’t bother saving it until we’ve determined it’s worth saving:

You’re now ready to move to the second phase of keyword research.

2.6 The Second Phase of Keyword Research

In the second phase of research you assess the competition levels for each keyword in the first phase, discarding the ones that are too competitive. It is possible and likely that all the keywords you found in the first phase will be too competitive, at which point you’ll need to restart the process with a different root keyword and/or adjust the minimum search volume you’re willing to accept.

Gathering the keywords is actually quite straightforward. Determining competitiveness is a bit of a black art.

The first thing you’ll want to do is see if there are any exact match domainsavailable for the keywords you’ve chosen. An exact match domain is a domain name in the .com/.net/.org top-level domains (or in a country code domain like .ca or .fr if you’re targeting non-US or non-English searchers… some people will even use .info and other domains, although results may be mixed on those) that exactly matches the keyword you’re assessing. It’s been shown that Google gives a ranking boost to exact match domains, so it’s worth checking out, and it only takes a minute to do. In your spreadsheet, select the “Keyword” column and copy it to your clipboard:

Now move to your browser. Go to the GoDaddy Bulk Domain Registration page (don’t worry, you’re not registering anything, we’re only testing for availability here) and paste in the contents of your clipboard:

Make sure you select the “.com”, “.net” and “.org” domains on the right side and then press the “Search” button underneath the text box. The tool will automatically remove all non-alphanumeric characters from the keyword list to create a domain list and return a list of available domains:

In this case, this is what’s available:

REDCONVERSESHOES.COM
REDCONVERSESHOES.NET
REDCONVERSESHOES.ORG
TENNISSHOESONLINE.NET
TENNISSHOESONLINE.ORG
SHOESFORTENNIS.NET
SHOESFORTENNIS.ORG
TENNISCOURTSHOES.NET
TENNISCOURTSHOES.ORG
REDTENNISSHOES.ORG
LADIESTENNISSHOES.ORG
CONVERSERED.NET
CONVERSERED.ORG
BOYSTENNISSHOES.NET
TENNISSNEAKERS.ORG
CHEAPTENNISSHOES.NET
WHITETENNISSHOES.ORG
MENTENNISSHOES.NET
MENTENNISSHOES.ORG
BUYTENNISSHOES.ORG
TENNISSHOESFORKIDS.COM
TENNISSHOESFORKIDS.NET
TENNISSHOESFORKIDS.ORG

Quite a few, actually, although mostly .net or .org domains and most of them (if you refer back to the spreadsheet) have low search volumes.

What if none of the keywords have exact match domains available? You can proceed, or you can abort. Many microniche developers only use exact match domains for their sites. Others will simply try to find domains that include the keyword in question. Even if you go that route (I favor EMDs, by the way) you should consider the keywords with EMDs first because they’ll be so much easier to rank.

Now to test for competitiveness. Testing for competitiveness is something where a software tool can help, but you can definitely do it on your own with a bit of patience.

Order the keywords by EMD availability and then by search volume. In other words, all the EMDs are first, then the other keywords. In our case that meansladies tennis shoes is first because the .org is available and it has 1000 exact searches per month. Next would be converse red, boys tennis shoes, etc. (This is dreary stuff, absolutely… No wonder people buy tools to cut down the drudgery…)

Now run each keyword in your list through a series of simple test. First, do a sanity check on the keyword itself. Does it incorporate a trademark? If so, you might want to skip it (like “converse red”) to avoid legal hassles later. Is the keyword truly in your niche? Is it something you think you could develop a site about?

For keywords that pass the sanity check, open a Firefox browser window. Install the free SEO for Firefox add-on (plugin) if you haven’t done so already, and restart. Select Tools / SEO for Firefox / Options… to configure the add-on. Make sure that the following Info Blocks are set to “Automatic”: PR (PageRank), Y! Links (number of links to the domain in Yahoo) and Y! Page Links (number of links to the page in Yahoo):

Navigate to Google — be sure to use the right version of Google for your target country and language (you may have to use a proxy to do this). Make sure SEO for Firefox is enabled.Search for a query using phrase matching, i.e. put quotes around the keyword phrase. For example, search for “ladies tennis shoes”, notladies tennis shoes:

At the top you’ll see how many results match the query — 79,700 in this case. For exact matching you don’t want to go above 100,000 — I think below 50,000 is better. Then for each of the top 10 results looks at the values shown for PR, Y! Links and Y! Page Links. If the average PR of the sites in the top 10 is high (most sites PR of 3 or higher) or most of them have lots of direct links to the page, it’s probably too competitive.

Also look at the titles and URLs shown in the search results. Well-optimized sites will include the keyword in their titles and URLs and will be much harder to beat. If most of the sites are already optimized, move on.

Tools like Micro Niche Finder (MNF) will also have their own ways of measuring competitiveness. MNF has a “strength of competition” (SOC) value that is derived from how many sites have a given keyword phrase in their titles and URLs. Everyone has their own “special” way to do this, it seems.

As you can see, there’s no absolute formula or algorithm to any of this, it’s more like what works for you through trial and error and also “gut feel”. Looking at actual search results is critical, even if the initial indicators give the green light. If you see Amazon and other generic shopping sites ranking for a specific search query, chances are good that they’re there because of the sheer authority of the site and not because their content is specifically tuned for the query. So they can be beat if you try hard. (More on that later.) But if you see a lot of smaller, niche-specific sites and they have lots of links going to them then you may want to skip this keyword, because they’ve obviously been designed to rank well for that keyword.

Don’t forget: if an exact match domain is available, you can loosen the criteria somewhat because of the natural ranking boost they get. An EMD is not critical, though.

At first glance the ladies tennis shoes keyword looks not too shabby: the last 6 results have no PR and no direct page links. The #1 and #3 results are generic shopping sites. There are definitely a couple of sites in there (including an EMD) that are optimized for the term, but it should be possible to get in the top 10 results for the phrase query.

But what about the broad (non-phrase) query? Most searchers don’t use quotes, after all. Go back to the top and repeat the search, this time without the quotes. Look at the results. It should be more competitive, but hopefully not too much more. In this case it still seems pretty good, because a lot of the sites that rank for the phrase query are also ranking for the broad query. There’s a good chance we can displace one of those sites and land on both search results pages.

Do these steps for all the keywords that interest you. Keep track of the results. Yes, it’s tedious, deal with it.

2.7 Decide On Your Microniche

After you’ve finished your keyword research, it’s time to decide which microniche to pursue. Chances are that you’ve uncovered several potential niches in your research. For example, we started with red tennis shoes but it looks like ladies tennis shoes might be a better bet because it has more search volume. (In fact,red tennis shoes just barely falls outside our minimum search levels.) But both have EMDs available and are not too competitive.

Again, there are no set rules here. One problem with ladies tennis shoes is that it’s not really a microniche, it’s really just a synonym for womens tennis shoes. It’s actually an offshoot of a broad topic. But if no one’s optimized content for it, why not target it?

Colored tennis shoes, though, would be a microniche. Most tennis shoes are white. Red, blue, green, yellow… you could build a site or sites targeting each of the major colors. If you run the numbers, there’s an EMD available for each of those colors. Individually, each color doesn’t get a lot of searches, but together they can add up to a decent amount of traffic.

The following queries have small exact search values that add up to over 1500 searches per month:

black tennis shoes
blue tennis shoes
brown tennis shoes
gold tennis shoes
green tennis shoes
orange tennis shoes
pink tennis shoes
purple tennis shoes
red tennis shoes
silver tennis shoes
yellow tennis shoes

Don’t concern yourself with just the numbers, though. You’re going to need to write content for your chosen niche. Can you do it? If you can’t, move on. (TheXFactor course recommends sticking to product-related niches because there are generic product descriptions available from manufacturers that you can use as the starting point for your content.)

Once you’ve settled on the main keyword for your microniche, create a list of related keywords for that niche. Use the AdWords tool to get more ideas, or use tools like my Google Suggest Explorer to get more long tail keywords. These keywords will be the basis for additional pages of content.

Let’s create a site based on our research so far. Personally, I don’t feel I can say much about ladies tennis shoes, but I do think I can come up with material about colored tennis shoes. Famous players like Rafael Nadal wear brightly colored shoes. Kids always like colors, too.

So our microniche is colored tennis shoes.

Part 3: Site Creation

The keyword research phase is really the hardest part of this. Once you’ve chosen your microniche and have collected a set of niche-specific keywords, you can focus on creating the site itself.

3.1 Your Own Virtual Real Estate

First, a short digression. Why register a domain and create a brand new site? Why not just use an existing (and free) blog hosting platform (like Blogger) to host your site?

What you are doing when you host your own site is building your own “virtual real estate” portfolio. By hosting the site yourself, you control what goes on the site and what happens to the site. You can sell the site later, for example — that’s one quite legitimate business model (create a site, build it up to attract traffic, sell it). You won’t lose the site suddenly is someone complains (legitimately or not) about the content on your site. Lots of good reasons to keep control of things.

3.2 Find a Good Domain Name

One of the things you should consider is whether you’re building a brand or not with your site. Most microniche sites aren’t branded, they’re focused exclusively on getting long-tail search engine traffic and that means an emphasis on keywords for ranking and using generic names that anyone can use. Building a brand for the site will have long-term advantages, but it will be harder to get the site to rank unless the brand itself includes a relevant keyword.

If there’s an EMD available for a keyword with decent search volume, though, consider doing without a brand, as the ranking boost you get from the EMD is quite significant at this point in time.

If there’s no EMD available or you want to use a branded domain, you’ll probably have to do a bit of searching for the right domain name. If you want help finding suitable domains, check out my Find Me A Domain tool. Or just spend some time exploring at your favorite domain registrar.

As it turns out, coloredtennisshoes.com is available if we want to use it for our microniche. Notice, however, that this keyword wasn’t on our list. The search volume is

Now coloredtennisshoes.com is available and the competition for colored tennis shoes , but the exact search volume is terrible so we won’t get much benefit from this EMD. But it fits so well with the niche, let’s give it a go anyhow.

The alternative is to make a separate site for each of our keywords, because there are EMDs available for each. It’s more expensive and more work.

So what we’ll do is compromise. Let’s build a the more generalcoloredtennisshoes.com site and a more specific yellowtennisshoes.com. (I’m going with yellow because I think it looks like some tennis pros wear yellow tennis shoes, so there will be more to talk about.)

3.3 Host the Domain

Time to register the domain and setup hosting for it. How you setup the hosting is very specific to the hosting service you’re using, so I won’t go into specifics about that. But do keep these things in mind:

Create the hosting account first. You can create the new hosting account (if you’re using a reseller account or a VPS) or add-on domain (for standard shared hosting) before you actually register the domain. Then if you map the domain to the IP address of your server by editing your local hosts fileyou can accevs the site before you’ve registered the domain.
Put up some dummy but related content. Once you register the domain, it won’t take long for Google to find it, even if no one links to it. It’s a good idea to prepare a dummy page of keyword-oriented content and place it as the root index.html file on the new site. Then if Google comes along before you finish the site (say you get interrupted and have to leave for a few hours) at least your initial listing in Google will be relevant to your topic.
Register the domain and set the nameservers. Once you’re ready, register the domain. Ideally you want to set the nameservers for the domain during the registration process, or shortly thereafter, but not all domain registrars allow this.

3.4 Install WordPress

Now it’s time to install WordPress. Yes, we’re installing blogging software on these sites. But we’re not going to create blogs. Rather, we’re using WordPress as a “content management system” (CMS). WordPress 3.0 has some new features that make it especialy good for CMS work.

I won’t go over how to install WordPress, as the details will vary depending on your hosting service. Most services will offer Fantastico, however, and that makes it very easy to install WordPress. There’s a decent tutorial on using Fantastico to install WordPress here.

3.5 Configure WordPress

Once WordPress 3.x is installed, login to the administration console. You’ll want to change the default configuration.

A. Remove the default links. Delete the defaults under Links:

B. Remove the default post. Delete the post under Posts:

C. Rename the Uncategorized category. Change its name to News:

D. Change the Permalinks format. Change the permalinks format to /%postname%/:

3.6 Install Plugins

Now it’s time to install a few free WordPress plugins. These plugins will make your life easier. Best of all, you can install most of them quite easily directly from the WordPress console, just go to Plugins, click Add New and then search for the following plugins:

Google XML Sitemaps to general a search engine sitemap
SEO Ultimate to optimize page titles and so on
Advertising Manager to insert AdSense ads into content

You may also want to install my free Privacy Policy plugin to automatically generate an AdSense-compliant privacy policy page for your site.

All of these are totally optional, of course. You’ll need to activate these plugins and then configure the plugins appropriately, which I’m not going to describe as this post is long enough as it is…

3.7 Install a Theme

The default WordPress 3.0 theme is a lot better than the previous default theme, but you’ll want to install a different theme. The XFactor course recommends a simple look like the one on this chainsaw sharpener site and there are theme designers who will sell you such a theme if you do a bit of looking. Or you can use one of the hundreds of freely-available themes available from the WordPress dashboard:

The set of choices can be quite bewildering, but remember these key points:

Choose a widget-enabled theme. Widgets have always been useful, but new in WordPress 3.0 is the ability to transform a custom “menu” into a widget. This makes it extremely easy to create custom lists of pages and posts.
Keep it simple. You don’t want to overwhelm the user with too much information or too many links. Your ads (or affiliate links) need to be front and center.
White background. It’s more readable, goes with the simplicity theme, and makes ad blending easier.
Use images. Images are great way to attract the reader’s eye to the page and can make a site more visually appealing. You don’t have to add images right away, but make sure it’s something you can easily do at some point.
Turn off all ads. Some themes have built-in ad support (in which case you won’t need an ad plugin like the one I mentioned above), but you’ll want to turn it off while you’re working on the site. Best not to have the AdSense bot visit the site until you have content on it.

Don’t fret too much about the theme at first. I know it’s easy to spend time perfecting the theme — I do it myself. But the theme can always change later.It’s more important to get the site up and running than making it look good.

Part 4: Content Creation

At this point you have an empty site. It’s time to fill it with content.

4.1 Pages For Content, Posts For Announcements

A WordPress blog has two types of content, pages and posts. The main difference between the two is that posts get listed in the blog’s feed while pages do not. Otherwise, they are essentially identical from an external point of view.

The basic strategy we’re going to use is use put content on pages andannouncements on posts. I know a lot of people do it differently by putting everything in posts, but you’re just making it easier for others to grab and duplicate your content.

For a non-blog site (which is what you’re building here) keep the content out of the feed, either by putting it on pages and creating announcements that link to those pages or by using summaries in the feed. Either approach will work, really, but I prefer the content-on-pages approach. Why? Because with WordPress you can make any page the blog’s front page with just a few clicks. You’ll see what I mean shortly.

4.2 The Announcements Page

First, though, you’ll need to create a new page for displaying the blog’s posts. Normally this is the front page, but we’ll need to create a separate page for this. All you do is create an empty page, but give it a descriptive title like “Announcements” or “Blog” or “News”.

4.3 The About Page

Next, modify the default “About” page to something descriptive about the site. Installing a contact form (use one of several plugins available for this) is a good idea. Adding a street address ads credibility, too, but most people don’t want to do this.

Try to be unique. A lot of people who read the XFactor course went and created sites whose “About” pages literally cloned the example site in the course, which makes them quite easy to find. If you don’t believe me, try this Google phrase search (it’s actually two phrases) and you’ll find a large number of sites:

“we do not endorse any specific product” “give the consumer a choice”

I guess that’s one way to do microniche keyword research!

4.4 The Privacy Policy Page

Don’t forget that your site must include a privacy policy if you show AdSense ads on the site. The Privacy Policy Plugin I listed above makes it easy, but it’s certainly not the only choice.

4.5 The Front Page

Preliminaries aside, you’re ready to create the content for your front page. This will be the home page for your site, the first page most visitors will see. It should be focused around the main keyword for your microniche. Ideally, it should be unique content that you wrote yourself.

Don’t go overboard with using your keyword. One or twice will be enough, as it’s already in the domain name. Use it too much and the page will be flagged as spammy by Google.

4.6 Configure the Front Page

With the front page and announcements page defined, go to the WordPress dashboard under Settings -> Reading and configure WordPress to use pages for the front page and the posts page:

You may have to play with the front page title a bit. Don’t forget you can use the SEO plugin to change the title displayed without changing the actual title.

4.7 Create a Custom Menu

This is optional, but it adds a lot of flexibility: Create a custom menu (go toAppearance -> Menus). On the menu you can add all the pages you want and you can give them different, shorter titles. You can then create a widget that gets its list of pages from the custom menu.

4.8 Make the First Announcement

At this point your site is essentially up and running, so it’s time to tell the world about it. You do this by creating a post that announces the site. You can write it like a press release if you want, or just make it a paragraph or two. Make sure you insert a link or two in the post that links back to the home page with your main keyword as anchor text.

After you publish the post, a ping will be sent by WordPress to various services and you’ll get crawled by at least one of the search engines (Google, probably) within the hour.

Now is a good time to turn on the ads. You’ve got content, so enable the ads.

4.9 Add More Content and More Annoucements

Now repeat the cycle over the next few days… add more content pages, each focused on one of your other related keywords. Create an announcement for each page. You can even do it all in one sitting if you use WordPress’s scheduling feature.

4.10 Promote the Site

Once the site is up and running, you can start promoting it. Essentially this means getting links to it from other sites. There are a zillion ways to do this, but the typical things you can do are:

Submit a press release about the site — Lots of free press release sites to choose from, submit to a few and if you can use good anchor text in the link back to your site. (Not always possible.)
Bookmark the site — Submit your site to various bookmarking sites like Delicious.
Submit to feed aggregators — This gets a few visitors and some links back to your site.
Submit articles — Write content and submit them to article directories like EzineArticles, GoArticles, ArticleDashboard, etc.

One key point is to avoid using your keywords in titles for content you submit elsewhere. You don’t want the website that links to your site to rank higher than yours. So if you write an article, make sure your title doesn’t include the keyword phrase you’re targeting. Instead, use that phrase as anchor text within the article bio box.

Keep building links over time. Use whitehat techniques only, please. You may wish to outsource some things (like directory submission) to others in order to save time. But in the early stages it’s best to do everything yourself. (One danger of outsourcing, BTW: you’re revealing your niche!)

Conclusion

I hope you’ve found this discussion useful. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to answer them. (Note that all comments are moderated and I’m pretty aggressive about deleting comments that essentially say nothing!)

If you did find this useful, a link or bookmark back is always appreciated!

How Are CPC and CPM rates calculated?

2009-12-06T23:01:00.000-08:00

Your Advertlet statistics will show your daily earnings. Under there, you will notice CPM, CPC and CPA (currently not active), as well as your total.

CPM (cost per impression) advertisements are based on the number of unique visits that your blog attracts. Quality of visits also count - traffic from autosurf programs, bots, applications and spiders are not counted.

CPC (cost per click) advertisements are based on visitors clicking your ad. Only valid clicks will translate to legit earnings - meaning that invalid clicks such as: duplicate clicks, excessive clicks from the same source, or the use of an automated system to click will not result in actual earnings. You may see an increase in earnings from invalid clicks in your Dashboard, however this amount is audited after the earnings are cashed out. We do not pay for fraudulent clicks, however, we cannot audit clicks in real time.

You will not earn twice for the same ad. Meaning, for example, if you have a CPM ad on your blog that is running per impression, you will not get paid extra if a visitor clicks on that ad (CPC).

Generally, we recommend that bloggers focus on writing great content and optimizing their ad placements to earn the most out of Advertlets. The algorithm that matches blogs with earnings is constantly being refined for better performance, and we do not recommend publishers to try to game the system.

Ritalin {Quick facts}

2009-11-26T02:58:00.003-08:00

Depressants

Often referred to as "downers," these drugs slow brain function and include sedatives and tranquilizers. Some drugs in this category, such as Zyprexa, Thorazine and Haldol, are known as "major tranquilizers" and also referred to as "antipsychotics," as they are supposed to reduce the symptoms of mental illness. Some well-known depressant brand and street names are:

DRUG - Benzodiazepines
Brand names:
Xanax
Candy
Valium
Halcion
Librium
Ativan

Street names:
Downers
Sleeping pills
Tranks
Benzos
Klonopin

DRUG - Barbiturates
Brand names:
Amytal
Nembutal
Seconal
Phenobarbital

Street names:
Barbs
Reds
Red birds
Phennies
Tooies
Yellows
Yellow jackets

Short-term effects:
Slow brain function
Sluggishness
Slowed pulse and breathing
Suicidal thoughts
Lowered blood pressure
Confusion
Poor concentration
Fatigue
Slurred speech
Fever
Loss of judgment and coordination
Dizziness
Weight gain
Depression

Long-term effects:
Physical dependence
Withdrawal symptoms for people who stop taking them
Increased risk of high blood sugar, diabetes, and weight gain

OPIOIDS AND MORPHINE DERIVATIVES.
These are generally referred to as narcotics or painkillers.
Some well-known brand and street names are:

DRUG - Codeine
Brand names:
Emperin with Codeine
Captain Cody
Fiorional with Codeine
Robitussin A-C
Tylenol with Codeine

Street names:
Cody
Schoolboy
Doors
Loads
Pancakes & syrup

DRUG - Fentanyl
Brand names:
Actiq
Duragesic
Sublimaze

Street names:
Apache
China girl
China White
Dance fever
Friend
Goodfella
Jackpot
Murder 8
TNT
Tango and Cash

OPIOIDS AND MORPHINE DERIVATIVES. Opium is the dried, condensed juice of a poppy.Morphine is the most addictive part of opium.
A derivative is a substance obtained from another substance.
NARCOTIC: A drug that blunts the senses and can cause addiction.

DRUG - Morphine
Brand names:
Roxanol
Duramorph

Street names:
M
Miss Emma
Monkey
White Stuff

DRUG - Oxycodone HCL
Brand names:
OxyContin
Percocet
Percodan

Street names:
Oxy 80
O.C.
Oxycet
Hillbilly heroin
Percs
Perks

DRUG - Hydrocodone and Acetaminophen
Brand name - Vicodin
Street names:
Vike
Watson-387

DRUG - Meperidine
Brand name - Demerol
Street names:
Hydromophone
demmies
Pain killer
Juice
Dilaudid
Dillies

DRUG - Buprenorphine
Brand name - Suboxone
Street name - Bupe
Short-term effects:
Drowsiness
Slowed breathing
Constipation
Unconsciousness
Nausea
Coma
Confusion
Death (if a large dose)

Long-term effects:
Physical dependence and addiction
Withdrawal symptoms include: restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, and cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold turkey").

ANTIDEPRESSANTS
Any drug used to supposedly treat depression is categorized as an antidepressant. Commonly abused antidepressants include Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, Zoloft, Remeron and Numbutal.

Short-term effects:
Insomnia
Irritability
Nervousness and anxiety
Violent thoughts and actions
Agitation
Suicidal thoughts or suicide
Hallucinations
Tremors
Hostility
Aggression
Violent behavior
Confusion and incoherent thoughts
Mania
Paranoid reactions
Psychosis
Akathisia (a painful inner agitation)

Long-term effects:
Addiction
Paranoia
Anxiety
Irregular heartbeat
Headaches
Hallucinations

STIMULANTS
Also known as "uppers," they are used to increase energy and alertness, but are accompanied by increases in blood pressure, heart rate and breathing. Some of the well-known brand and street names are:

DRUG - Amphetamine
Brand names:
Biphetamine
Dexedrine
Adderall

Street names:
Bennies
Black beauties
Crosses
Hearts
Speed
LA turnaround
Truck drivers
Uppers
Double trouble

Short-term effects:
Increased blood pressure
Increased heart rate, blood sugar and breathing
Nervousness
Feelings of hostility and paranoia if high doses are taken repeatedly over a short time

Long-term effects:
Dangerously high body temperatures (for high doses)
Irregular heartbeat, possible heart failure
Addiction

"SPECIAL K," "ROOFIES" AND OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS
Other drugs commonly abused include Ketamine, sold as a prescription anesthetic either in powdered or liquid form. Rohypnol is a tranquilizer about 10 times more potent than Valium. Dextromethorphan is a cough-suppressant found in may over-the-counter cough and cold medications. Some of the well-known brand and street names are:

DRUG - Ketamine
Brand name - Ketalar SV
Street names:
K
Cat Valium
Special K
Vitamin K

DRUG - Flunitrazepam
Brand name - Rohypnol
Street names:
Roofies
Roche
La Rocha
R-2
Mexican valium
Forget-me-pill
Rophies

DRUG - Dextromethorphan(DXM)
Brand names:
Coricidin
Robitussin
Contac

Street names:
CCC
Triple C
Robo
Skittles
Vitamin D
Poor Man's PCP

KETAMINE EFFECTS:
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Reduced ability to move
Memory loss, numbness
Nausea/vomiting
Hallucinations
Depression
Potentially fatal respiratory problems
Delirium

ROHYPNOL EFFECTS:
Rohypnol users often describe its effects as "paralyzing." The effects start 20-30 minutes after taking the drug, peak within two hours and may persist for eight or even as much as twelve hours.

COUGH SYRUP EFFECTS:
Hallucinations
Hypertension
Insomnia
Lethargy
Dizziness
Slurred speech
Delusions
Sweating
High blood pressure
Liver and brain damage

Mixed with other drugs, cough syrup can cause increased blood pressure, delayed liver damage, and central nervous system and heart problems. Combination with alcohol is particularly dangerous and can result in death.

Painkillers {Quick facts}

2009-11-26T02:57:00.003-08:00

Prescription Drugs {Quick facts}

2009-11-26T02:56:00.003-08:00

LSD {Quick facts}

2009-11-26T02:55:00.005-08:00

Street names:
Acid
Battery acid
Blotter
Boomers
Cid
Daffy duck
Doses
Dots
Golden Dragon
Hippie
Loony toons
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Microdot
Pane
Window pane
Purple Heart
Superman
Tab
Yellow sunshine
Zen
Tab

LSD is manufactured from a fungus that grows on rye and other grains and is one of the most potent chemicals and poisonous substances on Earth. It is produced in crystal form in illegal labs. These crystals are converted to a liquid for distribution. LSD is sold on the street in small tablets("microdots"), capsules or gelatin squares("window panes"). It is also added to small squares of paper. Its effects are unpredictable.

Physical effects:
Raised body temperature
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Sweating or chills
Loss of appetite
Sleeplessness
Dry mouth
Tremors

Mental effects:
Severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings, fear of losing control, fear of insanity and death
Visual hallucinations
Distortion of one's sense of time and identity
Distorted time perception, distorted perception of size, shape, movements, color, sounds, touch and one's own body image
Recurrence of the LSD trip, offen without warning long after the drug was taken (days, weeks, months and even years)
Severe depression or psychosis

Heroin {Quick facts}

2009-11-26T02:55:00.001-08:00

Street Names:
Air blast
Ames
Amys
Aroma of man
Bolt
Boppers
Bullet
Bullet bolt
Buzz bomb
Discorama
Hardware
Heart-on
Hiagra in a bottle
Highball
Hippie crack
Huff
Laughing gas
Locker room
Medusa
Moon gas
Oz
Pearls
Poor man's pot
Poppers
Quicksilver
Rush Snappers
Satan's secret
Shoot the breeze
Snappers
Snotballs
Spray
Texas shoe shine
Thrust
Toilet water
Toncho
Whippets
Whiteout

Inhalants slow down the body's functions, starving the body and brain of oxygen and forcing the heart to beat irregularly and rapidly.

Short-term effects:
Slurred speech
Dizziness
Loss of coordination
Impaired judgment
Hallucinations
Aggressiveness
Apathy
Unconsciousness
Severe headaches
Rashes around the nose and mouth
Irregular and rapid heart beat
Heart failure and death

Long-term effects:
Muscle weakness
Disorientation
Loss of coordination
Irritability
Depression
Memory loss, diminished intelligence
Hearing loss
Bone marrow damage
Serious and sometimes irreversible damage to the heart, liver, Kidneys, lungs and brain

Inhalants {Quick facts}

2009-11-26T02:54:00.001-08:00

CRYSTAL METH {Quick facts}

2009-11-26T02:53:00.001-08:00

Street names for Methamphetamine:
Beannies
Brown
Chalk
Crank
Chicken feed
Cinnamon
Crink
Crypto
Fast
Getgo
Methlies quik
Mexican crack
Pervitin(Czech Republic)
Redneck cocaine
Speed
Tick tick
Tweak
Wash
Yaba
Yellow powder
Street names for Crystal Meth:
Batu
Blade
Cristy
Crystal
Crystal glass
Crystal tea
Crystalz
Glass
Go-Fast
Hot ice
Ice
Quartz
Shabu
Shards
Stove top
Tina
Tweak
Ventana

Methamphetamine is an extremely powerful and addictive drug. It is in the form of a crystalline white powder, bitter-tasting and dissolves easily in water or alcohol. Other colors of powder have been observed, including brown, yellow-gray, orange and even pink. It can also be compresed into pill form. Many addicts report getting hooked from the first use. It causes violent and psychotic behavior.

Crystal meth is another form of the drug that usually resembles small fragments of ice or shiny blue-white "rocks" of various sizes and is usually smoked.

Short-term effects:
Sleeplessness
Erratic, bizarre, violent behavior
Vomiting
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Agitation and aggressiveness
Anxiety and paranoia
Psychosis and panic
Hallucinations, hyperactivity, irritability
Tactile hallucination that creates the illusion of bugs burrowing under the skin
Convulsions, seizures and death

Long-term effects:
Irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain and heart, leading to strokes, heart attacks and death
Liver, kidney and lung damage
Damage to the brain similar to Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy.
Psychosis, apathy, disorientation, confused
Those who recover usually have memory gaps and extreme mood swings.

CRACK {Quick Facts}

2009-11-26T02:52:00.005-08:00

Street names:
24-7
Apple jacks
Badrock
Ball
Base
Beat
Candy
Chemical
Cloud
Cookies
Crack
Crumbs
Crunch and munch
Devil Drug
Dice
Electric kool-aid
Fat bags
French fries
Glo
Gravel
Grit
Hail
Hard Ball
Hard Rock
Hotcakes
Ice cube
Jelly beans
Kryptonite
Nuggets
Paste
Piece
Prime time
Rock(s)
Rock star
Rox / Roxanne
Scrabble
Sleet
Snow coke
Sugar block
Topo (Spanish)
Tornado
Troop

Crack cocaine is the most potent, and therefore riskiest, form of cocaine. It comes in solid blocks or crystals, in colors from yellow to pale rose or white. People have been known to become addicted after using the drug just once.

Some short-term effects:
Convulsions and death
Disturbed sleeping
Erratic, bizarre, violent behavior
Increased heart rate
Rapid breathing
Hallucinations, hyperactivity, irritability
Paranoia and psychosis
Vomiting
Chest pains

Long-term effects:
As tolerance to the drug increases, it becomes necessary to take greater and greater quantities to get the same high.
Severe depression and addiction
Irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain and heart, leading to strokes, heart attacks and death
Daily use causes sleep deprivation, liver, kidney and lung damage, loss of appetite.
Sexual dysfunction and reproductive damage and inferility.
People who become addicted to crack (as with most drugs) lose interest in life.

Cocaine {Quick facts}

2009-11-26T02:52:00.001-08:00

Street names:
Aunt Nora
Ball
Bernice
Blow
C
Charlie
Coke
Dust
Flake
Mojo
Nose candy
Paradise
Pony
Sneeze
Sniff
Snow
Toot
White

Cocaine is usually in powder form. It causes a short-lived, intense "high" that is immediately followed by depression, edginess and a craving for more.

Short-term effects:
Poor eating and sleeping
Increased heart rate and breathing
Muscle spasms and convulsions
Paranoia, anxiety and hallucinations
Severe depression and hostility

Long-term effects:
Severe tooth decay
Destruction of tissues in nose if sniffed
Infectious diseases and abscesses if injected
Respiratory failure if smoked
Irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain and heart, leading to strokes, heart attacks and death
Sleep deprivation, liver, kidney and lung damage, loss of appetite.
Sexual dysfunction and reproductive damage and inferility.
Frequency of risky behavior
Delirium or psychosis

Ecstacy { Quick facts}

2009-11-26T02:51:00.002-08:00

Street names:
Cadillac
E
Love pill
Love's speed
Pink pig
Scooby snacks
Adam
Eve
Ecsta
Essence
Hug drug
hug
XTC
X
Elephants
XE
Snowball
Roll
Beans
California sunrise
Lollipop
Clarity

Ecstasy is illegal and addictive. It usually comes in pill, tablet or capsule form, which are sometimes marked with cartoon-like images. Taking Ecstasy with alcohol is extremely dangerous and can be lethal.

Some short-term effects are:
Impaired judgment
Confusion
Depression
Sleep problems
Severe nervousness
Paranoia
Muscle tension
Involuntary teeth clenching
Vomiting
Blurred vision
Chills or sweating

Long-term effects:
Long-lasting brain damage affecting thought and memory
Depression, anxiety, memory loss
Kidney failure
Psychosis

Alchohol {Quick facts}

2009-11-26T02:51:00.000-08:00

Street names:
Weed
Pot
Ganja
Texas tea
Herb
Dope
Roach
Hemp
Reefer
Grass
Mary Jane
Dagga
Bhang
Home grown
J
White widow
Astro turf
Hashish
Chocolate
Hash
Shit

Marijuana is the word used to describe the dried flowers, seeds and leaves of the Indian hemp plant. Hashish is made from the plant's gummy sap (resin) and is six times stronger than marijuana. Cannabis describes any of the different drugs that come from Indian hemp.

Today's growers have developed techniques to make the drug much stronger, resulting in an increase in the number of marijuana-related emergency room visits.

Marijuana and hashish users build up a tolerance to the drugs, which can lead them to take more of it or experiment with stronger drugs to get the same effect.

Short-term effects:
Drowsiness
Red eyes
Increased appetite
Loss of coordination
Distorted vision, hearing and sense of time
Increased heart rate
Poor memory

Long-term effects:
Psychotic symptoms
Growth disorders
Lung damage
Reduced ability to learn and retain information
Heart damage
Reduction of male sex hormones
Reduced ability to fight lung infections and illness

Marijuana {Quick facts}

2009-11-26T02:49:00.001-08:00

Why do people take drugs?

2009-11-26T02:48:00.000-08:00

Drugs have been part of our culture since the middle of the last century. Popularized in the 1960s by music and mass media, they invade all aspects of society. An estimated 208 million people internationally consume illegal drugs. In the United States, results from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that 19.9 million Americans (or 8% of the population aged 12 or older) used illegal drugs in the month prior to the survey. You probably know someone who has been affected by drugs, directly or indirectly. The most commonly used—and abused—drug in the US is alcohol. Alcohol-related motor accidents are the second leading cause of teen death in the United States. The most commonly used illegal drug is marijuana. According to the United Nations 2008 World Drug Report, about 3.9% of the world’s population between the ages of 15 and 64 abuse marijuana. Young people today are exposed earlier than ever to drugs. Based on a survey by the Centers for Disease Control in 2007, 45% of high school students nationwide drank alcohol and 19.7% smoked pot during a one-month period. In Europe, recent studies among 15- and 16-year-olds suggest that use of marijuana varies from under 10% to over 40%, with the highest rates reported by teens in the Czech Republic (44%), followed by Ireland (39%), the UK (38%) and France (38%). In Spain and the United Kingdom, cocaine use among 15- to 16-year-olds is 4% to 6%. Cocaine use among young people has risen in Denmark, Italy, Spain, UK, Norway and France. WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE DRUGS? People take drugs because they want to change something about their lives. Here are some of the reasons young people have given for taking drugs: To fit in To escape or relax To relieve boredom To seem grown up To rebel To experiment They think drugs are a solution. But eventually, the drugs become the problem. Difficult as it may be to face one’s problems, the consequences of drug use are always worse than the problem one is trying to solve with them. The real answer is to get the facts and not to take drugs in the first place. HOW DO DRUGS WORK? Drugs are essentially poisons. The amount taken determines the effect. A small amount acts as a stimulant (speeds you up). A greater amount acts as a sedative (slows you down). An even larger amount poisons and can kill. This is true of any drug. Only the amount needed to achieve the effect differs. But many drugs have another liability: they directly affect the mind. They can distort the user’s perception of what is happening around him or her. As a result, the person’s actions may be odd, irrational, inappropriate and even destructive. Drugs block off all sensations, the desirable ones with the unwanted. So, while providing short-term help in the relief of pain, they also wipe out ability and alertness and muddy one’s thinking. Medicines are drugs that are intended to speed up or slow down or change something about the way your body is working, to try to make it work better. Sometimes they are necessary. But they are still drugs: they act as stimulants or sedatives, and too much can kill you. So if you do not use medicines as they are supposed to be used, they can be as dangerous as illegal drugs. DRUGS AFFECT THE MIND Normally, when a person remembers something, the mind is very fast and information comes to him quickly. But drugs blur memory, causing blank spots. When a person tries to get information through this cloudy mess, he can’t do it. Drugs make a person feel slow or stupid and cause him to have failures in life. And as he has more failures and life gets harder, he wants more drugs to help him deal with the problem. DRUGS DESTROY CREATIVITY One lie told about drugs is that they help a person become more creative. The truth is quite different. Someone who is sad might use drugs to get a feeling of happiness, but it does not work. Drugs can lift a person into a fake kind of cheerfulness, but when the drug wears off, he or she crashes even lower than before. And each time, the emotional plunge is lower and lower. Eventually, drugs will completely destroy all the creativity a person has.

Events & Promotions CANON

2009-11-25T02:54:00.000-08:00

CANON MALAYSIA ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES

2009-11-25T02:52:00.000-08:00

		The Canon Goes Green campaign is to promote awareness about the importance of environmental conservation. Canon had contributed in many ways for this effort and among them are the planting of seedlings and the introduction of the "oh so cute" environmental friendly non woven bag.

Canon X Mark 1

		Forged from plastics left over from the constructon of Canon Prism lenses, and completely solar powered the new Canon X Mark 1 calculator, is set to delight both the corporations and tree lovers alike! Click here to know more

India iCare Project

		Since 2008 Canon India has been at the forefront of a project that is set to educate and assist the people of India who suffer from eye related disorders. Over 11,220 children were screened in 31 schools, with glasses provided to 491 children, and further financial assistance provided others who needed surgery. Plus just earlier this year, 79 more camps were organised and some 11,477 more patients were screened, with after screening assistance provided to those in need.

Clean Energy For a Green World Project

		Recently, Canon Thailand presented 3 electricity-generating wind turbines to 3 schools in southern Thailand. Besides giving out these turbines, Canon also developed a Clean Energy Library that would function solely on the energy contributed by the turbines themselves. The Clean Energy For A Green World project was initiated by Canon as part of their CSR programme, in conjunction with Canon Thailand’s 15th Anniversary, and is set to provide 15 schools with wind turbines, as well provide them with donated books, electrical appliances, educational materials, scholarships to students and other Canon products.

Canon Marketing Malaysia Blood Donation Drive

		In July 2009, Canon Marketing Malaysia’s Staff Recreation Club (SRC) organised a blood donation drive as part of their programme to promote the philosophy of living and working together for the common good. The drive saw some 41 litres of blood collected for the National Blood Bank. Click here to download the news clipping (PDF)

Canon voted as top 10 green company with green initiatives in Malaysia

		With the launch of the Canon Goes Green project last year, that saw more than 2,500 trees planted at Padang Kota Damansara, as well as its efforts to give out discount vouchers to people who recycled their ink and toner cartridges, CMM has been recognised as one of the top ten green companies in Malaysia. Click here to know more

Every little bit counts

		Canon DSLR cameras have contributed to energy conservation and resource saving by achieving approximately 20% less power consumption and a 7% lighter body than its predecessor. Click here to download the whole article (PDF)

Going Green From The Top Down

Mr. Liew Sip Chon, the President & CEO of Canon Marketing Malaysia brings the message of Going Green to a LIVE TV audience. If great leaders lead by example, then Mr. Liew is an example that should be followed by other leaders.

Click here to view video

Tree Planting Event

In line with its Kyosei philosophy, Canon Marketing (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd in partnership with Global Environment Centre (GEC), Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya; the Department of Forestry, Selangor had launched a tree planting event where around 2700 seedlings of indigenous tree species were planted in collaboration with the public and local community members in Padang Kota Damansara.

The event was a success and the seedlings that was planted are healthy and getting greener. To update everyone on the progress of the seedlings, Canon had published a progress report on their growth which is available for download below. Other than that, various pictures of the seedlings are available for download too.

Download Progress Report & Pictures

Click to download the full Progress Report (PDF) & click below to view pictures of the seedlings

1.jpg	2.jpg	3.jpg	4.jpg	5.jpg	6.jpg	7.jpg	8.jpg	9.jpg	10.jpg
11.jpg	12.jpg	13.jpg	14.jpg	15.jpg	16.jpg	17.jpg	18.jpg	19.jpg	20.jpg

For more information, click to visit the Canon Goes Green website.

Non Woven Bag

Again in accordance with its Kyosei philosophy, Canon Marketing (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. stood a firm stand against the use of plastic bags. Instead of using plastic bags in the office, Canon Marketing (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd chooses to use paper bags or non-woven which are environmental friendly.

The bags are given for free during the Tree planting event but for those who miss it, it is still available for purchase at a mere RM 3 and on top of this lovely non-woven green bags, we have also started using 100% recycled paper bags at the Customer Care Centre at CMM’s Head Office, all Canon branch offices or Canon Lifestyle Concept Stores.

For more information, click to visit the Canon Goes Green website.

Earth Hour

		Earth hour is a global event organized by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature, also known as World Wildlife Fund) and its normally held on the last saturday of March. In this event, participants are encouraged to turn off the lights or other non essential electrical appliances for 1 hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. Being always supportive of all things environmental, Canon Marketing (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd had temporary turn off 6 of their prominent billboards. Other than that, all the staffs of Canon Marketing (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd and their familes are also encouraged to do the same at their homes. Click to view a picture of Canon's billboard during Earth Hour. For more information, click to visit the Canon Goes Green website.

Recycle bins for empty ink catridges

Wondering where and how to put away your empty ink cartridges? Drop by our Canon Lifestyle Concept Store and discard them at our special Recycle Bin. Help protect Earth by recycling today!

The USB Drive Creator, A Malaysian Entrepreneur in Taiwan

2009-11-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

Posted on 08 September 2009 by Alvin Chua

Recently The Star featured a story about a very interesting company based in Taiwan. That company name is Phison Electronics Corp and it is a public listed company in Taiwan that is valued at Rm 4.3 Billion.

This company was started by Pua Khein-Seng who hails from Selangor. This 35 year old graduate from National Chiao Tung University worked part time support himself while he was still a student.

According to reports, his original intentions was to come back to Malaysia after graduate and start his career as an engineer in Malaysia, however he took up a job as a researcher for his professor/mentor’s company and remained in Taiwan.

Nevertheless one thing led to another and the company did not really take off which opened up the opportunity for Pua to start off his own company with 4 friends. They took letters from each of their name and came up with Phison. It took them 6 month and a raised investment of NT6 Million to come out with their first product which is the USB Card Reader.

A year later in 2001, he was approached by an Australian customer to come up with a USB drive which runs on a single chip and that product ultimately led to Phison growth to a company with 35% market share in pen drive and memory controller globally in 2008.

However, as any good entrepreneurial story, things are not as easy as it seems. After a short while operating Phison, Pua was sued by his former mentor and former boss for stealing trade secrets in the previous company he was involved. A court order was issued to freeze NT45 million cash reserve for the company which forced Phison to almost shut down.

Pua was determined and fought back with court appeals. The two companies reached a settlement of NT 3Million and in the process loosing one of his closest mentor. Pua mention in an article in a Taiwanese magazine , because of his experience in battling in court, he will not give up. He is willing to face any competition out there by whatever means possible such as under cutting the competitions which Phison is infamous for.

Note: For claims that Pua didn’t managed to enter a local public university from sites such ascheehoong.com, lowyat.net and many more, we did not manage to dig out any proof to show if that is true or otherwise. One thing for sure, the few qualities which we think contributed to Pua’s success is being resourceful, tenacious and being hardworking as he claimed to have worked around 15 hours a day before he got married.

As their site is down, we took a snapshot of the company according to Google Finance

Phison Electronics Corp. is principally engaged in the manufacture, development and sale of flash card readers and flash memory controller chips. The Company offers four categories of products: universal serial bus (USB) mobile disk flash controller chips and system products; flash memory controller chips and flash memory cards, including secure digital (SD) cards, microSD cards and compact flash (CF) cards; reader controller chips and appliance products, and solid disc controller chips and appliance products. During the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company obtained approximately 54.86%, 32.09% and 12.35% of its total revenue from flash drives, integrated circuits (ICs) and flash memory controller chips, respectively. The Company distributes its products in the domestic market and to overseas markets.

浩角翔起--登加楼介绍

2009-11-23T20:13:00.000-08:00

2009/11/17 pulau duyung...kampung cina..home made....wow~~

浩角翔起 (1/5)

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浩角翔起 (5/5)

A new World is rising - Cash & Diamonds - $ Earn Thousands of Dollars with Diamond Rewards$

2009-11-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

A new World is rising - Cash & Diamonds - $ Earn Thousands of Dollars with Diamond Rewards$

Preparing for Inflation By Jeff Cornwall

2009-11-21T01:16:00.000-08:00

on November 19, 2009 6:57 AM

I continue to be in the camp that is worried about inflation -- even possibly hyper-inflation -- in the not too distant future. Our ballooning debt along with the many latent inflationary pressures could soon create the spark that ignites a fire storm of runaway prices. If we see a currency crash, or many are now saying when we see one, we could likely see double or even triple digit inflation.

The problem for small business during inflationary times is that they are less able to adjust prices as quickly to adjust to inflationary pressures. There is never a smooth and orderly increase in prices for every business in the economy and small businesses often suffer the most.
If you have big suppliers and/or customers they can tie your hands. Your costs go up, but you are unable to pass along these costs with higher prices. One of the added costs we now have to worry about is increased taxes. This is a real cost to entrepreneurs and cannot be ignored as a part of inflationary costs.
What I worry about even more is that we may see inflation take hold long before the recession is over. This makes keeping prices up to stay ahead of increasing costs even more difficult as demand will still be fairly weak for some time. Given the growing evidence that this may become a long, very long, recession this is a real threat.
So what can a small business do in terms of pricing strategies to try and weather this impending inflationary storm?
The recession has made entrepreneurs leery of doing anything but cut prices to keep their businesses afloat during the recession. While that may still be the best course over the short-run, pay very close attention to pricing from your suppliers, decreases in unemployment, increasing interest rates, and pricing moves from the big boys in your industry. These are the elements of your inflationary dashboard.

When inflation heats up even a little, be aggressive with frequent small price increases rather than waiting and trying to catch up at some point with one big jump. Don't let yourself get behind, as small businesses can almost never play catch-up with their prices.

This can be tough to implement for some businesses, particularly if you publicly list your prices. For example, it can get very costly to print up new menus each month for a restaurant owner who wants to follow this strategy.

But customers are less likely to pay attention to price increases if they are small, so it is essential to find creative ways to communicate your pricing to allow for you to implement this strategy during inflationary times. For a restaurant it may require using menu inserts that can inexpensively be replaced. This was actually very commonly used in restaurants during the 1970s and 1980s when we had high inflation.

I know the question of the week is pricing, but I can't let this discussion go without a brief reminder that the income statement is also made up of costs. Adjusting to inflation also requires careful attention to expenses, as cutting costs can at least somewhat help ease the pressure to increase prices.

Continue the prudent management of expenses that helped you survive the recession:

- Keep overhead low.
- Build cash reserves to buffer short term price increases that precede your ability to get higher prices from your customers. I know this sounds contrary to the investment advice we are now hearing about holding cash during inflation. Don't think of this cash as investment -- it is your levy to hold back the rising tide of inflation.
- Watch your margins carefully. Worry about growing profits, not sales.
- Don't lock into long-term contracts that have narrow margins with large customers.
- Pay down variable interest loans ASAP, especially now that interest rates are temporarily relatively low. As soon as inflation heats up, interest rates will continue to rise. And given the stubbornness that the Fed is now showing with interest rates, we may soon see huge spikes in rates over just a few quarters as inflation takes hold.

Encyclopedia of the Nations [Asia and Oceania]

2009-11-21T00:59:00.000-08:00

Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia with a long, narrow strip in the northeast (the Wakhan corridor). Afghanistan is slightly smaller than the state of Texas, with a total area of 647,500 sq km (250,001 sq mi), extending 1,240 km (770 mi) NE–SW and 560 km (350 mi) SE–NW. Afghanistan is bounded on the N by Turkenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, on the extreme NE by China, on the E and S by Pakistan, and on the W by Iran, with a total boundary length of 5,529 km (3,436 mi). Afghanistan's capital city, Kabul, is located in the east central part of the country.

Australia

Lying southeast of Asia, between the Pacific and Indian oceans, Australia, the world's smallest continent, is almost completely surrounded by ocean expanses. Australia is slightly smaller than the United States, with a total area of 7,686,850 sq km (2,967,909 sq mi). The five mainland states are New South Wales, 801,600 sq km (309,500 sq mi); Queensland, 1,727,200 sq km (666,900 sq mi); South Australia, 984,000 sq km (379,900 sq mi); Victoria, 227,600 sq km (87,900 sq mi); and Western Australia, 2,525,500 sq km (975,100 sq mi). The island state of Tasmania has an area of 67,800 sq km (26,200 sq mi); the Northern Territory, 1,346,200 sq km (519,800 sq mi); and the Australian Capital Territory, 2,400 sq km (900 sq mi). The country, including Tasmania, extends about 4,000 km (2,500 mi) E–W and 3,180 km (1,980 mi) N–S.

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is located in southeastern Europe/southwestern Asia between Armenia and the Caspian Sea. Comparatively, Azerbaijan is slightly smaller than the state of Maine with a total area of 86,600 sq km (33,400 sq mi). This area includes the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Azerbaijan shares boundaries with Russia on the N, the Caspian Sea on the E, Iran on the S, Armenia on the W, and Georgia on the NW. Azerbaijan's boundary length totals 2,013 km (1,251 mi). Azerbaijan's capital city, Baku, is located on the Apsheron Peninsula that juts into the Caspian Sea.

Bahrain

Situated in the western Persian Gulf, 29 km (18 mi) NW of Qatar, the State of Bahrain consists of a group of 33 islands (6 inhabited) with a total area of 620 sq km (239 sq mi), extending 48 km (30 mi) N–S and 19 km (12 mi) E–W. Comparatively, Bahrain occupies slightly less than 3.5 times the area of Washington, D.C. Bahrain, the main island, is linked by causeways and bridges to Muharraq and Sitra islands and to Sa'udi Arabia; other islands include the Hawar group, Nabih Salih, Umm an-Nasan, and Jidda. The total coastline is 161 km (100 mi). Bahrain's capital city, Manama, is located on the northeastern coast.

Bangladesh

Situated in South Asia, Bangladesh, before it became an independent state, was the eastern province of Pakistan, known as East Bengal and, later, as East Pakistan. Bangladesh is slightly smaller than the state of Iowa with a total area of 144,000 sq km (55,598 sq mi), extending 767 km (477 mi) SSE–NNW and 429 km (267 mi) ENE–WSW. Bangladesh is bordered in the W, N, and E by India, on the SE by Myanmar (Burma), and on the S by the Bay of Bengal, with a total boundary length of 4,246 km (2,638 mi). A border demarcation agreement was signed with Myanmar in May 1979. Demarcation of the marine boundary with India remains unresolved. Bangladesh's capital city, Dhaka, is located near the center of the country.

Bhutan

Bhutan, a landlocked country in the Himalaya mountain range, has an area of 47,000 sq km (18,147 sq mi), extending 306 km (190 mi) E–W and 145 km (90 mi) N–S. Comparatively, the area occupied by Bhutan is slightly more than half the size of the state of Indiana. It is bordered on the E, S, and W by India and on the N and NW by China, with a total boundary length of 1,075 km (668 mi). The capital city of Bhutan, Thimphu, is located in the west central part of the country.

Brunei Darussalam

Brunei occupies 5,770 sq km (2,228 sq mi) on the northwestern coast of the island of Borneo. Comparatively, the area occupied by Brunei is slightly smaller than the state of Delaware. It comprises two small enclaves separated by the Limbang River Valley, a salient of the Malaysian State of Sarawak, which surrounds Brunei on the E, S, and W. Brunei's total boundary length is 381 km (237 mi).

Cambodia

Situated in the southwest corner of the Indochina Peninsula, Cambodia has an area of 181,040 sq km (69,900 sq mi), extending 730 km (454 mi) NE-SW and 512 km (318 mi) SE-NW. It is bounded on the NE by Laos, on the E and SE by Vietnam, on the SW by the Gulf of Thailand, and on the W, NW, and N by Thailand, with a total boundary length of 2,572 km (1,598 mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Cambodia is slightly smaller than the state of Oklahoma. In 1982, the PRK signed an agreement with Vietnam on their mutual maritime frontier. A treaty delineating the land border was signed in December 1985.

China

The People's Republic of China (PRC), the third-largest country in the world after the former USSR and Canada and the largest nation in Asia, claims an area of 9,596,960 sq km (3,705,406 sq mi), including Taiwan, which the PRC claims as a province; the major administrative divisions, excluding Taiwan and the offshore islands, cover 9,444,292 sq km (3,646,448 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by China is slightly larger than the United States. The mainland has an extension of 4,845 km (3,011 mi) ENE–WSW and 3,350 km (2,082 mi) SSE–NNW. The mainland's 5,774 km (3,588 mi) coastline, extending from the mouth of the Yalu River in the northeast to the Gulf of Tonkin in the south, forms a great arc, with the Liaodong and Shandong peninsulas in the north protruding into the Yellow Sea and the Leizhou Peninsula in the south protruding into the South China Sea. China's territory includes several large islands, the most important of which is Hainan, off the south coast. Other islands include the reefs and islands of the South China Sea, extending as far as 4° N. These reefs and islands include Dongsha (Pratas), to which Taiwan has also laid claim. China's claims to the Xisha (Paracel) and Nansha (Spratly) archipelagoes are also in dispute. In 1986, the United Kingdom agreed to transfer Hong Kong to the PRC in 1997; in March 1987, the PRC and Portugal reached an agreement for the return of Macau to the PRC on 20 December 1999.

Cyprus

Cyprus is the largest Mediterranean island after Sicily and Sardinia. Including small island outposts of Cape Andreas known as the Klidhes, its area is 9,250 sq km (3,571 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Cyprus is about three-fifths the size of the state of Connecticut. Since 1974, the northern third of the island, or 3,367 sq km (1,300 sq mi), has been under the de facto control of the Turkish Cypriot Federated State (proclaimed in 1975), which on 15 November 1983 proclaimed its independence as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; the southern two-thirds (5,884 sq km/2,272 sq mi) are controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus. A narrow zone called the "green line," patrolled by UN forces, separates the two regions and divides Nicosia, the national capital.

East Timor

East Timor survives within Timor, an island roughly the size of the Netherlands (32,000 sq km/12,355 sq mi) that forms an arc between Asia and Australia and is situated within the Nusatengarra Archipelago. Opposite the well-traveled island of Bali, East Timor is surrounded by the Indian Ocean at the south at the Pacific Ocean at the north. Its size rivals New Jersey or Israel, and its 15,007-km (9,325-mi) territory extends beyond its mainland to include the enclave of Ocussi-Ambeno in West Timor, and the islands of Atauro in the north and Jaco in the east. Dili, a small port city on the northern coast, is the capital.

Fiji

Fiji, situated in the South Pacific about 4,450 km (2,765 mi) SW of Hawaii and 1,770 km (1,100 mi) N of New Zealand, comprises some 850 islands, of which only about 100 are inhabited. The island of Rotuma, added to Fiji in 1881, is geographically separate from the main archipelago and has an area of 44 sq km (17 sq mi). The total area (including Rotuma) is 18,270 sq km (7,054 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Fiji is slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. Fiji (not including Rotuma) extends 595 km (370 mi) SE–NW and 454 km (282 mi) NE–SW. The largest islands are Viti Levu, with an area of 10,386 sq km (4,010 sq mi), and Vanua Levu, with 5,535 sq km (2,137 sq mi). Fiji's total coastline is 1,129 km (702 mi).

French Pacific Dependencies

The overseas territory of French Polynesia (Polynésie Française) in the South Pacific Ocean includes five island groups. The Society Islands (Îles de la Société) were discovered by the British in 1767 and named after the Royal Society, are the most important.

India

The Republic of India, Asia's second-largest country after China, fills the major part of the South Asian subcontinent (which it shares with Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh) and includes the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep (formerly the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands) in the Arabian Sea. The total area is 3,287,590 sq km (1,269,345 sq mi), including 222,236 sq km (85,806 sq mi) belonging to Jammu and Kashmir; of this disputed region, 78,932 sq km (30,476 sq mi) are under the de facto control of Pakistan and 42,735 sq km (16,500 sq mi) are held by China. Comparatively, the area occupied by India is slightly more than one-third the size of the United States. China claims part of Arunachal Pradesh. Continental India extends 3,214 km (1,997 mi) N–S and 2,933 km (1,822 mi) E–W. India is bordered on the N by the disputed area of Jammu and Kashmir (west of the Karakoram Pass), China, Nepal, and Bhutan; on the E by Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the Bay of Bengal; on the S by the Indian Ocean; on the W by the Arabian Sea; and on the NW by Pakistan. The total boundary length is 21,103 km (13,113 mi), of which 7,00 km (4,340 mi) is coastline.

Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia consists of five large islands and 13,677 smaller islands (about 6,000 of which are inhabited) forming an arc between Asia and Australia. With a total area of 1,919,440 sq km (741,100 sq mi), Indonesia is the fourth-largest Asian country, after China, India, and Sa'udi Arabia. Comparatively, the area occupied by Indonesia is slightly less than three times the size of the state of Texas. It extends 5,271 km (3,275 mi) E–W and 2,210 km (1,373 mi) N–S. The five principal islands are Sumatra; Java; Borneo, of which the 72% belonging to Indonesia is known as Kalimantan; Sulawesi, formerly called Celebes; and Irian Jaya (West Irian), the western portion of the island of New Guinea. Indonesia has land boundaries with Malaysia (on Borneo), Papua New Guinea (on New Guinea), and East Timor (on Timor). It is bounded on the N by the South China Sea, on the N and E by the Pacific Ocean, and on the S and W by the Indian Ocean. Indonesia's total land boundary length is 2,830 km (1,758 mi). Its coastline is 54, 716 km (33,999 mi).

Iran

Situated in southwestern Asia, Iran covers an area of 1,648,000 sq km (636,296 sq mi) and extends about 2,250 km (1,398 mi) SE–NW and 1,400 km (870 mi) NE–SW. Comparatively, the area occupied by Iran is slightly larger than the state of Alaska. Iran is bounded on the N by Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea, on the E by Afghanistan and Pakistan, on the S by the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, on the W by Iraq, and on the NW by Turkey, with a total land boundary length of 5,440 km (3,380 mi). The coastline is 2,440 km (1,516 mi). The shoreline on the Caspian Sea is 740 km (460 mi). Iran's territory includes several islands in the Persian Gulf.

Iraq

Present-day Iraq, comprising an area of 437,072 sq km (168,754 sq mi), corresponds roughly to the former Turkish provinces of Baghdad, Mosul (Al-Mawsil), and Basra (Al-Basrah). Comparatively, the area occupied by Iraq is slightly more than twice the size of the state of Idaho. It extends 984 km (611 mi) SSE–NNW and 730 km (454 mi) ENE–WSW. Iraq is bordered on the N by Turkey, on the E by Iran, on the SE by the Persian Gulf and Kuwait, on the S by Sa'udi Arabia, on the W by Jordan, and on the NW by Syria, with a total land boundary length of 3,650 km (2,268 mi) and a coastline of 58 km (36 mi).

Israel

Situated in southwestern Asia along the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel claims an area of 20,770 sq km (8,019 sq mi), extending about 320 km (200 mi) N–S and 110 km (70 mi) E–W; at its narrowest, just north of Tel Aviv–Yafo, it is 19 km (12 mi) across. This total includes the Golan Heights area (1,176 sq km/454 sq mi), captured from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967 and annexed on 14 December 1981; the annexation (technically described as the extension of Israeli "law, jurisdiction, and administration" to the region) was condemned by Syria and by unanimous resolution of the UN Security Council. The Labor Government in 1984 indicated that some (possibly all) of the Golan could be returned to Syria in a peace agreement. Other territories captured in 1967 and classified as administered territories were the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), 5,878 sq km (2,270 sq mi), and the Gaza Strip, 362 sq km (140 sq mi). (The Gaza Strip and Jericho area were transferred in 1994 to Palestinian administration). East Jerusalem, captured in 1967, was annexed shortly thereafter.

Japan

Situated off the eastern edge of the Asian continent, the Japanese archipelago is bounded on the N by the Sea of Okhotsk, on the E and S by the Pacific Ocean, on the SW by the East China Sea, and on the W by the Sea of Japan. The total area of Japan is 377,835 sq km (145,883 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Japan is slightly smaller than the state of California. It extends 3,008 km (1,869 mi) NE–SW and 1,645 km (1,022 mi) SE–NW and has a total coastline of 29,751 km (18,486 mi).

Jordan

Situated in southwest Asia, Jordan has an area of 92,300 sq km (35,637 sq mi). Jordan extends 562 km (349 mi) NE–SW and 349 km (217 mi) SE–NW. Comparatively, the area occupied by Jordan is slightly smaller than the state of Indiana. It is bounded on the N by Syria, on the NE by Iraq, on the E and S by Sa'udi Arabia, on the SW by the Gulf of Aqaba, and on the W by Israel, with a total land boundary length of 1,635 km (1,016 mi) and a coastline of 26 km (16 mi).

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is located in southern Asia between Russia and Uzbekistan, bordering on the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea, with a total area of 2,717,300 sq km (1,049,155 sq mi). Kazakhstan shares boundaries with Russia on the N and W, China on the E, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan on the S, and the Caspian Sea on the W. Kazakhstan's boundary length totals 12,012 km (7,464 mi). Its capital city, Astana, is located in the north-central part of the country.

Kiribati

Kiribati (pronounced "Kiribass") consists of 33 islands in the central Pacific, situated around the point where the International Date Line intersects the equator. Scattered over more than 5 million sq km (2 million sq mi) of ocean are the 17 islands of the Gilberts group (including Banaba, formerly Ocean Island); the 8 Line Islands (including Christmas Island); and the 8 Phoenix Islands. The distance between Christmas Island in the E and Banaba in the W is more than 3,200 km (2,000 mi). Kiribati's total land area is 811 sq km (313 sq mi), and its total coastline is 1,143 km (710 mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Kiribati is about the same as four times the size of Washington, D.C.

Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (DPRK)

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), often called North Korea, occupies the northern 55% of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. It has an area of 120,540 sq km (46,541 sq mi), extending 719 km (447 mi) NNE–SSW and 371 km (231 mi) ESE– WNW. Comparatively, the area occupied by DPRK is slightly smaller than the state of Mississippi. It is bordered on the N by China, on the NE by the Russia, on the E by the Sea of Japan (including East Korea Bay), known in Korea as the East Sea, on the S by the Republic of Korea (ROK), and on the S and W by the Yellow Sea and Korea Bay, with a total land boundary length of 1,673 km (1,040 mi) and a coastline of 2,495 km (1,550 mi). A demilitarized zone (DMZ), 4,000 m (13,100 ft) wide, covering 1,262 sq km (487 sq mi), and located north and south of the 38th parallel, separates the DPRK from the ROK, which occupies the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.

Korea, Republic of (ROK)

Occupying the southern 45% of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia, the Republic of Korea (ROK), also known as South Korea, has an area of 98,480 sq km (38,023 sq mi), extending 642 km (399 mi) NNE–SSW and 436 km (271 mi) ESE–WNW. Comparatively, the area occupied by South Korea is slightly larger than the state of Indiana. Bounded on the N by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on the E by the Sea of Japan (known in Korea as the East Sea), on the S by the Korea Strait, and on the W by the Yellow Sea, the ROK has a total land boundary length of 238 km (148 mi) and a coastline of 2,413 km (1,508 mi). A demilitarized zone (DMZ), 4,000 m (13,100 ft) wide, covering 1,262 sq km (487 sq mi) and located north and south of the 38th parallel, separates the ROK from the DPRK, which comprises the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.

Kuwait

Kuwait is situated at the western head of the Persian (or Arabian) Gulf. Its area is estimated at about 17,820 sq km (6,880 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Kuwait is slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. Kuwait extends 205 km (127 mi) SE–NW and 176 km (109 mi) NE–SW. Islands that form part of Kuwait include Faylakah (an archaeological site that is the only inhabited island), Bubiyan, Maskan, 'Auha, Al-Warbah, Al-Kubr, Umm al-Maradim, Umm al-Nami, and Qaruh. Bounded on the E by the Persian Gulf, on the S and W by Sa'udi Arabia, and on the NW and N by Iraq, Kuwait has a total land boundary length of 462 km (287 mi) and a coastline of 499 km (310 mi).

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is located in southern Asia, between China and Kazakhstan. Comparatively, it is slightly smaller than the state of South Dakota with a total area of 198,500 sq km (76,641 sq mi). Kyrgyzstan shares boundaries with Kazakhstan on the N, China on the E, Tajikistan on the S, Uzbekistan on the W. The country's boundary length totals 3,878 km (2,410 mi), and its capital city, Bishkek is located in the north central part of the country.

Lao People's Democratic Republic

Laos is a landlocked country on the Indochina Peninsula near the eastern extremity of mainland Southeast Asia. Laos occupies an area of 236,800 sq km (91,429 sq mi), extending 1,162 km (722 mi) SSE–NNW and 478 km (297 mi) ENE–WSW. Comparatively, the area occupied by Laos is slightly larger than the state of Utah. It is bordered on the N by China, on the E and SE by Vietnam, on the S by Cambodia, on the W by Thailand, and on the NW by Myanmar, with a total boundary length of 5,083 km (3,158 mi).

Lebanon

Situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon has an area of 10,400 sq km (4,015 sq mi), extending 217 km (135 mi) NE–SW and 56 km (35 mi) SE–NW. It is bordered on the N and E by Syria, on the S by Israel, and on the W by the Mediterranean Sea, with a total boundary length of 679 km (422 mi), of which 225 km (140 mi) is coastline. Comparatively, the area occupied by Lebanon is about three-fourths the size of the state of Connecticut.

Malaysia

Situated in Southeast Asia, Malaysia, with an area of 329,750 sq km (127,317 sq mi), consists of two noncontiguous areas: Peninsular Malaysia (formerly West Malaysia), on the Asian mainland, and the states of Sarawak and Sabah, known together as East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. Comparatively, the area occupied by Malaysia is slightly larger than the state of New Mexico. Peninsular Malaysia, protruding southward from the mainland of Asia, comprises an area of 131,587 sq km (50,806 sq mi), extending 748 km (465 mi) SSE-NNW and 322 km (200 mi) ENE-WSW. It is bordered on the N by Thailand, on the E by the South China Sea, on the S by the Strait of Johore, and on the W by the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea, with a total boundary length of 2,068 km (1,285 mi). Sarawak, covering an area of 124,449 sq km (48,050 sq mi), on the northwest coast of Borneo, extends 679 km (422 mi) NNE-SSW and 254 km (158 mi) ESE-WNW. It is bounded by Brunei on the N, Sabah on the NE, Indonesia on the E and S, and the South China Sea on the W. Sarawak's total boundary length is 2,621 km (1,629 mi). Situated at the northern end of Borneo, Sabah has an area of 74,398 sq km (28,725 sq mi), with a length of 412 km (256 mi) E-W and a width of 328 km (204 mi) N–S. To the N is the Balabac Strait, to the NE the Sulu Sea, to the SE the Celebes Sea, to the S Indonesia, to the SW Sarawak, and to the W the South China Sea, with a total boundary length of 2,008 km (1,248 mi). The total boundary length of Malaysia is 7,344 km (4,563 mi), of which 4,675 km (2,905 mi) is coastline.

Maldives

The smallest country in Asia, the Republic of Maldives consists of an archipelago of nearly 1,200 coral islands and sand banks in the Indian Ocean, some 200 of which are inhabited. The chain of islands sits astride the equator, south of India and west of Sri Lanka, extending 823 km (511 mi) but occupying an area of just 300 sq km (116 sq mi). The area occupied by Maldives is slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C. Grouped in 26 atolls, with a total coastline of 644 km (400 mi), the northernmost atoll lies some 110 km (70 mi) south of India's Minicoy Atoll, about 480 km (300 mi) southeast of India's Cape Comorin, and 649 km (400 mi) west of Sri Lanka.

Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands is located in the central Pacific Ocean, just north of the equator. Isolated from major population centers, Majuro, the capital, lies 3,438 km (2,136 mi) W of Honolulu, 3,701 km (2,300 mi) SE of Tokyo, and 3,241 km (2,014 mi) SE of Saipan, the former trust territory capital. The country consists of 29 atolls and 1,152 islands, 5 of which are major islands, extending over a sea area exceeding 1,942,500 sq km (750,000 sq mi). The main land area is only about 181 sq km (70 sq mi).

Micronesia, Federated States of

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is located in the western Pacific Ocean within the Carolinian archipelago. The four states consist of 607 islands with a total area of 7,866 sq km (3,037 sq mi), comprising 702 sq km (271 sq mi) of land, and 7,164 sq km (2,766 sq mi) of lagoons. Comparatively, the area occupied by the Federated States of Micronesia is slightly less than four times the size of Washington, D.C. Kosrae, the smallest and easternmost state, consists of five closely situated islands. Pohnpei consists of the single large island of Pohnpei and 25 smaller islands within a barrier reef, in addition to 137 outer islands, of which the major atolls are Mokil, Pingelap, Kapingamarangi, Nukjuoro, and Ngatik. Truk includes the large Truk lagoon, enclosing 98 islands, and major outer island groups, including the Mortlocks, Halls, Western, and Namwunweito islands. Yap, the westernmost state, consists of 4 large islands and 7 smaller islands surrounded by barrier reefs, in addition to 134 outer islands, of which the largest groups are Ulithi and Woleai. The cumulative coastline distance is 6,112 km (3,798 mi).

Mongolia

Situated in east-central Asia, Mongolia has an area of 1,565,000 sq km (604,250 sq mi), extending 2,368 km (1,471 mi) E–W and 1,260 km (783 mi) N–S. Comparatively, the area occupied by Mongolia is slightly smaller than the state of Alaska. The largest landlocked country in the world, Mongolia is bordered on the N by Russia and on the E, S, and W by China, with a total boundary length of 8,162 km (5,072 mi).

Myanmar

Situated in Southeast Asia, Myanmar has an area of 678,500 sq km (261,970 sq mi), extending 1,931 km (1,200 mi) N–S and 925 km (575 mi) E–W. Comparatively, the area occupied by Myanmar is slightly smaller than the state of Texas. It is bounded on the N and E by China, on the E by Laos, on the SE by Thailand, on the S by the Andaman Sea, and on the W by the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh, and India, with a total boundary length of 7,806 km (4,850 mi), of which 1,930 km (1,197 mi) is coastline.

Nauru

Situated in the western Pacific, Nauru is one of the world's smallest independent nations, with an area of 21 sq km (8.1 sq mi), extending 5.6 km (3.5 mi) NNE–SSW and 4 km (2.5 mi) ESE– WNW. Comparatively, the area occupied by Nauru is about one-tenth the size of Washington, D.C. It lies between two island groups, the Solomons and the Gilberts, 53 km (33 mi) S of the equator and 3,930 km (2,442 mi) NNE of Sydney; its nearest neighbor is Banaba (formerly Ocean Island, now part of Kiribati), situated 305 km (190 mi) to the E. Nauru has a coastline of 30 km (18.6 mi). The Yaren district, which holds the seat of the government, is located on the southern coast of the Nauru.

Nepal

A comparatively narrow strip of territory dividing India from China, landlocked Nepal has an area of about 140,800 sq km (54,363 sq mi), extending 885 km (550 mi) SE–NW and 201 km (125 mi) NE–SW. Comparatively, the area occupied by Nepal is slightly larger than the state of Arkansas. In its length lie some 800 km (500 mi) of the Himalayan mountain chain. Nepal is bounded on the N by China and on the E, S, and W by India, with a total boundary length of 2,926 km (1,818 mi). Nepal's capital city, Ka¯thmāndu, is located in the central part of the country.

New Zealand

Situated in the southwest Pacific Ocean, New Zealand proper, with a total area of 268,680 sq km (103,738 sq mi), consists of the North Island, covering 114,669 sq km (44,274 sq mi) including small islands nearby; the South Island, 149,883 sq km (57,870 sq mi); Stewart Island, 1,746 sq km (674 sq mi); and various minor, outlying islands. Comparatively, the area occupied by New Zealand is about the size of the state of Colorado. The Chatham Islands, lying 850 km (528 mi) E of Lyttelton, on South Island, have a land area of 963 sq km (372 sq mi). Other outlying islands have a combined area of 778 sq km (about 300 sq mi). New Zealand extends 1,600 km (994 mi) NNE–SSW and 450 km (280 mi) ESE–WNW. It has a total coastline of 15,134 km (9,404 mi).

Oman

The Sultanate of Oman is the second-largest country after Sa'udi Arabia on the Arabian Peninsula, with an area officially estimated at 212,460 sq km (82,031 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Oman is slightly smaller than the state of Kansas. Oman's territory includes the tip of the strategically important Ra's Musandam, which juts into the Strait of Hormuz. Oman's part of the peninsula is separated from the rest of the country by the territory of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Oman proper extends 972 km (604 mi) NE–SW and 513 km (319 mi) SE–NW. It is bordered on the N by the Strait of Hormuz, on the NE by the Gulf of Oman, on the E and S by the Arabian Sea, on the SW by the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY), on the W by the Ar-Rub' al-Khali (Empty Quarter) and Sa'udi Arabia, and on the NW by the United Arab Emirates. The total estimated boundary length is 3,466 km (2,154 mi), of which 2,092 km (1,300 mi) is coastline.

Pakistan

Situated in southern Asia, Pakistan has an area of 803,940 sq km (310,403 sq mi), extending 1,875 km (1,165 mi) NE–SW from the ranges of the Hindu Kush and the Himalaya to the Arabian Sea and 1,006 km (625 mi) SE–NW. Comparatively, the area occupied by Pakistan is slightly less than twice the size of the state of California. The enclave of Junagadh, claimed by Pakistan, and Jammu and Kashmir, divided between Pakistan and India by the 1971 "line of control," are not included in the area. Pakistan is bordered on the NE by China, on the E by Jammu and Kashmir to the Karakoram Pass, on the E and SE by India, on the S by the Arabian Sea, on the SW by Iran, and on the W and NW by Afghanistan. The total land boundary length is 6,774 km (4,209 mi). The coastline is 1,046 km (650 mi). Pakistan's capital city, Isl¯mābād, is located in the northern part of the country.

Palau

Palau (also known as Belau) is located in the western extremities of the Pacific Ocean. It consists of the Palau group of islands, in the western Caroline Islands, and four remote islands to the SW. Palau is isolated from larger land masses, with Papua New Guinea/Irian Jaya (Indonesia) 660 km (410 mi) to the S, the Philippines 885 km (550 mi) to the W, and Japan 3,042 km (1,890 mi) to the N. Yap Island in the Federated States of Micronesia lies 579 km (360 mi) to the NE. The country consists of more than 200 islands, with a total land area of 458 sq km (177 sq mi). Babelthuap is the largest island, with an area of 397 sq km (153.2 sq mi); Koror Island, containing the capital, has an area of 18 sq km (7.1 sq mi). The islands of Peleliu and Angaur are about 50 km (30 mi) S of Koror. Sonsorol and Hatohobei, the two smallest island states, lie 560–640 km (350–400 mi) SW of Koror. Kayangel is a coral atoll 45 km (28 mi) N of Babelthuap.

Papua New Guinea

Situated to the north of Australia, Papua New Guinea has a total land area of 462,840 sq km (178,704 sq mi), including the large islands of New Britain, New Ireland, and Bougainville and hundreds of smaller islands. Comparatively, the area occupied by PNG is slightly larger than the state of California. The country extends 2,082 km (1,294 mi) NNE–SSW and 1,156 km (718 mi) ESE–WNW. Mainland Papua New Guinea shares the island of New Guinea, the second-largest island in the world, with Irian Jaya, a province of Indonesia. To the N is the US Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; to the E, the Solomon Islands; to the W, Irian Jaya; and about 160 km (100 mi) to the S, the nearest neighbor, Australia. Papua New Guinea has a total boundary length of 5,972 km (3,711 mi), of which 5,152 km (3,201 mi) is coastline.

Philippines

The Republic of the Philippines consists of an archipelago of 7,107 islands situated SE of mainland Asia and separated from it by the South China Sea. The total land area is approximately 300,000 sq km (115,831 sq mi), 67% of which is contained within the two largest islands: Luzon, 108,171 sq km (41,765 sq mi) and Mindanao, 99,078 sq km (38,9254 sq mi). Other large islands include Samar, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, and Masbate. Comparatively, the area occupied by the Philippines is slightly larger than the state of Arizona. The Philippines' length is 1,851 km (1,150 mi) SSE-NNW, and its width is 1,062 km (660 mi) ENE-WSW.

Qatar

Comprising an area of 11,437 sq km (4,416 sq mi), the State of Qatar consists of a peninsula projecting northward into the Persian Gulf, extending about 160 km (100 mi) N-S and 90 km (55 mi) E-W. Comparatively, the area occupied by Qatar is slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut. It is bordered on the S by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Sa'udi Arabia and has a total boundary length of 623 km (387 mi), of which 563 km (350 mi) is coastline. Qatar also includes a number of islands, of which the most important is Halul.

Samoa

Samoa consists of the islands of Savai'i and Upolu and several smaller islands, of which only Manono and Apolima are inhabited. The country, situated almost centrally both in the Pacific Ocean and among the South Sea islands, has a total land area of 2,944 sq km (1,137 sq mi), extending 150 km (93 mi) ESE–WNW and 39 km (24 mi) NNE–SSW. Savai'i and Upolu, separated by the Apolima Strait at a distance of nearly 18 km (11 mi), have a combined coastline of 403 km (250 mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Samoa is slightly smaller than the state of Rhode Island.

Sa'udi Arabia

Sa'udi Arabia constitutes about four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia. Although Sa'udi Arabia is known to be the third-largest country in Asia, after China and India, its precise area is difficult to specify because several of its borders are incompletely demarcated. According to the UN, the nation has an area of 1,960,582 sq km (756,985 sq mi); it extends 2,295 km (1,426 mi) ESE–WNW and 1,423 km (884 mi) NNE–SSW. Comparatively, the area occupied by Sa'udi Arabia is slightly less than one-fourth the size of the United States. Sa'udi Arabia is bounded on the N by Jordan and Iraq, on the NE by Kuwait, on the E by the Persian Gulf, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on the SE by Oman, on the S and SW by Yemen, and on the W by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, with a total estimated land boundary length of 4,431 km (2,753 mi) and a coastline of 2,640 km (1,640 mi).

Singapore

The Republic of Singapore, the second smallest country in Asia, consists of Singapore Island and several smaller adjacent islets. Situated in the Indian Ocean off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore has an area of 693 sq km (268 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Singapore is slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, D.C. Singapore Island extends 41.8 km (26 mi) ENE–WSW and 22.5 km (14 mi) SSE–NNW and has a coastline of 193 km (120 mi), including about 84 km (52 mi) along the water channel between the island and the Malay Peninsula. Singapore is connected to the nearby western portion of Malaysia by a causeway 1,056 m (3,465 ft) in length across the narrow Johore Strait. Singapore's position at the eastern end of the Strait of Malacca, which separates western Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, has given it economic and strategic importance out of proportion to its small size. Singapore's capital city, Singapore, is located on the country's southern coast.

Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands consists of a chain of six large and numerous small islands situated in the South Pacific, some 1,900 km (1,200 mi) NE of Australia and about 485 km (300 mi) E of Papua New Guinea. Extending 1,688 km (1,049 mi) ESE–WNW and 468 km (291 mi) NNE–SSW, the Solomon Islands has an area of 28,450 sq km (10,985 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by the Solomon Islands is slightly smaller than the state of Maryland. The largest island is Guadalcanal, covering 5,302 sq km (2,047 sq mi); other major islands are Makira (formerly Malaita), San Cristobal, Vella Lavella, Choiseul, Rennell, New Georgia, and the Santa Cruz group. The total coastline of the Solomon Islands is 5,313 km (3,301 mi).

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) is an island in the Indian Ocean situated S and slightly E of the southernmost point of India, separated from that country by the 23 km-(14 mi-) wide Palk Strait. Including 870 sq km (336 sq mi) of inland water, Sri Lanka has a total area of 65,610 sq km (25,332 sq mi), extending 435 km (270 mi) N–S and 225 km (140 mi) E–W. Sri Lanka's total coastline is 1,340 km (833 mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Sri Lanka is slightly larger than the state of West Virginia. Sri Lanka's capital city, Colombo, is located on the southwest coast.

Syria

Situated in southwest Asia, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, Syria has an area of 185,180 sq km (71,498 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Syria is slightly larger than the state of North Dakota. Included in this total is the Golan Heights region (1,176 sq km/454 sq mi), which Israel captured in 1967 and annexed on 14 December 1981; the annexation was denounced by Syria and unanimously condemned by the UN Security Council. Syria extends 793 km (493 mi) ENE–WSW and 431 km (268 mi) SSE–NNW. It is bounded on the N by Turkey, on the E and SE by Iraq, on the S by Jordan, on the SW by Israel, and on the W by Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea, with a land boundary length of 2,253 km (1,400 mi) and a coastline of 193 km (120 mi).

Taiwan

Taiwan, the seat of the Republic of China, lies in the western Pacific Ocean astride the Tropic of Cancer, less than 161 km (100 mi) from the southeast coast of mainland China, from which it is separated by the Taiwan (Formosa) Strait. To the NE, less than 129 km (80 mi) away, is the W end of the Japanese Ryukyu Islands; to the E is the Pacific Ocean; the Philippine island of Luzon lies 370 km (230 mi) to the S.

Tajikistan

Tajikistan is located in central Asia, between Uzbekistan and China. Comparatively, it is slightly smaller than the state of Wisconsin with a total area of 143,100 sq km (55,251 sq mi). Tajikistan's boundary length totals 3,651 km (2,269 mi).

Thailand

Comprising an area of 514,000 sq km (198,456 sq mi) in Southeast Asia, Thailand (formerly known as Siam) extends almost two-thirds down the Malay Peninsula, with a length of 1,648 km (1,024 mi) N–S and a width of 780 km (485 mi) E–W. Comparatively, the area occupied by Thailand is slightly more than twice the size of the state of Wyoming. It is bordered on the NE and E by Laos, on the SE by Cambodia and the Gulf of Thailand (formerly the Gulf of Siam), on the S by Malaysia, on the SW by the Andaman Sea, and on the W and NW by Myanmar, with a total boundary length of 8,082 km (5,022 mi), of which 3,219 km (2000 mi) is coastline.

Tonga

The Tonga archipelago, also known as the Friendly Islands, lies scattered east of Fiji in the South Pacific Ocean. Nuku'alofa, the capital, is about 690 km (430 mi) from Suva, Fiji, and about 1,770 km (1,100 mi) from Auckland, New Zealand. Consisting of 171 islands of various sizes, only 45 of which are inhabited, Tonga has a total area of 748 sq km (289 sq mi), including inland waters as well as Teleki Tokelau and Teleki Tonga (formerly the Minerva Reefs). Comparatively, the area occupied by Tonga is slightly more than four times the size of Washington, D.C. It extends 631 km (392 mi) NNE–SSW and 209 km (130 mi) ESE– WNW. The major islands are Tongatapu and 'Eua, Ha'apai, Vava'u, Niuatoputapu and Tafahi, and Niuafo'ou. Tonga's total coastline is about 419 km (260 mi). The capital city of Nuku'alofa is located on Tongatapu.

Turkey

The Republic of Turkey consists of Asia Minor, or Anatolia (Anadolu); the small area of eastern Thrace (Trakya), or Turkey in Europe; and a few offshore islands in the Aegean Sea, with a total area of 780,580 sq km (301,384 sq mi), extending about 1,600 km (994 mi) SE–NW and 650 km (404 mi) NE–SW. Comparatively, the area occupied by Turkey is slightly larger than the state of Texas. Of the overall area, 97% is in Asia, and 3% in Europe. Turkey lies athwart the important Black Sea straits system—the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus. It is bordered on the N by the Black Sea, on the NE by Georgia and Armenia, on the E by Iran, on the SE by Iraq, on the S by Syria and the Mediterranean Sea, on the W by the Aegean Sea, and on the NW by Greece and Bulgaria, with a total boundary of 2,648 km (1,645 mi) and a coastline of 7,200 km (4,474 mi). Turkey's capital city, Ankara, is located in the northwest central part of the country.

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is located in central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Uzbekistan. Comparatively, Turkmenistan is slightly larger than the state of California, with a total area of 488,100 sq km (188,456 sq mi). Turkmenistan shares boundaries with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on the N, Afghanistan on the SE, Iran on the SW, and the Caspian Sea on the W. Turkmenistan's boundary length totals 5,504 km (3,420 mi), of which 1,768 km (1,099 mi) is shoreline along the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan's capital city, Ashkhabad (which means "city of love"), is located in the southwestern part of the country.

Tuvalu

Tuvalu (formerly the Ellice Islands) comprises a cluster of nine islands, plus islets, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean just south of the Equator. These remote atolls are situated about 1,050 km (650 mi) N of Suva, Fiji, and 4,000 km (2,500 mi) NE of Sydney, Australia. They lie in a 595-km-long (370-mi) chain extending over some 1,300,000 sq km (500,000 sq mi) of ocean and have a total land area of 26 sq km (10 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Tuvalu is about 0.1 times the size of Washington, D.C. Tuvalu has a coastline of 24 km (15 mi).

United Arab Emirates

Comprising a total area of approximately 82,880 sq km (32,00 sq mi), including some 6,000 sq km (2,300 sq mi) of islands, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in the eastern Arabian Peninsula, consists of seven states: Abu Dhabi, or Abu Zaby; Dubai, or Dubayy); Sharjah; Ra's al-Khaimah, or Ra's al-Khaymah; Fujairah, or Al-Fujayrah; Umm al-Qaiwain, or Umm al-Qaywayn; and 'Ajman. Comparatively, the area occupied by United Arab Emirates is slightly smaller than the state of Maine. Extending 544 km (338 mi) NE–SW and 361 km (224 mi) SE–NW, the United Arab Emirates is bordered on the N by the Persian (or Arabian) Gulf, on the E by Oman, on the S and W by Sa'udi Arabia, and on the NW by Qatar, with a total boundary length of 2,185 km (1,358 mi), including a coastline of 1,318 km (819 mi).

United States Pacific Dependencies

American Samoa, an unincorporated and unorganized insular US territory in the South Pacific Ocean, comprises that portion of the Samoan archipelago lying e of longitude 171° w. (The rest of the Samoan islands comprise the independent state of Western Samoa.) While the Samoan group as a whole has an area of 3,121 sq km (1,205 sq mi), American Samoa consists of only seven small islands (between 14° and 15° s and 168° and 171° w) with a total area (land and water) of 197 sq km (76 sq mi).

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is located in central Asia bordering the Aral Sea, between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Comparatively, it is slightly larger than the state of California, with a total area of 447,400 sq km (172,742 sq mi). Uzbekistan shares boundaries with Kazakhstan on the N, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the E, Afghanistan on the S, and Turkmenistan on the SW. Uzbekistan's boundary length totals 6,221 km (3,866 mi). Its capital city, Tashkent, is located in the eastern part of the country.

Vanuatu

Vanuatu, formerly the Anglo-French condominium of the New Hebrides, is an irregular Y-shaped chain of some 80 islands, with a total land area of about 12,200 sq km (4,710 sq mi) and a total coastline of 2,528 km (1,571 mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Vanuatu is slightly larger than the state of Connecticut. Of the 70 inhabited islands, the largest is Espiritu Santo; the island of Efate is the administrative center. The island chain is about 800 km (500 mi) long and lies about 1,000 km (600 mi) W of Fiji and 400 km (250 mi) NE of New Caledonia. Vanuatu and France both claim Matthew and Hunter islands, which lie between Vanuatu and New Caledonia; one of the islands has been occupied by French forces.

Vietnam

Situated on the eastern coast of mainland Southeast Asia, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) has an area of 329,560 sq km (127,244 sq mi), extending 1,650 km (1,025 mi) N–S and 600 km (373 mi) E–W. Comparatively, the area occupied by Vietnam is slightly larger than the state of New Mexico. At its narrowest, Vietnam is only 50 km (31 mi) across. The nation is bordered on the N by China, on the E by the Gulf of Tonkin, on the E and S by the South China Sea, on the SW by the Gulf of Thailand, and on the W by Cambodia and Laos, with a total land boundary of 4,639 km (2,883 mi) and a coastline of 3,444 km (2,140 mi). Before unification, which was proclaimed on 3 July 1976, Vietnam was divided in two by the 17th parallel. To the south was the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), also known as South Vietnam; to the north, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV), also known as North Vietnam.

Yemen

Yemen is located in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It is slightly larger than twice the size of the state of Wyoming with a total area of 527,970 sq km (203,850 sq mi). Yemen shares boundaries with Sa'udi Arabia on the N, Oman on the E, Gulf of Aden on the S, and the Red Sea on the W, and has a total land boundary length of 1,746 km (1,085 mi) plus a coastline of 1,906 km (1,184 mi).

Russia President

2009-11-21T00:55:00.000-08:00

Vladimir Putin
President

(pronounced "vlad-EE-mir POO-teen")

Introduction

"The building of a democratic state is far from complete. But a great deal has already been done. We must cherish what has been achieved and preserve and advance democracy. We must make sure that the government chosen by the people works in the interests of the people and protects the Russian citizen everywhere, both in our country and abroad, and serves the public."
Russia, officially called the Russian Federation, was by far the largest republic of the former USSR. Its estimated 2002 population of 145 million accounted for slightly more than half the Soviet total. Its 17 million square kilometers (6.6 million square miles) comprised 76% of the territory of the USSR, stretching across Eurasia to the Pacific across 11 time zones. Russia also inherited the lion's share of the natural resources, industrial base, and military assets of the former Soviet Union. Much of its territory in the north and Far East, however, is sparsely populated. Although Russia is nearly twice the size of the United States, its population is only a bit more than half the U.S. total.
Russia is a multinational, multiethnic state with over 65 nationalities and a complex federal structure inherited from the Soviet period. Within the Russian Federation there are 21 ethnic republics (including Chechnya) and 18 other administratively distinct ethnic enclaves. The principal political subdivision of the ethnically Russian parts of the federation is the oblast, of which there are 49. Russia's multinational federal structure resembles that of the former Soviet Union on which it was patterned. The demography, however, is different. Ethnic Russians, comprising 81.5% of the population, are dominant. The next largest nationality groups are Tartars (3.8%), Ukrainians (3%), and Chuvash (1.2%). Traditionally, Russians belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. Other major religious groupings in Russia include Islam, Buddhism, Catholicism, various Protestant faiths, Judaism, and animism.

ADDRESS

The Kremlin
Moscow
Russian Federation

Personal background

Vladimir Putin was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) on 7 October 1952. In a 1999 memoir, he stated that his paternal grandfather had been a cook for Lenin and Stalin, and that his father had worked for the security apparatus. He graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1975, with a Masters of Economics, and immediately joined the Committee for State Security (KGB). He then attended the Red Banner Intelligence School, learning spy craft and fluency in German, and attaining his black belt in judo. In his 1999 memoir, he stated that he had tried to join the KGB as a teenager but was told to pursue a law degree. He is fluent in German. His wife, Lyudmila, was a university professor before assuming her position as Russia's first lady. In October 2001, she became head of the Center of the Development of the Russian Language, an organization that seeks to preserve and promote Russian as an official language in the former Soviet republics. The couple has two daughters, Maria and Katerina. Putin participates in several sports, including skiing and judo.

Spain Prime Minister

2009-11-21T00:51:00.000-08:00

José María Aznar
Prime Minister

(pronounced "ho-ZEY mah-REE-ah AZ-nar")
"Spaniards have been very generous to us and we know how to thank them: with hard work and collaboration."

Personal background

José María Aznar was born 25 February 1953 in Madrid, to a family that included several well-known conservative journalists, one of whom chronicled the Spanish Civil War from General Francisco Franco's perspective. Aznar's father and one of his grandfathers held political posts in Franco's authoritarian government. Aznar was educated at the University of Madrid, where he trained as an attorney. During the 1970s and 1980s, Aznar was employed as a tax inspector in Madrid. It was during this time that he became active in the right-wing Popular Alliance.

Aznar is married to Ana Botella, who is also a lawyer. In 1996, Botella played a minor role in her husband's campaign. During the 2000 campaign, however, she made visits to every region of the country, speaking with voters and pushing her husband's agenda. The couple has three children. For recreation, Aznar enjoys playing paddle tennis.

Introduction

The Kingdom of Spain occupies four-fifths of the Iberian peninsula in Southwestern Europe. The national territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, and a few small enclaves in Morocco. Together, these parts cover 504,782 sq km (194,896 sq mi). Mainland Spain shares its northern border with France and its western border with Portugal. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the east. Morocco is 30 km (20 mi) to the south. The capital and largest city is Madrid; metropolitan Madrid is home to 4 million Spaniards. The nation's population was estimated at 40 million in 2002, and was reportedly largely Roman Catholic, although there has been no state religion since 1979. Castilian Spanish is the official language, but the distinct ethnic groups within Spain— Catalans, Valencians, Gallegos, and Basques—have preserved their languages. Regional divisions within Spain have led to the formation of 19 autonomous regions within the country, each with its own political parties and government.
Spain's economy is one of the largest of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations. Its gross domestic product (GDP) was expected to account for 8% of the combined GDP of the "euro-zone" countries that adopted the new euro currency in January 1999. The country's GDP was estimated at US $828 billion in 2002, with per capita GDP estimated at US $20,700. As a member of the European Union (EU), Spain has tied its economy closely to the regulations that govern that alliance. Almost 75% of trade—both imports and exports—is carried on with other EU nations. Principal exports include automobiles, fruit, minerals, metals, clothing and textiles. Imports include petroleum, aircraft, grains, chemicals, machinery, and transportation equipment. Until 2002, the currency was the peseta; that year, Spain was among the nations to adopt the common currency, the euro. Unemployment decreased from over 24% (1996) to 11.3% (2002). In 2003, the country's economy was expected to grow by 3% (government estimate), compared with 1.0% to 1.2% for the EU.

Malaysian's former prime minister

2009-11-21T00:35:00.000-08:00

Mahathir Mohamad
Prime Minister

(pronounced "ma-hah-TEER mo-HAH-med")
"I'll be here for as long as the people want me."

Personal background

Mahathir Mohamad, the only commoner to be Malaysia's prime minister, was born on 20 December 1925 in Alor Setar in the state of Kedah in northwestern Malaysia. He attended the Islamic Malay schools as a boy and graduated from Sultan Abdul Hamid College in Alor Setar. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Malaya in Singapore and served as an army medical officer in his hometown, Kedah, Langawi, and Perlis before entering private practice in 1957.

A practicing Muslim, Mahathir does not drink or smoke. Popularly known as a workaholic, he is devoted to his political work. His debate skills are reported to be exceptional, though he is known as a leader who does not like to negotiate. Remarking on his medical background, a political opponent commenting on the intra-UMNO strife in 1987 said that Mahathir "will not think of negotiating his way out of a problem the way his predecessors, with their legal backgrounds, would have done. The medical solution is to cut out the cancer." He married Dr. Siti Hasmah binti Haji Mohd Ali in 1956, and they have three sons and two daughters.

Domestic policy

Mahathir's economic policies have been both successful and popular. He has consistently taken a nationalistic approach to the economy, encouraging Malaysian self-reliance and blaming foreign powers and institutions for the nation's problems. Under his leadership, the New Economic Policy goal of increasing Malaysian ownership of the nation's enterprises has been achieved, and a majority of Malaysian industry is now domestically owned. Malaysia has become less dependent on income from traditional resources as manufactured goods have accounted for a rising share of all exports. When the country fell into recession following the Asian economic crisis of 1997, Mahathir overturned austerity measures and financial reforms introduced by deputy minister Anwar Ibrahim and imposed currency controls. The nation's recession was officially declared over by August 1999, but in November 2001 Mahathir admitted the country was once again in a recession.

Economic growth was extremely healthy in 2000, when the country saw an 8.5% increase in the GDP. Corporate debt, however, continued to be a major problem that was ignored until 2001, when the regional economy experienced negative growth. Mahathir, deciding companies needed to rid themselves of debt in order to be stronger competitors in the global market, took initiatives to restructure businesses. A new chief executive officer (CEO) was hired for the government's Corporate Debt Restructuring Committee to insure companies make efforts to pay down their debt. In his budget for 2003, Mahathir stressed support for local businesses over foreign investment, cut corporate taxes, and continued to encourage development in the high technology and biotechnology sectors.

While credited with much of the nation's economic progress over the past two decades, Mahathir has been widely criticized for the authoritarian grip with which he has kept his UMNO party in power. During his tenure in office, Prime Minister Mahathir has cracked down on political opposition both inside and outside the party and government by closing newspapers, arresting or detaining opposition leaders, and seeking to make the judiciary more dependent on the government. On his advice, Parliament has enacted laws restricting the interpretive powers of the courts. In 1988 he persuaded the former king, Sultan Mahmood, to endorse a tribunal, which then dismissed the lord president and two justices of the Supreme Court.

In the 1990s, after undergoing heart surgery, Mahathir became concerned with the future leadership of UMNO ( Baru ) and named first Ghafar Baba and then, in 1993, Anwar Ibrahim as his chosen successor, under the title of UMNO deputy president. By 1998, however, Mahathir's relations with Anwar became strained when the two men disagreed on economic policy in the wake of the Asian economic crisis that had begun the previous year. In addition to removing Anwar from his post, Mahathir had him arrested and charged with corruption and sexual misconduct. In 1999, Anwar was sentenced to six years in prison while Mahathir's National Front coalition retained its parliamentary majority in national elections. Malaysia's strict Internal Security laws have been credited by Mahathir for keeping the country free of terrorism and ethnic strife. In late 2002, it was announced that he would strengthen the laws, which allow detention without charges or trials. Opponents claimed that these domestic laws stifled dissent and violated human rights.

In June 2002, Mahathir suddenly announced that he would step down in October 2003, causing dismay in UMNO. Deputy prime minister Abdullah Badawi was tapped to take over the office at that time. A glimpse of "life after Mahathir" was apparent during Mahathir's two-month vacation in March–April 2003, during which Badawi assumed charge. Badawi is seen as a moderate conciliator, somewhat in contrast to Mahathir's aggressive style. Opposition to UMNO from Anwar Ibrahim's Keadilan party weakened as its leader endured his jail sentence. However, the opposition Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) increased its strength, with the Islamist party just narrowly losing to UMNO in Kedah State elections in July 2002.

Foreign policy

Mahathir's foreign policy has been molded by his anticolonial beliefs and by his strict leadership. He has increased ties with other Asian nations, making Malaysia a senior member of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), and has improved ties with traditional opponents Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore. He has called for a "Look East" orientation among Malaysians to model themselves on the work ethic and success of the South Koreans and Japanese. Although he is the leader of a Muslim nation with strong ties to the Middle East, he is hostile to Islamic fundamentalism. Some of his foreign policies strained relations with Western nations. For example, he banned The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, which he denounced as "Zionist" for printing unfavorable editorials. Mahathir's government's treatment of Anwar Ibrahim was widely condemned internationally.

Following the attacks on New York's World Trade Center on 11 September 2001, Mahathir, as a Muslim leader, publicly denounced all acts of terrorism and provided intelligence to the United States. However, he was a vehement critic of the U.S. war on Iraq, calling for a campaign of pressure to stop the war. Addressing an economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2003, Mahathir warned that the United States had locked the world into a "Third World War," with civilians suffering the consequences. He also warned Malaysia's neighbors not to "use Malaysia as a battlefield," which may have been directed at Singapore or Australia. There had been accusations that Malaysia had been used for fund raising for Indonesia's Muslim extremist groups, which could cause Singapore, Australia, or Indonesia to seek antiterrorism operations within Malaysia.

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How To Create A Microniche AdSense Site

How To Create A Microniche AdSense Site

Part 1: Background

1.1 What is a Microniche?

1.2 Why Do Microniches Exist?

1.3 Why Do We Care About Microniches?

1.4 The Top 10 Results Are All That Matter

1.5 Where Do You Start?

1.6 Caveats

Part 2: Keyword Research

2.1 What is Keyword Research?

2.2 Why Do Keyword Research?

2.3 Where Does Keyword Data Come From?

2.4 Preparing the AdWords Keyword Tool For Research

2.5 The First Phase of Research

2.6 The Second Phase of Keyword Research

2.7 Decide On Your Microniche

Part 3: Site Creation

3.1 Your Own Virtual Real Estate

3.2 Find a Good Domain Name

3.3 Host the Domain

3.4 Install WordPress

3.5 Configure WordPress

3.6 Install Plugins

3.7 Install a Theme

Part 4: Content Creation

4.1 Pages For Content, Posts For Announcements

4.2 The Announcements Page

4.3 The About Page

4.4 The Privacy Policy Page

4.5 The Front Page

4.6 Configure the Front Page

4.7 Create a Custom Menu

4.8 Make the First Announcement

4.9 Add More Content and More Annoucements

4.10 Promote the Site

Conclusion

How Are CPC and CPM rates calculated?

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Events & Promotions CANON

CANON MALAYSIA ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES

The USB Drive Creator, A Malaysian Entrepreneur in Taiwan

浩角翔起--登加楼介绍

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浩角翔起 (3/5)

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Preparing for Inflation By Jeff Cornwall

Encyclopedia of the Nations [Asia and Oceania]

Russia President

Introduction

ADDRESS

Personal background

Spain Prime Minister

Personal background

Introduction

Malaysian's former prime minister

Personal background

Domestic policy

Foreign policy

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