Morocco
A Short History and Summary of the Current Conditions in Morocco
and Its Geographical Situation
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Morocco
Venezuela
Brief History
My country, Venezuela, lies in Northern South America with the Caribbean Sea and the
Northern Atlantic Ocean as its coastline. Its official name is Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,
and is mainly a Spanish speaking country. The capital of Venezuela is Caracas, and as of 2011,
an estimated Venezuelans reside in Venezuela (One World Nation). Venezuela was first occupied
by the Caribs and Arawaks tribes of Indians before Christopher Columbus discovered Venezuela
in 1498. By 1717, the states of Venezuela, Columbia, Panama, and Ecuador, established the
Viceroyalty of New Granada. The early stages of the 18th century, Venezuela declared its
independence and remained part of the Republic of Gran Columbia until 1830 when it became a
sovereign nation. By the end of the 18th century, the exportation of cocoa helped Venezuela grow
in the Spanish empire. As Venezuela progressed into the 19th century, instability hit the country
because of corrupt politicians and a dictatorship society. This also helped ruin the cocoa export
economy. After World War I, Venezuela shifted from an agricultural economy, to a country that
provided the world in petroleum (Country Watch: History). Although these facts are relevant to
Venezuela, they do not paint the current picture of globalization in this country. To better
understand this, let’s take a look at some major events that may have had an impact in
Venezuela’s development, the current government, and the current economic situation.
World oil prices fall Runaway inflation, currency devaluations and even food riots
Current concerns include: a polarized political environment, a politicized military, drug-related
violence along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on
the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are
endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples
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Morocco
Major events in a country’s timeline can have an affecting impact for any country
trying to develop.
By 1956, Morocco won its independence from France and in 1957, Muhammad was
officially named King. It is important to note that beginning in 1956 and spanning to today,
Spain still retains control over a handful of Moroccan locations, but its influence simply impacts
local culture more than anything else. Upon Muhammad’s death in 1961, the monarchy was
passed down to his son, Hassan II, and various governmental changes occurred over the course
of the next couple of decades, including the establishment of a constitutional monarchy and a
bicameral parliament (Morocco, 2009). A new constitution was drafted in 1996 that provided for
a House of Representatives, but, according to Country Watch (Political Conditions, 2007), “In so
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