Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912) - The Last Dynasty of China

Introduction

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China. It was founded in Manchuria which is a vast region that lies in the northeast of China. The dynasty was founded by Nurhaci who was a Manchu. The Manchus are now ethnic minority in China. The Qing Dynasty was originally founded in 1616 during the time period of Ming Dynasty. In its early days the dynasty was called Later Jin Dynasty. However, the Dynasty changed its name to "Qing" Dynasty which means "clear", in 1936. The Dynasty was founded when Nurhaci a chieftain of a small Jurchen tribe decided to unite all the Jurchen tribes in northeastern China. By 1616 he had control over the whole Jianzhou region where these small tribes were. Due to this, Nurhaci labeled himself the Khan of "Great Jin" and established the Later Jin Dynasty. With the possession of enough men and resources under him; Nurhace began to threaten the Ming Dynasty even more. With the collaboration of the Mongols he was able to get the latest weapons in fighting the Ming Dynasty. Due to the advanced technology many major Ming cities fell into the hands of Nurhaci. By 1625 Ming Dynasty had lost a lot of its land to Nurhaci. However, towards his death the Later Jin Dynasty had to suffer military defeats to the Ming due to the advanced cannons they used which they got from Europe. After the death of Nurhaci, Huang Taiji took over. Huang Taiji addressed the military issues by strengthening the artillery and armed forces. He also captured Korea and brought his Mongolian allies under his control. With the help of the Koreans and Mongolians he was able to capture the remaining Ming strong holds. Seeing Taiji's troop advance quickly, the remaining Ming soldiers and officials surrendered. Taiji also renamed the Dynasty into Qing Dynasty. By 1644 the Qing had also captured Beijing , and now had full control over the almost the whole of present China. The Qing Dynasty was officially established and recognized in 1644 after taking over Beijing the "forbidden city." Beijing became the capital and the Qing now had control over the whole China. Beijing fell to Emperor Shunzhi, who took power after the death of Taiji. Shunzhi became the Third Emperor of Qing Dynasty and the First Emperor to rule over China proper after taking over Beijing ("Qing Dynasty).

(The map shows the amount of land under the Qing Dynasty.
The dark green shows Qing China while light green shows affiliated states.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_Dynasty

Reasons for Takeover

The Qing Dynasty was able to takeover power from the Ming Dynasty because of the rapid rise of a Manchu leader named Nurhaci. Nurhaci united various tribes in Manchuria under him. He then asked the Ming Army if his tribe can help support and help then. His offer was turned down and later he decided to break all his ties with the Ming Court. Nurhaci continued to exploit the weaknesses of the Ming government and he took control over all the tribes near Manchuria. Later Nurhaci declared war on the Ming Empire and fierce battles took place. The Ming Army was led by Yuan Chinghuan a brilliant field marshal. Under Yuan the Ming Army was able to keep out the Manchus. Yuan got the Ming Army to win many crucial battles and with the cannons imported from Europe he was able to defend key cities and passages to keep Nurhaci and his men out. Despite his heroics and brilliance in war against the Manchus; Yuan was executed in 1630. Yuan was accused for helping the Manchus in carrying our raids on the Ming Army. After the execution of Yuan, the job got a lot easier for the Qing Army as the generals after him were very incapable and inexperienced. After Yuan the Qing Army found a lot of success in key battles and many key cities fell to them. After Yuan the army was caught in a dilemma. The Ming Army was unable to keep the Manchus (Qing) out of their territory and their weaknesses helped motivate other rebells in the Ming Empire. The peasants were no longer afraid of the weak and defeated Ming Army, and due to this a peasant soldier Li Zicheng staged a rebellion. Li Zicheng staged a rebellion against the Ming government because they were unable to provide much needed supplies to the soldiers in Shaanxi. The Ming Army captured Li and released him only after he promised to return to service. However the Ming generals later slaughtered all his fellow rebels which angered Li. Li then decided to launch a rebellion with his fellow soldiers. Li took over key Ming cities with the help of his fellow soldiers. His influence spread rapidly and the poor peasants who had nothing to loose decided to join him. Li and his men marched into Beijing where the city was surrendered to him and the last Ming emperor committed suicide. This ended the Ming Dynasty forever. On the other hand, the hungry unpaid Ming forces who couldn't control issues in the empire and outside were quickly defeated by the Qing as they tried to march in through the Great wall of China. The Qing faced no opposition as the remaining Ming troops fled. After hearing the Ming advances Li and his men fled Beijing. Beijing was left unguarded for Qing emperor, and he quickly took over it. On the other hand, Li committed suicide and his supporters were hunted down and executed. The simple reason to why Qing Dynasty took over the Ming was because the Ming Dynasty became too weak. The Ming had no control over the vast land and they suffered economic problems. The Ming were unable to feed the peasants or prevent the Manchus from increasing their power. Furthermore, the task got easier for Qing due to Li Zicheng who took over Beijing and defeated the Ming internally like a termite ("Qing Dynasty").

(A portrait of Li Zicheng)

www.chinatourguide.net/3_1.htm

Leaders of the Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty had a total of 12 emperors ruling between 1616 to 1912. Of the 12 emperors, 10 were the emperors of proper China while the first two were the leaders that helped establish and begin the Qing Dynasty, and get it to rule proper China. All the 12 leaders and the years from which to which they ruled are listed below ("List of Emperors of the Qing Dynasty").

1. Emperor Nurhaci (1616-1626) - Founded the Qing Dynasty by combing tribes in Manchuria and first named it as "Later Jin Dynasty." He fought the Ming Empire for control over China ("Qing Dynasty").


2. Emperor Huang Taiji (1626-1643) - Came to power after the death of Emperor Nurhaci. Taiji continued the battle against the Ming Dynasty. Got a lot of success against the Ming and conquered some important cities. He also changed the name of the Dynasty from "Later Jin Dynasty" to "Qing Dynasty" ("Qing Dynasty").


3. Emperor Shunzhi (1643-1661) - Under him Qing Dynasty took over Beijing. He became the first Qing emperor to rule proper China ("Qing Dynasty").


4. Emperor Kangxi (1661-1722) - The longest ruling Emperor in Chinese history. Ruled for 61 years and he became the second emperor to rule proper China. China flourished under him and his reign is celebrated as "Kang-Qian Golden Age." China prospered in all sectors in his time period ("Qing Dynasty").


5. Emperor Yongzheng (1722-1735) - China continued to prosper under his rule. Qing Dynasty was the most powerful under his rule and governed more than 13 million sq km of territory ("Qing Dynasty").


6. Emperor Qianlong (1735-1796) - The son of Emperor Yongzheng. China continued to prosper under him as well. He was a very fine general and helped put down many revolts in southern China ("Qing Dynasty").


7. Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820) - Son of Emperor Qianlong. he tried to stop the smuggling of Opium in China. He also tried to make China corruption free ("Jiaqing Emperor").


8. Emperor Daoguang (1820-1850) - Daoguang tried to stop the increasing Opium Trade in China. He also lost the First Opium War to Europe. Due to the loss in the First Opium War; he had to give Hong Kong to Europe, and therefore became the first Qing emperor to loose territory ("Daoguang Emperor").


9. Emperor Xianfeng (1850-1861) - Xianfeng had good ability in literature. He came to thrown when the Qing Dynasty was crumbling. A lot of rebellions started under his rule. Xianfeng found very little success in crushing the rebellions ("Xianfeng Emperor").
   
10. Emperor Tongzhi (1861-1875) - Tongzhi was the son of Xianfeng. He tried to make political reforms but didn't recieve much success ("Tongzhi Emperor").


11. Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908) - Emperor Guangxu rulled indirectly under Empress Dowager Cixi. Cixi influenced his decisions and controlled him. Guangxu introduced the 100 days reform, but they couldn't be carried out since Cixi put him under house arrest after a coup ("Qing Dynasty").


12. Emperor Xuantong: commonly known as Puyi (1908-1924) - Puyi was the last Emperor of China ("Qing Dynasty").

(Emperor Nurhaci: The founder of Qing Dynasty)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Qing-Nurhaci.jpg/240px-Qing-Nurhaci.jpg

(Emperor Kangxi: The longest ruling emperor in Chinese history)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Portrait_of_the_Kangxi_Emperor_in_Court_Dress.jpg

(Emperor Puyi and Empress Wan rong)

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/d/d3/Puyi_and_Wanrong.jpg

Another Leader From the Same Time Period

Czar Nicholas II

Czar Nicholas II was the last Czar of Russia. Czar Nicholas II was a very weak leader. He was a good man but didn't have leadership qualities. During his period Russia and the people of Russia struggled a lot. Russia faced a lot of economic problems. The Czar was unable to govern such a huge nation and due to this a lot of rebellions stood up against him. Czar Nicholas II also failed to provide enough food and shelter to majority of the population of Russia. The peasants in particular were very upset with him as they had to wait in long lines to get a loaf of bread in winter. Further to add to his problems, Czar Nicholas II faced defeat in Russo-Japanese War over Manchuria. This was just not a defeat for Russia but a huge setback since they lost over 400,000 soldiers in the war. This war further worsened the economic status of the nation. However, to ignite the spark into a big fire the Bloody Sunday occurred. During the Bloody Sunday hundreds of women and children gathered outside the Winter Palace of Czar Nicholas II to ask for food. In return the guards standing outside the palace surrounded these people and slaughtered all of them. This news spread across Russia like a wildfire. People stopped working and started protesting. Rebellions started to rise and people asked for reforms. Eventually this event caused the Russian Revolution. Throughout the Russian Revolution Czar Nicholas II tried to keep things under his control, but it was too late and he failed. The revolution and the protest against him became too strong, and he was eventually forced to step down from his throne ("Nicholas II of Russia").

(A portrait of Czar Nicholas II)

http://centralpark-ny.us/pix/czarnicholasII.jpg

Accomplishments

The Qing Dynasty had made some major accomplishments during their rule over China. The Qing dynasty made important contributions in the fields of technology, economy, politics, arts, society, and religion. A lot of their accomplishments came during the time period between the establishment of Qing Empire and the First Opium war. Most of the accomplishments were made between this time period because there was hardly any war or major military battle. This time period was a time of long peace under the Qing Empire.

Technology: One of the key areas of focus for the Qing Dynasty was technology. European traders and missionaries who visited China during the rule of Qing Dynasty described the Chinese technology far more advanced than theirs.. The only way they leveled China was through an Industrial Revolution. The Europeans were impressed by the indigenous Chinese medicines which were made by the Chinese people under the Qing Dynasty. Not only that, what most impressed the Europeans was the improved suspension bridges, iron chains, a push cart with a sail, and the concept of magnetism. All these new discoveries and improvements in technology occurred under the Qing Dynasty ("Qing science, technology and inventions").

Arts: Under the Qing Dynasty arts and pottery flourished. The Qing Dynaty can be thanked for the typical rice bowls, tea pots, and tea cups we use today. The Qing pottery and art work was very different from the once of previous dynasties. The artists under the Qing Dynasty used a lot more color in their paintings and they used a variety of techniques that they learned from the previous dynasties. The Qing artists made beautiful flower vases and small boxes to keep valuables in. Later, due to the western influence; their paintings also showed some European techniques ("Qing Fine Arts").

Economy: The Qing Dynasty focused a lot on agriculture. A lot of the population of China under the Qing dynasty was dependent on agriculture. This caused a rapid increase in the agriculture sector. Due to this the Qing Dynasty placed a all time low taxes on agriculture. Under the Qing Dynasty the agriculture taxes were at their lowest ever. The Qing Dynasty also focused on trades with India and Europe. The Qing Dynasty traded tea, peanuts, potatoes, and corn. Great canal systems were also dug to connect the rivers with other parts of China. These canals helped quicken transport across China. Silk industry also prospered under the Qing due to its increase demand in Europe ("Qing Economy").

Religion: Majority of the people under the Qing Dynasty believed in Confucianism. Many missionaries from France and America tried to convert them into Christians; however they failed as the Chinese were strict followers of Confucianism ("Qing Religion").

Politics: Each position in the central government had a Han and a Manchu assigned to it under the Qing Dynasty. To help the guards distinguish members of his own family from the Hans, Emperor Qianlong came up with a clever idea. Emperor Qianlong got the manchus to wear garments with a circle at the back. The circle at the back showed the guards that the person was from a Manchu family. On the other hand, Emperor Qianlong asked the Hans to wear garments with a square at the back to show the guards that they are Hans and not Manchus or king;s relative. The Qing Dynasty also developed an advance military to help secure its territory. Seeing the power of the Western Military the Qing rulers decided to westernize their military and make it more powerful. The Qing Dynasty was the first dynasty of China who first decided to modernize and westernize their army. In order to do so they created a new Beiyang army which had all the modern equipments and was similar to European Army ("Qing Dynasty").

Society: Unlike other dynasties the Qing Dynasty valued the people they captured in wars. The Qing Dynasty just didn't put the people captured in war into prison. Soldiers captured in war under the Qing Dynasty were given a second chance to help the dynasty govern China. These people were given social status as well for serving the country. After Beijing feel to the hands of the Qing Dynasty; the soldiers caught many Ming government officials. Instead of putting them in jail, the Qing Dynasty asked them to retain their positions and help govern China ("Qing Dynasty").

(A small box made and designed by the artists of Qing Dynasty)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:FFM-QingRotlackDose.JPG

(Flower vases from the Qing Dynasty)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Qing-dynasty-vases.jpg

(A painting made by an artist under the Qing Dynasty)

http://www.xabusiness.com/images/china-resources/classic-paintings/large/1-10-7.jpg

REASON OF FALL

Towards the end of the 19th century the Qing rule over China started to weaken dramatically. The Qing Dynasty failed to come with a strong emperor after Emperor Qianlong. After Emperor Qianlong the Qing Dynasty started to crumble. The two Opium Wars that were fought against the Europeans resulted in big defeats for the Qing. The Qing army had to suffer heavy causalities and a lot of civilians also were killed. China's infrastructure was damaged heavily, and above all, China lost Hong Kong to the Europeans. All these events led to the rise of a lot of rebellions but majority of them were crushed successfully. However, one rebellion which hurt the Qing the most and eventually let to their downfall was the Xinhai Revolution. The Revolution happened in the city of Wuchang which was the home to China's latest modernized army. The revolution itself was a mistake. The revolution started when some Russian revolutionaries were making bombs in Wuchang, and one of their bomb exploded. This explosion caused the local cops to do an investigation, and as a result of the investigation they arrested soldiers of the "New Army." These arrests angered the soldiers of the "New Army" which was China's most modern and well trained army at the time. The soldiers decided to follow the teachings of Sun Yat-sen, a great leader and philosopher whose teachings of a revolution really inspired the soldiers. The soldiers decided to do arrange a coup, and within a day Wuchang fell to them as the local policemen fled. Soon after that; the soldiers sent messages to the other provinces for their support and to ask them to announce their independence from the Qing rule. The news spread quickly and soon 15 provinces had announced their independence from the Qing declaring themselves republic. All these rebellions could have been put down if the Qing would have taken them seriously and acted quickly. Their delay in acting caused the rebellion to spread wisely and when they tried to put it down, it became too late. Seeing the situation worsen the Qing government decided to bring back general Yuan Shikai whom they fired earlier. Yuan Shikai was brought back to crush the rebellion however he had some other plans. Yuan decided to become the Prime Minister and he created his own cabinet. Yuan then decided to rule the Qing politics by playing poitical games. Yuan convinced the people and the government that going into war with Sun Yat-sen will be too expensive and a waste of time. Eventually Yuan decided to ally with Sun who was his fellow commander of the Beiyang Army. Both Yuan and Sun discussed the future republic and both made an agreement that Yuan will be the president of the republic. After a round of negotiations between the two leaders; they decided to form a republic and bring the abdication of the child leader Puyi. With the abdication of Puyi; the Qing Dynasty and Imperialism came to an end in China, and China became a republic. However, the republic government didn't last for long as Communism soon took over ("Wuchang Uprising").

(Yuan Shikai the president of China after it became a republic. He played a part in the downfall of Qing Dynasty.)

http://www.dictatorofthemonth.com/Shikai/Okt2006ShikaiDE.htm

Bibliography

1. "Qing Dynasty." Wikipedia. 15 Jan 2008. Wikipedia. 15 Jan 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_Dynasty.
2. "Wuchang Uprising." Wikipedia. 20 Oct 2007. Wikipedia. 15 Jan 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuchang_Uprising.
3. "List of Emperors of the Qing Dynasty." Wikipedia. 09 Jan 2008. Wikipedia. 15 Jan 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Qing_Emperors.
4. "Qing Religion." 15 Jan 2008 http://jds.cass.cn/english/20061130105803.asp.
5. "Qing Economy." 15 Jan 2008 http://jds.cass.cn/english/20061130105733.asp.
6. "Qing Fine Arts." 15 Jan 2008 http://jds.cass.cn/english/20061130105722.asp.
7. "Qing science, technology and inventions." 15 Jan 2008 http://jds.cass.cn/english/20061130105745.asp.
8. "Nicholas II of Russia." Wikipedia. 14 Jan 2008. Wikipedia. 15 Jan 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_II_of_Russia.
9. "Jiaqing Emperor." Wikipedia. 06 Jan 2008. Wikipedia. 15 Jan 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiaqing_Emperor.
10. "Daoguang Emperor." Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008. Wikipedia. 15 Jan 2008 .
11. "Xianfeng Emperor." Wikipedia. 06 Jan 2008. Wikipedia. 15 Jan 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xianfeng_Emperor.
12. "Tongzhi Emperor." Wikipedia. 13 Dec 2007. Wikipedia. 15 Jan 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongzhi_Emperor.

Earthquakes

INTRODUCTION:

Earthquakes are perhaps one of the most frequent and most feared natural hazards around the world. Earthquakes happen almost all around the globe, however they are most frequent near plate boundaries. The earthquakes encircle the whole of the Pacific Ocean, they extend down the entire length of the mid-Atlantic Ocean, and they stretch across southern Europe and Asia, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Earthquakes occur in many different scales. One may notice that some earthquakes are of less magnitude than others. Magnitude is the unit of measurement of an earthquake's energy on a Richter Scale. An earthquake with a magnitude of 3 or lower is a less dangeorous arthquake than a earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or higher, which may turn out to be a very destructive and fatal earthquake. There are also other types of scales that measure earthquakes. One such type of scale is called the Mercalli scale. This scale is used to measure intensity of shaking. Earthquakes are so destructive that even if they occur under the ocean they may cause significant damage by resulting into a tsunami and wiping out towns and houses by the caostline. One example of such an earthquake and tsunami due to the water displaced by the earthquake was seen in 2004, when the tsunami wiped out much of Indonesia, and did significant damages in India, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Earthquakes have been the ultimate weapons of destruction used by the nature for so long, yet the humans have failed to develop anything to stop them or warn people in time before they occur. Humans have always found themselves vulnerable in front of this natural disaster; and their recent contribution to global warmimg and other environmental problems only seems to be complicating the matter further.

CAUSES:

Scientists believe that the major cause of earthquakes is plate tectonics. Plate tectonics is the movement of the plates that make up the Earth's crust. These plates are located above the mantle of the Earth and they rely on convection currents to move them. These convection currents occur in the Earth's mantle and they cause the plates to move 3-4 cm a year. There are two types of crusts that plates consist of. The first type is the continental crust and the second is the oceanic crust. The continental crust is older, lighter, can't sink, and permanent. The oceanic crust is younger, heavier, can sink, and is constantly being destroyed. Plates with one of these two types of crusts form plate boundaries. There are 4 types of plate boundaries, and it is along these plate boundaries where most of the earthquakes happen due to the movement between two plates. The four types of plate boundaries are constructive margins, destructive margins, collision zones, and conservative margins. In constructive plate margins two plates move away from each other. When this happens magma from the mantle rises and cools to form mid oceanic ridges with volcanoes. Gentle earthquakes may occur at this type of plate margin. The second type of plate margin is the destructive plate margin. In a destructive plate margin the Oceanic crust is forced underneath the Continental crust. This happens because the oceanic crust can sink and it is heavier. When the oceanic crust goes underneath the continental crust it forms a subduction zone. Underneath the Continental crust there is hot magma in the mantle which destroys the Oceanic crust. Violent earthquakes happen along this plate boundary due to the increased amount of pressure. The third type of plate boundary is the collision zone. This boundary or zone is formed when two continental plates collide, and since neither can go underneath one another they are forced upwards forming mountains. A classic example of such type of collision zone is the Himalaya Mountains. Earthquakes happen along this zone due to the movement of the plates and due to the pressure. The last type of margin is the conservative margin. In this plate margin two plate move sideways past each other. Land is neither created nor destroyed at this plate margin. However, this plate margin causes violent earthquakes and a classic example is the San Andreas fault in California.

EFFECTS:

The effects of an earthquake may be anything from nothing to devastating. The effect that an earthquake has depends on the magnitude of the earthquake on a Richter Scale. Some earthquakes may be so small that the may go unnoticed. However, other Earthquakes ma be so big and devastating that they may topple houses, cause fires, tear down buildings and skyscrappers, bring down fly overs and bridges, damage roads and other sources of communication, and kill thousands of people. These Earthquakes are usually measured over 7 on a Richter Scale. The effects of an Earthquake also varies on other factors. For example, an earthquake that happens in rural areas where many people don't live will have less effect than an earthquake which happens in a heavily populated city. Other factors that depend on the the effects of an earthquake is whether it happens in a LEDC or MEDC.

AREAS AFEECTED BY EARTHQUAKES:

Earthquakes are a type of natural disater that affect a lot of the areas in the Earth. Earthquakes are generally found near plate boundaries. Earthquakes commonly happen in the Pacific Ocean especially near the Ring of Fire. Earthquakes extend down the entire length of Mid-Atlantic Ocean. They stretch across southern Europe and Asia, linking Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.

PREVENTION:

There are no preventions for earthquakes as of yet. They are just natural disasters that naturally occur. Scientists at the momment are trying to work on how the effect of earthquake can be minimalized if not stopped. Scientists from all around the world are trying to develop early warning systems that detect earthquakes well before they happen so that people can be evacuated from the area before the earthquake strikes.Architects are also trying ti minimalize the effect of earthquakes on lives and building by constructing buildings on rock foundation instead of gravel foundation so that the building doesn't collapse easily. Architects are also constructing buildings that have shock absrobers that absorb the P waves and S waves sent by the earthquake. The buildings are also being built with good suspension, this means that they can sway slightly when the Earthquake happens to avoid being torn down.

LEDC's vs MEDC's:

Earthquakes have differnt effects on LEDC's and MEDC's. Earthquakes that occur in LEDC's are usually more deadly and effective than earthquakes that occur in MEDC"s. There are several reasons behind this pattern. The biggest and most prime reason is that LEDC's are poor and don't have as much money as MEDC's. Due to their weak economy and little budget, LEDC's are unable to buy the right type of equipment to predict an earthquake before it occurs. This causes the people living in LEDC's to be surprised when an earthquake occurs, causing the death toll in LEDC's to be higher than that of MEDC's, because MEDC's have the technology to predict an earthquake or a major movement of plates before it occurs. The other major issue that causes earthquakes to be more deadly in LEDC's than in MEDC's is the communication system. In LEDC's the communication sources are usually very weak. Many areas of a LEDC may not be linked properly by roads or any other type of communication system. Bridges in LEDC's are usually weak, communication by air is hard due to few airports, and construction is generally weak. All these factors sum up to contribute to a destructive earthquake, beacause relief work is hampered in LEDC's due to lack of communication. In MEDC's relief work is done immediatley because of good communication system, modern bridges, quality roads, many airports, and good construction. The other factor that makes the difference is infrastructure. LEDC's usually have houses built of mud and straw. Buildings in LEDC's don't have strong foundation and are built with poor engineering. Wheras in MEDC's the buildings are built with strong foundation and solid engineering causing them to survive earthquakes. The mud houses in LEDC's obviously fail to survive a earthquake and are torn down taking the lives of many people living in them. Other factors are increased corruption, overpopulation, no evacuation plans, and unprepared emergency agencies. All these factors make a normal earthquake worst in LEDC's, whereas in MEDC's the same earthquake may not have half the effect that it had on LEDC's.

WHY PEOPLE LIVE IN EARTHQUAKE PRONE AREAS?

It is very common to see an area devastated by a earthquake, and only after a few months being populated again by people. The big question that rises is, why do people live in earthquake prone areas, even after knowing that there had been a earthquake there before and that it may happen again? One answer to this question may be, because people have nowhere to go. Earthquakes happen in so many places around the globe that they limit the places where one can escape to. Earthquakes have become so common that sometimes they occur in places where they are not predicted to happen. People living in small nations such as Japan can't go anywhere because Japan is a small island and the whole island is affected by constant earthquakes. People just have to live with the threat of earthquakes in Japan because all the Japanese can't move out of Japan and go somewhere else. People live in earthquake prone areas because they have their jobs, businesses, and property there. No one can just leave their jobs and property behind and go somewhere else so easily. The other reason for why people live in earthquake prone areas is because they are poor and they don't have the money to move. Many people living in rural areas can't go anywhere because they can't afford the transportation or in many cases they have no transportation or way to communicate from the outside world. Due to this they are stuck in one place and have to live with the threat of earthquake at the back of their minds.

CASE STUDY: 2001 GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE

CAUSES:

The Gujarat earthquake happened due to the pressure released by plates in a collision margin. The interesting thing was that the collision margin took place far away from Gujarat. A collision margin happens when two contiental plates collide together and since neither can sink they start to fold upwards forming mountains. Due to this the two plates rub against each other creating a lot of pressure. Eventually this pressure was released over Gujarat which is a state in India causing a earthquake in the area. One thing that made this earthquake unique was that it was an intraplate earthquake. There are two types of earthquakes, one is interplate and the other is intraplate earthquake. Interplate earthquakes happen near plate boundaries, however intraplate earthquakes don't occur near plate boundaries but way within a plate itself. These types of earthquakes are very rare and random. They are very hard to predict because the pressure caused by a collision plate margin can be released anywhere, either near the boundaries of the two plates or in the middle of a tectonic plate. The epicentre of the Earthquake was 20km away from Bhuj a town in Gujarat. The epicentre was not near any plate boundary causing it to be a intraplate earthquake.

EFFECTS:

The Gujarat Earthquake was the most powerful and devastating earthquake in the recent history of history. The earthquake was really powerful and it had a magnitude of 7.9 on Richter Scale. Since Gujarat was not next to any plate boundary the area was not prepared for such a big earthquake. This earthquake was so destructive that it killed about 19,727 people and injted over 150,000 people. The earthquake was of such intensity that it destroyed or damaged more than a million structures which included many important historical buildings and tourist spots. The town of Bhuj had to take most of the damage since it was located near the epicentre of the earthquake. The earthquake destroyed tore down many schools and hospitals in Gujarat. The earthquake damaged and destroyed many homes as well. The quake was so severe that big buildings also didn't survive in front of it. Buildings with more thatn 50 floors collapsed one after the other. Total property damage was more that 5.5 billion US dollars.

PROTECTION MEASURES:

After the Gujarat Earthquake the government made a new set of building rules. The government of Gujarat enforced strict policies to make sure that the building rules are followed. One reason for why the Gujarat earthquake was very devastating was due to poor infrastucture and poor building practices. The government of Gujarat worked on strengthening old buildings and ensured that architects followed the building rules. The government also made a long term management plan for the state. According to the plan the government will work on making early warning sytems better. The government also set up a evacuation plan in case of emergency. The governmnet also strengthened the communication system in the state and set up information centres to give people information about earthquakes.

CONCLUSION:

In the future earthquakes may not be as deadly as they are currently. Scientists are working on finding soulutions to earthquakes. Scientists are trying their best to put a grip on nature's most deadliest weapon. Currently scientists have come up with a liquid that they tested by pouring it down a fault. This liquid help lessen the amount of movement between the plates. Scietists are still testing this liquid and trying to make it better. They are also working on improving early warning systems, so that people can be evacuated well before an earthquake strikes. Slowly, slowly the scientists are making progress in controling the earthquakes and minimalizing their affects. In the future scientists may develop a good early warning system, and if that happens the lives of many people may be saved and a lot of the damage will be minimalized. This will not only make earthquakes less destructive but less feared disasters as well. Today science has advanced so much that anything can be done. If scientists find a way in stopping earthquakes or atleast lowering their strength or enegy then earthquakes will become less effective disaster. With the help of modern architecture a lot of nations have already been successful in limiting the damage caused by earthquake. So if we can limit the damage, which was impossible to do 20 to 30 years ago; then we can also stop earthquakes from happening from 20 - 30 years from now.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. "Earthquake." Wikipedia. 15 Nov 2007. 24 Nov 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake.
2. "2001 Gujarat Earthquake." Wikipedia. 22 Nov 2007. 24 Nov 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Gujarat_earthquake.
3. "Earthquakes." Think Quest. 24 Nov 2007 http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/english/earthquakes/prevention.shtml.
4. "Gujarat Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Policy." 24 Nov 2007 http://www.gsdma.org/pdf/Earthquake%20Rehabilitation%20Policy.pdf.
5. "Plate Tectonics, the Cause of Earthquakes." 24 Nov 2007 http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/plate-tectonics.html.
6. Waugh, David. The New Wider World. Second. Delta Place, UK: Nelson Thornes Ltd, 2003.
7. Some obvious information from my head!