Globalization is the trend of merging unique markets and cultures to a generally uniform structure. (Pic of 2 cities and their uniformity) 1 It is the force that is opening up world markets and creating a more communicative global society, and is creating many common links for societies and cultures that had few before. Globalization has created a global market where one country can trade with any country in the world, but also competes with any country in the world. This is a giant problem for undeveloped countries, as they are competing against fully developed countries that can produce more products at a higher rate.

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This gives a humongous advantage to technologically advanced nations, but being involved in the world market can ensure a nation’s ambition for wealth and power. These underdeveloped countries recognize this and are desperate to develop. This development is becoming more and more controlled by giant corporations that have become extremely rich through the new markets brought on by globalization. These Corporations have become more powerful than many undeveloped nations, such as Exxon mobile and Wal-Mart, which made 404.5 and 387.6 billion respectfully, in revenue in 2007. Nations desperate to gain the global market advantage and to develop will do anything to allow corporate investment in their countries that will encourage economic development. This situation brought on by globalization  at the global level has led to corporations having unlimited power in developing nations, in which environmental laws can be ignored by the corporations in favour of bigger profits, and that politicians can be bribed to allow policies and labour laws that are friendly towards that corporation.

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McDonalds in Beijing, China.

 An example would be child labour laws in china for major clothing manufactures. These corporations also generally bring the culture and ways of business from their home country to their new host country, such as in picture 2. Global tourism is also promoted by these corporations, in which mass immigration, both temporal and permanent is occurring world wide, in which the new groups of people are bringing their culture to their new country. Globalization is not a current trend. It started 500 years ago with European colonisation, such as France`s colonization of Haiti in the Caribbean.  

Haiti is an excellent example of a nation that has and is experiencing globalization at its worst because it has a select few staying wealthy while the masses are staying impoverished and oppressed. 500 years ago it was the wealthy settlers who implemented their culture and language their, and today it is the wealthy ruling class of white-black race and the new implementation of the modern corporate culture. Haiti is a country riddled with problems.

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Map of Haiti and Hispaniola

Haiti is a country located on the western one third of Hispaniola, seen in map 3 sharing the island with the Dominican Republic, as seen in map 3. Its population is relatively small at 8,706,497, in which 95 % is black, while 5% is Arab, bi-racial, and white. Its GDP at 11.06 billion shows a small economy, one that is largely reliant on raw good. Foreign aid makes up approximately 30%-40% of the national government's budget.

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The largest donor is the United States followed by Canada, and the European Union also contributes. Reliance on outside help is not Haiti’s only problem. Crime and poverty riddle the country(see image 4), with 80% of the population living below the poverty line. Haiti, like many underdeveloped countries, has a pyramid like image for their age distribution, as seen in graph 5.

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This highlights the countries high fertility rate of 4.79 children per a woman, while highlighting the country’s low life expectancy of 57.6 years. Over populations is a problem in Haiti, with a growth rate of 2.5%. The rural and urban areas are becoming over crowded; as seen in the population density map 6 the government is finding more and more difficulty in feeding the rising population. But in the centre of Haiti and its trouble is its capital, port-au-prince, which is caught between the international economy with its ports and the domestic problems Haiti faces at home.

               

6, cut off top  showing land area.

           Port au prince is a city located on the western coats of Haiti, as shown map ½(use already written map). It has a population between 2.5 and 3 million. The layout of the city is more like an amphitheatre, as seen in pic 7, with the business district close to the shore, and the poorer areas away from the shore.

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Needless to say, the shipping that the city experiences through open markets is a major factor affecting the desirability of the land near the shore for business work. Port au prince is also the home of the country’s leader, and the white palace, as the official residence of the president is commonly called, and can be seen in picture 8.

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The city is riddled with crime, poverty, and poor health. Among this city`s many problems is its inequality and racism. This is seen in how most of the businesses and wealth in port au prince is controlled by the biracial blacks and whites, who live in the upper class suburb of Pétionville, seen in image 9. The upper class, like in many developing countries, has a lot to gain through developing itself, and to do that globalization commonly takes place to push them forward.

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            Globalization is currently affecting many areas of Haitian, and more specifically, port-au-prince residents’ lives. One of the most obvious areas affected is business. Firstly, one has to understand the Haitian, and more importantly the port-au-prince economy.  Haiti has a giant agricultural base, in which 66% of the population works on farms. They are now able to sell its exotic food through Port-au-prince, which is responsible for most of Haiti`s exports and imports, with trade partners such as Canada (3.6% of trade) and the united states (74.3%). The emergence of international markets has allowed Haiti to ship its coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood to a larger consumer group. The importance of international trade brought on by globalization through exports and imports is highlighted by the amount of money through imports and exports; 1.614 billion and 524 million in 2007 respectfully. Port au prince is the centre of these trades and thus the centre of wealth for Haiti. The materials in the countryside such as food and wood are brought here, than refined in the plants of port au prince, as seen in image 10, and than shipped around the globe.

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Another affect of globalization on the economy was the U.S. economic engagement under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, passed in December 2006, which helped the automotive parts and garments industry by giving tariff free access to the USA. (Though lax laws abound on the treatment of workers in these factories because of the desire to keep up with demand and to make a clean profit in the rush for economic development). Another big event for Haiti was when the `` population growth outstripped agricultural growth during the ...

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