Content about Political geography

Over the past three years, the 14 Caribbean countries that signed the Petrocaribe agreement have received between 120,000 and 140,000 barrels of oil per day from Venezuela on preferential terms. One BBC report noted that Petrocaribe assistance to Caribbean nations (other than Trinidad and Barbados) is vital as it has saved the region from experiencing an economic crisis.

The newly established Muslim snowboarding team in Alaska held their first official practice last week at Hilltop ski area located in Anchorage, Alaska. With only about half of the team in attendance, the progress made still contributed greatly to the betterment of the entire team. So far the projected number of team members stands at about six; of these, four were able to make this practice: David Jones, head coach, Xavier Jones, the assistant coach, and two of their most promising team members, Mubarik and Khadijah Jones.

The Alaska chapter of the United Muslim Christian Forum (UMCF) membership has extended its community service mission to become volunteers with the American Red Cross in Anchorage, Alaska. Some members are now attending classes, receiving specific training that will allow them to be of valuable assistance in the community in times of crisis. The course, entitled “Client Casework,” which normally takes 9 hours, was condensed into 3 hours, and will equip them to be at the ready, providing emergency services, when needed.

In a small predominately Muslim village located 18 miles (30 km) from the city of Jos, Nigeria, lies the Kuru Karama village, at the point where Nigeria’s Muslim north and predominantly Christian south meet. According to Human Rights Watch, armed men surrounded the small village, then hunted down and attacked Muslim residents, some of whom had sought refuge in homes and at a local mosque. Many were killed as they tried to flee and many others were burnt  alive. In the aftermath, men, women and children would lose their lives.

The government of Venezuela announced the devaluation of its currency, the Venezuelan Bolivar, amid a broad range of decisive steps it has taken to rebound from the impacts of the year-long drought that has forced the enactment of water and energy rationing, and the persistent economic challenges of the global financial crisis. President Hugo Chavez explained the benefit for his country that he expects to derive from the devaluation.

The Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) trade group -member nations: Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras, Ecuador, Bolivia, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Dominica- will be initiating the use of its own currency, the “sucre,” in a system independent of the current world monetary system. The virtual debt management system enables trade between the nine member nations.