The aim of this book is to consider theoretically the notion of the global competitiveness of regions, as well as giving attention as to how such competitiveness may be empirically measured. With this in mind, the book has three specific objectives: first, to place the concept of regional competitiveness within the context of regional economic development theory; second, to present a rationale and method for quantifying the global competitiveness of regions; and, third, to undertake the most geographically widespread analysis of regional competitiveness differences across the globe. With regard to the third goal, the analysis incorporates more than 500 regions across Europe, North and South America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and the so-called BRIC economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The importance of the concept of competitiveness has increased rapidly in recent years, with the issues surrounding it becoming, at the same time, more empirically refined and theoretically complex. The focus on regions reflects the growing consensus that they are the primary spatial units that compete to attract investment, and it is at the regional level that knowledge is circulated and transferred, resulting in agglomerations, or clusters, of industrial and service sector enterprises. This growing acknowledgement of the region’s role as a key spatial unit of organisation has led to attention turning to competitiveness at a more regional level. The book explores the results of the World Competitiveness Index of Regions (WCIR), covering the rankings and results of the 2014 edition. The WCIR provides a tool for analysing the development of a range of regional economies across the globe. It enables an illustration of the changing patterns of regional competitiveness on the international stage to be generated. In fundamental terms, the WCIR aims to produce an integrated and overall benchmark of the knowledge capacity, capability, and sustainability of each region, and the extent to which this knowledge is translated into economic value and transferred into the wealth of the citizens of each region.

The world's most comprehensive, well documented, and well illustrated book on this subject. With an extensive subject and geographical index. 76 photographs and illustrations. Free of charge in digital PDF format on Google Books.

The Rough Guides Snapshot USA: Washington and the Capital Region is the ultimate travel guide to this dynamic part of the USA. It leads you through the region with reliable information and comprehensive coverage of all the sights and attractions, from DC's iconic Capitol Hill and International Spy Museum, to Charlottesville's architecture and the battlefields of Fredericksburg. Detailed maps and up-to-date listings pinpoint the best cafés, restaurants, hotels, entertainment, bars and nightlife, ensuring you make the most of your trip, whether passing through, staying for the weekend or longer. The Rough Guides Snapshot USA: Washington and the Capital Region covers Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Also included is the Basics section from the Rough Guide to The USA, with all the practical information you need for travelling in and around Washington and the Capital Region, including transportation, accommodation, food and drink, festivals, sports and other essentials. Also published as part of the Rough Guide to The USA. The Rough Guides Snapshot USA: Washington and the Capital Region is equivalent to 96 printed pages.

As the economies of East Asia grow ever stronger, their need for energy resources increases, which in turn compels closer relations with the countries of the Middle East. This book examines the developing relations between the countries of East Asia, especially China and Japan, with the countries of the Middle East. It looks at various key bilateral relationships, including with Iran and Syria, discusses the impact on the United States’ hegemony in both regions, considers whether the new relations represent a contribution to, or a threat to, peace and stability, and assesses the implications of the changes for patterns of regional and global international relations systems.

The wntmgs by Japanese and Gennan economists presented here originated against the backdrop of ongoing globalization processes and notable fluctuations in regional economic dynamics observable at the same time, primarily in the East and South East Asian area. They provided the occasion for these writers to come to tenns with globalization processes, and in particular with the stabilizing and destabilizing elements at work in them. This is the basis for their investigation of the options provided by economics and economic policy for stabilizing an ever more tightly interwoven world economy. The regional focal points of the contributions are the East Asian realm and the European Union, and the points of view are in every case both from the Japanese and the Gennan side. Questions of international competition and mechanisms of the spread of the crisis in the wake of globalization processes lie at the centre of the analyses by Hisashi Watanabe and Willy Kraus. Hisashi Watanabe focusses on the relationship, an especially important one from the Japanese perspective, between Japan and South Korea and takes up the problem of South Korea's demand that Japan should energetically promote its own transition to a service-sector-oriented society and withdraw from certain areas of manufacturing. This, it is argued, will grant Japan's Asian neighbours better chances for development and make a positive contribution to the economic stabilization of the region.

Kapor argues that explanations of international relations in Asia in the post-Second World War period have relied too much on the Cold War as a key explanatory factor, and have not given enough emphasis to the useful concepts of 'regional power formation', 'conflict formation' and 'conflict resolution'. The author outlines these concepts and goes on to elaborate on them, and to apply them to three key Asian regions - northeast, southeast, and south Asia - discussing practical strategic issues in an historical perspective and arguing that these concepts, and other concepts which he discusses, are extremely helpful in making sense of the complex pattern of international relations in Asia.

Filled with figures, images, and illustrations, Encyclopedia of Water Science, Second Edition provides effective concepts and procedures in environmental water science and engineering. It unveils a wide spectrum of design concepts, methods, and solutions for enhanced performance of water quality, treatment, conservation, and irrigation methods, as well as improved water efficiency in industrial, municipal, and agricultural programs. The second edition also includes greatly enhanced coverage of streams and lakes as well as many regional case studies. An International Team Addresses Important Issues The only source to provide full coverage of current debates in the field, the encyclopedia offers professional expertise on vital issues including: Current laws and regulations Irrigation management Environmental water economics Agroforestry Erosion control Nutrient best management practices Water sanitation Stream and lake morphology and processes Sharpen Your Skills — Meet Challenges Well-Armed A direct and reliable source for best practices in water handling, preservation, and recovery, the encyclopedia examines challenges in the provision of safe water supplies, guiding environmental professionals as they face a worldwide demand for sanitary and affordable water reserves. Also Available Online This Taylor & Francis encyclopedia is also available through online subscription, offering a variety of extra benefits for researchers, students, and librarians, including: Citation tracking and alerts Active reference linking Saved searches and marked lists HTML and PDF format options Contact Taylor and Francis for more information or to inquire about subscription options and print/online combination packages. US: (Tel) 1.888.318.2367; (E-mail) e-reference@taylorandfrancis.com International: (Tel) +44 (0) 20 7017 6062; (E-mail) online.sales@tandf.co.uk