The book Wind, Sand and Stars written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery essay

The book Wind, Sand and Stars written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery essay The book Wind, Sand and Stars written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery essay The book Wind, Sand and Stars written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery essayThe book Wind, Sand and Stars written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery in the late 1930s was first published in France in 1939. In the 1940s, the book was translated into English and published in the United States. The author of the book, Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900-1944), was an outstanding French aristocrat, talented writer and poet, and a legendary pioneering aviator. Antoine de Saint-Exupery gained nominations as a laureate of several literary awards. In addition, he was the winner of the U.S. National Book Award. The book Wind, Sand and Stars is considered to be an impressive lyrical aviation writing produced in the form of a memoir. In this book, Saint-Exupà ©ry provides much important information on aviation, evoking a series of significant events in his life. Special attention is placed on the period when Antoine de Saint-Exupery was employed by the airmail carrier Aà ©ropostale. The author of the book des cribes his experiences as an aviator who performed mail routes across the African Sahara and the South American Andes. The major themes revealed by the author of the book are friendship, life and death, heroism and the search for meaning in life. The major purpose of the book is to illustrate how the author views the meaning of life and what makes life worth living. The book is aimed at a general audience. My reaction to the book is positive. The book is well-organized and easy to read and understand. The evidence provided by the author is convincing. This book is worth reading and analyzing. Thesis statement: Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s book Wind, Sand and Stars tells much about aviation and man’s place in the world, promoting the feeling of love of life and encouraging the reader to start searching for meaning in life.The meaning of the title of the book   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The title of the book is Wind, Sand and Stars reflects the author†™s attitudes toward the spiritual dimension of flying. Antoine de Saint-Exupery used his experiences to highlight the role of â€Å"wind, sand and stars† which are part of the Universe. The author wrote this book in order to reflect his individual experiences and feelings as a pilot. He demonstrates his love of flying and flight, which has become an obsession for him. The title of the book gives the reader an opportunity to assess the author’s imagination and his philosophy of life.Summary of the book  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The book consists of 10 chapters. Chapter 1 â€Å"The Craft†, Chapter 2 â€Å"The Men†, Chapter 3 â€Å"The Tool†, Chapter 4 â€Å"The Elements†, Chapter 5 ‘The Plane and The Planet†, Chapter 6 â€Å"Oasis†, Chapter 7 â€Å"Men and the Desert†, Chapter 8 â€Å"Prisoner of the Sand†, Chapter 9 â€Å"Barcelona and Madrid 1936† and Chapter 10 â€Å"Conclusionâ⠂¬ . In general, each of the chapters contributed to the revealing of the major themes of the book. The laconic chapter titles point out to the simplicity of the author’s language, which allows any reader to evaluate the book’s significance.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The narrator of the story described in the book is the author himself; therefore, this writing can be called the autobiographical work. It is first-person narration. The narrator is considered to be a reliable source of information because his personal experience as a pilot is huge. In 1926, he was â€Å"enrolled as a student airline pilot by the Latecoere Company† (Saint-Exupery, 1992, p. 1). His career was successful because he became a pioneer of international postal flight services and continued his professional growth as a pilot. In addition, his writing career was successful. Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote many literary works, including hi novella LAviateur (The Aviator), hi s book Courrier Sud (Southern Mail), his novella The Little Prince and other works.The central incident described by the author in his book is the plane crash that occurred in 1935 in the Sahara Desert between Benghazi and Cairo. Antoine de Saint-Exupery and his mechanic, Andrà © Prà ©vot, could survive, but they were without food and water in the desert. Actually, there were practically no chances to find an oasis or get help from the air. Hungry and thirsty, Antoine de Saint-Exupery and his partner nearly died before being saved by a man on a camel. That man was a Bedouin from Libya. The author of the book gives an amazing description of his own experience and feeling of love for life he had when a Bedouin gave him water:Water though hast no taste, no color, no odor; canst not be defined art relished while ever mysterious. Not necessary to life, but rather life itself, thou fillest us with a gratification that exceeds the delight of the senses. By thy might, there return into us treasures that we had abandoned (Saint-Exupery, 1992, p. 172).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The time period described in the book and the location the book is set in refers to the author’s real life events. The setting has a strong impact on the plot of the book. The analysis of the narrative plot of the book demonstrates the well-organized structure, which ensures coherence of the whole literary work. Dialogues, descriptions, monologues are integrated into the literary work through effective plot structure. Each chapter of the book presents new facts from the life experience of the author. In addition, the author demonstrates how his feeling of flight and his love of aviation helped him to discover the meaning of life. He is focused on his philosophy of life and applies his beliefs which are based on his revelations regarding his own life experience. In the book, he provides many details of his life experience, which contribute to the progression of his chara cter. Thus, the overall theme or message of the book is to impress the reader and make him/her ponder over the meaning of life.The genre of literature chosen by the author is a memoir. Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s memoir is represented in the form of an autobiographical writing that reprocesses the past experience. In other words, the author describes real events and human interactions that require evaluation.Evaluation of the book In his book, Antoine de Saint-Exupery has achieved his goals. The author of the book gives the reader an opportunity to feel the significance of the role of nature in human life. He describes how he was flying alone in a single engine airplane and experienced the power of nature. Massive possibilities are suggested by the book as the reader has a chance to find the meaning of life due to the author’s experience. It is necessary to understand the significance of the power of nature, the beauty of Earth and the role of machines in assessing this power. Antoine de Saint-Exupery became part of nature due to his small single-engine airplane.The book can be compared to other books on the subject of adventures, including the book Things Are Different in Africa: A Memoir of Dangers and Adventures in the Congo by Frederick Edward Pitts or the book Flying Adventures and Memoirs of a US Air Force Pilot by Edward E. Skipper. Actually, these memoirs provide an honest account of a man’s experiences, which help to find the meaning in life. Practically all specific points provided by the author of the book are convincing.I really like the book because the themes reveled the author are very important for me. I love the way he describes his challenges and find solutions. I love to read about strong personalities who never give up. Antoine de Saint-Exupery is one of them. I would read more about the author of the book because he is an interesting writer and philosopher. Moreover, I would encourage others to read this book because th ere is much important information regarding the role of aviation in developing a strong personality. The National Geography magazine named Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s book is Wind, Sand and Stars as one of the most appealing adventure books of the 20-th century.Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, it is necessary to conclude that the book Wind, Sand and Stars is based on the author’s reflection upon his own adventures, which helped him to develop his sense of imagination, love of life and curiosity. The book reveals the author’s encounters with different people and challenges caused by these encounters. In general, Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s amazing stories help to assess the meaning of life and the role of friendship, the relationship between life and death, the impact of heroism in one’s search for meaning in life. Of all the stories discussed by the author, the major one is the story revolves around Antoine de Saint-Exuper y’s experience of flying across Sahara desert and the detailed description of the accidents that occurred while he executed the flight. The book can make the reader want to start searching for the meaning in life. It can make the reader love our planet, nature, flights and airplanes.

Country project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Country project - Essay Example According to our business strategies, Saudi Armco will produce an estimate of 8 barrels annually and manage over 100 oil and gas fields in Saudi Arabia (Tait). In addition, it has 300 trillion scfd of natural gas oil rich reserves estimated to have a yield of approximately 260 million barrels, hence explaining why it accounts to be the leading daily oil producer globally (Fernandez). Some of these prominent reserves embrace Ghawar and Shaybah, which are the world’s principal oil fields ever unveiled. In addition, Saudi Armco boasts of having the world’s largest hydrocarbon network, which is mainly the Master Gas system - MGS. MGS is a gas gathering and processing system built in 1975 that will enable Saudi Armco to sell all its gas products obtained during oil production as well as from gas reservoirs (Badr 1). The system will also become Saudi Arabia’s industrialization main resource ever since it can produce large amounts of natural gas on a daily basis. (Ferna ndez). In addition, Saudi Armco hosts several goals it ought to accomplish like producing about 10% of energy consumed globally on daily basis (Zuhur 149). To maintain its petroleum production capacity, Saudi Armco will constantly involve itself in varied investments with the intention of heightening its good publicity, be the most reliable energy producer and a global supplier. All the company’s activities will encompass exploring, refining, chemical processes, distribution, marketing and production, which will all be exclusively under supervision of Ministry of petroleum and mineral resources in conjunction with the supreme council for petroleum and minerals. Initially, Saudi Armco’s plans were to use Cray supercomputers in its EXPEC computer centre (ECC) in aid to process large quantities of data from exploration (Badr 2). However, plans are underway to ensure we integrate a new supercomputing system with a storage capacity of 1050 terabytes to enable it support maj or explorations in the Red sea region. Currently, Saudi Armco owns five domestic refineries in Saudi Arabia, which will be primarily for availing adequate oil products to the local market. In addition, together with other stakeholders, the enterprise expects to buy a half of each of the two existing in-kingdom refineries located at Yanbu and Jubail. According to our objectives, apart from marketing crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas together with liquids, Saudi Armco will also export crude oil to other global regions using tankers. The Company will also actively participate in the fight against environmental degradation like air and water pollution. For instance, the management board has already rolled out Saudi Armco’s environmental plan incorporating all intended departmental branches (Badr 2). In this context, Saudi Armco will be able to play a major role in advocating for technological solutions to environmental issues not only now but also in the future. Conse quently, this will prompt the company to maintain all its projects while under in operation aim at minimizing their environmental pollution by use of high classic technological knowhow (Badr 3). Part 2 Saudi Arabia Physical and demographic environment Advantages to business Most oil and gas reservoirs explored by Saudi Armco their respective locations are in Saudi Arabia. This is a great advantage to the enterprise because it does not incur costs of transporting raw materials to the refineries before shipped to varied

Business Enterprise Proposition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Enterprise Proposition - Essay Example Maintaining the health has become the major necessity. Many professional health centers are opened to guide the health conscious people about the proper exercises and proper and healthy diet. In short this service is really very money-spinning. This is the reason we are planning to start a Health Club â€Å"La Bella Health Club.† The health club is concentrating a particular market segment and that is the women or female customers. Health club is the need of the people especially who are living in urban area. In these days the people work before the computer for more than eight hours. The office job generally is sitting job. So it causes lots of negative impact on the physical health. They have to watch the computer screen and it can damage their eyes. It can result into many physical problems such as obesity, spondylitis, vertigo and many more. For women especially the major problem is hormonal changes. In such situation people are inclined to start regular Gym activities to maintain their health. The goals of this health care centre are long term goals. So the strategies are based on the achievement of long term goals. So it is necessary for the business to establish its brand in the market. For this the following activities will be performed. The online registration for membership will also be available. The website will also be the major part of our promotional activity and so our IT team will take strong efforts to make it attractive as much as possible. The facilities consist of regular Gymnasium, Cardio, Aerobics, Yoga, Swimming, and weight loss package, steam and massage. The latest technologies will be used in our health club; among them is Power Plate Machine, Treadmill, Croos Trianer, Recumbent bike, coach rower and many more. Very spacious premises of around 6000 sq ft will be available. A special circuit program of 30 minutes will be arranged for the women. In this program we will provide high standard circuit series

Eid Celebration and Poors Essay Example for Free

Eid Celebration and Poors Essay Abstract Acknowledgement We are highly grateful to almighty Allah who gave us the power to complete this report and we would also like to a very special thanks to our honorable teacher to Mr. Tahir Iqbal DIHE ,   for providing us a golden opportunity to do this research whose help , stimulating suggestions, knowledge, experience and encouragement helped us in all the times of study and analysis of the project. without whom this report was almost mpossible. It was a really good learning experience working under him. We would also thanks to all of those who supported us in any respect during the completion of the project. There are many traditional celebrations throughout the world. There is Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter. Not everyone or every culture, so to speak observes these celebrations. It depends on your background, culture, and beliefs. Every year within our culture and religion we celebrate (Eid) al Fitr. Eid is the Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the month in which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad it is the month of fasting Eid is an Arabic word meaning festivity, while Fi? means conclusion of the fast; and so the holiday celebrates the conclusion of the thirty days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The first day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day of the month Shawwal. Eid is almost like Christmas, with family gathering, festive attires, giving of gifts, and food, this holiday is very memorable. In Pakistan, as the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end, charities and markets find the mselves overcome by a burst of activity. We call ourselves Muslims, yet we don’t want to lose out on this wonderful opportunity to rip people off in the holy month of Ramazan. We create an artificial price hike, raise the prices to double and triple to earn a windfall profit†¦ because who knows when the chance to ‘hit the hardest where it hurts the most’ will come again. The entire nation adorns a garb of piety from the evening of the first day of Ramazan till Chand Raat. Western society has a lot to learn from us Muslims; they don’t quite understand the essence of unity, do they? Like naive creatures they actually lower their prices around Christmas time and go on a complete slash of prices right after Christmas. These people actually want consumers to afford the luxuries of life and celebrate with their loved ones. It seems like they haven’t learnt their lessons of a capitalist society well enough. No wonder people in that part of the world live longer and are hideously obese! On Eid day and the holidays that followed, we saw numerous pictures on television channels of  people celebrating the occasion in parks, on the beach and at family gatherings but this is just one face of Eid. For many others — perhaps, tens of thousands of people — Eid remained a far less festive occasion. The parents who could not buy clothes or new shoes for their children ; nor did those unable to put together a decent meal even on this occasion. During the religious festival, the household spending touches its peak Our survey revealed that in Karachi even low income group spend nothing less than Rs1000 per person in the family. This is inclusive of all expenditures that include spending on dresses, footwear, accessories, edibles, household durables and transport. The informal survey indicated the varying composition of spending in the family budget of different social classes. The proportion of spending on poor increases as income climbs. While in families of modest means, the Eid budget is consumed by basic needs, food, clothing, etc . Problem Statement The commencement of the month of ramadan is going to bring in not only the frenzy of the upcoming Eid festival but also something else which is increased tension and worry that is caused by the uncontrolled price hike of the daily essentials. Each year before the month of ramadan, the prices of the daily essentials increase twise or even thrice as much. Its difficult for lower income families to manage their budget in Ramadan and Eid due to increases of prices. The poor have got poorer and those who thought that they were well off a few years ago are busy reassessing their value – something to do with fitting into the elite. , a person (unskilled worker or the people at the lowest rung such as guards, sweepers or seasonal workers) making Rs5,000 (about $75) per month living off a make- shift hutment in a shanty township (kutchi abbadi) supporting a family cannot spend his full salary on Eid shopping. The market sources confirmed that inflation has jacked up the prices but the rise in prices of fabric, footwear and ordinary accessories is much less in percentage as compared to hike in the prices of edibles. â€Å"The food inflation is backbreaking high at 25-35 per cent. For a variety of reasons, the rates of ordinary local fabric and garments have risen marginally by 5-10 per cent†, a market analyst observed. According to a Gilani Research Foundation Survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan, 88% of Pakistanis said their preparations for Eid suffered due to inflationary pressures. Eid is our religious festival and give the massage of sacrificing and share the joys but now days it becomes celebrate as cultural festival and we forgot this massage | | | | |Variable to be Studied | | |Independent variable: | |†¢ Price hike | | | |Dependent variable: | | | |†¢ Family of Middle class | |†¢ Family of working class | |†¢ Family of lower class | Research Hypothesis H1:- Does the price hike affect the budget of lower income families H2:- Does the price hike affect the purchasing power of lower income families H3:- Does the price hike affect the Ramadan spending of lower income families H4:- Does the price hike affect the Eid celebrations of lower income families. H5:- Does inflation affect the Eid shopping very highly Research Objective The main objective of this research is Find out and analyze the problems which are faced by lower income families due to high inflation that how they manage their budgets specialy in Ramadan and how the celebrate their Eid with low income. Sources of Information Primary Sources:- Questionnaires Interviews Secondary Sources:- New Articals Online Articals Websites Method Of Data Collection A self administered questionnaire interview was conducted to collect the data from the target population on basis of non probability based sampling techniques. The people belonging to above mentioned three classes will be approached for this purpose. Questionnaires were developed for the interview which were distributed in different social Classes. To obtain the relevant information, population interviewed consisted of house wives and people from all walks of life. The questionnaire was designed to measure the impact of price hike on low income families. Likert scale was used for dependent variable different social classes independent variables price hike ranging from 1 to 5 where 1 is coded as â€Å"strongly agree† to 5 is coded as â€Å"strongly disagree†. Sampling Techniques Convenient Sampling:- Non Probability based Convenient sampling technique has been used for this purpose of data collection. Sample was taken from the Karachi city, through structured questionnaire , Instruments of Data Collection:- Close ended Questionnaire with likert scale has been used for data collection Sample Size: A total of 300 questionnaires were administered to potential respondents chosen from various areas of Karachi. A total of 250 usable questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 87%. Data Analyses ; Findings Discussion ; Conclusion Recommandation List Of References Apendix

Personal Narrative- Car Accident :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Car Accident Disappointment, disbelief and fear filled my mind as I lye on my side, sandwiched between the cold, soft dirt and the hot, slick metal of the car. The weight of the car pressed down on the lower half of my body with monster force. It did not hurt, my body was numb. All I could feel was the car hood's mass stamping my body father and farther into the ground. My lungs felt pinched shut and air would neither enter nor escape them. My mind was buzzing. What had just happened? In the distance, on that cursed road, I saw cars driving by completely unaware of what happened, how I felt. I tried to yell but my voice was unheard. All I could do was wait. Wait for someone to help me or wait to die. The third maddening buzz of my alarm woke me as I groggily slid out of bed to the shower. It was the start of another routine morning, or so I thought. I took a shower, quarreled with my sister over which clothes she should wear for that day and finished getting myself ready. All of this took a little longer than usual, not a surprise, so we were running late. We hopped into the interior of my sleek, white Thunderbird and made our way to school. With music blasting, voices singing and talking, it was another typical ride to school with my sister. Because of our belated departure, I went fast, too fast. We started down the first road to our destination. This road is about three miles long and filled with little hills. As we broke the top of one of the small, blind hills in the middle of the right lane was a dead deer. Without any thought, purely by instinct I pulled the wheel of the car to the left and back over to the right. No big deal but I was going fast. The car swerved back to the left, to the right, to the left. Each time I could feel the car scratching the earth with its side. My body jolted with the sporadic movements of the car. The car swerved to the right for the last time. With my eyes sealed tight, I could feel my body float off the seat of the car. I opened my eyes to see the black road in the distance above me.

Energy Crisis in Pakistan

Energy is the bloodline of a country’s economy. A continuous and sufficient energy `supply can ensure a healthy and progressive economy. Pakistan is unfortunate to face severe energy crisis in recent years. The parting gap between demand and supply is mounting with every year and it is pushing the country into dark ages. Worst part of this menace is the fact the installed capacity of electricity can not only fulfill the energy demand but can also produce surplus amounts of energy. The highest peaks of energy demand are up to 14000 to 14,500 MW and the power generation capacity is 19.500MW.Hence the problem is an outcome of the absence of any viable solutions to add energy to the national grid. The pertaining factors which caused such an intense situation are expensive means of energy production, transmission line losses, lack of infrastructure, circular debts and electricity theft. In addition to that the economy is sinking like rock due to the quagmire of scarcity of power. I t had serious implications on business activity and country faces a shutdown of industry, drain of capital, unemployment and no foreign direct investment.The falling economy took the crutches of foreign debts which caused soaring high amounts of utility bills. Now a days electricity situation is worst and country is challenged by an immense power blackout. The failure of the government to secure sustainable, dedicated and affordable energy supplies has resulted in closure of hundreds of units. It created an outcry in industrial community. It is high time to rectify the mistakes of past and implement long term and short term energy projects to fulfill the future day need of power.

What Is a City State Definition and Modern Examples

Simply stated, a city-state is an  independent country  that exists completely within the borders of a single city. Originating in late 19th century England, the term has also been applied to the early world superpower cities such as ancient  Rome,  Carthage,  Athens,  and  Sparta. Today,  Monaco,  Singapore, and  Vatican City  are considered the only true city-states.   Key Takeaways: City State A city-state is an independent, self-governing country contained totally within the borders of a single city.  The ancient empires of Rome, Carthage, Athens, and Sparta are considered early examples of city-states.  Once numerous, today there are few true city-states. They are small in size and dependent on trade and tourism.  The only three agreed upon city-states today are Monaco, Singapore, and Vatican City. City State Definition   The  city-state is a  usually small, independent country  consisting of a single city, the government of which exercises full  sovereignty  or control over itself and all territories within its borders.  Unlike in more traditional multi-jurisdictional countries, where political powers are shared between the national government and various regional governments, the single city of city-state functions as the center of  political, economic, and cultural life. Historically, the first recognized city-states evolved  in  the classical period of Greek civilization  during  the 4th and 5th  centuries BCE.  The Greek term for city-states, â€Å"polis,† came from the Acropolis (448 BCE), which served as  the governmental  center of ancient Athens. Both the popularity  and prevalence  of the city-state  flourished until the tumultuous downfall of Rome in 476 CE, which led to the near  annihilation of the form of government. City-states saw a small revival during the  11th century  CE,  when several Italian examples, such as Naples and Venice, realized  considerable  economic  prosperity. Characteristics  of City-States   The unique  characteristic of a city-state that sets it aside from  other types of government  is its sovereignty  or independence. This means that a city-state  has the  full right and power  to govern itself  and its citizens,  without any interference from outside  governments. For example, the  government of the  city-state of Monaco, though located totally within  France, is not subject to French laws or policies.   By having sovereignty, city-states differ from other forms of government establishments such as â€Å"autonomous regions† or territories. While  autonomous regions  are functionally political subdivisions of a central national government, they retain varying degrees of  self-governance or autonomy  from that central government.  Hong Kong  and Macau in the  People’s Republic of China  and Northern Ireland in the  United Kingdom  are examples of  autonomous regions.   Unlike ancient city-states such as Rome and Athens, which grew powerful enough to conquer and annex vast areas of land around them, modern city-states remain small in land area. Lacking the space necessary for agriculture or industry, the economies of the three modern city-states are dependent on trade or tourism. Singapore, for example,  has the second-busiest seaport in the world, and Monaco and Vatican City are two of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.   Modern City-States   While several  non-sovereign cities, such as  Hong Kong and Macau, along with  Dubai and Abu Dhabi  in the  United Arab Emirates,  are sometimes  considered city-states, they actually function as  autonomous regions. Most geographers and political scientists agree that the three modern true city-states are Monaco, Singapore, and Vatican City. Monaco Elevated view of Monte-Carlo and harbor in the Principality of Monaco, Western Europe on the Mediterranean Sea. VisionsofAmerica/Joe Sohm/Getty Images Monaco is a city-state located on France’s  Mediterranean coastline. With a land area of 0.78 square miles and an estimated 38,500 permanent residents,  it is the world’s second-smallest, but  the  most densely  populated nation.  A  voting member of the UN since 1993,  Monaco employs  a  constitutional monarchy  form of government.  Though it maintains a small military, Monaco depends on France for defense. Best known for its upscale casino district of  Monte-Carlo, deluxe hotels, Grand Prix motor racing, and yacht-lined harbor, Monaco’s economy depends almost entirely on tourism.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Singapore   Singapore skyline. Getty Images/seng chye teo Singapore is an island city-state in Southeast Asia. With about 5.3 million people living within its  270 square miles, it is the second most densely populated country in the world after Monaco. Singapore became an independent republic, a city and a sovereign country in 1965, after being expelled from the Malaysian Federation. Under its constitution, Singapore employs a  representative democracy  form of government with its own currency and full, highly-trained armed forces.  With the fifth-largest per capita  GDP  in the world and an enviably low unemployment rate, Singapore’s economy thrives from exporting a vast variety of consumer products. Vatican City An aerial view of St. Peters Square and Via della Conciliazione in the Vatican City.(2014). Massimo Sestini / Getty Images) Occupying an area of only about 108 acres inside Rome, Italy, the city-state of Vatican City stands as the world’s smallest independent country. Created by the  1929 Lateran Treaty  with Italy, Vatican City’s political system is  controlled by the  Roman Catholic Church, with the Pope  serving as the legislative, judicial, and executive head of government.  The city’s permanent population of around 1,000 is made up almost entirely of Catholic clergymen.  As a neutral country with no military of its own, Vatican City has never been involved in a war.  Vatican City’s economy relies on  sales of its postage stamps, historical publications, mementos, donations, investments of its reserves, and museum admission fees.  Ã‚   Sources and Further Reference  Ã‚   City-state. Vocabulary.com Dictionary.  Ã‚  Parker, Geoffrey. (2005).  Sovereign City: The City-State Through History.  University of Chicago Press. ISBN-10: 1861892195.  Nichols, Deborah.  .The City-State Concept: Development and Application  Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. (1997).  Kotkin, Joel. 2010.  ?A New Era for the City-State  Forbes. (December 23, 2010).