Newsletter No. 93
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Free Pint
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ISSN 1460-7239 2nd August 2001 No.93
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IN THIS ISSUE
EDITORIAL
MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
from Collin Mullane
FREE PINT BAR & STUDENT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
Reviewed by Simon Collery
JOBS
Knowhow Project Manager | Information Officer (Junior)
Senior Researcher | Knowledge Manager
TIPS ARTICLE
"Photography through the Web - Part 1"
By Guy Aron
BOOKSHELF
"Statistical Methods for the Information Professional"
Reviewed by Arthur Weiss
FEATURE ARTICLE
"Latin America"
By Mike Mecham
EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
CONTACT INFORMATION
ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS
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>>> ABOUT FREE PINT <<<
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EDITORIAL
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In today's edition of Free Pint we get a great overview of sites for
photographers, and there is an in-depth look at information resources
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MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
from Collin Mullane
* My first stop on the information adventure is always Copernic,
available from <http://www.copernic.com>. It allows me to search the
Net while I investigate more specific sources.
* For general information about countries I can't go past the CIA
Factbook <http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/> for concise
and valuable data.
* With the Internet dominated by USA sites it is good to find an
Australian gem amongst the rocks. OzGuide
<http://www.sjc.uq.edu.au/ozguide/> is a rich goldmine of relevant
Aussie links.
* I'm also an amateur family-tree researcher. The most comprehensive
source of genealogy links can be found at Cindi's List
<http://www.cindislist.com>.
* Finally, after a hard day's workout with the mind there's nothing
like revitalising the body with some adrenalin. I get my fix of
extreme sports at Bluemanna.com <http://www.bluemanna.com>.
Collin Mullane <intellinfo@bigpond.com> is a private research
consultant and Research Director at the Centre for Industry Research
and Strategy <http://www.cirs.com.au> in Perth, Western Australia.
Tell us about your top five favourite Web sites. See the guidelines at
<http://www.freepint.com/author.htm> and email <simon@freepint.com>.
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There's nothing better than discussions of language to raise the
temperature in a Bar. But peace has reigned in the Free Pint Bar,
despite there being quite a few postings about words and language
recently. People have been enquiring about sayings, songs and
quotations (11292, 11305), anagrams (11471), definitions (11316,
11387), and translation (11340, 11342). And all this has prompted me
to review a new Web site on language (11556).
Postings about business information are usually less controversial but
no less interesting. Free Pinters have been looking into general
business courses (11442), individual businesses (11436, 11321, 11379),
contract work in the UK (11286), lists of model agencies (11319), the
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Employment related questions have popped up too. Someone is looking
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bit about digital radio.
Tricky little software queries have been plentiful, covering Africaans
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Web related techie questions range from creating copyright notices
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and sending favourites to friends (11374). And frequent visitor to
the Bar recommends a handy tool for speeding up browsing (11290).
A query about alternatives to Hotmail has given rise to a flurry of
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also been queries about conferences on business libraries (11353),
education grants and trusts (11390), distance finders (11482) and
photo printing paper (11403).
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Well, no one will lament the passing of those university ranking
queries (1635). But even in the holiday period some students are
researching access to academic libraries for Asian women (1608), how
knowledge management is used in libraries (1632) and mobile commerce
security (1609). Other students have been enquiring about work in
Australia (1621) and Europe (1638).
Simon Collery, Content Developer <simon@freepint.com>
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TIPS ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/020801.htm#tips>
"Photography through the Web - Part 1"
By Guy Aron
Imagine a world-wide photo club which didn't charge admission fees,
and whose meetings you could attend while never leaving home. That's
what the Web provides for those interested in photography. Whether you
are seeking a comparison of various makes of camera, wondering how
long you should process X film with Y developer, or wanting to
download a demonstration version of image processing software, the Web
can deliver. Information is provided by manufacturers, by collectors,
by enthusiasts, and photographers of all levels of experience and
ability.
As ever, it's up to you to sort and sift - but the following
information should give you some leads. This article lists some Web
sites you might find worth a look. I have tried to restrict it to
sites pertaining to 35mm SLR or digital photography.
Portals
-------
First go to Google
<http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Photography/>.
This site offers an extensive array of links (nearly 10,000 at time of
writing), alphabetically organized. Each category lists the number of
items it contains. Some interesting categories are Forensic
Photography, Night Photography, Panoramic, and Road Photography.
Google's categories are not unique; Ezines are listed both under
Resources and Magazines and E-zines.
Of all the major search engines, photography is most accessible at
Yahoo, just one click away from the start page
<http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Visual_Arts/Photography/>. Each category
also lists the number of resources it contains, and, uniquely to
Yahoo, whether it has been recently updated. Kirlian photography gets
a mention here, as does Medium format, Toy camera photography, and the
Zone system. There is also a big load of Digital resources at this
site, which makes it a must for cyber-photographers.
BUBL is a British-based information service aiming at bringing some
order to the Web; its aims and methodology are explained at
<http://bubl.ac.uk/admin/>. Their photography resources are listed at
<http://bubl.ac.uk/link/p/photography.htm>. Only 30 sites are listed,
but all have been evaluated, and include some terrific link lists such
as Adam <http://adam.ac.uk/index.html>, Black and White World
<http://www.photogs.com/bwworld/>, and resources about underwater
photography <http://www.studyweb.com/links/127.html>. All sites on
BUBL are given a Dewey classification number, explanation as to type
of resource, and a "last visited" date.
There are several specialised photography portals. WWW Photozone
<http://www.photozone.de/> has an emphasis on gear; the main sections
are "Performance surveys" and "Photo techniques". The links provided
are particularly strong on manufacturers, but also include some FAQs,
tutorials, and online photo magazines.
Don't be put off by the messy look of Photo.Net
<http://www.photo.net/>; I recommend scrolling down and clicking on
the site map at the bottom of the page. It contains a great deal of
useful information on every kind of photographic topic, including
types of photography, equipment reviews, and discussion forums.
The editors of the PhotoResource Web site
<http://www.photoresource.com/> seem equally interested in traditional
and digital photography. Take a look at the Articles category, reached
from the site map at <http://www.photoresource.com>; topics as diverse
as flatbed scanners, "home brew" chemicals, a comparison of image
editing software, and the Zone system are covered.
Ace <http://www.acecam.com/index.html> is not really a portal, but its
collection of links is very comprehensive and quite well-organized.
Manufacturers, for example, are divided into Traditional and Digital
Imaging; the Cameras, Camcorders and Lenses category includes
"deceased" manufacturers, and those no longer active in particular
formats, such as Miranda and Chinon. Geographically-based indexes are
also offered for Asia, the UK, Europe and Australia, which are useful
if one is looking for retailers, repairs, or training.
Cameras and lenses - Models currently in production
---------------------------------------------------
I have restricted this section to 35mm SLR and digital camera
manufacturers, mainly the Japanese "big five" and a couple of names
impossible to omit. Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, and Pentax
probably accounted for 80% of the 35mm SLR market; this must give them
some advantage in the emerging digital market, in which they also
compete. Kodak and Leica have also been included. Other manufacturers
can be found at the Ace site mentioned above.
Canon USA's <http://www.canon.com/index.html> is not the most
informative of sites, but it does offer driver downloads, press
releases about Canon products, and support information. The world
gateway leads onto other Canon sites such as that for UK
<http://www.canon.co.uk/>; this site also has tech. specs and a search
function.
The Kodak site <http://www.kodak.com/> as you can imagine, is
enormous. You will find information about their digital camera range
at <http://www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/cameras/DCSGateway.jhtml>. This
is a well-organised and attractive site; check out the Kodak
e-Magazine.
Leicas are probably on top of everyone's wish list, and their site is
pretty cool as well <http://www.leica-camera.com/index_e.html>. You
have to love a site which has a section called "Leica.Culture". There
are links to Leica clubs and a useful list of photo magazines and
photography schools.
From the main Minolta site <http://www.minolta.com/flash.html> you
select a product range, and then one or other of their geographic
divisions. You then choose between SLR, digital, zoom compact, point-
and-shoot, and APS. Some sites (e.g. Europe) have a lot more
information than others. The latter site also features a site map
and search engine.
There is a range of Nikon sites, but for the sake of simplicity I will
list the UK one <http://www.nikon.co.uk/index.htm>. Links to other
Nikon and Nikon-related sites can be found at
<http://nikon.topica.ne.jp/index_e.htm> - take a look at the US and
Japan sites as well. The best overview of their current product range
is probably at <http://www.nikon-image.com/eng/Lineup/index.html>.
This is not one unified site but a confederation. For more Nikon links
go to Michael McLennan's page
<http://www.lisp.com.au/~mmphoto/nikon/links.htm>.
The Olympus USA site <http://www.olympusamerica.com/index_flash.asp>
scores a first among camera manufacturers for including reviews;
albeit only excerpts, and only for their digital products. Otherwise
this is a pretty standard site.
Pentax is unique among camera manufacturers for marketing 35mm SLR,
medium format, and digital products. Their worldwide gateway at
<http://www.pentax.com/> is similarly organised to Minolta's, and
gives a good idea of their product range. Dutch, French, and Italian
language resources are also supported, an unusual courtesy for a
Japanese manufacturer.
Sigma is well known for its extensive range of third-party lenses, but
also markets a pro 35mm SLR camera, the SA-5. Read about it, and
Sigma's lens range, at <http://www.sigmaphoto.com/>.
From the main Tamron site <http://www.tamron.com/> you select between
their US, UK, or Japan sub-sites. I hope their lenses are better than
their Web site - when I clicked on the UK link I ended up in a
directory, when I clicked on the Europe link I ended up redirected to
a (slow-loading) German-language site.
Vivitar also makes both cameras and lenses. Their site
<http://www.vivitar.com/> lists also their digital and point-and-shoot
cameras, flash units, and "sports optics" (binoculars).
On the subject of lenses, photographers on a budget will enjoy Robert
Monaghan's Third Party Lenses Resource Megasite
<http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/third/index.html>, an unfussy,
opinionated, but informative look at the wonderful world of non-name
optics. Check out Robert's medium format and general photographic
links at the bottom of the page.
To get a comparison between recent products, there is a number of
sites that offer owner's opinions and ratings of their gear. Photozone
<http://www.photozone.de/> offers reviews of recent cameras. Camera
Review <http://www.camerareview.com/> has a much larger number of
models, including some larger format cameras, and has some great
links.
Classic and collectable cameras
-------------------------------
For those interested in classic cameras, the Web offers a cornucopia
of sites. Having a look around some of these gives you an idea of the
attractions of camera collecting! Whether collectable or usable,
cameras are terrifically interesting objects, and have the virtue of
compactness.
There are really more than enough sites in this category alone
for a separate article. A few "rings" help to organise this material.
Take a look at Yahoo's Camera Collecting WebRing
<http://nav.webring.yahoo.com/hub?ring=camcol&list>, and the Classic
Camera Ring <http://nav.webring.yahoo.com/hub?ring=classiccam&list>.
If the camera you really love isn't there, start your own site and
contribute it!
Stephen Gandy's site <http://www.cameraquest.com/classics.htm> is a
personal and well-organised list of cameras that he likes. Did I say
likes? Loves. Great illustrations, readable text, and good information
about 35mm rangefinders, SLRs, some medium format, and rare cameras
generally. There are several cameras featured on the Photography in
Malaysia site <http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/entry.htm> that
are considered classics. This site is a bit eccentrically organised
and expressed, but is so attractive, and the illustrations are of such
high quality, that this really doesn't matter. There is great depth of
information, including spec sheets, about Canon, Nikon and Olympus.
In the second part of this article, in a future Free Pint, I will
survey Web sites in the following areas:
Accessories
Processing and printing (traditional and digital)
Types of photography
Magazines and e-zines
Clubs and associations
Institutions and courses.
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Guy Aron is Deputy Team Leader, Business and Social Sciences, at Royal
Melbourne Institute of Technology. He has had an interest in black-
and-white photography for some years, particularly landscape and still
life. Professionally Guy is interested in knowledge management and
electronic serials management. His web page is at
<http://sites.netscape.net/guyaron/homepage.htm>.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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"Statistical Methods for the Information Professional"
Reviewed by Arthur Weiss
The subtitle for this book, by Liwen Vaughan, is "A Practical,
Painless Approach to Understanding, Using and Interpreting
Statistics". In this, it lives up to its aim - and is certainly not
difficult to read or understand. For people with a limited statistical
or mathematical background it is ideal - and will give a good
grounding in the major statistical analysis techniques. However I
personally found the "painless" approach too simplistic - and would
have loved to see more background perhaps as footnotes, or as a
section at the end of each chapter. The book correctly suggests that
PCs should be used for the data analysis - and techniques are
illustrated using Microsoft Excel and SPSS - a specialist statistical
software package. In this the book errs, as I believe that SPSS is not
really a beginners tool - as it presupposes some knowledge of the
subject. More seriously, the book neglects to point out that the
statistical analysis component of Excel is an add-in, which may not
have been installed on all computers. As a result, some users will
find that they cannot follow the instructions given.
The book's overall approach is logical - starting at the importance of
understanding different types of data, and then moving onto the areas
such as frequency distribution, averages, variance, and so on. The
concept of statistical significance, the null hypothesis and
hypothesis testing is thoroughly covered, along with a variety of
common tests used - Chi-Squared, the t-Test, regression analysis, and
analysis of variance - concluding with a description of non-parametric
tests and a brief mention of more advanced techniques. The book gives
many examples from the author's own research in library usage - and
hence the target audience of information professionals. Some of the
examples, however, appear repetitive and unexciting. I was unhappy
with the chapter on sampling - as one of the most important aspects of
this subject was not mentioned, namely sample size and ensuring that
the sample size is sufficiently large to be statistically valid.
Conversely, I was very pleased by the guide on which statistical test
to use - presented in an easy flow-chart format and summary.
If asked to recommend this book, my first question would be to enquire
on the reader's background. The book is too simple for people with
some knowledge of statistics, and too practical for people who just
want to know about the subject but have no intention of doing analysis
themselves. However for information professionals who need to do some
statistical analysis I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good
introduction to what can be a complex subject.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Arthur Weiss is the Managing Partner of AWARE - a UK based management
consultancy specialising in competitive intelligence, marketing
analysis and strategy. Arthur has worked in the information industry
since the mid-1980s and has a love for mathematical analysis. He has
written and presented on competitive intelligence, marketing and
Internet related topics both within and outside the UK. Arthur is a
Chartered Marketer with the Institute of Marketing, holds a
Biochemistry degree and an MBA, where his final dissertation looked at
competitor rivalry using game theory. Arthur can be contacted through
AWARE's web-site at
<http://www.competitive-intelligence.co.uk/personnel.htm>.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Related Free Pint links:
* Find out more about this book online at the Free Pint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/stats.htm>
* "Statistical Methods for the Information Professional". Details:
ISBN 1573871109 published by Information Today Inc. and written by
Liwen Vaughan
* Arthur Weiss is a Free Pint Regular
<http://www.freepint.com/go/r35893>
* Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the Free Pint
Bookshelf at <http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
* Read about other Internet searching books on the Free Pint Bookshelf
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To propose an information-related book for review, send details
to <bookshelf@freepint.com>.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/020801.htm#feature>
"Latin America"
By Mike Mecham
The 1990s saw a political and economic renaissance in Latin America as
the region emerged from the so-called lost decade of the 1980s. Debt
and default, closed economies and military governments began to go as
countries across the region embraced democracy and free market
economic policies.
As the economies opened up, the outside world began to re-engage with
the region. This included the United Kingdom, once the region's main
trading partner, but whose influence had been dissipated by two world
wars and a concentration on economic interests in Europe, the USA and
the Commonwealth.
While UK business was generally slow to respond to the new
opportunities, the UK government launched the Link Into Latin America
campaign in 1995 and later accorded Brazil and Mexico priority status
for trade and investment development.
With this growing interest came a demand for more information on the
region, both political and economic. The development of the world
wide Web over the same period provided an ideal opportunity to do this
rapidly. As part of a project on South America at Chatham House, I
undertook an audit of existing information, which included Web
resources. This article offers only a snapshot. It comprises the
English language Websites that have been particularly useful across a
range of issues. It is intended to act as a taster as well as a
guide.
Portals
-------
A good starting point, for both old hand and newcomer alike, are
various portals which provide links to an extensive range of subject
areas. The two premier portals are:
- the Latin America Network Information Centre (LANIC) maintained by
the University of Texas <http://www.lanic.utexas.edu> which
provides links to sites across Latin America, and the Caribbean.
It is built around a subject directory whose categories range from
specific countries and the economy to social issues and sustainable
development. The larger countries also have links to economic,
trade, general, academic, scientific and media sites;
- Internet Resources for Latin America
<http://lib.nmsu.edu/subject/bord/laguia>, is a site maintained by
the New Mexico State University Library. It is ideal for
researchers and includes access to Latin American and other
directories, databases, library catalogues, and online news
directories.
Other useful gateways, particularly those covering economic issues,
are:
- ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean -
CEPAL in Spanish) <http://www.eclac.cl/default.asp?idioma=IN>, a UN
organisation providing a gateway to a range of Latin American
economic sites as well as providing its own economic and demographic
statistics.
- Latin World <http://www.latinworld.com>, is a commercial directory
providing information on each country, including business, finance,
government and politics, news, travel and Internet resources.
- SELA (Latin American Economic System in English)
<http://lanic.utexas.edu/~sela/english.htm> is a regional
intergovernmental organization established in 1975. Among the wide
range of information it offers are two valuable online directories
on regional economic development (Keys to Latin America and the
Caribbean) and regional integration (Guide to Latin American and
Caribbean Integration).
- OAS (Organisation of American States) <http://www.oas.org> is
another regional organisation, established in 1948, but covering the
whole of the Americas, to foster democracy, economic development and
human rights. The site map is a useful tool providing access to key
data sources.
- The Latin American Studies Programme of the Council on Foreign
Relations <http://www.cfr.org/latinamerica> has an Internet portal
with general and country links, articles and reports of its own
independent task forces, the latest being on US policy toward
Brazil.
Finally, the University of Georgetown provides a political database of
the Americas <http://www.georgetown.edu/pdba/english.html>. It offers
a comprehensive source of political information on the Hemisphere
covering subjects such as constitutions, electoral systems, political
parties, civil society, institutions and the judiciary.
Economic analysis
-----------------
As the Latin American economies have developed and opened up, they
have also remained more susceptible to variations in the global
economy. Timely and transparent economic analysis has, therefore,
become even more critical. Much of the analysis available on the net
is on a subscription basis. However, it is possible to retrieve up to
date analysis free from a number of sources.
Latin American Investor <http://www.latinvestor.com/HomeENG.asp>, a
commercial site maintained by Dow Jones, provides a considerable
amount of free up-to-date economic and company information on a
country basis. The site also includes the monthly economic Latin
Watch, in English, prepared by Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentina.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas has a Centre for Latin American
Economics <http://www.dallasfed.org/htm/latin/center.html> whose aims
are to promote public understanding of economic policy issues related
to Latin America and to serve as a clearinghouse for information about
the region.
Similarly, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
<http://www.frbatlanta.org/econ_rd/larg/index.htm> has a Latin America
Research Group that provides a substantial body of articles on
economic research and analysis on the region.
LatinFocus <http://www.latin-focus.com> provides a wide range of
economic and financial information sources for Latin America on the
Web aimed at the financial and business community as well as
government agencies. Forecasting is generally on a subscription basis
but there is a good range of free economic briefing and economic
indicators on a selected country basis. There is also a free
newsletter highlighting key macroeconomic and political developments
which also includes links to their database of economic statistics.
Databases
---------
There has also developed an increasing demand for more extensive and
up-to-date data on Latin America. Fortunately, there are many Web
sites providing it free. Here is a selection of the best:
- ECLAC statistical yearbook
<http://www.eclac.cl/estadisticas/default.asp?idioma=IN> is an
essential data site and in English as well as Spanish. It provides
the full range of data on economic and social trends for Latin
America and the Caribbean. The 2000 edition of its Statistical
Yearbook is now available, updated at the end of December.
Yearbooks for covering 1997 to 1999 are still accessible online.
Other documents also available online for 2000 are: an overview of
the economies, and an economic survey, a report on foreign
investment and the social panorama of Latin America.
- CEI (Centro de Economia Internacional)
<http://cei.mrecic.gov.ar/html/ceiengl.htm> is an Argentine
Government Web site which offers a good range of statistics,
particularly on the countries of Mercosur, in both English and
Spanish.
- IADB (Inter-American Development Bank) was established in 1959 to
help accelerate economic and social development in Latin America and
the Caribbean. Its Website provides an extensive online economic
and social database
<http://database.iadb.org/esdbweb/scripts/esdbweb.exe>.
- Some Latin American Governments maintain particularly good online
data in English. Again Argentina offers probably the best with a
full range of statistics and census results on
<http://www.indec.mecon.gov.ar/sinopsis/i_sinops.htm>. Others
include Brazil <http://www.bndes.gov.br/english/basicfac.htm> and
Mexico <http://www.inegi.gob.mx/difusion/ingles/portadai.html>.
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Dissemination Standards
Bulletin Board (DSBB) <http://dsbb.imf.org/country.htm> provides
access to agencies in subscriber countries providing statistics and
details on how to obtain data. In some cases a direct link is
provided to the statistical source in the country. Latin American
coverage includes: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Mexico and Peru.
Specific countries
------------------
In most of the general Web sites already mentioned there are country
profiles. However, these can be supplemented from other sources. A
particularly useful one is the World Factbook maintained by the
Central Intelligence Agency of the USA
<http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html>. The
country pages have a wide range of data covering geography, people,
government, economy, communications and military. In addition, the BBC
World Service Americas site
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/americas/index.shtml> provides
country profiles which include an invaluable historical timeline for
each.
The Trade Partners UK Website <http://www.tradepartners.gov.uk> has
market pages which include brief country profiles as well as offering
advice on doing and setting up business in the country, forthcoming
events (trade fairs and outward trade missions), links to other key
trade and business opportunity sites. Some of the latter originate
from the countries concerned. For example, for Argentina
<http://www.invertir.com/default2.htm> and Brazil
<http://www.infobrazil.com>. Some Latin American Embassies also
maintain English language Web sites. For example, Argentina;
<http://www.argentine-embassy-uk.org>; Brazil
<http://www.brazil.org.uk/welcome.html>; and Mexico
<http://www.embamex.co.uk>.
Finally, Mercosur (or Mercosul in Portuguese) is the Common Market of
the South that includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, with
Bolivia and Chile as associate members. Since its formation in 1991,
its has helped drive economic development, political co-operation and
an end to historical rivalries - see negotiations with the European
Union below. Several Web sites provide information on developments in
the grouping and statistical data.
One of the best background sources in English is maintained by the US
Department of Commerce
<http://www.mac.doc.gov/ola/mercosur/index.htm>. It contains detailed
facts and information on the history, membership, jurisdiction,
institutional structure, dispute settlement system and the text of the
Treaty of Asuncion which established Mercosur.
The Mercosur secretariat <http://www.mercosur.org/english/default.htm>
also maintains a helpful supplementary Website providing useful links
to other relevant sites. These include information on business
opportunities, trade leads on a sector basis and company reports at
<http://www.mercosur.com/index.jsp?id=in>. Registration is free.
Finally, the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the
Caribbean (INTAL) <http://www.iadb.org/intal/ingles/i-default.htm>, an
arm of IDB, produces invaluable annual reports detailing developments
in Mercosur during the previous year. The latest covers 1999/2000 and
those dating back to 1994 are still available online.
Press
-----
The press is available online for all of the countries of Latin
America - see the LANIC Web site described above - although invariably
in Spanish or Portuguese. However, a particularly helpful site,
maintained by the Latin America Studies Programme of the College of
the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., provides daily news headlines for
most of the countries of Latin America
<http://sterling.holycross.edu/departments/history/alauria/news>.
Specifically aimed at the UK is NewsNow <http://www.newsnow.co.uk> a
free news and information service,updated every five minutes, that
includes coverage of specific countries plus the Central and South
American regions. Its headlines link to the full article at the
reporting source.
There is also a number of useful, English language
newspapers/journals available online, including the Buenos Aires
Herald (Argentina) <http://www.buenosairesherald.com>; Gazeta
Mercantil International Weekly (Brazil)
<http://www.gzmweekly.com/iwe>; the Santiago Times (Chile)
<http://www.santiagotimes.cl/news>; Mexican News
<http://www.thenewsmexico.com>; O Estadao de Sao Paulo (Brazil) daily
<http://www.estado.estadao.com.br/english/english.html>; and
Mercopress, an online only news site on developments in Mercosur
<http://www.mercopress.com>.
A number of foreign journals covering Latin America are also online.
Some have free access, including Latin American Newsletters on
economic and business developments <http://www.latinnews.com> and
Latin Trade <http://www.latintrade.com/newsite/news/magazine.cfm>, an
American monthly magazine which offers a range of articles and
information on trade developments and business opportunities.
Some of the Foreign English language press also includes reasonably
good coverage of Latin America including The Economist (selected
articles) <http://www.economist.com/world/la/index.cfm> and the
Financial Times <http://news.ft.com>. The latter usually carries a
number of useful news items which do not appear in the printed
edition.
Wider world
-----------
Latin America is also involved in deepening relations with others.
The process to establish a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)
began in 1994 and the aim is for agreement by 2005. In 1995 Mercosur
and the European Union agreed a framework for co-operation that should
eventually lead to a free trade agreement by 2005. Negotiations are
currently in progress on both.
Several Websites offer detailed background and up-to-date briefing on
the FTAA. These include:
- the official FTTA site <http://www.ftaa-alca.org/Alca_e.asp> which
provides information on each of the 34 participating countries
together with reports from all the ministerial and summit meetings,
negotiating groups, special committees and databases. As from 3 July
2001, the site also contains the text of a draft agreement;
- the US Government (USTR) Web pages
<http://www.ustr.gov/regions/whemisphere/ftaa.shtml> which include
the US negotiating position on all key issues as well as reports on
all ministerial meetings;
- the Canadian Government has a similar Website
<http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/tna-nac/ftaa_neg-e.asp> setting out
in detail its position.
Two universities in Florida have been providing research and other
support for the process: the Summit of the Americas Centre at the
Florida International University
<http://www.americasnet.net/SOAC_Home/index.htm> also provides
analysis on the impact of an FTAA on Florida; and the North-South
Centre at the University of Miami
<http://www.miami.edu/nsc> provides analysis of global issues, with
special emphasis on the Western Hemisphere.
Finally, The Foreign Trade Information System of the OAS
<http://www.sice.oas.org> is a good source of documentation on all
aspects of trade in the Americas. It includes articles, data,
official treaties and trade agreements.
Negotiations between the EU and Mercosur are now reaching a crucial
stage and are reported fully on the Website of the EU Commission's
Directorate of External Relations
<http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/mercosur/intro/index.htm>.
There are also other pages on the EU's relations with Latin
America generally
<http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/la/index.htm>.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mike Mecham is a civil servant seconded to the Royal Institute of
International Affairs (Chatham House) <http://www.riia.org> to develop
projects on Latin America. The first will be on Mercosur, including
the developing relationship with the EU. He was previously Head of
Trade and Investment Development to South America at the Government's
Trade Partners. Mike can be contacted at <mikemecham@riia.org>.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Related Free Pint links:
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<http://www.freepint.com/portal/region/>
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* Free Pint No.20, 6th August 1998 "Trade Associations on the Web"
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