THE PORTUGUESE IN THE ARABIA PENINSULA AND IN THE PERSIAN GULF

Khasab (Cassapo or Caçapo) fort in the Musandam Peninsula, Oman. My thanks to Peter Rowland for these photos.

Khasab (Cassapo or Caçapo) fort in the Musandam Peninsula, Oman. My thanks to Peter Rowland for these photos.

Dibba, UAE (Doba), ruins of the fort.

Al Bidiyah, UAE (Libedia ?), tower guard.

Map of the Portuguese forts in the Straits of Hormuz

Mutrah, Oman (Matrah, Matara), Portuguese fort.

Muscat, Oman (Mascate), Fort Mirani. My thanks to Peter Rowland for this photo.

The fortification of Muscat (Mascate) and Matrah (Matara),from the "Livro das Plantas das Fortalezas, Cidades e Povoaçoes do Estado da India Oriental" 1600s.

Muscat, Oman (Mascate), Fort Jalali (Fort Sao Joao).

Tarut Island (near Al Qatif, Saudi Arabia): Portuguese fort (16th c.).

The Portuguese forts in Bahrein, from the "Livro das Plantas das Fortalezas, Cidades e Povoaçoes do Estado da India Oriental" 1600s.

The Portuguese forts in the Gulf and in Oman (1500-1650).

The remains of the underground water cisterns of the Portuguese fort in Hormuz.

A Portuguese map of the island and the city of Hormuz in the 17th century.

Quriyrat, Oman (Curiate), tower.

Written by Marco Ramerini

The Portuguese, shortly afterwards theirs arrival in the Eastern Seas, decided to prevent the Arab's trade, with the Ormuz conquest. For his strategical position dominating the entrance to the Persic Gulf, Ormuz was one of the two strategical stronghold on the trade routes between the Arab world and Asia (the other being Aden near the strait of Bab el Mandab).

The city of Ormuz (Hormuz), was one of the most important trade centers of the whole East, in its market were exchanged Persian horses and pearls. The town was placed on a dry and barren island, near the Persian mainland at the entrance of the Persic Gulf.

For nearly 150 years Portugal ruled the Persic Gulf area. Ormuz was regarded by Albuquerque as the third key of the Portuguese Empire in Asia (the others two were Goa and Malacca).

The first attempt to conquer Ormuz was done in 1507 by Afonso de Albuquerque, he at the head of a small Portuguese fleet of 7 ships and 500 men, proceeded to Ormuz, during the journey, he stormed and conquered the towns of Kuryat, Muscat and Khor Fakkan, differently the town of Kalhat and Sohar, expressed their willingness to become tributary of the King of Portugal.

The Portuguese fleet anchored in front of the town of Ormuz, the King of the city was prepared for an attack, he could count on 15.000/20.000 armed men. Albuquerque was resolute, he asked to the King to pay a tribute and become a vassal of Portugal, but the King's reply was evasive, a simple attempt to protact the negotiations. Albuquerque after three days of waiting, attacked the city, the King's fleet was entirely destroyed, seeing the complete defeat of his forces, the King sent a flag of truce offering to deliver up the city to the Portuguese. Albuquerque concluded, in September 1507, a treaty with the King of Hormuz, under which the King had to pay to the King of Portugal a yearly tribute. After this, Albuquerque and his men began to build the fortress, the first stone was laid on 24 October 1507, the fort was named "Nossa Senhora da Victoria".

During the work for the fortress insubordination arose between the Portuguese, some Portuguese captains, with the help of the King of Ormuz, rebeled against Albuquerque. In Janaury 1508, after several days of skirmish with the Ormuz's forces, Albuquerque was forced to abandon the city.

This was the first attempt to force the Portuguese rule in the Persic Gulf. The second attempt was made in 1515.

In March 1515, Albuquerque with a force of 27 ships, 1.500 Portuguese and 700 Malabarese soldiers arrived in front of Ormuz, he was determinated to take the town in the name of the King of Portugal, and this time he was successful, the fortress was occupied by the Portuguese on 1 April 1515. The fort was renamed "Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao".

When the Portuguese arrived, the main ports of the Persic Gulf and Arabia such as Julfar, Bahrain, Calayate (Qalhat), Mascate, Catifa (al Qatif), Corfaçao, and the islands of Queixome and Lareca were all under the jurisdiction of the King of Hormuz. With the fall of Ormuz, all the cities and ports of the Persian Gulf became tributary of Portugal. The kings of Hormuz continued as a regional power, in conjunction with the Portuguese. In this way began the Portuguese rule in the Persic Gulf which lasted till the years 1620/1650.

In a document of the year 1515 ("Rendimento da cidade de Oromuz e seus reinos") are reported the ports that paied tribute to Portugal, they were:

Aigom and Docer "portos que estam na barra de terra firme", Brahemim "porto que esta de fora da ilha d'Oromuz na terra firme", Tezer "lugar na terra firme", Beabom, Borate, Jullfar (Julfar), Callayate (Qalhat), Horfacam (Khor Fakkan), Caçapo (Khasab), Broqete "na ilha Qeixa", Lafete "na ilha Qeixa", Qeixa "na ilha Qeixa", Garpez "na ilha Qeixa", Rodom, Costaque, Chagoa, Callecazei, Lebedia.

A cidade de Ormuz està situada em hua pequena ilha chamada Gerum que jaz quasi na garganta de estreito do mar Parseo tam perto da costa da terra de Persia que avera de hua a outra tres leguoas e dez da outra Arabia e terà em roda pouco mais de tres leguoas: toda muy esterele e a mayor parte hua mineira de sal e enxolfre sem naturalmente ter hum ramo ou herva verde. A cidade em sy é muy magnifica em edificios, grossa em tracto por ser hua escala onde concorrem todalas mercadorias orientaes e occidentaes a ella, e as que vem da Persea, Armenia e Tartaria que lhe jazem ao norte: de maneira que nam tendo a ilha em sy cousa propria, per carreto tem todalas estimadas do mundo /...../ a cidade é tam viçosa e abastada, que dizem os moradores della que o mundo é hum anel e Ormuz hua pedra preciosa engastada nelle" Joao de Barros, Decada II, L. II cap. 2

In 1521, the King of Ormuz rebeled against the Portuguese, but the latter crushed the ribellion and put a new king on the throne. In 1523, Dom Luis de Menezes occupied Soar, which had revolted, and after this, he proceeded to Qeshm where a new treaty was done with the new King and a feitoria was established. In 1526, Lopo Vaz de Sampayo the Governor of Portuguese India (1526-1529), reduced to obedience Mascate and Khalat which had revolted. In 1542/43, the entire Customs duties of Ormuz were assigned to the King of Portugal. The years between 1550 and 1560 were years of continue warfare with the Turks for the supremacy in the Persian Gulf. In 1550/51, the Portuguese conquered to the Turks the fort of El Katiff (Al Qatif) in Arabia. In 1551/52, in order to help Ormuz's defence a fort was built in Mascate. The Turks, were determined to take revenge and in 1551/52 they attacked Mascate and sacked the town. In 1559, the Turks besieged the Portuguese fort of Bahrein, but after several months of siege, they were forced to withdraw. In 1581, Mascate was again destroied by the Turks. In 1582, the King of Lara (Larack an island near Ormuz), which had revolted, laid siege to the fortress of Ormuz, but the Portuguese succeeded in drive off the invaders and their in turn besieged the Lara's fort of Xamel which was taken by the Portuguese. Finally, in 1588, the Mascate's fortesses were again rebuilt, this time also the town was strenghten and in the nearby Matara (Matrah) a fort was also built. In 1602, Shah Abbas expelled the Portuguese from Bahrain. Ormuz used for its provisions of water the wells of Comorao, on the Persian coast, here the Portuguese had a fort, this fort was conquered by the Persian in 1615 (14?) . In 1616, Soar, which had revolted, was captured by a Portuguese fleet and the King was put to death. In 1619, the Portuguese fortress of Ormuz had a garrison of 500-700 soldiers. The fort of Khawr Fakkan (Corfaçao) was built in 1620 by Gaspar Leite. On 8 May 1621, Rui Freire de Andrada, the "General do Mar de Ormuz e costa da Persia e Arabia", began to build a fort in Queixome (Qeshm), this fort was built to have the controll of the island's water wells. The building of this fort was regarded as an act of open hostility by the Shah of Persia, that waged war against the Portuguese. In 1622, the Arabs, who had joined with the Persians, succeeded in capturing Julfar from the Portuguese. On 11 February 1622, the Portuguese fort of Queixome, after a feeble resistence, was forced to surrendered to a joined Persian-English army. On 20 Febraury 1622, the Persian flotilla of more than 3.000 men with the help of 6 English ships besieged the Portuguese fortress of Ormuz. Ormuz was lost by the Portuguese on 3 May 1622. The entire Portuguese population, about 2.000 persons, were sent to Mascate. During the decade after the fall of Ormuz, the Portuguese, under the command of Rui Freire de Andrada, tried several times (1623, 1624, 1625, 1627) to regain the fortress, the last attempt in 1631, was a diplomatic one, but all these attempts failed. After the loss of Ormuz the Portuguese established their base in Mascate, and in 1623, a feitoria (trading station) was established also in Bassora at the mouth of the Eufrate River. In 1623, Rui Freire reoccupied the fort of Soar, which had been taken in 1622 by the Persians. In the same year a new base is established in Cassapo (Kashab) in the Musandam Peninsula. Kalba (Quelba) was conquered by Gaspar Leite in 1624. The fort of Mada was conquered in May 1624 by Mateus de Siebra. In 1624/25, following a treaty with the Persians, a feitoria and a fortress was established in Congo (Bandar-e Kong), on the Persian coast of the Persic Gulf. In 1631, a Portuguese fortress was built in Julfar, important strategic point in Musandam Peninsula, this town enjoyed, during Portuguese rule, great prosperity as the regional trading entrepôt. In September 1633, Rui Freire de Andrada, the great protagonist of these years, died, and his body was buried in the church of St. Agostinho in Mascate. In 1633/35, treaties of peace were made with the English and the Persians. he Portuguese rule in the Perian Gulf was nearly more stable after the loss of Ormuz than before, infact were established several fortresses and feitorias in a lot of places as Soar, Julfar, Doba, Libedia, Mada, Khor Fakkan, Caçapo (Khasab), Congo (Kung), Bassora. In August 1648, the Arabs besieged Mascate and on 31October a treaty was signed between the two opponents. The terms were as follows: the Portuguese should raze to the ground the fortress of Kuriyat, Doba and Matara. In Janaury 1650, Mascate, the last Portuguese base in Arabia was taken by the Omanits. By the loss of Mascate, the Portuguese were deprived of their last stronghold in the vicinity of the Persian Gulf and this ended the so called "Portuguese period" in the Persian Gulf. BOOKS ON PORTUGUESE PRESENCE IN THE PERSIC GULF: - Al-Khalifa, Shaikh Abdullah Bin Khalid and Abahussain, Dr. Ali "Bahrain Through The Ages - Vol.2" Historical Documents Centre, 1995, Bahrain 1 The Carmathians of Bahrain; 2 The Ayounis; 3 The Zenk and the Selgrids; 4 The Juboors; 5 The Portuguese; 6 The Utoob; 7 Shaik Ahmed al Fateh; 8 Shaik Salman bin Ahmed al Khalifa; a General treaty of 1820; b Francis Loch’s diary; c Agreement of Bruce with al Qasimi. - Al Maamiry, Ahmed Hamoud "Omani - Portuguese history" 80 pp. ills. Lancers Publishers, 1982, New Delhi, India. Omanis and the Indian Ocean; the Portuguese and the Indian Ocean; the Portuguese supremacy; the Portuguese occupation of Oman; the decline of the Portuguese rule; the East African scene; three year siege of fort Jesus; the Portuguese attempt to reoccupy Mombasa; assessment of Portuguese achievements; East Africa after the Portuguese; Omani-Portuguese relations. - Andrada, Ruy Freyre de "Commentaries of Ruy Freyre de Andrada" ? Edited with an Introduction by C.R. Boxer. 328 pp. Robert M. McBride & Co., 1930, NY, USA. - Barendse, R. J. "The Arabian Seas, 1640-1700" ? vi + 465 pp. Leiden University, 1998, Leiden, NL. - Boxer, Ch. R. "Anglo-Portuguese Rivalry in the Persian Gulf, 1615-1635" In: Boxer, Ch. R. "Portuguese conquest and commerce in Southern Asia 1500-1750" 1985, London, UK. - Costa, Paolo M. "Historical interpretation of the territory of Muscat" In: AA. VV. "Oman studies: papers on archeology and history of Oman" 203 pp. Istituto Italiano per il Medio e l'Estremo Oriente, 1989, Roma, Italia. pp. 97-117 - Costa, Paolo "Musandam: Architecture and Material Culture of a Little Known Region of Oman" ? 250 pp. Vine House, 1995, - Dias Farinha, Antonio "Os Portugueses no Golfo Persico 1507-1538 " 266 pp. Dissertaçao Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa 1990 Lisboa. Also in: Mare Liberum, Revista de História dos Mares Nº 3 , pp. 1-159, 1991, Lisbon, Portugal. This book contain a vast collection of documents about the first years of Portuguese presence in the Persian Gulf. - Dinteman, Walter "Forts of Oman" ? 128 pp., numerous col. photogrs. 1993. A highly pictorial account of the role of the fort in Oman's history since the 16th century. - Gonçalves, Julio "Mascate, Albuquerque e os sultanatos do Oman 1507-1659" In: "Anais" do Club Militar Naval, pp. 421-435 1940, Lisboa, Portugal. - Kervran, Monik (ed.) "Bahrain in the XVI Century. An Impregnable Island" 93 pp. ills., plans and maps Ministry of Information State of Bahrain, 1988, Bahrain. pp. 7-34 -Kervran, Monique "Bahrain in the Sixteenth Century. Political and Military Events" pp. 35-84 -AA. VV. "The Bahrain Fort in the Sixteenth Century" pp. 85-92 -Moreira, Rafael "Inofre de Carvalho: a Renaissance Architect in the Gulf" - Kervran, Monik; Negre, Arlette; Michele Pirazzoli "Excavation of Qal'at al -Bahrain 1st Part (1977-1979)" ? 119 pp, plans, b&w & col photos Ministry of Information, 1982, Bahrain. - Muir, J. "Reminiscencias Portuguesas na Arabia Oriental" 13 pp. Separatas do boletim da Sociedade de Geografia de Lisboa 1961 Lisboa, Portugal. - Ozbaran, Salih "The Ottoman Turks and the Portuguese in the Persian Gulf (1534-1581)" ? Thesis University of London, 1969, London, UK. - Ozbaran, Salih "The Ottoman response to European Expansion. Studies on Ottoman-Portugese relations in the Indian Ocean and Ottoman administration in the Arab lands during the Sixteenth Century" xv, 222 pp. b/w ills., 4 maps, Analecta Isisiana XII, The Isis Press, 1994, Istanbul, Turkey. The complete collection of English articles written by Salih Özbaran from 1972 till 1993. 1- Introduction: Articles: The present state of historiography, 1993; A review of Portuguese and Turkish sources, 1985. 2- Characteristics of an Empire: Articles: The Ottomans' role in the diffusion of fire-arms and military technology in Asia and Africa in the sixteenth century, 1986; The Ottoman empire and the spice routes in the sixteenth century, 1990; Expansion in the Southern seas, 1987. 3- Vicissitudes of the Sixteenth Century: Articles: A Turkish report on the Red Sea and the Portuguese in the Indian ocean (1525), 1978; An Imperial letter from Süleyman the Magnificent to dom João III concerning proposals from an Ottoman-Portuguese armistice [1544], 1990; Two letters of dom Álvaro de Noronha from Hormuz. Turkish activities along the coast of Arabia: 1550-1552, 1978; Bahrain in 1559. A narrative of Turco-Portuguese conflict in the Gulf, 1982; The Ottomans in confrontation with the Portuguese in the Red Sea after the conquest of Egypt in 1517, 1986; The Ottoman Turks and the Portuguese in the Persian Gulf, 1534-1581, 1972; The Ottomans in East Africa: a tribute to Cengiz Orhonlu, 1990. - Risso, Patricia "Oman and Muscat: an early modern history" ? xvii + 258 pp. Croom Helm, 1986, London, UK. - Serjeant, R. B. "The Portuguese off the South Arabian Coast: Hadrami chronicles. With Yemeni and European accounts of Dutch pirates off Mocha in the seventeenth century" ? XIV, 233 pp. With 2 maps and 14 plates, 1974, Beirut, Lebanon. Clarendon, 1963, Oxford - Slot, B. J. "The Arabs of the Gulf 1602-1784" ? xvii + 436 pp. Slot, 1993, Leidschendam. - Vine, Peter; Casey and Vine, Paula (eds.) "Oman in history" ? 560 pp. Immel Publishing, 1995, London, UK. - Ziolkowski, Michele "Al Bidyah excavations, 1999" In: "BSAI Nesletter" n°4, November 1999, British School of Archeology in Iraq.

Source: http://www.colonialvoyage.com/hormuz.html

Information for Dubai expatriates

A typical working day in Dubai

A typical day of an average Dubai expat starts with a jogging session or a visit to the gym. Then they go to work. Most of the Dubai expatriates have their own vehicles. It is very easy to buy a vehicle in Dubai. Anyone can apply for a vehicle loan. Interest is next to nothing.

Dubai is not a very big city. However, traffic can be an issue if you stay far from the working place. It is wise to select your accommodation closer to the working place.

Some expats prefer to go to the gym or go for a jog in the evening. Some will spend the evening hanging around in a shopping mall or a nightclub.

Restaurants in Dubai deliver food free of charge. Most of Dubai expatriates do not cook. They order food or simply walk to a restaurant. Restaurants can be found within walking distance in most of the areas.

Weekends

Friday is the weekend in Dubai. Usually nightclubs are crowded on Thursday and Friday nights. Some expats prefer to have a barbecue with their friends. There are plenty of places with barbecue facilities in Dubai. Parks and beaches are few of the places. Most of the Dubai expatriates are doing their weekly shopping on weekends. There are many mega malls in Dubai.

Fishing, going to a movie, go and relax in a beach or a park are few of other options available for Dubai expats.

Accommodation

Most of Dubai expats are living in apartments. The size and number of bedrooms will depend on the size of the family and the income. Apartments are the cheapest and the most popular accommodation type in Dubai. Most of the apartment buildings are nearly new and clean. There are furnished and non-furnished apartments.

High-paid Dubai expatriates are living in Villas. Usually, this is not affordable to an average Dubai expat.

Dubai does not have residential areas or suburbs. Many apartment buildings can be found among office buildings. Therefore most of the Dubai expats are living within a walking distance from the work place.

TV

Dubai has few TV channels. Only one channel is showing foreign movies and good programs. Most of Dubai expats are using paid TV channels like Fox.

Type of Dubai expats

Dubai is full of expatriates. Majority of the Dubai expats are Indians and south Asian nationals such as Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis. There are many Phillipine nationals also can be seen.

Majority of the Europeans are from UK. US, Canadian, South African and Australian are the other major nationals among vast variety of Dubai expatriates.

Lifestyle of expat woman Dubai

You can design your own lifestyle. It is up to you. If you like bars, pubs and nightclubs then there are plenty in Dubai. If you want to join a particular club (sports, hobbies etc) then there are many registered and unregistered clubs in Dubai. If you are addicted to shopping then there is no better place in the world than Dubai for shopping.

Religions and expat woman in Dubai

Islam is the main religion in Dubai. However, Dubai has limited number of churches (catholic and Christian), Hindu temples etc. There are also different religious groups that you can join and work with. They are organizing various activities for relevant communities.

Work life

There is no difference to any other western country. Expat women are allowed to work in any industry in Dubai. Some expat women in Dubai are holding very senior positions. There is no limit or restrictions as far as the country is concerned.

Sports for Dubai expat woman

Dubai has facilities to enjoy most of the main sports with latest equipment. Either it is Tennis or Bowling, you fill find a place to play just around the corner. Most of the new residential apartment complexes are equipped with swimming pools, Gym and Tennis courts.

TV and DVD

There are only few free English TV channels in Dubai. Most of the expats are using cable TV. There are many cable TV providers in Dubai. Some are providing country specific channels.

Video and DVD rentals are freely available in Dubai. If you are an expatriate woman Dubai and want to watch specific types of movies (either Hollywood or Bollywood) the shop is just a short stroll away.

There are world-class theatres in Dubai. Most of the major Hollywood movies are shown in Dubai as soon as they were released in USA.

What you can do on weekends?

There are plenty of weekend activities available for Dubai expat women. The most popular among expats is having a barbecue in a beach or in a park. Barbecue facilities are commonly available in parks and beaches.

You can go to a beach and have a nice sea bath and relax. Jumeirah beach has enough space to accommodate a lot. Satwa, Al Mamzar, Jebel Ali are other popular beaches in Dubai. You can wear bikinis and general swimwear in Dubai beaches.

There are many attractions in Dubai that you can visit during the weekend. Visit Dubai short break page for a list of places to visit and things to do in Dubai.

Important information for expat woman Dubai

· Remember, alcohol is prohibited in public places.

· Do not drink and drive. Fines in Dubai are ruthless.

· Do not eat or drink anything (including smoking) outside during the Ramadan fasting period.

· Understand the law in Dubai very well. Ask if you do not know about a specific subject. If you are working then the PRO of your office is the best person to ask.

· Respect the local Arabic culture and religion. This is the most sensitive subject in Dubai. Do not cross the limit.

You won’t feel a big difference when you become an expat woman in Dubai. The Dubai community is comprises of many nationalities. You are not a stranger to Dubai. I am sure you will feel the same.

Top Five International Schools in Dubai

There are International schools in Dubai to cater expatriates from various countries. The cost can vary dramatically depending on the standard of the school. Here is a review of top five Dubai international schools.

Nowadays most countries have international schools that provide educational facilities to the children of foreigners in their country. In the same way, Dubai also has many international schools. The number and size of the international schools depend on the population of the expatriates and the number of local students enrolled in these schools.

Both expatriates and the local children willing to be enrolled are in large numbers in Dubai. This is the reason Dubai is witnessing mushrooming of international schools. Some of the famous international schools of this city are Dubai British School, Raffles International School, United International School, Varkey International Private School, Wellington International School, American School and so on.

Dubai British school

Dubai British School is located on the hills of Emirates. It’s a co-educational school for children of age between 3 to 18 years. To be a faculty in this school one should have at least two years of teaching experience. The curriculum of this school is same as that of Britain and Wales. The school takes care of the different stages of the children and there is a standard assessment test for the children to maintain the quality of the school. There is a provision of foundation course to match with the standard of the British school.

British English School

One more school in British pattern of education is British English School founded by Sheikh Rashid to fulfill the requirement of international schools in Dubai. It is a non-profit school for the children of expatriates and outsiders. A Board of Governors governs the school and the children of this school are given diverse opportunities and experiences in different fields. It provides opportunities to develop not only academically, but also create an ambience for all round development of the child.

Wellington International School

Based in the Al Sufouh of Dubai, this is one of the most famous international schools. It enrolls children between age group of 3 to 18. The school provides advanced educational facilities. Some of the facilities available in this school are large sports hall, health and fitness club, gym, swimming pool, dance club, tennis and basket ball courts and running tracks.

The capacity of this school is more than 1500 students. Students are provided virtual learning environment with all hi- tech facilities. This school also follows national curriculum of England.

Etisalat

Etisalat is the only company in Dubai, which is authorized to provide telecommunications and Internet services in the United Arab Emirates. Established in 1976, it has built up state-of-the-art telecom infrastructure and taken a leadership position of innovation and reliability among regional and international operators.

The Middle East magazine has ranked Etisalat first in the United Arab Emirates and fourth in the Middle East among the top 100 companies, based on its financial performance and capital growth. It was ranked as the 6th best performing Arab company by ‘Forbes Arabia’ magazine for the year 2006, which included more than 1600 Arab joint stock companies in various sectors.

American School of Dubai

This school is co-educational and follows national curriculum of America. It is located in the suburban area of Dubai. The textbooks of USA are provided in this school. This school is facilitated with e- governance and all the instructions are on computers. To be faculty of this school it is necessary to have at least four years of teaching experience in America.

Apple International School in Dubai

Established in year 1994, the Apple International School follows the British national curriculum. The school has divided its classes in three different stages called kindergarten, junior and senior level. In addition to the academic part, the school has excelled itself in providing all the sports and cultural activities to its students.

Thus, foreigners working in Dubai don’t have to worry about the future of their children. Dubai is well versed with all necessary infrastructural requirements for the expatriates. The variety of international schools in Dubai will help to find a fit for your child.

Source: http://portugal-uae.blogspot.com/2009/10/information-for-dubai-expatriates.html

Só EUA, Israel e Palau defendem bloqueio contra Cuba

Mais uma vez, a Organização das Nações Unidas condenou o bloqueio aplicado pelos Estados Unidos contra a ilha. Em uma nova votação, 187 países disseram não ao bloqueio, deixando em uma posição isolada os três únicos defensores da medida: os EUA, Israel e Palau. Proibições e restrições seguem atingindo diversas áreas. Recentemente, a Orquestra Filarmônica de Nova York foi proibida pelo governo norte-americano de se apresentar em Cuba. Governo cubano vê alguns passos positivos de Obama, mas diz que eles ainda são extremamente limitados e insuficientes.

Redação - Carta Maior

Mais uma vez, a esmagadora maioria dos países do mundo condenou, na Organização das Nações Unidas, o bloqueio imposto pelos Estados Unidos contra Cuba. Este ano, 187 países disseram não ao bloqueio, superando o recorde de votos de 2008, com dois votos a mais. EUA, Israel e Palau voltaram a integrar a pequena lista de países que votou contra o fim do bloqueio. O governo de Cuba, por sua vez, reiterou que o bloqueio dos EUA contra a ilha permanece intacto e constitui uma violação massiva, fragrante e sistemática dos direitos humanos. “Esse cerco continua sendo uma política absurda que provoca carências e sofrimentos, aparecendo tipificado, na Convenção de Genebra de 1948, como um ato de genocídio inaceitável eticamente”, disse o chanceler cubano, Bruno Rodríguez. Falando no plenário da Assembléia Geral das ONU, o chanceler acrescentou que essa política é um ato de ignorância e acusou Washington de mentir quando diz que se trata de um assunto bilateral. Rodríguez lembrou que a aplicação extraterritorial das leis do bloqueio, como a Helms-Burton e a Torricelli, também afeta aos demais Estados da ONU e apontou que 56 países sofreram sanções no último período, em função desta legislação. “Essas proibições, desumanas e anacrônicas, não se aplicam somente a Cuba, mas também aos países que vocês representam”, disse. Ele falou também sobre o impacto do bloqueio, em especial nas áreas da infância, medicina, telecomunicações, alimentação, cultura e ciências. Recentemente, a Orquestra Filarmônica de Nova York foi proibida pelo governo dos EUA de tocar em Cuba. As 1.941 embarcações que atracaram em Cuba, entre julho de 2008 e julho de 2009, foram proibidas de entrar nos portos dos EUA durante 180 dias. O chanceler destacou ainda que, segundo recentes pesquisas, 76% dos cidadãos estadunidenses se opõem ao bloqueio. Além disso, cresce a pressão do setor empresarial pelo fim do bloqueio. As empresas dos EUA estão proibidas de investir em Cuba e de entrar no mercado da ilha. Isso faz com que as empresas de outros países não sofram a competição das companhias norte-americanas em Cuba. Ao comentar a prorrogação da aplicação do bloqueio, em setembro deste ano, Rodriguez rechaçou o pretexto do interesse nacional dos EUA, utilizado por Barack Obama. “Nenhuma pessoa séria pode sustentar que Cuba é uma ameaça é uma ameaça à segurança nacional da única superpotência”. O governo cubano também exigiu o fim da inclusão de Cuba nas listas de supostos Estados patrocinadores do terrorismo e exigiu a libertação de cinco ativistas cubanos presos nos EUA desde 1998. “O presidente Obama tem a oportunidade histórica de mudar essa política e acabar com o bloqueio. Ele tem os instrumentos executivos que permitiriam, agora mesmo, modificar substancialmente a aplicação das medidas de bloqueio”, observou o chanceler, que qualificou como positivos, mas extremamente limitados e insuficientes, diversos passos dados pela Casa Branca para desmontar as duríssimas restrições aplicadas pelo ex-presidente George W. Bush. “A realidade é que ainda não voltamos sequer à situação de 2004, quando os EUA permitiam um certo nível de intercâmbio com contrapartidas cubanas”.

Fonte: http://www.cartamaior.com.br/templates/materiaMostrar.cfm?materia_id=16215

Brazilian Wind Power Gets a Boost

Brazil will hold its first wind-only energy auction next month in a move to diversify its energy portfolio. Foreign companies are scrambling to take part.

By ROBERT P. WALZER

Early this decade, a drought in Brazil that cut water to the country’s hydroelectric dams prompted severe energy shortages. The crisis, which ravaged the country’s economy and led to electricity rationing, underscored Brazil’s pressing need to diversify away from water power.

One result of that introspection will climax on Dec. 14, when the Brazilian government conducts its first wind-only energy auction. The bidding is expected to lead to the construction of two gigawatts of wind production with an investment of about $6 billion over the next two years.

The auction has attracted a number of international players, including the local units of Energias de Portugal, Electricité de France, Spain’s Iberdrola,EnerFin of the United States and several Brazilian companies, among others.

Interest has been so great, in fact, that the Ministry of Mines and Energy, which is conducting the auction, postponed it by three weeks to allow extra time to evaluate the preliminary bids.

“The number of projects proposed were much greater than expected by everyone,’’ said Pedro Perrelli, the executive director of ABEEólica, the Brazilian Wind Energy Association.

Industry and the government had anticipated proposals for 4.5 gigawatts to 6 gigawatts of projects, but “we came to the astonishing number of 13.3 gigawatts’’ from 441 proposals, Mr. Perrelli said.

Within days, the government plans to release the auction’s technical manual, allowing participants to refine their bids. The winners will get a 20-year power-purchase agreement from the state.

Brazil counts on hydroelectricity for more than three-quarters of its electricity, but authorities are pushing biomass and wind as primary alternatives. Wind energy’s greatest potential in Brazil is during the dry season, so it is considered a hedge against low rainfall and the geographical spread of existing hydro resources.

“In Brazil, wind is very complimentary to hydro,” said João Carlos Mello, the chief executive of Andrade & Canellas, an energy consulting firm advising some bidders in the wind-power auction. “It’s clear that we need to open up our minds beyond hydro.”

Mr. Mello said Brazil’s technical potential for wind energy is 143 gigawatts due to the country’s blustery 4,600-mile coastline, where most projects are based. The Brazilian Wind Energy Association and the government have set a goal of achieving 10 gigawatts of wind energy capacity by 2020 from the current 605 megawatts, with another 450 megawatts under construction, said Mr. Perrelli.

The industry hopes the auction will help kick-start the wind-energy sector, which already accounts for 70 percent of the total in all of Latin America.

Brazil is already a renewable energy leader in the field of ethanol. Hydropower’s growth is increasingly held up over environmental concerns. And growing concerns about Brazil’s deforestation, the effects of climate change and pressure to reduce the country’s carbon emissions also work in wind’s favor.

But Keith Hays, the research director for wind energy at the Cambridge, Mass.-based Emerging Energy Research, a consultant firm to companies on renewable energy, said that uncertainty surrounding the financing and profitability of wind projects in Brazil raises doubts over whether the country can reach its goals.

He attributed the widespread interest in the wind auction to a desire among foreign companies to gain a foothold in Brazil, which is Latin America’s biggest market.

But Mr. Hays said that the lack of a floor on the price the government will pay for energy — as is customary in European countries that are leaders in wind energy, like Germany and Spain — could limit the industry’s growth because the winning projects may prove to be unprofitable.

“Their track record doesn’t speak to a huge success,’’ Mr. Hays said.

Source: http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/brazilian-wind-power-gets-a-boost/?scp=2&sq=brazil&st=cse

Antes de escrever o seu plano de marketing online

Marketing online (ou marketing digital, ou e-marketing) significa usar a internet para promover e ajudar a vender os seus produtos ou serviços e torna-se cada vez mais imprescíndivel ter uma presença online, qualquer que seja o tamanho da sua empresa.

Os princípios do marketing continuam a ser os mesmos: criar uma estratégia que passe a mensagem certa às pessoas certas e no momento certo. O que mudou é a quantidade de opcões que tem. Enquanto é importante manter os canais tradicionais de marketing, como a publicidade, direct marketing, relações públicas, etc, o marketing online adiciona um novo elemento ao marketing mix. Muitas empresas estão a produzir grandes resultados com o marketing online e a sua natureza flexível e de custos baixos (até um certo ponto) torna-o acessível mesmo para pequenas empresas.
Mas para ser bem sucedido, do que necessita um plano de marketing online?

Antes de definir o plano propriamente dito, existem certos pontos a considerar:

1. Background e pesquisa

Qual é a situacão actual do website, este já existe ou terá de desenvolver um? Se já existir, qual a sua eficácia actual? O que está no momento a acontecer na sua indústria a nível online relativamente aos seus concorrentes e clientes? Que actividades de marketing online tem sido feitas e qual o sucesso das mesmas?

Fazer uma análise de todos estes factores é imprescíndivel para desenvolver um plano eficaz. Não olhe apenas para a sua empresa e produtos/serviços, olhe também o que a concorrência está a fazer, olhe quais as tendências de mercado para os próximos tempos e olhe o que os seus clientes e potenciais clientes estão a fazer online. Que sites visitam? Que blogs seguem? Em quais foruns participam e o que dizem? Na minha indústria existe falta de alguma informacão a nível online?

2. Objectivos

Os objectivos de um plano de marketing online deverão ser claros e consistentes com os objectivos de marketing offline. Existe uma tendência errada de se separar estes dois e é importante perceber-se que os dois devem estar integrados e que online e offline devem andar lado a lado.

Os objectivos poderão ser aumentar as vendas, poderá ser o criar uma reputacão ou imagem, poderá ser obter informacão através de sondagens/questionários/formulários sobre o seu tipo de cliente, etc. Poderá ser ainda uma combinacão de vários objectivos.

Os objectivos gerais devem identificar também outros objectivos mais específicos que têm que ser alcancados de forma a atingir os objectivos gerais. Estes mais específicos podem ser por exemplo o número de visitantes do site, as taxas de conversão, objectivos de vendas ou “enquiries”.

3. Estratégia

A estratégia de marketing online é a abordagem geral que irá ser usada para cumprir os objectivos do plano. Por exemplo, irá usar para uma mesma campanha online e offline ou apenas online? Para um objectivo de aumento de vendas, irá focar-se na aquisição de novos clientes ou na retenção dos existentes? Qual a audiência que pretende atingir e que segmentacão terá de fazer?

4. Tácticas

Esta é a parte sumarenta do plano de marketing online e deve explicar em detalhe as diversas ferramentas que irão ser usadas de forma a atingir os obejctivos definidos anteriormente. Estas ferramentas poderão ser: email marketing, PPC, link building, SEO, reestruturação do site a nível de estrutura e conteúdo, redes sociais e social media, artigos, comunicados de imprensa online e até poderá ser a criação de um website completamente novo.

5. Calendário

Um calendário de actividades de marketing online irá mostrar quando as mesmas irão ter lugar.

Algumas precisarão de ser feitas primeiro que outras enquanto actividades promocionais poderão acontecer ao mesmo tempo que outras ou serem continuas. Este calendário também deverá mostrar o tempo de preparação e produção necessários para cada actividade, principalmente se a mesma envolver várias pessoas.

6. Recursos

Os recursos incluem profissionais da área, fornecedores e orçamentos - basicamente inclui cada recurso que irá ser necessário para a implementação do plano de marketing online. Quem irá fazer o quê, quando e quanto irá custar.

7. Controlo

Cada actividade de marketing necessita de ser medida e felizmente as actividades de marketing online são muito mais fáceis de medir que outras campanhas promocionais. Necessita de identificar o que necessita de ser medido: visitas ao site pela primeira vez, visitas repetidas, vendas e taxas de conversão, bounce rates, tempo de cada visita, click through nos links, etc.

Os melhores planos de marketing são os curtos

O plano de marketing online pode ser tão comprido quanto desejar, mas quanto mais curto melhor. Alguns dos melhores planos foram escritos apenas numa página A4. Não se esqueca de que um plano de marketing não é uma dissertacão, é antes algo prático, directo e pronto a usar. Quanto mais comprido for o plano, mais tendência terá para ficar apenas a ganhar pó.

Fonte: http://onlinemarketingtudosobre.blogspot.com/2009/11/antes-de-escrever-o-seu-plano-de.html

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