Association of Southeast Asian Nations

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN /ˈɑːsi.ɑːn/ AH-see-ahn,/ˈɑːzi.ɑːn/ AH-zee-ahn) is a political and economic organization of ten Southeast Asian countries. It was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), and Vietnam. Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, and sociocultural evolution among its members alongside protection of regional stability and opportunities for member countries to resolve differences peacefully.

ASEAN covers a land area of 4.4 million square kilometers, 3% of the total land area of the Earth. ASEAN territorial waters cover an area about three times larger than its land counterpart. The member countries have a combined population of approximately 625 million people, 8.8% of the world's population. In 2015, the organisation's combined nominal GDP had grown to more than US$2.6 trillion. If ASEAN were a single entity, it would rank as the seventh largest economy in the world, behind the US, China, Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.

High Level

High Level is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located at the intersection of the Mackenzie Highway (Highway 35) and Highway 58, approximately 733 kilometres (455 mi) north of Edmonton and 725 kilometres (450 mi) south of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. It is located within Mackenzie County and was founded in 1947.

History

The name High Level originated from the height of the land that separates the Peace River and the Hay River. The original location was about 3.5 miles north of present spot and along the old Fort Vermilion/Meander River freighting trail, serving as a stopping place, not a town. The original High Level Sports Grounds were at this location and the old trail was still visible there in the mid-1960s. The High Level Golf & Country Club currently occupies this approximate location. For many years, High Level was known as Tloc Moi (Hay Meadow). The first fur traders arrived to this area in 1786, but it was not until 1947 that High Level was settled, with development of road access to Fort Vermilion being the primary factor in determining the Town's present location. High Level's first power plant was established in 1957, and a year later the first post office was built. The oil fields were discovered in the 1960s, and a railway was run to the area in 1963.

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies near the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic and volcanic activity. Southeast Asia consists of two geographic regions:

Divisions

Political

Definitions of "Southeast Asia" vary, but most definitions include the area represented by the countries (sovereign states and dependent territories) listed below. All of the states except for East Timor are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The area, together with part of South Asia, was widely known as the East Indies or simply the Indies until the 20th century. Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are considered part of Southeast Asia though they are governed by Australia. Sovereignty issues exist over some territories in the South China Sea. Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan (a disputed region or nation), are considered as part of the Southeast Asia.Papua New Guinea has stated that it might join ASEAN, and is currently an observer.

Rodrigo Duterte

Rodrigo "Rody" Roa Duterte (born March 28, 1945), nicknamed Digong, is a Filipino lawyer and politician of Visayan descent. Duterte is among the longest-serving mayors in the Philippines. He has been mayor of Davao City, a highly urbanized city on Mindanao island, for 7 terms, totalling more than 22 years. He has also served as vice-mayor and congressman in the city.

On November 21, 2015, Duterte declared his candidacy for President of the Philippines in the upcoming 2016 election after a period of banter.

Early life

Duterte was born on March 28, 1945 in Maasin, Leyte in the Philippine Commonwealth to Vicente G. Duterte, who served as Governor of (the then-undivided) Davao and Soledad Roa, a native of Cabadbaran, Agusan who was a school teacher and a civic leader. Duterte's father Vicente, prior to being provincial governor of Davao, was once a mayor of Danao in Cebu. Rodrigo's cousin Ronald, on the other hand, served as Cebu City mayor from 1983 to 1986. Ronald’s father, Ramon Duterte, also held the position from 1957 to 1959. The Dutertes consider the political families of the Durano and the Almendras clan as relatives.

Manila Hotel

The Manila Hotel is a 570-room, historic five-star hotel located along Manila Bay in Manila, Philippines. The hotel is the oldest premiere hotel in the Philippines built in 1909 to rival Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the President of the Philippines and was opened on the commemoration of American Independence on July 4, 1912. The hotel complex was built on a reclaimed area of 35,000 square metres (380,000 sq ft) at the northwestern end of Rizal Park along Bonifacio Drive in Ermita. Its penthouse served as the residence of General Douglas MacArthur during his tenure as the Military Advisor of the Philippine Commonwealth from 1935 to 1941. The hotel contains the offices of several foreign news organizations, including The New York Times. It has hosted numerous world historical persons and celebrities including authors Ernest Hemingway and James A. Michener; actors Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and John Wayne; publisher Henry Luce; entertainers Sammy Davis, Jr., Michael Jackson and The Beatles; U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden, and other world leaders.