Top of the World - Where are we?

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The 2008 Big Mac Index by the Economist magazine

[one-la-view]

it's funny to see this thing and hey! we eat it in cheaper than most other countries

[Imperfect Ending]

You gotta look at population too

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Originally Posted by one-la-view

it's funny to see this thing and hey! we eat it in cheaper than most other countries

Big Mac in Thailand is one of the most affordable in the world

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Top ten city square in the world by area

City square|City|Country|Area|Dimensions
Tiananmen Square Beijing China 440,000 m² 880 m by 500 m
Macroplaza Monterrey Mexico 400,000 m²
Parade Square Warsaw Poland 240,000 m² approx. 600 m by 400 m
Grand Plaza Cahokia Mounds United States 190,000 m²
Kuybyshev Square Samara Russia 174,000 m²
Moskovskaya Square St. Petersburg Russia 130,000 m² 640 m by 205 m
Place des Quinconces Bordeaux France 126,000 m²
Sanam Luang Bangkok Thailand 121,406 m²
Freedom Square Kharkiv Ukraine 119,000 m² 690-750m by 96-125m
Prato della Valle Padua Italy 90,000 m²

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The leading fashion cities in the world

Asia and Oceania: Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Melbourne, Bangkok

Europe: Rome, Paris, Milan, London, Berlin, Madrid, Stockholm, Barcelona, Turin, Copenhagen

India: Mumbai, New Delhi

Latin America: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santiago, Buenos Aires

Middle and Eastern Europe: Moscow, Krakow, Prague

Middle East and Africa: Dubai, Johannesburg, Tel-Aviv, Cape Town

North America: New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Montreal, Toronto

Top ten words from 2000 to 2008

2009: ...
2008: Top Word: Change
2007: Hybrid (representing all things green) No 2. Surge
2006: Sustainable
2005: Refugee vs. Evacuee, No 2. Tsunami, No. 3 Katrina
2004: Top Word: Incivility (for inCivil War)
2003: Top Word: Embedded
2002: Misunderestimate
2001: Top Word: Ground Zero
2000: Top Word: Chad

The Global Language Monitor (GLM)

[Imperfect Ending]

Unemployment rate:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat.../2129rank.html

Rank

Country

Unemployment rate
(%)

Date of Information
1
Andorra 0.00 2007
2
Monaco 0.00 2005
3
Qatar 0.60 2008 est.
4
Azerbaijan 0.80 2008 est.
5
Guernsey 0.90 March 2006 est.
6
Uzbekistan 0.90 2008 est.
7
Thailand 1.20 2008 est.
8
Faroe Islands 1.40 2007
9
Isle of Man 1.50 December 2006 est.
10
Liechtenstein 1.50 31 December 2007
11
Belarus 1.60 2005
12
Iceland 1.60 2008 est.
13
Vanuatu 1.70 1999
14
Cuba 1.80 2008 est.
15
Papua New Guinea 1.90 2004
16
Denmark 2.00 2008 est.
17
Seychelles 2.00 2006 est.
18
Kiribati 2.00 1992 est.
19
Bermuda 2.10 2004 est.
20
Moldova 2.10 2007 est.

...

195
Cocos (Keeling) Islands 60.00 2000 est.
196
Turkmenistan 60.00 2004 est.
197
Burkina Faso 77.00 2004
198
Zimbabwe 80.00 2005 est.
199
Liberia 85.00 2003 est.
200
Nauru 90.00 2004 est

[Imperfect Ending]

Population 2009 est.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat.../2119rank.html

Rank

Country

Population

Date of Information
1
World 6,790,062,216 July 2009 est.
2
China 1,338,612,968 July 2009 est.
3
India 1,166,079,217 July 2009 est.
4
European Union 491,582,852 July 2009 est.
5
United States 307,212,123 July 2009 est.
6
Indonesia 240,271,522 July 2009 est.
7
Brazil 198,739,269 July 2009 est.
8
Pakistan 176,242,949 July 2009 est.
9
Bangladesh 156,050,883 July 2009 est.
10
Nigeria 149,229,090 July 2009 est.
11
Russia 140,041,247 July 2009 est.
12
Japan 127,078,679 July 2009 est.
13
Mexico 111,211,789 July 2009 est.
14
Philippines 97,976,603 July 2009 est.
15
Vietnam 86,967,524 July 2009 est.
16
Ethiopia 85,237,338 July 2009 est.
17
Egypt 83,082,869 July 2009 est.
18
Germany 82,329,758 July 2009 est.
19
Turkey 76,805,524 July 2009 est.
20
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 68,692,542 July 2009 est.
21
Iran 66,429,284 July 2009 est.
22
Thailand 65,905,410 July 2009 est.
23
France 64,057,792 July 2009 est.
24
United Kingdom 61,113,205 July 2009 est.
25
Italy 58,126,212 July 2009 est.
26
South Africa 49,052,489 July 2009 est.
27
Korea, South 48,508,972 July 2009 est.
28
Burma 48,137,741 July 2009 est.
29
Ukraine 45,700,395 July 2009 est.
30
Colombia 45,644,023 July 2009 est.
31
Sudan 41,087,825 July 2009 est.
32
Tanzania 41,048,532 July 2009 est.
33
Argentina 40,913,584 July 2009 est.
34
Spain 40,525,002 July 2009 est.
35
Kenya 39,002,772 July 2009 est.
36
Poland 38,482,919 July 2009 est.
37
Morocco 34,859,364 July 2009 est.
38
Algeria 34,178,188 July 2009 est.
39
Afghanistan 33,609,937 July 2009 est.
40
Canada 33,487,208 July 2009 est.
41
Uganda 32,369,558 July 2009 est.
42
Peru 29,546,963 July 2009 est.
43
Iraq 28,945,657 July 2009 est.
44
Saudi Arabia 28,686,633 July 2009 est.
45
Nepal 28,563,377 July 2009 est.
46
Uzbekistan 27,606,007 July 2009 est.
47
Venezuela 26,814,843 July 2009 est.
48
Malaysia 25,715,819 July 2009 est.
49
Ghana 23,832,495 July 2009 est.
50
Yemen 23,822,783 July 2009 est.
51
Taiwan 22,974,347 July 2009 est.
52
Korea, North 22,665,345 July 2009 est.
53
Romania 22,215,421 July 2009 est.
54
Mozambique 21,669,278 July 2009 est.
55
Sri Lanka 21,324,791 July 2009 est.
56
Australia 21,262,641 July 2009 est.
57
Madagascar 20,653,556 July 2009 est.
58
Cote d'Ivoire 20,617,068 July 2009 est.
59
Syria 20,178,485 July 2009 est.
60
Cameroon 18,879,301 July 2009 est.
61
Netherlands 16,715,999 July 2009 est.
62
Chile 16,601,707 July 2009 est.
63
Burkina Faso 15,746,232 July 2009 est.
64
Kazakhstan 15,399,437 July 2009 est.
65
Niger 15,306,252 July 2009 est.
66
Ecuador 14,573,101 July 2009 est.
67
Cambodia 14,494,293 July 2009 est.
68
Malawi 14,268,711 July 2009 est.
69
Senegal 13,711,597 July 2009 est.
70
Guatemala 13,276,517 July 2009 est.
71
Angola 12,799,293 July 2009 est.
72
Mali 12,666,987 July 2009 est.
73
Zambia 11,862,740 July 2009 est.
74
Cuba 11,451,652 July 2009 est.
75
Zimbabwe 11,392,629 July 2009 est.
76
Greece 10,737,428 July 2009 est.
77
Portugal 10,707,924 July 2009 est.
78
Tunisia 10,486,339 July 2009 est.
79
Rwanda 10,473,282 July 2009 est.
80
Belgium 10,414,336 July 2009 est.
81
Chad 10,329,208 July 2009 est.
82
Czech Republic 10,211,904 July 2009 est.
83
Guinea 10,057,975 July 2009 est.
84
Hungary 9,905,596 July 2009 est.
85
Somalia 9,832,017 July 2009 est.
86
Bolivia 9,775,246 July 2009 est.
87
Dominican Republic 9,650,054 July 2009 est.
88
Belarus 9,648,533 July 2009 est.
89
Sweden 9,059,651 July 2009 est.
90
Haiti 9,035,536 July 2009 est.
91
Burundi 8,988,091 July 2009 est.
92
Benin 8,791,832 July 2009 est.
93
Azerbaijan 8,238,672 July 2009 est.
94
Austria 8,210,281 July 2009 est.
95
Honduras 7,792,854 July 2009 est.
96
Switzerland 7,604,467 July 2009 est.
97
Serbia 7,379,339 July 2009 est.
98
Tajikistan 7,349,145 July 2009 est.
99
Israel 7,233,701 July 2009 est.
100
Bulgaria 7,204,687 July 2009 est.
101
El Salvador 7,185,218 July 2009 est.
102
Hong Kong 7,055,071 July 2009 est.
103
Paraguay 6,995,655 July 2009 est.
104
Laos 6,834,942 July 2009 est.
105
Sierra Leone 6,440,053 July 2009 est.
106
Jordan 6,342,948 July 2009 est.
107
Libya 6,310,434 July 2009 est.
108
Papua New Guinea 6,057,263 July 2009 est.
109
Togo 6,019,877 July 2009 est.
110
Nicaragua 5,891,199 July 2009 est.
111
Eritrea 5,647,168 July 2009 est.
112
Denmark 5,500,510 July 2009 est.
113
Slovakia 5,463,046 July 2009 est.
114
Kyrgyzstan 5,431,747 July 2009 est.
115
Finland 5,250,275 July 2009 est.
116
Turkmenistan 4,884,887 July 2009 est.
117
United Arab Emirates 4,798,491 July 2009 est.
118
Norway 4,660,539 July 2009 est.
119
Singapore 4,657,542 July 2009 est.
120
Georgia 4,615,807 July 2009 est.
121
Bosnia and Herzegovina 4,613,414 July 2009 est.
122
Central African Republic 4,511,488 July 2009 est.
123
Croatia 4,489,409 July 2009 est.
124
Moldova 4,320,748 July 2009 est.
125
Costa Rica 4,253,877 July 2009 est.
126
New Zealand 4,213,418 July 2009 est.
127
Ireland 4,203,200 July 2009 est.
128
Lebanon 4,017,095 July 2009 est.
129
Congo, Republic of the 4,012,809 July 2009 est.
130
Puerto Rico 3,971,020 July 2009 est.
131
Albania 3,639,453 July 2009 est.
132
Lithuania 3,555,179 July 2009 est.
133
Uruguay 3,494,382 July 2009 est.
134
Liberia 3,441,790 July 2009 est.
135
Oman 3,418,085 July 2009 est.
136
Panama 3,360,474 July 2009 est.
137
Mauritania 3,129,486 July 2009 est.
138
Mongolia 3,041,142 July 2009 est.
139
Armenia 2,967,004 July 2009 est.
140
Jamaica 2,825,928 July 2009 est.
141
Kuwait 2,691,158 July 2009 est.
142
West Bank 2,461,267 July 2009 est.
143
Latvia 2,231,503 July 2009 est.
144
Lesotho 2,130,819 July 2009 est.
145
Namibia 2,108,665 July 2009 est.
146
Macedonia 2,066,718 July 2009 est.
147
Slovenia 2,005,692 July 2009 est.
148
Botswana 1,990,876 July 2009 est.
149
Kosovo 1,804,838 July 2009 est.
150
Gambia, The 1,782,893 July 2009 est.
151
Gaza Strip 1,551,859 July 2009 est.
152
Guinea-Bissau 1,533,964 July 2009 est.
153
Gabon 1,514,993 July 2009 est.
154
Estonia 1,299,371 July 2009 est.
155
Mauritius 1,284,264 July 2009 est.
156
Trinidad and Tobago 1,229,953 July 2009 est.
157
Timor-Leste 1,131,612 July 2009 est.
158
Swaziland 1,123,913 July 2009 est.
159
Fiji 944,720 July 2009 est.
160
Qatar 833,285 July 2009 est.
161
Cyprus 796,740 July 2009 est.
162
Guyana 772,298 July 2009 est.
163
Comoros 752,438 July 2009 est.
164
Bahrain 727,785 July 2009 est.
165
Bhutan 691,141 July 2009 est.
166
Montenegro 672,180 July 2009 est.
167
Equatorial Guinea 633,441 July 2009 est.
168
Solomon Islands 595,613 July 2009 est.
169
Macau 559,846 July 2009 est.
170
Djibouti 516,055 July 2009 est.
171
Luxembourg 491,775 July 2009 est.
172
Suriname 481,267 July 2009 est.
173
Cape Verde 429,474 July 2009 est.
174
Western Sahara 405,210 July 2009 est.
175
Malta 405,165 July 2009 est.
176
Maldives 396,334 July 2009 est.
177
Brunei 388,190 July 2009 est.
178
Bahamas, The 309,156 July 2009 est.
179
Belize 307,899 July 2009 est.
180
Iceland 306,694 July 2009 est.
181
French Polynesia 287,032 July 2009 est.
182
Barbados 284,589 July 2009 est.
183
New Caledonia 227,436 July 2009 est.
184
Netherlands Antilles 227,049 July 2009 est.
185
Mayotte 223,765 July 2009 est.
186
Samoa 219,998 July 2009 est.
187
Vanuatu 218,519 July 2009 est.
188
Sao Tome and Principe 212,679 July 2009 est.
189
Guam 178,430 July 2009 est.
190
Saint Lucia 160,267 July 2009 est.
191
Tonga 120,898 July 2009 est.
192
Kiribati 112,850 July 2009 est.
193
Virgin Islands 109,825 July 2009 est.
194
Micronesia, Federated States of 107,434 July 2009 est.
195
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 104,574 July 2009 est.
196
Aruba 103,065 July 2009 est.
197
Jersey 91,626 July 2009 est.
198
Grenada 90,739 July 2009 est.
199
Northern Mariana Islands 88,662 July 2009 est.
200
Seychelles 87,476 July 2009 est.
201
Antigua and Barbuda 85,632 July 2009 est.
202
Andorra 83,888 July 2009 est.
203
Isle of Man 76,512 July 2009 est.
204
Dominica 72,660 July 2009 est.
205
Bermuda 67,837 July 2009 est.
206
Guernsey 65,870 July 2009 est.
207
American Samoa 65,628 July 2009 est.
208
Marshall Islands 64,522 July 2009 est.
209
Greenland 57,600 July 2009 est.
210
Cayman Islands 49,035 July 2009 est.
211
Faroe Islands 48,856 July 2009 est.
212
Saint Kitts and Nevis 40,131 July 2009 est.
213
Liechtenstein 34,761 July 2009 est.
214
Monaco 32,965 July 2009 est.
215
San Marino 30,324 July 2009 est.
216
Saint Martin 29,820 July 2009 est.
217
Gibraltar 28,034 July 2009 est.
218
British Virgin Islands 24,491 July 2009 est.
219
Turks and Caicos Islands 22,942 July 2009 est.
220
Palau 20,796 July 2009 est.
221
Akrotiri 15,700 NA
222
Dhekelia 15,700 NA
223
Wallis and Futuna 15,289 July 2009 est.
224
Anguilla 14,436 July 2009 est.
225
Nauru 14,019 July 2009 est.
226
Tuvalu 12,373 July 2009 est.
227
Cook Islands 11,870 July 2009 est.
228
Saint Helena 7,637 July 2009 est.
229
Saint Barthelemy 7,448 July 2009 est.
230
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 7,051 July 2009 est.
231
Montserrat 5,097 July 2009 est.
232
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 3,140 July 2008 est.
233
Norfolk Island 2,141 July 2009 est.
234
Svalbard 2,116 July 2009 est.
235
Tokelau 1,416 July 2009 est.
236
Christmas Island 1,402 July 2009 est.
237
Niue 1,398 July 2009 est.
238
Holy See (Vatican City) 826 July 2009 est.
239
Cocos (Keeling) Islands 596 July 2009 est.
240
Pitcairn Islands 48 July 2009 est.

[jarcje]

Top 10 rice producing countries (NOTE: not exporting countries)



World Top 10 - Countries With Most Rice Production Country (Tonnes)
1. China 179,303,895
2. India 136,580,992
3. Indonesia 50,096,000
4. Bangladesh 38,500,000
5. Vietnam 31,970,100
6. Thailand 26,954,068
7. Myanmar 20,600,000
8. Philippines 12,954,900
9. Japan 11,320,000
10. Brazil ---

Source: http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top...countries.html

[jarcje]

Top rice exporting countries

1. Thailand export 10 million tons (34.5% of global rice exports)
2. Vietnam … 4.5 million tons (15.47%)
3. India … 4.4 million tons (15.12%)
4. United States … 3.1 million tons (10.6%)
5. Pakistan … 1.8 million tons (6.3%)
6. China (including Taiwan) … 901,550 tons (3.1%)
7. Egypt … 836,940 tons (2.9%)
8. Italy … 668,940 tons (2.3%)
9. Uruguay … 609,170 tons (2.1%)
10. Spain … 346,030 tons (1.2%)
11. Argentina … 257,750 tons (0.9%)
12. Guyana … 256,330 tons (0.9%)
13. United Arab Emirates … 164,350 tons (0.6%)
14. Belgium-Luxembourg … 157,190 tons (0.5%)
15. Myanmar … 150,030 tons (0.5%).
16. Guyana … 256,330 tons (up 59.2% in 2004)
17. Argentina … 257,750 tons (up 45.1%)
18. Egypt … 836,940 tons (up 42.9%)
19. United Arab Emirates … 164.35 (down 14.6%)
20. Spain … 346.03 (down 9.4%)
21. Uruguay … 625 (down 2.5%)

[jarcje]

List of countries by electricity production



Rank Country/Region Electricity - production (kWh) Date of Information

1. United States 4,367,874,939,000[2] 2007
2. People's Republic of China 3,277,720,000,000[2] 2007
3. Japan 1,160,042,169,000[2] 2007
4. Russia 1,014,870,000,000[2] 2007
5. India 774,660,000,000[2] 2007
6. Germany 636,500,000,000[2] 2007
7. Canada 602,406,000,000[2] 2007
8. France 566,531,000,000[2] 2007
9. Korea, South 439,984,000,000[2] 2007
10. Brazil 433,594,000,000[2] 2007
11. United Kingdom 397,516,000,000[2] 2007
12. Spain 322,307,000,000[2] 2007
13. Italy 314,353,000,000[2] 2007
14. South Africa 261,476,482,600[2] 2007
15. Australia 260,719,954,200[2] 2007
16. Taiwan 257,306,000,000[2] 2007
17. Mexico 253,691,000,000[2] 2007
18. Ukraine 195,130,500,000[2] 2007
19. Iran 193,308,000,000[2] 2007
20. Turkey 190,973,000,000[2] 2007
21. Saudi Arabia 190,127,000,000[2] 2007
22. Poland 159,292,000,000[2] 2007
23. Sweden 149,151,000,000[2] 2007
24. Indonesia 147,045,000,000[2] 2007
25. Thailand 147,025,000,000[2] 2007
26. Norway 137,708,563,000[2] 2007
27. Venezuela 124,906,000,000[2] 2007
28. Argentina 120,828,000,000[2] 2007
29. Egypt 118,966,000,000[2] 2007
30. Malaysia 104,950,000,000[2] 2007

[jarcje]

List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions



Rank Country Annual CO2 emissions (in thousands of metric tons) Percentage of total emissions[8]

1 United States[9] 6,049,435 22.2 %
2 China and Taiwan 5,010,170 18.4 %
3 Russia 1,524,993 5.6 %
4 India 1,342,962 4.9 %
5 Japan 1,257,963 4.6 %
6 Germany 860,522 3.1 %
7 Canada 639,403 2.3 %
8 United Kingdom 587,261 2.2 %
9 South Korea 465,643 1.7 %
10 Italy[10] 449,948 1.7 %
11 Mexico 438,022 1.6 %
12 South Africa 437,032 1.6 %
13 Iran 433,571 1.6 %
14 Indonesia 378,250 1.4 %
15 France[11] 373,693 1.4 %
16 Brazil 331,795 1.2 %
17 Spain 330,497 1.2 %
18 Ukraine 330,039 1.2 %
19 Australia 326,757 1.2 %
20 Saudi Arabia 308,393 1.1 %
21 Poland 307,238 1.1 %
22 Thailand 268,082 1.0 %
23 Turkey 226,125 0.8 %
24 Kazakhstan 200,278 0.7 %
25 Algeria 194,001 0.7 %

[jarcje]

World official gold holding (September 2008) Official gold reserves

1. United States
2. Germany
3. France
4. Italy
5. People's Republic of China
6. Switzerland
7. Japan
8. Netherlands
9. Russia
10. Republic of China (Taiwan)
11. Portugal
12. India
13. Venezuela
14. United Kingdom
15. Iran
16. Lebanon
17. Spain
18. Austria
19. Belgium
20. Algeria
21. Libya
22. Sweden
23. Saudi Arabia
24. Philippines
25. Singapore
26. South Africa
27. Turkey
28. Greece
29. Romania
30. Poland
31. Thailand
32. Australia

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The World's Most-Delayed Airports
Brian Wingfield, Forbes.com


Planning to visit India or Europe? Budget extra travel time. If airport delays in 2008 are any indication, you'll need it.

India takes the prize as the country with the most frequent late arrivals in our second annual tallying of the world's most-delayed airports. For departures, European airports - notably those in Italy - make up the bulk of the worst, though Beijing Capital Airport grabs the top spot.

India is a peculiar case. Its biggest airports have undertaken massive construction projects to cope with the country's rapid growth. Our most-delayed airport, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International, opened a new taxiway in November to reduce the wait time for landing aircraft.

Good thing - only 50 per cent of its flights arrived on time in 2008, according to FlightStats, a service that tracks historical and real-time flight information.

New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, with a 51 per cent on-time arrival percentage last year, fully opened a third runway in October.

In May, Bangalore saw the addition of a sleek new airport, Bengaluru International, where growing pains account for some of the arrival delays. The airports ranked second and fourth on the list of worst arrivals, respectively.

In India, delayed arrivals are largely attributed to air congestion at a flight's origin, says a spokesperson for Bengaluru International Airport Limited, which owns and operates the city's new airport.

There, 80 per cent of departures were on time in 2008, yet just 60 per cent of flights arrived as scheduled. Why the difference? Faster runway exits and improved efficiency at the new airport give a boost to the percentage of flights departing on time.

Also high on the list of airports with the lowest percentage of on-time arrivals: Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport (54% on time); Orio al Serio Airport near Bergamo, Italy (61%); New York LaGuardia (62%); Newark Liberty International (62%); Birmingham Airport in England (63%); London's Luton and Heathrow Airports (both 63% on time).

According to Kyla Evans, a spokeswoman for Eurocontrol, the Brussels-based air navigation safety organisation, airspace and taxiway congestion are the main cause for delays in Europe.

Seems logical, given the high number of European airports with delayed departures. They include: Manchester Airport in northern England (49% on time); Venice's Marco Polo International (54%); Nice Côte d'Azur International (56%); Rome's Fiumicino International (58%); and Paris' Charles Orio al Serio, near Bergamo (59%); Athens International (61%); and Paris' Charles DeGaulle International (62% on-time).

Officials from several European airports did not respond to requests for comment. Nor did those from Beijing Capital International, which was the hub for Olympic air traffic in August.

Compiling a list of the world's most-delayed airports is no easy task. Geneva-based Airports Council International (ACI) doesn't track arrival and departure information. Thus, we again asked FlightStats, operated by Conducive Technology Corp. in Portland, Oregon to pull on-time information for the world's busiest 200 airports, as determined by ACI.

FlightStats gets its information from airlines, airports, flight reservation systems and other sources. For information about U.S. airports, we cross-checked the company's data with information published by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Our list this year looks slightly different from last year's because we examined only those airports about which FlightStats has the most detailed information. Notably, we omitted some airports in South America from consideration.

One constant: The world's least-delayed airports are concentrated in Japan and Korea. Of the world's 200 busiest airports, not a single one in Japan or Korea has an on-time percentage below 82%, arrivals and departures included.

www.smh.com.au
Content supplied by: Forbes

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Taiwan offers 'best trip in the world' contest
May 26, 2009 - 10:27AM

For those who missed out on the "best job in the world," Taiwan is offering the "best trip in the world," a marketing drive to promote tourism that builds on the global success of the Australian campaign.

Taiwan will choose 50 travel groups to write about their four-day trips to the sub-tropical Asian island, then give T$1 million (A$39,100) to the writers of the best online travelogue, the island's tourism bureau said.

"Small as it may be, Taiwan is a treasure trove of stunning natural scenery and exciting local culture that offers immense possibilities for the do-it-yourself traveller," the contest website (www.taiwanbesttrip.net) said.

"Experienced travellers worldwide are invited to submit money-saving yet creative itineraries for a trip in Taiwan, share their personal stories from the tour in audio/visual blog posts, and let people around the world see this island nation through their eyes," it added.

The tourism board of Australia's Queensland state this month picked a British charity fundraiser for the so-called "best job in the world" -- caretaker of an island in the Great Barrier Reef -- after the innovative marketing campaign that highlighted the power of social media.

The campaign attracted nearly 34,700 video entries from almost 200 countries, surpassing all expectations in promoting tourism in the Australian state.

"The headline of our event is like theirs, but the format isn't the same, and the outcome isn't the same," said Cheng Ying-huei, a Taiwan tourism bureau official. "We think the international response should be good."

Although Taiwan's contest, under study since October, sounds similar to the Australian campaign, it works differently.

The 50 groups, to be picked before July 10 based on proposed itineraries, will get T$28,000 (A$110) each to spend over four days and write credible, creative accounts of their trips by the end of August in English, Chinese or Japanese, Cheng said.

The grand prize winner also has to spend the money within one month and only in Taiwan.

Taiwan's cabinet in April approved T$30 billion to promote tourism, aiming for T$550 billion in related revenues in 2012.

Taiwan attracts many tourists from east Asia, where it is known for mountain scenic spots and urban landmarks such as the National Palace Museum, but travellers from other parts of the world often pass it over.

Reuters
www.smh.com.au

[atom]

Top 10 dive sites of the world

From the weird micro-creatures at the bottom of the Bismarck Sea to shark feeding frenzies off Cocos Island, Tim Ecott reveals where to experience the thrills of the deep

1. Rocktail Bay, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

The water in the Maputaland Marine Reserve can be on the cool side, but there are plenty of tropical fish and excellent chances of seeing some really big pelagic species. Rocktail Bay Lodge has the only dive boat on this stretch of fabulous coast, and I even saw bottle-nosed dolphins and humpback whales on the way to the dive site. Clive and Darryl, the dive team, now send me regular emails detailing their encounters with everything from whale sharks and even tiger sharks, as well the more endearing species such as clownfish and manta rays. Between November and February you will see nesting leatherback turtles along the wild sandy shores of Manzengwenya.
Dive details: The Lodge costs from £125pp a night including all meals, with diving around £35 a dive. More information from Wilderness Safaris.


2. Rangiroa, Polynesia

Few places have captured my imagination like Polynesia, and the beautiful islands of the Tuamotu Archipelago about 250 miles from Tahiti felt incredibly remote. Rangiroa means "Long Sky" and it is the second largest atoll in the world. Two passes, or channels, named Tiputa and Avatoru, allow the Pacific into and out of the lagoon twice daily when the tides turn. I remember being carried through by the incoming tide and sharing the ride with scores of grey reef sharks, dolphins, mantas and sometimes large hammerhead sharks, too. It is high adrenalin diving, but above water, the atoll is one of the most laidback places in the world.
Dive details: Dive with The Six Passengers and stay in a locally run pension such as the Tuanake for around £50pp a night.


3. Sulawesi, Indonesia

The dive sites around the small cluster of islands off the tip of Sulawesi have some of the greatest marine biodiversity on Earth. I spent most of my time here looking for pygmy seahorses, but there are more fish, nudibranchs, flat worms and healthy corals than anyone can name, not to mention the chance of bigger things swimming in from the blue. The Bunaken National Marine Park is a world leader in sustainable tourism with every diver paying a park fee that is shared among local communities. Staying with the eccentric but lovable fish-obsessed Christianne Muller and her team at Froggies Divers on Bunaken is unforgettable, with communal dinners each night where everyone talks about the day's diving, fish, sharks and where they will dive tomorrow.
Dive details: Froggies Divers from £15pp a night and expect to pay £40 for a two tank dive with a maximum of two divers per guide. More information from Dive North Sulawesi.



4. The Maldives

The best way to see the Maldives is on a dedicated live-aboard boat: you get as many as four dives a day and it works out good value for money. From May until September (during the south-west monsoon) you are pretty much guaranteed to see manta rays but they are there all year round. North Male atoll and South Ari atoll provide reliably good diving around the atoll walls, with healthy numbers of sharks, turtles and schooling game fish as well as all the small colourful reef life you expect to see. The Maldives still have the best all-round diving in the Indian Ocean, and I feel the adventure begins the minute I get picked up from the airport for a speedboat ride to the dive boat.
Dive details: Maldives Scuba Tours run two excellent live-aboards – MV Sea Spirit and MV Sea Queen with some special expeditions where divers can help with manta ray research - from £1,350 for a week’s all inclusive diving including airfares from London.


5. Little Cayman, British West Indies

Most Caribbean diving is not what it once was, having fallen prey to pollution caused by overdevelopment, golf courses and general over-fishing, but Little Cayman still has a special atmosphere. The island is small – about ten miles long – with just 200 permanent residents. On the northern shore there is the spectacular Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson’s Point, where a sheer coral cliff drops 2,000 metres (7,000ft) into a submarine trench. The wall made me feel dizzy the first time I swam over the edge because the water is so miraculously clear. It is not where I would go to see big fish or loads of sharks, but for relaxing warm water diving in fairly easy conditions this is very hard to beat.
Dive details: Unspoiled diving does not come cheap this close to the USA, so expect to pay around £1,500 for a week’s diving and accommodation. The best place to stay on Little Cayman is the Southern Cross Club.


6. Cocos and Malpelo, Eastern Pacific

These two isolated islands are visited only by divers and members of the Costa Rican and Colombian coast guard. I have never heard of anyone going to Cocos and not seeing schools of hammerhead sharks, nocturnal feeding frenzies by white tip reef sharks and silky sharks. Both islands are marine reserves and have their own endemic land and marine species. The islands are stunningly beautiful, and their isolation gives them a degree of protection. Big schools of tuna and jacks come swooping in from the blue and there are more than two dozen endemic fish species on Cocos alone, including the weird looking red-lipped batfish. The only way to visit the islands is on a dedicated safari boat such as the Undersea Hunter. Dive details: Undersea Hunter - around £2,500 for a 13-day voyage visiting both islands.


7. The Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea

I happen to like coral and sponges and sea slugs and all the weirdly shaped micro-creatures that crawl, slither and hop along the reefs. That is why I love the “fertile triangle” of the Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG), where marine biodiversity is the highest on the planet. Getting to PNG from Europe is a long slog, and once in Port Moresby you need to fly on to New Britain Island, but the diving makes up for it. Night diving on the offshore sea mounts rising from the abyss in the Bismarck Sea cured me of my fear of being in the sea at night. Apart from the big stuff, you will see squat lobsters and sponge crabs, dwarf scorpion fish and pygmy seahorses. Some of the best shore diving in the world is accessible from the Walindi Plantation Resort in Kimbe Bay, where biologists have identified more than 800 marine species.
Dive details: Walindi Plantation Resort - around £100 a night on full board.


8. Sipadan Island, Malaysian Borneo

Malaysia’s only oceanic island is a tiny dot in the South China Sea. Underwater it is a magnet for fish: schools of barracuda, trevally and horse-eye jacks swarm over the reefs, which are also home to dozens of breeding hawksbill and green turtles. The turtles are accustomed to divers and I have never found a better place to get up close to these gentlest of reptiles. Shark encounters are reliably good here, though the currents can be strong and I would not recommend Sipadan for inexperienced divers. Close by, the reefs of Mabul and Kapalai are fantastic for spotting rare mandarin fish (I saw them mating at dusk), sea wasps and lots of nudibranchs.
Dive details: Dive Worldwide offers seven nights at Kapalai Resort from £1,603 (full board) including flights via Singapore with up to three boat dives a day and unlimited shore diving.


9. Surin and Similan Islands, Thailand

Close to the border between Thai and Burmese waters lie a string of islands in the Andaman Sea. There is an element of “wilderness diving” hereabouts and a huge choice of little visited dive sites. At Koh Bon, the pinnacle rises from the ocean depths and attracts groups of feeding game-fish as well as whale sharks, mantas and leopard sharks. Richelieu Rock is a similarly rich site, world famous among experienced divers for the plethora of macro-life inhabiting its coral encrusted slopes.
Dive details: The best way to visit the islands is on the luxury live-aboard Ocean Rover - £1,270 for seven-night cruises departing from Phuket.


10. Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands

This is shipwreck heaven. I am not a big fan of wreck diving but I would still put Bikini Atoll very near the top of my wishlist. Halfway between Australia and Honolulu, the Marshall Islands have some of the least explored diving sites on the planet. Bikini Atoll, famously used as an atomic test site in the 1950s is the resting place of several warships including the USS Saratoga – an aircraft carrier longer than the Titanic. Because the island itself is uninhabited (contaminated by radiation), Bikini lagoon has become an unofficial marine reserve where the fish life is stunning. For 10 years a small number of scuba divers have been allowed to dive on the sunken war ships – including a Japanese submarine and several US Navy destroyers. It is the kind of place divers dream of – at a price.
Dive details: Expect to pay around £3,500 for a week’s diving and airfares via Honolulu, Majuro and Bikini. More information from Scuba Safaris.

Tim Ecott guardian.co.uk, Thursday 14 December 2006 13.13 GMT Article history
Dive school ... sites offering the greatest marine biodiversity are scattered throughout the world. Photograph: Corbis


1. Rocktail Bay, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

The water in the Maputaland Marine Reserve can be on the cool side, but there are plenty of tropical fish and excellent chances of seeing some really big pelagic species. Rocktail Bay Lodge has the only dive boat on this stretch of fabulous coast, and I even saw bottle-nosed dolphins and humpback whales on the way to the dive site. Clive and Darryl, the dive team, now send me regular emails detailing their encounters with everything from whale sharks and even tiger sharks, as well the more endearing species such as clownfish and manta rays. Between November and February you will see nesting leatherback turtles along the wild sandy shores of Manzengwenya.
Dive details: The Lodge costs from £125pp a night including all meals, with diving around £35 a dive. More information from Wilderness Safaris.


2. Rangiroa, Polynesia

Few places have captured my imagination like Polynesia, and the beautiful islands of the Tuamotu Archipelago about 250 miles from Tahiti felt incredibly remote. Rangiroa means "Long Sky" and it is the second largest atoll in the world. Two passes, or channels, named Tiputa and Avatoru, allow the Pacific into and out of the lagoon twice daily when the tides turn. I remember being carried through by the incoming tide and sharing the ride with scores of grey reef sharks, dolphins, mantas and sometimes large hammerhead sharks, too. It is high adrenalin diving, but above water, the atoll is one of the most laidback places in the world.
Dive details: Dive with The Six Passengers and stay in a locally run pension such as the Tuanake for around £50pp a night.


3. Sulawesi, Indonesia

The dive sites around the small cluster of islands off the tip of Sulawesi have some of the greatest marine biodiversity on Earth. I spent most of my time here looking for pygmy seahorses, but there are more fish, nudibranchs, flat worms and healthy corals than anyone can name, not to mention the chance of bigger things swimming in from the blue. The Bunaken National Marine Park is a world leader in sustainable tourism with every diver paying a park fee that is shared among local communities. Staying with the eccentric but lovable fish-obsessed Christianne Muller and her team at Froggies Divers on Bunaken is unforgettable, with communal dinners each night where everyone talks about the day's diving, fish, sharks and where they will dive tomorrow.
Dive details: Froggies Divers from £15pp a night and expect to pay £40 for a two tank dive with a maximum of two divers per guide. More information from Dive North Sulawesi.



4. The Maldives

The best way to see the Maldives is on a dedicated live-aboard boat: you get as many as four dives a day and it works out good value for money. From May until September (during the south-west monsoon) you are pretty much guaranteed to see manta rays but they are there all year round. North Male atoll and South Ari atoll provide reliably good diving around the atoll walls, with healthy numbers of sharks, turtles and schooling game fish as well as all the small colourful reef life you expect to see. The Maldives still have the best all-round diving in the Indian Ocean, and I feel the adventure begins the minute I get picked up from the airport for a speedboat ride to the dive boat.
Dive details: Maldives Scuba Tours run two excellent live-aboards – MV Sea Spirit and MV Sea Queen with some special expeditions where divers can help with manta ray research - from £1,350 for a week’s all inclusive diving including airfares from London.


5. Little Cayman, British West Indies

Most Caribbean diving is not what it once was, having fallen prey to pollution caused by overdevelopment, golf courses and general over-fishing, but Little Cayman still has a special atmosphere. The island is small – about ten miles long – with just 200 permanent residents. On the northern shore there is the spectacular Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson’s Point, where a sheer coral cliff drops 2,000 metres (7,000ft) into a submarine trench. The wall made me feel dizzy the first time I swam over the edge because the water is so miraculously clear. It is not where I would go to see big fish or loads of sharks, but for relaxing warm water diving in fairly easy conditions this is very hard to beat.
Dive details: Unspoiled diving does not come cheap this close to the USA, so expect to pay around £1,500 for a week’s diving and accommodation. The best place to stay on Little Cayman is the Southern Cross Club.


6. Cocos and Malpelo, Eastern Pacific

These two isolated islands are visited only by divers and members of the Costa Rican and Colombian coast guard. I have never heard of anyone going to Cocos and not seeing schools of hammerhead sharks, nocturnal feeding frenzies by white tip reef sharks and silky sharks. Both islands are marine reserves and have their own endemic land and marine species. The islands are stunningly beautiful, and their isolation gives them a degree of protection. Big schools of tuna and jacks come swooping in from the blue and there are more than two dozen endemic fish species on Cocos alone, including the weird looking red-lipped batfish. The only way to visit the islands is on a dedicated safari boat such as the Undersea Hunter. Dive details: Undersea Hunter - around £2,500 for a 13-day voyage visiting both islands.


7. The Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea

I happen to like coral and sponges and sea slugs and all the weirdly shaped micro-creatures that crawl, slither and hop along the reefs. That is why I love the “fertile triangle” of the Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG), where marine biodiversity is the highest on the planet. Getting to PNG from Europe is a long slog, and once in Port Moresby you need to fly on to New Britain Island, but the diving makes up for it. Night diving on the offshore sea mounts rising from the abyss in the Bismarck Sea cured me of my fear of being in the sea at night. Apart from the big stuff, you will see squat lobsters and sponge crabs, dwarf scorpion fish and pygmy seahorses. Some of the best shore diving in the world is accessible from the Walindi Plantation Resort in Kimbe Bay, where biologists have identified more than 800 marine species.
Dive details: Walindi Plantation Resort - around £100 a night on full board.


8. Sipadan Island, Malaysian Borneo

Malaysia’s only oceanic island is a tiny dot in the South China Sea. Underwater it is a magnet for fish: schools of barracuda, trevally and horse-eye jacks swarm over the reefs, which are also home to dozens of breeding hawksbill and green turtles. The turtles are accustomed to divers and I have never found a better place to get up close to these gentlest of reptiles. Shark encounters are reliably good here, though the currents can be strong and I would not recommend Sipadan for inexperienced divers. Close by, the reefs of Mabul and Kapalai are fantastic for spotting rare mandarin fish (I saw them mating at dusk), sea wasps and lots of nudibranchs.
Dive details: Dive Worldwide offers seven nights at Kapalai Resort from £1,603 (full board) including flights via Singapore with up to three boat dives a day and unlimited shore diving.


9. Surin and Similan Islands, Thailand

Close to the border between Thai and Burmese waters lie a string of islands in the Andaman Sea. There is an element of “wilderness diving” hereabouts and a huge choice of little visited dive sites. At Koh Bon, the pinnacle rises from the ocean depths and attracts groups of feeding game-fish as well as whale sharks, mantas and leopard sharks. Richelieu Rock is a similarly rich site, world famous among experienced divers for the plethora of macro-life inhabiting its coral encrusted slopes.
Dive details: The best way to visit the islands is on the luxury live-aboard Ocean Rover - £1,270 for seven-night cruises departing from Phuket.


10. Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands

This is shipwreck heaven. I am not a big fan of wreck diving but I would still put Bikini Atoll very near the top of my wishlist. Halfway between Australia and Honolulu, the Marshall Islands have some of the least explored diving sites on the planet. Bikini Atoll, famously used as an atomic test site in the 1950s is the resting place of several warships including the USS Saratoga – an aircraft carrier longer than the Titanic. Because the island itself is uninhabited (contaminated by radiation), Bikini lagoon has become an unofficial marine reserve where the fish life is stunning. For 10 years a small number of scuba divers have been allowed to dive on the sunken war ships – including a Japanese submarine and several US Navy destroyers. It is the kind of place divers dream of – at a price.
Dive details: Expect to pay around £3,500 for a week’s diving and airfares via Honolulu, Majuro and Bikini. More information from Scuba Safaris.

www.guardian.co.uk

[napoleon]

Thai press news today.

Thailand has 7eleven that 4,912 shops.

Top 3 in the world replace the position of Taiwan.

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EC scolds airlines for misleading on fare

The European Commission has publicly reprimanded Emirates, Turkish Airlines , Royal Air Maroc and six other airlines for persistently misleading customers on their websites.

Another group, including British Airways, Air France/KLM, Germanwings, Niki and Sky Europe, are holding talks with the Commission to improve the accuracy of their websites.

A failure to properly warn passengers about fuel surcharges appears to be the main failing.

The Commission's "black list", which also includes the likes of Aeroflot, Northwest and Olympic, emerged from an 18-month crackdown on misleading adverts and unfair practices reported on 137 airline websites in 15 European Union countries plus Norway.

Many of the complaints refer to deceptive "headline" prices, which disguise hidden extra costs.

To comply with EU consumer protection rules, websites were judged according to a 14-point checklist, which asked if all such extras such as taxes, charges and fees were included, and if extra costs were added as opt-in or opt-out options.

While 115 of the offending websites have since agreed to comply with EU rules, the nine airlines either ignored or responded inadequately to complaints, said consumer protection commissioner Meglena Kuneva.

"This a signal that they do not care about their customers," Kuneva said.
However, officials pointed to the fact that the vast majority of airlines - 52 out of 67 - have either been given a "clean bill of health", or have promptly committed themselves to addressing the issues raised.

That list now includes previous offenders such as low-cost carrier Ryanair and Austrian Airlines.

"This first pan-European enforcement investigation has shown it has real teeth and can deliver," Kuneva said.
Media reports said the European Commission, which launched its investigation in September 2007, has given persistent offenders until July to remedy the situation or face the wrath of national regulators.
by Ian Jarrett, Travelmole

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10 Fastest Growing Cities in the World 2008

Sometimes a vacation in the sun just isn’t enough to get you on the right track. While some people choose challenging destinations or turquoise waters and golden beaches, others choose to admire great architectural buildings and see just how much a city can grow. If you’re looking for new travel destinations, here are the 10 fastest growing cities in the world, based on stats from international and national statistics organizations. For most of these objectives, the surroundings are more attractive than the city itself.

10. Chittagong, the second largest city in Bangladesh is attractive for its idyllic surroundings, between mountains and rivers. With amazing green surroundings, the city is considered by many a great travel destination, with cool climate and long stretches of sandy beaches. Amazing sunsets, waterfalls, and tropical forests are just a few of nature’s attractions.

9. The Tanzanian city, Dar es Salaam (translated “House of Peace” in Arabic) has grown rapidly since independence, becoming more or more crowded for its 2 million inhabitants. Located near a harbor, the fish market is roaming everyday with locals or curious tourists. The main attractions are the botanical gardens, the near-by National Museum and Jamhuri, Mkunguni, Zanaki – arguably the best restaurants in the world.

8. Founded in 1607, Faridabad is the most populated and industrialized city in the whole in the Haryana region. The city is known for being India’s industrial center, with companies producing, among others, shoes, tires and vehicles. As for touristm, the most popular attractions in Faridabad are the Suraj Kund Tourist Complex, the Aravalli Golf Club and the Badkhal Lake Tourist Complex.

7. Lagos is the most populated city in the largest African country, Nigeria. Lagos became a huge metropolis and the commercial and industrial hub of Nigeria, benefiting from the country’s natural resources. Urban renewal has been mainly focused on building roads and drainage channels, to provide the entire city with the necessary utilities. Victoria Island is one of the trendiest areas of the city, having several shopping districts, and the Silverbird Galleria, the country’s largest mall and Movie Theater.

6. Bamako, the capital of Mali, is rapidly growing as one can daily see from the horrible traffic and the crowds of people. Nonetheless, the country is renowned for culture, for the inland delta and for one of the largest libraries in the world. Even if the government is struggling to secure the country’s economi, Mali remains one of the world’s poorest countries, with an annual per capita income of $260.

5. One of the fastest growing cities in the world when it comes to economy, Kabul is one of the highest capital cities in the World, being an important pass in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Considering the recent outbursts, Kabul is probably one of the cities on the list you won’t want to visit any time soon.

4. The fourth fastest growing city in the world, Surat dates back to the years of Mahabharat i.e. about year 3,000 B.C. Legend has it that Krishna himself stopped in his way to Dwarka with his cows, their frontprints being visible even today at a place popularly called “Gai Pagli”. As of 2007, Surat and its metropolitan area have a population of roughly 4 million. The city is known worldwide for its unique Surti cuisine, an inspiration for many of India’s dishes. Among the most popular tourist objectives in Surat, don’t miss your chance to visit the Water Fun Park, the Dutch Garden or the Vandasa Natural Park.

3. One of the oldest cities in Arabia, Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years. At an altitude of 2350 meters, Sana’a is home to one of the largest museums in open air in the world. Apart from this, 103 mosques, 14 hammams and over 6,000 houses, all built before the 11th century can be seen throughout the city. Sana’s is said to have been founded by Shem, one of the three sons of Noah. Sana‘a is the commercial center of a fruit-growing region and the political capital of the country.

2. Second in the chart is the Indian city Ghaziabad, located in the Uttar Pradesh state. Being primarily an industrial city, Ghaziabad has several flourishing industries, as hi-tech, diesel engines or even liquer. Several world class malls dotting the city as Pacific and Shipra are the spots where any shop-a-holic can spend an hour or two shopping. Garhmukteshwar Ganga Fair is another people destination that attracts thousands of people every year.

1. Developing in perfect standard with modern city requirements, Beihai in China has been named the fastest growing city worldwide. From straight roads to flourishing trees, from fine beaches and clear waters to a sweet air, Beihai is a romantic city with amazing subtropical seaside scenery. Being a hub city connecting the southwest of China to Southeast Asia but also a great tourist destination, Beihai quickly grew from a small harbor a modern city, in constant development. Tourist baits include Beibu Gulf Square, Silver Beach, Dongpo Pavilion, and Wenchang Pagoda.
www.citymayors.com

Fastest growing cities and urban areas (1 to 100) Rank City/Urban area Country Average annual growth
2006 to 2020, in %
1 Beihai China 10.58
2 Ghaziabad India 5.20
3 Sana'a Yemen 5.00
4 Surat India 4.99
5 Kabul Afghanistan 4.74
6 Bamako Mali 4.45
7 Lagos Nigeria 4.44
8 Faridabad India 4.44
9 Dar es Salaam Tanzania 4.39
10 Chittagong Bangladesh 4.29
11 Toluca Mexico 4.25
12 Lubumbashi Congo 4.10
13 Kampala Uganda 4.03
14 Santa Cruz Bolivia 3.98
15 Luanda Angola 3.96
16 Nashik India 3.90
17 Kinshasa Congo 3.89
18 Nairobi Kenya 3.87
19 Dhaka Bangladesh 3.79
20 Antananarivo Madagascar 3.73
21 Patna India 3.72
22 Rajkot India 3.63
23 Conakry Guinea 3.61
24 Jaipur India 3.60
25 Maputo Mozambique 3.54
26 Mogadishu Somalia 3.52
27 Gujranwala Pakistan 3.49
28 Delhi India 3.48
29 Pune (Poona) India 3.46
30 Las Vegas USA 3.45
31 Addis Ababa Ethiopia 3.40
32 Indore India 3.35
33 Faisalabad Pakistan 3.32
34 Rawalpindi Pakistan 3.31
35 Brazzaville Congo 3.29
36 Peshawar Pakistan 3.29
37 Khulna Bangladesh 3.24
38 Suwon Republic of Korea 3.23
39 Karachi Pakistan 3.19
40 Asunción Paraguay 3.17
41 Lahore Pakistan 3.12
42 Asansol India 3.11
43 Riyadh Saudi Arabia 3.09
44 Dakar Senegal 3.06
45 Multan Pakistan 3.06
46 Valencia Venezuela 3.05
47 Jakarta Indonesia 3.03
48 Brasília Brazil 2.99
49 Port-au-Prince Haiti 2.98
50 Palembang Indonesia 2.94
51 Jidda Saudi Arabia 2.93
52 Accra Ghana 2.93
53 Agra India 2.93
54 Hyderabad Pakistan 2.91
55 Bandung Indonesia 2.90
56 Wenzhou China 2.90
57 East Rand (Ekurhuleni) South Africa 2.89
58 Wuhan China 2.87
59 Mosul Iraq 2.86
60 Amritsar India 2.85
61 Bursa Turkey 2.85
62 Manaus Brazil 2.83
63 Meerut India 2.83
64 Yaoundé Cameroon 2.80
65 Changsha China 2.80
66 Belém Brazil 2.79
67 Bangalore India 2.79
68 Heze China 2.78
69 Tijuana Mexico 2.77
70 Shantou China 2.77
71 Maceió Brazil 2.75
72 Algiers Algeria 2.74
73 Ahmadabad India 2.73
74 Lucknow India 2.72
75 Douala Cameroon 2.71
76 Austin USA 2.69
77 Bhopal India 2.69
78 Atlanta USA 2.64
79 Ujung Pandang Indonesia 2.63
80 Ludhiana India 2.63
81 Managua Nicaragua 2.62
82 Zhanjiang China 2.59
83 Karaj Iran 2.59
84 Jamshedpur India 2.59
85 Mecca Saudi Arabia 2.56
86 Vadodara India 2.55
87 Davao Philippines 2.53
88 Kanpur India 2.53
89 Ciudad Juárez Mexico 2.51
90 Tegucigalpa Honduras 2.51
91 Shenzhen China 2.51
92 Srinagar India 2.50
93 Coimbatore India 2.49
94 Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire 2.49
95 Yangon Myanmar 2.46
96 Dhanbad India 2.46
97 Rabat Morocco 2.45
98 Aleppo Syria 2.42
99 San José Costa Rica 2.42
100 Khartoum Sudan 2.41

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The world's richest cities by personal net earnings in 2008
Rank Cities Index
New York =100

1 Zurich 140.3
2 Dublin 132.3
3 Oslo 131.7
4 Geneva 130.4
5 Luxembourg 120.0
6 Copenhagen 114.1
7 London 110.0
8 Helsinki 108.7
9 Frankfurt 102.4
10 Munich 101.4
11 New York 100.0
12 Berlin 98.3
13 Vienna 97.9
14 Los Angeles 96.7
15 Sydney 95.8
16 Chicago 94.1
17 Brussels 93.3
18 Stockholm 92.2
19 Toronto 91.6
20 Tokyo 89.3
21 Montreal 87.7
22 Auckland 87.5
23 Amsterdam 87.3
24 Lyon 83.3
25 Nicosia 83.3
26 Paris 81.4
27 Barcelona 81.4
28 Madrid 78.6
29 Miami 74.4
30 Milan 71.0
31 Dubai 64.2
32 Athens 59.3
33 Rome 59.0
34 Seoul 50.6
35 Lisbon 46.1
36 Singapore 45.0
37 Taipei 43.4
38 Manama 38.1
39 Ljubljana 36.4
40 Sao Paulo 35.9
41 Johannesburg 35.4
42 Hong Kong 35.4
43 Prague 34.7
44 Moscow 31.6
45 Istanbul 31.3
46 Tallinn 29.3
47 Bratislava 26.6
48 Santiago de Chile 26.4
49 Rio de Janeiro 26.1
50 Budapest 25.6
51 Warsaw 24.8
52 Caracas 22.6
53 Vilnius 21.0
54 Riga 21.0
55 Buenos Aires 19.6
56 Lima 18.2
57 Kuala Lumpur 17.8
58 Bucharest 15.9
59 Bogota 15.7
60 Shanghai 15.5
61 Mexico City 14.0
62 Sofia 13.4
63 Kiev 13.1
64 Nairobi 13.0
65 Beijing 12.9
66 Bangkok 12.8
67 Mumbai 10.8
68 Manila 9.8
69 Delhi 9.7
70 Jakarta 8.3

Methodology
These calculations are based on wage figures, social security contributions and working hours in 2006 for fourteen widespread professions. Uniform criteria were used with regard to work experience, age, marital status etc. The wage index was weighted by the share of each occupation in overall employment and overall income and also by gender. The figures relate to pay net of taxes and social security contributions. In calculating the 2008 update of the wage index, USB not only took account of exchange rates and inflation, but also factored in that part of the economic growth was due to productivity improvements and was therefore passed on to employees in the form of higher pay.

The world's richest cities by purchasing power in 2008
Rank Cities Index
New York = 100

1 Zurich 143.7
2 Geneva 135.8
3 Luxembourg 130.6
4 Berlin 128.6
5 Dublin 125.7
6 Frankfurt 124.3
7 Auckland 121.8
8 Los Angeles 119.8
9 Munich 119.5
10 Oslo 117.3
11 Helsinki 117.2
12 Sydney 116.5
13 Chicago 115.1
14 Brussels 114.3
15 Toronto 113.8
16 Copenhagen 111.3
17 Vienna 110.9
18 Montreal 109.7
19 Lyon 106.1
20 Nicosia 105.2
21 Barcelona 101.8
22 Miami 101.7
23 Stockholm 101.5
24 Amsterdam 101.3
25 NewYork 100.0
26 Madrid 97.4
27 Tokyo 94.5
28 London 91.5
29 Dubai 88.2
30 Paris 87.7
31 Milan 87.4
32 Athens 84.8
33 Johannesburg 77.9
34 Taipei 76.9
35 Rome 73.3
36 Manama 69.5
37 Kuala Lumpur 68.7
38 Seoul 66.6
39 Singapore 63.9
40 Prague 62.1
41 Lisbon 61.8
42 Ljubljana 60.4
43 Buenos Aires 57.1
44 Sao Paulo 55.3
45 Bratislava 49.7
46 Hong Kong 48.9
47 Tallinn 46.4
48 Lima 46.3
49 Moscow 44.4
50 Santiago de Chile 44.2
51 Vilnius 42.2
52 Budapest 41.3
53 Istanbul 40.8
54 Rio de Janeiro 39.3
55 Warsaw 39.1
56 Riga 38.4
57 Shanghai 35.8
58 Caracas 33.0
59 Bogotá 31.9
60 Beijing 29.7
61 Bucharest 29.6
62 Mexico City 28.5
63 Nairobi 28.0
64 Kiev 27.4
65 Bangkok 27.1
66 Sofia 25.4
67 Delhi 23.4
68 Manila 22.7
69 Mumbai 21.7
70 Jakarta 18.1

Note
When comparing purchasing power, it should be noted that local employees would buy a different set of items in Asian or African cities than their counterparts in Europe or North America. Imported products are particularly important, since as they are not much cheaper in emerging countries than they are in Western Europe and North America.
Methodology
Net hourly income divided by the cost of the entire basket of commodities incl. rent. 3 Listed according to the index value per net hourly wage.
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