Airport Security Essay Example for Free

Airport Security Essay The department of homeland security has spent $40 billion rebuilding the aviation security system since September 11, 2001. Since then airport security has changed drastically, changed the whole world’s attitude towards airport security. The terrorist attack also showed the entire world how easily the old system was to manipulate and how much improvement airports need before they can truly be considered secure. The attacks forced the airline industry to renew and strengthen their focus on security. Many airports in the U.S. have introduced ethnic profiling since September 11, 2001 and the evidence shows this method has helped improve airport security. â€Å"The suspects who have since 9/11/01 been picked up are at least mostly Arabs† (Gale â€Å"Airport Security.† Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection). Security checks are not intended to embarrass or harm anybody; they are a necessary precaution to protect all passengers including Muslims. Not only does the TSA keep an eye on airline security around the globe, but also they have many different layers of security in our nation’s airports. The newest and most controversially is the full body scanner. These x-ray machines strip a person down to their birthday suit. Airport screeners are now federal employees. People are now having to wait longer to be able to pass thru security line to check in. many travelers get pulled aside for full body searches. There are 40 active full body scanners at 19 different airports, by the end of the year officials would like 500 in place. Today forty five thousand employees are working as passenger’s screeners in more than four hundred airports around the country. â€Å"Our top priority is the safety of the traveling public, and TSA constantly strives to explore and implement new technologies that enhance security and strengthen privacy protections for the traveling public†. (â€Å"TSA Takes Next Steps to Further Enhance Passenger Privacy.†) Though airport security was enforced, there was another incident. On Christmas December 25,2009, a twenty-three year old Nigerian named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate explosives aboard a Northwest Airlines flight traveling from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan. Abdulmutallab had hidden plastic explosives in his underwear, which had gone undetected during the passenger screening process. Abdulmutallab had also been identified as having connection to the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda less than two months before the attempted bombing, and his own father had contacted the American embassy in Nigeria to warn them of his son’s extremist beliefs. The only reason the bombing  Failed was because abdulmutallab did not properly activate the device, and other passengers aboard the plane subdued him. Two weeks after that incident Obama administration mandated extra scrutiny- including full body pat downs- for people flying into the United States from 14 mostly Muslim countries. Under the new rules, all citizens of Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen must receive a pat down and an extra check of their carry-on bags before boarding a plane bound for the united states, officials said. Citizens of Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria- nations considered â€Å"state sponsors of terrorism† (â€Å"Airport Security† January 6,2010). Airlines are still responsible for checking passenger information against government-issued watch lists intended to flag potentially dangerous travelers. Two of the lists are often referred to as the â€Å"No-Fly† (â€Å"Airport Security† January 6,2010) list, are the â€Å"Terrorist Watch List†, (â€Å"Airport Security† January 6,2010) and travelers appearing on these lists are subject to more detailed search or in the case of the â€Å"No Fly† list, are denied the ability to travel. We should appreciate that the airport security is making our trip safe and secure. Any inconvenience people feel is unimportant compared with saving lives by preventing terrorist attacks.

James Joyces Eveline and Araby Essay -- Papers James Joyce

James Joyce's Eveline and Araby James Joyce uses similar themes and language devices in both 'Araby' and 'Eveline.' Although this is so, there are also important differences to be noted. Joyce wrote these stories over one hundred years ago but yet we can still relate to the issues covered in the modern world today. James Joyce could have written these short stories as an inspiration from his own background or based them on the events happening in Dublin at that time. These stories were written as a new century was beginning. The people of Dublin soon realized the sense of hope for the new century had faded due to the fall and death of Parnell. This relates to both of the stories as a sense of false hope is given in each. Joyce sensed exhaustion and emptiness in Dublin and these are also the emotional results in both stories. In 'Araby,' the story is written in first person narrative. This gives you a chance to get a detailed point of view of the boy's feelings. This makes you more emotionally involved in the story, as it becomes more convincing if you understand the range of emotions the boy is going through. On top of this, the story is written as though it were an event, which happened many years ago. It could have been a significant event in his life as it is very much portrayed in this way. In 'Eveline,' the narration is third person. Although the feelings are not expressed deeply, you can still get a sense of the emotions she was feeling. These emotions are expressed greatly through rhetorical questions. Themes are an important issue in both stories. Both stories contain the themes of blind love, religion, family, p... ... frequently in both. An example from 'Eveline' is, 'Why should she be unhappy?' This line shows that even though there is a third person narration, we can still experience her feelings. Both stories have a modern relevance that we can interact with. In 'Araby,' the boy experiences momentary infatuation and this is something everyone experiences in some point of their life. In 'Eveline,' she feels that she has to escape from her family and run away with the man of her dreams. Do many women not dream of this today? In conclusion, I think that both these stories were both very similar as the themes and language devices are essential in both. It has a very good relevance to the modern world and the writer conveys different advantages by using different narration techniques in both. Both stories were successful!

Effects of Watching Reality Tv

Aaliyah Tate English 105 Ms. LoBosco Effect of Reality TV Shows on Teenage Girls The beginning of reality television started in the 1940s. Allen Funt's Candid Camera went on air in the year 1948. Candid Camera was a hidden camera television series, which record people who are placed in embarrassing, ridiculous, and hilarious positions, and show their reactions. When people watch reality TV, they tend to think that what they are seeing is a true depiction of reality. Because of that, they tend to believe that what they see on TV is how life really is.Many reality TV shows are created without thinking about its consequences on the mindsets of viewers, especially young viewers. Media companies accept that they make these shows for profit and they do not care about the effects on people. The target audience for most reality TV shows is teens, mostly young girls. These shows have a positive or negative effect on the many viewers and participants. Reality TV didn’t really become pop ular until the early 2000s. Since reality TV is becoming more popular, girls are turning to these shows for entertainment value and life lessons. There are some positive effects of watching these shows.Girls who watch more of this genre of TV have more confidence in themselves, and also consider themselves mature, smart, funny and outgoing, and a good influence (http://technorati. com). Many viewers think that they can relate to the cast members on these shows. Girls receive inspiration and comfort from reality TV. Most teen girls are obsessed with being beautiful and getting a boyfriend. The way the women look on the shows is how girls want to be and look like (http://www. dailyherald. com). Cast members may be their selves but the things they do are scripted by producers that get teenagers attention.The drama, relationships, partying, and glamorous lifestyle that they portray is entertaining. Reality TV shows expose bad behavior, which make viewers think that what they see is acce ptable. In reality, it’s a false reality. Keeping up with the Kardashians, Bad Girls Club, The Real Housewives: The Series, Teen Mom, and Jersey Shore are the main reality TV shows that teens are watching. Most young viewers prefer to watch reality TV shows like those. Each of these shows portrays something which is unrealistic and unaccepted, but audiences don't realize the impact of these shows (http://www. deseretnews. com).Reality TV is not exactly just real life on camera. Although there are some shows that are more realistic than others, all of them are edited. Scenes are shot over and over for better effect. The shows are edited to make them more interesting and exciting. When viewers watch this sort of show, they believe that reality is filled with conflict and other negative events. The viewer may see exciting things happening to people in these shows and compare those things that are happening to their â€Å"normal† lives. Viewers often make a connection with the actors on screen, and then decide to act as the people they admire.The producers of these shows don’t care how they affect or impact on a person’s life. They try to make these shows look real as possible, even though they are scripted. They shoot scenes over and over until they are satisfied. Reality TV show producers are motivated by money and attention-grabbing drama. They fire cast members who don’t appeal to the audience as well as others. In result, they plot scenarios that will result in over-the-top arguments. â€Å"Bad Girls Club† is a perfect example of this. There is a house with seven girls who don’t know each other and they see what happens.The cast members usually have many arguments and fights. After the fight the girl who threw the first punch gets sent home. They are mostly the girls who do not appeal to the audience. The shows exhibit all the qualities that entertain young girls, and also those that can easily influence them. Young girls tend to think that what they see on TV is how their relationships and lives should be. Reality TV shows give a false image of reality. The people watching them are thinking that everything happening in the show is real. Reality shows show real people and how they react to different situations.Many people are fascinated with watching how people react to different environments and different people. It is unpredictable and surprising. Every episode people are tuned in and curious as to what is going to happen next, which keeps them watching week after week. They only show the glamour and success, but not the hard work and sacrifice that is put into achieving all of it. Most adults are able to distinguish reality from fantasy, however most teenagers are incapable of doing so. Reality TV is like passing a car wreck on the highway- we have to look.

Sinai Peninsula

â€Å"In 1956, Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, a waterway marking the boundary between Egyptian territory in Africa and the Sinai Peninsula. Thereafter, Israeli ships were prohibited from using the Canal, owing to the state of war between the two states. Egypt also prohibited ships from using Egyptian territorial waters on the eastern side of the peninsula to travel to and from Israel, effectively imposing a blockade on the Israeli port of Eilat. Subsequently, in what is known in Egypt as the Tripartite Aggression, Israeli forces, aided by Britain, and France, invaded Sinai and occupied much of the peninsula within a few days. Several months later Israel withdrew its forces from Sinai, following strong pressure from the United States and the Soviet Union. Thereafter, the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) was stationed in Sinai to prevent any military occupation of the Sinai. In 1967, Egypt reinforced its military presence in Sinai, changed the prohibition of Israeli shipping using Egyptian territorial waters and on May 16, ordered the UNEF out of Sinai with immediate effect. Secretary-General U Thant eventually complied and ordered the withdrawal without Security Council authorization. Subsequent to Egyptian actions, Israel attacked Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, starting the Six-Day War. Israel captured the entire Sinai Peninsula, and Palestine's Strip from Egypt, the Palestinian West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan (which it had ruled since 1949), and the Golan Heights from Syria. The Suez Canal, the east bank of which was now occupied by Israel, was closed. Israel expelled thousands of Egyptians from Sinai, and commenced efforts at large scale Israeli settlement in the peninsula, concurrently with similar settlement in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Golan Heights. Following the Israeli conquest of Sinai, Egypt launched the War of Attrition aimed at forcing Israel to withdraw from Egyptian territory. The war saw protracted conflict in the Suez Canal Zone, ranging from limited to large scale combat. Israeli shelling of civilian areas in the cities of Port Said, Ismailia, and Suez on the west bank of the canal, led to high civilian casualties (including the virtual destruction of Suez), and contributed to the flight of some one million Egyptian internal refugees. Ultimately, the war concluded in 1970 with no change in the front line. Upon becoming President of Egypt following the death in office of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Al-Sadat sought a diplomatic solution to the conflict, offering peace and recognition to Israel in exchange for the Israeli withdrawal from all the Egyptian, Palestinian, and Syrian territory occupied in 1967, and a resolution of the Palestinian refugee problem. Israel rejected all of Egypt's proposals, with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir insisting that Sinai was now part of Israel, and that it would be settled by Israelis. Consequently, Egypt and Syria began planning jointly for a military offensive to re-take their respective territories under Israeli occupation. On 6 October 1973, Egypt commenced Operation Badr to liberate Sinai, whilst Syria launched a simultaneous operation to liberate the Golan Heights, thereby beginning the Yom Kippur War (known in Egypt as the October War). Egyptian engineering forces built pontoon bridges to cross the Suez Canal, and stormed the supposedly impregnable Bar-Lev Line, Israel's defensive line along the canal. Though the Egyptians maintained control of most of the east bank of the Canal, in the later stages of the war, the Israeli military crossed the southern section of Canal, cutting off the Egyptian 3rd Army, and occupied a section of the west bank. The war ended following a mutually agreed-upon ceasefire. After the war, as part of the subsequent Sinai Disengagement Agreements, Israel withdrew from the Canal, with Egypt agreeing to permit passage of Israeli ships. The canal was reopened in 1975, with President Sadat leading the first convoy through the canal aboard an Egyptian destroyer. In 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in which Israel agreed to withdraw from the entirety of Sinai. Israel subsequently withdrew in several stages, ending in 1982. The Israeli pull-out involved dismantling almost all Israeli settlements, including the settlement of Yamit in north-eastern Sinai. The exception was the coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh, which the Israelis had renamed as Ofira during the period of their occupation. The Treaty allows monitoring of Sinai by the Multinational Force and Observers, and limits the number of Egyptian military forces in the peninsula. † (Wikipedia, 2013) Problem Since Egypt and Israel were always fighting for the right to be at the Sinai Peninsula, they damaged it. Everyone is trying to have Sinai peninsula because of its important role when it came to power for trade in the sea. After a lot of years, Egypt finally came to make a peace treaty that said that Israel would have to withdraw from the entirety of Sinai. Israel did it, with the exception of the city of Sharm el-Sheikh. Causes Egypt and Israel wanted Sinai because of the trade they could gain if they had it for their country. Each wanted Sinai for the territory. Now days, there has been a lot of terrorist attacks because of the resentment of the poverty faced by many Bedouin in the area. Attacking the tourist industry was viewed as a method of damaging the industry so that the government would pay more attention to their situation. Since the 2011 Egyptian Revolution unrest has become more prevalent in the area including the 2012 Egyptian-Israeli border attack in which 16 Egyptian soldiers were killed by militants 3. Responsible People â€Å"The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights has denounced what it calls terrorist acts in Sinai in the early hours of Monday morning, blaming the Muslim Brotherhood for the violence in which civilians, including children, were killed and wounded. The organization blamed the Muslim Brotherhood for attacs which saw civilians, including children, killed Monday. The EOHR claimed Ikhwan leaders had aggravated the situation, by stating that â€Å"the situation in Sinai will calm down only if President [Mohamed] Morsy is reinstated. â€Å"† (Egypt Independent, 2013) Tripartite aggression: Because they invaded Sinai Peninsula Egypt government of that time: Because they nationalized the Suez Canal and began the war.

Essay on The company is Walmart Stores, Inc.Essay Writing Service

Essay on The company is Walmart Stores, Inc.Essay Writing Service Essay on The company is Walmart Stores, Inc. Essay on The company is Walmart Stores, Inc.It is important for any organization to have a code of ethics in order to guide employees how to behave in ambiguous situations and to share the principles of ethical behavior accepted in the organization. The purpose of this paper is to select a company, to identify whether this company uses a code of conduct, to analyze this code if it exists and to draft a code of ethics if the company does not have one.The chosen company is Walmart Stores, Inc. This is a multinational retailer operating in 27 countries and running chains of discount stores and warehouse stores. Walmart pays significant attention to ethics: the company has a Global Ethics Office which is responsible for encouraging ethical decision-making and resolving ethics concerns (Walmart, 2014).Walmart has a separate document named The Statement of Ethics. This document is meant to share attitudes and values that create an ethical workplace and expected standards of ethical conduc t. The document also helps recognize ethically questionable situations and prompts how to act in such situations. The document includes letter on ethics from Walmart CEO, guiding principles, employee responsibilities, approaches to reporting ethical violations, principles of leading with integrity inside and outside the company, community ethical principles and relevant contact information.With regard to code content organizing principles outlined by Berenbeim (1999), Walmarts code of ethics pays moderate attention to the role of business, does not pay much attention to company autonomy aspect and focuses strongly on three next principles global business practice, ethical decision-making procedures and ethical decision-making environment.Walmarts code of ethics satisfies the stylistic requirements to such documents (Berenbeim, 1999): it is easy to read, has sufficient detail (but not excessive detail), is graphically appealing, is relevant for the industry and market and is firmly grounded on Walmarts key values. Similarly to other codes of ethics, Walmarts code addresses such questions as security of proprietary information, environmental responsibility, employee privacy, substance abuse, employee privacy, etc.It is notable that Walmarts code of ethics largely addresses potential internal ethical issues such as conflicts of interests and potential community ethical issues such as safety, environment, international trade, public relationships, etc. In general, Walmarts code of ethics has all the necessary elements described by Berenbeim (1999) and can be viewed as an example of an efficient code of ethics.

War on Terrorism How to Cope with the Global Threat

War on Terrorism How to Cope with the Global Threat The war on terrorism is discussed as one of the most important and controversial questions concerning the global peace and development. The questions involve a lot of ethical and political issues which need the immediate solution because terrorist attacks become more frequent and crueler.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on War on Terrorism: How to Cope with the Global Threat? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Terrorism is often defined as the crime against humanity, the actions of terrorists are unpredictable, and terrorist attacks cause deaths of thousands of innocent people globally every year. The war on terrorism developed by the global organizations and by the US administration is directed toward defending the civil population from the cruelty of terrorists and toward weakening the forces of terrorist leading to the absolute destruction of terroristic organizations. However, the US politicians can face the significa nt problem while choosing the approach to fight. Following the liberal visions, many politicians along with Barack Obama are inclined to focus on the war on terrorism which is not against the abstract evil, but against the concrete organizations and their goals. Although the threat of terroristic actions against the civil population can be discussed as the terrifying reality today, the war on terrorism should not be ‘blind’ and based on extremes and active aggressive actions against immigrants, Muslims, or representatives of the radical movements in the United States because the war on terrorism is the conflict of only political, military, and social organizations’ visions. The war on terrorism cannot be discussed as the war between the good and evil which end will result in the victory of one of the sides. Terroristic organizations have definite goals according to which their activities are organized. These goals are based on political and military aspects as we ll as social questions. That is why, the war on terrorism should also depend on these factors, preventing events when the civil population can suffer from aggressive actions and misbalanced strategies of the anti-terror organizations.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The terroristic attack at the Boston Marathon provoked the intensification and development of the further discussion associated with the war on terrorism and methods used by the US authorities to prevent the worsening of the situation. Following the blasts at the Boston Marathon, President Obama said that they would find the persons responsible for the attack and would focus on the reasons for the terroristic attacks (Eligon and Cooper). Later, the authorities focused on two suspects, the Tsarnaev brothers. The persons responsible for the attacks were found, but causes for the cruel actions against the public re main the key questions which are not answered adequately as any other similar questions associated with the terrorist attacks (Schmitt et al.). As a result, the waves of suspicion are coming again, leading to a lot of extreme actions and violating the privacy rights. In spite of the fact the war on terrorism is the priority of not only the US administration but also of the global community, the approaches to win the war should be chosen according to the principles of balance and justice. The war cannot be just because of its nature. The war on terrorism can follow the principles of justice if it is directed toward preventing terroristic actions rather than toward fighting terrorists as a result of military actions. On the one hand, the war on terrorism is the political and military problem that is why the rules of warfare can be used effectively. On the other hand, a lot of the civil people can become victims of the military actions and specific anti-terror strategies. Thus, the bal anced measures to prevent terroristic acts should be developed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on War on Terrorism: How to Cope with the Global Threat? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nevertheless, there is one more challenge associated with the increased social and governmental suspicion. The war on terrorism should not become the cause for limiting the foreign and immigration polices. The threat of acts of terrorism should no be discussed as the reason for discriminating Muslims or violating privacy rights and civil liberties. Such actions as the implementation of cameras in the public places or limitations in relation to immigration and foreign policies should be discussed publicly with the help of polls and referendums (Schmitt et al.). It is rather difficult to develop the effective policy in relation to the war on terrorism because terrorists are not oriented to the peaceful regulation of the conflict. Thus, mi llions of people are at risk of becoming victims of the terrorist act every day. Paying more attention to suspicious persons and behaviours, authorities are inclined to prevent cruelty and mass killings of the civil population. However, it is important to control the intrusion into the private aspects of the people’s life. Today, many Americans agree with the balanced approaches followed by President Obama and Democratic Party in regulating the problems of terrorism. Although the question is rather controversial, and it is a challenge to assess this or that approach to overcoming the problem of the war on terrorism, it is important to concentrate on the clear idea that the war on terrorism should be developed, but with references to the effective methods.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The problem can be overcome if the situation of begging the question in the governmental discussions can be regulated appropriately (Kahane and Cavender 59). The other issue is the inconsistent visions of politicians in relation to the war on terrorism and approaches to develop the war. Thus, the strategy can be discussed as effective when politicians avoid their ‘blowing with the wind’, and the main state strategy is followed directly (Kahane and Cavender 55). Organization and consistence are the key factors in coping with the problematic questions. Security and peace can be achieved with the help of controlled and organized authorities’ actions and strategies. As a result, there are two rather opposite approaches to developing the war on terrorism. The supporters of the idea of active actions concentrate on effective military strategies and the persecution of Muslims. The followers of more peaceful methods discuss the ideas of decreasing the public privacy and limiting the immigration of Muslims in the USA. Two approaches can be discussed as rather provocative and cannot guarantee the positive results in the war on terrorism. Following this or that strategy, it is possible to intensify the conflict and provoke new attacks because civil liberties of many people can be violated. That is why, politicians should focus on the most balanced policy against terrorists which can protect the civil public and become the real threat for terrorists. To contribute to the effective results, the actions oriented to tokenism should be avoided. The combination of the mentioned approaches with references to the idea of the population’s protection and focus on civil rights and liberties can be used to regulate the conflict at the stage of prevention or at the military stage without threatening thousands of people. Eligon, John, and Michael Cooper. Blasts at Boston Marathon Kill 3 and Injure 100. 15 Apr. 2013. Web. Kahane, Howard, and Nancy Cavender. Logic And Contemporary Rhetoric: The Use Of Reason In Everyday Life. USA: Cengage Learning, 2006. Print. Schmitt, Eric, Mark Mazzetti, Michael Schmidt, and Scott Shane. Boston Plotters Said to Initially Target July 4 for Attack. 02 May 2013. Web.

How the Netherlands Reclaimed Land From the Sea

How the Netherlands Reclaimed Land From the Sea In 1986, the Netherlands proclaimed the new 12th province of Flevoland but they didnt carve out the province from already existing Dutch land nor did they annex the territory of their neighbors - Germany and Belgium. The Netherlands grew larger with the aid of dikes and polders, making the old Dutch adage While God created the Earth, the Dutch created the Netherlands come true. The Netherlands The independent country of the Netherlands only dates back to 1815, but the area and its people have a much longer history. Located in northern Europe, just northeast of Belgium and west of Germany, the Netherlands contains 280 miles (451 km) of coastline along the North Sea. It also contains the mouths of three important European rivers: the Rhine, Schelde, and Meuse. This translates into a long history of dealing with water and attempts to prevent massive, destructive flooding. The North Sea Floods The Dutch and their ancestors have been working to hold back and reclaim land from the North Sea for over 2000 years. Beginning around 400 BCE, the Frisians were first to settle the Netherlands. It was they who built terpen (an Old Frisian word meaning villages), which were earth mounds upon which they built houses or even entire villages. These terpen were built to protect the villages from flooding. (Although there were once thousands of these, there are about a thousand terpen that still exist in the Netherlands.) Small dikes were also built around this time, usually being rather short (about 27 inches or 70 cm high) and made of natural materials found around the local area. On December 14, 1287, the terpen and dikes that held back the North Sea failed, and water flooded the country. Known as the St. Lucias Flood, this flood killed over 50,000 people and is considered one of the worst floods in history. A result of the massive St. Lucias Flood was the creation of a new bay, called Zuiderzee (South Sea), formed by floodwaters that had inundated a large area of farmland. Pushing Back the North Sea For the next few centuries, the Dutch worked to slowly push back the water of the Zuiderzee, building dikes and creating polders (the term used to describe any piece of land reclaimed from water). Once dikes were built, canals and pumps were used to drain the land and to keep it dry. From the 1200s, windmills were used to pump excess water off the fertile soil becoming an icon of the country in the process. Today, however, most of the windmills have been replaced with electricity- and diesel-driven pumps. Reclaiming the Zuiderzee Then, storms and floods of 1916 provided the impetus for the Dutch to start a major project to reclaim the Zuiderzee. From 1927 to 1932, a 19 mile (30.5 km) long dike called Afsluitdijk (the Closing Dike) was built, turning the Zuiderzee into the IJsselmeer, a freshwater lake. On February 1, 1953, another devastating flood hit the Netherlands. Caused by a combination of a storm over the North Sea and spring tide, waves along the sea wall rose to 15 feet (4.5 m) higher than mean sea level. In some areas, the water peaked above existing dikes and spilled upon unsuspecting, sleeping towns. Just over 1,800 people in the Netherlands died, 72,000 people had to be evacuated, thousands of livestock died, and there was a huge amount of property damage. This devastation prompted the Dutch to pass the Delta Act in 1958, changing the structure and administration of the dikes in the Netherlands. This, in turn, created the collective known as the North Sea Protection Works, which included building a dam and barriers across the sea. There is no wonder that this huge engineering feat is now considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. Further protective dikes and works were built, beginning to reclaim the land of the IJsselmeer. The new land led to the creation of the new province of Flevoland from what had been sea and water for centuries. Much of the Netherlands Is Below Sea Level Today, approximately 27 percent of the Netherlands is actually below sea level. This area is home to over 60 percent of the countrys population of 15.8 million people. The Netherlands, which is approximately the size of the U.S. states Connecticut and Massachusetts combined, has an approximate average elevation of 36 feet (11 meters). This leaves a huge part of the Netherlands highly susceptible to flooding. Time will tell if the North Sea Protection Works are strong enough to protect it.