The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Cry for me Argentina...[ 3435 ]

Do cry for me Argentina? Peso plunges
  @JesseSolomon CNN, January 24, 2014: 12:46 PM ET


buenos aires currency Argentina's currency has tanked in recent days after the government devalued the peso.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The Argentinian peso has plunged roughly 13% in the past two days, stoking fears of another financial meltdown in a nation that experienced an economic collapse only a little more than a decade ago.

Argentina's government devalued the currency Thursday in a bid to jump start growth. The resulting drop in the peso was the worst since 2002 -- when Argentina defaulted on its debt.
Devaluation can cheapen a country's exports and make them more competitive globally, but can also make imports more expensive and therefore drive up inflation.
The currency move was a shift for Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, a populist who had previously vowed not to devalue the peso. It also raised concerns about Argentina's dwindling dollar reserves.
The sell-off in the peso came as other emerging market currencies, such as Turkey's lira and India's rupee, have gotten hammered due to the expectation that the Federal Reserve, Bank of England, and Bank of Japan will pull back on propping up their own economies.
As forecasts for growth in developed nations become rosier there isn't as great a need for stimulus from these central banks, said Steven Englander, head of foreign exchange strategy at Citigroup.
Related: Investors go globetrotting for bargains
That could lead to higher bond yields in the developed markets and stronger currencies as well. But emerging markets have come to rely on the Fed, BoE and BoJ keeping exchange rates low so they can borrow aggressively to fund their economies.
To that end, many emerging markets performed well in the wake of the financial crisis as growth in developed nations remained sluggish.

Stocks down? It's about time!
But the prospect of rising rates coupled with domestic economic and political problems have caused emerging markets investors to head for the exits. A dip in the price of oil and other commodities, typically the mother's milk of many emerging markets, has only exacerbated investors' concerns.
Argentina, for its part, grew quickly following its deep recession of the early 2000s that began when it stopped paying its creditors. But it never fully recovered its reputation in the international markets.
And the election of Kirchner in 2010 did little to boost confidence. Kirchner's economic platform is predicated on selling the country's natural resources to spend heavily at home.
But many economists say her policies have dampened free-market competition with rising debt and tepid growth.
The Argentine government also hasn't opened up its books to the International Monetary Fund in years, creating tension with the international lender.
Related: Related: IMF warns of deflation risk
Speaking to CNN's Richard Quest from the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, IMF chief Christine Lagarde said her organization would like to learn more about Argentina's finances.
"We would like to go under the skin of any economy in the IMF," she said, adding that a call from the Argentinean government "would be more than welcome."
But there's no question that the situation in Argentina is worrisome.
The Global X FTSE Argentina 20 ETF (ARGT), which invests in key Argentine companies, has plummeted nearly 9% this week.
Neil Shearing, chief emerging markets economist for Capital Economics, said in a note Thursday that Argentina's high debt, low currency reserves, and general economic mismanagement are all cause for concern.
"Where we go from here is difficult to say," he said. "Our forecast that the economy would slide into recession this year looked bold a few months ago -- all of a sudden that doesn't seem so implausible." To top of page

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