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.........

Monday, April 12, 2010

Space Coast economy...[ 906 ]

Space Coast's future up in the air

Miami Herald.,, Mon April 12th, 2010

From time to time over the last two years, Suzy Mast Lee -- a Miami Herald photo editor -- has taken time off to photograph a shuttle launch. She's gotten close, once nine seconds from blast-off, before each launch she wanted to shoot was scrubbed because of poor weather or other problems.

Last week she finally was able to snap what has become an iconic Florida image: the space shuttle hurtling skyward from the Kennedy Space Center.

Mast got her pictures just in time. Only three more shuttle missions remain until NASA pulls the plug on the program. Barring a last-minute reprieve, the last shuttle launch is scheduled for September.

The whole Space Coast is feeling a sense of urgency these days as the countdown to the final blast-off nears. As Jim Wyss writes in today's cover story, that's because in the past three decades the shuttle program has become intimately linked with the Space Coast economy.

The end of the shuttle program will result in the direct loss of more than 9,000 jobs across Florida; thousands more indirect jobs also will be affected. The shuttle program contributes an estimated $1.9 billion annually to the region's economy.

Hotels as far away as Orlando sometimes fill up as a shuttle launch approaches, and merchants, restaurateurs and hoteliers in communities such as Satellite Beach, Titusville, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, and Merritt Island do a brisk business when the space aficionados arrive.

It's not that the United States is giving up on manned space missions but rather that it wants to encourage private companies to begin shuttling cargo and people to the International Space Station.

That, of course, will take time and lots of money to develop. It's possible that in time such private businesses will grow up along the Space Coast. But meanwhile, the local economy will take a serious hit.

Space tourism -- that is providing adventure travel to people who want a taste of what the astronauts experience -- also offers promise for the Space Coast.

But other locations around the world are off to an early start in such ventures. Virgin Galactic, the front-runner, has, for example, selected New Mexico as the site for its tourism launches. It helped that New Mexico sweetened the pot with a pledge of $200 million to build a spaceport.

President Obama is scheduled to visit the Space Coast Thursday to deliver a speech. It's a sure bet that residents will be avidly listening to gauge not only the United States' commitment to space but also to the strip of Florida coast that has witnessed such historic moments in the quest to conquer the stars.

Mimi Whitefield is business enterprise editor.

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