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United States
Background: The United States became an independant country after the revolutionary war in 1776. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65) and the Great Depression of the 1930s. World War I and World War II helped bring the U.S. to superpower status, it remains the only superpower today, after the Soviet Union collapsed at the end of the Cold War . The economy is capitalist based, and steadily increases.
Location: North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Climate: mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Enviromental Issues: air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural fresh water resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification
Population:295,734,134
Life Expectancy 77.71 years]
Major Infectious Diseases : N/A
Religions: Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 1%, other 10%, none 10% (2002 est.)
Government Type : Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital: Washington D.C.
Population Below Poverty Line: 12%
Inflation Rate: 3.2%
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%
Internet Users: 159 Million
Military Man Power: males age 18-49: 54,609,050 females age 18-49: 54,696,706
Disputes and Conflicts: prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded practices and infrastructure in the border region strains water-sharing arrangements with Mexico; the US has stepped up efforts to stem nationals from Mexico, Central America, and other parts of the world from crossing illegally into the United States from Mexico; illegal immigrants from the Caribbean, notably Haiti and the Dominican Republic, attempt to enter the US through Florida by sea; 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma ratification; managed maritime boundary disputes with Canada at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; US and Canada seek greater cooperation in monitoring people and commodities crossing the border; The Bahamas and US have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other state; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island
India
Background: India was first inhabited by the Indus River Valley civilization, this is not to be confused with the modern day country of India. During the 19th century, India was under control of Great Britain. Led by Mohandas Gandhi and Jawarhlal Nehru the Indian country gained indepedence through nonviolence protests. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh.
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
Climate: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Enviromental Issues: deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources
Population Issues: 1,080,264,388
Life Expectancy: 64.35 years
Major Infectious Diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, typhoid fever, dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis
Religions: Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1%
Government Type: federal republic
Capital: New Delhi
Population Below Poverty Line: 25%
Inflation Rate: 4.4%
Unemployment Rate: 9%
Internet Users: 18.481 million
Military Manpower: males age 16-49: 287,551,111
Disputes and Conflicts: China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidating discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); in 2004, India and Pakistan instituted a cease fire in the Kashmir and in 2005, restored bus service across the highly militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has taken its dispute on the impact and benefits of India's building the Baglihar dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for arbitration; UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; disputes persist with Pakistan over Indus River water sharing; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, in 2004, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch; Pakistani maps continue to show Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, to exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off high-traffic sections; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and Assam separatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to demarcate minor disputed boundary sections; India has instituted a stricter border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal
Pakistan
Background: Pakistan is the result of a religious conflict within India. Pakistan is the seperation of the muslim state of India. Today they still conflict over a piece of land called Kashmir. India and Pakistan fought two wars in 1947 and 1965 over Kashmir. Today India is suspected of nuclear weapon testing.
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
Environment Issues: water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification
Population: 162,419,946
Life Expectancy: 63 years
Major Infectious Diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, typhoid fever, dengue fever, malaria and cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Religions: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
Government Type: federal republic
Capital: Islamabad
Population Below the Poverty Line: 32%
Inflation Rate: 9.2%
Unemployment Rate: 6.6%
Internet Users: 1.5 million
Military Manpower: males age 16-49: 39,028,014
Conflicts and Disputes: recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; in 2004, India and Pakistan instituted a cease fire in the Kashmir, and in 2005 restored bus service across the highly militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has taken its dispute on the impact and benefits of India's building the Baglihar dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for arbitration and in general the two states still dispute Indus River water sharing; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputed Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in 2004; Pakistani maps continue to show Junagadh in India's Gujarat State; by 2005, Pakistan with UN assistance had repatriated 2.3 million Afghan refugees and has undertaken a census to count the remaining million or more, many of whom remain at their own choosing; Pakistan maintains troops in remote tribal areas to control the border with Afghanistan and root out organized terrorist and other illegal cross-border activities; regular meetings with Afghan and Coalition allies aim to resolve periodic claims of boundary encroachments
South Africa
Background: South Africa was settled by the Dutch, under British control. The Dutch were called the Boers. The Boers resisted British control but were soon defeated. After gaining independence the South African Union was controled by an apartheid, or segregated policy of races. By the 1990s the apartheid ended, turning power over to the majority of blacks. South Africa is rich in gold and diamonds.
Location: Southern tip of Africa
Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Environment Issues: lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification
Population: 44,344,136
Life Expectancy: 43.27 years
Major Infectious Diseases: N/A
Religion: Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, other Christian 36%, Islam 1.5%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census
Government Type: republic
Capital: Pretoria
Population Below The Poverty Line: 50%
Inflation: 4.6%
Unemployment Rate: 25.2%
Internet Users: 3.1Million
Military Manpower: males age 18-49: 10,354,769
Disputes and Conflicts: South Africa has placed military along the border to stem the thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing to find work and escape political persecution; managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River
Republic of Congo
Background: The Republic of Congo gained independence from French control in 1960, it began as a Marxist nation. In 1990 the Congo became a democratic nation, but after a civil war in 1997 it was restored to a Marxist nation. The Congo is one of the more petroleum rich countries in the world.
Location: Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon
Climate: tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
Environmental Issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation
Population: 3,039,126
Life Expectancy: 52.26 years
Major Infectious Diseases: malaria, bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Religions: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Government Type: republic
Capital: Brazzaville
Population Below Poverty Line: N/A
Inflation Rate: 2%
Unemployment Rate: N/A
Internet Users: 15,000
Military Manpower: males age 18-49: 686,123
Disputes and Conflicts: about 7,000 Congolese refugees fleeing internal civil conflicts since the mid-1990s still reside in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area
Rwanda
Background: Rwanda is a country in Africa, with two major ethnic groups of people the Tutsi and the Hutu. Under Belgium control the Tutsi minority were deemed the ruling class. After independence from the Belgiums, the Hutus who overthrew the Tutsi king started a mass genocide of the Tutsi people. The children of all the exiled and killed Tutsis formed a rebel regime to overthrow the Hutu. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the former Zaire. Since then, most of the refugees have returned to Rwanda, but about 10,000 remain in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo and have formed an extremist insurgency bent on retaking Rwanda, much as the RPF tried in 1990
Location: Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Climate: temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Environmental Issues: deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching
Population: 8,440,820
Life Expectancy: 46.96 years
Major Infectious Diseases: malaria, bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Religions: Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7%
Government Type: republic; presidential, multiparty system
Capital: Kigali
Population Below Poverty Line: 60%
Inflation: 8%
Unemployment Rate: N/A
Internet Users: 25,000
Military Manpower: males age 16-49: 2,004,750
Disputes and Conflicts: Tutsi, Hutu, Hema, Lendu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to gain control over populated areas and natural resources - government heads pledge to end conflicts, but localized violence continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts; DROC and Rwanda established a border verification mechanism in 2005 to address accusations of Rwandan military supporting Congolese rebels and the Congo providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe" forces the means and bases to attack Rwandan forces; as of 2004, Rwandan refugees lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Zambia
Angola
Background: Angola is a country who is recovering from a 27-year civil war that ended in 2002 between the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola.
Location: Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
Climate: semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
Environmental Issues: overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water
Population: 11,190,786
Life Expectancy: 38.43 years
Major Infectious Diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever , malaria, African trypanosomiasis, meningococcal meningitis, and schistosomiasis
Religions: indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15%
Government Type: republic, nominally a multiparty democracy with a strong presidential system
Capital: Luanda
Population Below The Poverty Line: 70%
Inflation 17.7%
Unemployment Rate: extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more than half the population
Internet Users: 41,000
Military Manpower: males age 17-49: 2,423,221
Disputes and Conflicts: 90,000 Angolan refugees were repatriated by 2004, the remaining refugees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia are expected to return in 2005; many Cabinda exclave secessionists have sought shelter in neighboring states
Somalia
Background: Somalia is a country in East Africa by the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia. Formerly a British and an Italian colony, the country gained its independence in July 1960. Somalia has been through a civil war without an effective central government following the disintegration of the dictatorial regime in 1991.
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia
Climate: principally desert; December to February - northeast monsoon, moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to October - southwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
Environmental Issues: famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Population: 8,591,629
Life Expectancy: 48.09 years
Major Infectious Diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, typhoid fever, malaria, dengue, and rabies
Religions: Sunni Muslim
Government Type: no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary federal government
Capital: Mogadishu
Population Below The Poverty Line: N/A
Inflation: note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be sensibly determined
Unemployment Rate: N/A
Internet Users: 89,000
Military Manpower: males age 18-49: 1,787,727
Disputes and Conflicts: Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities to land-locked Ethiopia and establish commercial ties with regional states; "Puntland" and "Somaliland" "governments" seek support from neighboring states in their secessionist aspirations and in conflicts with each other; Ethiopia has only an administrative line with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains alliances with local Somali clans opposed to the unrecognized Somali Interim Government, which plans eventual relocation from Kenya to Mogadishu; rival militia and clan fighting in southern Somalia periodically spills over into Kenya; most of the remaining 23,000 Somali refuges in Ethiopia are expected to be repatriated in 2005
Ghana
Background: Ghana is the combination of two British colonies. Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana has had a series of political conflicts, after a series of coups the government has slowly stabilized.
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Environment Issues: recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
Population: 21,029,853
Life Expectancy: 58.47 years
Major Infectious Diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis, and meningococcal meningitis
Religions: Christian 63%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 21%
Government Type: constitutional democracy
Capital: Accra
Population Below The Poverty Line: 31.4%
Inflation: 15%
Unemployment Rate: 20%
Internet Users: 170,000
Military Manpower: males age 18-49: 4,761,226
Disputes and Conflicts: Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who worked in the cocoa plantations and escaped rebel fighting in Cote d'Ivoire
Background: The United States became an independant country after the revolutionary war in 1776. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65) and the Great Depression of the 1930s. World War I and World War II helped bring the U.S. to superpower status, it remains the only superpower today, after the Soviet Union collapsed at the end of the Cold War . The economy is capitalist based, and steadily increases.
Location: North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Climate: mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Enviromental Issues: air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural fresh water resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification
Population:295,734,134
Life Expectancy 77.71 years]
Major Infectious Diseases : N/A
Religions: Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 1%, other 10%, none 10% (2002 est.)
Government Type : Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital: Washington D.C.
Population Below Poverty Line: 12%
Inflation Rate: 3.2%
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%
Internet Users: 159 Million
Military Man Power: males age 18-49: 54,609,050 females age 18-49: 54,696,706
Disputes and Conflicts: prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded practices and infrastructure in the border region strains water-sharing arrangements with Mexico; the US has stepped up efforts to stem nationals from Mexico, Central America, and other parts of the world from crossing illegally into the United States from Mexico; illegal immigrants from the Caribbean, notably Haiti and the Dominican Republic, attempt to enter the US through Florida by sea; 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma ratification; managed maritime boundary disputes with Canada at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; US and Canada seek greater cooperation in monitoring people and commodities crossing the border; The Bahamas and US have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other state; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island
India
Background: India was first inhabited by the Indus River Valley civilization, this is not to be confused with the modern day country of India. During the 19th century, India was under control of Great Britain. Led by Mohandas Gandhi and Jawarhlal Nehru the Indian country gained indepedence through nonviolence protests. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh.
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
Climate: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Enviromental Issues: deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources
Population Issues: 1,080,264,388
Life Expectancy: 64.35 years
Major Infectious Diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, typhoid fever, dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis
Religions: Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1%
Government Type: federal republic
Capital: New Delhi
Population Below Poverty Line: 25%
Inflation Rate: 4.4%
Unemployment Rate: 9%
Internet Users: 18.481 million
Military Manpower: males age 16-49: 287,551,111
Disputes and Conflicts: China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidating discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); in 2004, India and Pakistan instituted a cease fire in the Kashmir and in 2005, restored bus service across the highly militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has taken its dispute on the impact and benefits of India's building the Baglihar dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for arbitration; UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; disputes persist with Pakistan over Indus River water sharing; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, in 2004, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch; Pakistani maps continue to show Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, to exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off high-traffic sections; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and Assam separatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to demarcate minor disputed boundary sections; India has instituted a stricter border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal
Pakistan
Background: Pakistan is the result of a religious conflict within India. Pakistan is the seperation of the muslim state of India. Today they still conflict over a piece of land called Kashmir. India and Pakistan fought two wars in 1947 and 1965 over Kashmir. Today India is suspected of nuclear weapon testing.
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
Environment Issues: water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification
Population: 162,419,946
Life Expectancy: 63 years
Major Infectious Diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, typhoid fever, dengue fever, malaria and cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Religions: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
Government Type: federal republic
Capital: Islamabad
Population Below the Poverty Line: 32%
Inflation Rate: 9.2%
Unemployment Rate: 6.6%
Internet Users: 1.5 million
Military Manpower: males age 16-49: 39,028,014
Conflicts and Disputes: recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; in 2004, India and Pakistan instituted a cease fire in the Kashmir, and in 2005 restored bus service across the highly militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has taken its dispute on the impact and benefits of India's building the Baglihar dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for arbitration and in general the two states still dispute Indus River water sharing; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputed Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in 2004; Pakistani maps continue to show Junagadh in India's Gujarat State; by 2005, Pakistan with UN assistance had repatriated 2.3 million Afghan refugees and has undertaken a census to count the remaining million or more, many of whom remain at their own choosing; Pakistan maintains troops in remote tribal areas to control the border with Afghanistan and root out organized terrorist and other illegal cross-border activities; regular meetings with Afghan and Coalition allies aim to resolve periodic claims of boundary encroachments
South Africa
Background: South Africa was settled by the Dutch, under British control. The Dutch were called the Boers. The Boers resisted British control but were soon defeated. After gaining independence the South African Union was controled by an apartheid, or segregated policy of races. By the 1990s the apartheid ended, turning power over to the majority of blacks. South Africa is rich in gold and diamonds.
Location: Southern tip of Africa
Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Environment Issues: lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification
Population: 44,344,136
Life Expectancy: 43.27 years
Major Infectious Diseases: N/A
Religion: Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, other Christian 36%, Islam 1.5%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census
Government Type: republic
Capital: Pretoria
Population Below The Poverty Line: 50%
Inflation: 4.6%
Unemployment Rate: 25.2%
Internet Users: 3.1Million
Military Manpower: males age 18-49: 10,354,769
Disputes and Conflicts: South Africa has placed military along the border to stem the thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing to find work and escape political persecution; managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River
Republic of Congo
Background: The Republic of Congo gained independence from French control in 1960, it began as a Marxist nation. In 1990 the Congo became a democratic nation, but after a civil war in 1997 it was restored to a Marxist nation. The Congo is one of the more petroleum rich countries in the world.
Location: Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon
Climate: tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
Environmental Issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation
Population: 3,039,126
Life Expectancy: 52.26 years
Major Infectious Diseases: malaria, bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Religions: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Government Type: republic
Capital: Brazzaville
Population Below Poverty Line: N/A
Inflation Rate: 2%
Unemployment Rate: N/A
Internet Users: 15,000
Military Manpower: males age 18-49: 686,123
Disputes and Conflicts: about 7,000 Congolese refugees fleeing internal civil conflicts since the mid-1990s still reside in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area
Rwanda
Background: Rwanda is a country in Africa, with two major ethnic groups of people the Tutsi and the Hutu. Under Belgium control the Tutsi minority were deemed the ruling class. After independence from the Belgiums, the Hutus who overthrew the Tutsi king started a mass genocide of the Tutsi people. The children of all the exiled and killed Tutsis formed a rebel regime to overthrow the Hutu. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the former Zaire. Since then, most of the refugees have returned to Rwanda, but about 10,000 remain in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo and have formed an extremist insurgency bent on retaking Rwanda, much as the RPF tried in 1990
Location: Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Climate: temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Environmental Issues: deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching
Population: 8,440,820
Life Expectancy: 46.96 years
Major Infectious Diseases: malaria, bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Religions: Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7%
Government Type: republic; presidential, multiparty system
Capital: Kigali
Population Below Poverty Line: 60%
Inflation: 8%
Unemployment Rate: N/A
Internet Users: 25,000
Military Manpower: males age 16-49: 2,004,750
Disputes and Conflicts: Tutsi, Hutu, Hema, Lendu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to gain control over populated areas and natural resources - government heads pledge to end conflicts, but localized violence continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts; DROC and Rwanda established a border verification mechanism in 2005 to address accusations of Rwandan military supporting Congolese rebels and the Congo providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe" forces the means and bases to attack Rwandan forces; as of 2004, Rwandan refugees lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Zambia
Angola
Background: Angola is a country who is recovering from a 27-year civil war that ended in 2002 between the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola.
Location: Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
Climate: semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
Environmental Issues: overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water
Population: 11,190,786
Life Expectancy: 38.43 years
Major Infectious Diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever , malaria, African trypanosomiasis, meningococcal meningitis, and schistosomiasis
Religions: indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15%
Government Type: republic, nominally a multiparty democracy with a strong presidential system
Capital: Luanda
Population Below The Poverty Line: 70%
Inflation 17.7%
Unemployment Rate: extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more than half the population
Internet Users: 41,000
Military Manpower: males age 17-49: 2,423,221
Disputes and Conflicts: 90,000 Angolan refugees were repatriated by 2004, the remaining refugees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia are expected to return in 2005; many Cabinda exclave secessionists have sought shelter in neighboring states
Somalia
Background: Somalia is a country in East Africa by the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia. Formerly a British and an Italian colony, the country gained its independence in July 1960. Somalia has been through a civil war without an effective central government following the disintegration of the dictatorial regime in 1991.
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia
Climate: principally desert; December to February - northeast monsoon, moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to October - southwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
Environmental Issues: famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Population: 8,591,629
Life Expectancy: 48.09 years
Major Infectious Diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, typhoid fever, malaria, dengue, and rabies
Religions: Sunni Muslim
Government Type: no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary federal government
Capital: Mogadishu
Population Below The Poverty Line: N/A
Inflation: note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be sensibly determined
Unemployment Rate: N/A
Internet Users: 89,000
Military Manpower: males age 18-49: 1,787,727
Disputes and Conflicts: Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities to land-locked Ethiopia and establish commercial ties with regional states; "Puntland" and "Somaliland" "governments" seek support from neighboring states in their secessionist aspirations and in conflicts with each other; Ethiopia has only an administrative line with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains alliances with local Somali clans opposed to the unrecognized Somali Interim Government, which plans eventual relocation from Kenya to Mogadishu; rival militia and clan fighting in southern Somalia periodically spills over into Kenya; most of the remaining 23,000 Somali refuges in Ethiopia are expected to be repatriated in 2005
Ghana
Background: Ghana is the combination of two British colonies. Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana has had a series of political conflicts, after a series of coups the government has slowly stabilized.
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Environment Issues: recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
Population: 21,029,853
Life Expectancy: 58.47 years
Major Infectious Diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis, and meningococcal meningitis
Religions: Christian 63%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 21%
Government Type: constitutional democracy
Capital: Accra
Population Below The Poverty Line: 31.4%
Inflation: 15%
Unemployment Rate: 20%
Internet Users: 170,000
Military Manpower: males age 18-49: 4,761,226
Disputes and Conflicts: Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who worked in the cocoa plantations and escaped rebel fighting in Cote d'Ivoire