Argentina:
Following independence from Spain in 1816, Argentina
experienced periods of internal political conflict between
conservatives and liberals and between civilian and military
factions. After World War II, a long period of Peronist dictatorship
was followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy
returned in 1983, and numerous elections since then have underscored
Argentina's progress in democratic consolidation.
Armenia:
An Orthodox Christian country, Armenia was incorporated
into Russia in 1828 and the USSR in 1920. Armenian leaders remain
preoccupied by the long conflict with Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated exclave, assigned
to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan
began fighting over the exclave in 1988; the struggle escalated
after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in
1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held
not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of
Azerbaijan proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by
their inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful
resolution.
Aruba:
Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired
by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by
three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by
prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The
last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry.
Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a
separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in
1990.
Ashmore and Cartier Islands: These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983 it became a National Nature Reserve. Recent geological explorations have indicated promising petroleum formations.
Atlantic Ocean:
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the
world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the
Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal
(Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of
Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the St. Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US)
are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the
International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to
delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion
of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south.
Australia:
Australia became a commonwealth of the British Empire in
1901. It was able to take advantage of its natural resources to
rapidly develop its agricultural and manufacturing industries and to
make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and
II. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of
the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas,
especially the Great Barrier Reef. A referendum to change
Australia's status, from a commonwealth headed by the British
monarch to an independent republic, was defeated in 1999.
Austria:
Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian
Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in
World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and
subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies, Austria's 1955 State
Treaty declared the country "permanently neutral" as a condition of
Soviet military withdrawal. Neutrality, once ingrained as part of
the Austrian cultural identity, has been called into question since
the Soviet collapse of 1991 and Austria's increasingly prominent
role in European affairs. A prosperous country, Austria joined the
European Union in 1995 and the euro monetary system in 1999.
Azerbaijan:
Azerbaijan - a nation of Turkic Muslims - has been an
independent republic since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Despite a cease-fire, in place since 1994, Azerbaijan has yet to
resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan
has lost almost 20% of its territory and must support some 750,000
refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a result of the
conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous and the promise of widespread
wealth from Azerbaijan's undeveloped petroleum resources remains
largely unfulfilled.
Bahamas, The:
Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The
Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and
investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a
major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments
to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants
into the US.
Bahrain:
Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian
Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in
foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Possessing minimal oil
reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining,
and has transformed itself into an international banking center. The
new amir is pushing economic and political reforms, and has worked
to improve relations with the Shi'a community. In 2001, the
International Court of Justice awarded the Hawar Islands, long
disputed with Qatar, to Bahrain.