Guernsey:
The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands
represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy,
which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the
only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II.
Guinea:
Independent from France since 1958, Guinea did not hold
democratic elections until 1993 when Gen. Lansana CONTE (head of the
military government) was elected president of the civilian
government. He was reelected in 1998. Unrest in Sierra Leone has
spilled over into Guinea, threatening stability and creating a
humanitarian emergency.
Guinea-Bissau:
In 1994, 20 years after independence from Portugal,
the country's first multiparty legislative and presidential
elections were held. An army uprising that triggered a bloody civil
war in 1998, created hundreds of thousands of displaced persons. The
president was ousted by a military junta in May 1999. An interim
government turned over power in February 2000 when opposition leader
Koumba YALLA took office following two rounds of transparent
presidential elections. Guinea-Bissau's transition back to democracy
will be complicated by a crippled economy devastated by civil war
and the military's predilection for governmental meddling.
Guyana:
Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966 and became
a republic in 1970. In 1989 Guyana launched an Economic Recovery
Program, which marked a dramatic reversal from a state-controlled,
socialist economy towards a more open, free market system. Results
through the first decade have proven encouraging.
Haiti:
One of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti
has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. Over
three decades of dictatorship followed by military rule ended in
1990 when Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE was elected president. Most of his
term was usurped by a military takeover, but he was able to return
to office in 1994 and oversee the installation of a close associate
to the presidency in 1996. ARISTIDE won a second term as president
in 2000, and took office early the following year.
Heard Island and McDonald Islands:
These uninhabited, barren islands
were transferred from the UK to Australia in 1947. Populated by
large numbers of seal and bird species, the islands have been
designated a nature preserve.
Holy See (Vatican City):
Popes in their secular role ruled much of
the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid
19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly
united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further
circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a
series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three
Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican
City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984,
a concordat between the Vatican and Italy modified certain of the
earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman
Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the
Holy See include the failing health of Pope John Paul II,
interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the adjustment of
church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1
billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.
Honduras:
Part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras
became an independent nation in 1821. After two and one-half decades
of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came
to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for
anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government
and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting against leftist
guerrillas.
Hong Kong:
Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded
by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later
in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and
the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this
agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two
systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be
practiced in Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree
of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for
the next 50 years.
Howland Island:
Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the
island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British
companies mined for guano until about 1890. Earhart Light is a day
beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially
destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt; it is
named in memory of famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART. The island is
administered by the US Department of the Interior as a National
Wildlife Refuge.