Brunei
The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th
and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of
northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently
entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal
succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In
1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was
achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six
centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas
fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the
developing world.

Bulgaria
The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the
local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first
Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with
the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the
end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman
Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of
Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having
fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within
the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in
1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its
first multiparty election since World War II and began the
contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a
market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption,
and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and is slated to join the
EU in 2007.

Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved
independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the
1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early
1990s. Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural
resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its
citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has
hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe
farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.

Burma
Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886)
and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered
as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate,
self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was
attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to
1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and
later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections
in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National
League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling
junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize
recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to
1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and subsequently
transferred to house arrest, where she remains virtually
incommunicado. In November 2005, the junta extended her detention
for at least another six months. Her supporters, as well as all
those who promote democracy and improved human rights, are routinely
harassed or jailed.

Burundi
Burundi's first democratically elected president was
assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office,
triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi
factions. Over 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that
spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians
were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring
countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement
between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003
paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated
defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a
majority Hutu government in 2005. The new government, led by
President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered
ceasefire with the country's last rebel group in the summer of 2006
but still faces many challenges.

Cambodia
Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers,
descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of
Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th
centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam)
weakened the empire ushering in a long period of decline. The king
placed the country under French protection in 1863. Cambodia became
part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in
World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953.
In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge
forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At
least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships,
or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A
December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the
countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off
almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated
democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected
by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore
some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional
fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second
round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another
coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining
elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the
remaining leaders are awaiting trial by a UN-sponsored tribunal for
crimes against humanity. Elections in July 2003 were relatively
peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending
political parties before a coalition government was formed.

Cameroon
The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon
merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally
enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of
agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry.
Despite a slow movement toward democratic reform, political power
remains firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy headed by
President Paul BIYA.

Canada
A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada
became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the
British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has
developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across
an unfortified border. Canada's paramount political problem is
meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and
education services after a decade of budget cuts. Canada also faces
questions about integrity in government following revelations
regarding a corruption scandal in the federal government that has
helped revive the fortunes of separatists in predominantly
francophone Quebec.

Cape Verde
The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by
the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a
trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and
resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following
independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with
Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained
until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde continues
to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments.
Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused
significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result,
Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one.
Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.

Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the
British during the 18th and 19th centuries, and were administered by
Jamaica after 1863. In 1959, the islands became a territory within
the Federation of the West Indies, but when the Federation dissolved
in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency.