Fiji
Fiji became independent in 1970 after nearly a century as a
British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military
coups in 1987 caused by concern over a government perceived as
dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers
brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). The
coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian
control of Fiji led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss
resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians
became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more
equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a
government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in May
2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil.
Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a
democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia
QARASE. Re-elected in May 2006, QARASE was ousted in a December 2006
military coup led by Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA, who initially
appointed himself acting president but in January 2007 became
interim prime minister. Since taking power BAINIMARAMA has
neutralized his opponents, crippled Fiji's democratic institutions,
and refused to hold elections.

Finland
Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden
from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy
of Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917.
During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom
and resist invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of
territory. In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a
remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a
diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now
among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the European Union
since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro
system at its initiation in January 1999. In the 21st century, the
key features of Finland's modern welfare state are a high standard
of education, equality promotion, and national social security
system; currently challenged by an aging population and the
fluctuations of an export-driven economy.

France
Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France
suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and rank
as a dominant nation-state. Nevertheless, France today is one of the
most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European
nations. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid
presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the
instabilities experienced in earlier more purely parliamentary
administrations. In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation
with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of
Europe, including the introduction of a common exchange currency,
the euro, in January 1999.

French Polynesia
The French annexed various Polynesian island groups
during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up
widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll
after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January
1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been
considerably expanded.

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
In February 2007, the Iles
Eparses became an integral part of the French Southern and Antarctic
Lands (TAAF). The Southern Lands are now divided into five
administrative districts, two of which are archipelagos, Iles Crozet
and Iles Kerguelen; the third is a district composed of two volcanic
islands, Ile Saint-Paul and Ile Amsterdam; the fourth, Iles Eparses,
consists of five scattered tropical islands around Madagascar. They
contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers
studying the native fauna, scientists at the various scientific
stations, fishermen, and military personnel. The fifth district is
the Antarctic portion, which consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice
of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in
1840.
Ile Amsterdam: Discovered but not named in 1522 by the Spanish, the
island subsequently received the appellation of Nieuw Amsterdam from
a Dutchman; it was claimed by France in 1843. A short-lived attempt
at cattle farming began in 1871. A French meteorological station
established on the island in 1949 is still in use.
Ile Saint Paul: Claimed by France since 1893, the island was a
fishing industry center from 1843 to 1914. In 1928, a spiny lobster
cannery was established, but when the company went bankrupt in 1931,
seven workers were abandoned. Only two survived until 1934 when
rescue finally arrived.
Iles Crozet: A large archipelago formed from the Crozet Plateau,
Iles Crozet is divided into two main groups: L'Occidental (the
West), which includes Ile aux Cochons, Ilots des Apotres, Ile des
Pingouins, and the reefs Brisants de l'Heroine; and L'Oriental (the
east), which includes Ile d'Est and Ile de la Possession (the
largest island of the Crozets). Discovered and claimed by France in
1772, the islands were used for seal hunting and as a base for
whaling. Originally administered as a dependency of Madagascar, they
became part of the TAAF in 1955.
Iles Kerguelen: This island group, discovered in 1772, is made up of
one large island (Ile Kerguelen) and about 300 smaller islands. A
permanent group of 50 to 100 scientists resides at the main base at
Port-aux-Francais.
Adelie Land: The only non-insular district of the TAAF is the
Antarctic claim known as "Adelie Land." The US Government does not
recognize it as a French dependency.
Bassas da India: A French possession since 1897, this atoll is a
volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is awash at high tide.
Europa Island: This heavily wooded island has been a French
possession since 1897; it is the site of a small military garrison
that staffs a weather station.
Glorioso Islands: A French possession since 1892, the Glorioso
Islands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (Ile
Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrison
operates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse.
Juan de Nova Island: Named after a famous 15th century Spanish
navigator and explorer, the island has been a French possession
since 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate.
Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorological
station.
Tromelin Island: First explored by the French in 1776, the island
came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it
serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important
meteorological station.

Gabon
Until recently, only two autocratic presidents had ruled Gabon
since its independence from France in 1960. The recent president of
Gabon, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads
of state in the world - had dominated the country's political scene
for four decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty
system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However,
allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in 2002-03 and
the presidential elections in 2005 exposed the weaknesses of formal
political structures in Gabon. President BONGO died in June 2009.
New elections in August 2009 brought Ali Ben BONGO, son of the
former president, to power. Despite political conditions, a small
population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign
support have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous and stable
African countries. In January 2010, Gabon assumed a nonpermanent
seat on the UN Security Council for the 2010-11 term.

Gambia, The
The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965.
Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed a short-lived
federation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two
nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty, but tensions
have flared up intermittently since then. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH led
a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned
political activity. A new constitution and presidential elections in
1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a
nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH has been elected president
in all subsequent elections including most recently in late 2006.

Gaza Strip
The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles
on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional
period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September
1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security
and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of
the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Negotiations to determine the
permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip stalled following
the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000. In April 2003, the
Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final
settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the
two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic
Palestine. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late
2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month
later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments
in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005,
Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and
dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew
settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank
settlements. Nonetheless, Israel still controls maritime, airspace,
and most access to the Gaza Strip; and it enforces a restricted zone
along the border inside Gaza. In January 2006, the Islamic
Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC). HAMAS took control of the PA government
in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating
with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the
international community so as to lift economic sanctions on
Palestinians. Violent clashes between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in
the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007 resulted in numerous
Palestinian deaths and injuries. In February 2007, ABBAS and HAMAS
Political Bureau Chief MISHAL signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi
Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National
Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA.
However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June 2007,
HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and
governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG
and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government
in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the
NUG's dismissal, and despite multiple rounds of Egyptian-brokered
reconciliation negotiations, the two groups have failed to bridge
their differences. Late November 2007 through June 2008 witnessed a
substantial increase in Israeli-Palestinian violence. An
Egyptian-brokered truce in June 2008 between Israel and HAMAS
brought about a five-month pause in hostilities, but spiraling
end-of-year violence resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1,100 to
1,400 Palestinians and left tens of thousands of people homeless.
International donors pledged $4.5 billion in aid to rebuild the Gaza
Strip, but by the end of 2010 large-scale reconstruction had not
begun.

Georgia
The region of present day Georgia contained the ancient
kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman
influence in the first centuries A.D. and Christianity became the
state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks
was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was
cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman
and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia
was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century.
Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian
revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR until the
Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. An attempt by the incumbent Georgian
government to manipulate national legislative elections in November
2003 touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of
Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. New elections in early
2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his National
Movement party. Progress on market reforms and democratization has
been made in the years since independence, but this progress has
been complicated by Russian assistance and support to the breakaway
regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. After a series of Russian and
separatist provocations in summer 2008, Georgian military action in
South Ossetia in early August led to a Russian military response
that not only occupied the breakaway areas, but large portions of
Georgia proper as well. Russian troops pulled back from most
occupied Georgian territory, but in late August 2008 Russia
unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia. This action was strongly condemned by most of the world's
nations and international organizations.

Germany
As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation
(after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic,
political, and defense organizations. European power struggles
immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of
the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious
Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945.
With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in
1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern
German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself
in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC, which
became the EU, and NATO, while the Communist GDR was on the front
line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the
end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since
then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern
productivity and wages up to Western standards. In January 1999,
Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European
exchange currency, the euro. In January 2011, Germany assumed a
nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2011-12 term.