Britannica Book of the Year 2009

CONTENTS
DATES OF 2008
Calendar
Disasters
PEOPLE OF 2008
Nobel Prizes
Biographies
Obituaries
SPECIAL REPORTS
The Financial Crisis of 2008
The U.S. Election of 2008
Citizen Journalism: A News [R]evolution
Skyrocketing Food Prices: A Global Crisis
The Freegans—the Ultimate Recyclers
The Precepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine
A Serious Fracture in the Anglican Church
Turkey's Secular/Islamic Conundrum
Terror in Mumbai
Games of the XXIX Olympiad
EVENTS OF 2008
Anthropology and Archaeology
Architecture and Civil Engineering
Art and Art Exhibitions
Art
Art Exhibitions
Photography
Business Overview
THE FUTURE OF FOSSIL FUEL
Computers and Information Systems
Earth Sciences
Geology and Geochemistry
Geophysics
Meteorology and Climate
Education
Primary and Secondary Education
Higher Education
DISTANCE LEARNING—EDUCATION BEYOND BUILDINGS
The Environment
International Activities
National Developments
Environmental Issues
Wildlife Conservation
SEED BANKS—PRESERVING CROP DIVERSITY
Fashions
Health and Disease
Life Sciences
Zoology
Botany
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Paleontology
HONEYBEES AND COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER
Literature
English
German
French
Italian
Spanish
Portuguese
Russian
Persian
Arabic
Chinese
Japanese
Military Affairs
WMD, Arms Control, and Disarmament
Conflicts
Military Technology
Armed Forces and Politics
Military and Society
DARPA—50 YEARS OF INNOVATION
Performing Arts
Music
Dance
Theatre
Motion Pictures
Physical Sciences
Chemistry
Physics
THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER—THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL PARTICLE ACCELERATOR
Astronomy
Space Exploration
Religion
Sports and Games
Automobile Racing
Baseball
Basketball
Bobsleigh, Skeleton and Luge
Boxing
Cricket
Curling
Cycling
Equestrian Sports
Football
Golf
Gymnastics
Ice Hockey
Ice Skating
Sailing (Yachting)
Skiing
Squash
Swimming
Tennis
Track and Field Sports (Athletics)
THE PARALYMPIC GAMES: A FORUM FOR DISABLED ATHLETES
Volleyball
Weightlifting
Wrestling
Sporting Record
THE WORLD IN 2008
World Affairs
United Nations
European Union
Multinational and Regional Organizations
Dependent States
Antarctica
Arctic Regions
Countries of the World
COMBATING THE CRISIS IN DARFUR
CONTRIBUTORS
WORLD DATA
Contents
Introduction
Glossary
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
The Nations of the World
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas, The
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia, The
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States of
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar (Burma)
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands, The
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Réunion
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
São Tomé and Príncipe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan, The
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Comparative National Statistics
World and regional summaries
Government and international organizations
Area and population
Major cities and national capitals
Language
Religion
Vital statistics, marriage, family
National product and accounts
Employment and labour
Crops and livestock
Energy
Communications
Health services
Social protection and defense services (social security, crime, military)
Education
Bibliography and sources
INDEX
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z