Global Political, Economic, and Social Facts From the UN'sHuman Development Report 2007/2008 In 2008, 34 journalists died in the line of duty.That's down from the 65 killed In 2007. In 103 countries the proportion ofwomen in parliamentincreased between 1995 and 2008, butaround the world it still averages just 18.4%. As of 2007, only 28 countries, representing 13% of the world's population, arefully democratic.54 countries, representing 38.3% of the world's population areflawed democracies; 30 arehybrid regimes; and 55, or 38.2% of the world's population, areauthoritarian regimes. Between 1970 and 2005 the under-5mortality rateworldwide fell from 96 to 76 per 1,000 live births. Multiparty electionsare now held in 140 of the world's 195 countries. Coups overthrew 46 elected governments in the second half of the twentieth century. The proportion of theworld's extremely poorfell from 29% in 1990 to 23% in 1999. In 2006,2.6 billion people, or 40% of the world’s population, lived on less than $2 a day,with 1 billion of them surviving on the margins of subsistence with less than $1 a day. In 2006, 1.1 billion people lacked access tosafe water, and 2.6 billion did not have access to any form of improved sanitation services. Just 125 countries, with 62% of the world's population, have a free or partlyfree press. Of the world's estimated 854 millionilliterate adults, 544 million are women. Armed conflict continues to blight the lives of millions: since 1990, 3.6 million people have died as a result ofcivil wars and ethnic violence,more than 16 times the number killed in wars between states. Civilianshave accounted for more than90% of thecasualties—either injured or killed—in post-cold war conflicts. Ninety countries are affected bylandminesand unexploded ordinance, with rough estimates of 15,000 to 20,000 mine victims each year. Greenhouse gasesin the Earth’s atmosphere are accruing at a record rate. In 2007, there were 380 parts per million ofcarbon dioxidein the atmosphere, which exceeds the natural range of the past 650,000 years. The United States has acarbon footprintfive times that of China, and over 15 times that of India. The 23 million residents of the US state of Texas emit morecarbon dioxidethan the entire population of sub-Saharan Africa, which is 720 million people.

A Profile of the World, 2012 Source: The World Factbook, 2012 Geography Age:4.55 billion years old. Total area:510.072 million sq km (196.940 million sq mi).Land area:148.94 million sq km (57.506 million sq mi).Water area:361.132 million sq km (139.434 million sq mi).Coastline: Land boundaries:251,060 km (156,262.58 mi.), not counting shared boundaries twice. Climate:Two large areas of polar climates are separated by two rather narrow temperate zones from a wide equatorial band of tropical to subtropical climates. Terrain:Highest elevation is Mt. Everest at 8,850 m (29,035 ft) and lowest land depression is the Dead Sea at –411 m (–1,349 ft) below sea level. The greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at –10,924 m Land use:Arable land:10.57%.Permanent crops:1.04%.Other:88.39% (2005 est.).Irrigated land:3,245,556 sq km. See also Atlas of the World. People Population:7,021,836,029 (July 2012 est.). Growth rate:1.096% (2012 est.). Birth rate:19.14 births/1,000 population (2012 est.). Death rate:7.99 deaths/1,000 population (2012 est.). Sex ratio (at birth):1.07 males/females (2011 est.). Infant mortality rate:39.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.). Life expectancy at birth:Total population:67.59 years.Male:65.59 years.Female:69.73 years (2012 est.). Total fertility rate:2.47 children born per woman (2012 est.). Literacy:Age 15 and over who can read and write (2005 est.).Total population:83.7%.Male:88.3%.Female:79.2%NOTE:More than two-thirds of the world's 793 million illiterate adults are found in only eight Government and Economy Political divisions:195 sovereign nations, 72 dependent areas, and 6 disputed territories. Economy:In 2011, world output — and per capita income — began to recover from the 2008–09 recession, the first global downturn since 1946. Gross World Product (GWP) grew 3.7%, a slowdown GWP/PPP:$79.39 trillion (2011 est.). GWP—real growth rate:3.7% (2011 est.). GWP/PPP—per capita:$11,900 (2011 est.). GWP composition:agriculture 6%, industry 30.7%, services 63.4% (2011 est.). Inflation rate (consumer price index):developed countries: 3.1%; developing countries: 6.3% (2011 est.). Note: Developed countries 0% to 4% typically; developing countries 5% to 10% typically; Unemployment rate:9.1% (2011 est.). Exports:$18.15 trillion (2011 est.). Imports:$17.94 trillion (2011 est.). External debt:$69.05 trillion (2011 est.)

History and symbolism of the Irish tricolour Rarely has a flag possessed such lasting relevance as that of the "Tricolour," the national flag of the Republic of Ireland. Its three equal stripes illustrate the Irish political landscape as accurately today as in 1848, the year the flag was first unfurled. orange— standing for Irish Protestants green— signifying Irish Catholics and the republican cause white— representing the hope for peace between them Why Orange? The color orange is associated with Northern Irish Protestants because of William of Orange(William III), the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland who in 1690 defeated the deposed King James II, a Roman Catholic, in the fateful Battle of the Boynenear Dublin. William III's victory secured Protestant dominance over the island, to the enormous benefit of the 17th-century colonizers of northern Ireland — the English (mainly Anglicans) and Scots (mostly Presbyterians). Sometimes called Orangemen, Protestants in Northern Ireland celebrate the anniversary of the battle each July 12th. Green for the Emerald Isle? Green as the color standing for the Irish Catholic nationalists of the south may have something to do with shamrocks and verdant landscapes, but more importantly, green symbolizes revolution. An earlier, unofficial Irish flag —the gold harp on a green background— served from 1798 until the early twentieth century as a symbol of nationalism. As the revolutionary James Connollywrote, just weeks before he participated in the quixotic Easter Rebellion (1916) that led to his execution by firing squad: For centuries the green flag of Ireland was a thing accurst and hated by the English garrison in Ireland, as it is still in their inmost hearts... ...the green flag of Ireland will be solemnly hoisted over Liberty Hall as a symbol of our faith in freedom, and as a token to all the world that the working class of Dublin stands for the cause of Ireland, and the cause of Ireland is the cause of a separate and distinct nationality. —Worker's Republic,April 8, 1916 A Lasting Truce between Orange and Green? Although it was not adopted as the national flag of Ireland until independence from Britain on December 6, 1921, the Tricolour was first unfurled in public on March 7, 1848, by the militant nationalist Thomas Francis Meagher1, (the stripes, however, were arranged differently at that time). Explaining the significance of the Tricolour, Meagher expressed a hope for his country that is unfortunately still unrealized today: The white in the center signifies a lasting truce between the "Orange" and the "Green," and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic may be clasped in generous and heroic brotherhood. 1. Irish revolutionary was just one of Meagher's careers: he was also a prisoner in a Tasmanian penal colony, a New York City lawyer, and a Civil War general for the Union Army.

U.S. Flag Timeline A history of Old Glory by Ann-Marie Imbornoni 1776 1777 1794 1814 1818 1912 1916 1949 1960 1776 Jan. 2 The first unofficial national flag, called the Grand Unionor Continental Colours, was raised at the behest of Gen. George Washingtonnear his headquarters outside Boston, Mass. The flag had 13 alternating red and white horizontal stripes and the British Union Flag (a predecessor of the Union Jack) in the upper left corner. May According to a popular story, George Washington and two other representatives from the Continental Congresscalled upon a Philadelphia seamstress, Betsy Ross, to ask her to make a new American flag. This version of events cannot be confirmed by historians, however. Although nobody knows for sure who designed the flag, it may have been Continental Congress member Francis Hopkinson. Top 1777 June 14 The first official flag, also known as the Stars and Stripes or Old Glory, was approved by the Continental Congress: "Resolved, That the Flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." The resolution did not specify how the stars should be arranged, and so the layout varied. Top 1794 Jan. 13 Congress authorized the addition of two more stars and two more stripes to mark the admission of Vermontand Kentuckyto the Union in 1791 and 1792, respectively. This 15-star, 15-stripe flag, which came into use after May 1795, was the " star-spangled banner" that inspired lawyer and poet Francis Scott Key. Top 1814 Sept. 14 As daylight broke, Francis Scott Key saw the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry, after it had been bombarded all night by the British. Inspired, he wrote a poem entitled "The Defense of Fort M'Henry," which was later set to music and renamed the " Star-Spangled Banner." Congress made it the official national anthem in 1931. Top 1818 April 4 After five more statesjoined the Union, Congress passed legislation fixing the number of stripes at 13 and requiring that the number of stars equal the number of states. (Each new star was to be added on the 4th of July following the state's entry into the Union.) Top 1912 After New Mexicoand Arizonajoined the Union on Jan. 6 and Feb. 14, respectively, the flag had 48 stars. On June 24, President William Howard Taftissued an executive order that established the proportions of the flag and set the arrangement of the stars in horizontal rows. Top 1916 May 30 President Woodrow Wilsonproclaimed Flag Daya day of national celebration. Top 1949 Aug. 3 President Harry Trumansigned an Act of Congress that requested that the president issue an annual proclamation calling for the observance of Flag Dayand for the display of the flag on all federal government buildings. Top 1960 July 4 The last new star, bringing the total to 50, was added after Hawaiibecame a state.

Disaster Survival Guide You never know when disaster will strike. If it does, it’s important to be prepared. Your life—or the lives of others—may depend on knowing how get out of a tough jam. Here are some tricks that experts say will increase a person’s chances of surviving a sticky situation. You are bitten by a snake Even if you once saw it done in a movie, don’t try to suck the venom and spit it out. This will only make you absorb even more venom. Remain calm-most snake bites aren’t fatal. Panic will only make your heart beat faster, speeding the venom through your body. Clean the wound the way you would any other type of wound. Then tie a band between the wound and your heart to keep the venom from spreading too quickly. Don’t make the band as tight as a tourniquet. Seek medical attention right away. If you are in the woods and can’t easily get to a doctor, go to a road and wave down a car. You are in water with sharks Try to keep still, to keep the shark from noticing you. If you think it’s attacking, hit it in the eyes or gills. (Punch the nose only if you can’t reach the eyes or gills.) Use your fists or any hard object. Sharks aren’t interested in going after prey that fights back, so it will probably swim away. To avoid this frightening problem, it’s best not to swim alone far from the ocean’s shore. Don’t swim during the twilight or evening or wear brightly colored swimwear. Don’t swim if you have an open wound. You are attacked by a bear Don’t turn your back on the bear and run away. The bear will think you are prey and chase you. There’s no way you can outrun a bear. Nor can you out-climb one. Bears will chase you up a tree, where there’s no escape. Your best hope is lie down and play dead. The bear might come over and inspect you, maybe even swipe at you with its claws. With any luck, it will lose interest and leave. Your car is sinking First and most importantly, open the car windows. You want water to fill the car so the pressure on the car’s inside and outside will be equal. Now you will be able to open the doors. Get out of the car as quickly as possible. If you can’t open the windows, try to break them. If that doesn’t work, wait while the car slowly fills with water. Once the water has reached your head, the water pressure should be equalized. Hold your breath, open the door and swim out. You are in a lightning storm It’s not what you do—it’s what you shouldn’t do: don’t stay in high places or open ground. Don’t stand under a tree or flagpole or in a picnic area, baseball dugout or bleachers. Don’t go near metal fences and any body of water. It’s better to stand inside a large building than a small one. Once inside, don’t touch anything conductive that leads to the outside, such as window frames, showers and pipes. Don’t pick up a telephone or use a computer or TV. If you’re inside a car, roll up the windows and try not to touch anything that can conduct electricity. Your tongue is stuck to a cold pole This isn’t life-threatening—but it’s painful and embarrassing. The best advice is not to put your tongue on a freezing pole in the first place. But if you do, don’t try to quickly pull your tongue off the pole—you’ll rip it! Instead, move your hands (they should be in gloves!) over the pole near your tongue. This should warm the pole enough to let you slowly pull your tongue off. If warm water is nearby, splash it over your tongue to thaw it. Don’t put cool water or your saliva over the area: they will both freeze, making the situation stickier.