General Assembly The General Assembly is the world's forum for discussing matters affecting world peace and security, and for making recommendations concerning them. It has no power to enforce decisions. It is composed of the 51 original member nations and those admitted since, totaling 192. On important questions, including international peace and security, a two-thirds majority of those present and voting is required. Decisions on other questions are made by a simple majority. Emphasis is given to questions relating to international peace and security brought before it by members, the Security Council, or nonmembers. It also maintains a broad program of international cooperation in economic, social, cultural, educational, and health fields, and for assisting in human rights and freedoms.

The Difference between the U.K., Great Britain, England, and the British Isles Key differences of these names often used interchangeably: There are key differences between Great Britain, the United Kingdom, and England—names often used interchangeably. Great Britain Great Britain is an island that consists of three somewhat autonomous regions that include England, Scotland, and Wales. It is located east of Ireland and northwest of Francein the Atlantic Ocean. The United Kingdom The United Kingdom is a country that includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its official name is “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are often mistaken as names of countries, but they are only a part of the United Kingdom. The British Isles The British Isles is another term altogether and encompasses Great Britain, the island of Ireland, and several other smaller islands, such as the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man is not a part of the United Kingdom or the European Union, even though its Lord is the Monarch of the United Kingdom. The Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nationsis a voluntary association of countries that were formerly British colonies. Members of the Commonwealth of Nations recognize the United Kingdom Monarch as their own king or queen, but remain politically independent. Members of the Commonwealth of Nations Antigua and Barbuda Australia Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belize Botswana Brunei Canada Cameroon Cyprus Dominica Gambia Ghana Grenada Guyana India Jamaica Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Malawi Malaysia Maldives Malta Mauritius Mozambique Namibi a Nauru New Zealand Nigeria Papua New Guinea Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa Sri Lanka Swaziland Tanzania Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu Uganda United Kingdom Vanuatu Zambia

Former Place Names of Countries and Cities Current nameOld Name EthiopiaAbyssinia Ankara, TurkeyAngora, Turkey Czech Republic and SlovakiaBohemia, Moravia, Chechoslovakia Sri LankaCeylon Istanbul, TurkeyConstantinople, Turkey Beijing, ChinaPeking, China IranPersia IraqMesopotamia ZimbabweSouthern Rhodesia ZambiaNorthern Rhodesia Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamSaigon, South Vietnam St. Petersburg, RussiaPetrograd and Leningrad, Russia ThailandSiam TanzaniaTanganyika and Zanzibar, German East Africa Democratic Republic of CongoZaire NamibiaSouth-West Africa MoldovaMoldavia Burkina FasoUpper Volta LibyaTripolitania and Cyrenaica AlgeriaNumidia MaliSudanese Republic FranceGaul Central African Republic, ChadFrench Equatorial Africa Rwanda and BurundiGerman East Africa China (north)Cathay China (south)Mangi VietnamCochin-China (south), Annam (central), Tonkin (north) MyanmarBurma Tokyo, JapanEdo Korea (North and South)Choson CambodiaKampuchea TaiwanFormosa

State, Country, and Nation The criteria that define a country, an independent State, and a nation: There is a difference between the terms nation, state, and country, even though the words are often used interchangeably. Country and State are synonymous terms that both apply to self-governing political entities. A nation, however, is a group of people who share the same culture but do not have sovereignty. When the “s” of state is lowercase, it constitutes a part of a whole country, such as the different states of the United States of America. When the “S” of State is uppercase it signifies an independent country. How were countries defined in the past? In the past, governments often used two opposing theories to define a country—the Montevideo Convention treaty or the constitutive theory of statehood. In 1933, at the Montevideo Convention in Uruguay, a treaty was signed on the Rights and Duties of States. The treaty defined a State using four criteria—a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and a capacity to enter into relations with other States. The convention also declared that a State did not have to be recognized by other States, meaning a country could exist even if other countries did not recognize it. Conversely, the constitutive theory of statehood said that a country existed if it was recognized as sovereign by other countries. Therefore, if other countries recognized a country as independent, it was, even if the country did not have control of its territory or a permanent population. What makes an independent State or a country today? Has internationally recognized land and borders even if border disputes exist; Has permanent residents; Has sovereignty so that no other country has power over its territory; Has organized economic activity that regulates foreign and domestic trade and issues money; Has a transportation network for moving goods and people; Has an education system; Has recognition from other independent states How many countries are there in the world? Today, there are 195 independent countries or states recognized in the world. Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbiain February 2008 is the newest country. Territories, such as Hong Kong, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Greenlandthat belong to other countries are not considered countries. Disputes often arise when a territory claims to be a country, but is not recognized by any other countries. Taiwan, for example, claims to be an independent country, but Chinastates that Taiwan is a part of China. Therefore, other countries that don’t want to upset China also do not recognize Taiwan as independent. What are a nation and a nation-state? A nation is a group of people who share the same culture, language, institutions, religion, and history—usually a group of people larger than a tribe or community. When a nation of people has an independent State of their own it is often called a nation-state. The Kurdsare a nation without a State, but France, Germany, and Japanare examples of nation-states.

Highest Infant Mortality Rate The countries with the highest infant mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 births) in 2012. 1. Afghanistan121.63 2. Mali108.70 3. Somalia103.72 4. Central African Republic97.17 5. Guinea-Bissau94.40 6. Chad93.61 7. Niger89.70 8. Angola83.53 9. Burkina Faso79.84 10. Malawi79.02 NOTE: Country rankings of the type presented below cannot pretend to be definitive; instead they aspire only to provide the reader with an approximation of the high and low ends on a particular scale. Country data vary enormously depending on the sources, and the absence of reliable data on some countries requires their omission, which further skews the results. Only countries for which statistics were available in sources 1 and 2 figure in these lists.Sources:1.The World Factbook, 2012.2. U.S. Census Bureau, International Database.