2012 Edition

Background

Globally, the 20th century was marked by: (a) two devastating world wars; (b) the Great Depression of the 1930s; (c) the end of vast colonial empires; (d) rapid advances in science and technology, from the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (US) to the landing on the moon; (e) the Cold War between the Western alliance and the Warsaw Pact nations; (f) a sharp rise in living standards in North America, Europe, and Japan; (g) increased concerns about the environment, including loss of forests, shortages of energy and water, the decline in biological diversity, and air pollution; (h) the onset of the AIDS epidemic; and (i) the ultimate emergence of the US as the only world superpower. The planet's population continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820, to 2 billion in 1930, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1987, 6 billion in 1999, and 7 billion in 2012. For the 21st century, the continued exponential growth in science and technology raises both hopes (e.g., advances in medicine) and fears (e.g., development of even more lethal weapons of war).

Globally, the 20th century was marked by

(a) two devastating world wars; (b) the Great Depression of the 1930s; (c) the end of vast colonial empires; (d) rapid advances in science and technology, from the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (US) to the landing on the moon; (e) the Cold War between the Western alliance and the Warsaw Pact nations; (f) a sharp rise in living standards in North America, Europe, and Japan; (g) increased concerns about the environment, including loss of forests, shortages of energy and water, the decline in biological diversity, and air pollution; (h) the onset of the AIDS epidemic; and (i) the ultimate emergence of the US as the only world superpower. The planet's population continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820, to 2 billion in 1930, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1987, 6 billion in 1999, and 7 billion in 2012. For the 21st century, the continued exponential growth in science and technology raises both hopes (e.g., advances in medicine) and fears (e.g., development of even more lethal weapons of war).

Area

510.072 million sq km 148.94 million sq km 361.132 million sq km 70.9% of the world's surface is water, 29.1% is land

land

148.94 million sq km

total

510.072 million sq km

water

361.132 million sq km

Area - comparative

land area about 16 times the size of the US Pacific Ocean 155.557 million sq km; Atlantic Ocean 76.762 million sq km; Indian Ocean 68.556 million sq km; Southern Ocean 20.327 million sq km; Russia 17,098,242 sq km; Arctic Ocean 14.056 million sq km; Antarctica 14 million sq km; Canada 9,984,670 sq km; United States 9,826,675 sq km; China 9,596,961 sq km; Brazil 8,514,877 sq km; Australia 7,741,220 sq km; European Union 4,324,782 sq km; India 3,287,263 sq km; Argentina 2,780,400 sq km Greenland 2,166,086 sq km; New Guinea (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea) 785,753 sq km; Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia) 751,929 sq km; Madagascar 587,713 sq km; Baffin Island (Canada) 507,451 sq km; Sumatra (Indonesia) 472,784 sq km; Honshu (Japan) 227,963 sq km; Victoria Island (Canada) 217,291 sq km; Great Britain (United Kingdom) 209,331 sq km; Ellesmere Island (Canada) 196,236 sq km

top fifteen World Factbook entities ranked by size

Pacific Ocean 155.557 million sq km; Atlantic Ocean 76.762 million sq km; Indian Ocean 68.556 million sq km; Southern Ocean 20.327 million sq km; Russia 17,098,242 sq km; Arctic Ocean 14.056 million sq km; Antarctica 14 million sq km; Canada 9,984,670 sq km; United States 9,826,675 sq km; China 9,596,961 sq km; Brazil 8,514,877 sq km; Australia 7,741,220 sq km; European Union 4,324,782 sq km; India 3,287,263 sq km; Argentina 2,780,400 sq km

top ten largest islands

Greenland 2,166,086 sq km; New Guinea (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea) 785,753 sq km; Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia) 751,929 sq km; Madagascar 587,713 sq km; Baffin Island (Canada) 507,451 sq km; Sumatra (Indonesia) 472,784 sq km; Honshu (Japan) 227,963 sq km; Victoria Island (Canada) 217,291 sq km; Great Britain (United Kingdom) 209,331 sq km; Ellesmere Island (Canada) 196,236 sq km

Climate

a wide equatorial band of hot and humid tropical climates - bordered north and south by subtropical temperate zones - that separate two large areas of cold and dry polar climates

Coastline

356,000 km 95 nations and other entities are islands that border no other countries, they include: American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Baker Island, Barbados, Bermuda, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Clipperton Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Guernsey, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Howland Island, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jan Mayen, Japan, Jarvis Island, Jersey, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated States of Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat, Nauru, Navassa Island, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Solomon Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Spratly Islands, Sri Lanka, Svalbard, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Virgin Islands, Wake Island, Wallis and Futuna, Taiwan

95 nations and other entities are islands that border no other countries, they include

American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Baker Island, Barbados, Bermuda, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Clipperton Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Guernsey, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Howland Island, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jan Mayen, Japan, Jarvis Island, Jersey, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated States of Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat, Nauru, Navassa Island, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Solomon Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Spratly Islands, Sri Lanka, Svalbard, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Virgin Islands, Wake Island, Wallis and Futuna, Taiwan

Elevation extremes

Bentley Subglacial Trench (Antarctica) -2,555 m in the oceanic realm, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is the lowest point, lying -10,924 m below the surface of the Pacific Ocean Mount Everest 8,850 m Mount Everest (China-Nepal) 8,850 m; K2 (Pakistan) 8,611 m; Kanchenjunga (India-Nepal) 8,598 m; Lhotse (Nepal) 8,516 m; Makalu (China-Nepal) 8,463 m; Cho Oyu (China-Nepal) 8,201 m; Dhaulagiri (Nepal) 8,167 m; Manaslu (Nepal) 8,163 m; Nanga Parbat (Pakistan) 8,125 m; Anapurna (Nepal) 8,091 m

highest point

Mount Everest 8,850 m

lowest point

Bentley Subglacial Trench (Antarctica) -2,555 m

top ten highest mountains (measured from sea level)

Mount Everest (China-Nepal) 8,850 m; K2 (Pakistan) 8,611 m; Kanchenjunga (India-Nepal) 8,598 m; Lhotse (Nepal) 8,516 m; Makalu (China-Nepal) 8,463 m; Cho Oyu (China-Nepal) 8,201 m; Dhaulagiri (Nepal) 8,167 m; Manaslu (Nepal) 8,163 m; Nanga Parbat (Pakistan) 8,125 m; Anapurna (Nepal) 8,091 m

Environment - current issues

large areas subject to overpopulation, industrial disasters, pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of wildlife, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion; global warming becoming a greater concern

Geography - note

the world is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old, just about one-third of the 13.75-billion-year age estimated for the universe

Irrigated land

3,245,566 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

the land boundaries in the world total 251,060 km (not counting shared boundaries twice); two nations, China and Russia, each border 14 other countries 46 nations and other areas are landlocked, these include: Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, South Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe; two of these, Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan, are doubly landlocked

46 nations and other areas are landlocked, these include

Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, South Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe; two of these, Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan, are doubly landlocked

Land use

10.57% 1.04% 88.39% (2005)

arable land

10.57%

other

88.39% (2005)

permanent crops

1.04%

Map references

Political Map of the World , Physical Map of the World , Standard Time Zones of the World , World Oceans

Maritime claims

a variety of situations exist, but in general, most countries make the following claims measured from the mean low-tide baseline as described in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea: territorial sea - 12 nm, contiguous zone - 24 nm, and exclusive economic zone - 200 nm; additional zones provide for exploitation of continental shelf resources and an exclusive fishing zone; boundary situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200 nm

a variety of situations exist, but in general, most countries make the following claims measured from the mean low-tide baseline as described in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

territorial sea - 12 nm, contiguous zone - 24 nm, and exclusive economic zone - 200 nm; additional zones provide for exploitation of continental shelf resources and an exclusive fishing zone; boundary situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200 nm

Natural hazards

large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones); natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions) volcanism is a fundamental driver and consequence of plate tectonics, the physical process reshaping the Earth's lithosphere; the world is home to more than 1,500 potentially active volcanoes, with over 500 of these having erupted in historical times; an estimated 500 million people live near these volcanoes; associated dangers include lava flows, lahars (mudflows), pyroclastic flows, ash clouds, ash fall, ballistic projectiles, gas emissions, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis; in the 1990s, the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, created a list of 16 volcanoes worthy of special study because of their great potential for destruction: Avachinsky-Koryaksky (Russia), Colima (Mexico), Etna (Italy), Galeras (Colombia), Mauna Loa (United States), Merapi (Indonesia), Nyiragongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Rainier (United States), Sakurajima (Japan), Santa Maria (Guatemala), Santorini (Greece), Taal (Philippines), Teide (Spain), Ulawun (Papua New Guinea), Unzen (Japan), Vesuvius (Italy)

volcanism

volcanism is a fundamental driver and consequence of plate tectonics, the physical process reshaping the Earth's lithosphere; the world is home to more than 1,500 potentially active volcanoes, with over 500 of these having erupted in historical times; an estimated 500 million people live near these volcanoes; associated dangers include lava flows, lahars (mudflows), pyroclastic flows, ash clouds, ash fall, ballistic projectiles, gas emissions, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis; in the 1990s, the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, created a list of 16 volcanoes worthy of special study because of their great potential for destruction: Avachinsky-Koryaksky (Russia), Colima (Mexico), Etna (Italy), Galeras (Colombia), Mauna Loa (United States), Merapi (Indonesia), Nyiragongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Rainier (United States), Sakurajima (Japan), Santa Maria (Guatemala), Santorini (Greece), Taal (Philippines), Teide (Spain), Ulawun (Papua New Guinea), Unzen (Japan), Vesuvius (Italy)

Natural resources

the rapid depletion of nonrenewable mineral resources, the depletion of forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and plant species, and the deterioration in air and water quality (especially in some countries of Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China) pose serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only beginning to address

Terrain

the greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at 10,924 m in the Pacific Ocean

Age structure

26.3% (male 944,987,919/female 884,268,378) 65.9% (male 2,234,860,865/female 2,187,838,153) 7.9% (male 227,164,176/female 289,048,221) (2012 est.)

0-14 years

26.3% (male 944,987,919/female 884,268,378)

15-64 years

65.9% (male 2,234,860,865/female 2,187,838,153)

65 years and over

7.9% (male 227,164,176/female 289,048,221) (2012 est.)

Birth rate

19.14 births/1,000 population this rate results in about 252 worldwide births per minute or 4.2 births every second (2012 est.)

Death rate

7.99 deaths/1,000 population this rate results in about 107 worldwide deaths per minute or 1.8 deaths every second (July 2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.8% (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1.8 million (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

33.3 million (2009 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.94 beds/1,000 population (2005)

Infant mortality rate

39.48 deaths/1,000 live births 41.42 deaths/1,000 live births 37.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

female

37.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

male

41.42 deaths/1,000 live births

total

39.48 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Mandarin Chinese 12.44%, Spanish 4.85%, English 4.83%, Arabic 3.25%, Hindi 2.68%, Bengali 2.66%, Portuguese 2.62%, Russian 2.12%, Japanese 1.8%, Standard German 1.33%, Javanese 1.25% (2009 est.) percents are for "first language" speakers only; the six UN languages - Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Russian, and Spanish (Castilian) - are the mother tongue or second language of about half of the world's population, and are the official languages in more than half the states in the world; all told, there are about 6,900 languages spoken in the world

Life expectancy at birth

67.59 years 65.59 years 69.73 years (2012 est.)

female

69.73 years (2012 est.)

male

65.59 years

total population

67.59 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write 83.7% 88.3% 79.2% over two-thirds of the world's 793 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, the Arab states, South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

79.2%

male

88.3%

total population

83.7%

Median age

28.4 years 27.7 years 29 years (2009 est.)

female

29 years (2009 est.)

male

27.7 years

total

28.4 years

Population

7,021,836,029 (July 2012 est.) China 1,343.24; India 1,205.07; United States 313.85; Indonesia 248.22; Brazil 205.72; Pakistan 190.29; Nigeria 170.12; Bangladesh 161.08; Russia 138.08; Japan 127.37 (July 2012 est.)

top ten most populous countries (in millions)

China 1,343.24; India 1,205.07; United States 313.85; Indonesia 248.22; Brazil 205.72; Pakistan 190.29; Nigeria 170.12; Bangladesh 161.08; Russia 138.08; Japan 127.37 (July 2012 est.)

Population growth rate

1.096% this rate results in about 145 net additions to the worldwide population every minute or 2.4 every second (2012 est.)

Religions

Christian 33.39% (of which Roman Catholic 16.85%, Protestant 6.15%, Orthodox 3.96%, Anglican 1.26%), Muslim 22.74%, Hindu 13.8%, Buddhist 6.77%, Sikh 0.35%, Jewish 0.22%, Baha'i 0.11%, other religions 10.95%, non-religious 9.66%, atheists 2.01% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 76% of population rural: 45% of population total: 61% of population urban: 24% of population rural: 55% of population total: 39% of population

rural

55% of population

total

39% of population

urban

24% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

11 years 11 years 11 years (2008)

female

11 years (2008)

male

11 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

1.07 male(s)/female 1.07 male(s)/female 1.02 male(s)/female 0.79 male(s)/female 1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.79 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

under 15 years

1.07 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

2.47 children born/woman (2012 est.)

Urbanization

50.5% of total population (2010) 1.85% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) Tokyo (Japan) - 36,669,000; Delhi (India) - 22,157,000; Sao Paulo (Brazil) - 20,262,000; Mumbai (India) - 20,041,000; Mexico City (Mexico) - 19,460,000; New York-Newark (US) - 19,425,000; Shanghai (China) - 16,575,000; Kolkata (India) - 15,552,000; Dhaka (Bangladesh) - 14,648,000; Karachi (Pakistan) - 13,125,000 (2009)

rate of urbanization

1.85% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

ten largest urban agglomerations

Tokyo (Japan) - 36,669,000; Delhi (India) - 22,157,000; Sao Paulo (Brazil) - 20,262,000; Mumbai (India) - 20,041,000; Mexico City (Mexico) - 19,460,000; New York-Newark (US) - 19,425,000; Shanghai (China) - 16,575,000; Kolkata (India) - 15,552,000; Dhaka (Bangladesh) - 14,648,000; Karachi (Pakistan) - 13,125,000 (2009)

urban population

50.5% of total population (2010)

Administrative divisions

195 countries, 72 dependent areas and other entities

International law organization participation

all members of the UN are parties to the statute that established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court; 55 countries have accepted jurisdiction of the ICJ with reservations and 11 countries have accepted ICJ jurisdiction without reservations; states parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICCt) are those countries that have ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the Court; a total of 121 (effective 1 July 2012) countries have accepted jurisdiction of the ICCt (see Appendix B for a clarification on the differing mandates of the ICJ and ICCt)

Legal system

the legal systems of nearly all countries are generally modeled upon elements of five main types: civil law (including French law, the Napoleonic Code, Roman law, Roman-Dutch law, and Spanish law); common law (including United States law); customary law; mixed or pluralistic law; and religious law (including Islamic law); an additional type of legal system - international law - governs the conduct of independent nations in their relationships with one another

the legal systems of nearly all countries are generally modeled upon elements of five main types

civil law (including French law, the Napoleonic Code, Roman law, Roman-Dutch law, and Spanish law); common law (including United States law); customary law; mixed or pluralistic law; and religious law (including Islamic law); an additional type of legal system - international law - governs the conduct of independent nations in their relationships with one another

Budget

$20.67 trillion $23.42 trillion (2012 est.)

expenditures

$23.42 trillion (2012 est.)

revenues

$20.67 trillion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.8% of GDP (2012 est.)

Debt - external

$69.01 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $63.6 trillion (31 December 2011 est.) this figure is the sum total of all countries' external debt, both public and private

Distribution of family income - Gini index

39 (2007 est.) 37.2 (1998 est.)

Economy - overview

The international financial crisis of 2008-09 led to the first global recession since 1946 and presented the world economy with a major new challenge: determining what mix of fiscal and monetary policies to follow to restore growth and jobs, while keeping inflation and debt under control. The fiscal stimulus packages put in place in 2009-12 required most countries to run budget deficits. Treasuries issued new public debt - totaling $7.6 trillion since 2008 - to pay for the additional expenditures. To keep interest rates low, many central banks monetized that debt, injecting large sums of money into their economies. When economic activity picks up, central banks will face the difficult task of containing inflation without raising interest rates so high they snuff out further growth. And governments will continue to face the difficult task of spurring current growth and employment without saddling their economies with so much debt that they sacrifice long-term growth and financial stability. In 2012, many countries pursued more austere economic policies, reducing government spending in order to attack their deficit and debt problems directly. The rate of growth of the world economy slipped from 5.1% in 2010, and 3.7% in 2011, to just 3.3% in 2012. The global budget deficit narrowed to roughly $2.7 trillion, or 3.8% of World GDP. Many central banks also tightened monetary policy; growth of the global money supply, narrowly defined, slowed from 9.5% in 2010 and 8.7% in 2011, to 6% in 2012. Fiscal and monetary data for 2012 are currently available for 180 countries. Of the 180 countries, 85 pursued expansionary policies, stepping up government spending and expanding their money supply faster than the world average; 47 followed restrictive policies, cutting government spending and holding money growth to less than 6%; and the remaining 48 followed a mix of contrary fiscal and monetary policies, either reducing government spending while accelerating money growth, or boosting spending while curtailing money growth. These policies significantly affected economic performance. Countries with more expansionary fiscal and monetary policies achieved higher rates of growth, lower unemployment, higher growth of tax revenues, and greater success in curtailing public debt than those countries with more austere policies. In 2012, the 85 countries that followed a pro-growth approach achieved a median GDP growth rate of 4.9%, compared to just 0.8% for the 47 countries with restrictive fiscal and monetary policies, a difference of more than 4 percentage points. Among the 85, China grew 7.8%, Indonesia 6.0%, Mexico 3.8%, Russia 3.6%, Turkey 3.0%, the United States 2.3%, and Canada 1.9%, while among the 47, Brazil grew 1.3%, Germany 0.9%, France 0.1%, Belgium 0%, Netherlands -0.5%, Spain -1.5%, and Italy -2.3%. World unemployment increased to 9.2% in 2012. The median for the 47 countries jumped to 11.5%, while the median for the pro-growth countries held steady at 7.3%. Faster GDP growth translated into increased tax revenues. Revenues for the 85 expansionary countries grew at a median rate of 10.8%, whereas tax revenues fell at a median rate of 6.2% for the 47 countries with austere economic policies. This put increased pressure on many of the 47 to raise public debt. For these countries, the median level of public debt as a share of GDP grew 2.5 percentage points to 57.8%, while the median for the 85 pro-growth countries actually declined marginally. The world recession has suppressed inflation rates - world inflation declined 0.8 percentage points in 2012 to about 4.2%. At the same time, the median inflation rate for the 85 pro-growth countries, at 5.5%, was 2.5 percentage points higher than that for the countries who followed more austere fiscal and monetary policies. The latter countries also improved their current account balances by shedding imports; current account balances deteriorated for most of the countries that pursued pro-growth policies. Slower growth of world income reduced import demand and, especially, crude oil prices. As a result, world trade grew just 1% in 2012, compared with 18% in 2011. The world faces several long-standing challenges. The addition of 80 million people each year to an already overcrowded globe is exacerbating the problems of underemployment, pollution, waste-disposal, epidemics, water-shortages, famine, over-fishing of oceans, deforestation, desertification, and depletion of non-renewable resources. The nation-state, as a bedrock economic-political institution, is steadily losing control over international flows of people, goods, services, funds, and technology. The introduction of the euro as the common currency of much of Western Europe in January 1999, while paving the way for an integrated economic powerhouse, poses economic risks because the participating nations have varying levels and rates of growth of income, and hence, differing needs for monetary and fiscal policies. Especially in Western Europe, governments face the difficult political problem of channeling resources away from welfare programs in order to increase investment and strengthen incentives to seek employment. Because of their own internal problems and priorities, the industrialized countries devote insufficient resources to deal effectively with the poorer areas of the world, which, at least from an economic point of view, are becoming further marginalized. The terrorist attacks on the US on 11 September 2001 accentuated a growing risk to global prosperity, illustrated, for example, by the reallocation of resources away from investment to anti-terrorist programs. Despite these challenges, the world economy also shows great promise. Technology has made possible further advances in all fields, from agriculture, to medicine, alternative energy, metallurgy, and transportation. Improved global communications have greatly reduced the costs of international trade, helping the world gain from the international division of labor, raise living standards, and reduce income disparities among nations. Much of the resilience of the world economy in the aftermath of the financial crisis resulted from government and central bank leaders around the globe working in concert to stem the financial onslaught, knowing well the lessons of past economic failures.

The international financial crisis of 2008-09 led to the first global recession since 1946 and presented the world economy with a major new challenge

determining what mix of fiscal and monetary policies to follow to restore growth and jobs, while keeping inflation and debt under control. The fiscal stimulus packages put in place in 2009-12 required most countries to run budget deficits. Treasuries issued new public debt - totaling $7.6 trillion since 2008 - to pay for the additional expenditures. To keep interest rates low, many central banks monetized that debt, injecting large sums of money into their economies. When economic activity picks up, central banks will face the difficult task of containing inflation without raising interest rates so high they snuff out further growth. And governments will continue to face the difficult task of spurring current growth and employment without saddling their economies with so much debt that they sacrifice long-term growth and financial stability.

Exports

$18.35 trillion (2012 est.) $18.13 trillion (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services electrical machinery, including computers 14.8%; mineral fuels, including oil, coal, gas, and refined products 14.4%; nuclear reactors, boilers, and parts 14.2%; cars, trucks, and buses 8.9%; scientific and precision instruments 3.5%; plastics 3.4%; iron and steel 2.7%; organic chemicals 2.6%; pharmaceutical products 2.6%; diamonds, pearls, and precious stones 1.9%

top ten - share of world trade

electrical machinery, including computers 14.8%; mineral fuels, including oil, coal, gas, and refined products 14.4%; nuclear reactors, boilers, and parts 14.2%; cars, trucks, and buses 8.9%; scientific and precision instruments 3.5%; plastics 3.4%; iron and steel 2.7%; organic chemicals 2.6%; pharmaceutical products 2.6%; diamonds, pearls, and precious stones 1.9%

GDP - composition by sector

5.9% 30.5% 63.6% (2012 est.)

agriculture

5.9%

industry

30.5%

services

63.6% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$12,500 (2012 est.) $12,200 (2011 est.) $11,900 (2010 est.) data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3.3% (2012 est.) 3.7% (2011 est.) 5.1% (2010 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

GWP (gross world product): $71.62 trillion (2012 est.)

GWP (gross world product)

$71.62 trillion (2012 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$83.23 trillion (2012 est.) $80.61 trillion (2011 est.) $77.71 trillion (2010 est.) data are in 2012 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

2.7% 27.7% (2007 est.)

highest 10%

27.7% (2007 est.)

lowest 10%

2.7%

Imports

$18.24 trillion (2012 est.) $18.01 trillion (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services see listing for exports

top ten - share of world trade

see listing for exports

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (2011 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

world average 4.2% (2012 est.) developed countries 2.2% (2011 est.) developing countries 5.5% (2012 est.) the above estimates are weighted averages; inflation in developed countries is 0% to 4% typically, in developing countries, 5% to 10% typically; national inflation rates vary widely in individual cases; inflation rates have declined for most countries for the last several years, held in check by increasing international competition from several low wage countries, and by soft demand as a result of the world financial crisis (2012 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

23.9% of GDP (2012 est.) 23.4% of GDP (2011 est.)

Labor force

3.302 billion (2012 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

36.4% 22.2% 41.4% (2007 est.)

agriculture

36.4%

industry

22.2%

services

41.4% (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$47.04 trillion (31 December 2011) $56.37 trillion (31 December 2010) $48.71 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)

Public debt

65.4% of GDP (2012 est.) 63.8% of GDP (2011 est.)

Stock of broad money

$84.87 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $78.76 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$22.25 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $20.63 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$20.59 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $19.05 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$106 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $101.5 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$27.02 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $25.49 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

28.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

Unemployment rate

9.2% (2012 est.) 8.4% (2011 est.) 30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12% unemployment (2007 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

31.76 billion Mt (2010 est.)

Crude oil - exports

41.51 million bbl/day (2009 est.)

Crude oil - imports

43.01 million bbl/day (2009 est.)

Crude oil - production

84.06 million bbl/day (2011 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

1.532 trillion bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

Electricity - consumption

19.06 trillion kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - exports

601.7 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

66.6% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

18.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

7.9% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

4.9% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

687.3 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

5.029 billion kW (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

20.81 trillion kWh (2009 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

3.319 trillion cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - exports

1.108 trillion cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - imports

1.446 trillion cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - production

3.373 trillion cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

208.2 trillion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

88.13 million bbl/day (2011 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

22.55 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

21.61 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

81.74 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

Internet users

2.1 billion (2010)

Telephone system

NA NA NA

domestic

NA

general assessment

NA

international

NA

Telephones - main lines in use

1.2 billion (2011)

Telephones - mobile cellular

6 billion (2011)

Airports

total airports - 43,794 (2012) Atlanta (ATL) - 89,331,622; Beijing (PEK) - 73,948,113; Chicago (ORD) - 66,774,738; London (LHR) - 65,884,143; Tokyo (HND) - 64,211,074; Los Angeles (LAX) - 59,070,127; Paris (CDG) - 58,167,062; Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) - 56,906,610; Frankfurt (FRA) - 53,009,221; Denver (DEN) - 52,209,377 (2010) Hong Kong (HKG) - 4,165,852; Memphis (MEM) - 3,916,811; Shanghai (PVG) - 3,228,081; Incheon (ICN) - 2,684,499; Anchorage (ANC) - 2,646,695; Paris (CDG) - 2,399,067; Frankfurt (FRA) - 2,275,000; Dubai (DXB) - 2,270,498; Tokyo (NRT) - 2,167,853; Louisville (SDF) - 2,166,656 (2010)

top ten by cargo (metric tons)

Hong Kong (HKG) - 4,165,852; Memphis (MEM) - 3,916,811; Shanghai (PVG) - 3,228,081; Incheon (ICN) - 2,684,499; Anchorage (ANC) - 2,646,695; Paris (CDG) - 2,399,067; Frankfurt (FRA) - 2,275,000; Dubai (DXB) - 2,270,498; Tokyo (NRT) - 2,167,853; Louisville (SDF) - 2,166,656 (2010)

top ten by passengers

Atlanta (ATL) - 89,331,622; Beijing (PEK) - 73,948,113; Chicago (ORD) - 66,774,738; London (LHR) - 65,884,143; Tokyo (HND) - 64,211,074; Los Angeles (LAX) - 59,070,127; Paris (CDG) - 58,167,062; Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) - 56,906,610; Frankfurt (FRA) - 53,009,221; Denver (DEN) - 52,209,377 (2010)

Heliports

3,825 (2012)

Ports and terminals

Shanghai (China) - 29,069,000; Singapore (Singapore) - 28,431,100; Hong Kong (China) - 23,669,242; Shenzhen (China) - 22,509,700; Busan (South Korea) - 14,194,334; Ningbo (China) - 13,144,000; Guangzhou (China) - 12,486,900; Qingdao (China) - 12,012,000; Dubai (UAE) - 11,575,775; - Rotterdam (Netherlands)- 11,145,804 (2010)

top ten container ports as measured by Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) throughput

Shanghai (China) - 29,069,000; Singapore (Singapore) - 28,431,100; Hong Kong (China) - 23,669,242; Shenzhen (China) - 22,509,700; Busan (South Korea) - 14,194,334; Ningbo (China) - 13,144,000; Guangzhou (China) - 12,486,900; Qingdao (China) - 12,012,000; Dubai (UAE) - 11,575,775; - Rotterdam (Netherlands)- 11,145,804 (2010)

Railways

1,139,615 km (2008)

total

1,139,615 km (2008)

Roadways

102,260,304 km (2008)

total

102,260,304 km (2008)

Transportation - note

the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reports that 2011 saw a very slight (1%) decrease in global pirate activities with marginally fewer people taken hostage at sea; in 2011, pirates attacked a total of 439 ships world-wide including hijacking 45 ships, capturing 802 seafarers, and killing eight; while the Horn of Africa remains the most dangerous area for maritime shipping, accounting for more than 50% of all attacks in 2011, a number of attacks also occurred in the coastal waters of Indonesia, the South China Sea, Bangladesh, and West Africa; as of July 2012, there have been 189 attacks worldwide with 20 hijackings; the Horn of Africa remains the most dangerous region in 2012 with 70 attacks, 13 hijackings, 212 hostages seized; as of July 2012, Somali pirates hold 11 vessels and 174 hostages; the decrease in successful pirate attacks is due, in part, to more aggressive anti-piracy operations by international naval forces as well as the increased use of armed security teams aboard merchant ships

Waterways

671,886 km Nile (Africa) 6,693 km; Amazon (South America) 6,436 km; Mississippi-Missouri (North America) 6,238 km; Yenisey-Angara (Asia) 5,981 km; Ob-Irtysh (Asia) 5,569 km; Yangtze (Asia) 5,525 km; Yellow (Asia) 4,671 km; Amur (Asia) 4,352 km; Lena (Asia) 4,345 km; Congo (Africa) 4,344 km rivers are not necessarily navigable along the entire length; if measured by volume, the Amazon is the largest river in the world Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan) 372,960 sq km; Lake Superior (Canada, United States) 82,414 sq km; Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) 69,490 sq km; Lake Huron (Canada, United States) 59,596 sq km; Lake Michigan (United States) 57,441 sq km; Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia) 32,890 sq km; Great Bear Lake (Canada) 31,800 sq km; Lake Baikal (Russia) 31,494 sq km; Lake Nyasa (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania) 30,044 sq km; Great Slave Lake (Canada) 28,400 sq km the areas of the lakes are subject to seasonal variation; only the Caspian Sea is saline, the rest are fresh water

top ten largest natural lakes (by surface area)

Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan) 372,960 sq km; Lake Superior (Canada, United States) 82,414 sq km; Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) 69,490 sq km; Lake Huron (Canada, United States) 59,596 sq km; Lake Michigan (United States) 57,441 sq km; Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia) 32,890 sq km; Great Bear Lake (Canada) 31,800 sq km; Lake Baikal (Russia) 31,494 sq km; Lake Nyasa (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania) 30,044 sq km; Great Slave Lake (Canada) 28,400 sq km

top ten longest rivers

Nile (Africa) 6,693 km; Amazon (South America) 6,436 km; Mississippi-Missouri (North America) 6,238 km; Yenisey-Angara (Asia) 5,981 km; Ob-Irtysh (Asia) 5,569 km; Yangtze (Asia) 5,525 km; Yellow (Asia) 4,671 km; Amur (Asia) 4,352 km; Lena (Asia) 4,345 km; Congo (Africa) 4,344 km

Military expenditures

roughly 2% of GDP of gross world product (2005 est.)

Disputes - international

stretching over 250,000 km, the world's 322 international land boundaries separate 195 independent states and 71 dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, and other miscellaneous entities; ethnicity, culture, race, religion, and language have divided states into separate political entities as much as history, physical terrain, political fiat, or conquest, resulting in sometimes arbitrary and imposed boundaries; most maritime states have claimed limits that include territorial seas and exclusive economic zones; overlapping limits due to adjacent or opposite coasts create the potential for 430 bilateral maritime boundaries of which 209 have agreements that include contiguous and non-contiguous segments; boundary, borderland/resource, and territorial disputes vary in intensity from managed or dormant to violent or militarized; undemarcated, indefinite, porous, and unmanaged boundaries tend to encourage illegal cross-border activities, uncontrolled migration, and confrontation; territorial disputes may evolve from historical and/or cultural claims, or they may be brought on by resource competition; ethnic and cultural clashes continue to be responsible for much of the territorial fragmentation and internal displacement of the estimated 6.6 million people and cross-border displacements of 8.6 million refugees around the world as of early 2006; just over one million refugees were repatriated in the same period; other sources of contention include access to water and mineral (especially hydrocarbon) resources, fisheries, and arable land; armed conflict prevails not so much between the uniformed armed forces of independent states as between stateless armed entities that detract from the sustenance and welfare of local populations, leaving the community of nations to cope with resultant refugees, hunger, disease, impoverishment, and environmental degradation

Illicit drugs

worldwide coca leaf cultivation in 2007 amounted to 232,500 hectares; Colombia produced slightly more than two-thirds of the worldwide crop, followed by Peru and Bolivia; potential pure cocaine production decreased 7% to 865 metric tons in 2007; Colombia conducts an aggressive coca eradication campaign, but both Peruvian and Bolivian Governments are hesitant to eradicate coca in key growing areas; 551 metric tons of export-quality cocaine (85% pure) is documented to have been seized or destroyed in 2005; US consumption of export quality cocaine is estimated to have been in excess of 380 metric tons worldwide illicit opium poppy cultivation continued to increase in 2007, with a potential opium production of 8,400 metric tons, reaching the highest levels recorded since estimates began in mid-1980s; Afghanistan is world's primary opium producer, accounting for 95% of the global supply; Southeast Asia - responsible for 9% of global opium - saw marginal increases in production; Latin America produced 1% of global opium, but most was refined into heroin destined for the US market; if all potential opium was processed into pure heroin, the potential global production would be 1,000 metric tons of heroin in 2007

cocaine

worldwide coca leaf cultivation in 2007 amounted to 232,500 hectares; Colombia produced slightly more than two-thirds of the worldwide crop, followed by Peru and Bolivia; potential pure cocaine production decreased 7% to 865 metric tons in 2007; Colombia conducts an aggressive coca eradication campaign, but both Peruvian and Bolivian Governments are hesitant to eradicate coca in key growing areas; 551 metric tons of export-quality cocaine (85% pure) is documented to have been seized or destroyed in 2005; US consumption of export quality cocaine is estimated to have been in excess of 380 metric tons

opiates

worldwide illicit opium poppy cultivation continued to increase in 2007, with a potential opium production of 8,400 metric tons, reaching the highest levels recorded since estimates began in mid-1980s; Afghanistan is world's primary opium producer, accounting for 95% of the global supply; Southeast Asia - responsible for 9% of global opium - saw marginal increases in production; Latin America produced 1% of global opium, but most was refined into heroin destined for the US market; if all potential opium was processed into pure heroin, the potential global production would be 1,000 metric tons of heroin in 2007

Refugees and internally displaced persons

the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated in June 2011 that there were 43.7 million people forcibly displaced worldwide; this includes 15.1 million refugees and as many as 27.5 million IDPs in more than 40 countries (2011)

Trafficking in persons

approximately 800,000 people, mostly women and children, are trafficked annually across national borders, not including millions trafficked within their own countries; at least 80% of the victims are female and up to 50% are minors; 75% of all victims are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation; almost two-thirds of the global victims are trafficked intra-regionally within East Asia and the Pacific (260,000 to 280,000 people) and Europe and Eurasia (170,000 to 210,000 people) (42 countries) Afghanistan, Angola, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Burma, Burundi, Chad, China, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Cyprus, Djibouti, Ecuador, Federated States of Micronesia, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iraq, Jamaica, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Namibia, Niger, Russia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Suriname, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela (17 countries) Algeria, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Kuwait, Libya, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Zimbabwe (2012)

current situation

approximately 800,000 people, mostly women and children, are trafficked annually across national borders, not including millions trafficked within their own countries; at least 80% of the victims are female and up to 50% are minors; 75% of all victims are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation; almost two-thirds of the global victims are trafficked intra-regionally within East Asia and the Pacific (260,000 to 280,000 people) and Europe and Eurasia (170,000 to 210,000 people)

Tier 2 Watch List

(42 countries) Afghanistan, Angola, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Burma, Burundi, Chad, China, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Cyprus, Djibouti, Ecuador, Federated States of Micronesia, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iraq, Jamaica, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Namibia, Niger, Russia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Suriname, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela

Tier 3

(17 countries) Algeria, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Kuwait, Libya, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Zimbabwe (2012)