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 drop 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 1988. 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).

Map reference: World Time Zones

Area
Comparative: land area about 16 times the size of the US

Land boundaries: the land boundaries in the world total 251,480 km (not counting shared boundaries twice)

Coastline: 356,000 km

Climate: two large areas of polar climates separated by two rather narrow temperate zones from a wide equatorial band of tropical to subtropical climates

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

Natural resources: the rapid using up 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 Eastern Europe the former USSR and China) pose serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only beginning to address

Irrigated land: 2,481,250 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones) natural disasters (earthquakes landslides tsunamis volcanic eruptions)

Population: 6,080,671,215 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 1.3% (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.3% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 22 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 9 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

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

Infant mortality rate: 54 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Administrative divisions: 267 nations dependent areas other and miscellaneous entries

Legal system: all members of the UN (excluding Yugoslavia) plus Switzerland are parties to the statute that established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court

Economy overview: Growth in global output (gross world product GWP) rose to 3% in 1999 from 2% in 1998 despite continued recession in Japan severe financial difficulties in other East Asian countries and widespread dislocations in several transition economies notably Russia. The US economy continued its remarkable sustained prosperity growing at 4.1% in 1999 and accounted for 23% of GWP. Western Europe's economies grew at roughly 2% not enough to cut deeply into the region's high unemployment; the EU economies produced 20% of GWP. China the second largest economy in the world continued its strong growth and accounted for 12% of GWP. Japan grew at only 0.3% in 1999; its share in GWP is 7%. As usual the 15 successor nations of the USSR and the other old Warsaw Pact nations experienced widely different rates of growth. The developing nations varied widely in their growth results with many countries facing population increases that eat up gains in output. Externally the nation-state as a bedrock economic-political institution is steadily losing control over international flows of people goods funds and technology. Internally the central government often finds its control over resources slipping as separatist regional movements - typically based on ethnicity - gain momentum e.g. in many of the successor states of the former Soviet Union in the former Yugoslavia in India and in Canada. 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. The addition of 80 million people each year to an already overcrowded globe is exacerbating the problems of pollution desertification underemployment epidemics and famine. 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 the economic point of view are becoming further marginalized. Continued financial difficulties in East Asia Russia and many African nations cast a shadow over short-term global economic prospects. The introduction of the euro as the common currency of much of Western Europe in January 1999 while strengthening prospects for an integrated economic powerhouse poses serious economic risks because of varying levels of income and cultural and political differences among the participating nations. (For specific economic developments in each country of the world in 1999 see the individual country entries.)

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,800 (1999 est.)

Industries: dominated by the onrush of technology especially in computers robotics telecommunications and medicines and medical equipment; most of these advances take place in OECD nations; only a small portion of non-OECD countries have succeeded in rapidly adjusting to these technological forces; the accelerated development of new industrial (and agricultural) technology is complicating already grim environmental problems

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: NA
By occupation agricultue: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12% unemployment (1999 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: all countries 25%; developed countries 1% to 3% typically; developing countries 5% to 60% typically (1999 est.)

Exports: $5.6 trillion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services
Partners: in value about 75% of exports from the developed countries

Imports: $5.6 trillion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services
Partners: in value about 75% of imports by the developed countries

Debt external: $2 trillion for less developed countries (1999 est.)

Electricity
Production: 12,343 billion kWh (1994)
Consumption: 12,343 billion kWh (1994)

Telephones
Main lines in use: NA
Mobile cellular: NA

Internet
Service providers isps: 13,119 (1999)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: aggregate real expenditure on arms worldwide in 1999 remained at approximately the 1998 level about three-quarters of a trillion dollars (1999 est.)
Percent of gdp: roughly 2% of gross world product (1999 est.)