- published: 05 Dec 2011
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- author: oecden
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Arab League
The Arab League (Arabic: الجامعة العربية al-Jāmiʻa al-ʻArabiyya), officially called the League of Arab States (Arabic: جامعة الدول العربية Jāmiʻat ad-Duwal al-ʻArabiyya), is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia (Middle East). It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (renamed Jordan in 1949), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a member on 5 May 1945. The Arab League currently has 22 members (including Syria, whose participation was suspended in November 2011). The main goal of the league is to "draw closer the relations between member States and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries."
Through institutions such as the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League's Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU), the Arab League facilitates political, economic, cultural, scientific and social programs designed to promote the interests of the Arab world. It has served as a forum for the member states to coordinate their policy positions, to deliberate on matters of common concern, to settle some Arab disputes, and to limit conflicts such as the 1958 Lebanon crisis. The League has served as a platform for the drafting and conclusion of many landmark documents promoting economic integration. One example is the Joint Arab Economic Action Charter which sets out the principles for economic activities in the region.
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Australia
Australia (
/əˈstreɪljə/), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent as well as the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.
For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who belonged to one or more of roughly 250 language groups. After discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades; the continent was explored and an additional five self-governing Crown Colonies were established.
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Austria
Austria (
i/ˈɒstriə/ or /ˈɔːstriə/; German: Österreich [ˈøːstɐˌʁaɪç] (
listen)), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich (help·info)), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe and, in response to the coronation of Napoleon I as the Emperor of the French, the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.
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Belgium
Belgium (i/ˈbɛldʒəm/ BEL-jəm), officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi), and it has a population of about 11 million people. Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups, the Dutch-speakers, mostly Flemish (about 60%), and the French-speakers, mostly Walloons (about 40%), plus a small group of German-speakers. Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.
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Brazil
Brazili/brəˈzɪl/ (Portuguese: Brasil, IPA: [bɾaˈziw]), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil, listen (help·info)), is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people. It is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas and the largest lusophone country in the world.
Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 km (4,655 mi). It is bordered on the north by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and the French overseas region of French Guiana; on the northwest by Colombia; on the west by Bolivia and Peru; on the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay and on the south by Uruguay. Numerous archipelagos form part of Brazilian territory, such as Fernando de Noronha, Rocas Atoll, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks, and Trindade and Martim Vaz. It borders all other South American countries except Ecuador and Chile.
Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until 1815, when it was elevated to the rank of kingdom and the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was formed. The colonial bond was in fact broken in 1808, when the capital of the Portuguese colonial empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, after Napoleon invaded Portugal.Independence was achieved in 1822 with the formation of the Empire of Brazil, a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system. The country became a presidential republic in 1889, when a military coup d'état proclaimed the Republic, although the bicameral legislature, now called Congress, dates back to the ratification of the first constitution in 1824. Its current Constitution, formulated in 1988, defines Brazil as a Federal Republic. The Federation is formed by the union of the Federal District, the 26 States, and the 5,564 Municipalities.
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Canada
Canada ( /ˈkænədə/) is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Spanning over 9,900,000 km2 (3,800,000 sq mi), Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the longest land border in the world.
The land that is now Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French colonial expeditions explored, and later settled, along the region's Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy; the Canada Act 1982 severed the vestiges of legal dependence on Britain.
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Chateau de la Muette
The Château de la Muette (French pronunciation: [ʃato də la mɥɛt]) is a château located on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France, near the Porte de la Muette.
Three châteaux have been located on the site since a hunting lodge was transformed into the first château for Princess Marguerite de Valois, favorite daughter of King Henry II, sister of Kings Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III and the first wife of King Henry IV, in the 16th century. The first château was extended and substantially reconstructed by Louis XV. Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette lived at this second château, and the first manned flight, in a hot air balloon, set off from the château in 1783.
The old château was demolished in the 1920s to make room for substantial houses, including a new château built by Henri James de Rothschild, which is now the Paris home of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The meaning of muette is not certain. In modern French, it denotes a mute woman. However, the name of the château may be derived from several words in the French language:
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Chile
Chile (i/ˈtʃɪliː/ or /ˈtʃɪleɪ/), officially the Republic of Chile (Spanish: República de Chile [reˈpuβlika ðe ˈtʃile] ( listen)), is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow strip of land between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far south. Along with Ecuador, it is one of two countries in South America that do not border Brazil. Chilean territory includes the Pacific islands of Juan Fernández, Salas y Gómez, Desventuradas and Easter Island. Chile also claims about 1,250,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi) of Antarctica, although all claims are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty.
Chile's distinctive shape—4,300 kilometres (2,700 mi) long and on average 175 kilometres (109 mi) wide—makes it the longest country in the world, north to south, with the fifth lengthiest coastline at over 78 thousand kilometers. The diverse climate of Chile ranges from the world's driest desert in the north—the Atacama—through a Mediterranean climate in the centre, humid subtropical in Easter Island, to an Oceanic climate, including alpine tundra and glaciers in the east and south. The northern desert contains great mineral wealth, principally copper. The relatively small central area dominates in terms of population and agricultural resources, and is the cultural and political center from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century when it incorporated its northern and southern regions. Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands, and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands.
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China
China (i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
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Château de la Muette
The Château de la Muette (French pronunciation: [ʃato də la mɥɛt]) is a château located on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France, near the Porte de la Muette.
Three châteaux have been located on the site since a hunting lodge was transformed into the first château for Princess Marguerite de Valois, favorite daughter of King Henry II, sister of Kings Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III and the first wife of King Henry IV, in the 16th century. The first château was extended and substantially reconstructed by Louis XV. Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette lived at this second château, and the first manned flight, in a hot air balloon, set off from the château in 1783.
The old château was demolished in the 1920s to make room for substantial houses, including a new château built by Henri James de Rothschild, which is now the Paris home of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The meaning of muette is not certain. In modern French, it denotes a mute woman. However, the name of the château may be derived from several words in the French language:
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Colombia
Colombia (
/kəˈlʌmbiə/ kə-LUM-biə, or /kəˈlɒmbiə/ kə-LOM-biə), officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish: República de Colombia [reˈpuβlika ðe koˈlombja]), is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the northwest by Panama; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Colombia has maritime borders with Ecuador, Panama, Venezuela, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Colombia is the 26th largest country by area and the fourth largest in South America after Brazil, Argentina and Peru. With over 46 million people, Colombia is the 27th largest country in the world by population and has the second largest population of any Spanish-speaking country in the world, after Mexico. Colombia is a middle power, with the fourth largest economy in Latin America, and the third largest in South America. Colombia is famous for the production of coffee, flowers, emeralds, coal, and oil. All of these products make up the primary sector of economy.
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Cyprus
Cyprusi/ˈsaɪprəs/ (Greek: Κύπρος, Kýpros, IPA: [ˈcipɾos]; Turkish: Kıbrıs, IPA: [ˈkɯbɾɯs]), officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία, Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía, IPA: [cipɾiaˈci ðimokɾaˈtia]; Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti, IPA: [ˈkɯbɾɯs dʒumhuɾijeˈti]), is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria, Lebanon, northwest of Israel and north of Egypt. Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and the Republic of Cyprus is a member state of the European Union.
The earliest known human activity on the island dates back to around the 10th millennium BC. Archaeological remains from this period include the well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia, which has been declared a World Heritage Site with an "enhanced protection" status in the event of armed conflict by UNESCO, along with the archaeological sites of Paphos and the Painted Churches of the Troodos Region. Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world.
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Czech Republic
The Czech Republic (i/ˈtʃɛk/ CHEK;Czech: Česká republika, pronounced [ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka] ( listen), short form Česko Czech pronunciation: [ˈtʃɛskɔ]) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the north, Germany to the west, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. Its capital and largest city, with 1.3 million inhabitants, is Prague.
It is a pluralist multi-party parliamentary representative democracy, a member of the European Union, NATO, the OECD, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group.
The Czech state, formerly known as Bohemia, was formed in the late 9th century as a small duchy around Prague, at that time under dominance of the powerful Great Moravian Empire (which reached its greatest territorial extent during the reign of Svatopluk I from the House of Mojmír). After the fall of the Empire in 907, the centre of power was transferred from Moravia to Bohemia, under the Přemyslids. During the rule of Přemyslid dukes/kings and their successors, the Luxembourgs, the country reached its greatest territorial extent (13th–14th century). Life in the country was significantly affected by the Hussite wars, during which it faced economic embargo and crusades from all over Europe. Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, the Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg monarchy as one of its three principal parts alongside the Archduchy of Austria and the Kingdom of Hungary. The Bohemian Revolt (1618–20) led to the further centralization of the monarchy including forced recatholization and Germanization. During radical reforms in the 18th century the Bohemian Crown was even de facto abolished (1749). In the 19th century the Czech lands became the industrial powerhouse of the monarchy and the core of the Republic of Czechoslovakia which was formed in 1918, following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire after World War I.
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Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia (Czech and Slovak: Československo, Česko-Slovensko) was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992. From 1939 to 1945, the state did not de facto exist because of its forced division and partial incorporation into Nazi Germany, but the Czechoslovak government-in-exile nevertheless continued to exist during this period. In 1945, the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia was taken over by the Soviet Union. On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Form of state:
Neighbours:
Topography:
The country was of generally irregular terrain. The western area was part of north-central European uplands. The eastern region was composed of northern reaches of Carpathian Mountains and Danube River basin lands.
Climate:
The weather was predominantly continental, but varied from the moderate temperature of Western Europe in the west, to more severe weather of Eastern Europe and the western Soviet Union in the east.
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Denmark
The Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Kongeriget Danmark, pronounced [ˈkɔŋəʁiːəð ˈdanmɑɡ̊] ( listen)) is a constitutional monarchy and sovereign state consisting the country of Denmark in northern Europe and two autonomous constituent countries, the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. The kingdom is a unitary state with some power being devolved from Denmark proper to Greenland and the Faroe Islands; this polity is referred to as the Danish Realm. Denmark proper is the hegemonial area, where judicial, executive, and legislative power resides. The Faroe Islands are defined to be a community of people within the kingdom, and the Greenlandic people are defined as a separate people with the right to self-determination.
Denmark is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, located southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland and many islands, most notably Zealand, Funen, Lolland, Falster and Bornholm, as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago.
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European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union.
The Commission operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "commissioners" ). There is one member per member state, though members are bound to represent the interests of the EU as a whole rather than their home state. One of the 27 is the Commission President (currently José Manuel Durão Barroso) proposed by the European Council and elected by the European Parliament. The Council then appoints the other 26 members of the Commission in agreement with the nominated President, and then the 27 members as a single body are subject to a vote of approval by the European Parliament. The first Barroso Commission took office in late 2004 and its successor, under the same President, took office in 2010.
The term "Commission" is used either in the narrow sense of the 27-member College of Commissioners (or College) or to also include the administrative body of about 23,000 European civil servants who are split into departments called Directorates-General and Services. The internal working languages of the Commission are English, French and German. The Members of the Commission and their "cabinets" (immediate teams) are based in the Berlaymont building of Brussels.
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Finland
Coordinates: 65°N 27°E / 65°N 027°E / 65; 027
Finlandi/ˈfɪnlənd/ ( Finnish: Suomi; Swedish: Finland (help·info)), officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.
Around 5.4 million people reside in Finland, with the majority concentrated in the southern region. It is the eighth largest country in Europe in terms of area and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Finland is a parliamentary republic with a central government based in Helsinki and local governments in 336 municipalities, and an autonomous region of the Åland Islands. About one million residents live in the Greater Helsinki area, which consists of Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa, and a third of the country's GDP is produced there. Other larger cities include Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Lahti and Kuopio.
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France
France (Englishi/ˈfræns/ FRANSS or /ˈfrɑːns/ FRAHNSS; French: [fʁɑ̃s] ( listen)), officially the French Republic (French: République française [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is the largest western European country and it possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 11,035,000 km2 (4,260,000 sq mi), just behind that of the United States (11,351,000 km2 / 4,383,000 sq mi).
Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America and Southeast Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest colonial empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.
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Germany
Germany (i/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
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Greece
Greecei/ˈɡriːs/ (Greek: Ελλάδα, Ellada, IPA: [eˈlaða] ( listen) historically in Katharevousa and Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάς, Hellas, IPA: [eˈlas] and [helːás] respectively), officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, Elliniki Dimokratia, IPA: [eliniˈci ðimokraˈtia]), is a country in Southern Europe, politically considered part of Western Europe.Athens is the capital and the largest city in the country (its urban area also including Piraeus). The population of the country is around 11 million.
Greece has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km (8,498 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands (approximately 1,400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands among others. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of which Mount Olympus is the highest at 2,917 m (9,570 ft).
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Hungary
Hungaryi/ˈhʌŋɡəri/ (Hungarian: Magyarország [ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːɡ] ( listen)) is a country, which is located in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The country's capital, and largest city, is Budapest. Hungary is a member of the European Union, NATO, the OECD, the Visegrád Group, and is a Schengen state. The official language is Hungarian, also known as Magyar, which is part of the Finno-Ugric group and is the most widely spoken non-Indo-European language in Europe.
Following a Celt (after c. 450 BC) and a Roman (AD 9 - c. 430) period, the foundation of Hungary was laid in the late 9th century by the Hungarian prince Árpád, whose great-grandson Saint Stephen I was crowned with a crown sent by the pope from Rome in 1000 AD. The Kingdom of Hungary lasted for 946 years, and at various points was regarded as one of the cultural centres of the Western world. After about 150 years of partial Ottoman occupation (1541–1699), Hungary was integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy, and later constituted half of the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy (1867–1918).
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Iceland
Icelandi/ˈaɪslənd/ (Icelandic: Ísland, IPA: [ˈislant]) is a Nordic European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Reykjavík, with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.
According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island. Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls (slaves) of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918 Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied largely on fisheries and agriculture, and the country was one of the poorest and least developed in the world. Industrialisation of the fisheries and aid from the Marshall Plan brought prosperity in the years after World War II, and by the 1990s it was one of the world's wealthiest countries. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which made it possible for the economy to diversify into economic and financial services.
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India
India (i/ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.
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Indonesia
Indonesia (i/ˌɪndəˈniːʒə/ IN-də-NEE-zhə or /ˌɪndoʊˈniːziə/ IN-doh-NEE-zee-ə), officially the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia Indonesian pronunciation: [rɛpʊblɪk ɪndɔnɛsɪa]), is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 17,508 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an elected legislature and president. The nation's capital city is Jakarta. The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia. Other neighboring countries include Singapore, Philippines, Australia, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Indonesia is a founding member of ASEAN and a member of the G-20 major economies. The Indonesian economy is the world's 17th largest economy by nominal GDP.
The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the 7th century, when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders brought Islam, and European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolize trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia secured its independence after World War II. Indonesia's history has since been turbulent, with challenges posed by natural disasters, corruption, separatism, a democratization process, and periods of rapid economic change.
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Israel
Coordinates: 31°N 35°E / 31°N 35°E / 31; 35
Israel, officially the State of Israel ( /ˈɪzriːəl/ or /ˈɪzreɪəl/; Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Medīnat Yisrā'el, IPA: [me̞diˈnät jisʁäˈʔe̞l] ( listen); Arabic: دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل, Dawlat Isrāʼīl, IPA: [dawlat ʔisraːˈʔiːl]), is a parliamentary republic in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank in the east, Egypt and the Gaza Strip on the southwest, and the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea to the south, and it contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. Israel is defined as a Jewish and Democratic State in its Basic Laws and is the world's only Jewish-majority state.
Following the adoption of a resolution by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 29 November 1947 recommending the adoption and implementation of the United Nations plan to partition Palestine, on 14 May 1948 David Ben-Gurion, the Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization and president of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, declared the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, to be known as the State of Israel, a state independent from the British Mandate for Palestine. Neighboring Arab states invaded the next day in support of the Palestinian Arabs. Israel has since fought several wars with neighboring Arab states, in the course of which it has occupied the West Bank, Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. Portions of these territories, including east Jerusalem, have been annexed by Israel, but the border with the neighboring West Bank has not yet been permanently defined.[neutrality is disputed] Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, but efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have so far not resulted in peace.
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Italy
Italyi/ˈɪtəli/ (Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja]), officially the Italian Republic or the Republic of Italy (Italian: Repubblica italiana), is a unitary parliamentary republic in south-central Europe. To the north, it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia along the Alps. To the south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia–the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea–and many other smaller islands. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. The territory of Italy covers some 301,338 km2 (116,347 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 60.6 million inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous country in Europe, and the 23rd most populous in the world.
Rome, the capital of Italy, was for centuries a political and religious centre of Western civilisation as the capital of the Roman Empire and site of the Holy See. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Italy endured numerous invasions by foreign peoples, from Germanic tribes such as the Lombards and Ostrogoths, to the Byzantines and later, the Normans, among others. Centuries later, Italy became the birthplace of Maritime republics and the Renaissance, an immensely fruitful intellectual movement that would prove to be integral in shaping the subsequent course of European thought.
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Japan
Japan
i/dʒəˈpæn/ (Japanese: 日本 Nihon or Nippon; formally 日本国 Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally the State of Japan) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 127 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War I allowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of increasing militarism. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since adopting its revised constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet.
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Latvia
Latviai/ˈlætviə/ (Latvian: Latvija), officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Republika), is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia (border length 343 km), to the south by Lithuania (588 km), to the east by the Russian Federation (276 km), to the southeast by Belarus (141 km), and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden. With 2,067,887 inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi) it is one of the least populous and least densely populated countries of the European Union. The capital of Latvia is Riga. The official language is Latvian and the currency is called Lats (Ls). The country has a temperate seasonal climate.
The Latvians are a Baltic people, culturally related to the Lithuanians. Together with the Finno-Ugric Livs (or Livonians), the Latvians are the indigenous people of Latvia.Latvian is an Indo-European language and along with Lithuanian the only two surviving members of the Baltic branch. Indigenous minority languages are Latgalian and the nearly extinct Finno-Ugric Livonian language. In terms of geography, territory and population Latvia is the middle of three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Latvia and Estonia share a long common history: historical Livonia, times of German (Teutonic Order), Polish-Lithuanian, Swedish, Russian, Nazi German and Soviet rule, 13th century Christianization and 16th century Protestant Reformation. Both countries are home to a large number of ethnic Russians (26.9% in Latvia and 25.5% in Estonia) of whom some are non-citizens. Latvia is historically predominantly Protestant, except for the region of Latgalia in the southeast which is historically predominantly Roman Catholic.
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Lithuania
Lithuania (i/ˌlɪθuːˈeɪniə/ or /ˌlɪθjuːˈeɪniə/; Lithuanian: Lietuva), officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublika) is a country in Northern Europe, the largest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark. It borders Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and a Russian exclave (Kaliningrad Oblast) to the southwest. Lithuania has an estimated population of 3.2 million as of 2011, and its capital and largest city is Vilnius. The Lithuanians are a Baltic people, and the official language, Lithuanian, is one of only two living languages (together with Latvian) in the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family.
For centuries, the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea was inhabited by various Baltic tribes. In the 1230s the Lithuanian lands were united by Mindaugas, who was crowned as King of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the first Lithuanian state, on 6 July 1253. During the 14th century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was the largest country in Europe: present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia were territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. With the Lublin Union of 1569, Lithuania and Poland formed a voluntary two-state union, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth lasted more than two centuries, until neighboring countries systematically dismantled it from 1772 to 1795, with the Russian Empire annexing most of Lithuania's territory.
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Luxembourg
Luxembourg (i/ˈlʌksəmbɜrɡ/ LUKS-əm-burg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg, French: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg, Dutch: Groothertogdom Luxemburg), is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland ("good country") in the south. Luxembourg has a population of over half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq mi). A representative democracy with a constitutional monarch, it is ruled by a grand duke. It is now the world's only remaining sovereign grand duchy. The country has a highly developed economy, with the world's highest GDP (nominal) per capita according to the IMF. Its historic and strategic importance dates back to its founding as a Roman era fortress site and Frankish count's castle site in the Early Middle Ages. It was an important bastion along the Spanish Road when Spain was the principal European power influencing the whole western hemisphere and beyond in the 16th–17th centuries.
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Malta
Maltai/ˈmɒltə/, officially known as the Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta' Malta), is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, 80 km (50 mi) south of Sicily, 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia and 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya, with Gibraltar 1,755 km (1,091 mi) to the west and Alexandria 1,508 km (937 mi) to the east. Malta covers just over 316 km2 (122 sq mi) in land area, making it one of the world's smallest states. It is also one of the most densely populated countries worldwide. The de facto capital city of Malta is Valletta; the largest town, Birkirkara. The main island comprises many towns, which together form one Larger Urban Zone (LUZ) with a population of 368,250 according to Eurostat. The country has two official languages, Maltese (constitutionally the national language) and English.
Throughout history, Malta's location has given it great strategic importance, and a succession of powers including the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, Habsburg Spain, Knights of St John, French and the British ruled the islands. Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964 and became a republic in 1974, whilst retaining membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. Malta was admitted to the United Nations in 1964 and to the European Union in 2004. Malta is also party to the Schengen Agreement and in 2008 it became part of the eurozone.
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Mexico
Mexico (i/ˈmɛksɨkoʊ/; Spanish: México, IPA: [ˈmexiko] ( listen)), officially the United Mexican States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos (help·info)), is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States of America; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost two million square kilometres (over 760,000 sq mi), Mexico is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the thirteenth largest independent nation in the world. With an estimated population of over 113 million, it is the eleventh most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country. Mexico is a federation comprising thirty-one states and a Federal District, the capital city.
In Pre-Columbian Mexico many cultures matured into advanced civilizations such as the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, the Maya and the Aztec before the first contact with Europeans. In 1521, Spain conquered and colonized the territory from its base in México-Tenochtitlan, which was administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain. This territory would eventually become Mexico as the colony's independence was recognized in 1821. The post-independence period was characterized by economic instability, the Mexican-American War and territorial cession to the United States, a civil war, two empires and a domestic dictatorship. The latter led to the Mexican Revolution in 1910, which culminated with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution and the emergence of the country's current political system. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time that an opposition party won the presidency from the Institutional Revolutionary Party.
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NATO
Coordinates: 50°52′34.16″N 4°25′19.24″E / 50.8761556°N 4.4220111°E / 50.8761556; 4.4220111
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO ( /ˈneɪtoʊ/ NAY-toh; French: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique Nord (OTAN)), also called the (North) Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party. NATO's headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, one of the 28 member states across North America and Europe, the newest of which, Albania and Croatia, joined in April 2009. An additional 22 countries participate in NATO's Partnership for Peace, with 15 other countries involved in institutionalized dialogue programs. The combined military spending of all NATO members constitutes over 70% of the world's defence spending.
For its first few years, NATO was not much more than a political association. However, the Korean War galvanized the member states, and an integrated military structure was built up under the direction of two U.S. supreme commanders. The course of the Cold War led to a rivalry with nations of the Warsaw Pact, which formed in 1955. The first NATO Secretary General, Lord Ismay, stated in 1949 that the organization's goal was "to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down." Doubts over the strength of the relationship between the European states and the United States ebbed and flowed, along with doubts over the credibility of the NATO defence against a prospective Soviet invasion—doubts that led to the development of the independent French nuclear deterrent and the withdrawal of the French from NATO's military structure in 1966.
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Netherlands
The Netherlands (i/ˈnɛðərləndz/; Dutch: Nederland [ˈneːdə(r)lɑnt] or [ˈneɪ̯də(r)lɑnt] (
listen); West Frisian: Nederlân; Papiamento: Hulanda) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with some islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The country capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as Holland, although North and South Holland are actually only two of its twelve provinces (a case of pars pro toto; see terminology of "the Netherlands").
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New Zealand
New Zealand (Māori: Aotearoa) is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses ‒ that of the North and South Islands ‒ as well as numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans.
During its long isolation, New Zealand developed a distinctive biodiversity of both animal and plant life. Most notable are the large number of unique bird species, many of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and introduced mammals. With a mild maritime climate, the land was mostly covered in forest. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions caused by the Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates clashing beneath the earth's surface.
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Norway
Norwayi/ˈnɔrweɪ/ (Norwegian: Norge (Bokmål) or Noreg (Nynorsk)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and the subantarctic Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of about 5 million. It is the second least densely populated country in Europe. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east; in its south Norway borders the Skagerrak Strait across from Denmark. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords.
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Poland
Polandi/ˈpoʊlənd/ (Polish: Polska), officially the Republic of Poland (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polska; Kashubian: Pòlskô Repùblika; Silesian: Polsko Republika), is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres (120,726 sq mi), making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe. Poland has a population of over 38 million people, which makes it the 34th most populous country in the world and the sixth most populous member of the European Union, being its most populous post-communist member. Poland is a unitary state made up of 16 voivodeships. Poland is a member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), European Economic Area, International Energy Agency, Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, International Atomic Energy Agency, G6, Council of the Baltic Sea States, Visegrád Group, Weimar Triangle and Schengen Agreement.
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Portugal
Portugali/ˈpɔrtʃʉɡəl/ (Portuguese: Portugal, IPA: [puɾtuˈɣaɫ]), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa) is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula . Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are part of Portugal. The country is named after its second largest city, Porto, whose Latin name was Portus Cale.
The land within the borders of the current Portuguese Republic has been continuously settled since prehistoric times: occupied by Celts like the Gallaeci and the Lusitanians, integrated into the Roman Republic and later settled by Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Swabians, Vandals and the Visigoths. In the 8th century most of the Iberian Peninsula was conquered by Moorish invaders professing Islam, which were later expelled by the Knights Templar under the Order of Christ. During the Christian Reconquista, Portugal established itself as an independent kingdom from León in 1139, claiming to be the oldest European nation state.
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Republic of Ireland
Ireland (/ˈaɪərlənd/ or /ˈɑrlənd/; Irish: Éire, pronounced [ˈeːɾʲə] ( listen)) is a sovereign state in Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. Its capital is Dublin. The population of the state was 4.59 million in 2011. It is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy, with an elected president serving as head of state. In the 1937 constitution, the name of the state is given as simply "Ireland". The Constitution of Ireland (Article 4) and the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 provides that the "Republic of Ireland" (Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann) is "the description of the state".
Ireland is a member of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. A developed country with the seventh highest Human Development Index, Ireland is also highly ranked for press freedom, economic freedom and democracy and political freedom.
The modern Irish state was established in 1922 as the Irish Free State, a dominion within the British Empire, following the Anglo-Irish Treaty which brought an end to the Irish War of Independence. The partition of Ireland had already been provided for in previous British legislation in 1921 in response to opposition to Irish Home Rule or independence by Unionists, who formed a majority in the north-eastern part of the country. Six of the nine counties in the northern province of Ulster were established under that legislation as Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, with which the Irish state shares its only land border. The state is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, St George's Channel to the south east, and the Irish Sea to the east.
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Russia
Russiai/ˈrʌʃə/ or /ˈrʊʃə/ (Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə] ( listen)), is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the US state of Alaska by the Bering Strait. At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the eighth most populous nation with 143 million people. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning nine time zones and incorporating a wide range of environments and landforms. Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources and is the largest producer of oil and natural gas globally. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves and its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water.
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Slovakia
The Slovak Republic (short form: Slovakiai/sloʊˈvɑːkiə/ or /sləˈvækiə/; Slovak: Slovensko (help·info), long form Slovenská republika (help·info)) is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi). Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is the capital, Bratislava, and the second largest is Košice. Slovakia is a member state of the European Union, NATO, United Nations, OECD and WTO among others. The official language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic language family.
The Slavs arrived in the territory of present day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries during the migration period. In the course of history, various parts of today's Slovakia belonged to Samo's Empire (the first known political unit of Slavs), Principality of Nitra (as independent polity, as part of Great Moravia and as part of Hungarian Kingdom), Great Moravia, Kingdom of Hungary, the Austro-Hungarian Empire or Habsburg Empire, and Czechoslovakia. A separate Slovak state briefly existed during World War II, during which Slovakia was a dependency of Nazi Germany between 1939 and 1944. From 1945 Slovakia once again became a part of Czechoslovakia. The present-day Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
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Slovenia
Slovenia (i/sloʊˈviːniə/ sloh-VEE-nee-ə, Slovene: Slovenija), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija, [reˈpublika sloˈveːnija]) is a Slavic nation state, situated in South-Central Europe, at the crossroad of main European cultural and trade routes. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Croatia to the south and southeast, and Hungary to the northeast. It covers 20,273 square kilometres (7,827 sq mi) and has a population of 2.05 million. It is a parliamentary republic, member of the European Union and NATO. Relative to its geography, history, economy, culture, and language, it is a very diverse country distinguished by a transitional character. It is characterised by a high economic and social level. Its capital and largest city is Ljubljana.
The territory of Slovenia is mainly hilly or mountainous and has an exceptionally high landscape and biological diversity and a mosaic structure, which are a result of natural attributes and the long-lasting presence of humans. Four major European geographic units interweave here: the Alps, the Dinaric Alps, the Mediterranean, with a small portion of coastline along the Adriatic Sea, and the Pannonian Plain. The climate is temperate and significantly influenced by the variety of territory, with a strong interaction of the continental climate, the sub-Mediterranean climate and Alpine climate across most of the country. The country is one of the water-richest in Europe, with a dense river network, a rich aquifer system, and significant karstic underground watercourses. Over half of the territory is covered by forest.
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South Africa
Coordinates: 30°S 25°E / 30°S 25°E / -30; 25
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. It is divided into nine provinces and has 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline. To the north of the country lie the neighbouring territories of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an enclave surrounded by South African territory.
South Africa is multi-ethnic and has diverse cultures and languages. Eleven official languages are recognised in the constitution. Two of these languages are of European origin: South African English and Afrikaans, a language which originated mainly from Dutch that is spoken by the majority of white and Coloured South Africans. Though English is commonly used in public and commercial life, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language. All ethnic and language groups have political representation in the country's constitutional democracy comprising a parliamentary republic; unlike most parliamentary republics, the positions of head of state and head of government are merged in a parliament-dependent President.
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South Korea
South Korea ( listen), officially the Republic of Korea (Hangul: 대한민국; Hanja: 大韓民國; Daehan Minguk listen), is a sovereign state in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The name "Korea" is derived from Goryeo, a dynasty which ruled in the Middle Ages (an initial "G" in Korean is pronounced like an English "K").
Its neighbors are China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the Korea Strait to the south. South Korea lies in the north temperate zone with a predominantly mountainous terrain. It covers a total area of 99,392 square kilometers and has a population of almost 50 million. The capital and largest city is Seoul, with a population of 9,794,304.
Archaeological findings show that the Korean Peninsula was occupied by the Lower Paleolithic period.Korean history begins with the founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BC by the legendary Dan-gun. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea under Silla 668 AD, Korea went through the Goryeo Dynasty and Joseon Dynasty as one nation until the end of the Korean Empire in 1910, when it was annexed by Japan. After liberation and occupation by Soviet and U.S. forces at the end of World War II, the nation was divided into North and South Korea. The latter was established in 1948 as a democracy, though political turmoil and times of military rule and martial law characterized much of the period until the foundation of the Sixth Republic in 1987.
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Spain
Spain (i/ˈspeɪn/ SPAYN; Spanish: España, pronounced: [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a sovereign state and a member of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north and north east by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal.
Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. Furthermore, the town of Llívia is a Spanish exclave situated inside French territory. With an area of 504,030 square kilometres (194,610 sq mi), it is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France, and the fourth largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine and France.
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Sweden
Sweden (i/ˈswiːdən/ SWEE-dən; Swedish: Sverige [ˈsværjɛ] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige (help·info)), is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland, and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Øresund.
At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of about 9.4 million. Sweden has a low population density of 21 inhabitants per square kilometre (54 /sq mi) with the population mostly concentrated to the southern half of the country. About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Sweden's capital city is Stockholm, which is also the largest city.
Sweden emerged as an independent and unified country during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, the country expanded its territories to form the Swedish Empire. The empire grew to be one of the great powers of Europe in the 17th and early 18th century. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries. The eastern half of Sweden, present-day Finland, was lost to Russia in 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Sweden by military means forced Norway into a personal union. Since then, Sweden has been at peace, practicing "non-participation in military alliances during peacetime and neutrality during wartime". However, Sweden has been a member of the European Union since 1 January 1995 and is a member of the OECD.
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Switzerland
Switzerland (German: die Schweiz[ˈʃvaɪts]; French: Suisse [sɥis(ə)]; Italian: Svizzera [ˈzvit͡sːɛra]; Romansh: Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ] or [ˈʒviːtsʁːɐ]), in its full name the Swiss Confederation (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, hence its abbreviation CH), is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in western Europe, where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are to be found. Among them are the two global cities and economic centres of Zurich and Geneva.
The Swiss Confederation has a long history of armed neutrality—it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815—and did not join the United Nations until 2002. It pursues, however, an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world. Switzerland is also the birthplace of the Red Cross and home to a large number of international organizations, including the second largest UN office. On the European level, it is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association and is part of the Schengen Area – although it is notably not a member of the European Union, nor the European Economic Area.
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Turkey
Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (help·info)), is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia (mostly in the Anatolian peninsula) and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea is to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between East Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia.
Turkey is one of the six independent Turkic states. The vast majority of the population are Muslims. The country's official language is Turkish, whereas Kurdish and Zazaki languages are spoken by Kurds and Zazas, who constitute 18% of the population.
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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.
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United States
The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.
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West Bank
The West Bank (Arabic: الضفة الغربية aḍ-Ḍaffah l-Ġarbiyyah, Hebrew: הגדה המערבית, HaGadah HaMa'aravit also known as Hebrew: יהודה והשומרון Yehuda ve-Ha'Shomron (Judea and Samaria)) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The West Bank also contains a significant coastline along the western bank of the Dead Sea. Since 1967, most of the West Bank has been under Israeli military occupation and is referred to as Judea and Samaria Area by Israel. A smaller part of the West Bank is administered by the Israeli civilian authorities as part of Jerusalem District.
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West Germany
West Germany (German: Westdeutschland) is the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990.
During this period, West Germany and the communist East Germany were divided by the Inner German border. After 1961, West Berlin was physically separated from East Berlin as well as from East Germany by the Berlin Wall. This situation ended when East Germany was dissolved and its five states joined the ten states of the Federal Republic of Germany along with the reunified city-state of Berlin. The enlarged Federal Republic of Germany with sixteen states (known simply as "Germany") is thus the continuation of the pre-1990 Federal Republic of Germany.
The Federal Republic of Germany was established from eleven states formed in the three Allied Zones of occupation held by the United States, the United Kingdom and France (the "Western Zones"). The city of Bonn was its provisional capital city. The fourth Allied occupation zone (the East Zone, or Ostzone) was held by the Soviet Union. The parts of this zone lying east of the Oder-Neisse were in fact annexed by the Soviet Union and communist Poland; the remaining central part around Berlin became the communist German Democratic Republic (abbreviated GDR; in German Deutsche Demokratische Republik or DDR) with its de facto capital in East Berlin. As a result, West Germany had a territory about half the size of the interwar democratic Weimar Republic.
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Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian: Jugoslavija; Cyrillic: Југославија) was a country in the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century which was established three times under differing forms of government.
The first country to be known by this name was the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which before 3 October 1929 was known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. It was established on 1 December 1918 by the union of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs and the Kingdom of Serbia (the Kingdom of Montenegro was annexed on 13 November 1918, and the Conference of Ambassadors in Paris gave international recognition to the union on 13 July 1922). The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was invaded by the Axis powers in 1941, and because of the events that followed, was officially abolished in 1943 and 1945.
The second country with this name was the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia, proclaimed in 1943 by the Yugoslav Partisans resistance movement during World War II. It was renamed to the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia in 1946, when a communist government was established. In 1963, it was renamed again to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). This was the largest Yugoslav state, as Istria, Rijeka and Zadar were added to the new Yugoslavia after the end of World War II.
wn.com/Yugoslavia
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Angel Gurria
José Ángel Gurría Treviño (born 8 May 1950), also known as Ángel Gurría, is a Mexican economist and diplomat. He is the current secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) since June 1, 2006.
Gurría graduated with a bachelor's degree in Economics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and undertook postgraduate studies at the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom and at Harvard University, in the United States. He served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs (1994–1997) and as Secretary of Finance (1998–2000) in the Ernesto Zedillo administration. In Foreign Affairs he opposed the Helms-Burton Act and in Treasury he restructured the foreign debt. He also negotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and requested financial aid during the 1994 crisis.
Gurría has also been President and CEO of the National Development Bank (Nafin) of Mexico and President and CEO of the Foreign Trade Bank (Bancomext). From 2003 to 2005 he was a chair member of the Inter-American Development Bank's External Advisory Group.
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Austria
Austria (i/ˈɒstriə/ or /ˈɔːstriə/; German: Österreich [ˈøːstɐˌʁaɪç] ( listen)), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich (help·info)), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe and, in response to the coronation of Napoleon I as the Emperor of the French, the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.
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BRICS
BRICS is the title of an association of leading emerging economies, arising out of the inclusion of South Africa into the BRIC group in 2010. As of 2012, the group's five members are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. With the possible exception of Russia, the BRICS members are all developing or newly industrialised countries, but they are distinguished by their large, fast-growing economies and significant influence on regional and global affairs. As of 2012, the five BRICS countries represent almost 3 billion people, with a combined nominal GDP of US$13.7 trillion, and an estimated US$4 trillion in combined foreign reserves.
President of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao has described the BRICS countries as defenders and promoters of developing countries and a force for world peace. However, some analysts have highlighted potential divisions and weaknesses in the grouping, such as India and China's disagreements over Tibetan and border issues, the failure of the BRICS to establish a World Bank-analogue development agency, and disputes between the members over UN Security Council reform.
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China
China (i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
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Chinese Century
The Chinese Century (simplified Chinese: 中国世纪; traditional Chinese: 中國世紀; pinyin: Zhōngguó Shìjì) is a neologism referring to the possibility that the 21st century will be dominated by the People's Republic of China, similarly to how the 20th century is often called the American Century, and the 19th century the British Century. It is used particularly in the assertion that the economy of China will return to the status it held from around 1000AD-1700AD (or 221BC-1830AD depending on source) and overtake the economy of the United States as the largest national economy in the world.
See the article potential superpower for a discussion regarding China as a superpower.
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Don Johnston
Donald James Johnston, PC OC QC (born June 26, 1936) is a former Canadian politician, lawyer, and was Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) from 1996 to 2006.
Donald Johnston was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He attended McGill University receiving his BA and graduating as a Gold Medallist from the University's Faculty of Law in 1958, receiving his BCL. In 1958, Johnston went on to pursue advanced studies in economics and political science in Grenoble.
In 1961, he joined the Montreal based law firm of Stikeman Elliott, practicing business and tax law. In 1973, he was a founding partner of Johnston Heenan Blaikie (now just Heenan Blaikie), along with Roy Heenan and Peter Blaikie. From 1964 to 1977, he was a lecturer in fiscal law in the Faculty of Law of McGill University.
Johnston was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in a 1978 by-election in Westmount in Montreal, Quebec, as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada. As a member of the cabinet of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau from 1980 to 1984, Johnston successively held the positions of President of the Treasury Board, Minister of State for Science and Technology, and Minister of State for Economic and Regional Development.
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E7 (countries)
The E7 is a group of seven countries with emerging economies. The E7 are predicted to have larger economies than the G7 countries by 2020. The term was coined by the PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Stern Review report, which was published on 30 October 2006. The E7 represents the seven major emerging economies.
Below are the E7 countries and their predicted economies in 2050 as predicted by Goldman Sachs:
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José Ángel Gurría
José Ángel Gurría Treviño (born 8 May 1950), also known as Ángel Gurría, is a Mexican economist and diplomat. He is the current secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) since June 1, 2006.
Gurría graduated with a bachelor's degree in Economics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and undertook postgraduate studies at the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom and at Harvard University, in the United States. He served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs (1994–1997) and as Secretary of Finance (1998–2000) in the Ernesto Zedillo administration. In Foreign Affairs he opposed the Helms-Burton Act and in Treasury he restructured the foreign debt. He also negotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and requested financial aid during the 1994 crisis.
Gurría has also been President and CEO of the National Development Bank (Nafin) of Mexico and President and CEO of the Foreign Trade Bank (Bancomext). From 2003 to 2005 he was a chair member of the Inter-American Development Bank's External Advisory Group.
wn.com/José_Ángel_Gurría -
Robert Marjolin
Robert Marjolin (27 July 1911 – 15 April 1986) was a French economist and politician involved in the formation of the European Economic Community.
Robert Majolin was born in Paris, the son of an upholsterer. He left school at the age of 14 to begin work but took evening and correspondence courses at the Sorbonne. A 1931 scholarship from the Rockefeller Foundation enabled him to study sociology and economics at Yale University, which he completed in 1934. He also received a postgraduate doctorate in jurisprudence in 1936. From 1938 he worked as a chief assistant to Charles Rist at the Institute of Economics in Paris. His research at this time as well as his later political work was strongly affected by the New Deal programs of American President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Marjolin was particularly concerned with production and price history as well as monetary policy.
After the June 1940 French surrender to Germany during the Second World War, Marjolin became an economic advisor to the De Gaulle Government-in-exile in Great Britain. Before the final phase of the war he had already sketched plans for the reconstruction of France and the rest of Europe. In 1943 he represented the Government-in-exile in Washington as director of a purchasing mission. He rejected attempts by the American economy to win itself a prominent position in this mission. While in America he met an artist who would later become his wife.
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Thorkil Kristensen
Thorkil Kristensen (9 October 1899 – 26 June 1989), was a Danish politician, finance minister, professor in national economy and futurist.
He was born a son of a farmer in Fløjstrup close to Vejle, Denmark. Between 1938–1945 he was professor at the University of Aarhus and between 1947–1960 at the Copenhagen Business School.
Thorkil Kristensen was elected to the Danish Parliament 1945 and became finance minister under Knud Kristiansen (1945–1947) and Erik Eriksen (1950–1953). Throughout his life he worked with difficult economic problems. Among people of his own party and opposing parties, he enjoyed great respect because of his broad knowledge of economics.
He came to disagree on economic policy with his party, Venstre, and left the party in 1960.
After his exit from politics, he was secretary general of the OECD from 1960-1969. He was the founder of the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies (CIFS), making it one of the first futures research institutes on the European continent. He was managing director at CIFS from 1970–1988.
wn.com/Thorkil_Kristensen
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Record inequality between rich and poor
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:53
- Updated: 20 Nov 2012
The gap between rich and poor in OECD countries has reached its highest level for over 30 years, and governments must act quickly to tackle inequality, according to a new OECD report, "Divided We Stand". For more information, visit: www.oecd.org/els/social/inequality
http://wn.com/Record_inequality_between_rich_and_poor
OECD at 50: How's Life?
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:43
- Updated: 15 Nov 2012
For 50 years OECD has been promoting better policies for better lives. Because anniversaries are a time to take stock of the present and chart the future, we asked people from many countries what would make their lives better. For more information, visit: www.oecd.org/oecdweek
http://wn.com/OECD_at_50_How's_Life?
OECD
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:04
- Updated: 18 Nov 2012
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was founded in 1948 to help the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization of 30 countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and free-market economy. Most OECD members are high-income economies with a high HDI and are regarded as developed countries.
http://wn.com/OECD
OECD_IdeaFactory: How can we develop better skills for a better future?
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:52
- Updated: 17 Sep 2012
The aim of this IdeaFactory, held at the OECD Forum in May 2012, was to understand the meaning of "employability" in the future and focus on the experiences and practices that seem to be able to boost the quality and the quantity of opportunities for workers in different communities. Starting from the work of the OECD, participants explored the implications of strategies and policies at the level of individuals, companies and governments and discussed how to develop relevant skills, activate them and put them to effective use.
http://wn.com/OECD_IdeaFactory_How_can_we_develop_better_skills_for_a_better_future?
OECD Education at Glance 2012
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:44
- Updated: 12 Nov 2012
Andreas Schleicher, OECD Deputy-Director of Education speaks about the key finding of this year's OECD Education at Glance. He says, education spending is rising but access to higher education remains unequal in most countries. Governments should increase investment in early childhood programmes and maintain reasonable costs for higher education in order to reduce inequality, boost social mobility and improve people's employment prospects. For more information, visit: www.oecd.org/edu/eag2012 Selected photos courtesy of Dartmouth University
http://wn.com/OECD_Education_at_Glance_2012
Innovation and patents
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:08
- Updated: 09 Nov 2012
The quality of patent filings has fallen dramatically over the past two decades. This reduces the potential for breakthrough inventions, according to the OECD's Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2011. For more information about this publication, visit: www.oecd.org/sti/scoreboard
http://wn.com/Innovation_and_patents
OECD September economic forecast
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:44
- Updated: 17 Sep 2012
Sept. 6 - The organisation publishes its outlook for member states. Chief Economist Pier Carlo Padoan will tell Reuters' Axel Threlfall the thinking behind the numbers.
http://wn.com/OECD_September_economic_forecast
Introduction to OECD iLibrary
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:10
- Updated: 12 Sep 2012
This video will provide you an introduction to OECD iLibrary, the OECD's global knowledge base for books, papers and statistics. Content available at www.oecd-ilibrary.org.
http://wn.com/Introduction_to_OECD_iLibrary
Don't Panic! OECD says we're going to be OK!
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 12:20
- Updated: 16 Nov 2012
Recorded Sert 12, 2010 - 14:30 EDT OECD says UK will be fastest growing G7 country in Q3: tinyurl.com Beware of Greeks Bearing Bonds: tinyurl.com Do not fall for talk of European solvency: tinyurl.com Greece moves to reassure investors on reform: tinyurl.com Default in Today's Advanced Economies: tinyurl.com New Basel rules split Germany's bankers: tinyurl.com Basel Committee agrees to new bank regulatory reform package: tinyurl.com Congress must realise America is on the verge of a fresh economic crisis: tinyurl.com Japan approves stimulus package: tinyurl.com US auto sales slump: tinyurl.com Paradise Lost: Why Fallen Markets Will Never Be the Same: tinyurl.com Carney, Volcker see long haul to recovery tinyurl.com EU markets chief Barnier warns the City casino days are over: tinyurl.com Unions warn of co-ordinated strikes against cuts: tinyurl.com Tip of the week ;-) More bad news for RIM: JPMorgan testing iPhones tinyurl.com Max Igan - Waking Up to Reality 1/4: www.youtube.com Peace and Love
http://wn.com/Don't_Panic!_OECD_says_we're_going_to_be_OK!
Looking to 2060: A Global Vision of Long-term Growth
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:28
- Updated: 22 Nov 2012
The balance of economic power is expected to shift dramatically over the coming half century, with fast-growing emerging market economies accounting for an ever-increasing share of global output, according to new OECD research. For more information visit: www.oecd.org/economy/lookingto2060.htm
http://wn.com/Looking_to_2060_A_Global_Vision_of_Long-term_Growth
OECD: Signs euro zone crisis is hitting China
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:51
- Updated: 10 Nov 2012
Aug 31 - The slowdown in Europe is impacting Chinese exports at a critical time in the country's economy, according to Pier Carlo Padoan, Chief Economist at the OECD.
http://wn.com/OECD_Signs_euro_zone_crisis_is_hitting_China
Water: Balancing demand
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:26
- Updated: 12 Nov 2012
By 2050, the world's growing population will use 55% more water in their homes, to grow food, and to produce electricity and manufactured goods. To ensure enough water to meet this demand, we will need to stop wasting it and find new ways to make sure there's enough to go around. For more info visit: www.oecd.org/water
http://wn.com/Water_Balancing_demand
Don't Panic! OECD Says things will only get worse!
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 13:26
- Updated: 20 Oct 2012
Jun 25, 2009 - recorded 8:00 EDT UK to sink further into red than any major country, warns OECD: www.telegraph.co.uk UK has 'biggest' hole in finances: www.thisismoney.co.uk Government debt: Thatll be £2.2 trillion, please: www.telegraph.co.uk Port jobs at risk as rates row escalates: www.telegraph.co.uk Latest Schultz Shock: a 'bank holiday': www.marketwatch.com China's overdue credit-card debt increases: www.marketwatch.com Carney: Canada's downturn has become as deep as that in US: www.financialpost.com World Bank snuffs economic rebound: www.financialpost.com FDIC Press Releases: 3 more banks went as of Friday, to bring the total to 40 this year... www.fdic.gov Banks rush to rescue of credit card trusts: www.ft.com Clinton Cards buys 196 Birthdays stores: business.timesonline.co.uk Clinton Cards buys back Birthdays: www.google.com You Are The Resistance!!! www.youtube.com Geriatric Gang Kidnaps and Tortures Financial Adviser: weinterrupt.com Pensioners 'kidnap and torture' financial adviser: www.telegraph.co.uk Onion Video: US To Trade Gold Reserves For Cash Through Cash4Gold.com www.youtube.com Gold standard on last leg?: news.google.com Gold Standard: www.econlib.org Peace and Love
http://wn.com/Don't_Panic!_OECD_Says_things_will_only_get_worse!
OECD's Plan To Stop Tax Loopholes - Google, Amazon, Starbucks
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:50
- Updated: 21 Nov 2012
http://wn.com/OECD's_Plan_To_Stop_Tax_Loopholes_Google,_Amazon,_Starbucks
Moody's Could CUT US Credit Rating! OECD Unemployment Rate Rises!
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:07
- Updated: 06 Nov 2012
September 11 Responders Still Waiting For Relief Promised In 2010 www.huffingtonpost.com Thousands set to claim compensation as federal government says there IS a link between www.dailymail.co.uk 9/11 Health Program will Cover 50 Types of Cancer latino.foxnews.com NAM summit: Iran attempts to prove Western efforts to isolate it have failed www.csmonitor.com A Case of Iranian Whispers at the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Tehran Read more: world.time.com US Department of Education: 79% of Chicago 8th Graders Not Proficient in Reading cnsnews.com Official: No deal yet between Chicago teachers and school system www.cbsnews.com Moody's expects to cut US rating without deal to lower debt/GDP ratio www.forexlive.com Weekly jobless claims drop to 365K www.cbsnews.com Morgan Stanley Reaches Deal For Citi's Smith Barney Stake www.rttnews.com US Trade Deficit Comes In Narrower Than Expected In July www.rttnews.com OECD Unemployment Rate Rises In July www.rttnews.com Fitch Affirms New Zealand's Sovereign Ratings www.rttnews.com The Market Is Expecting $850 Billion NEW QE www.zerohedge.com
http://wn.com/Moody's_Could_CUT_US_Credit_Rating!_OECD_Unemployment_Rate_Rises!
The OECD Flex Viewer - Economic Returns on Education
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:24
- Updated: 19 Nov 2012
This video shows a demo of how 'The OECD Flex Viewer' can be used to visualize the 2012 OECD Returns on Education data. You may find this video useful if you'd like to know - How to use various view options. - How to create a brand new view, chart, data source, and indicator for the purpose of your own visualization.
http://wn.com/The_OECD_Flex_Viewer_Economic_Returns_on_Education
Responsible business conduct by OECD NCP Norway
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:15
- Updated: 20 Jul 2012
CLICK ON FULL SCREEN VERSION TO SEE SUBTITLES. What are the OECD Guidelines for responsible business conduct and how does the Norwegian OECD National Contact Point handle complaints against companies?
http://wn.com/Responsible_business_conduct_by_OECD_NCP_Norway
UK Minister David Willetts talks about OECD and the UK
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:24
- Updated: 23 Oct 2012
UK Minister David Willetts says "The British government attaches great weight to its membership of the OECD".
http://wn.com/UK_Minister_David_Willetts_talks_about_OECD_and_the_UK
OECD Week 2012: Quotes (23 May)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:07
- Updated: 18 Jun 2012
The top quotes from OECD Week 2012 - Wednesday, May the 23rd. For more information, visit: www.oecd.org/oecdweek
http://wn.com/OECD_Week_2012_Quotes_23_May
OECD's Gurria Warns Greek Crisis Spreading 'Like Ebola'
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:00
- Updated: 14 Jul 2012
April 28 (Bloomberg) -- Angel Gurria, secretary general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, talks with Bloomberg's David Tweed about Europe's response to the Greek debt crisis and risks to financial stability. Gurria speaks in Berlin before meetings involving German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn and German lawmakers on the Greek situation. (Source: Bloomberg)
http://wn.com/OECD's_Gurria_Warns_Greek_Crisis_Spreading_'Like_Ebola'
Press Conference with PM Netanyahu, OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria and Minister Steinitz
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:42
- Updated: 17 Sep 2012
Press Conference with PM Netanyahu, OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria and Minister Steinitz in Jerusalem. 5 June 2012
http://wn.com/Press_Conference_with_PM_Netanyahu,_OECD_Secretary_General_Angel_Gurria_and_Minister_Steinitz
The OECD's outlook for indirect tax
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:10
- Updated: 13 Nov 2012
The OECD's Pascal Saint-Amans explains the outlook for indirect tax. See: .ey.com for the latest tax insights and news.
http://wn.com/The_OECD's_outlook_for_indirect_tax
OECD Labour Markets in the Great Recession
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 75:13
- Updated: 26 Jun 2012
Speaker(s): Professor Christopher Pissarides Chair: Professor John Van Reenen Recorded on 9 February 2012 in Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House. mp3 audio podcast and pdf slides available here - www2.lse.ac.uk Labour markets across the OECD reacted differently to the financial crisis of 2008 and the debt crisis that followed. Professor Pissarides will review these different responses, seek explanations for them, and draw conclusions about labour market policy in recession. The focus will be on unemployment and how to contain its rise in light of the negative shocks to economic activity. Christopher Pissarides is the Norman Sosnow Chair in Economics, LSE, and recipient of the 2010 Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences.
http://wn.com/OECD_Labour_Markets_in_the_Great_Recession
photo: AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
20 Nov 2012
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling President Barack Obama's whirlwind tour of southeast Asia and meetings with dignitaries will have to walk a tightrope between either appearing to endorse military juntas or truly being committed to ongoing pro-democracy movements. Specifically at issue is Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi, a democratic advocate...(size: 5.0Kb)
photo: AP / Emilio Morenatti
22 Nov 2012
A new battle is underway in Pakistan with its powerful military front-and-centre, but the fight is not against armed insurgents or ideological extremists - this opponent is a muscle-flexing Supreme Court. For the first time in decades, the military's iron grip over the South Asian country has been challenged, and it remains to be seen if it will...(size: 23.7Kb)
photo: AP / Melanie Gouby
21 Nov 2012
Hundreds of government soldiers and police in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surrendered to rebels at a stadium in Goma, Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri has reported from the scene. The M23 rebel group, believed to be backed by Rwanda seized the strategic, provincial capital of Goma in eastern Congo on Tuesday, home to more than 1 million...(size: 18.7Kb)
photo: AP / Sebastian D'souza
21 Nov 2012
MUMBAI, India - India executed the lone surviving gunman from the 2008 terror attack on Mumbai early Wednesday, India's home ministry said. Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani citizen, was one of 10 gunmen who rampaged through the streets of India's financial capital in November 2008, killing 166 people. Kasab was hung at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at a jail in...(size: 4.5Kb)
photo: AP
23 Nov 2012
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. I was fortunate to have been raised near an American Indian archaeological spot located on the Great Plains. In elementary school, a fellow classmate would periodically bring and show grinding stones, arrow- and spearheads, stone farming implements, and pictures of what the excavated site may have...(size: 7.1Kb)
Sun Sentinel
23 Nov 2012
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A Swedish government plan to offer tax breaks to parents who hire tutors for their children has sparked fresh fears about rising class divisions in the traditionally egalitarian nation. Though the country is home to the Swedish model of high taxes and generous welfare, data from the OECD club of wealthy nations has shown...(size: 3.0Kb)
Canberra Times
23 Nov 2012
Switzerland is threatening to derail European tax reforms, saying wealthy people with Swiss accounts can preserve their secrecy and, instead, merely pay a one-off, withholding tax on assets. Photo: Bloomberg The world is seeing the first stirrings of an emerging new architecture of global transparency in taxation which could, if pushed forward,...(size: 6.5Kb)
The Daily Telegraph
23 Nov 2012
BBC News
23 Nov 2012
The British Virgin Islands, or BVI, comprise more than 40 Caribbean islands and islets with subtropical vegetation, white sandy beaches and coral reefs. The British overseas territory forms part of an island chain, alongside the neighbouring US Virgin Islands. Tortola, the largest of the 16 inhabited islands, is home to more than three quarters of...(size: 2.7Kb)
Otago Daily Times
23 Nov 2012
Dr Helen Darling (left) and Dr Rebecca McLeod, of Oritain Global, are urging producers to protect their products from food fraud. Photo by Gregor Richardson. For an export nation like New Zealand, being "clean and green" is not enough any more, Oritain Global chief executive Dr Helen Darling says. 'We actually need to be clean, green and clever,"...(size: 4.4Kb)
France24
23 Nov 2012
A two-day EU summit ended on Friday with no agreement on the 2014-2020 budget amid bitter divisions over spending cuts. British Prime Minister David Cameron led calls for slashes to the budget while fighting to keep Britain's EU rebate. By News Wires (text) A European Union summit wound up Friday with "no agreement" sealed for...(size: 6.2Kb)
The Guardian
23 Nov 2012
Government urged to halt closure of factories that provide employment for disabled people as those made redundant struggle for work...(size: 5.2Kb)
Japan Times
23 Nov 2012
TILBURG, Netherlands — Following his re-election, U.S. President Barack Obama almost immediately turned his attention to reining in America's rising national debt. In fact, almost all Western countries are implementing policies aimed at reducing — or at least arresting the growth of — the volume of public debt. In their paper...(size: 5.4Kb)
CNN
23 Nov 2012
November 23, 2012 -- Updated 0616 GMT (1416 HKT) Singapore has one of the lowest jobless rates and highest per capita GDP in the world but tops nations as "emotionless." Hong Kong (CNN) -- The most emotionless society is Singapore's despite its reputation for being among the world's richest, a new survey has revealed. Gallup looked at 150 countries...(size: 6.0Kb)
CNBC
23 Nov 2012
The stalls laden with fruit and vegetables in Rome's Campo de' Fiori market provide a splash of color that signals the delights of the Italian diet. There are trays of Trentino apples, glistening citrus from Campania and jungle-hued varieties of salad leaves grown in market gardens around the capital. Overlooking the market, venerable stores...(size: 20.2Kb)
Scoop
23 Nov 2012
Friday, 23 November 2012, 2:13 pm Speech: New Zealand Government Hon Peter Dunne Minister of Revenue Speech Getting Governance and Accountability Right in the Not-for-Profit Sector Conference Rutherford House, Victoria University 1.30pm, Friday 23 November 2012 I am delighted to have been invited to address you on a sector that plays an...(size: 22.3Kb)
CounterPunch
23 Nov 2012
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Business Insider
22 Nov 2012
Globalization, winners and losers, inequality, and the right tax policy (Part I of "Just What Tax Reform?") Jack Cummings, General Utilities Repeal, and Treasury's Rollover More on the Threat to Social Security and Medicare from the so-called "Fiscal Cliff"...(size: 21.7Kb)
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Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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 Founder States (1961)
Other Member States
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| Secretariat | Paris, France | |||
| Membership | 34 states, 20 founder states (1961) |
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| Leaders | ||||
| - | Secretary General | José Ángel Gurría | ||
| Establishment | ||||
| - | as the OEEC1 | 16 April 1948 | ||
| - | reformed as the OECD | 30 September 1961 | ||
| Website www.oecd.org |
||||
| 1 | Organisation for European Economic Co-operation. | |||
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, French: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, OCDE) is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. It is a forum of countries committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices, and co-ordinate domestic and international policies of its members.
The OECD originated in 1948 as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), led by Robert Marjolin of France, to help administer the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. Later, its membership was extended to non-European states. In 1961, it was reformed into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development by the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Most OECD members are high-income economies with a "very high" Human Development Index (HDI) and are regarded as developed countries.
The OECD's headquarters are at the Château de la Muette in Paris, France.
Contents |
History[link]
Organisation for European Economic Co-operation[link]
The Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), was formed in 1948 to administer American and Canadian aid in the framework of the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II.[1] It started its operations on 16 April 1948. Since 1949, it has been headquartered in the Chateau de la Muette in Paris, France. After the Marshall Plan ended, the OEEC focused on economic issues.[2]
In the 1950s the OEEC provided the framework for negotiations aimed at determining conditions for setting up a European Free Trade Area, to bring the European Economic Community of the six and the other OEEC members together on a multilateral basis. In 1958, a European Nuclear Energy Agency was set up under the OEEC.
Foundation of the OECD[link]
Following the 1957 Rome Treaties to launch the European Economic Community, the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development was drawn up to reform the OEEC. The Convention was signed in December 1960 and the OECD officially superseded the OEEC in September 1961. It consisted of the European founder countries of the OEEC plus the United States and Canada, with Japan joining three years later. The official founding members are the Republic of Austria, the Kingdom of Belgium, the Dominion of Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, the French Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of Greece, the Republic of Iceland, the Republic of Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Norway, the Portuguese Republic, Spain, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Swiss Confederation, the Turkish Republic, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America. During the next 12 years Japan, Finland, Australia, and New Zealand also joined the organisation. Yugoslavia had observer status in the organisation starting with the establishment of the OECD until its dissolution.[3]
More than just increasing its internal structure, OECD progressively created agencies: the OECD Development Centre (1961), International Energy Agency (IEA, 1974), and Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering.
Unlike the organizations of the United Nations system, OECD uses the spelling "organisation" with an "s" in its name rather than "organization" (see -ise/-ize).
Enlargement to Central and Eastern Europe[link]
In 1989, after the political changes in Central and Eastern Europe, the OECD started to assist these countries to prepare market economy reforms. In 1990, the Centre for Co-operation with European Economies in Transition (now succeeded by the Centre for Cooperation with Non-Members) was established, and in 1991, the Programme "Partners in Transition" was launched for the cooperation with Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland.[3][4] This programme also included a membership option for these countries.[4] As a result of this, in 1994–2000 Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia as well as Mexico and the Republic of Korea became members of the organisation.
Reform and further enlargement[link]
In the 1990s, a number of European countries, now members of the European Union, expressed their willingness to join the organisation. In 1995, Cyprus applied for membership, but, according to the Cypriot government, it was vetoed by Turkey.[5] In 1996, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania signed a Joint Declaration expressing willingness to become full members of the OECD.[6] Slovenia also applied for membership that same year.[7] In 2005 Malta applied to join the organization.[8]
In 2003, the OECD established a working group headed by Japan's Ambassador to the OECD Seiichiro Noboru to work out a strategy for the enlargement and co-operation with non-members. The working group proposed that the selection of candidate countries to be based on four criteria: "like-mindedness", "significant player", "mutual benefit" and "global considerations". The working group's recommendations were presented at the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting on 13 and 14 May 2004. Based on these recommendations work, the meeting adopted an agreement on operationalisation of the proposed guidelines and on the drafting of a list of countries suitable as potential candidates for membership.[3] As a result of this work, on 16 May 2007, the OECD Ministerial Council decided to open accession discussions with Chile, Estonia, Israel, Russia and Slovenia and to strengthen co-operation with Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa through a process of enhanced engagement.[9] Chile, Slovenia, Israel and Estonia all became members in 2010.[10][11]
In 2011 President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia express the country's willingness to join the organization during a speech at the OECD headquarters.[12]
Objectives and activities[link]
Aim[link]
The OECD defines itself as a forum of countries committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a setting to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices, and co-ordinate domestic and international policies.[13] Its mandate covers economic, environmental, and social issues. It acts by peer pressure to improve policy and implement "soft law"—non-binding instruments that can occasionally lead to binding treaties. In this work, the OECD cooperates with businesses, trade unions and other representatives of civil society. Collaboration at the OECD regarding taxation, for example, has fostered the growth of a global web of bilateral tax treaties.
The OECD promotes policies designed:
- to achieve the highest sustainable economic growth and employment and a rising standard of living in Member countries, while maintaining financial stability, and thus to contribute to the development of the world economy;
- to contribute to sound economic expansion in Member as well as nonmember countries in the process of economic development; and
- to contribute to the expansion of world trade on a multilateral, nondiscriminatory basis in accordance with international obligations.
International investments and multinational enterprises[link]
Between 1995 and 1998, the OECD designed the Multilateral Agreement on Investment, which was abandoned because of a widespread criticism from civil society groups and developing countries. In 1976, the OECD adopted the Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises, which was rewritten and annexed by the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises in 2000.
Among other areas, the OECD has taken a role in co-ordinating international action on corruption and bribery, creating the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, which came into effect in February 1999. It has been ratified by thirty-eight countries.[14]
The OECD has also constituted an anti-spam task force, which submitted a detailed report, with several background papers on spam problems in developing countries, best practices for ISPs, e-mail marketers, etc., appended. It works on the information economy[15] and the future of the Internet economy.[16]
PISA[link]
Further information: Programme for International Student Assessment
The OECD publishes the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which is an assessment that allows for a comparison of educational performances between countries.
Taxation[link]
See also: FATF Blacklist
The OECD publishes and updates a model tax convention that serves as a template for bilateral negotiations regarding tax coordination and cooperation. This model is accompanied by a set of commentaries that reflect OECD-level interpretation of the content of the model convention provisions. In general, this model allocates the primary right to tax to the country from which capital investment originates (i.e., the home, or resident country) rather than the country in which the investment is made (the host, or source country). As a result, it is most effective as between two countries with reciprocal investment flows (such as among the OECD member countries), but can be very unbalanced when one of the signatory countries is economically weaker than the other (such as between OECD and non-OECD pairings).
Since 1998, the OECD has led a charge against harmful tax practices, principally targeting the activities of tax havens (while principally accepting the policies of its member countries, which would tend to encourage tax competition). These efforts have been met with mixed reaction: The primary objection is the sanctity of tax policy as a matter of sovereign entitlement.[17] The OECD maintains a 'blacklist' of countries it considers uncooperative in the drive for transparency of tax affairs and the effective exchange of information, officially called "The List of Uncooperative Tax Havens".[18] In May 2009, all remaining countries were removed from the list.[19]
On 22 October 2008, at an OECD meeting in Paris, 17 countries led by France and Germany decided to draw up a new blacklist of tax havens. The OECD has been asked to investigate around 40 new tax havens in the world where undeclared revenue is hidden and that host many of the non-regulated hedge funds that have come under fire during the 2008 financial crisis. Germany, France, and other countries called on the OECD to specifically add Switzerland to a blacklist of countries that encourage tax fraud.[20]
Publishing[link]
The OECD publishes books, reports, statistics, working papers and reference materials. All titles and databases published since 1998 can be accessed via OECD iLibrary.
The OECD Library & Archives collection dates from 1947, including records from the Committee for European Economic Co-operation (CEEC) and the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), predecessors of today's OECD. External researchers can consult OECD publications and archival material on the OECD premises by appointment: www.oecd.org/libraryandarchives.
Books[link]
The OECD releases between 300 and 500 books each year. Most books are published in English and French. The OECD flagship titles include:
- The OECD Economic Outlook, published twice a year. It contains forecast and analysis of the economic situation of the OECD member countries.
- The Main Economic Indicators, published monthly. It contains a large selection of timely statistical indicators.
- The OECD Factbook, published yearly and available online, as an iPhone app and in print. The Factbook contains more than 100 economic, environmental and social indicators, each presented with a clear definition, tables and graphs. It is freely accessible online and delivers all the data in Excel format via Statlinks.
- OECD Observer, an award-winning magazine with six issues a year. News, analysis, commentaries and data on global economic, social and environmental challenges. Contains book reviews and special section listing the latest OECD books, plus ordering information.
- The OECD Communications Outlook and OECD Information Technology Outlook, which rotate every year. They contain forecasts and analysis of the communications and information technology industries in OECD member countries and non-member economies.
- In 2007 the OECD published Human Capital: How what you know shapes your life, the first book in the OECD Insights series. This series uses OECD analysis and data to introduce important social and economic issues to non-specialist readers. Other books in the series cover sustainable development, international trade and international migration.
All OECD books are available on the OECD iLibrary, the online bookshop or OECD Library & Archives.
Statistics[link]
The OECD is known as a statistical agency, as it publishes comparable statistics on a wide number of subjects.
OECD statistics are available in several forms:
- as interactive databases on iLibrary together with key comparative and country tables,
- as static files or dynamic database views on the OECD Statistics portal,
- as StatLinks (in most OECD books, there is a URL that links to the underlying data).
Working papers[link]
There are 15 working papers series published by the various directorates of the OECD Secretariat. They are available on iLibrary, as well as on many specialised portals.
Reference works[link]
The OECD is responsible for the OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals, a continuously updated document that is a de facto standard (i.e., soft law).
It has published the OECD Environmental Outlook to 2030, which shows that tackling the key environmental problems we face today—including climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and the health impacts of pollution—is both achievable and affordable.
Structure[link]
The OECD's structure consists of three main elements:
- The OECD member countries, each represented by a delegation led by an ambassador. Together, they form the OECD Council. Member countries act collectively through Council (and its Standing Committees) to provide direction and guidance to the work of Organization.
- The OECD Substantive Committees, one for each work area of the OECD, plus their variety of subsidiary bodies. Committee members are typically subject-matter experts from member and non-member governments. The Committees oversee all the work on each theme (publications, task forces, conferences, and so on). Committee members then relay the conclusions to their capitals.
- The OECD Secretariat, led by the Secretary-General (currently Angel Gurria), provides support to Standing and Substantive Committees. It is organized in Directorates, which include about 2,500 staff.
Meetings[link]
Delegates from the member countries attend committees' and other meetings. Former Deputy-Secretary General Pierre Vinde estimated in 1997 that the cost borne by the member countries, such as sending their officials to OECD meetings and maintaining permanent delegations, is equivalent to the cost of running the secretariat.[21] This ratio is unique among inter-governmental organisations. In other words, the OECD is more a persistent forum or network of officials and experts than an administration.
Noteworthy meetings include:
- The yearly Ministerial Council Meeting, with the Ministers of Economy of all member countries and the candidates for enhanced engagement among the countries.
- The annual OECD Forum, which brings together leaders from business, government, labour, civil society and international organisations. This takes the form of conferences and discussions and is open to public participation.
- Thematic Ministerial Meetings, held among Ministers of a given domain (ie. all Ministers of Labour, all Ministers of Environment, etc.).
- The bi-annual World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge and Policies, which does not usually take place in the OECD. This series of meetings has the ambition to measure and foster progress in societies.
Secretariat[link]
Exchanges between OECD governments benefit from the information, analysis, and preparation of the OECD Secretariat. The secretariat collects data, monitors trends, and analyses and forecasts economic developments. Under the direction and guidance of member governments, it also researches social changes or evolving patterns in trade, environment, education, agriculture, technology, taxation, and other areas.
The secretariat is organised in Directorates:
- Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development
- Centre for Tax Policy and Administration
- Development Co-operation Directorate
- Directorate for Education
- Directorate for Employment, Labour, and Social Affairs
- Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs
- Directorate for Science, Technology, and Industry
- Economics Department
- Environment Directorate
- Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate
- Statistics Directorate
- Trade and Agriculture Directorate
- General Secretariat
- Executive Directorate
- Public Affairs and Communication Directorate
The work of the secretariat is financed from the OECD's annual budget, currently[when?] around US$510 million or €342.9 million). The budget is funded by the member countries based on a formula related to the size of each member's gross national product.[22] The largest contributor is the United States, which contributes about one quarter of the budget, followed by Japan with 16%, Germany with 9% and the U.K. and France with 7%. The OECD governing council sets the budget and scope of work on a two-yearly basis.
As an international organisation the terms of employment of the OECD Secretariat staff are not governed by the laws of the country in which their offices are located. Agreements with the host country safeguard the organisation's impartiality with regard to the host and member countries. Hiring and firing practices, working hours and environment, holiday time, pension plans, health insurance and life insurance, salaries, expatriation benefits and general conditions of employment are managed according to rules and regulations associated with the OECD. In order to maintain working conditions that are similar to similarly structured organisations, the OECD participates as an independent organisation in the system of co-ordinated European organisations, whose other members include NATO, the Western European Union and the European Patent Organisation.
Secretaries-General[link]
- 1948–1955:
Robert Marjolin - 1955–1960: René Sergent
- 1960–1969:
Thorkil Kristensen - 1969–1984:
Emiel van Lennep - 1984–1994: Jean-Claude Paye
- 1994:
Staffan Sohlman (interim) - 1994–1996: Jean-Claude Paye
- 1996–2006:
Don Johnston - 2006– :
José Ángel Gurría
Committees[link]
Representatives of the 34 OECD member countries and a number of observer countries meet in specialised committees on specific policy areas, such as economics, trade, science, employment, education or financial markets. There are about 200 committees, working groups and expert groups. Committees discuss policies and review progress in the given policy area.[23]
Special bodies[link]
- Africa Partnership Forum
- Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC)
- Development Assistance Committee
- OECD Development Centre
- International Transport Forum (ITF) – formally known as the European Conference of Ministers of Transport
- International Energy Agency
- Nuclear Energy Agency
- Partnership for Democratic Governance (PDG)
- Sahel and West Africa Club
- Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC)
Member countries[link]
Current members[link]
There are currently 34 members of the OECD.
| Country | Membership[24] | Geographic location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Australia |
01971-06-077 June 1971 | Oceania | |
 Austria |
01961-09-2929 September 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 Belgium |
01961-09-1313 September 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
| Canada |
01961-04-1010 April 1961 | North America | |
 Chile |
02010-05-077 May 2010 | South America | |
 Czech Republic |
01995-12-2121 December 1995 | Europe | |
| Denmark |
01961-05-3030 May 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 Estonia |
02010-12-099 December 2010 | Europe | |
 Finland |
01969-01-2828 January 1969 | Europe | |
| France |
01961-08-077 August 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 Germany |
01961-09-2727 September 1961 | Europe | Joined OEEC in 1949 (West Germany).[26] Previously represented by the Trizone.[25] |
 Greece |
01961-09-2727 September 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 Hungary |
01996-05-077 May 1996 | Europe | |
 Iceland |
01961-06-055 June 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 Ireland |
01961-08-1717 August 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 Israel |
02010-09-077 September 2010 | Asia | |
 Italy |
01962-03-2929 March 1962 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 Japan |
01964-04-2828 April 1964 | Asia | |
 South Korea |
01996-12-1212 December 1996 | Asia | |
 Luxembourg |
01961-12-077 December 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
| Mexico |
01994-05-1818 May 1994 | North America | |
| Netherlands |
01961-11-1313 November 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 New Zealand |
01973-05-2929 May 1973 | Oceania | |
 Norway |
01961-07-044 July 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 Poland |
01996-11-2222 November 1996 | Europe | |
 Portugal |
01961-08-044 August 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 Slovakia |
02000-12-1414 December 2000 | Europe | |
 Slovenia |
02010-07-2121 July 2010 | Europe | |
 Spain |
01961-08-033 August 1961 | Europe | Joined OEEC in 1958.[27] |
| Sweden |
01961-09-2828 September 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 Switzerland |
01961-09-2828 September 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 Turkey |
01961-08-022 August 1961 | Eurasia | OEEC member.[25] |
 United Kingdom |
01961-05-022 May 1961 | Europe | OEEC member.[25] |
 United States |
01961-04-1212 April 1961 | North America |
The European Commission participates in the work of the OECD alongside the EU Member States.[28]
Former members[link]
Free Territory of Trieste (Zone A) (until 1954).[25]
Invited countries[link]
Relations with non-members[link]
OECD members
Accession candidate countries
Enhanced engagement countries
Currently, 25 non-members participate as regular observers or full participants in OECD Committees. About 50 non-members are engaged in OECD working parties, schemes or programmes. The OECD conducts a policy dialogue and capacity building activities with non-members (Country Programmes, Regional Approaches and Global Forums) to share their views on best policy practices and to bear on OECD's policy debate. The OECD's Centre for Co-operation with Non-Members develops and oversees the strategic orientations of the relations with non-members.
On 16 May 2007, the OECD Ministerial Council decided to strengthen OECD's co-operation with Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa, through a process of enhanced engagement.[9]
The OECD explores the possibilities for enhanced co-operation with selected countries and regions of strategic interest to the OECD, giving priority to South East Asia with a view to identifying countries for possible membership.
Criticism[link]
See also: OECD controversy
The OECD has been criticised by several civil society groups and developing countries. The main criticism has been the narrowness of the OECD because of its limited membership to a select few rich nations.[29] In 1997–1998, the draft Multilateral Agreement on Investment was heavily criticized by several non-governmental organisations and developing countries. Many critics argued that the agreement would threaten protection of human rights, labor and environmental standards, and the least developed countries. A particular concern was that the MAI would result in a 'race to the bottom' among countries willing to lower their labor and environmental standards to attract foreign investment. Also the OECD's actions against harmful tax practices has raised criticism. The primary objection is the sanctity of tax policy as a matter of sovereign entitlement.[17]
Indicators[link]
The following table shows various data for OECD member states, including area, population, economic output and income inequality, as well as various indices, including human development, viability of the state, perception of corruption, economic freedom, state of peace, freedom of the press and democratic level.
| Country | Area[30] (km²) |
Population[30] 2010 |
GDP (PPP)[30] (Intl. $) 2010 |
GDP (PPP) per capita[30] (Intl. $) 2010 |
HDI[31] 2011 |
FSI[32] 2011 |
CPI[33] 2011 |
IEF[34] 2011 |
GPI[35] 2011 |
WPFI[36] 2011/2012 |
DI[37] 2011 |
Income inequality[30] 1993-2009 (latest available) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia |
7,741,220 | 22,299,000 | 850,921,670,835 | 38,160 | 0.929 | 28.1 | 8.8 | 82.5 | 1.455 | 4.00 | 9.22 | 35.2 |
| Austria |
83,870 | 8,390,000 | 335,651,908,177 | 40,006 | 0.885 | 27.3 | 7.8 | 71.9 | 1.337 | -8.00 | 8.49 | 29.2 |
| Belgium |
30,530 | 10,896,000 | 410,028,052,709 | 37,631 | 0.886 | 34.1 | 7.5 | 70.2 | 1.413 | -2.00 | 8.05 | 33.0 |
| Canada |
9,984,670 | 34,126,000 | 1,332,626,009,839 | 39,050 | 0.908 | 27.7 | 8.7 | 80.8 | 1.355 | -5.67 | 9.08 | 32.6 |
| Chile |
756,090 | 17,113,688 | 270,041,323,664 | 15,779 | 0.805 | 40.7 | 7.2 | 77.4 | 1.710 | 29.00 | 7.54 | 52.1 |
| Czech Republic |
78,870 | 10,520,000 | 257,928,339,127 | 24,518 | 0.865 | 42.4 | 4.4 | 70.4 | 1.320 | -5.00 | 8.19 | 25.8 |
| Denmark |
43,090 | 5,547,000 | 222,781,886,776 | 40,163 | 0.895 | 23.8 | 9.4 | 78.6 | 1.289 | -5.67 | 9.52 | 24.7 |
| Estonia |
45,230 | 1,340,000 | 27,688,998,902 | 20,663 | 0.835 | 49.3 | 6.4 | 75.2 | 1.798 | -9.00 | 7.61 | 36.0 |
| Finland |
338,420 | 5,364,000 | 195,638,761,225 | 36,473 | 0.882 | 19.7 | 9.4 | 74.0 | 1.352 | -10.00 | 9.06 | 26.9 |
| France |
549,190 | 64,895,000 | 2,214,424,844,973 | 34,123 | 0.884 | 34.0 | 7.0 | 64.6 | 1.697 | 9.50 | 7.77 | 32.7 |
| Germany |
357,120 | 81,777,000 | 3,058,645,251,108 | 37,402 | 0.905 | 33.9 | 8.0 | 71.8 | 1.416 | -3.00 | 8.34 | 28.3 |
| Greece |
131,960 | 11,316,000 | 321,469,098,066 | 28,408 | 0.861 | 47.4 | 3.4 | 60.3 | 1.947 | 24.00 | 7.65 | 34.3 |
| Hungary |
93,030 | 10,000,000 | 205,454,014,567 | 20,545 | 0.816 | 48.7 | 4.6 | 66.6 | 1.495 | 10.00 | 7.04 | 31.2 |
| Iceland |
103,000 | 318,000 | 11,334,228,026 | 35,642 | 0.898 | 30.1 | 8.3 | 68.2 | 1.148 | -7.00 | 9.65 | N/A |
| Ireland |
70,280 | 4,475,000 | 181,077,867,866 | 40,464 | 0.908 | 25.3 | 7.5 | 78.7 | 1.370 | -4.00 | 8.56 | 34.3 |
| Israel |
22,070 | 7,624,000 | 217,843,073,595 | 28,573 | 0.888 | N/Aa | 5.8 | 68.5 | 2.901 | 31.25 | 7.53 | 39.2 |
| Italy |
301,340 | 60,483,000 | 1,932,684,377,298 | 31,954 | 0.874 | 45.8 | 3.9 | 60.3 | 1.775 | 19.67 | 7.74 | 36.0 |
| Japan |
377,940 | 127,451,000 | 4,299,287,787,846 | 33,733 | 0.901 | 31.0 | 8.0 | 72.8 | 1.287 | -1.00 | 8.08 | 24.9 |
| Korea, South South Korea |
99,900 | 48,875,000 | 1,422,314,851,971 | 29,101 | 0.897 | 38.8 | 5.4 | 69.8 | 1.829 | 12.67 | 8.06 | N/A |
| Luxembourg |
2,590 | 507,000 | 43,665,012,298 | 86,124 | 0.867 | 26.1 | 8.5 | 76.2 | 1.341c | -7.00 | 8.88 | 30.8 |
| Mexico |
1,964,380 | 113,423,000 | 1,651,879,443,740 | 14,564 | 0.770 | 75.1 | 3.0 | 67.8 | 2.362 | 72.67 | 6.93 | 48.3 |
| Netherlands |
41,540 | 16,616,000 | 700,605,399,392 | 42,165 | 0.910 | 28.3 | 8.9 | 74.7 | 1.628 | -9.00 | 8.99 | 30.9 |
| New Zealand |
267,710 | 4,368,000 | 129,006,762,969 | 29,535 | 0.908 | 24.8 | 9.5 | 82.3 | 1.279 | -5.33 | 9.26 | 36.2 |
| Norway |
323,780 | 4,889,000 | 279,801,821,220 | 57,231 | 0.943 | 20.4 | 9.0 | 70.3 | 1.356 | -10.00 | 9.80 | 25.8 |
| Poland |
312,680 | 38,184,000 | 759,271,825,466 | 19,885 | 0.813 | 46.8 | 5.5 | 64.1 | 1.545 | -0.67 | 7.12 | 34.1 |
| Portugal |
92,090 | 10,638,000 | 270,370,552,557 | 25,416 | 0.809 | 32.3 | 6.1 | 64.0 | 1.453 | 5.33 | 7.81 | 38.5 |
| Slovakia |
49,040 | 5,430,000 | 126,534,384,733 | 23,303 | 0.834 | 47.1 | 4.0 | 69.5 | 1.576 | 0.00 | 7.35 | N/A |
| Slovenia |
20,270 | 2,049,000 | 55,169,755,734 | 26,925 | 0.884 | 35.5 | 5.9 | 64.6 | 1.358 | 9.14 | 7.76 | 31.2 |
| Spain |
505,370 | 46,071,000 | 1,484,884,850,942 | 32,230 | 0.878 | 43.1 | 6.2 | 70.2 | 1.641 | 9.75 | 8.02 | 34.7 |
| Sweden |
450,300 | 9,378,000 | 365,968,702,539 | 39,024 | 0.904 | 22.8 | 9.3 | 71.9 | 1.401 | -5.50 | 9.50 | 25.0 |
| Switzerland |
41,280 | 7,826,000 | 363,005,021,856 | 46,384 | 0.903 | 23.2 | 8.8 | 81.9 | 1.421 | -6.20 | 9.09 | 33.7 |
| Turkey |
783,560 | 72,752,000 | 1,141,250,450,911 | 15,687 | 0.699 | 74.9 | 4.2 | 64.2 | 2.411 | 70.00 | 5.72 | 39.0 |
| United Kingdom |
243,610 | 62,232,000 | 2,220,823,584,121 | 35,686 | 0.863 | 34.1 | 7.8 | 74.5 | 1.631 | 2.00 | 8.16 | 36.0 |
| United States |
9,831,510 | 309,349,000 | 14,586,736,313,339 | 47,153 | 0.910 | 34.8 | 7.1 | 77.8 | 2.063 | 14.00 | 8.11 | 40.8 |
| zzzOECDb | 36,137,530 | 1,236,521,688 | 41,946,816,228,388 | 33,923 | 0.871 | 36.3 | 6.9 | 71.7 | 1.607 | 6.44 | 8.23 | 33.6 |
| Country | Area (km²) |
Population 2010 |
GDP (PPP) (Intl. $) 2010 |
GDP (PPP) per capita (Intl. $) 2010 |
HDI 2011 |
FSI 2011 |
CPI 2011 |
IEF 2011 |
GPI 2011 |
WPFI 2011/2012 |
DI 2011 |
Income inequality 1993-2009 (latest available) |
a The FSI index supplies no figure for Israel, but rather supplies a figure (84.4) for "Israel/West Bank".
b OECD total used for indicators 1 through 3; OECD weighted average used for indicator 4; OECD unweighted average used for indicators 5 through 12.
c Data are for 2010.
Note: The colors indicate the country's global position in the respective indicator. For example, a green cell indicates that the country is ranked in the upper 25% of the list (including all countries with available data).
| Highest fourth | |
| Upper-mid (2nd to 3rd quartile) | |
| Lower-mid (1st to 2nd quartile) | |
| Lowest fourth |
See also[link]
- Competition regulator
- Developed Country
- Frascati Manual
- German Marshall Fund
- Good Laboratory Practice
- Gulf Co-operation Council
- International organisations in Europe
- OECD Better Life Index
- Official statistics
- OSCE countries statistics
- SourceOECD
- Transfer pricing
References[link]
- ^ Christopher, Warren (1998). In the stream of history: shaping foreign policy for a new era. Stanford University Press. p. 165. ISBN 978-0-8047-3468-4. http://books.google.com/?id=YipOlJqr6msC&pg=PA165.
- ^ "Organisation for European Economic Co-operation". OECD. http://www.oecd.org/document/48/0,2340,en_2649_201185_1876912_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
- ^ a b c "History of relations between Slovenia and the OECD". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia. http://www.mzz.gov.si/en/economic_diplomacy/oecd/history_of_relations_between_slovenia_and_the_oecd/. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
- ^ a b "The Czech Republic in the OECD". Permanent Delegation of the Czech Republic to the OECD. http://www.mzv.cz/oecd.paris/en/the_czech_republic_in_the_oecd.
- ^ "MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS - International Organisations - Turkey's attempts to exclude Cyprus' membership" (in (Greek)). Mfa.gov.cy. http://www.mfa.gov.cy/mfa/mfa2006.nsf/All/826CB014C0CDE8DEC22571B100229450?OpenDocument. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia: Co-operation between the OECD and Latvia". Mfa.gov.lv. http://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/policy/economic/oecd/Cooperation/. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ "Slovenia and the OECD". Oecd.org. http://www.oecd.org/document/5/0,3746,en_33873108_38910029_45692357_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
- ^ "Malta applies to join OECD as full member". Maltamedia.com. 2005-09-24. http://www.maltamedia.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=6&num=7485. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ a b c "Chair's summary of the OECD Council at Ministerial Level, Paris, 15–16 May 2007 – Innovation: Advancing the OECD Agenda for Growth and Equity" (Press release). OECD. 16 May 2007. http://www.oecd.org/document/22/0,2340,en_21571361_38379933_38604566_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
- ^ "Chile's accession to the OECD". OECD.org. 7 May 2010. http://www.oecd.org/document/11/0,3343,en_33873108_39418658_45115147_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ "Ratification of the Convention on the OECD". OECD.org. http://www.oecd.org/document/58/0,3343,en_2649_201185_1889402_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
- ^ "Demanda de Santos para que Colombia entre en OCDE fue bien recibida : Noticias de Economia". elpais.com.co. http://www.elpais.com.co/elpais/economia/noticias/colombia-empezo-sonar-con-su-ingreso-ocde. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
- ^ "About OECD". OECD. http://www.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_36734052_36734103_1_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
- ^ "OECD Anti-Bribery Convention". OECD. http://www.oecd.org/department/0,2688,en_2649_34859_1_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
- ^ "Information and Communications Policy". OECD. http://www.oecd.org/department/0,3355,en_2649_34223_1_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
- ^ "Shaping Policies for a Digital World". OECD. http://www.oecd.org/site/0,3407,en_21571361_38415463_1_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
- ^ a b Christians, Allison (August 29, 2008). "Sovereignty, Taxation, and Social Contract". Minnesota Journal of International Law 18. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1259975.
- ^ "Sanctions threat to 'tax havens'". BBC News. 2000-06-26. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/806236.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
- ^ "List of Unco-operative Tax Havens". OECD. http://www.oecd.org/document/57/0,3343,en_2649_33745_30578809_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "17 countries call for new 'tax haven blacklist'". EuroNews. 2008-10-22. http://www.euronews.net/en/article/21/10/2008/calls-from-17-countries-for-new-tax-haven-blacklist/. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
- ^ "The Power of Peer-Learning, chapter 3: OECD's Basic Rules of Conduct – A Sociology of its Institutional Culture". IRDC. 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-06-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20080602214358/http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-114358-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
- ^ "OECD.org". OECD.org. http://www.oecd.org/document/14/0,3343,en_2649_201185_31420750_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- ^ "On-Line Guide to OECD Intergovernmental Activity". .oecd.org. http://www2.oecd.org/OECDGROUPS2/Bodies/ListByNameView.aspx?book=true. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ "List of OECD Member countries - Ratification of the Convention on the OECD". Oecd.org. http://www.oecd.org/document/58/0,3746,en_2649_201185_1889402_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Organisation for European Economic Co-operation". Oecd.org. http://www.oecd.org/document/48/0,3746,en_2649_201185_1876912_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
- ^ Adenauer und die Hohen Kommissare, Munich 1989, p. 465. Available here.
- ^ Julio Crespo MacLennan: Spain and the process of European integration, 1957-85, Basingstoke 2000, p. 31. Available here.
- ^ "Member Countries". Oecd.org. 1970-01-01. http://www.oecd.org/countrieslist/0,3351,en_33873108_33844430_1_1_1_1_1,00.html. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- ^ Jorma Julin (December 2003). "The OECD: Securing the future". The OECD Observer (OECD) (240/241). http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/1197/The_OECD:_Securing_the_future.html. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
- ^ a b c d e "World Development Indicators". World Bank. 2012-04-17. http://databank.worldbank.org/ddp/home.do. Retrieved 2012-05-12.
- ^ "Statistics | Human Development Reports (HDR) | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)". Hdr.undp.org. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2011_EN_Complete.pdf. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
- ^ "Failed States Index Scores 2011". The Fund for Peace. http://www.fundforpeace.org/global/?q=fsi-grid2011. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
- ^ "Corruption Perceptions Index: Transparency International". Transparency.org. 2011-12-01. http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2011/results/. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
- ^ "Country rankings for trade, business, fiscal, monetary, financial, labor and investment freedoms". Heritage.org. http://www.heritage.org/index/ranking.aspx. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
- ^ "GPI Map - 2011 « Global Peace Index « Vision of Humanity". Visionofhumanity.org. http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi-data/#/2011/scor/. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
- ^ "RSF.org". En.rsf.org. http://en.rsf.org/spip.php?page=classement&id_rubrique=1043. Retrieved 2012-05-12.
- ^ "Democracy Index 2011" (PDF). The Economist. http://www.sida.se/Global/About%20Sida/Så%20arbetar%20vi/EIU_Democracy_Index_Dec2011.pdf. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
External links[link]
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
- OECD iLibrary - OECD's portal for books, reports, statistics, working papers and journals
- International Futures Programme
- OECD Forum
- Text of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
- The OECD Observer
- OECD Statistical portal
- OECD-UNDP Partnership for Democratic Governance
- Statistics
- Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes
Video clips[link]
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
For the West End actor, see Dave Willetts.
| The Right Honourable David Willetts MP |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Minister of State for Universities and Science | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 11 May 2010 |
|
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Lord Drayson (Science and Innovation) |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills (Shadow Minister for Universities and Skills) | |
| In office 6 December 2005 – 11 May 2010 |
|
| Leader | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | David Cameron |
| Succeeded by | Andy Burnham (as Shadow Secretary of State for Education) John Denham (as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills) |
| Member of Parliament for Havant |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 9 April 1992 |
|
| Preceded by | Ian Lloyd |
| Majority | 12,160 (27.7%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1956-03-09) 9 March 1956 (age 56) Birmingham, Warwickshire, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Butterfield |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
David Linsay Willetts (born 9 March 1956) is a British Conservative Party politician and the Minister of State for Universities and Science. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the constituency of Havant in Hampshire.
Contents |
Education[link]
Willetts was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham, and Christ Church, Oxford, where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Willets graduated with a first class degree.
Policy researcher[link]
Having served as Nigel Lawson's private researcher,[citation needed] Willetts took charge of the Treasury monetary policy division at 26 before moving over to Margaret Thatcher's Policy Unit at 28. Aged 31, he subsequently took over the Centre for Policy Studies.[1]
First period in government[link]
Aged 36, Willetts entered Parliament in 1992 as the MP for Havant. He quickly established himself in Parliament, becoming a Whip, a Cabinet Office Minister, and then Paymaster General in his first term (when that role was split between the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury as a policy co-ordination role). During this period Willetts' gained "Two Brains" as a nickname, a monicker reportedly coined by The Guardian's former political editor Michael White.[2] However, Willetts was forced to resign from the latter post by the Standards and Privileges Committee over an investigation into Neil Hamilton in 1996, when it found that he had "dissembled" in his evidence to the Committee over whether pressure was put onto an earlier investigation into Hamilton.
Shadow Cabinet[link]
Despite the resignation, Willetts was able to return to the shadow front bench a few years later while William Hague was Leader of the Opposition, initially serving in the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Education Secretary before becoming Shadow Social Security (later Shadow Work and Pensions) Secretary. He carved out a reputation as an expert on pensions and benefits. Since leaving the DWP post, he has been recruited as an external consultant by the actuaries Punter Southall.
After the 2005 election, he served as Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in the Shadow Cabinet under Michael Howard. In August 2005, after ruling out running for leader owing to a lack of support, commentators speculated that he was gunning for the post Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer position and would cut a deal with either David Davis or David Cameron. On 15 September he confirmed his support for Davis, at that time the bookies' favourite. Willetts, a centrist moderniser, went to ground following the announcement of the Davis tax plan since it was widely speculated that he disagreed with the seemingly uncosted and widely derided[3] tax plan and found it impossible to defend. Davis then lost the candidacy race to Cameron. Following Cameron's win, Willetts was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills in Cameron's first Shadow Cabinet in December 2005, the role Cameron had vacated, and later becoming Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills. His title became Shadow Minister for Universities and Skills since Gordon Brown's merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform into the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in June 2009.
On 19 May 2007, Willetts made a controversial speech on grammar schools in which he defended the existing Conservative Party policy of not reintroducing grammar schools. The speech received a mixed reception. The analysis was applauded by The Guardian and The Times.[2][4][5][6] However, the more right-wing Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail were both strongly critical of the speech, which was unpopular with some Conservative Party activists.[7][8] The speech was made more controversial when David Cameron weighed into the argument, backing Willetts' speech and describing his critics as "delusional", accusing them of "splashing around in the shallow end of the educational debate" and of "clinging on to outdated mantras that bear no relation to the reality of life".[9]
The Department for Education and Skills was abolished by the new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who established two new departments. On 2 July 2007, Cameron reshuffled Willetts down to the junior of the two departments: the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
Second period in government[link]
Following the 2010 general election, Prime Minister David Cameron appointed Willetts as the Minister of State for Universities and Science. In this capacity, he attends the meetings of the Cabinet, although he is not a full member.
Willetts is in the unusual position of being a junior Conservative minister in a department headed by a Liberal Democrat minister. This has created some tension over which bits of his speeches are recognised as statements of BIS policy and which are not.[10]
Feminism claim[link]
In June 2011 Willetts said during the launch of the Government’s social mobility strategy that movement between the classes had “stagnated”. Willetts attributed this partly the entry of women into the workplace and universities for the lack of progress for men. “Feminism trumped egalitarianism,” he said, adding that women who would otherwise have been housewives had taken university places and well-paid jobs that could have gone to ambitious working-class men. He went on to say that “One of the things that happened over that period was that the entirely admirable transformation of opportunities for women meant that with a lot of the expansion of education in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, the first beneficiaries were the daughters of middle-class families who had previously been excluded from educational opportunities,” he said. He said that “And if you put that with what is called 'assortative mating’ — that well-educated women marry well-educated men — this transformation of opportunities for women ended up magnifying social divides. It is delicate territory because it is not a bad thing that women had these opportunities, but it widened the gap in household incomes because you suddenly had two-earner couples, both of whom were well-educated, compared with often workless households where nobody was educated.”[11]
Free votes record[link]
According to the Public Whip analyses,[12] Willetts was strongly in favour of an elected House of Lords and was strongly against the ban on fox-hunting. TheyWorkForYou additionally records that, amongst other things, Willetts was strongly in favour of the Iraq War, strongly in favour of an investigation into it, moderately against equal gay rights, and very strongly for replacing Trident.[13]
"Two brains"[link]
Due to his careful intellectual approach, ties to academia, his unusually policy-heavy background and his high hairline,[citation needed] he has acquired the nickname "Two Brains".[14] He is currently a visiting professor at the Cass Business School, a board member of the Institute for Fiscal Studies and a visiting fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford (part of the University of Oxford), Willetts is the author of several books on conservatism, including "Why Vote Conservative" (1996) and "Modern Conservatism" (1992), as well as numerous articles. He was a founding signatory in 2005 of the Henry Jackson Society principles, advocating a proactive approach to the spread of liberal democracy across the world, including when necessary by military intervention.[15][16] He is an honorary member of Conservative Friends of Poland.[17]
Civic conservatism[link]
Willetts has pioneered the idea of "civic conservatism" [D. Willetts, "Civic Conservatism", SMF (1994)]. This is the idea of focusing on the institutions between the state and individuals as a policy concern (rather than merely thinking of individuals and the state as the only agencies) and is one of the principles behind the increasing support in the Conservative Party's localist agenda and its emphasis on voluntary organisations. During an interview with The Spectator, he was referred to as 'the real father of Cameronism'.[18]
Fourteen years after the publication of "Civic Conservatism" Willetts gave the inaugural Oakeshott Memorial Lecture to the London School of Economics in which he made an attempt to explain how game theory can be used to help think about how to improve social capital. The lecture[19] was described by the Times as "an audacious attempt by the Conservative Party's leading intellectual to relate a new Tory narrative".[20]
"Civic conservatism, like free market economics, proceeds from deep-seated individual self-interest towards a stable cooperation. It sets the Tories the task not of changing humanity but of designing institutions and arrangements that encourage our natural reciprocal altruism."[21]
Personal life and member's interests[link]
Willetts is married to the artist Sarah Butterfield. The couple have one daughter and one son. His wealth is estimated at £1.9m,[22][23] and his declarations for the Register of Members' Financial Interests may viewed here.
References[link]
- ^ Alice Thomson (13 March 2004). "Willetts takes 'two pensions' Blair to task". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1456725/Willetts-takes-two-pensions-Blair-to-task.html. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ a b Michael White (22 May 2007). "It's over". The Guardian. http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/michael_white/2007/05/a_levelheaded_tory_mp_of.html. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ Daniel Finkelstein (2 November 2005). "A David Davis guide to fiscal strategy: two and two make... um, er ...". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/daniel_finkelstein/article585454.ece. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ Anatole Kaletsky (24 May 2007). "Lesson one: get the yobs out of the classroom". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anatole_kaletsky/article1832196.ece. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ Daniel Finkelstein (21 May 2007). "Fisking Janet Daley". Comment Central (The Times). http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2007/05/fisking_janet_d_1.html. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ Daniel Finkelstein (22 May 2007). "Do Cameron's critics really want grammar schools?". Comment Central. The Times. http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2007/05/are_david_camer.html. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ Janet Daley (21 May 2007). "When did wanting the best for your children become a crime?". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3640014/When-did-wanting-the-best-for-your-children-become-a-crime.html. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ Stephen Pollard (17 May 2007). "Scandal of the Tory grammar school u-turn". The Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-455414/Scandal-Tory-grammar-school-u-turn.html. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ "Cameron steps up grammars attack". BBC News. 22 May 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6679005.stm. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ "Tracking David Willetts & Vince Cable". Exquisite Life. 11 June 2010. http://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/06/tracking-david-willetts.html. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ Feminsim has held back working men
- ^ "Voting Record — David Willetts MP, Havant". Public Whip. http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=David_Willetts&mpc=Havant. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ "David Willetts MP, voting record". TheyWorkForYou.com. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/david_willetts/havant#votingrecord. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
- ^ Michael White (5 February 2008). "Willetts scores points in this ball game". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/feb/05/politics.uk. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ "Signatories to the Statement of Principles". The Henry Jackson Society. 27 July 2010. http://www.henryjacksonsociety.org/signatories.asp?pageid=36. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ "Statement of Principles". The Henry Jackson Society. 27 July 2010. http://www.henryjacksonsociety.org/content.asp?pageid=35. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ Conservative Friends of Poland website
- ^ Fraser Nelson (24 June 2006). "The real father of Cameronism". The Spectator. http://www.spectator.co.uk/essays/all/23081/the-real-father-of-cameronism.thtml. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ "The Ideas that are Changing Politics". London School of Economics. http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/LSEPublicLecturesAndEvents/events/2008/20071128t1633z001.htm. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ Daniel Finkelstein (20 February 2008). "Blood, bats and bonding: a new way". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/daniel_finkelstein/article3399671.ece. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ Daniel Finkelstein (20 February 2008). "Civic conservatism replies to compassionate conservatism". Comment Central. The Times. http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2008/02/civic-conservat.html. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- ^ Samira Shackle; Stephanie Hegarty; George Eaton (1 October 2009). "The new ruling class". New Statesman. http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2009/10/oxford-universitywealth-school. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ Glen Owen (23 May 2010). "The coalition of millionaires: 23 of the 29 member of the new cabinet are worth more than £1m... and the Lib Dems are just as wealthy as the Tories". The Mail on Sunday. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1280554/The-coalition-millionaires-23-29-member-new-cabinet-worth-1m--Lib-Dems-just-wealthy-Tories.html. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
For Willetts' roles in the 1980s–1990s as a welfare specialist:
- Timmins, Nicholas (2001). The Five Giants: A Biography of the Welfare State. ISBN 0-00-710264-X.
Bibliography[link]
- Willetts, David (1991). Happy Families? Four Points to a Conservative Family Policy. ISBN 1-870265-62-9.
- Willetts, David (1992). Modern Conservatism. ISBN 0-14-015477-9.
- Willetts, David (1992). Welfare to Work. ISBN 1-874097-18-6.
- Willetts, David (1996). Blair's Gurus. ISBN 0-14-026304-7.
- Willetts, David (1997). Why Vote Conservative?. ISBN 0-14-026304-7.
- Willetts, David (1997). Blair's Gurus. ISBN 1-897969-47-3.
- Willetts, David (1998). Who do we think we are?. ISBN 1-897969-81-3.
- Willetts, David (2003). Left Out, Left Behind. ISBN 0-9545611-0-4.
- Willetts, David (2003). Old Europe? Demographic Change and Pension Reform. ISBN 1-901229-47-5.
- Willetts, David (2010). The Pinch: How the Baby Boomers Took Their Children's Future – And Why They Should Give It Back. ISBN 1-84887-231-3.
External links[link]
- David Willetts MP official constituency website
- Profile at the Conservative Party
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
- Current session contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Electoral history and profile at The Guardian
- Voting record at PublicWhip.org
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com
- Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record
- Profile at BBC News Democracy Live
- Articles authored at Journalisted
- Article archive at The Guardian
- The Tories don't have to make a false choice between roots or freedom, David Willetts, The Times, 2 June 2005
- Works by or about David Willetts in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- David Willetts collected news and commentary at The Guardian
- Profile: David Willetts BBC News, 22 October 2002
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ian Lloyd |
Member of Parliament for Havant 1992–present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by David Heathcoat-Amory |
Paymaster General 1996 |
Succeeded by Michael Bates |
| Preceded by David Cameron |
Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills 2005–2007 |
Position abolished |
| New office | Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 2007–2010 |
Succeeded by The Lord Mandelson |
| Preceded by The Lord Drayson as Minister of State for Science and Innovation |
Minister of State for Universities and Science 2010–present |
Incumbent |
|
||||||||||||||
.svg)
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Willetts, David |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | British politician |
| Date of birth | 9 March 1956 |
| Place of birth | Birmingham, United Kingdom |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
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There are many people in history who are commonly appended with the phrase "the Great", or who were called that or an equivalent phrase in their own language. Other languages have their own suffixes such as e Bozorg and e azam in Persian and Urdu respectively.
In Persia, the title "the Great" at first seems to be a colloquial version of the Old Persian title "Great King". This title was first used by the conqueror Cyrus II of Persia.[1]
The Persian title was inherited by Alexander III of Macedon (336–323 BC) when he conquered the Persian Empire, and the epithet "Great" eventually became personally associated with him. The first reference (in a comedy by Plautus)[2] assumes that everyone knew who "Alexander the Great" was; however, there is no earlier evidence that Alexander III of Macedon was called "the Great".
The early Seleucid kings, who succeeded Alexander in Persia, used "Great King" in local documents, but the title was most notably used for Antiochus the Great (223–187 BC).
Later rulers and commanders began to use the epithet "the Great" as a personal name, like the Roman general Pompey. Others received the surname retrospectively, like the Carthaginian Hanno and the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great. Once the surname gained currency, it was also used as an honorific surname for people without political careers, like the philosopher Albert the Great.
As there are no objective criteria for "greatness", the persistence of later generations in using the designation greatly varies. For example, Louis XIV of France was often referred to as "The Great" in his lifetime but is rarely called such nowadays, while Frederick II of Prussia is still called "The Great". A later Hohenzollern - Wilhelm I - was often called "The Great" in the time of his grandson Wilhelm II, but rarely later.
Contents |
Rulers[link]
- Abbas I of Persia (1571–1629), Shah of Iran
- Akbar (1542–1605), ruler of the Mughal Empire of South Asia, mainly India
- Alain I of Albret (1440–1522), French aristocrat
- Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), King of Macedonia, Persia, Greece, Egypt, and all of Mesopotamia
- Alexander I of Georgia (1386–1446), King of Georgia
- Alfonso III of León (c. 848-910), King of León, Galicia and Asturias
- Alfred the Great (848/849-899), King of Wessex
- Antiochus III the Great (c. 241–187 BC), ruler of the Seleucid Empire
- Ashoka the Great (c. 304–232 BC), Indian emperor of the Maurya dynasty
- Ashot I of Iberia “the Great”(died 826/830), presiding prince of Iberia (modern Georgia),
- Askia Mohammad I (c. 1442–1538), ruler of the Songhai Empire
- Bhumibol Adulyadej (born 1927), King of Thailand
- Bolesław I Chrobry (967-1025), sometimes called "the Great", first King of Poland
- Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the following section)
- Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (1736–1809), founder and ruler of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (in what is now Thailand)
- Cnut the Great (c. 985 or 995-1035), King of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden
- Casimir III the Great (1310–1370), King of Poland
- Catherine the Great (1729–1796), Empress of Russia
- Chandragupta II (reigned 375-413/415), also known as Vikramaditya, ruler of the Gupta empire in India
- Charlemagne (died 814), King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans
- Chulalongkorn (1853–1910), King of Siam (now Thailand)
- Chlothar II (584-629), King of Neustria and King of the Franks
- Conrad, Margrave of Meissen (c. 1097-1157), Margrave of Meissen
- Constantine I (c. 272-337), Roman emperor
- Cyaxares the Great (c. 625-585 BC), third king of Media
- Cyrus the Great (c. 600 BC or 576 BC–530 BC), founder and ruler of the Persian or Achaemenid Empire
- Darius the Great (550 – 486 BC), third ruler of the Persian Empire
- Devapala (died 850), ruler of the Pala Empire in the Indian subcontinent
- Dionysius I, Greek tyrant of Syracuse[3]
- Ferdinand I of León and Castile (c. 1015–1065), King of León and Count of Castile
- Frederick the Great (1712–1786), King of Prussia
- Genghis Khan (1162?-1227), founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire
- Gero (c. 900–965), ruler of Marca Geronis, a very large march in Europe
- Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (1594–1632), King of Sweden, founder of the Swedish Empire, and noted military leader
- Gwanggaeto the Great, King of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea[4][5]
- Hanno the Great, the name of three leaders of Carthage, in the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd centuries BC
- Henry I, Duke of Burgundy (946–1002)
- Henry IV of France (1553–1610), King of France and King of Navarre
- Herod the Great (73/74 BC-4 BC), King of Judea
- Hugh the Great (898-956), Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris
- Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France
- Hugh I, Count of Vermandois (1057–1101)
- Humphrey I de Bohun (died c. 1123), Anglo-Norman aristocrat
- Ivan III of Russia (1440–1505), Tsar of Russia
- John I of Portugal (1358–1433), King of Portugal and the Algarve
- John II of Aragon (1398–1479), King of Aragon and, through his wife, King of Navarre
- Justinian I (483-565), Byzantine Emperor
- Kamehameha I (c. 1758-1819), first King of Hawai'i
- Kanishka (died c. 127), ruler of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia and parts of India
- Kvirike III of Kakheti (1010–1029), King of Kakheti in eastern Georgia
- Kublai Khan (1215–1294), Mongol ruler in the 13th century and Emperor of China; founder of the Yuan Dynasty
- Llywelyn the Great (c. 1172–1240), Prince of Gwynedd and de facto ruler of most of Wales
- Louis I of Hungary (1326–1382), King of Hungary, Croatia and Poland
- Mangrai the Great (1238–1317), Lanna, northern Thailand
- Emperor Meiji (1852–1912), Emperor of Japan
- Mircea I of Wallachia (1355–1418)
- Mithridates II of Parthia (died 88 BC), ruler of the Parthian Empire (in present day Iran)
- Mithridates VI of Pontus (134 BC–63 BC), ruler of Pontus and the Bosporan Kingdom
- Mstislav I of Kiev (1076–1132), Grand Prince of Kievan Rus
- Naresuan (1555–1605), King of Ayutthaya
- Narai (1633–1688), King of Ayutthaya (in what is now modern Thailand)
- Odo the Great (died c. 735), Duke of Aquitaine
- Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (912-973)
- K'inich Janaab' Pakal (603-683), ruler of the Mayan city-state of Palenque
- Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa (1123–1186), King of Sri Lanka
- Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia (died 1075), King of Croatia
- Peter the Great (1672–1725), Tsar of Russia
- Peter III of Aragon (1239–1285), King of Aragon and King of Sicily
- Pompey (106 BC-48 BC), military and political leader of the late Roman Republic, rival of Julius Caesar
- Radama I (1793–1828), first king of greater Madagascar
- Raja Raja Chola I (c. 947-1014), Indian emperor of the Cholas.[6][7][8]
- Rajendra Chola I (reigned 1014–1044), Tamil King of India
- Ramesses II (reigned 1279 BC – 1213 BC), considered the greatest pharaoh of Ancient Egypt
- Ram Khamhaeng (around 1237 to 1247-1298), King of Sukhothai (in present day Thailand)
- Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona (1082–1131), also Count of Provence and various other counties
- Rhodri the Great (c. 820–878), King of Gwynedd (in present day Wales)
- Roman the Great (after 1160-1205), Grand Prince of Kiev
- Saladin (c. 1138-1193), Kurdish Sultan of Egypt and Syria, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, and victor over the Crusaders
- Samudragupta (c. 335–375), ruler of the Gupta empire in the Indian subcontinent
- Sancho III of Navarre (c. 992-1035), King of Kingdom of Navarre
- Sargon of Akkad (died c. 2215 BC), ruler of the Akkadian Empire
- Sejong the Great (1397–1450), Korean king[9]
- Shapur II (309-379), king of the Sassanid Empire, Persia
- Simeon I of Bulgaria (864/865-927), ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire
- Stephen III of Moldavia (1433–1504), Prince of Moldavia (Romania)
- Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia (c. 1308-1355), King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks
- Taksin (1734–1782), King of the Thonburi Kingdom (Thailand)
- Tamar (1160-1123), Queen of the Georgian Empire
- Timur (1336–1405), better known as Tamerlane, founder of the Timurid Dynasty
- Theobald II, Count of Champagne (1090–1151), Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV, Count of Champagne and of Brie
- Theodoric the Great (454-526), King of the Ostrogoths, regent of the Visigoths and a viceroy of the Byzantine Empire
- Theodosius I (347-395), Roman emperor
- Tigranes the Great (140-55 BC), Emperor of Armenia
- Tiridates III of Armenia (285-339), King of Armenia
- Umar (c. 586 to 590–644), second caliph of the Muslim Empire
- Valdemar I of Denmark (1131–1182), King of Denmark
- Valentinian I (364-375), Roman Emperor
- Vladimir I of Kiev (c. 958-1015), ruler of Kievan Rus
- Vytautas (c. 1350-1430), archduke of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy
- William I, Count of Burgundy (1020–1087), Count of Burgandy and Mâcon
- William V, Duke of Aquitaine (969-1030), also Count of Poitou
- Xerxes I (519-465 BC), King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire (Persia)
- Yu the Great (c. 2200-2100 BC), legendary ruler in ancient China
Religious figures[link]
- Abraham the Great of Kashkar (ca. 492-586), monk and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East
- Abraham Kidunaia (died c. 366, hermit, priest, and Christian saint of Mesopotamia
- Albertus Magnus (1193/1206–1280), medieval German philosopher and theologian
- Anthony the Great (c. 251–356), early Christian saint of Egypt
- Babai the Great (c. 551–628), Assyrian church leader
- Basil of Caesarea (330-379), Greek bishop and theologian
- Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the previous section)
- Euthymius the Great (377-473), abbot and Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint
- Gertrude the Great (1256-c. 1302), German Benedictine, mystic, theologian and Roman Catholic saint
- Pope Gregory I (c. 540-604)
- Hiyya the Great, 3rd-century rabbi, Palestine
- Pope John Paul II (1920–2005)
- Pope Leo I (c. 391 or 400-461)
- Macarius of Egypt (c. 300-391), Egyptian hermit
- Pope Nicholas I (c. 800-867)
- Photius I of Constantinople (c. 810–c. 893), Eastern Orthodox saint and Patriarch of Constantinople
- William of Maleval (died 1157), founder of the Catholic congregation of Williamites
Other[link]
- Beli Mawr, a figure in medieval Welsh literature and genealogies
- Emmy the Great, folk singer
- Matteo Rosso the Great, Roman politician and father of Pope Nicholas III
- Prokop the Great, Hussite general in Bohemia
See also[link]
- Epithet
- List of monarchs by nickname
- List of nicknames of European Royalty and Nobility: G-I
- James, son of Zebedee, also known as James the Greater, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus
- Ajax (mythology), called Ajax the Greater
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, whose common honorific "Mahatma" means "Great Soul"
Notes[link]
- ^ In a clay cylinder (online). The expression was used in a propagandistic context: the conqueror wants to show he is a normal Babylonian ruler. The first Persian ruler to use the title in an Iranian context was Darius I of Persia (Darius the Great), in the Behistun Inscription (online).
- ^ Plautus, Mostellaria 775.
- ^ History, Instituto Geografico De Agostini S.p.A., p. 479
- ^ World and Its Peoples:Korea. Marshall Cavendish Corporation. September 2008. p. 887. ISBN 0-7614-7631-8.
- ^ Alison Behnke (2004). North Korea in Pictures. Twenty-First Century Books. p. 70. ISBN 0-8225-1908-9. http://books.google.com/?id=ovWvhyLc6hAC&pg=RA1-PA70&dq=%22Gwanggaeto+the+Great%22.
- ^ Sarkar, Benoy Kumar (December 1919). "An English History of India". Political Science Quarterly 34 (4): 644–653. DOI:10.2307/2142032. JSTOR 2142032. ""The finances of the state were not more centralized under Louis XIV than under Rajaraja the Great.""
- ^ "Heaven sent: Michael Wood explores the art of the Chola dynasty". Royal Academy, UK. http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/ra-magazine/winter2006/features/heven-sent,47,RAMA.html. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
- ^ "The Chola Dynasty: Accession of Rajaraja, the Great". Sify.com. http://sify.com/itihaas/fullstory.php?id=13219885. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
- ^ Christoph Bluth; Gareth Schott (2007). Korea. Polity. p. 10. ISBN 0-7456-3356-0.
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
