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World Affairs Annual - Illustration
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The world in focus.
FAST FACTS ON 193 COUNTRIES
Statistics look like a series of cold, hard facts. But every number tells a story. For instance, the number 37 under Malawi's life expectancy, an indicator of the overall health of a population, means many men in that African nation are dying very young. The 99/99 under Germany's literacy rate tells you that almost all of the country's men and women know how to read, while the 71/45 under the same category for Iraq reveals that many more Iraqi men know how to read than women. These tables describe each of the world's 193 countries with 13 kinds of data. Once you know how to interpret the numbers, they can offer great insight into a nation and its challenges. The diagram below will help you figure out how to use them. Area & Population: Taken together, these figures allow you to calculate population density (population divided by area), an important indicator of such things as crowdedness. Urban Population: The percentage of the total population living in urban areas. Urbanization has skyrocketed in developing countries, as people leave rural areas in search of work. Population Growth: A high rate of population growth could signal a nation that is struggling to feed its people, while a low rate might be a sign that a nation could run short of workers. Major Languages Spoken: There are some 6,000 languages in the world, not counting local dialects. Many nations have more than one language. Form of Government & Head: Governments are classified according to who holds power. In democracies, people elect their leaders; dictatorships keep power away from the people. (A glossary defining the terms used is on page 33) Date of Origin: The year a nation was formed, gained independence, or established its present form of government. Literacy Rate: The percentage of people (male/female) who can read and write. Per Capita GDP: The Gross Domestic Product--the value of all goods and services produced in one year--divided per capita, meaning per person. It is one way to gauge a nation's wealth. Percent of Population Under Age 15: Developing countries with a high percentage of young people ma...See the full content of this document
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