Introduction The Rohingya are a majority-Muslim ethnic group who have lived in the Buddhist nation of Myanmar for centuries. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described them as “one of, if not the, most discriminated people in the world”. The Rohingya people have faced decades of systematic discrimination, statelessness and targeted violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Effectively…
Continents A continent is a massive area of land that is separated from others by water or other natural features. “Continent” derives from the Latin terra continēns [terra = “land”, continēns = present participle of the verb contineō = con (“together”) + teneō (“I hold”). The meaning is therefore “land held together” or “connected land.”…
Oceans Surface of the earth is divided into land and water. Water body covering 71% (approximately 361 Million km2 or 139 Million sq mi) of the surface of the earth is known as Ocean. The total volume is approximately 1.35 billion cubic kilometers (320 million cu mi) with an average depth of nearly 3,700…
The World Bank classifies all World Bank member countries (189), and all other economies with populations of more than 30,000. For operational and analytical purposes, economies are divided among income groups according to 2018 gross national income (GNI) per capita, calculated using the World Bank Atlas method. The World Bank classifies economies for analytical purposes…
Introduction China–Pakistan relations began in 1950 when Pakistan was among the first countries to recognize the People’s Republic of China (PRC) regime on Mainland China. Since then, both countries have placed considerable importance on the maintenance of an extremely close and supportive special relationship and the two countries have regularly exchanged high-level visits resulting in…
Introduction Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these…
The Democracy Index (DI) is an index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a UK-based company. The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU) is the research and analysis division of The Economist Group, the sister company to The Economist newspaper. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide…
The Democracy Index (DI) is an index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a UK-based company. The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU) is the research and analysis division of The Economist Group, the sister company to The Economist newspaper. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide…
Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and businesspeople, uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. Since its inception in 1995, the…
Corruption 1 Definition Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power, authority or public office for private or sectional gain. It occurs when an individual or institution uses a position of trust to obtain an improper benefit, influence a decision unfairly, or divert public resources for personal interests. Corruption is not limited to the exchange of…
The princely states of Pakistan were former princely states of the British Indian Empire. These states acceded to the new Dominion of Pakistan between 1947 and 1948, following the Partition of (British) India. The rulers were left to decide whether to accede to one of the newly independent states of India or Pakistan. Out of…
Land of Palestine 1250 B.C. The Israelites (Jews or Hebrews) settle in Canaan (part of modern day Israel) after having fled slavery by the Egyptians. 1000 B.C. The Philistines battle the Israelites for control over Canaan. King David conquers the Philistine armies and makes Jerusalem the capital of the kingdom of Israel. His son, King…
Introduction The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation, the creation of which was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai (China) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan. It was preceded by the…
Commonwealth of Nations 1. Introduction The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states, most of which were formerly part of the British Empire. It represents a unique global partnership built on shared history, language, legal traditions, and common values such as democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Today, it…
Introduction Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), is an intergovernmental regional organization established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey for the purpose of promoting economic, technical and cultural cooperation among the Member States. ECO is the successor organization of Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) which remained in existence since 1964 up to 1979. In 1992, the…
Introduction United Nations (UN), international organization established on October 24, 1945. The United Nations (UN) was the second multipurpose international organization established in the 20th century that was worldwide in scope and membership. Its predecessor, the League of Nations, was created by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 and disbanded in 1946. Headquartered in New…
Unemployment 1 Introduction Unemployment is one of the most important economic and social issues of the modern world. It represents the underutilization of human resources and occurs when people who are available for work and seeking employment cannot find suitable jobs. The consequences extend far beyond loss of income. Persistent unemployment can contribute to poverty,…
Millennium Development Goals In September 2000, the United Nations adopted a United Nations Millennium Declaration chalking out 8 time-bound targets with a deadline of 2015 known as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Eight Millennium Development Goals are: 1 to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; 2 to achieve universal primary education; 3 to promote gender equality…
OIC Organization of Islamic Cooperation Introduction The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organisation after the United Nations, with the membership of 57 states, covering four continents. The organization states that it is “the collective voice of the Muslim world” and works to “safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim…