• Iraq
    • IRAQ Formerly part of theOttoman Empire, Iraq became an independent kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of military strongmen have ruled the country since then, t...
    • Indonesia
    • SIA The world's largest archipelago, Indonesia achieved independence from the Netherlands in 1949. Current issues include: alleviating widespread poverty, implementing IMF-mandated reforms of the banking sector, e...
    • HOMS (Emesa, Hims)
    • ims) Homs situated in between the desert from the East and the gateway of sea from the West, located in a wide area of plain and fertile area forming an important point of communications in Syria and its neighboring countri...
    • Guinea
    • NEA Independent fromFrance since 1958, Guinea did not hold democratic elections until 1993 when Gen. Lansana CONTE (head of the military government) was elected president of the civilian government. He was reelect...
    • Gambia
    • MBIA  TheGambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965; it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia with Senegal between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation t...
    • ERITREA
    • TREA Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean reb...
    • Egypt
    • GYPT The regularity and richness of the annualNileRiver flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unifie...
    • DJIBOUTI
    • OUTI The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. A peace accord in 1994 ended a three-year uprising by Afars rebels. Geography Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the ...
    • Damascus
    • scus Capital of Syria , with 2.4 million inhabitants ( 2002 estimate ) . Damascus mountains to the west , and the desert to the east . Damascus lies in the Ghutah oasis , and is fed with water by the Barada River...
    • Chad
    • CHAD The Republic of Chad is the largest country of former French Equatorial Africa. Chad is a landlocked country with one of the world’s lowest population densities. It is situated in the heart of Africa and has...
    • BURKINA FASO
    • ASO LOCATION & GEOGRAPHY Location: Western Africa, north of Ghana Burkina Faso, formerly Upper Volta, is a landlocked West African State which lies between the Sahara Desert and the Gulf of Gui...
    • Brunei
    • runei Background The Sultanate of Brunei's heyday occurred between the 15th and 17th centuries, when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently...
    • Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • ovina Background Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991, was followed by a declaration of independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by e...
    • Beirut
    • American University of Beirut (AUB) http://www.aub.edu.lb/ The University The American University of Beirut (AUB) is a private, independent, non-sectarian institution of higher learning, founded in 1866. It function...
    • BAHRAIN
    • RAIN Background Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Possessing minimal oil reserve...
    • Baghdad
    • dad Baghdad, the capital ofIraq, is situated in centralIraq, on both banks of the Tigris River. The city's principal economic activity is oil refining. Most of Iraq's other industries are inBaghdad, such as the making of car...
    • Azerbaijan
    • jan BACKGROUND Azerbaijan - a nation of Turkic Muslims - has been an independent republic since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a 1`994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict ...
    • Al Manama
    • ama The capital of Bahrain Manama is the capital of Bahrain.  In the last 30 years the city has more than doubled in size and now covers about 25 square kilometres.  The population has also risen drama...
    • Algeria
    • ia COUNTRY PROFILE Country Formal Name: Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria. Short Name: Algeria. Term for Nationals: Algerian(s). Capital: Algiers. Date of Independence: July 5, 1962, from France...
    • Alexandria
    • dria Alexandria, the shining pearl of the Mediterranean , and the beacon radiating its culture and heritage to the world at large The second largest city and the mainport of Egypt , Alexandria was built by the G...
    • Aleppo (Halab)
    • alab) Cradled in a bowl of dry hills in northern Syria, the city of Aleppo presents an austere facade to those entering her ancient gates. Halfway between the Euphrates and the coast, Aleppo's location made her ...
    • Republic of Albania
    • nia Geography Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro. Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 20 00 E Map references: Europe Are...
    • Afghanistan
    • tan National name: Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan President: Hamid Karzai (2002) Area: 250,000 sq mi (647,500 sq km) Population (2002 est.): 27,755,775 (growth rate: 2.4%); birth rate: 41.0/1000; infant mo...
    • Islam and Religious Pluralism
    • The history of the worlds religions is full of horrible tales of persecution and intolerance. Often times the religious opposition to ...
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