Author Description

Commercial Data International's (CDI) Country Reviews are concise, up-to-date sources for political and economic information on the 190 nations defined by the U.S. State Department as Independent States of the World, plus Serbia and Montenegro. In addition, data on Hong Kong and Taiwan are included in the Country Review for China. Each Country Review begins with an overview which provides key demographic and geographic information as well as full color regional and country maps by Magellan Geographix. Government and political information is provided in a format which enables the reader to get an overview of the organization of the various branches of the government, a brief summary of current political conditions, and a list of current leaders, including a biography of the head of government/state. Economic information, compiled and condensed from a large number of reliable sources, is presented in the Country Reviews in statistical tables on key macroeconomic! trends and economic sectors. The economic data is organized in an easy-to-understand format. Foreign investment conditions are also covered along with a capsule description of stock market trends, for those countries where major stock markets exist, a listing of key enterprises. Also included is a summary of current environmental issues, natural hazards, international environmental agreements, and, for most countries, a table with time trends in Greenhouse Gas emissions.