NationMaster News Feed

Updated CIA data

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 10:06:27 +0000

We've just updated our CIA Factbook data once again with 236 stats added or updated. The big standout are terrorism stats spanning time periods back to 1968 and 2000. We've also done some extra work with the data ourselves doing things like splitting up exchange rates by year, having a stat for each major religion (instead of listing them all together). This makes it easier to graph and compare nations, staying true to our mission. Enjoy!

Azzurri Claim 4th World Cup Title

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 15:45:49 +0000

It certainly did live up to the hype of being the 64th game in the 2006 World Cup. With France and Italy knotted at 1-1, the match went into extra time, where the French captain Zinedine Zidane was sent off with a red card for head butting Marco Materazzi in the chest. It proved to be a death knell for France, as they went into penalty kicks without their leader, and lost 5-3. NationMaster, in between matches, has been slowly keeping tally of statistics with an eye to compiling the most complete tables on World Cup history. You won't find these totals anywhere else on the net. Total World Cup Points Total World Cup Wins Total World Cup Draws Total World Cup Losses Total World Cup Goals Scored Total World Cup Goals Against Total World Cup Matches Played Enjoy our new World Cup totals, and see you in 2010!

Montenegro Says Yes to Independence

Mon, 22 May 2006 10:05:34 +0000

Preliminary reports show Montenegrins have reached the 55% threshold required for seeking independence from the union of Serbia and Montenegro, moving one important step closer to becoming Europe's newest state. While many journalists around the world have dubbed this the final marker in the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the status of Kosovo, a region within Serbia administered by the UN, has yet to be decided. But for now, it appears that the union between Yugoslavia's last two republics, on relatively solid footing throughout the 1990's, has all but shattered. Critics of Montenegrin independence site the long historical and cultural ties between the two republics, and the damage secession will bring economically, socially and politically. It has been some 90 years since Montenegro was its own country. Ruled by a string of dynasties and royal families over the centuries, Montenegro received international recognition at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. As World War I came to a close, the legislature of Montenegro voted to join the fledging state of Yugoslavia. Its political structure has been inextricably linked with Serbia ever since. Many observers believe that what fueled this successful drive for independence is the desire for Montenegro to fully join the European and international community. Serbia's recent row with the EU and international observers over failing to capture fugitive General Ratko Mladic may have given a boost to the secession vote. The streets in the capital Podgorica were filled with waving red and gold of the former Montenegrin Monarchy (seen here), and with what appears to be a 86.3% voter turnout with all but 25,000 votes counted, it looks like the world will soon be welcoming the newest member to the international community.

Afghanistan Faces Worst Fighting Since 2001

Thu, 18 May 2006 13:13:08 +0000

Since NATO forces have moved into the southern regions of Afghanistan to re-focus efforts on battling Taliban and al-Qaeda elements in the country's most lawless region, attacks on troops and casualties have increased dramatically. The fighting has largely been in the Helmand province and around the city of Kandahar, the traditional stronghold for the Taliban. A suicide bomb was also unleashed yesterday in the western city of Herat, which is still considered one of the most peaceful urban centers in the country. Suicide bomb attacks have increased sharply this year, with 20 reported incidences so far, compared to 17 for the whole of 2005, and just 5 in 2004. The United Kingdom is leading the mission in Helmand, and plans to increase NATO's International Security Assistance Force from 9,000 to 21,000 by November this year. To give you a better grip on the breaking news, NationMaster has just updated casualty statistics for Afghanistan, as well as new development aid statistics for the country: Afghan Coalition Fatalities Total Development Aid to Afghanistan, latest estimates Percent of Development Aid Going to Afghanistan Check back in with NationMaster for more essential data on the latest news and breaking stories.

Brookings Institution Study Released

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 14:57:36 +0000

Just two days ago, the Brookings Institution released 'Iraq Index - Tracking Variables of Reconstruction & Security in Post-Saddam Iraq', a revealing study which gives data analysis on a wide range of issues on the ground. The study shows that some $1.8 billion has already been spent on the electric sector (with $300 million spent by the Department of Defense on Restore Iraqi Electricty - RIE) yet in Baghdad, the average hours of electricity per day has dwindled to 4 in April 2006. One year ago the Baghdad average was 11.5 hours of electricity each day. The study also shows that the Iraqi security forces on duty have risen to 250,000 in March 2006, with a stated target of 275,000. Polling data also gives some insight into Iraq, with 49% of the Iraqi population agreeing that 'Iraq today is generally headed in the right direction', opposed to 36% who believed it was the wrong direction (November 30-December 7, 2005). To the question 'what three issues or concerns do you feel most impact your daily life or family' most respondents focused on security, corruption and unemployment, though only 4% thought ethnic/religious tension was serious enough to be on the list (November 2005). In October and November last year, when asked whether the US was right to invade Iraq, 80% of Kurds polled responded yes, 58% of Shiites and 16% of Sunnis agreed, and the Baghdad area hovered around the national average of 46% (Time-ABC News Poll). In light of this release, NationMaster has updated statistics on Iraq: Iraq Pledges of Reconstruction Aid Troop Strength of Iraqi Coalition Forces You can find the whole report by the Brookings Institution here.

StateMaster, Sister Site to NationMaster, is Launched Today

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 12:49:17 +0000

StateMaster, a free online resource for comparing US states, has been released today. We have translated our winning formula of statistical comparisons, graphs, maps and flags to the 50 states of America, giving our users another level of data at their fingertips. With over 2,500 stats on StateMaster, you can find information on anything from binge drinkers to race related hate crimes. Detailed state profiles, as well as thousands of maps and flags, are also included in the database, making us a one-stop resource for information about US states. We also have a new Forum for StateMaster, where users can go to debate the issues affecting American society, everything from military to religion. Visit StateMaster Now! Keep in mind that our Volunteer Editor program will also be implemented for StateMaster, bringing together a community of folks interested in data and general information on US states. Let us know if you are interested!

Exclusive Colombian Crime Report Now Available

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 15:13:13 +0000

The Colombian Crime Report for 2005 has just been released this week, and we have exclusive access to this document here on NationMaster. Though this report is not yet available anywhere else, in two weeks time the full Spanish version will be published on the Head Criminological Investigation Center website of the Colombian National Police, according to Lieutenant Colonel Wilson Barón Calderón. Download the Complete Colombian Crime Report for 2005 Here The document highlights several facets of crime which have reportedly been on the decrease in recent years, most importantly homicide rates, which have reached their lowest levels in the past 24 years. The report goes on to explain that "in 1981, the same rate of 2005 was recorded. However, the total number of cases reached 10,805 and the population at that time was of 29,080,0000 inhabitants. While the Colombian population grew 58%, the homicides rate remained constant." According to the report, the Colombian National Police have also been credited with an 18% reduction in traffic injuries and a 55% reduction in kidnapping. This report underscores the changing political and security environment in Colombia, a society that has been gripped by high levels of violence for decades. On March 11th this year, some 2,000 rightwing paramilitaries laid down their weapons and joined the peace process, according to the BBC. Most Colombians agree, however, that paramilitary groups will never be fully eradicated, and some human rights organizations are concerned that the peace process might mean some groups who have committed atrocities will go unpunished. It does seem, at least for now, that the Colombian National Police are cracking down on crime in the country. Just last week, the BBC reported that $540 million worth of cocaine was seized in Cartagena, which comes less than a year after 15 tons of cocaine with an estimated value of $3 billion was seized in the country, which is by some accounts the largest single drug haul ever.

Bird Flu Strengthens Grip on Europe

Sat, 25 Feb 2006 13:34:19 +0000

France has now confirmed cases of avian influenza at a French turkey farm in the department of Ain. This will be the first case of bird flu striking a poultry farm in France if it is confirmed. The French farming ministry has said that cases of bird flu were suspected after a high rate of death among turkeys at a farm in Versailleux. Wild birds in Slovakia have also been found to contain the H5N1 strain, the first instance of avian flu in the country. The news comes two days after EU officials have announced plans to vaccinate millions of birds against avian flu in France and the Netherlands, two of Europe's largest poultry suppliers. If the highly lethal avian flu type A, known as H5N1, begins to mutate, it could wreak havoc on the human population. There is however, no conclusive sign that the strain can pass from one human to another. NationMaster has just published updated bird flu statistics in an effort to keep you up-to-date on the bird flu crisis. The report filed on February 23rd by the World Organisation for Animal Health lists confirmed cases of avian influenza over the past month (from January 23rd to February 23rd). View our statistic on recent avian flu outbreaks. Also available on NationMaster, we have up-to-date cases of avian flu effecting humans, with confirmed human cases and confirmed human deaths. Stay on top of changing events with NationMaster.com, and consider joining our community of Editors if you want to be a part of a growing educational resource which seeks to provide free essential information to millions around the globe.

NationMaster Toolbar Now Available for Mozilla and Internet Explorer

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 11:14:48 +0000

Do you want country profile information and the latest statistics available to you at a single click of a mouse? Do you want to search any text you highlight, view web site rankings instantly and block those pesky pop-ups? Then download our free NationMaster Toolbar for Mozilla/Firefox and Internet Explorer and stay on top of an ever-chaging world!
Go directly to the Toolbar Download Page This Toolbar is located on your browser, and gives you instant access to NationMaster's database. For those of you who downloaded our previous plug-in (see the previous news blog), this new Toolbar gives you even more functionality, increasing the quality and speed of your research, and making your general surfing experience more informative and enjoyable. Search NationMaster's database by simply typing your query into the search field, but perhaps our favorite feature is the 'search highlight' function, which allows you to highlight any text on any web page, right click your mouse, and search the NationMaster database for that keyword. You can also click on the NationMaster icon to go directly to statistical category pages, or view country profiles of major countries. The Toolbar also gives you instant site rankings for all websites and blocks pop-ups on Internet Explorer. Downloading the NationMaster Toolbar takes only a few brief moments. Click here to install the NationMaster Toolbar for Mozilla/Firefox and Internet Explorer.

NationMaster Plug-in Available Here

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 13:55:07 +0000

A further update regarding NationMaster's plugin: considering the positive responses we've received for our plug-in, we have decided to make this download available on our site.

This Plug-in is located on your browser, and gives you quick access to statistical measurements on NationMaster. For example, you might be clicking around your trusted news website and come across an article on murders per capita in sub-Saharan Africa. To supplement news, you might want to take a look at some recent statistics. Simply type in 'murders per capita' in your NationMaster toolbar and you're on your way - statistical comparisons at your fingertips no matter where you're surfing. Downloading the NationMaster Plug-in takes only a few brief moments. Click here to install the NationMaster Plug-in.

NationMaster's New GeoLab

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:18:24 +0000

Teachers: looking for online tests which will improve your students' geography skills? Try NationMaster's new GeoLab, designed by Professor Steven M. Graves of California State University. Using this GeoLab, students follow directions for navigating NationMaster's site, viewing specific graphs, maps, scatterplots and correlations and answering questions about the data. All major areas of our statistical database are covered. At the end of the lab, students will be able to formulate their own correlation hypothesis, outlining a strong or weak correlation between two statistical variables and testing that hypothesis using Nationmaster's correlation technology. Students can then submit his/her GeoLab results directly to their teachers e-mail address. We hope to add more GeoLabs in the future, so check back in with us regularly! Click here to see NationMaster's new GeoLab!

NationMaster Unveils New Redesign...

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:31:14 +0000

We've spent many days redesigning our pages, and you can now witness the fruits of our labor: a new bold look for NationMaster! Our hope is to add to the functionality of our site, making it easier to navigate and more entertaining to use. Our search functions are updated and streamlined, making your stat search that much easier and quicker, giving you access to our database in mere seconds!

As you may well be aware, this new look follows on the heels of our decision to make the entire site free for all users. With this new redesign, when you are viewing a certain statistic, correlations and graphing tools are more easily accessible: with just a click of a button you can view up-to-date information with our unique visualization technology. Feel free to let us know if our redesign makes your researching and stat surfing more user-friendly.

Our redesign not only effects your ability to use our site; it also includes new behind-the-scenes technology that allows us to update our database more quickly and easily. This technology upgrade translates into more time-sensitive information at your fingertips, existing stats getting even more frequent updates, and new stats added at the drop of a hat. The ball is rolling at NationMaster: evermore relevant, evermore accurate, and getting larger all the time!

In other news, we've just made a NationMaster search engine plug-in for Mozilla-based browsers. This allows you to search NationMaster pages no matter what website you happen to be on, an excellent search function located on your toolbar. Click here to download the NationMaster plug-in.

NationMaster One of the Fastest Growing Educational Sites!

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 16:13:51 +0000

NielsenNet ratings has acknowledged NationMaster.com as one of the fastest growing educational websites on the internet, with a unique audience of over 1 million American users for the month of September!

And of course, it would have never been possible without our loyal fans. Everyone here at NationMaster would like to thank you for making us an indispensable internet resource! Be sure to give us plenty of feedback: what works, what doesn't, why there aren't more statistics on popsicle choking or off shore oil rigs. We read all our mail, and your reactions are important to NationMaster's continuing mission of being the one source for all your by-country statistical needs!

NationMaster.com Becomes Entirely Free!

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 13:02:04 +0000

Today the world's most popular online statistics database becomes entirely free!

At NationMaster, we've always prided ourselves on being a largely free service – journalists come here for information about stories, net-users link to us to prove arguments in chat rooms, and stat buffs from all over the world come just to sift through the endlessly interesting statistics – all for free. But special functions – such as pie charts, scatterplots, and correlations graphs – have traditionally been reserved as rewards for those who chose to give a little bit extra to support the site.

Until today.

Now the entire site is free. For the first time, anyone in the world can generate pie charts, scatterplots, and correlations graphs for just about any statistic. And the results are amazing – even if we do say so ourselves! Want a pie chart showing which countries make up the greatest percentage of total world arms exports? Need to know what the correlation is between mobile phone use and women’s rights? Just try it out – we're sure you’ll be astonished at what you find.

Luke Metcalfe, founder of the site, explains the reasoning behind the shift:

"Because of all the support we've received over the past few years, we've reached a point where the site is financially self-sustaining. Rather than give ourselves a pay rise, we've decided it's a good time to give something back. Not enough people have been getting access to some of NationMaster's most amazing features. Now everyone can use all the site, all the time."

To use any of the newly free features, just adjust the "View" entry in the green NationMaster "Make Your Own Graph" toolbar. By default, it reads "Map & Graph / Table". Simply click on the arrow beside it, and select "Scatterplot", "Pie Chart", or "Correlations" from the drop-down box. Then select the statistics you want to compare. It's that easy!

Lastly, a word to our loyal supporters – from all of us here at NationMaster, thank you. Without your generous support, we would never have arrived where we are today – ready to give the whole world free access to the entire site.

Once again, everyone here at NationMaster extends a big thanks to all our supporters! Enjoy the newly free features!

Trade, Population, and Energy; over 1,000 new stats!

Wed, 19 Oct 2005 15:06:40 +0000

In our latest addition you'll notice a massive surplus in statistics on trade and commerce. Dive right in to our wealth of information on imports and exports, everything from gem diamonds to tractors. Trade with the United States is highlighted here, with well over 200 of the latest statistics available. From which country does the US import most of its green coffee? Who is the largest recipient of US exports for musical intruments? World trade statistics are equally numerous in this newest update, everything from arts and antiques to zinc. Which country leads the world in passenger car exports? Is it true that Canada is the second largest importer of arms and ammunition? Our answers may surprise you!

Detailed statistics on population have also been added, so be sure to cruise through our age categories for both males and females. In particular, up-to-date information on annual rate of growth listed in percentages (with Afghanistan leading the way at an astonishing 4.8%) and births per 1,000 people (Niger is #1 at 51 births), may start more than one debate about the world's overpopulation.

The world's energy reserves are in focus as well, with around 50 key stats added. Critical information is at your fingertips, including oil barrels consumed daily, nuclear consumption rated on a scale of equivalent oil use, coal production, and hydroelectricity consumption in Terawatt-hours - all timely statistics essential toward understanding our ever-shrinking world. Get only the facts, and make the conclusions yourself!

From the makers of NationMaster - FactBites!

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 16:49:49 +0000

What do you get if you cross a search engine with an encyclopedia? The answer arrived on the net today - Factbites (www.Factbites.com), a new approach to search. Under the slogan "where results make sense", Factbites provides searchers with full sentences about their search topic, rather than the sentence fragments most search engines offer.

Rather than focusing on link-based technology like Google, Factbites delves into the tone and subject matter of the given topic. The engine "reads" the content of each page and determines how meaningful the text is. It seeks out authoritative and informative content, preferring encyclopedia-style fact-based descriptions to the chatty, spammy and inconsequential.

The end result is a clean summary you can almost read from beginning to end. Not only is this an effective filter against spam and clutter, it's also a time saver, because it gives users a clear picture of what each destination site is about. For encyclopedia-style content, the site makes some large claims. The website challenges users to compare Factbites results to Google results at Factbites vs. Google. When searching for quick information on the sort of things you'd usually go to an encyclopedia for, the results are surprisingly clear - Factbites wins hands down. Don't take our word for it, check the site yourself - Factbites!

Tsunami: The worst natural disaster of the century...

Wed, 29 Dec 2004 16:54:55 +0000

This week saw the world grappling and floundering before one of the natural disasters of earth - a giant tsunami. It was created by a monstrous earthquake measuring 9.0 on Richter scale.The quake epicentre was more than 10 kilometres under the Indian Ocean seabed, less than 160 kilometres from the Sumatra coast. The death toll is around 57,000 and rising. Thousands are missing and millions homeless. Humanitarian agencies have begun what the United Nations said would become the biggest relief effort the world has ever seen. The disaster could be the costliest in history as well, with "many billions of dollars" of damage, said UN undersecretary Jan Egeland, who is in charge of emergency relief co-ordination. Hundreds of thousands have lost everything and millions face a hazardous future because of polluted drinking water, a lack of sanitation and no health services.

What can we do about this fury of nature? We can try to do what we are best at - give you the countrywise breakup of all the latest figures as we get them.

So you want to know the death toll in each country? See how many tourists are dead or missing? Just look at the 'Disaster' category we've just created. We have brought you details of the 'Aid Packages' pledged by various countries and also give you a brief look at the economic impact on the countries concerned. If you wish to see any other statistic related to this story, do tell us about it.

Terrorism, teenage pregnancy, unpaid parking fines!

Fri, 20 Aug 2004 13:03:10 +0000

NationMaster.com's latest update includes over 300 fascinating new stats on everything from lung transplants to Olympic medals.

If you're wondering which countries have adopted major UN conventions against terrorism such as the Convention on the Seizure of Aircraft or the Convention on Protection of Nuclear Material, look no further! If you're fed up with politics, you might want to check out how often diplomats get away with not paying their parking fines.

This update includes some valuable statistics on what many people consider the most important thing in the world - happiness. How many of your country's citizens rate themselves as "very happy"? How many are not happy at all? Which nations provide the greatest life satisfaction?

Some of the new stats are sure to generate some controversy. Is there any relationship between church attendance and teenage pregnancy? What about with cannabis use? Which nation has put the most of its citizens in prison?

We also have a huge number of great new stats on education. Check out the starting salaries for primary teachers all over the world, the proportion of 20 year olds in tertiary education, and the share of university degrees awarded to females. Which nation's kids study the most? Which nation's teachers work the most weeks per year? How much teaching time is devoted to, say, mathematics? The answers are all here.

On the military front, take a look at our stats on tanks, US military exports, and worldwide military exports to developing nations.

This list doesn't really even scratch the surface. Kidnappings, world poverty, banana imports, days off work, and many, many more - we are the world's largest country database, after all.

In other news, a blogger has created a NationMaster search plugin for Mozilla / Firefox users, bringing NationMaster search into your browser.