The 2009 Annual Register: World Events

Beyond the usual summary of facts and figures,
The Annual Register provides:
_ Comprehensive coverage of the year’s major developments in more than 200
countries and territories and many international organizations.
_ An authoritative overview of threats to international security – and the impact of the global recession on the world’s poorer communities (by Paul Rogers, global security consultant to Oxford Research Group).
_ How the world might look 50 years from now, highlighting: the exploitation of the North and South Poles and Siberia; the conquest of outer space; and the revolutionary
advances of 21st Century neuroscience
and artificial intelligence (by economist Richard O’Brien).
_ Chronology of major world events from
1758 to the election of Barack Obama
(compiled by historian Philip Bell).
_ Major trends in the environment, information technology, international law, medical and industrial research, religion, and the arts.
_ Plus the year’s key documents, maps,
and tables, including an International comparison of populations, GDP and growth. In their country-by-country analyses, the AR contributors shed light on the following major events:
• Global financial crisis, precipitating massive economic intervention by governments
• Election of Barack Obama as US
president
• Staging of Beijing Olympic Games
• War between Russia and Georgia
• Declaration of independence by Kosovo
• Resignation of Pakistan’s President
Musharraf
• Earthquake in China
• Return of Berlusconi in Italian election
• Landing of spacecraft on Mars
• Election of Putin’s protégé as Russia’s president
• Israeli attack on Gaza
• Retirement of Fidel Castro as Cuba’s
president
• Escalation of war in Afghanistan
• Capture of Radovan Karadzic in Serbia
• Resignation of Japan’s prime minister
• Cyclone in Burma
• Rejection of EU reform treaty by Irish in referendum
• Fraudulent election in Zimbabwe
• Bomb attacks in Mumbai
• Political upheaval in Thailand
• Ousting of Thabo Mbeki as South Africa’s president
• Approval of Iraq-US long term security pact
• Seizure of supertanker by Somali pirates
• Defeat of ruling Labour Party in New
Zealand
• Devastation of Caribbean by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike
• Peaceful transfer of power in Maldives