Eritrea ! Where in the world ?

By
Russom Asmerom " The best place to live " varies greatly for each of us - depending on our experience, cultural backgrounds and value systems. There are a variety of reports that claim to have the answer.Here are some samples of how the world we live in is rated.As you can see, the results vary greatly depending on the criteria chosen.
FREEDOM IN THE WORLD
Since 1978, Freedom House has published freedom in the world, an annual comparative assessment of the state of political rights & civil liberties around the world. Widely used by policy makers, journalists,and scholars. The 2005 ratings reflect global events from Dec.1, 2003 through Nov.30,2004. According to these 600 page survey, 89 countries are FREE. Their 2.8 billion inhabitants (i.e., 44% world's population ) enjoy a broad range of rights. Most West European, North america and some Latin countries are grouped under these free world category.South Africa, Ghana and Senegal are the only African countries included in these group.
54 Countries representing 1.2 billion people ( 19 % world's population )are PARTLY FREE. Political rights & civil liberties are more limited in these countries, in which corruption, dominant ruling parties, or in some cases, ethnic or religion strife is often the norm.Kenya, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Gabon, Uganda & Ethiopia are grouped under these category.
The survey finds that 49 countries ARENOT FREE.The 2.4 billion inhabitants ( 37% world's population ) of these countries, nearly three-fifth of whom line in China, are denied most basic political rights & civil liberties. In 2004, Russia was the only country register a negative category change, moving from partly free to not free.Freedom House's separate listing of territories reveals that four territories received the lowest possible political rating: Chechnya ( Russia ), Kashmir ( Pakistan ), Tibet ( China ) and Western Sahara( Morocco ). Eritrea is located nearly at the bottom but higher than Libya, North Korea, Sudan, Syria & Turkmenistan.

MOST AND LEAST LIVABLE COUNTRIES
The human develpoment index( HDI ), published annually by the UN, ranks nations according to their citizens quality of life, rather than by a nations traditional economic figures.The critrea for calculating rankings include life expectancy, educational attainment,and adjusted real income. The three " MOST LIVABLE " countries ( in 2005 ) are Norway, Iceland and Australia. USA ranks tenth. Eritrea is one of the " LEAST LIVABLE" countries in seventeenth rank.But the very least one are Niger, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso. Ethiopia ranks at eighth, from bottom.

LEAST AND MOST CORRUPT COUNTRIES
The transparency international corruption index defines corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain, and measures the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among a country's public officials & politicians. According to these repprt, Iceland, Finland and New Zealand are the least three corrupt contries. USA located on seventeenth rank, Eritrea 107, Ethiopia 137, Sudan 144, Nigeria 152. The three most corrupt countries are Chad, Bangladesh & Haiti , in combination with Myanamar & Turkmenistan.

THE FAILED STATES INDEX
Foreign policy & the Fund for peace have ranked 60 troubled countries that are in danger of collapse.The countries are ranked according to twelve social, economic, political, and military indicators, including economic decline and inequality, demographic pressures, war and corruption. These are the top 10 most vulnerable countries : Cote D'IVOIRE, Dem. Rep.of Congo, Sudan, Iraq, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Chad, Yemen, Liberia & Haiti.

RICHEST AND POOREST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD
Luxembourg, Norway and USA are the first three richest countries. Sudan ranks 136, Kenya 138, Eritrea 165 & Ethiopia on 169.East Timor, Somalia & Sierra Leone are the least three poorest in the world.

RICHEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES ( GDP-per Capita, US Dollars )
Mauritus is the richest country in the continent ( With 11, 400 GDP per capita ), South Africa is the second ( 10,700 ) and Botswana the third ( 9000 ). Sudan is located on 19-th with 1, 900. Eritrea's GDP per capita is 710, Ethiopia's is 610.

AFRICAN COUNTRIES RECEIVING THE MOST AID ( in US dollars )
Mozambique is by far take the highest stake, 2.58 billion every year. Ethiopia is second which receiving 1.307 billion and Egypt is the third- 1.286 billion.

LARGEST MILITARY EXPENDITURES, 2004 ( in US dollars )
USA spend 455.3 billions on military, which is 47 % world's share. UK and France are the second and third countries, spend 47.4 billion and 46.2 billion, respectively.China spend 35.4 billion next to Japan, which spends 42.4 billlion.Israel also spend 10.7 billions. However, North Korea ( by spending 22.9% per GDP ), Jordan ( 20.20 %) and Eritrea ( 11.80 % ) are the countries with the highest military spending in the world. Ethiopia spends 5.20 %, located on fifteenth rank. USA military expenditure per capita is 1.2 % only, which ranks USA on 50-th.

PRINCIPAL SOURCES OF REFUGEES
The first three countries ( or trrritories ) that generated the greatest number of refugees & asylum seekers in the world are former Palestin 2,985, 500, Afghanistan 2,088, 200 and Sudan 703, 500. Eritrea generated 204, 200, Ethiopia 52,100. According to the report on world refugee survey, 2004, the persons granted permanet status in countries doesnot included in this figure.

COUNTRIES HOSTING REFUGEES
Although developed countries contribute most of the funding to assist refugees, developing countries host the majority of the world's refugees, i.e., more than two-third of all refugees .In West-Gaza only, there are 635,000 refugees, in Libanon 265, 800 , in Syria 701, 700, in Kenya 269,900 : in Sudan 225,900 and in USA 232, 800.

MOST POPULOUS COUNTRIES, 2005
China is still remaining on the highest population record, 1,306, 313, 812. India is the second- 1,080, 264, 388 and USA third- 295,734,134.The most populous African country is Nigeria- 128,771,988. Ethiopian population is also estimated 73,053,286. Eritrea's population is 4,561,599.

MOST POPULOUS CITIES OF THE WORLD
The first three populous cities of the world are Bombay (India), 11, 914,398 inhabitants; Shangai ( China ), 10,996,500, Sao paulo ( Brazil ) 10,677,019

TO BE CONTINUED
Sources & references;
Reports of HDI,UNDP,UNHCR, World refugee survey, 2005 ( US comittee on refugees ),World Bank, CIA facts book,encyclopedia-2005