The State of the World Atlas

Introduction * Part I: Who We Are * Population * Life Expectancy * Ethnicity and Diversity * Religious Beliefs * Urbanization * Diversity of Cities * Workplaces * Part II: Wealth and Power * Income * Quality of Life * Inequalities * Transnationals * Banks * Investment * Trade * Tourism * Debt and Aid * Part III: War and Peace * Wars Non-state Wars * Terrorism * Military Spending * Under Arms * Peacekeeping * War Deaths * Refugees * National Security * Part IV: Rights and Respect * Political Systems * Languages of Rule * Religious Freedom * Human Rights * Judicial Killing * Free Speech * Children's Rights * Women's Rights * Reproductive Rights * Gay Rights * Migrant Workers * Sex Trafficking * Part V: Health and Sustainable Development * Malnutrition * Obesity * Smoking * Cancers * HIV/AIDS * Mental Health * Water and Sanitation * Water Resources * Energy Consumption * Climate Change * Biodiversity * Part VI: The Growth of Knowledge * Literacy and Education * Information and Communications * Media * Research and Development * Biogenetics * Space * Part VII: Vital Statistics * Tables, Notes, Sources * Index

Dan Smith is Secretary General of International Alert, based in London, and former Director of the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO). In 2002 he was awarded an OBE. He is also author of The Atlas of War and Peace and The State of the Middle East.

'Unique and uniquely beautiful.' Los Angeles Times 'An essential snapshot of the trends shaping today's world.' The Ecologist 'The State of the World Atlas is something else - an occasion of wit and an act of subversion. These are the bad dreams of the modern world, given color and shape and submitted to a grid that can be grasped instantaneously.' New York Times 'Smith presents, without frills, all the essential facts and figures of what really counts in the world today. An assault on your night's rest!' Argus 'A striking new approach to cartography... no one wishing to keep a grip on the reality of the world should be without these books.' International Herald Tribune '[The] Atlas provides a beautifully clear and fairly current overview of a whole series of factors relevant to understanding global trends and current events and concerns.' Change Management Monitor Newsletter 'This excellent little atlas provides a clear and current picture of the state of the world.' Change Management Monitor 'This guide is an indispensable visual survey of current events and social trends that makes understanding the vast array of data both possible and pleasurable... We are... full of praise - buy this book.' Pure Living 'State of the World Atlas is a unique survey of global events and trends, providing a comprehensive visual overview.' Sustain - Built Environment Matters 'It's a marketer's dream and a forecaster's godsend: a cornucopia of facts, stats, trends, demographics and little-known data about the world and what goes on in it.' The Information 'This is a comprehensive, highly informative and accessible reference work.' Scientific and Medical Review Network 'A very lively, beautifully produced set of maps which gives highly visual basic comparisons over a very wide range of examples. As such this is a great addition to any library making it one of the definite must-buys of the texts reviewed this year.' Ecological and Environmental Education 'Covers with an acute and