Facts and Figures
The planet's population continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820, to 2 billion in 1930, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1988, and 6 billion in 2000.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans.
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are important strategic access waterways.
Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south of the Antarctic Circle.
In the spring of 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization decided to delimit the waters within the Antarctic Convergence as a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean - by combining the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean.
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean).
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently delimited Southern Ocean).
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European Union
Thunderous applause welcomed the Dalai Lama, who spoke of peace to the MEPs. The fight for Tibet's autonomy will continue peacefully.
United States
Today, not like my usual sort of way, complete informal way, but today more - ceremonial, a more formal way, so a bit difficult. There are more difficulties - my speech - of course, prepared in Tibetan.
Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has been honored at a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol attended by President Bush.
The awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama marked the first time a U.S. president has made such a high profile public appearance with the Tibetan leader.
The Dalai Lama says his successor could be chosen among a group of senior monks, rather than through the centuries-old tradition of reincarnation.
Over the past four decades, military leaders have mismanaged Burma's economy by combining a rigid, Soviet-type of central planning with superstitious beliefs.
The human rights group Amnesty International has released what it says are eyewitness accounts of police brutality, arbitrary arrests and appalling detention conditions in Burma.
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Have the EU and governments in Europe found an adequate and sufficient response to the global crisis on financial markets? British socialist MEP Peter Skinner in a discussion with three journalists.
Immigration
Each year, the US Diversity Visa Program awards 50,000 permanent residency visas, known as Green Cards, through a random lottery. Congress created the Lottery in 1990 to bring in people from nations with low immigration rates. Countries that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants in the past five years are excluded.
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Chinese police opened fire and wounded four protesters "in self-defence" last Sunday in a Tibetan area of Sichuan province, the Xinhua news agency says.
It is the first time China has admitted injuring anyone since anti-Chinese protests in Tibet began last week.
Xinhua said police opened fire in Aba county - the same place that Tibetan activists said eight people were killed during protests near Kirti monastery. Activists released graphic photos of dead bodies showing bullet wounds.
 Protests against Chinese rule in Tibet have spread from Lhasa to other provinces bordering the Himalayan region, as the demonstrations enter their second week.
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English Edition. July 4, 2009
