GDP. UN country classification. Human Development Reports. Read the full explanation of the Human Development Index (HDI) View the HDI Frequently asked questions Notesa.
Data refer to 2017 or the most recent year available.b. In calculating the HDI value, expected years of schooling is capped at 18 years.c. Based on data from OECD (2017a).d. DefinitionsHuman Development Index (HDI): A composite index measuring average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development—a long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living. Main data sources Columns 1 and 7: HDRO calculations based on data from UNDESA (2017a), UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2018), United Nations Statistics Division (2018b), World Bank (2018b), Barro and Lee (2016) and IMF (2018). 60sGlobalNorthSouthDivide. Norway country profile. Europe's northernmost country, the Kingdom of Norway is famed for its mountains and spectacular fjord coastline, as well as its history as a seafaring power.
It also enjoys one of the world's highest standards of living, in large part due to the discovery in the late 1960s of offshore oil and gas. It is the world's number seven oil exporter and has resisted the temptation to splurge its windfall, choosing instead to deposit the surplus wealth into its oil fund - now the world's largest sovereign wealth fund. What to do with the money is a hot political issue: whether to use more of it to improve infrastructure or keep it for a rainy day and future generations.
Norway plays an active international role. It has mediated between Israel and the Palestinians as well as in the Sri Lankan conflict, and has participated in military action in Afghanistan and Libya. It defies a global ban on commercial whaling, along with Japan and Iceland. United States country profile. The USA is the world's foremost economic and military power, with global interests and an unmatched global reach.
America's gross domestic product accounts for close to a quarter of the world total, and its military budget is reckoned to be almost as much as the rest of the world's defence spending put together. The country is also a major source of entertainment: American TV, Hollywood films, jazz, blues, rock and rap music are primary ingredients in global popular culture. Bulgaria country profile. Bulgaria, situated in the eastern Balkans, has been undergoing a slow and painful transition to a market economy since the end of Communist rule.
A predominantly Slavonic-speaking, Orthodox Christian country, Bulgaria was the birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet, which was created there towards the end of the 9th century AD. It was long influenced by Byzantine culture then was part of the Ottoman Empire for 500 years before gaining its independence in the 19th century. After the Second World War it became a satellite of the Soviet Union, but is now a member country of the EU and NATO. Read more country profiles - Profiles by BBC Monitoring. United Arab Emirates country profile. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven states that has grown from a quiet backwater to one of the Middle East's most important economic centres.
Though traditionally conservative, the UAE is one of the most liberal countries in the Gulf, with other cultures and beliefs generally tolerated. Politically it remains authoritarian, however. Relations with neighbouring Iran have been tense because of an ongoing territorial dispute over Gulf islands. The UAE was one of only three countries to recognise Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Before oil was discovered in the 1950s the UAE's economy was dependent on fishing and a declining pearl industry.
The UAE has diversified and has become a regional trading and tourism hub. See more country profiles - Profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring Population 8.1 million Area 77,700 sq km (30,000 sq miles) Major language Arabic Major religion Islam Life expectancy 76 years (men), 78 years (women) Currency Dirham Getty Images. Venezuela country profile. Venezuela is a country of striking natural beauty, and one of the most highly-urbanised countries in Latin America.
It has some of the world's largest proven oil deposits as well as huge quantities of coal, iron ore, bauxite and gold. Yet many Venezuelans live in poverty, often in shanty towns, some of which sprawl over the hillsides around the capital Caracas. Former president Hugo Chavez , who died in 2013, styled himself a champion of the poor during his 14 years in office, pouring billions of dollars of Venezuela's oil wealth into social programmes. But the government of his successor, Nicolas Maduro, has had to struggle with plummeting oil prices and an economic and political crisis that has left Venezuela in a state of near-collapse.
Read more country profiles - Profiles by BBC Monitoring Getty Images President: Nicolas Maduro Image copyright Getty Images President Nicolas Maduro has governed since March 2013, following the death of his mentor Hugo Chavez. China country profile. China is the world's most populous country.
It has a continuous culture stretching back nearly 4,000 years and originated many of the foundations of the modern world. The People's Republic of China was founded in 1949 after the Communist Party defeated the nationalist Kuomintang, who retreated to Taiwan, creating two rival Chinese states - the People's Republic on the mainland and the Republic of China based on Taiwan. After stagnating for decades under the rigid totalitarian socialism of founder Mao Zedong, China reformed its economy along partly capitalist lines to make it one of the world's fastest-growing, as well its leading exporter. Bolivia country profile. A country of extremes, landlocked Bolivia is the highest and most isolated country in South America.
It has the largest proportion of indigenous people, who make up around two-thirds of the population. The country has the second-largest reserves of natural gas in South America, but there have been long-running tensions over the exploitation and export of the resource. Indigenous groups say the country should not relinquish control of the reserves, which they see as Bolivia's sole remaining natural resource. Haiti country profile. DR Congo country profile. The recent history of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has been one of civil war and corruption.
DR Congo is a vast country with immense economic resources and, until recently, has been at the centre of what some observers call "Africa's world war", with widespread civilian suffering the result. The war claimed an up to six million lives, either as a direct result of fighting or because of disease and malnutrition. The war had an economic as well as a political side. Fighting was fuelled by the country's vast mineral wealth, with all sides taking advantage of the anarchy to plunder natural resources. Some militias fight on in the east, where a large United Nations force is struggling to keep the peace. Read more country profiles - Profiles by BBC Monitoring Getty Images President (outgoing): Joseph Kabila Image copyright Getty Images Joseph Kabila became president when his father Laurent was assassinated in 2001.
He refused to leave office when his term expired in December 2016. Country profiles.