lization,
outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences. But in the
first half of the 20th century, China was beset by major famines,
civil unrest, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World
War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established a dictatorship
that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls
over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people.
After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping gradually introduced
market-oriented reforms and decentralized economic decision making.
Output quadrupled in the next 20 years and China now has the world's
second largest GDP. Political controls remain tight even while
economic controls continue to weaken.

Christmas Island:
Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the
island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888.
Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty
to Australia in 1958. The phosphate mine, closed in 1987, was
reopened four years later, but the need for an alternative industry
has spurred investment in tourism. Old mining areas are being
restored, and almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a
national park.

Clipperton Island:
This isolated island was named for John
CLIPPERTON, a pirate who made it his hideout early in the 18th
century. Annexed by France in 1855, it was seized by Mexico in 1897.
Arbitration eventually awarded the island to France, which took
possession in 1935.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
The islands were discovered in 1609, but
remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in
1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955.
The population on the two inhabited islands is split between the
mostly Europeans on West Island and the Malays on Home Island.

Colombia:
Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from
the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and
Venezuela). A 40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian
Government escalated during the 1990s, undergirded in part by funds
from the drug trade. Although the violence is deadly and large
swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence, the
movement lacks the military strength or popular support necessary to
overthrow the government. While Bogota continues to try to negotiate
a settlement, neighboring countries worry about the vio