l power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and
Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin
Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched
a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 -
triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied
much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II,
Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of
the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national
unity, elected politicians - with heavy input from bureaucrats and
business executives - wield actual decisionmaking power. The economy
experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three
decades of unprecedented growth, but Japan still remains a major
economic power, both in Asia and globally.

Jersey
Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last
remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both
France and England. These islands were the only British soil
occupied by German troops in World War II. Jersey is a British crown
dependency but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is
constitutionally responsible for its defense and international
representation.

Jordan
Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman
Empire, the UK received a mandate to govern much of the Middle East.
Britain separated out a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from
Palestine in the early 1920s, and the area gained its independence
in 1946; it adopted the name of Jordan in 1950. The country's
long-time ruler was King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic leader, he
successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers
(US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large
internal Palestinian population, despite several wars and coup
attempts. In 1989 he reinstituted parliamentary elections and
gradual political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty
with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, the son of King HUSSEIN, assumed the
throne following his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he
has consolidated his power and undertaken an aggressive economic
reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in
2000, and began to participate in the European Free Trade
Association in 2001. Municipal elections were held in July 2007
under a system in which 20% o