Kosovo. On 17 February 2008, the Kosovo Assembly declared its
independence from Serbia.

Kuwait
Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling
Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961.
Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following
several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a
ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four
days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure
damaged during 1990-91. The AL-SABAH family has ruled since
returning to power in 1991 and reestablished an elected legislature
that in recent years has become increasingly assertive.

Kyrgyzstan
A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and
proud nomadic traditions, most of Kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to
Russia in 1876. The Kyrgyz staged a major revolt against the Tsarist
Empire in 1916 in which almost one-sixth of the Kyrgyz population
was killed. Kyrgyzstan became a Soviet republic in 1936 and achieved
independence in 1991 when the USSR dissolved. Nationwide
demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of
President Askar AKAYEV, who had run the country since 1990.
Subsequent presidential elections in July 2005 were won
overwhelmingly by former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIEV. The
political opposition organized demonstrations in Bishkek in April,
May, and November 2006 resulting in the adoption of a new
constitution that transferred some of the president's powers to
parliament and the government. In December 2006, the Kyrgyz
parliament voted to adopt new amendments, restoring some of the
presidential powers lost in the November 2006 constitutional change.
By late-September 2007, both previous versions of the constitution
were declared illegal, and the country reverted to the AKAYEV-era
2003 constitution, which was subsequently modified in a flawed
referendum initiated by BAKIEV. The president then dissolved
parliament, called for early elections, and gained control of the
new parliament through his newly-created political party, Ak Jol, in
December 2007 elections. Current concerns include: privatization of
state-owned enterprises, negative trends in democracy and political
freedoms, reduction of corruption, improving interethnic relations,
and combating terrorism.

Laos
Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom o