the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial
rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and
African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a
result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US
citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since
1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal
self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters
chose to retain commonwealth status.

Qatar
Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar
transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for
pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural
gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari
economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum
revenues by the amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son,
the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, overthrew him in a
bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding
border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural
gas revenues enable Qatar to have one of the highest per capita
incomes in the world.

Reunion
The Portuguese discovered the uninhabited island in 1513.
From the 17th to the 19th centuries, French immigration,
supplemented by influxes of Africans, Chinese, Malays, and Malabar
Indians, gave the island its ethnic mix. The opening of the Suez
Canal in 1869 cost the island its importance as a stopover on the
East Indies trade route.

Romania
The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries
under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their
autonomy in 1856; they united in 1859 and a few years later adopted
the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its
independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and
acquired new territories following the conflict. In 1940, it allied
with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of
the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed
an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of
a Communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the
king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took
power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly
oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU wa