eligion, nationality, membership
in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or
unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country,
or to return there, for fear of persecution." The UN established the
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 to
handle refugee matters worldwide. The UN Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has a different,
operational definition for a Palestinian refugee: "a person whose
normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946
to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a
result of the 1948 conflict." However, UNHCR also assists some 400,000
Palestinian refugees not covered under the UNRWA definition. The term
"internally displaced person" is not specifically covered in the UN
Convention; it is used to describe people who have fled their homes for
reasons similar to refugees, but who remain within their own national
territory and are subject to the laws of that state.

Religions: This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents
starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of
total population.

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: This entry gives the dollar
value for the stock of all financial assets that are available to the
central monetary authority for use in meeting a country's balance of
payments needs as of the end-date of the period specified. This
category includes not only foreign currency and gold, but also a
country's holdings of Special Drawing Rights in the International
Monetary Fund, and its reserve position in the Fund.

Roadways: This entry gives the total length of the road network and
includes the length of the paved and unpaved portions.

Sex ratio: This entry includes the number of males for each female in
five age groups - at birth, under 15 years, 15-64 years, 65 years and
over, and for the total population. Sex ratio at birth has recently
emerged as an indicator of certain kinds of sex discrimination in some
countries. For instance, high sex ratios at birth in some Asian
countries are now attributed to sex-selective abortion and infanticide
due to a strong preference for sons. This will affect future marriage
patterns and fertility patterns. Eventually, it could cause unrest
among young adult males who are unable to find partners.

Suffrage: This entry gives the age at enfranchisement and whe