lands of
the Comoros group in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago
that voted in 1974 to retain its link with France and forego
independence.

Mexico
The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came
under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence
early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994
threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession
in over half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive
recovery. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real
wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population,
inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities
for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern
states. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time since the
1910 Mexican Revolution that the opposition defeated the party in
government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Vicente FOX
of the National Action Party (PAN) was sworn in on 1 December 2000
as the first chief executive elected in free and fair elections.

Micronesia, Federated States of
In 1979 the Federated States of
Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory under US administration, adopted a
constitution. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of
Free Association with the US, which was amended and renewed in 2004.
Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and
overdependence on US aid.

Midway Islands
The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867.
The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the
islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947,
Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The
US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of
the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve
as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a
national wildlife refuge. From 1996 to 2001 the refuge was open to
the public; it is now temporarily closed.

Moldova
Formerly part of Romania, Moldova was incorporated into the
Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from
the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan
territory east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority
population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a
"Transnistria" re