The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula and the world's leading petroleum producer and exporter. Most of the country has a desert climate, averaging less than an inch of precipitation a year, and temperatures often reach well above 100[degrees]F. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has been thrust into the limelight by allowing Western and Arab forces to use the country to deploy their forces during the First Gulf War in 1991 and, more recently, as a place where Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda has begun to use as a base for its operations. "Saudi Arabia" is an...

Rwanda. The very name evokes troubling images of unparalleled violence, senseless human atrocities, and genocide. The country is best known as the scene for one of the world's worst ethnic-based conflict. Approximately 1 million people were killed in 100 days in 1994, and millions more fled the country, while the world looked on passively, watching the daily carnage of human butchery on television. Rwanda is a tiny, landlocked country about the size of Maryland, but has many names. Due to its mostly hilly terrain, it has been called the "Land of a Thousand Hills."Early European travelers...

A difficult environment with a harsh Arctic climate has made life for the Finns extremely challenging. But they have overcome more than just their environment. Religious divisions that developed between the Catholic and Orthodox churches also divided the country during the Great Schism. Later, the country was a battleground for fighting between the historical powers of Sweden and Russia. Today, Finland is a communications titan, and the country is no longer situated on the fringes of human activity. The use of technology has helped the Finns move to a point of virtual centrality in the...

For a better part of its history, Poland's destiny has often been strongly influenced, if not determined, by actions of its neighbors. From the west, Germans often advanced eastward; from the east, Russians, and later Soviets, expanded toward the west. In both cases, Poland was in their path. Yet, despite attempts by others to integrate or divide Poland, its people managed to overcome countless obstacles, preserve their ethnic identity and unity, and remain independent. In that process, Poland has appeared as a country in transition, a country on a journey without an entirely clear final...

Is the world suffering from a terrible population explosion, or is life getting better for most people, despite a growing population? Examining the issues of feeding such a population, sustaining natural resources, having enough living space, and other necessities for a comfortable life on Earth, this book covers these questions and issues.

As the world's population approaches seven billion people, some fear that Earth's citizens face a catastrophic food crisis in the near future. This title explores the problem of world hunger, how experts propose to cure this problem, and what booming population growth means for the future of food.