Maldives Presidential Elections, 7 September, 9 November and 16 November 2013


Book Description

The report of the Commonwealth Observer Group for Maldives’s presidential election held on 7 September, the re-run election held on 9 November, and the run-off election held on 16 November 2013. The Group was chaired by Dr Lawrence Gonzi, former Prime Minister of Malta, and was comprised of 17 members in total. The Commonwealth Observer Group found that the elections were credible and duly reflected the democratic will of the Maldivian electorate. The Group provided a number of recommendations for how the process might be further strengthened.




Governance and Political Adaptation in Fragile States


Book Description

The book examines the various ways that fragile states (or states with limited statehood) in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas have adopted, and adapted to, the processes of liberal political governance in their quests to address the problem of political fragility. It presents the stories of resilience in the political adaptation to Western liberal conceptions of governance. In addition to singular or comparative country case studies, this project also examines the interplay of culture, identities, and politics in the creation of people-centric governance reforms. Towards these ends, this volume sheds light on weak states’ often constructive engagement in the promotion of state governance with a variety of political conditions, adverse or otherwise; and their ability to remain resilient despite the complex political, sociocultural, and economic challenges affecting them. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the authors aim to counter the noticeable shortcomings in the discursive representations of fragility, and to contribute a more balanced examination of the narratives about and impact of political adaption and governance in people’s lives and experiences.




The World Factbook 2014- 15


Book Description

In general, information available as of September 1, 2014 was used in the preparation of this edition. Provides brief information on the geography, people, government, economy, communications, and defense of countries and regions around the world. Contains information on international organizations. Designed to meet the specific requirements of United States Government Officials in style, format, coverage, and content. Includes 4 unattached maps, dated June 2012 and October 2012. The October 2012 map is of the world oceans.







The CIA World Factbook 2016


Book Description

From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, The CIA World Factbook 2016 offers complete and up-to-date information on the world’s nations. This comprehensive guide is packed with detailed information on the politics, populations, military expenditures, and economics of 2015. For each country, The CIA World Factbook 2016 includes: • Detailed maps with new geopolitical data • Statistics on the population of each country, with details on literacy rates, HIV prevalence, and age structure • New data on military expenditures and capabilities • Information on each country’s climate and natural hazards • Details on prominent political parties, and contact information for diplomatic consultation • Facts on transportation and communication infrastructure • And much more! Also included are appendixes with useful abbreviations, international environmental agreements, international organizations and groups, weight and measure conversions, and more. Originally intended for use by government officials, this is a must-have resource for students, travelers, journalists, and business people with a desire to know more about their world.




Constitutional Resilience in South Asia


Book Description

South Asia has had a tumultuous and varied experience with constitutional democracy that predates the recent rise in populism (and its study) in established democracies. And yet, this region has remained largely ignored by constitutional studies and democracy scholars. This book addresses this gap and presents a contribution to the South Asia-centric literature on the topic of the stability and resilience of constitutional democracies. Chapters deal not only with relatively well known South Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, but also with countries often ignored by scholars, such as Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Afghanistan. The contributions consider the design and functioning of an array of institutions and actors, including political parties, legislatures, the political executive, the bureaucracy, courts, fourth branch / guarantor institutions (such as electoral commissions), the people, and the military to examine their roles in strengthening or undermining constitutional democracy across South Asia. Each chapter offers a contextual and jurisdictionally-tethered account of the causes behind the erosion of constitutional democracy, and some examine the resilience of constitutional institutions against democratic erosion.




The World Factbook


Book Description




The CIA World Factbook 2018-2019


Book Description

The ultimate, comprehensive guide to country-by-country statistics around the world. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, The CIA World Factbook 2018-2019 offers complete and up-to-date information on the world's nations. This comprehensive guide is packed with data on the politics, populations, military expenditures, and economics of 2018. For each country, The CIA World Factbook 2018-2019 includes: Detailed maps with new geopolitical data Statistics on the population of each country, with details on literacy rates, HIV prevalence, and age structure New data on military expenditures and capabilities Information on each country's climate and natural hazards Details on prominent political parties and contact information for diplomatic consultation Facts on transportation and communication infrastructure Also included are appendixes with useful abbreviations, international environmental agreements, international organizations and groups, weight and measure conversions, and more. Originally intended for use by government officials, this is a must-have resource for students, travelers, journalists, and business people with a desire to know more about their world.




Commonwealth Yearbook


Book Description

The Commonwealth Yearbook is the flagship annual publication of the Commonwealth Secretariat, with this special anniversary edition celebrating the Secretariat's 50th year. Published annually, the Yearbook is the essential reference guide to the countries, organisations, activities and values of the modern Commonwealth. This special 2015 anniversary edition has been fully updated to include: * Strategic directions of the association as it prepares for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and Commonwealth People's Forum 2015 in Malta * Programmes and partnerships adding global value in the areas of politics (democracy and rights, rule of law, gender equality, youth empowerment); governance and natural resources; health and education; economics and trade; and resilience in small and vulnerable states * Moments of Commonwealth history recorded by historians and Secretariat insiders of the time * A guide to the essential Commonwealth communiques and declarations including those from the 2013 Heads of Government meeting in Sri Lanka and Commonwealth Charter * Comprehensive profiles of 53 member countries, including overseas territories * An extensive statistics and reference section, and the official directory of Commonwealth professional, cultural and civil society development agencies.




Unprecedented


Book Description

This book combines (1) the most extensive treatment of the causes and phenomena of climate change in combination with (2) an extensive treatment of social obstacles and challenges (fossil-fuel funded denialism, media failure,political failure, and moral, religious, and economic challenges), (3) the most extensive treatment of the needed transition from fossil-fuel energy to clean energy, and (4) the most extensive treatment of mobilization. It provides the most complete, most up-to-date treatment of the various kinds of clean energy, and how they could combine to provide 70% clean energy by 2035 and 100% before 2050 (both U.S. and worldwide).