Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Estonia

2018-05-25T18:49:07Z

Qaz: /* Modern Period: 1990s - Today */ subcat

{{Country
|name =''Eesti Vabariik''
|map =Estonia rel99.jpg
|map2 =Estonia location.png
|flag =Flag of Estonia.png
|arms =Arms of Estonia.png
|capital =Tallinn
|capital-raw =
|government =Parliamentary Republic
|government-raw =
|language =Estonian
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =Toomas Hendrik Ilves
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =Taavi Rõivas
|pm-raw =
|area =17,413 sq mi
|pop =1,258,545
|pop-basis =2016
|gdp =$21.3 billion
|gdp-year =2007
|gdp-pc =$15,868
|currency =[[Euro]]
|idd =
|tld =.ee
}}
The Republic of '''Estonia''' (''Eesti Vabariik'') is the northernmost of the [[Baltic States]] in northern [[Europe]] (the others being [[Lithuania]] and [[Latvia]]), located on the [[Baltic Sea]] and the Gulf of [[Finland]]. The capital city is [[Tallinn]].

==Geography==
Between 57.3 and 59.5 degrees latitude and 21.5 and 28.1 degrees longitude, Estonia lies on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea on the level, northwestern part of the rising East European platform. Average elevation reaches only 50 meters (160 ft.).

The climate resembles New England's. Oil shale and limestone deposits, along with forests that cover 47% of the land, play key economic roles in this generally resource-poor country. Estonia boasts more than 1,500 lakes, numerous bogs, and 3,794 kilometers of coastline marked by numerous bays, straits, and inlets. Tallinn's Muuga port offers one of Europe's finest warm water harbor facilities.

Estonia's strategic location has precipitated many wars fought on its territory between other rival powers at its expense. In 1944, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) granted Russia the trans-Narva and Petseri regions on Estonia's eastern frontier. Russia and Estonia signed a border treaty in 2005 recognizing the current border. Estonia ratified the treaty in June 2005, but Russia subsequently revoked its signature to the treaty, due to a reference the Estonian Parliament inserted regarding the Peace Treaty of Tartu.
*Area: 45,226 km2. (17,462 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined.
*Cities: Capital—Tallinn (2008 pop. 397,617), situated in the north of the country, on the Gulf of Finland. Other cities—university town of Tartu (102,414); the primarily Russian-speaking industrial towns of Narva (66,435) and Kohtla-Järve (45,093) in the north-east of Estonia; Pärnu on the western coast (44,016); and Viljandi in the rural south (20,117). The last population census was held in 2000.
*Terrain: Mostly flat, with some undulating terrain in the east and southeast, average elevation 50 m. Steep limestone banks and 1,520 islands mark the coastline. Land use—12.05% arable land, 47.4% forest and woodland, 22% swamps and bogs, 18.55% other. Coastal waters are somewhat polluted.
*Climate: Temperate, with four seasons. Annual precipitation averages 50–75 cm.

==People==
Estonians belong to the Balto-Finnic group of the Finno-Ugric peoples, as do the Finns and the Hungarians, though nearly half of the population is of various Russian origins, from the Soviet era. Archaeological research confirms the existence of human activity in the region as early as 8,000 BC, but by 3,500 BC the principal ancestors of the Estonians had arrived from the east.
[[File:Kuressaare Castle Estonia 2010.jpg|thumb|250px|Kuressaare Castle, 2010.]]
Estonians have strong ties to the Nordic countries today stemming from deep cultural and religious influences gained over centuries during Scandinavian colonization and settlement. This highly literate society places great emphasis upon education, which is free and compulsory until age 16. About 20% of the population belongs to the following churches registered in Estonia: Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church, Estonian Orthodox Church subordinated to the Moscow Patriarchate, Baptist Church, Roman Catholic Church, and others.

As of November 2006, 84.6% of Estonia's population held Estonian citizenship, 7.6% were citizens of other countries (primarily Russia), and 8.8% were of undetermined citizenship.

Written with the Latin alphabet, Estonian is the language of the Estonian people and the official language of the country. Estonian is very difficult to learn for English-speakers: it has fourteen cases, which can be a challenge even for skilled linguists. During the Soviet era, the Russian language was imposed for official use.
*Population (2008): 1,340,000.
*Annual growth rate: -0.65%. Birth rate—10.04/1,000. Death rate—13.25/1,000. Net migration—3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006). Density—31/km2. Urban dwellers—70%.
*Ethnic groups: Estonians 68%, Russians 26%, Ukrainians 2%, Belarusians 1%, Finns 1%, other 2.2%.
*Religions: [[Nones|No religion]] 60%, Christian 32% (including Orthodox 13%, Lutheran 8%).<ref>[http://estonianworld.com/life/religion-in-estonia/ Estonian World, 2011 census]</ref>
*Languages (2000 census): Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7%.
*Education: Years compulsory—9. Attendance—218,600 students at 550 schools, plus 50,800 university students. Literacy—99.8%.
*Health: Infant mortality rate—7.73 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy—66.3 yrs. men, 77.8 yrs. women.
*Work force: 659,600.

==Government==
Estonia is a parliamentary democracy, with a 101-member parliament (the Riigikogu) and a president who is elected indirectly by parliament or, if no candidate wins a two-thirds majority in parliament, by an electoral college composed of members of parliament and of local government representatives. Estonia holds presidential elections every five years. The last presidential election was in 2006. The President serves a maximum of two terms. The President is also the Supreme Commander of the National Defense of Estonia.

Parliamentary elections take place every four years; members are elected by proportional representation. The most recent elections took place on March 4, 2007. A party must gather at least 5% of the votes to take a seat in Parliament. Citizens 18 years of age or older may vote in parliamentary elections and be members of political parties. In addition, resident non-citizens and those who have lived permanently in the area for at least 5 years preceding the election may vote in local elections, although they may not run for office.

After parliamentary elections, the President traditionally asks the party with the most votes to form a new government. The President chooses the Prime Minister—usually the leader of the largest party or coalition in the Parliament—with the consent of the parliament to supervise the work of the government. The Estonian government has a total of 14 ministers.

At the local level, Estonians elect government councils by proportional representation. The individual councils vary in size, but election laws stipulate minimum size requirements depending on the population of the municipality.

Estonia's Supreme Court, the Riigikohus, has 19 justices, all of whom receive lifetime tenure appointments. The parliament appoints the Chief Justice on nomination by the President.

Estonians may vote via the Internet in local and parliamentary elections.

===Political Conditions===
Currently, half a dozen parties represent Estonia's 1.3 million citizens. The Reform Party, the Isamaa and Res Public Union, and the Social Democrats form the current government with 31, 19, and 10 seats in parliament, respectively. Other major parties include the Centre Party, the Estonian Greens, and the People’s Union.

Reform Party Chairman Andrus Ansip is the current Prime Minister of the coalition government.

Toomas Hendrik llves (Social Democrat Party), a former Ambassador to the United States, two-time Minister of Foreign Affairs, Estonian parliamentarian, and a former member of the European Parliament, is the President of Estonia. President Ilves narrowly defeated incumbent Arnold Rüütel in an electoral-college vote in September 2006, and he took office on October 9, 2006.

===Principal Government Officials===
*President—Toomas Hendrik Ilves
*Prime Minister—Taavi Rõivas
*Foreign Affairs—Urmas Paet (Reform)
*Internal Affairs—Juri Pihl (Social Democrats)
*Social Affairs—Maret Maripuu (Reform)

===Foreign Relations===
Estonia is party to most major international organizations. It is a UN, EU, and NATO member and a strong ally and partner of the United States on all fronts. It is deeply committed to good transatlantic relations and to promoting democracy and free-market economic policy globally.

In the E.U., Estonia's priorities include supporting continued EU enlargement; raising EU competitiveness through innovation; joining the Eurozone; developing a unified European energy policy; enhancing and fostering the European Neighborhood Policy; and improving the EU relationship with Russia.

Estonia has active development assistance programs in many of the former Soviet countries (with a focus on Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova), as well as in Afghanistan.

==Defense==
Estonia's regular armed forces—the Estonian Defense Forces—in peacetime number about 3,800 (Army 3,300, Navy 300, Air Force 200) persons, of whom about 1,500 are conscripts. The President of Estonia is the Commander in Chief of the Estonian Defense Forces. The National Defense Council, composed of the Chairman of the Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Chief of the Defense Forces, the Defense Minister, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Chairman of the Parliamentary National Defense Committee, advise the President on national defense matters.

Estonia officially became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on March 29, 2004 after depositing its instruments of treaty ratification in Washington, DC. The United States and Estonia cooperate intensively in the defense and security field.

Estonian defense spending has increased 13% annually since 2001. The Government of Estonia has expressed a firm commitment to meet the NATO goal of spending 2% of GDP by 2010; its current defense budget is 1.8% of GDP. In 2006, Estonia had deployed approximately 300 military personnel to support UN, NATO, and coalition military operations around the world and will increase its commitment in 2007. That number represents almost 10% of Estonia's military, a good indication of Estonia's willingness and ability to contribute to global security. Estonia currently has troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and Bosnia.

==Economy==
Estonia is considered one of the most liberal economies in the world, ranking 7th in the Heritage Foundation's 2006 Economic Freedom Index (above the United States and just below the U.K.). Hallmarks of Estonia's free, market-based economy include a balanced budget, a flat-rate income tax system (the first in the world), a fully convertible currency pegged to the Euro, a competitive commercial banking sector, and a hospitable environment for foreign investment, including no tax on reinvested corporate profits (tax is not levied unless a distribution is made).

Estonia's liberal economic policies and macroeconomic stability have fostered exceptionally strong growth and better living standards than those of most new EU member states. The IMF projected real GDP growth at over 9% in 2006, slightly below its 2005 level. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors; the country is so wired that it is nicknamed E-stonia. Bars and cafes are universally equipped with wireless connections. Skype, designed by Estonian developers, offers free calls over the Internet to millions of people worldwide. Tourism has also driven Estonia's economic growth, with beautifully restored Tallinn already a Baltic tourist landmark.
*GDP (2007): $21.3 billion.
*Real GDP growth rate (2006 est.): 9.8%.
*Per capita GDP (2007): $15,868.
*Inflation (2007): 6.6%.
*Unemployment (2006): 4.5%.
*Natural resources: Oil shale, phosphorus, limestone, blue clay.
*Agriculture (3% of 2006 GDP): Products—livestock production (milk, meat, eggs) and crop production (cereals and legumes, potatoes, forage crops). Arable land—433,100 hectares.
*Industry (26% of 2006 GDP): Types—engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, and textiles.
*Services (70% of 2006 GDP): Transit, information technology (IT), telecommunications, business services, retail, construction, real estate.
*Trade: Exports (2005)--$7.85 billion. Partners—Finland 26.5%, Sweden 12.9%, Latvia 8.8%, Russia 6.5%, Germany 6.2%, Lithuania 4.8%. Imports (2005)--$10.34 billion. Partners—Finland 19.8%, Germany 13.8%, Russia 9.4%, Sweden 8.8%, Lithuania 6.1%, Latvia 4.7%.
*Exchange rate (2006): 12.2 kroon (EEK)=U.S.$1.
*Foreign direct investment (June 2006): Sweden 53.3%, Finland 20.3%, Netherlands 2.6%, U.K. 2.5%, Norway 2.5%, U.S. 2.4%, Germany 1.6%, Denmark 1.5%, Russia 1.3%.

By the late 1990s, Estonia's trade regime was so liberal that adoption of EU and World Trade Organization (WTO) norms actually forced Estonia to impose tariffs in certain sectors, such as agriculture, which had previously been tariff-free. Openness to trade, rapid growth in investment, and an appreciating real exchange rate have resulted in large trade deficits in recent years. In the first six months of 2006, exports and imports both grew rapidly, with growth reaching 30.8% and 31% year-on-year, respectively.

Estonia supplies more than 90% of its electricity needs with locally mined oil shale; however, it imports all of its natural gas and petroleum (roughly 30% of total energy consumption) from Russia. Alternative energy sources such as wood, peat, and biomass make up about 9% of primary energy production. An undersea electricity cable inaugurated in December 2006 will allow Estonia to export electricity to Finland.

Notwithstanding these many achievements, the economy of Estonia still faces challenges. The income differential between Tallinn and the rest of the country has widened in recent years as the cost of living differential has narrowed. The formerly industrial northeast section of Estonia suffered from economic depression as a result of plant closings in the early 1990s, although even this region has experienced strong growth in the last two years. The labor force is shrinking due to low birth rates and emigration. This tight labor market and the government's restrictive labor and immigration policies have led to wage pressure and challenges to future competitiveness. Inflation above 3% has forced the government to push back adoption of the Euro from its original target of 2007.

The Estonian Finance Ministry predicts that the economy will grow by 8.7% in 2007. This compares with an estimated EU-wide GDP growth rate of 2.1% in 2006 and 2.4% in 2007. The unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2006 was 5.4%, below the EU-wide average of 8.5%.

====Foreign Trade====
Estonia is part of the European Union, and its trade policy is conducted in Brussels.

Estonia's business attitude toward the United States is positive, and business relations between the two countries are increasing. The primary competition for American companies in the Estonian marketplace is European suppliers, especially Finnish and Swedish companies.

Total U.S. exports to Estonia in 2005 were $138.4 million, forming 1.4% of total Estonian imports. In 2005 the principal imports from the United States were electronics, iron and steel, and machinery. Estonian exports to the United States grew 27% in 2005 to $240 million, making the U.S. Estonia's eighth-largest export market. U.S. imports from Estonia are primarily mineral fuels and oils, wood and wood products, and electronics.

Estonia's economy benefits from its location at the crossroads of East and West. Estonia lies just south of Finland and across the Baltic Sea from Sweden, both EU members. To the east are the huge potential markets of northwest Russia. Estonia's modern transportation and communication links provide a safe and reliable bridge for trade with former Soviet Union and Nordic countries. Many observers also see a potential role for Estonia as a future link in the supply chain from the Far East into the EU.

==History==
====Ancient====
Estonians are one of the longest-settled European peoples and have lived along the Baltic Sea for over 5,000 years. The Estonians were an independent nation until the 13th century A.D. The country was then subsequently conquered by Denmark, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and finally Russia, whose defeat of Sweden in 1721 resulted in the Uusikaupunki Peace Treaty, granting Russia rule over what became modern Estonia.

====First Period of Independence====
Independence remained out of reach for Estonia until the collapse of the Russian empire during [[World War I]]. Estonia declared itself an independent democratic republic in November 1918. In 1920, by the Peace Treaty of Tartu, Soviet Russia recognized Estonia's independence and renounced in perpetuity all rights to its territory.

The first constitution of the Republic of Estonia was adopted in 1920 and established a parliamentary form of government. Estonia's independence would last for 22 years, during which time Estonia guaranteed cultural autonomy to all minorities, including its small Jewish population, an act that was unique in Western Europe at the time.

====Soviet Period====
Leading up to [[World War II]], Estonia pursued a policy of neutrality. However, the Soviet Union forcibly incorporated Estonia as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939, in which Nazi Germany gave control of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to the Soviet Union in return for control of much of Poland. In August 1940, the U.S.S.R proclaimed Estonia a part of the Soviet Union as the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (E.S.S.R.). The United States never recognized Soviet sovereignty over Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania.

During the course of WWII, Germany occupied Estonia for three years. In 1944, Stalin retook the country and resumed the mass deportations of ethnic Estonians to Siberia that had been initiated in 1941. Together with migration into Estonia from other parts of the Soviet Union, this resulted in the share of ethnic Estonians in the country decreasing from 88% in 1934 to 62% in 1989.

====Re-establishing Independence====
In the late 1980s, looser controls on freedom of expression under Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev reignited the Estonians' call for self-determination. By 1988, hundreds of thousands of people were gathering across Estonia to sing previously banned national songs in what became known as the "Singing Revolution."

In November 1988, Estonia's Supreme Soviet passed a declaration of sovereignty; in 1990, the name of the Republic of Estonia was restored, and during the August 1991 coup in the U.S.S.R, Estonia declared full independence. The U.S.S.R Supreme Soviet recognized independent Estonia on September 6, 1991. Unlike the experiences of Latvia and Lithuania, Estonia's revolution ended without blood spilled.

Estonia became a member of the United Nations on September 17, 1991 and is a signatory to a number of UN organizations and other international agreements, including IAEA, ICAO, UNCTAD, WHO, WIPO, UNESCO, ILO, IMF, and WB/EBRD. It is also a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

After more than 3 years of negotiations, on August 31, 1994, the armed forces of the Russian Federation withdrew from Estonia.

====Modern Period: 1990s - Today====
In 1992, a constitutional assembly introduced amendments to the 1938 constitution. After the draft constitution was approved by popular referendum, it came into effect July 3, 1992. Presidential elections were held on September 20, 1992, with Lennart Meri as victor. Lennart Meri served two terms as president, implementing many reforms during his tenure. Meri was constitutionally barred from a third term. Arnold Rüütel became president in 2001; Toomas Hendrick Ilves in 2006. Since fully regaining independence, Estonia has had 13 governments with 7 different prime ministers elected: Mart Laar, Andres Tarand, Tiit Vähi, Mart Siimann, Siim Kallas, Juhan Parts, and Andrus Ansip.

Estonia began to adopt free-market policies even before it declared independence in mid-1991 and has continued to pursue reform aggressively ever since. For example, the government set privatization as an early priority and has now completed the process of putting most major industries in private hands. After independence the Government of Estonia took steps to simplify the tax system. Tax evasion is now relatively low by regional standards. Income tax is levied at a flat rate, a principle supported by all the major parties except the Center Party, for which a progressive tax system remains a keystone policy. Budget performance is exceptionally strong; the IMF projected a surplus of 3.4% of GDP in 2006.

An integral part of Estonia's transition to a market economy during the early 1990s involved reorienting foreign trade to the West and attracting foreign investment to upgrade the country's industry and commerce. In 1990, only 5% of Estonia's foreign trade was with the developed West; only 21% of this trade represented exports. About 87% of Estonia's trade was with the Soviet Union, and of that, 61% was with Russia. Estonia's main foreign trading partners today are Sweden, Finland, Germany and others in the West. Russia's share of Estonia's trade is less than 10%.

The introduction of the Estonian kroon in June 1992, with only U.S.$120 million in gold reserves and no internationally backed stabilization fund, proved decisive in stabilizing foreign trade. For stability, the kroon was pegged by special agreement to the deutsche mark (DM) at EKR8 = DM1 and later to the Euro. The new Estonian currency became the foundation for rational development of the economy. Money began to have clear value; the currency supply could be controlled from Tallinn, not Moscow; and long-term investment decisions could be made with greater confidence by both the state and private enterprise. The central bank is independent of the government but subordinate to the parliament. In addition to its president, the bank is managed by a board of directors, whose chair is also appointed by parliament.

The fall of the Soviet Union and the rapid contraction of Estonia's market to the East during the early 1990s caused Estonia's economy to shrink 36% from 1990 to 1994. But economic reforms in Estonia and the ability of its economy to reorient toward the West allowed Estonia's economy to pick up in 1995 with 4.6% growth and 4.0% growth in 1996. Russia's financial crisis in 1999 led to the only year of decline in Estonia's GDP since 1994—but the 0.7% decline was relatively small.

The 1994-2004 period was mainly dominated by the Estonian EU and NATO accession processes. Estonia was the first Baltic country to start direct accession talks with the EU. Estonia applied to join the EU in November 1995 and, while participating in accession negotiations, continued its program of major economic and social reforms. This gave Estonia a good opportunity to take into account EU objectives and to exploit the experience of existing EU member states when carrying out reforms. Examples of reform in the social area included the launch of unemployment insurance in 2002 and the 1999 implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which regulates safety and health requirements in the work place as well as the organizational aspects of the occupational health system.

In 1999, Estonia joined the World Trade Organization, adding to its previous membership of the IMF, World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

In November 2002, Estonia was one of seven Central and East European countries to be invited to join NATO; it officially became a member of NATO on March 29, 2004. In just fifteen years since re-establishing independence, Estonia has proven itself to be an excellent Ally, having built a military capable of participating in ever more complex and distant military operations.

EU accession negotiations proceeded rapidly, and Estonia joined the EU in May 2004, along with nine other countries, including its Baltic neighbors. The final decision was conditional on the outcome of a national referendum which was held in September 2003 and returned a large majority in favor of membership.

Estonia has developed into a strong international actor, through its membership in the EU and NATO; it is a capable advocate and promoter of stability and democracy in the former Soviet Union and beyond. Estonian troops have been in Afghanistan since 2002 and Iraq since 2003. It participates in the NATO training mission in Iraq and in the international police training mission for Iraq in Jordan. Estonia also provides peacekeepers for international missions in both Bosnia and Kosovo and contributes to EU battlegroups and NATO Response Force rotations. It supports democratic developments in key countries of the former Soviet Union and beyond by providing training to government and law enforcement officials as well as non-governmental organizations. It has valuable experience to offer new democracies from its own recent history, and it works hard to promote democracy, freedom, and stability worldwide.

On January 1, 2011 the Estonian kroon was replaced with the [[euro]].

{{Copyright Details (US Government)}}

Source = [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5377.htm]

{{European Union}}

[[Category:Baltic States]]
[[Category:Estonia]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:Former Soviet Countries]]

Category:Estonia

2018-05-25T18:47:38Z

Qaz: EU Members is a subcategory of European Countries

[[Category:Baltic States]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:Former Soviet Countries]]

Category:Estonia

2018-05-25T18:38:33Z

Qaz: a third Christian - one of the most secular countries in the world

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:EU Members]]

Estonia

2018-05-25T18:37:05Z

Qaz: /* Modern Period: 1990s - Today */ certainly not - only about a third of inhabitants are Christians

{{Country
|name =''Eesti Vabariik''
|map =Estonia rel99.jpg
|map2 =Estonia location.png
|flag =Flag of Estonia.png
|arms =Arms of Estonia.png
|capital =Tallinn
|capital-raw =
|government =Parliamentary Republic
|government-raw =
|language =Estonian
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =Toomas Hendrik Ilves
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =Taavi Rõivas
|pm-raw =
|area =17,413 sq mi
|pop =1,258,545
|pop-basis =2016
|gdp =$21.3 billion
|gdp-year =2007
|gdp-pc =$15,868
|currency =[[Euro]]
|idd =
|tld =.ee
}}
The Republic of '''Estonia''' (''Eesti Vabariik'') is the northernmost of the [[Baltic States]] in northern [[Europe]] (the others being [[Lithuania]] and [[Latvia]]), located on the [[Baltic Sea]] and the Gulf of [[Finland]]. The capital city is [[Tallinn]].

==Geography==
Between 57.3 and 59.5 degrees latitude and 21.5 and 28.1 degrees longitude, Estonia lies on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea on the level, northwestern part of the rising East European platform. Average elevation reaches only 50 meters (160 ft.).

The climate resembles New England's. Oil shale and limestone deposits, along with forests that cover 47% of the land, play key economic roles in this generally resource-poor country. Estonia boasts more than 1,500 lakes, numerous bogs, and 3,794 kilometers of coastline marked by numerous bays, straits, and inlets. Tallinn's Muuga port offers one of Europe's finest warm water harbor facilities.

Estonia's strategic location has precipitated many wars fought on its territory between other rival powers at its expense. In 1944, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) granted Russia the trans-Narva and Petseri regions on Estonia's eastern frontier. Russia and Estonia signed a border treaty in 2005 recognizing the current border. Estonia ratified the treaty in June 2005, but Russia subsequently revoked its signature to the treaty, due to a reference the Estonian Parliament inserted regarding the Peace Treaty of Tartu.
*Area: 45,226 km2. (17,462 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined.
*Cities: Capital—Tallinn (2008 pop. 397,617), situated in the north of the country, on the Gulf of Finland. Other cities—university town of Tartu (102,414); the primarily Russian-speaking industrial towns of Narva (66,435) and Kohtla-Järve (45,093) in the north-east of Estonia; Pärnu on the western coast (44,016); and Viljandi in the rural south (20,117). The last population census was held in 2000.
*Terrain: Mostly flat, with some undulating terrain in the east and southeast, average elevation 50 m. Steep limestone banks and 1,520 islands mark the coastline. Land use—12.05% arable land, 47.4% forest and woodland, 22% swamps and bogs, 18.55% other. Coastal waters are somewhat polluted.
*Climate: Temperate, with four seasons. Annual precipitation averages 50–75 cm.

==People==
Estonians belong to the Balto-Finnic group of the Finno-Ugric peoples, as do the Finns and the Hungarians, though nearly half of the population is of various Russian origins, from the Soviet era. Archaeological research confirms the existence of human activity in the region as early as 8,000 BC, but by 3,500 BC the principal ancestors of the Estonians had arrived from the east.
[[File:Kuressaare Castle Estonia 2010.jpg|thumb|250px|Kuressaare Castle, 2010.]]
Estonians have strong ties to the Nordic countries today stemming from deep cultural and religious influences gained over centuries during Scandinavian colonization and settlement. This highly literate society places great emphasis upon education, which is free and compulsory until age 16. About 20% of the population belongs to the following churches registered in Estonia: Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church, Estonian Orthodox Church subordinated to the Moscow Patriarchate, Baptist Church, Roman Catholic Church, and others.

As of November 2006, 84.6% of Estonia's population held Estonian citizenship, 7.6% were citizens of other countries (primarily Russia), and 8.8% were of undetermined citizenship.

Written with the Latin alphabet, Estonian is the language of the Estonian people and the official language of the country. Estonian is very difficult to learn for English-speakers: it has fourteen cases, which can be a challenge even for skilled linguists. During the Soviet era, the Russian language was imposed for official use.
*Population (2008): 1,340,000.
*Annual growth rate: -0.65%. Birth rate—10.04/1,000. Death rate—13.25/1,000. Net migration—3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006). Density—31/km2. Urban dwellers—70%.
*Ethnic groups: Estonians 68%, Russians 26%, Ukrainians 2%, Belarusians 1%, Finns 1%, other 2.2%.
*Religions: [[Nones|No religion]] 60%, Christian 32% (including Orthodox 13%, Lutheran 8%).<ref>[http://estonianworld.com/life/religion-in-estonia/ Estonian World, 2011 census]</ref>
*Languages (2000 census): Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7%.
*Education: Years compulsory—9. Attendance—218,600 students at 550 schools, plus 50,800 university students. Literacy—99.8%.
*Health: Infant mortality rate—7.73 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy—66.3 yrs. men, 77.8 yrs. women.
*Work force: 659,600.

==Government==
Estonia is a parliamentary democracy, with a 101-member parliament (the Riigikogu) and a president who is elected indirectly by parliament or, if no candidate wins a two-thirds majority in parliament, by an electoral college composed of members of parliament and of local government representatives. Estonia holds presidential elections every five years. The last presidential election was in 2006. The President serves a maximum of two terms. The President is also the Supreme Commander of the National Defense of Estonia.

Parliamentary elections take place every four years; members are elected by proportional representation. The most recent elections took place on March 4, 2007. A party must gather at least 5% of the votes to take a seat in Parliament. Citizens 18 years of age or older may vote in parliamentary elections and be members of political parties. In addition, resident non-citizens and those who have lived permanently in the area for at least 5 years preceding the election may vote in local elections, although they may not run for office.

After parliamentary elections, the President traditionally asks the party with the most votes to form a new government. The President chooses the Prime Minister—usually the leader of the largest party or coalition in the Parliament—with the consent of the parliament to supervise the work of the government. The Estonian government has a total of 14 ministers.

At the local level, Estonians elect government councils by proportional representation. The individual councils vary in size, but election laws stipulate minimum size requirements depending on the population of the municipality.

Estonia's Supreme Court, the Riigikohus, has 19 justices, all of whom receive lifetime tenure appointments. The parliament appoints the Chief Justice on nomination by the President.

Estonians may vote via the Internet in local and parliamentary elections.

===Political Conditions===
Currently, half a dozen parties represent Estonia's 1.3 million citizens. The Reform Party, the Isamaa and Res Public Union, and the Social Democrats form the current government with 31, 19, and 10 seats in parliament, respectively. Other major parties include the Centre Party, the Estonian Greens, and the People’s Union.

Reform Party Chairman Andrus Ansip is the current Prime Minister of the coalition government.

Toomas Hendrik llves (Social Democrat Party), a former Ambassador to the United States, two-time Minister of Foreign Affairs, Estonian parliamentarian, and a former member of the European Parliament, is the President of Estonia. President Ilves narrowly defeated incumbent Arnold Rüütel in an electoral-college vote in September 2006, and he took office on October 9, 2006.

===Principal Government Officials===
*President—Toomas Hendrik Ilves
*Prime Minister—Taavi Rõivas
*Foreign Affairs—Urmas Paet (Reform)
*Internal Affairs—Juri Pihl (Social Democrats)
*Social Affairs—Maret Maripuu (Reform)

===Foreign Relations===
Estonia is party to most major international organizations. It is a UN, EU, and NATO member and a strong ally and partner of the United States on all fronts. It is deeply committed to good transatlantic relations and to promoting democracy and free-market economic policy globally.

In the E.U., Estonia's priorities include supporting continued EU enlargement; raising EU competitiveness through innovation; joining the Eurozone; developing a unified European energy policy; enhancing and fostering the European Neighborhood Policy; and improving the EU relationship with Russia.

Estonia has active development assistance programs in many of the former Soviet countries (with a focus on Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova), as well as in Afghanistan.

==Defense==
Estonia's regular armed forces—the Estonian Defense Forces—in peacetime number about 3,800 (Army 3,300, Navy 300, Air Force 200) persons, of whom about 1,500 are conscripts. The President of Estonia is the Commander in Chief of the Estonian Defense Forces. The National Defense Council, composed of the Chairman of the Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Chief of the Defense Forces, the Defense Minister, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Chairman of the Parliamentary National Defense Committee, advise the President on national defense matters.

Estonia officially became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on March 29, 2004 after depositing its instruments of treaty ratification in Washington, DC. The United States and Estonia cooperate intensively in the defense and security field.

Estonian defense spending has increased 13% annually since 2001. The Government of Estonia has expressed a firm commitment to meet the NATO goal of spending 2% of GDP by 2010; its current defense budget is 1.8% of GDP. In 2006, Estonia had deployed approximately 300 military personnel to support UN, NATO, and coalition military operations around the world and will increase its commitment in 2007. That number represents almost 10% of Estonia's military, a good indication of Estonia's willingness and ability to contribute to global security. Estonia currently has troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and Bosnia.

==Economy==
Estonia is considered one of the most liberal economies in the world, ranking 7th in the Heritage Foundation's 2006 Economic Freedom Index (above the United States and just below the U.K.). Hallmarks of Estonia's free, market-based economy include a balanced budget, a flat-rate income tax system (the first in the world), a fully convertible currency pegged to the Euro, a competitive commercial banking sector, and a hospitable environment for foreign investment, including no tax on reinvested corporate profits (tax is not levied unless a distribution is made).

Estonia's liberal economic policies and macroeconomic stability have fostered exceptionally strong growth and better living standards than those of most new EU member states. The IMF projected real GDP growth at over 9% in 2006, slightly below its 2005 level. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors; the country is so wired that it is nicknamed E-stonia. Bars and cafes are universally equipped with wireless connections. Skype, designed by Estonian developers, offers free calls over the Internet to millions of people worldwide. Tourism has also driven Estonia's economic growth, with beautifully restored Tallinn already a Baltic tourist landmark.
*GDP (2007): $21.3 billion.
*Real GDP growth rate (2006 est.): 9.8%.
*Per capita GDP (2007): $15,868.
*Inflation (2007): 6.6%.
*Unemployment (2006): 4.5%.
*Natural resources: Oil shale, phosphorus, limestone, blue clay.
*Agriculture (3% of 2006 GDP): Products—livestock production (milk, meat, eggs) and crop production (cereals and legumes, potatoes, forage crops). Arable land—433,100 hectares.
*Industry (26% of 2006 GDP): Types—engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, and textiles.
*Services (70% of 2006 GDP): Transit, information technology (IT), telecommunications, business services, retail, construction, real estate.
*Trade: Exports (2005)--$7.85 billion. Partners—Finland 26.5%, Sweden 12.9%, Latvia 8.8%, Russia 6.5%, Germany 6.2%, Lithuania 4.8%. Imports (2005)--$10.34 billion. Partners—Finland 19.8%, Germany 13.8%, Russia 9.4%, Sweden 8.8%, Lithuania 6.1%, Latvia 4.7%.
*Exchange rate (2006): 12.2 kroon (EEK)=U.S.$1.
*Foreign direct investment (June 2006): Sweden 53.3%, Finland 20.3%, Netherlands 2.6%, U.K. 2.5%, Norway 2.5%, U.S. 2.4%, Germany 1.6%, Denmark 1.5%, Russia 1.3%.

By the late 1990s, Estonia's trade regime was so liberal that adoption of EU and World Trade Organization (WTO) norms actually forced Estonia to impose tariffs in certain sectors, such as agriculture, which had previously been tariff-free. Openness to trade, rapid growth in investment, and an appreciating real exchange rate have resulted in large trade deficits in recent years. In the first six months of 2006, exports and imports both grew rapidly, with growth reaching 30.8% and 31% year-on-year, respectively.

Estonia supplies more than 90% of its electricity needs with locally mined oil shale; however, it imports all of its natural gas and petroleum (roughly 30% of total energy consumption) from Russia. Alternative energy sources such as wood, peat, and biomass make up about 9% of primary energy production. An undersea electricity cable inaugurated in December 2006 will allow Estonia to export electricity to Finland.

Notwithstanding these many achievements, the economy of Estonia still faces challenges. The income differential between Tallinn and the rest of the country has widened in recent years as the cost of living differential has narrowed. The formerly industrial northeast section of Estonia suffered from economic depression as a result of plant closings in the early 1990s, although even this region has experienced strong growth in the last two years. The labor force is shrinking due to low birth rates and emigration. This tight labor market and the government's restrictive labor and immigration policies have led to wage pressure and challenges to future competitiveness. Inflation above 3% has forced the government to push back adoption of the Euro from its original target of 2007.

The Estonian Finance Ministry predicts that the economy will grow by 8.7% in 2007. This compares with an estimated EU-wide GDP growth rate of 2.1% in 2006 and 2.4% in 2007. The unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2006 was 5.4%, below the EU-wide average of 8.5%.

====Foreign Trade====
Estonia is part of the European Union, and its trade policy is conducted in Brussels.

Estonia's business attitude toward the United States is positive, and business relations between the two countries are increasing. The primary competition for American companies in the Estonian marketplace is European suppliers, especially Finnish and Swedish companies.

Total U.S. exports to Estonia in 2005 were $138.4 million, forming 1.4% of total Estonian imports. In 2005 the principal imports from the United States were electronics, iron and steel, and machinery. Estonian exports to the United States grew 27% in 2005 to $240 million, making the U.S. Estonia's eighth-largest export market. U.S. imports from Estonia are primarily mineral fuels and oils, wood and wood products, and electronics.

Estonia's economy benefits from its location at the crossroads of East and West. Estonia lies just south of Finland and across the Baltic Sea from Sweden, both EU members. To the east are the huge potential markets of northwest Russia. Estonia's modern transportation and communication links provide a safe and reliable bridge for trade with former Soviet Union and Nordic countries. Many observers also see a potential role for Estonia as a future link in the supply chain from the Far East into the EU.

==History==
====Ancient====
Estonians are one of the longest-settled European peoples and have lived along the Baltic Sea for over 5,000 years. The Estonians were an independent nation until the 13th century A.D. The country was then subsequently conquered by Denmark, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and finally Russia, whose defeat of Sweden in 1721 resulted in the Uusikaupunki Peace Treaty, granting Russia rule over what became modern Estonia.

====First Period of Independence====
Independence remained out of reach for Estonia until the collapse of the Russian empire during [[World War I]]. Estonia declared itself an independent democratic republic in November 1918. In 1920, by the Peace Treaty of Tartu, Soviet Russia recognized Estonia's independence and renounced in perpetuity all rights to its territory.

The first constitution of the Republic of Estonia was adopted in 1920 and established a parliamentary form of government. Estonia's independence would last for 22 years, during which time Estonia guaranteed cultural autonomy to all minorities, including its small Jewish population, an act that was unique in Western Europe at the time.

====Soviet Period====
Leading up to [[World War II]], Estonia pursued a policy of neutrality. However, the Soviet Union forcibly incorporated Estonia as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939, in which Nazi Germany gave control of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to the Soviet Union in return for control of much of Poland. In August 1940, the U.S.S.R proclaimed Estonia a part of the Soviet Union as the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (E.S.S.R.). The United States never recognized Soviet sovereignty over Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania.

During the course of WWII, Germany occupied Estonia for three years. In 1944, Stalin retook the country and resumed the mass deportations of ethnic Estonians to Siberia that had been initiated in 1941. Together with migration into Estonia from other parts of the Soviet Union, this resulted in the share of ethnic Estonians in the country decreasing from 88% in 1934 to 62% in 1989.

====Re-establishing Independence====
In the late 1980s, looser controls on freedom of expression under Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev reignited the Estonians' call for self-determination. By 1988, hundreds of thousands of people were gathering across Estonia to sing previously banned national songs in what became known as the "Singing Revolution."

In November 1988, Estonia's Supreme Soviet passed a declaration of sovereignty; in 1990, the name of the Republic of Estonia was restored, and during the August 1991 coup in the U.S.S.R, Estonia declared full independence. The U.S.S.R Supreme Soviet recognized independent Estonia on September 6, 1991. Unlike the experiences of Latvia and Lithuania, Estonia's revolution ended without blood spilled.

Estonia became a member of the United Nations on September 17, 1991 and is a signatory to a number of UN organizations and other international agreements, including IAEA, ICAO, UNCTAD, WHO, WIPO, UNESCO, ILO, IMF, and WB/EBRD. It is also a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

After more than 3 years of negotiations, on August 31, 1994, the armed forces of the Russian Federation withdrew from Estonia.

====Modern Period: 1990s - Today====
In 1992, a constitutional assembly introduced amendments to the 1938 constitution. After the draft constitution was approved by popular referendum, it came into effect July 3, 1992. Presidential elections were held on September 20, 1992, with Lennart Meri as victor. Lennart Meri served two terms as president, implementing many reforms during his tenure. Meri was constitutionally barred from a third term. Arnold Rüütel became president in 2001; Toomas Hendrick Ilves in 2006. Since fully regaining independence, Estonia has had 13 governments with 7 different prime ministers elected: Mart Laar, Andres Tarand, Tiit Vähi, Mart Siimann, Siim Kallas, Juhan Parts, and Andrus Ansip.

Estonia began to adopt free-market policies even before it declared independence in mid-1991 and has continued to pursue reform aggressively ever since. For example, the government set privatization as an early priority and has now completed the process of putting most major industries in private hands. After independence the Government of Estonia took steps to simplify the tax system. Tax evasion is now relatively low by regional standards. Income tax is levied at a flat rate, a principle supported by all the major parties except the Center Party, for which a progressive tax system remains a keystone policy. Budget performance is exceptionally strong; the IMF projected a surplus of 3.4% of GDP in 2006.

An integral part of Estonia's transition to a market economy during the early 1990s involved reorienting foreign trade to the West and attracting foreign investment to upgrade the country's industry and commerce. In 1990, only 5% of Estonia's foreign trade was with the developed West; only 21% of this trade represented exports. About 87% of Estonia's trade was with the Soviet Union, and of that, 61% was with Russia. Estonia's main foreign trading partners today are Sweden, Finland, Germany and others in the West. Russia's share of Estonia's trade is less than 10%.

The introduction of the Estonian kroon in June 1992, with only U.S.$120 million in gold reserves and no internationally backed stabilization fund, proved decisive in stabilizing foreign trade. For stability, the kroon was pegged by special agreement to the deutsche mark (DM) at EKR8 = DM1 and later to the Euro. The new Estonian currency became the foundation for rational development of the economy. Money began to have clear value; the currency supply could be controlled from Tallinn, not Moscow; and long-term investment decisions could be made with greater confidence by both the state and private enterprise. The central bank is independent of the government but subordinate to the parliament. In addition to its president, the bank is managed by a board of directors, whose chair is also appointed by parliament.

The fall of the Soviet Union and the rapid contraction of Estonia's market to the East during the early 1990s caused Estonia's economy to shrink 36% from 1990 to 1994. But economic reforms in Estonia and the ability of its economy to reorient toward the West allowed Estonia's economy to pick up in 1995 with 4.6% growth and 4.0% growth in 1996. Russia's financial crisis in 1999 led to the only year of decline in Estonia's GDP since 1994—but the 0.7% decline was relatively small.

The 1994-2004 period was mainly dominated by the Estonian EU and NATO accession processes. Estonia was the first Baltic country to start direct accession talks with the EU. Estonia applied to join the EU in November 1995 and, while participating in accession negotiations, continued its program of major economic and social reforms. This gave Estonia a good opportunity to take into account EU objectives and to exploit the experience of existing EU member states when carrying out reforms. Examples of reform in the social area included the launch of unemployment insurance in 2002 and the 1999 implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which regulates safety and health requirements in the work place as well as the organizational aspects of the occupational health system.

In 1999, Estonia joined the World Trade Organization, adding to its previous membership of the IMF, World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

In November 2002, Estonia was one of seven Central and East European countries to be invited to join NATO; it officially became a member of NATO on March 29, 2004. In just fifteen years since re-establishing independence, Estonia has proven itself to be an excellent Ally, having built a military capable of participating in ever more complex and distant military operations.

EU accession negotiations proceeded rapidly, and Estonia joined the EU in May 2004, along with nine other countries, including its Baltic neighbors. The final decision was conditional on the outcome of a national referendum which was held in September 2003 and returned a large majority in favor of membership.

Estonia has developed into a strong international actor, through its membership in the EU and NATO; it is a capable advocate and promoter of stability and democracy in the former Soviet Union and beyond. Estonian troops have been in Afghanistan since 2002 and Iraq since 2003. It participates in the NATO training mission in Iraq and in the international police training mission for Iraq in Jordan. Estonia also provides peacekeepers for international missions in both Bosnia and Kosovo and contributes to EU battlegroups and NATO Response Force rotations. It supports democratic developments in key countries of the former Soviet Union and beyond by providing training to government and law enforcement officials as well as non-governmental organizations. It has valuable experience to offer new democracies from its own recent history, and it works hard to promote democracy, freedom, and stability worldwide.

On January 1, 2011 the Estonian kroon was replaced with the [[euro]].

{{Copyright Details (US Government)}}

Source = [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5377.htm]

{{European Union}}

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:Estonia]]
[[Category:Baltic States]]
[[Category:Former Soviet Countries]]

Estonia

2018-05-25T18:34:02Z

Qaz: /* People */

{{Country
|name =''Eesti Vabariik''
|map =Estonia rel99.jpg
|map2 =Estonia location.png
|flag =Flag of Estonia.png
|arms =Arms of Estonia.png
|capital =Tallinn
|capital-raw =
|government =Parliamentary Republic
|government-raw =
|language =Estonian
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =Toomas Hendrik Ilves
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =Taavi Rõivas
|pm-raw =
|area =17,413 sq mi
|pop =1,258,545
|pop-basis =2016
|gdp =$21.3 billion
|gdp-year =2007
|gdp-pc =$15,868
|currency =[[Euro]]
|idd =
|tld =.ee
}}
The Republic of '''Estonia''' (''Eesti Vabariik'') is the northernmost of the [[Baltic States]] in northern [[Europe]] (the others being [[Lithuania]] and [[Latvia]]), located on the [[Baltic Sea]] and the Gulf of [[Finland]]. The capital city is [[Tallinn]].

==Geography==
Between 57.3 and 59.5 degrees latitude and 21.5 and 28.1 degrees longitude, Estonia lies on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea on the level, northwestern part of the rising East European platform. Average elevation reaches only 50 meters (160 ft.).

The climate resembles New England's. Oil shale and limestone deposits, along with forests that cover 47% of the land, play key economic roles in this generally resource-poor country. Estonia boasts more than 1,500 lakes, numerous bogs, and 3,794 kilometers of coastline marked by numerous bays, straits, and inlets. Tallinn's Muuga port offers one of Europe's finest warm water harbor facilities.

Estonia's strategic location has precipitated many wars fought on its territory between other rival powers at its expense. In 1944, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) granted Russia the trans-Narva and Petseri regions on Estonia's eastern frontier. Russia and Estonia signed a border treaty in 2005 recognizing the current border. Estonia ratified the treaty in June 2005, but Russia subsequently revoked its signature to the treaty, due to a reference the Estonian Parliament inserted regarding the Peace Treaty of Tartu.
*Area: 45,226 km2. (17,462 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined.
*Cities: Capital—Tallinn (2008 pop. 397,617), situated in the north of the country, on the Gulf of Finland. Other cities—university town of Tartu (102,414); the primarily Russian-speaking industrial towns of Narva (66,435) and Kohtla-Järve (45,093) in the north-east of Estonia; Pärnu on the western coast (44,016); and Viljandi in the rural south (20,117). The last population census was held in 2000.
*Terrain: Mostly flat, with some undulating terrain in the east and southeast, average elevation 50 m. Steep limestone banks and 1,520 islands mark the coastline. Land use—12.05% arable land, 47.4% forest and woodland, 22% swamps and bogs, 18.55% other. Coastal waters are somewhat polluted.
*Climate: Temperate, with four seasons. Annual precipitation averages 50–75 cm.

==People==
Estonians belong to the Balto-Finnic group of the Finno-Ugric peoples, as do the Finns and the Hungarians, though nearly half of the population is of various Russian origins, from the Soviet era. Archaeological research confirms the existence of human activity in the region as early as 8,000 BC, but by 3,500 BC the principal ancestors of the Estonians had arrived from the east.
[[File:Kuressaare Castle Estonia 2010.jpg|thumb|250px|Kuressaare Castle, 2010.]]
Estonians have strong ties to the Nordic countries today stemming from deep cultural and religious influences gained over centuries during Scandinavian colonization and settlement. This highly literate society places great emphasis upon education, which is free and compulsory until age 16. About 20% of the population belongs to the following churches registered in Estonia: Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church, Estonian Orthodox Church subordinated to the Moscow Patriarchate, Baptist Church, Roman Catholic Church, and others.

As of November 2006, 84.6% of Estonia's population held Estonian citizenship, 7.6% were citizens of other countries (primarily Russia), and 8.8% were of undetermined citizenship.

Written with the Latin alphabet, Estonian is the language of the Estonian people and the official language of the country. Estonian is very difficult to learn for English-speakers: it has fourteen cases, which can be a challenge even for skilled linguists. During the Soviet era, the Russian language was imposed for official use.
*Population (2008): 1,340,000.
*Annual growth rate: -0.65%. Birth rate—10.04/1,000. Death rate—13.25/1,000. Net migration—3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006). Density—31/km2. Urban dwellers—70%.
*Ethnic groups: Estonians 68%, Russians 26%, Ukrainians 2%, Belarusians 1%, Finns 1%, other 2.2%.
*Religions: [[Nones|No religion]] 60%, Christian 32% (including Orthodox 13%, Lutheran 8%).<ref>[http://estonianworld.com/life/religion-in-estonia/ Estonian World, 2011 census]</ref>
*Languages (2000 census): Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7%.
*Education: Years compulsory—9. Attendance—218,600 students at 550 schools, plus 50,800 university students. Literacy—99.8%.
*Health: Infant mortality rate—7.73 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy—66.3 yrs. men, 77.8 yrs. women.
*Work force: 659,600.

==Government==
Estonia is a parliamentary democracy, with a 101-member parliament (the Riigikogu) and a president who is elected indirectly by parliament or, if no candidate wins a two-thirds majority in parliament, by an electoral college composed of members of parliament and of local government representatives. Estonia holds presidential elections every five years. The last presidential election was in 2006. The President serves a maximum of two terms. The President is also the Supreme Commander of the National Defense of Estonia.

Parliamentary elections take place every four years; members are elected by proportional representation. The most recent elections took place on March 4, 2007. A party must gather at least 5% of the votes to take a seat in Parliament. Citizens 18 years of age or older may vote in parliamentary elections and be members of political parties. In addition, resident non-citizens and those who have lived permanently in the area for at least 5 years preceding the election may vote in local elections, although they may not run for office.

After parliamentary elections, the President traditionally asks the party with the most votes to form a new government. The President chooses the Prime Minister—usually the leader of the largest party or coalition in the Parliament—with the consent of the parliament to supervise the work of the government. The Estonian government has a total of 14 ministers.

At the local level, Estonians elect government councils by proportional representation. The individual councils vary in size, but election laws stipulate minimum size requirements depending on the population of the municipality.

Estonia's Supreme Court, the Riigikohus, has 19 justices, all of whom receive lifetime tenure appointments. The parliament appoints the Chief Justice on nomination by the President.

Estonians may vote via the Internet in local and parliamentary elections.

===Political Conditions===
Currently, half a dozen parties represent Estonia's 1.3 million citizens. The Reform Party, the Isamaa and Res Public Union, and the Social Democrats form the current government with 31, 19, and 10 seats in parliament, respectively. Other major parties include the Centre Party, the Estonian Greens, and the People’s Union.

Reform Party Chairman Andrus Ansip is the current Prime Minister of the coalition government.

Toomas Hendrik llves (Social Democrat Party), a former Ambassador to the United States, two-time Minister of Foreign Affairs, Estonian parliamentarian, and a former member of the European Parliament, is the President of Estonia. President Ilves narrowly defeated incumbent Arnold Rüütel in an electoral-college vote in September 2006, and he took office on October 9, 2006.

===Principal Government Officials===
*President—Toomas Hendrik Ilves
*Prime Minister—Taavi Rõivas
*Foreign Affairs—Urmas Paet (Reform)
*Internal Affairs—Juri Pihl (Social Democrats)
*Social Affairs—Maret Maripuu (Reform)

===Foreign Relations===
Estonia is party to most major international organizations. It is a UN, EU, and NATO member and a strong ally and partner of the United States on all fronts. It is deeply committed to good transatlantic relations and to promoting democracy and free-market economic policy globally.

In the E.U., Estonia's priorities include supporting continued EU enlargement; raising EU competitiveness through innovation; joining the Eurozone; developing a unified European energy policy; enhancing and fostering the European Neighborhood Policy; and improving the EU relationship with Russia.

Estonia has active development assistance programs in many of the former Soviet countries (with a focus on Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova), as well as in Afghanistan.

==Defense==
Estonia's regular armed forces—the Estonian Defense Forces—in peacetime number about 3,800 (Army 3,300, Navy 300, Air Force 200) persons, of whom about 1,500 are conscripts. The President of Estonia is the Commander in Chief of the Estonian Defense Forces. The National Defense Council, composed of the Chairman of the Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Chief of the Defense Forces, the Defense Minister, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Chairman of the Parliamentary National Defense Committee, advise the President on national defense matters.

Estonia officially became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on March 29, 2004 after depositing its instruments of treaty ratification in Washington, DC. The United States and Estonia cooperate intensively in the defense and security field.

Estonian defense spending has increased 13% annually since 2001. The Government of Estonia has expressed a firm commitment to meet the NATO goal of spending 2% of GDP by 2010; its current defense budget is 1.8% of GDP. In 2006, Estonia had deployed approximately 300 military personnel to support UN, NATO, and coalition military operations around the world and will increase its commitment in 2007. That number represents almost 10% of Estonia's military, a good indication of Estonia's willingness and ability to contribute to global security. Estonia currently has troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and Bosnia.

==Economy==
Estonia is considered one of the most liberal economies in the world, ranking 7th in the Heritage Foundation's 2006 Economic Freedom Index (above the United States and just below the U.K.). Hallmarks of Estonia's free, market-based economy include a balanced budget, a flat-rate income tax system (the first in the world), a fully convertible currency pegged to the Euro, a competitive commercial banking sector, and a hospitable environment for foreign investment, including no tax on reinvested corporate profits (tax is not levied unless a distribution is made).

Estonia's liberal economic policies and macroeconomic stability have fostered exceptionally strong growth and better living standards than those of most new EU member states. The IMF projected real GDP growth at over 9% in 2006, slightly below its 2005 level. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors; the country is so wired that it is nicknamed E-stonia. Bars and cafes are universally equipped with wireless connections. Skype, designed by Estonian developers, offers free calls over the Internet to millions of people worldwide. Tourism has also driven Estonia's economic growth, with beautifully restored Tallinn already a Baltic tourist landmark.
*GDP (2007): $21.3 billion.
*Real GDP growth rate (2006 est.): 9.8%.
*Per capita GDP (2007): $15,868.
*Inflation (2007): 6.6%.
*Unemployment (2006): 4.5%.
*Natural resources: Oil shale, phosphorus, limestone, blue clay.
*Agriculture (3% of 2006 GDP): Products—livestock production (milk, meat, eggs) and crop production (cereals and legumes, potatoes, forage crops). Arable land—433,100 hectares.
*Industry (26% of 2006 GDP): Types—engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, and textiles.
*Services (70% of 2006 GDP): Transit, information technology (IT), telecommunications, business services, retail, construction, real estate.
*Trade: Exports (2005)--$7.85 billion. Partners—Finland 26.5%, Sweden 12.9%, Latvia 8.8%, Russia 6.5%, Germany 6.2%, Lithuania 4.8%. Imports (2005)--$10.34 billion. Partners—Finland 19.8%, Germany 13.8%, Russia 9.4%, Sweden 8.8%, Lithuania 6.1%, Latvia 4.7%.
*Exchange rate (2006): 12.2 kroon (EEK)=U.S.$1.
*Foreign direct investment (June 2006): Sweden 53.3%, Finland 20.3%, Netherlands 2.6%, U.K. 2.5%, Norway 2.5%, U.S. 2.4%, Germany 1.6%, Denmark 1.5%, Russia 1.3%.

By the late 1990s, Estonia's trade regime was so liberal that adoption of EU and World Trade Organization (WTO) norms actually forced Estonia to impose tariffs in certain sectors, such as agriculture, which had previously been tariff-free. Openness to trade, rapid growth in investment, and an appreciating real exchange rate have resulted in large trade deficits in recent years. In the first six months of 2006, exports and imports both grew rapidly, with growth reaching 30.8% and 31% year-on-year, respectively.

Estonia supplies more than 90% of its electricity needs with locally mined oil shale; however, it imports all of its natural gas and petroleum (roughly 30% of total energy consumption) from Russia. Alternative energy sources such as wood, peat, and biomass make up about 9% of primary energy production. An undersea electricity cable inaugurated in December 2006 will allow Estonia to export electricity to Finland.

Notwithstanding these many achievements, the economy of Estonia still faces challenges. The income differential between Tallinn and the rest of the country has widened in recent years as the cost of living differential has narrowed. The formerly industrial northeast section of Estonia suffered from economic depression as a result of plant closings in the early 1990s, although even this region has experienced strong growth in the last two years. The labor force is shrinking due to low birth rates and emigration. This tight labor market and the government's restrictive labor and immigration policies have led to wage pressure and challenges to future competitiveness. Inflation above 3% has forced the government to push back adoption of the Euro from its original target of 2007.

The Estonian Finance Ministry predicts that the economy will grow by 8.7% in 2007. This compares with an estimated EU-wide GDP growth rate of 2.1% in 2006 and 2.4% in 2007. The unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2006 was 5.4%, below the EU-wide average of 8.5%.

====Foreign Trade====
Estonia is part of the European Union, and its trade policy is conducted in Brussels.

Estonia's business attitude toward the United States is positive, and business relations between the two countries are increasing. The primary competition for American companies in the Estonian marketplace is European suppliers, especially Finnish and Swedish companies.

Total U.S. exports to Estonia in 2005 were $138.4 million, forming 1.4% of total Estonian imports. In 2005 the principal imports from the United States were electronics, iron and steel, and machinery. Estonian exports to the United States grew 27% in 2005 to $240 million, making the U.S. Estonia's eighth-largest export market. U.S. imports from Estonia are primarily mineral fuels and oils, wood and wood products, and electronics.

Estonia's economy benefits from its location at the crossroads of East and West. Estonia lies just south of Finland and across the Baltic Sea from Sweden, both EU members. To the east are the huge potential markets of northwest Russia. Estonia's modern transportation and communication links provide a safe and reliable bridge for trade with former Soviet Union and Nordic countries. Many observers also see a potential role for Estonia as a future link in the supply chain from the Far East into the EU.

==History==
====Ancient====
Estonians are one of the longest-settled European peoples and have lived along the Baltic Sea for over 5,000 years. The Estonians were an independent nation until the 13th century A.D. The country was then subsequently conquered by Denmark, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and finally Russia, whose defeat of Sweden in 1721 resulted in the Uusikaupunki Peace Treaty, granting Russia rule over what became modern Estonia.

====First Period of Independence====
Independence remained out of reach for Estonia until the collapse of the Russian empire during [[World War I]]. Estonia declared itself an independent democratic republic in November 1918. In 1920, by the Peace Treaty of Tartu, Soviet Russia recognized Estonia's independence and renounced in perpetuity all rights to its territory.

The first constitution of the Republic of Estonia was adopted in 1920 and established a parliamentary form of government. Estonia's independence would last for 22 years, during which time Estonia guaranteed cultural autonomy to all minorities, including its small Jewish population, an act that was unique in Western Europe at the time.

====Soviet Period====
Leading up to [[World War II]], Estonia pursued a policy of neutrality. However, the Soviet Union forcibly incorporated Estonia as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939, in which Nazi Germany gave control of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to the Soviet Union in return for control of much of Poland. In August 1940, the U.S.S.R proclaimed Estonia a part of the Soviet Union as the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (E.S.S.R.). The United States never recognized Soviet sovereignty over Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania.

During the course of WWII, Germany occupied Estonia for three years. In 1944, Stalin retook the country and resumed the mass deportations of ethnic Estonians to Siberia that had been initiated in 1941. Together with migration into Estonia from other parts of the Soviet Union, this resulted in the share of ethnic Estonians in the country decreasing from 88% in 1934 to 62% in 1989.

====Re-establishing Independence====
In the late 1980s, looser controls on freedom of expression under Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev reignited the Estonians' call for self-determination. By 1988, hundreds of thousands of people were gathering across Estonia to sing previously banned national songs in what became known as the "Singing Revolution."

In November 1988, Estonia's Supreme Soviet passed a declaration of sovereignty; in 1990, the name of the Republic of Estonia was restored, and during the August 1991 coup in the U.S.S.R, Estonia declared full independence. The U.S.S.R Supreme Soviet recognized independent Estonia on September 6, 1991. Unlike the experiences of Latvia and Lithuania, Estonia's revolution ended without blood spilled.

Estonia became a member of the United Nations on September 17, 1991 and is a signatory to a number of UN organizations and other international agreements, including IAEA, ICAO, UNCTAD, WHO, WIPO, UNESCO, ILO, IMF, and WB/EBRD. It is also a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

After more than 3 years of negotiations, on August 31, 1994, the armed forces of the Russian Federation withdrew from Estonia.

====Modern Period: 1990s - Today====
In 1992, a constitutional assembly introduced amendments to the 1938 constitution. After the draft constitution was approved by popular referendum, it came into effect July 3, 1992. Presidential elections were held on September 20, 1992, with Lennart Meri as victor. Lennart Meri served two terms as president, implementing many reforms during his tenure. Meri was constitutionally barred from a third term. Arnold Rüütel became president in 2001; Toomas Hendrick Ilves in 2006. Since fully regaining independence, Estonia has had 13 governments with 7 different prime ministers elected: Mart Laar, Andres Tarand, Tiit Vähi, Mart Siimann, Siim Kallas, Juhan Parts, and Andrus Ansip.

Estonia began to adopt free-market policies even before it declared independence in mid-1991 and has continued to pursue reform aggressively ever since. For example, the government set privatization as an early priority and has now completed the process of putting most major industries in private hands. After independence the Government of Estonia took steps to simplify the tax system. Tax evasion is now relatively low by regional standards. Income tax is levied at a flat rate, a principle supported by all the major parties except the Center Party, for which a progressive tax system remains a keystone policy. Budget performance is exceptionally strong; the IMF projected a surplus of 3.4% of GDP in 2006.

An integral part of Estonia's transition to a market economy during the early 1990s involved reorienting foreign trade to the West and attracting foreign investment to upgrade the country's industry and commerce. In 1990, only 5% of Estonia's foreign trade was with the developed West; only 21% of this trade represented exports. About 87% of Estonia's trade was with the Soviet Union, and of that, 61% was with Russia. Estonia's main foreign trading partners today are Sweden, Finland, Germany and others in the West. Russia's share of Estonia's trade is less than 10%.

The introduction of the Estonian kroon in June 1992, with only U.S.$120 million in gold reserves and no internationally backed stabilization fund, proved decisive in stabilizing foreign trade. For stability, the kroon was pegged by special agreement to the deutsche mark (DM) at EKR8 = DM1 and later to the Euro. The new Estonian currency became the foundation for rational development of the economy. Money began to have clear value; the currency supply could be controlled from Tallinn, not Moscow; and long-term investment decisions could be made with greater confidence by both the state and private enterprise. The central bank is independent of the government but subordinate to the parliament. In addition to its president, the bank is managed by a board of directors, whose chair is also appointed by parliament.

The fall of the Soviet Union and the rapid contraction of Estonia's market to the East during the early 1990s caused Estonia's economy to shrink 36% from 1990 to 1994. But economic reforms in Estonia and the ability of its economy to reorient toward the West allowed Estonia's economy to pick up in 1995 with 4.6% growth and 4.0% growth in 1996. Russia's financial crisis in 1999 led to the only year of decline in Estonia's GDP since 1994—but the 0.7% decline was relatively small.

The 1994-2004 period was mainly dominated by the Estonian EU and NATO accession processes. Estonia was the first Baltic country to start direct accession talks with the EU. Estonia applied to join the EU in November 1995 and, while participating in accession negotiations, continued its program of major economic and social reforms. This gave Estonia a good opportunity to take into account EU objectives and to exploit the experience of existing EU member states when carrying out reforms. Examples of reform in the social area included the launch of unemployment insurance in 2002 and the 1999 implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which regulates safety and health requirements in the work place as well as the organizational aspects of the occupational health system.

In 1999, Estonia joined the World Trade Organization, adding to its previous membership of the IMF, World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

In November 2002, Estonia was one of seven Central and East European countries to be invited to join NATO; it officially became a member of NATO on March 29, 2004. In just fifteen years since re-establishing independence, Estonia has proven itself to be an excellent Ally, having built a military capable of participating in ever more complex and distant military operations.

EU accession negotiations proceeded rapidly, and Estonia joined the EU in May 2004, along with nine other countries, including its Baltic neighbors. The final decision was conditional on the outcome of a national referendum which was held in September 2003 and returned a large majority in favor of membership.

Estonia has developed into a strong international actor, through its membership in the EU and NATO; it is a capable advocate and promoter of stability and democracy in the former Soviet Union and beyond. Estonian troops have been in Afghanistan since 2002 and Iraq since 2003. It participates in the NATO training mission in Iraq and in the international police training mission for Iraq in Jordan. Estonia also provides peacekeepers for international missions in both Bosnia and Kosovo and contributes to EU battlegroups and NATO Response Force rotations. It supports democratic developments in key countries of the former Soviet Union and beyond by providing training to government and law enforcement officials as well as non-governmental organizations. It has valuable experience to offer new democracies from its own recent history, and it works hard to promote democracy, freedom, and stability worldwide.

On January 1, 2011 the Estonian kroon was replaced with the [[euro]].

{{Copyright Details (US Government)}}

Source = [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5377.htm]

{{European Union}}

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:Estonia]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]
[[Category:Baltic States]]
[[Category:Former Soviet Countries]]

Kimveer Gill

2018-05-25T18:09:08Z

Qaz: /* External references */ still no source, weeks later. I'm following policy by removing an unsourced category - no-one has the right to forbid removing unsourced info

'''Kimveer Gill''' (July 9, 1981 - September 13, 2006) was a Canadian who killed a young college student during a school shooting at a college in [[Montreal]], [[Canada]] in September 2006. He called himself "[[The Angel of Death]]" on a goth-oriented website where he announced his intentions to die in a "hail of bullets." During the police standoff, he committed [[suicide]] by shooting himself.

== See also ==
*[[List of atheist shooters]]

==External references==
*[http://www.lilith-ezine.com/articles/gothic/Killer-Goth-on-Rampage-in-Montreal.html Killer Goth on a Rampage in Montreal]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gill Kimveer}}
[[Category:Canadians]]
[[Category:Murderers]]

List of atheist shooters and serial killers

2018-05-25T18:05:39Z

Qaz: even by widening the goalposts to include agnostics, there's still no evidence of KG fitting the criteria - no source is provided that states that he was an atheist or agnostic

[[File:Jeffrey Dahmer Milwaukee Police 1991 mugshot.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|As an [[atheism|atheist]], the [[serial killer]] [[Jeffrey Dahmer]] engaged in [[cannibalism]].<ref name="PhillipsDahmer1994"/> See also: [[Atheism and cannibalism]] ]]
The following is a '''list of atheist shooters and serial killers'''. [[Atheist]]s have a long record of being [[Mass murder|mass shooters]] and [[militant atheism]] in general has a causal association [[Atheism and Mass Murder|with mass murder]].

Due to this fact, [[peer review]]ed research published in academic journals has found that society-at-large is likely to [[Distrust of atheists|hold atheists responsible]] for capital criminal acts and that even atheists are likely to assume that [[serial killer]]s are fellow atheists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4758164/Atheists-naturally-assume-immoral-people-atheists.html|title=Do we need religion to have good morals? Even atheists think horrific crimes are likely committed by atheists|last=Pettit|first=Harry|date=August 7, 2017|publisher=[[Daily Mail]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/07/anti-atheist-prejudice-secularity|title=Atheists tend to be seen as immoral – even by other atheists: study|date=August 7, 2017|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/in-atheists-we-distrust/
|title=In Atheists We Distrust|date=January 17, 2012|publisher=[[Scientific American]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017|author=Daisy Grewal}}</ref>

== United States ==
[[File:Loughner173005--300x300.jpg|right|150px|thumb|[[Jared Loughner]]'s mugshot, released January 10, 2011]]
*Dimitrios Pagourtzis, Santa Fe, Texas shooter who killed at least 10 people at a [[public school]], described himself as an [[atheism|atheist]] on his [[Facebook]] page (May 2018)<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-santa-fe-school-shooting-20180518-story.html With graduation just days away, Texas school becomes latest casualty — 10 dead, 10 wounded in latest campus shooting], LA Times</ref>
*Gabriel Ross Parker, shooter at Marshall County High School in Kentucky who murdered two people (January 2018)<ref>Sayers, Justin; Wolfson, Andrew (March 7, 2018). [https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2018/03/07/marshall-county-school-shooting-gabe-parker-experiment-motive/403035002/ Gabe Parker saw Marshall County school shooting as an experiment, officer says]. ''The Courier-Journal''. Retrieved March 21, 2018.</ref><ref>[https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kentucky/articles/2018-03-08/police-teen-saw-shooting-as-experiment-showed-no-remorse Police: Teen Saw Shooting as Experiment, Showed No Remorse]. ''U.S. News & World Report'' (from the ''Associated Press''). March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.</ref><ref>Root, Kayla (January 25, 2018). [https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2018/january/kentucky-shooter-joined-atheist-group-but-couldnt-stop-these-students-from-praying Kentucky Shooter Joined Atheist Group, but Couldn't Stop ALL These Students from Praying]. ''CBN News''. Retrieved March 21, 2018.</ref>
*[[Devin Patrick Kelley]], perpetrator of the Sutherland Springs, [[Texas]] shooting at First Baptist Church, murdered 26 people (November 2017)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5053013/Devin-Kelley-outcast-preached-atheism.html|title=Texas church shooter Devin Kelley was an 'outcast'|last=Stanton|first=Jenny|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=Daily Mail|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://shoebat.com/2017/11/05/make-no-mistake-about-it-the-man-who-slaughtered-26-christians-in-a-baptist-church-in-texas-was-an-atheist-who-hated-christ-and-the-christian-faith/|title=Make No Mistake About It, The Man Who Slaughtered 26 Christians In A Baptist Church In Texas Was An Atheist Who Hated Christ And The Christian Faith | Walid Shoebat|last=Shoebat|first=Theodore|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=[[Walid Shoebat]]|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/11/update-sutherland-springs-gunman-devin-kelley-wore-black-facebook-page-suggests-diehard-atheist-cnn-fan/|title=UPDATE: Sutherland Springs Gunman Devin Kelley Wore "All Black" - Facebook Page Suggests He Was Diehard Atheist, CNN Fan|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=The Gateway Pundit|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://heavy.com/news/2017/11/devin-kelley-p-sutherland-springs-church-shooter-patrick-kelly/|title=Devin Kelley: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=Heavy|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://onehallyu.com/topic/601997-texas-shooter-devin-patrick-kelley-was-a-radical-sjw-atheist/|title=Texas shooter Devin Patrick Kelley was a radical SJW Atheist!|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=OneHallyu|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>[http://www.pacificpundit.com/2017/11/05/devin-kelley-facebook-liked-atheist-pages-cnn/ DEVIN KELLEY FACEBOOK LIKED ATHEIST PAGES, CNN], Pacific Pundit</ref>
*Chris Harper Mercer, Umpqua Community College gunman (October 2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/umpqua-gunman-chris-harper-mercer-hated-religion-online|title=Umpqua Gunman Chris Harper Mercer Hated Religion Online|date=October 2, 2015|publisher=[[The Daily Beast]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017|author=Katie Zavadski}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/02/oregon-shooter-said-to-have-singled-out-christians-for-killing-in-horrific-act-of-cowardice/?utm_term=.38c6d31660e9|title=Oregon shooter said to have singled out Christians for killing in ‘horrific act of cowardice’|date=October 2, 2015|publisher=[[The Washington Post]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017|author=Eli Saslow, Sarah Kaplan and Joseph Hoyt}}</ref>
*[[Craig Stephen Hicks]], perpretator of the Chapel Hill Shootings (February 2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/02/chapel-hill-shooting-white-male-atheist-murders-three-muslim-students|title=The Chapel Hill shooting: White male atheist murders three Muslim students|publisher=[[New Statesman]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref>
*[[Jared Lee Loughner]], perpetrator of the Tucson Shootings (January 2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-is-jared-loughner-friends-reveal-alienation/|title=Who is Jared Loughner? Friends Reveal Alienation|date=January 10, 2011|publisher=[[CBS News]]|accessdate=7 October 2017|quote=An ardent atheist, he began to characterize people as sheep whose free will was being sapped by the government and the monotony of modern life.}}</ref>
*[[Seung-Hui Cho]], perpetrator of the [[Virginia Tech shootings]] (April 2007)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.godtvradio.com/2017/08/atheists-list-of-killers-and-criminals.html|title=Atheists List of Killers and Criminals|last=Keane|first=Brett|date=August 16, 2017|publisher=GodTVRadio News|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref>
*[[Jeffrey Dahmer]], serial killer and sex offender responsible for the rape, murder, and dismemberment of seventeen men and boys (1978 - 1991)<ref name="PhillipsDahmer1994">{{cite web|author=Stone Phillips, Jeffrey Dahmer|title=Jeffrey Dahmer Interview - MSNBC Footage|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQGDHTVHL8g|accessdate=October 7, 2017|year=1994|publisher=Dateline NBC|page=175}}</ref>
*James Oliver Huberty, perpetrator of the San Ysidro McDonald's massacre (July 1984)<ref name="Wolcott2004">{{cite book|last=Wolcott|first=Martin Gilman|title=The Evil 100|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=AqAtjVMGnLIC&pg=PA175|accessdate=October 7, 2017|year=2004|publisher=Kensington Publishing Corporation|isbn=9780806525556|page=175}}</ref>

== Study: People assume serial killers are atheists ==

''See also:'' [[Atheism and serial killers]]

The news and analysis website ''Axios'' reported:
{{Cquote|A [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-017-0151 new study published in Nature Human Behaviour] found that people around the world are predisposed to believe that atheists are more likely to be serial killers than religious believers — a bias even held by atheists themselves.

By the numbers: The study included 3,256 participants across 13 diverse countries that included highly secular nations like Finland and the Netherlands as well as highly religious ones like the United Arab Emirates and India.<ref>[https://www.axios.com/youre-more-likely-to-assume-a-serial-killer-is-an-atheist-2470310571.html People assume serial killers are atheists], Axios</ref>}}

== Agnostic shooters, serial killers and domestic terrorists ==

*[[James Holmes]], perpetrator of the Aurora shooting (July 2012)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/alleged-shooter-james-holmes-bragged-of-soul-penetrating-eyes-on-dating-website-2012-7|title=Alleged Shooter James Holmes Bragged Of 'Soul Penetrating Eyes' On Dating Website|last=Rogers|first=Abby|date=July 23, 2012|publisher=[[Business Insider]]|language=English|accessdate=October 8, 2017|quote=In his profile, Holmes described himself as an agnostic man who "definitely" wants kids, only drinks "socially," and doesn't smoke.}}</ref>

*[[Timothy McVeigh]] (April 23, 1968 – June 11, 2001) was the main perpetrator in the [[Oklahoma City Bombing]] on April 19, 1995, which killed 168 people in the worst act of domestic terrorism in American history. Contrary to the popular and oft-repeated belief among [[liberal]]s and the irreligious, McVeigh was not a [[right-wing]] evangelical Christian. In fact, McVeigh was raised Roman Catholic, but professed [[agnosticism]].<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/jun/11/mcveigh.usa4</ref> His political beliefs were [[libertarian]].

== See also ==
*[[Atheism and psychopathy]]
*[[Irreligion, psychopathy, crime, violence and antisocial behavior]]
*[[Atheism and mental illness]]
*[[Atheism and Mass Murder|Atheism and mass murder]]
*[[Atheism and morality]]
*[[Atheism and rape]]
*[[Atheistic communism and torture]]
*[[Atheism and alcoholism]]
*[[Atheism and suicide]]
*[[Atheism and cannibalism]]
*[[Atheism and health]]
*[[Atheism and depression]]
*[[Irreligious prison population]]
*[[Religion and crime reduction]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.godtvradio.com/2017/08/atheists-list-of-killers-and-criminals.html Atheists List of Killers and Criminals] by Brett Keane
*[http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1121/p09s01-coop.html CS Monitor - Atheism, not religion, is the real force behind the mass murders of history] by [[Dinesh D'Souza]]
*[http://www.thomism.org/atheism/atheist_murderers.html Atheist Murderers] by Julian Ahlquist
{{Nb Atheism}}
[[Category:Atheism]]
[[Category:Atheists]]
[[Category:Violence]]

Bill Cosby

2018-05-25T17:56:28Z

Qaz: Cosby has been outspoken about his Christianity and its importance to him & his family for decades - a conviction doesn't erase that. There are people of all faiths who do all sorts of things that are against their religion.

'''William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr.''', born July 12, 1937 (age {{age|1937|7|12}}), is an American [[actor]] and [[comedian]] from [[Philadelphia]]. He is famous for his role on ''[[The Cosby Show]]'', the highest rated show in television at that time, his [[Jello]] advertisements, his children's comedy cartoon ''Fat Albert'' and his comedy albums.

In 1976, he earned a [[doctorate]] in education from the [[University of Massachusetts]] at Amherst.

Bill Cosby has been married to Camille Cosby since 1964. They had four daughters and son. Their son was murdered in 1997 and his killer is in prison. One of their daughters died in 2018.

Cosby is a [[Protestant]] and has spoken about how important his faith is to him.<ref>Hensch, Mark (December 15, 2011). [https://www.christianpost.com/news/qa-bill-cosby-talks-family-faith-and-tim-tebow-64962/ Q&A: Bill Cosby Talks Family, Faith and Tim Tebow]. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved May 6, 2018.</ref> He angered many people when he voiced criticism of the [[African-American]] community's acceptance of single-parent households, high crime and imprisonment rates and other problems. He has also said black people in America should not blame white people for the problems black people face today. He said that they should take personal responsibility and better themselves through education and hard work, rather than becoming parents at an early age.<ref name="ref1">National Leadership Network of Conservative African-Americans. ''Thank You, Bill Cosby, For Saying the Right Thing at the Right Time'' [http://www.nationalcenter.org/P21NVFritschCosby904.html]</ref> For this reason, Cosby was highly regarded among [[conservative]]s who feel the same way.<ref name="ref1" /><ref>Murphy, James (April 30, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/item/28936-bill-cosby-convicted-of-sexual-assault Bill Cosby's Conviction of Sexual Assault Overshadows the Rest of His Life]. ''The New American''. Retrieved May 3, 2018.</ref>

Cosby has been accused of [[sexual assault]] and [[sexual harassment]] by many women. Cosby has pleaded not guilty to three charges, and his trial in court began June 5, 2017.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/06/us/bill-cosby-sex-abuse-hearing Bill Cosby sex abuse hearing]</ref> The first trial ended in a [[hung jury]], and he was [[New trial|retried]] in 2018.<ref>[http://pagesix.com/2017/06/18/cosby-knew-he-would-get-a-hung-jury-all-along/ Cosby knew he would get a hung jury all along]</ref> On April 26, 2018, he was convicted of three counts in relation to drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2004.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/26/arts/television/bill-cosby-guilty-retrial.html Bill Cosby found guilty]</ref> He is currently under house arrest while awaiting sentencing.

Several universities have revoked honorary degrees awarded to Cosby due to sexual assault allegations, including [[Yale University]] which revoked the first honorary degree in the history of the university.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.billcosby.com/ Bill Cosby's website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosby, Bill}}
[[Category:American Actors]]
[[Category:American Comedians]]
[[Category:American Criminals]]
[[Category:Best Selling Authors]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Educators]]
[[Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom award winners]]

Australia

2018-05-16T18:40:42Z

Qaz: /* Demographics */

{{Country
|name =''Commonwealth of Australia''
|map =Australia rel 1999.jpg
|map2 =Australia location.png
|flag =Flag of Australia.png
|arms =Australia coat-of-arms.jpg
|capital =Canberra
|capital-raw =
|government =Constitutional monarchy
|government-raw =
|language =English
|king =
|queen =Elizabeth II
|monarch-raw =
|president =
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =Malcolm Turnbull
|pm-raw =
|area =2,988,888 sq mi
|pop =21.8 million
|pop-basis =2009
|gdp =A$1.17 trillion
|gdp-year =2009
|gdp-pc =A$36,000
|currency =Australian dollar
|idd =
|tld =
}}
The [[Commonwealth]] of '''Australia''' is an independent nation that occupies the continent of Australia, with its west coast on the [[Indian Ocean]], east coast on the [[Pacific Ocean]] facing [[New Zealand]], southern coast on the [[Southern Ocean]] facing [[Antarctica]], and northern coast facing [[Indonesia]] and [[Papua New Guinea]]. Australia is considered geographically as part of [[Oceania]], but has been establishing its place politically and commercially in [[Southeast Asia]].

==Geography==
[[File:Sydney harbour bridge.jpg|thumb|370px|Sydney Harbour Bridge.]]
Australia is the only country to occupy an entire continent,<ref>This refers just to the Australian mainland. Some authorities now include [[Papua New Guinea]], [[New Zealand]], and various other [[Pacific Ocean]] islands in the continent of "Oceania". See [http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/au.htm WorldAtlas.com].</ref> the smallest of the planet's seven continents.<ref>Some people count six, combining North and South America or Europe and Asia. See [http://worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/contnent.htm WorldAtlas.com].</ref>
It is 2,400 miles, (3,860 km) from east to west and 2,000 miles (3,220 km) from north to south, and covers an area of 2,967,877 sq miles (7,686,810 km2). The Australian coastline is 22,812 miles long (36,735 kilometers), roughly the size as the mainland 48 states of the USA.
{{Clear}}

====The States and Territories of Australia====
[[File:State Library of Victoria Australia.jpg|thumb|220px|Melbourne, State Library of Victoria.]]
Australia has six states and two internal territories. The states are:
* [[New South Wales]]
* [[Victoria]]
* [[Queensland]]
* [[Western Australia]]
* [[South Australia]]
* [[Tasmania]]
The internal territories are:
* The [[Northern Territory]] (responsible government since 1978)
* [[Australian Capital Territory]] (responsible government since 1988) which is the location of Australia's capital city, [[Canberra]].
The external territories are:
* [[Christmas Island]]
* [[Norfolk Island]]
* [[Australian Antarctic Territory]]
* [[Coral Sea Islands]]
* [[Ashmore and Cartier Islands]]
* [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]]
* [[Heard Island and McDonald Islands]]
{{Clear}}

====Low density====
80% of Australia's population live on the coast line. It is one of the world's most sparsely populated countries (2.7 people per square kilometre).<ref>[http://www.abs.gov.au ABS]</ref>

====Weather====
Weather extremes are common in Australia with temperatures sometimes measured into the high 40s Celsius (45 degrees Celsius = 113 degrees Fahrenheit). The city of Darwin was heavily damaged by Cyclone Tracy on Dec. 25, 1974, killing 66 people, and destroying 80% of the buildings. Darwin's utilities were knocked out and 35,000 people were evacuated.

Bush fires often ravage the southern states - one of the worst occurring on Ash Wednesday in 1983 when over 2,000 homes were destroyed and over 70 people lost their lives in Victoria and South Australia. In 2009 severe fires hit much of Victoria, worsened by hot dry winds and a severe drought.

Water is somewhat scarce and some cities have some form of water restrictions in place.

====Flora and fauna====
Australia is noted for its unique biodiversity. Many animals are found only in Australia, the most well known examples are the group of marsupials ([[kangaroo]]s, [[wombat]]s, [[wallaby|wallabies]] and [[koala]]s), and the only two [[monotremes]], the [[platypus]] and the [[echidna]]. Examples of plants that are native to Australia are the [[banksia]], [[yellow wattle]] and [[gum tree]].

Current evolutionary studies indicate that Australia's unique wildlife is the result of Australia becoming an island, being cut off from the Asian land bridge between 40,000 and 250,000 years ago on the [[Uniformitarianism (science)|uniformitarian timescale]]. Contrary to that, young earth creation scientists assert that the entire subset animals that are all the Earth's species of kangaroos, wallabies and orher similar creatures travelled together to Australia following the Great Flood. It is not known whether they communicated the idea amongst themselves or all went the same way by chance.

==People==
===Demographics===
[[File:Australian fishing family.jpg|right|270px]]
Although Australia has scarcely more than three people per square kilometer, it is one of the world's most urbanized countries. Less than 2.5% of the population lives in remote or very remote areas.
*Population (2017 est.): 24.7 million.<ref>http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3101.0 Australian Bureau of Statistics</ref>
*Annual population growth rate: 1.7%.
*Ethnic groups: European 92%, Asian 6%, Aboriginal 2%.
*Religions (2006): Catholic 26%, Anglican 19%, other Christian 19%, other non-Christian 1%, Buddhist 2.1%, Islam 1.7%, no religion 19%, and not stated 12%.
*Languages: English.
*Education: Years compulsory—to age 16 in all states and territories except New South Wales and the Northern Territory where it is 15, and Western Australia where it is 17. Literacy—over 99%.
*Health: Infant mortality rate—4.7/1,000. Life expectancy—males 78 yrs., females 83 yrs.
*Work force (10.8 million): Agriculture—3.3%; mining—1.5%; manufacturing—9.8%; retail trade—11.3%; public administration, defense, and safety—6%; construction—9.2%

===Aborigines and Torres Straits Islanders===
Australia's indigenous inhabitants are a hunting-gathering people collectively referred to today as Aborigines and Torres Straits Islanders (ATSI). Although evolutionary theorists purport that native Australians arrived more than 40,000 years ago, this view rejects the Biblical account of Noah as historic and is based on the old-earth paradigm. Aborigines arrived in Australia some time after the events at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Although their technical culture remained static—depending on wood, bone, and stone tools and weapons—their spiritual and social life was highly complex. Most spoke several languages, and confederacies sometimes linked widely scattered tribal groups. Indigenous population density ranged from one person per square mile along the coasts to one person per 35 square miles in the arid interior. When Captain James Cook claimed Australia for Great Britain in 1770, the native population is estimated to have numbered between 318,000 and 750,000 in as many as 500 tribes speaking many different languages. In 2006 the indigenous population was approximately 517,200, representing about 2.5% of the population. Since the end of World War II, the government and the public have made efforts to be more responsive to aboriginal rights and needs, most recently with Prime Minister Rudd's historic apology to the indigenous people in February 2008.

===Immigrants===
Immigration has been vital to Australia's development since the beginning of European settlement in 1788. Originally used as a prison for [[convicts]], the discovery of gold in [[Victoria]] convinced many to come to Australia. For generations, most settlers came from the British Isles, and the people of Australia are still predominantly of British or Irish origin, with a culture and outlook similar to those of Americans. A [["White Australia" policy]] operated from 1901 to the 1960s; it encouraged immigration by Europeans and blocked almost all other immigration.

The Chinese who arrived in the late 19th century to work in the gold mines left voluntarily or were expelled. Likewise most of the "Kanakas"—Polynesians—who came to work in the sugar fields were expatriated after 1901. Many Germans settled in South Australia, but those without Australian citizenship were put in camps during World War I and most were sent back to Germany after the war.

In 2017, the Australian government adopted measures to conduct extreme vetting of immigrants, particularly Muslims, to ensure that radical Islamists do not enter the country, and it reformed its [[H-1B visa]].<ref>Munro, Neil (April 20, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/04/20/australian-government-adopts-immigration-vetting-guest-worker-reforms/ Australian Gov’t Adopts ‘Extreme Vetting’ for Islamic Migrants, Reforms Foreign Worker Visas]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 20, 2017.</ref>

====Illegal immigration====
In 1999, there was a surge in illegal immigration to Australia.<ref name="Dawson">Dawson, Stephan (August 28, 2015). [https://ricochet.com/archives/how-australia-stopped-illegal-immigration/ How Australia Stopped Illegal Immigration]. ''Ricochet''. Retrieved August 18, 2016.</ref> The Liberal (the conservative party) prime minister [[John Howard]] cracked down on illegal immigration and by 2002, there was virtually no illegal immigration.<ref name="Dawson"/> In 2007, [[Kevin Rudd]] of the Labor party was elected prime minister, and because of his government's lenient immigration policy, the number of illegal immigrants skyrocketed, reaching over 20,000 people and 300 boats in the year 2013 alone.<ref name="Dawson"/> However, the government did not acknowledge that its lax policies were the reason for the growth in illegal immigration.<ref name="Dawson"/> In 2013, the Liberal Party was voted back into the government, and again instituted strict (and thus, controversial) policies again, and illegal immigration dropped to virtually zero, with only one boat arriving in 2014, and zero in 2015.<ref name="Dawson"/>

===Recent trends===
[[File:Sydney.jpg|thumb|left|320px|Sydney skyline from Taronga Zoo.]]
Since the end of World War II, Australia's population has more than doubled.

Non British/Irish immigration has increased significantly since World War II through an extensive, planned immigration program. Since 1945 around 6.6 million migrants have settled in Australia, including 690,000 refugee and humanitarian entrants. About 80% have remained; 24%--almost one in four—of Australians are foreign-born. Britain, Ireland, Italy, Greece, New Zealand, and the former Yugoslavia were the largest sources of post-war immigration, but New Zealand is closing on Britain as the largest source country for permanent migrants to Australia.

The barriers against Asians fell in the 1970s and thousands of immigrants from the Chinese diaspora resettled in Australia. Immigrants from India and the Philippines were numerous as well.

====Refugees====
Australia's humanitarian and refugee program of about 13,000 per year is in addition to other immigration programs. In recent years, refugees from Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia have comprised the largest element in Australia's refugee program.

====Religion====
Australia is a [[secular]] nation, in that it has no established religion associated with the Government.
(Requires mathematic correction)
According to the 2006 census, 64% of citizens consider themselves to be Christian, including 26% Roman Catholic, 19% Anglican, and 19% other Christian. Buddhists constitute 2.1% of the population, Muslims 1.7%, Hindus 0.7%, Jews 0.4%, and all others professing a religion 0.5%. Of Australia's 21 million people, about 1.5 million attend weekly religious services.<ref>[http://www.ncls.org.au/default.aspx?docid=2250&track=82083 National Church Life Survey 2004]; U.S. State Department, "International Religious Freedom Report 2008" [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108400.htm online]</ref> See also: [[Irreligion in Australia]]
[[File:Ballarat Hebrew Congregation Australia.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Ballarat Hebrew Congregation.]]
In 1911, during the first census, 96% identified themselves as Christian. In recent decades traditional Christian denominations have seen their total number and proportion of affiliates stagnate or decrease significantly, although from 2001 to 2006, the total number of Pentecostal and charismatic Christians increased by 12.9%. Over the past decade, increased immigration from Southeast Asia and the Middle East considerably expanded the numbers of citizens who identify themselves as Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims, and increased the ethnic diversity of existing Christian denominations. Between 2001 and 2006, the numbers increased for Buddhists by 17% (to 418,000), Muslims by 21% (to 340,393), Jews by 6% (to 89,000), and Hindus by 55% (to 148,131). In 2006 approximately 18.7% of citizens considered themselves to have no religion, up from 17% in 2001, and 11.2% made no statement regarding religious affiliation. According to a 2002 survey, 23% of adults had participated in church or religious activities during the previous 3 months.

The Australian public school system is "free, secular and compulsory" with the secular meaning without favor to any particular religion. Schools are required to offer religious instruction at the primary level, but are not allowed to discriminate between religions. The state systems of a number of states offer studies in religion at the senior level.

There is a large Catholic school system in Australia with most parishes having their own primary school and many hundreds of Catholic high schools across the country. There are also a large number of independent schools founded by various religions or denominations of the Christian faith - some hold that religious background to be more important than others. All schools, state or religious, receive government funding, as funding is provided for every student that is an Australian resident.

At the time of European settlement, aboriginal inhabitants followed religions that were animistic, involving belief in spirits behind the forces of nature and the influence of ancestral spirit beings. According to the 2006 census, 5,206 persons, or less than 0.03% of respondents, reported practicing aboriginal traditional religions, down from 5,244 in 2001. The 2006 census reported that almost 64% of Aborigines identify themselves as Christian and 20% listed no religion.

====Culture====
[[Image:Sidney opera house.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Sydney Opera House, an iconic symbol of the nation]]
Much of Australia's culture is derived from European roots, but distinctive Australian features have evolved from the environment, [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] culture, and the influence of Australia's neighbors. The vigor and originality of the arts in Australia—film, opera, music, painting, theater, dance, and crafts—have achieved international recognition.

Australian actors and comedians such as Nicole Kidman, Rachel Griffiths, Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Paul Hogan, Hugh Jackman, the late Heath Ledger, and Dame Edna Everage (Barry Humphries) have achieved enormous popularity in the United States. Directors such as Peter Weir, Philip Noyes, and Russell Mulcahy, the conductor Sir Charles Mackerras, and singers and musicians such as Olivia Newton-John, Men At Work, The Wiggles, AC/DC, Dame Joan Sutherland, Dame Nellie Melba, and Kylie Minogue are well known.

Australian artists with international reputations include Sidney Nolan, Russell Drysdale, Pro Hart, and Arthur Boyd. Writers who have achieved world recognition include Thomas Keneally, Colleen McCullough, Nevil Shute, Morris West, Jill Ker Conway, Peter Carey, Robert Hughes, Germaine Greer, and Nobel Prize winner Patrick White.

====Sports====
[[File:Melbourne Cup Australia.jpg|left|200px|thumb|The [[Melbourne]] Cup.]]
Australia is known as a sporting nation with success worldwide in [[swimming]], [[tennis]], [[rugby union]], [[cricket]], [[Formula One]], [[V8 Supercars]], [[netball]],and [[basketball]]. Australians are very keen at betting on horse races, with the Melbourne Cup <ref>[http://www.melbournecup.com.au Melbourne Cup]</ref> attracting up to 120,000 spectators at Flemington Race Course on the first Tuesday in November. There is a public holiday for the cup race in Melbourne, while the remainder of the country virtually pauses during the running.

Unique to Australia is a game known as [[Australian rules football]] or Aussie Rules, which is played on a [[cricket]] oval in winter. Australian rules football is the sport most attended in the states of [[Victoria]], [[South Australia]] and [[Western Australia]], and most attended overall in Australia; in 2006 2.5 million people had attended at least one Aussie Rules game in the preceding 12 months.[http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyCatalogue/1F8FAC9C2C7B1623CA2568A900139417?OpenDocument] Australian Rules Football was written by persons educated at the [[Rugby School]] in England and [[Cambridge University]] before the organisation of uniform football codes. It is not as popular in [[New South Wales]] and [[Queensland]] although premiership teams are based in these two states and new teams from each have seen an increase in interest.

The other national football code is [[rugby league]]. Rugby league football is the most attended sport in New South Wales and Queensland with its premier club competition being the [[National Rugby League]].

====Tourism====
[[File:Anzac Memorial Sydney Australia 2007.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Anzac Memorial, Sydney, 2007.]]
Most tourists visit places such as Sydney Harbour, Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Central Australia and the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. Other favourite destinations are the wine making areas of South Australia and northern Victoria, the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, the natural wonders of Tasmania and the huge outback expanses of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Some cattle stations in Australia rival Texas in size and the distance between towns in some areas is enormous.

====Gun control====
In response to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in which 35 people were killed (23 wounded) by a gunman, Australia introduced strict gun control laws. Due to bipartisan support the laws were quickly passed and a "gun buy-back" scheme was imposed, gun owners were forced to surrender their guns to the government in exchange for monetary compensation. As there is little to no "gun culture" in Australia, these measures were widely accepted and even welcomed. Since 1997 both the homicide rate and gun death rate in Australia have fallen dramatically. {{cn}}

==Government==
Australia became a federated nation on January 1, 1901 under the [[Constitution of Australia]], and all former British colonies became states. The parliament met in [[Melbourne]] until the infrastructure was built for the capital city, [[Canberra]].

Australia has a [[Parliament|parliamentary system]] of government based on the British system with a [[bicameral]] system meeting as the [[Parliament of Australia]], consisting of the [[Australian House of Representatives]] and the [[Australian Senate]]. Each state and territory also has its own parliament.

The two other branches of government under the Constitution are the Executive ([[Governor-General of Australia]] taking advice from the Ministers) and the [[judicial]].

Australia is a democracy which has allowed men of European descent to vote since federation, with women gaining the vote in 1902 and Aboriginal men and women gaining suffrage in 1962. Voting is compulsory for all citizens who are 18 years old and over (with a few exceptions.)

Australia's Head of Government is the [[Prime Minister of Australia]]. The current Prime Minister is Malcolm Turnbull who is the leader of the Liberal Party (a right-leaning political party).

The Head of State is [[Queen Elizabeth II]], the Queen of Australia (who is the same person, but a different title, as the Queen of Great Britain.) Under the Constitution, and in practice, the authority of the Head of State is vested in the [[Governor-General of Australia]], currently Quentin Bryce AC, Previously Governor of [[Queensland]], who assents to acts of parliament, is the Commander in Chief of the military forces, and appoints all Ministers of the Government; all these various powers are normally exercised on advice from the Prime Minister.

The Government of Australia is exercised, day-to-day, by the Ministers through their various Departments of State.

====Voting====
{{main|Voting in Australia}}

Australia has [[preferential voting]], and voting is compulsory for adults (18 years and over), unless they have been deemed unfit to vote, either by mental illness or conviction for serious offenses. Preferential voting encourages a multiplicity of parties and independent candidates, and counting the votes and allocating preferences can take some time where the results are close.

====Terms====
A Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives is elected for a maximum of three years, but the timing of elections is decided by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/general/constitution/par3cha1.htm |title=Parliament of Australia: Senate: Constitution - Chapter 1 Part III |accessdate=2010-10-13}}</ref> A Member of Parliament in the Senate is typically elected for six years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/general/constitution/par2cha1.htm |title=Parliament of Australia: Senate: Constitution - Chapter 1 Part II |accessdate=2010-10-13}}</ref> The Prime Minister is normally a member of the House of Representatives, and the tenure is not limited by statute. Ministers may continue to serve for up to three months when not a Member or Senator, but must in that time be elected in order to continue. ([[John Gorton]] was a Senator when appointed leader of his party after the death of his predecessor. He immediately resigned from the Senate and stood for election to the House of Representatives, while remaining Prime Minister throughout.)

====Parliamentary political parties====
Currently, the main political parties in Australia are:
* [[Australian Greens]]
* [[Australian Labor Party]]
* [[Family First Party]]
* [[Liberal Party of Australia]]
* [[National Party of Australia]]
* One Nation Party
[[File:Australian house of representatives.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Australian house of representatives.]]
Despite the US connotation associated with the name, the Liberal Party is conservative in political stance. Robert Menzies helped found the Liberal Party in 1944 and was the Prime Minister from 1939 until 1941 and then again from 1949 until 1966.<ref>[http://www.liberals.net/liberalpartyhistory.htm History of the Liberal Party in Australia]</ref> The term "liberal" refers to the party's predominantly-[[free market|free-market]] approach to [[economics|economic management]].

The party currently in power (since the 2013 Federal Election) is the Liberal National Party Coalition. The Labor Party is also in government in Queensland and South Australia and ACT. NSW, Tasmania and the Northern Territory are governed by conservatives . The Prime Minister is the Liberal, Malcolm Turnbull.

Conservative Queensland politician and businesswoman, Pauline Hanson formed the One Nation party to give a conservative voice to voters that were not being effectively represented by the major parties. One Nation has held seats in both the Federal Senate and Lower House, and have been the subject of ridicule by left-leaning media commentators.

Though the Labor party is "social democratic" and the Liberals are "liberal conservatives", some of the smaller parties are more left leaning or more conservative than Labor and Liberal respectively.

''See also a [[list of Prime Ministers of Australia]].''

The Prime Minister of Australia is the most senior elected person in the country. The role is normally filled by the parliamentary leader of the party which forms the government.

===Principal Government Officials===
*Governor General—Sir Peter Cosgrove
*Prime Minister—Malcolm Turnbull
*Deputy Prime Minister—Warren Truss
*Treasurer—Joe Hockey
*Foreign Minister—Julie Bishop
*Defense Minister—Kevin McQuay
*Trade Minister—Andrew Robb

===Political Conditions===
Three political parties dominate the center of the Australian political spectrum. The Liberal Party (LP), nominally representing urban business interests, and its smaller coalition partner, The Nationals, nominally representing rural interests, are the more conservative parties. The Australian Labor Party (ALP) nominally represents workers, trade unions, and left-of-center groups. While the ALP, founded by labor unions, traditionally had been moderately socialist in its policies and approaches to social issues, today it is best described as a social democratic party. All political groups are tied by tradition to welfare programs. Over the last decade, Australia has increased welfare payments to families while imposing obligations on those receiving unemployment benefits and disability pensions. There is strong bipartisan sentiment on many international issues, including Australia's commitment to its alliance with the United States.
[[File:Protests in front of Parliament House Canberra Australia.jpg|left|320px]]
The ALP, under the leadership of Kevin Rudd, defeated the Liberal/National coalition, led by then-Prime Minister John Howard, in the November 24, 2007 election. The ALP now holds 83 seats in the House of Representatives, against 64 for the Liberal/National coalition, and 3 independents. The composition of the Senate is 37 seats for the coalition, 32 for the ALP, five seats for the Greens, one for Family First, and one independent.

The ALP won the election with a message promising "new leadership" after 11 years of the Howard government. Rudd portrayed himself as an "economic conservative," while criticizing unpopular Howard government policies on workplace relations reform, climate change, and the war on Iraq. The Rudd government ratified the Kyoto Protocol and is working with the international community on combating climate change. It is undoing some labor market reforms instituted by the Howard government, such as statutory individual contracts. The Australian government's foreign policy shows strong continuity with that of its predecessors, stressing relations with four key countries: the United States, Japan, China, and Indonesia. The Rudd government strongly supports U.S. engagement in the Asia-Pacific region and increased Australia’s troop contribution in Afghanistan. It withdrew Australia's combat troops from Iraq in 2008; it intends to end its military mission in Iraq on July 31, 2009.

Australia has been an active participant in international affairs since federation in 1901, and Australian forces have fought beside the United States and other Allies in every significant conflict since World War I. On January 8, 1940, the governments of the United States and Australia announced the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations. In 1944, Australia concluded an agreement with New Zealand dealing with the security, welfare, and advancement of the people of the independent territories of the Pacific (the ANZAC pact). After World War II, Australia played a role in the Far Eastern Commission in Japan and supported Indonesian independence during that country's revolt against the Dutch. Australia was one of the founding members of the United Nations, the South Pacific Commission, and the Colombo Plan. In addition to contributing to UN forces in Korea—it was the first country to announce it would do so after the United States—Australia sent troops to assist in putting down the 1948-1960 communist revolt in Malaya and later to combat the 1963-1965 Indonesian-supported invasion of Sarawak. The United States, Australia, and New Zealand signed the ANZUS Treaty in 1951, which remains Australia's pre-eminent formal security treaty alliance. Australia sent troops to assist South Vietnamese and U.S. forces in Vietnam, and joined coalition forces in the Persian Gulf conflict in 1991, in Afghanistan in 2001, and in Iraq in 2003.

Australia has been active in the Australia-New Zealand-U.K. agreement and the Five-Power Defense Arrangements—successive arrangements with Britain and New Zealand to ensure the security of Singapore and Malaysia.

One of the drafters of the UN Charter, Australia has given firm support to the United Nations and its specialized agencies. It was last a member of the Security Council in 1985-86, a member of the Economic and Social Council for 1986-89, and a member of the UN Human Rights Commission for 1994-96 and 2003-2005. Australia recently declared its intention to seek a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2013-2014. Australia takes a prominent part in many other UN activities, including peacekeeping, nonproliferation and disarmament negotiations, and narcotics control. Australia also is active in meetings of the Commonwealth Regional Heads of Government and the Pacific Islands Forum, and has been a leader in the Cairns Group—countries pressing for agricultural trade reform in World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations—and in founding the APEC forum. In 2002, Australia joined the International Criminal Court.

Australia has devoted particular attention to relations between developed and developing nations, with emphasis on the ten countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the island states of the South Pacific. Australia is an active participant in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which promotes regional cooperation on security issues, and has been a member of the East Asia Summit since its inauguration in 2005. In September 1999, acting under a UN Security Council mandate, Australia led an international coalition to restore order in East Timor upon Indonesia's withdrawal from that territory. In 2006, Australia participated in an international peacekeeping operation in Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor). Australia led a regional mission to restore law and order in Solomon Islands in 2003 and again in 2006. Australia is part of the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, which also includes the United States.

The government is committed to increasing official development assistance to 0.5% of gross national income by 2015-2016. Australia budgeted A$3.79 billion (U.S. $3.03 billion) for FY 2008-2009 and has budgeted A$3.82 billion (U.S. $3.05 billion) for FY 2009-2010. The Australian aid program is currently concentrated in Southeast Asia (Papua New Guinea and Indonesia are the largest recipients) and the Pacific Islands. Selected aid flows are allocated to Africa, South Asia, and reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq. Contributions to multilateral organizations and other expenses account for about one-third of the foreign assistance budget.

===ANZUS and Defense===
The Australia, New Zealand, United States (ANZUS) security treaty was concluded at San Francisco on September 1, 1951, and entered into force on April 29, 1952. The treaty bound the signatories to recognize that an armed attack in the Pacific area on any of them would endanger the peace and safety of the others. It committed them to consult in the event of a threat and, in the event of attack, to meet the common danger in accordance with their respective constitutional processes. The three nations also pledged to maintain and develop individual and collective capabilities to resist attack.
[[File:Canberra Australia.jpg|thumb|300px|Canberra.]]
In 1984, the nature of the ANZUS alliance changed after the Government of New Zealand refused access to its ports by nuclear-weapons-capable and nuclear-powered ships of the U.S. Navy. The United States suspended defense obligations to New Zealand, and annual bilateral meetings between the U.S. Secretary of State and the Australian Foreign Minister replaced annual meetings of the ANZUS Council of Foreign Ministers. The first bilateral meeting was held in Canberra in 1985. At the second, in San Francisco in 1986, the United States and Australia announced that the United States was suspending its treaty security obligations to New Zealand pending the restoration of port access. Since 1985, U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense and the Australian Foreign and Defense Ministers have held 20 Australia-U.S. Ministerial consultations (AUSMIN), alternating between Australia and the United States. The next AUSMIN is scheduled to take place in Australia in 2010.

The U.S.-Australia alliance under the ANZUS Treaty remains in full force. AUSMIN meetings are supplemented by consultations between the U.S. Combatant Commander, Pacific and the Australian Chief of Defense Force. There also are regular civilian and military consultations between the two governments at lower levels.

ANZUS has no integrated defense structure or dedicated forces. However, in fulfillment of ANZUS obligations, Australia and the United States conduct a variety of joint activities. These include military exercises ranging from naval and landing exercises at the task-group level to battalion-level special forces training to numerous smaller-scale exercises, assigning officers to each other's armed services, and standardizing, where possible, equipment and operational doctrine. The two countries also operate joint defense facilities in Australia.

Following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, then-Prime Minister Howard and U.S. President George W. Bush jointly invoked the ANZUS Treaty for the first time on September 14, 2001. Australia was one of the earliest participants in Operation Enduring Freedom. Australian Defense Forces participated in coalition military action against Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Australian combat forces began their withdrawal from Iraq in mid-2008 and forces are to be fully removed by July 2009. Australia has approximately 1,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan and also provides significant development and capacity building assistance to the country. Based on growing defense commitments, Australia decided to increase the Australian Army from 26,000 to 30,000 over the next several years. This will enable the reestablishment of two infantry battalions, as well as enabling troops, such as a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) unit.

The Australian Government has stated its intention to maintain its investment in future capability of the Australian Defense Force (ADF). To do so, the government has committed to a 3% annual growth in real defense funding through 2018—and 2.2% annual real growth beyond—to ensure the ADF can continue to meet capability and interoperability goals. The Australian Defense Force numbers about 54,000 active duty personnel, with planned increases to 57,000 within the next decade. The Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) front-line fleet currently includes 12 frigates, including 4 of the Adelaide class and 8 Australian-built ANZAC class. In August 2004, Australia selected the Aegis Combat Control System for its three air warfare destroyers (AWD), which will start coming into service in 2014. The F/A-18 fighter, built in Australia under license from the U.S. manufacturer, is the principal combat aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force, backed by the U.S.-built F-111 strike aircraft. In October 2002, Australia became a Level III partner in the U.S.-led Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. Additionally, the Australian Government signed the JSF Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development MOU in 2006. Australia is projected to buy up to 100 JSF aircraft with deliveries starting in 2013 and running through 2020. The F-111 strike aircraft are scheduled to exit service by 2010 and will be replaced by 24 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters as an interim strike capability with deliveries commencing in 2010. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) took delivery of the last aircraft in its buy of 4 Lockheed C-17 strategic airlift aircraft in 2008. In addition, Boeing will provide the Commonwealth of Australia's RAAF with an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system based on the Next-Generation 737-700 aircraft as the airborne platform. Recent U.S. sales to the Australian Army include the M1A1 AIM tank, as well as Hellfire and JAVELIN munitions. Future opportunities include CH-47 helicopter replacements, navy helicopter replacements, light and medium cargo aircraft replacements and artillery systems.

In May 2009, the Australian Government released its Defense White Paper, outlining Australia’s long-term strategic outlook. In addition to buying the JSF aircraft, the White Paper proposes to double Australia’s submarine fleet to 12, replace the ANZAC class frigates, and replace the army’s armored personnel carriers.

==Economy==
[[Image:Melbourne tram 250.jpg|thumb|220px|A Melbourne tram.]]
For more see: [[Australian economy]]

Since the 1980s, Australia has undertaken significant structural reform of its economy and has transformed itself from an inward-looking, highly protected, and regulated marketplace to an open, internationally competitive, export-oriented economy. Key economic reforms included unilaterally reducing high tariffs and other protective barriers to free trade, floating the Australian dollar, deregulating the financial services sector, including liberalizing access for foreign banks, increasing flexibility in the labor market, reducing duplication and increasing efficiency between the federal and state branches of government, privatizing many government-owned monopolies, and reforming the taxation system, including introducing a broad-based Goods and Services Tax (GST) and large reductions in income tax rates.
[[File:Salamanca-Market-2008 Australia.jpg|left|320px]]
Australia enjoys a higher standard of living than any G7 country other than the United States. Australia's economic standing in the world is a result of a commitment to best-practice macroeconomic policy settings, including the delegation of the conduct of monetary policy to the independent Reserve Bank of Australia, and a broad acceptance of prudent fiscal policy where the government aims for fiscal balance over the economic cycle. Largely due to the fall in revenue as a result of the global economic downturn, net government debt is projected to reach about A$188 billion (U.S. $150.4 billion) in four years. The previous government, drawing from budget surpluses, created the “Future Fund” to provide for future liabilities resulting from the retirement of civil servants. The Government of Australia is predicting negative 0.5% growth in the 2009-2010 fiscal year; the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted growth to be negative 1.4% for 2009.

Over 2008, unemployment has risen to around 5.5% from 4.2%, and the labor market participation has remained at around 65%. Both the federal and state governments have recognized the need to invest heavily in water, transport, ports, telecommunications, and education infrastructure to expand Australia's supply capacity. The largest river system in Australia, the Murray-Darling, and related coastal lakes and wetlands in South Australia are critically threatened and the government has developed a plan to improve irrigation infrastructure and efficiency and buy back unused water allocations along the river.
*GDP (2009-2010 estimate): A$1.17 trillion (U.S. $893.6 billion).
*Inflation rate (year to March 2009): 2.5% per annum.
*Reserve Bank official interest rate (May 2009): 3.00%.
*Trade: Exports ($178.9 billion, 2008 estimate)--coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment. Major markets—Japan, China, South Korea, U.S. ($10.7 billion), and New Zealand. Imports ($187.2 billion, 2008 estimate)--machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products. Major suppliers—China, United States ($23.96 billion), Japan, Singapore, and Germany.
*Exchange rate (May 2011): U.S. $1.05 = A$1

====Energy====
[[File:Energy 500kv-power-lines Australia.jpg|right|400px]]
Australia is rich in natural resources with significant petroleum, natural gas and coal reserves. Australia’s energy consumption is dominated by coal, which fuels most of the country’s power generation. Petroleum accounts for a large share of energy consumption, but due to declining output, Australia is facing a growing dependence on petroleum imports. Over the past two decades, Australia has steadily consumed increasing amounts of natural gas, which is likely to continue over the medium term.<ref>See Energy Information Administration, "Australia" (2009) [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Australia/Background.html online]</ref>

Australia is one of the four countries (along with Norway, Canada and Mexico) belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that is a significant net energy exporter. Australia is the world’s largest coal exporter and is the fifth largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Australia’s prospects for expanding energy exports in the future are promising as Asian demand for both coal and LNG rises. However, Australia can expect increasing export competition from China (coal) and Indonesia (coal and LNG).

In July 2005, the Australian government formed the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). The AER is responsible for economic regulation in Australian energy markets. In addition, the AER promotes investment in the energy sector to ensure supply security, while monitoring prices faced by end users. In 2006, Australia’s 13 government bodies transferred energy regulation responsibility to the AER. The AER is seeking $23 billion in infrastructure investments over the next 15 years.

====Comparing Australian and U.S. Economic and Health statistics====
Whilst the Australian society is similar in many aspects to those of the U.S., a comparison of key economic (in $U.S.) and health indicators highlights some interesting fundamental differences:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! !!Australia!!U.S.
|-
| '''GDP Per Capita'''
| $32,900.00
| $43,500.00
|-
| '''Budget Deficit/Surplus''' Per capita
| $444.00 surplus. Australia has had budget surpluses every year since 2001
| $841.00 deficit
|-
| '''Public Debt'''
| 14.1% of GDP
| 64.7% of GDP
|-
| '''Military Expenditure'''
| 2.5% of GDP
| 4.06% of GDP
|-
| '''Life Expectancy at Birth''' (combined male and female)
| 80.5 years
| 77.85 years
|-
| '''Infant Mortality Rates''' deaths/1,000 live births
| 4.63
| 6.43
|-
| '''HIV/AIDS Prevalence Rates'''
| 0.1% of population
| 0.6% of population
|}
Australia has a universal health scheme and significant subsidies on most prescription medications.

== History==
''See main article [[History of Australia]]''

Australia was uninhabited until stone-culture peoples arrived, perhaps by boat across the waters separating the island from the Indonesia archipelago more than 40,000 years ago. Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and English explorers observed the island before 1770, when Captain Cook explored the east coast and claimed it for Great Britain.
[[File:Aboriginal art Australia.jpg|thumb|300px|Aboriginal art.]]
On January 26, 1788 (now celebrated as Australia Day), the so-called '''First Fleet''' landed at Sydney and the Colony of New South Wales was established. Many, but by no means all, of the first settlers were convicts, some condemned for offenses that today would often be thought trivial. From the mid-19th century convict transportation to Australia significantly declined; the last ship to arrive was in 1868. Many officers of the Royal Navy received grants and established large farms and ranches. Ranchers who used government lands for their herds of sheep were informally called "squatters"; despite the term, most were wealthy. The discovery of gold in 1851 led to increased immigration, wealth, and trade. A third of the new arrivals were Irish Catholics, and there emerged a political and cultural tension between them and the Protestant British.

The six colonies that became the states of the Australian Commonwealth were established in the following order: New South Wales, 1788; Tasmania, 1825; Western Australia, 1829; South Australia, 1836; Victoria, 1851; and Queensland, 1859. Settlement preceded these dates in most cases.

Negotiations between Australians and the government in London led Parliament to create the '''Commonwealth of Australia''' in 1900, effective January 1, 1901.

Australia came of age in World War I, when it supported the British war effort, and imprisoned German citizens living there. The great defeat at Gallipoli focused Australia's heroes self-image.
[[File:UNMCK Australia.jpg|left|280px]]
In May 1927, the seat of government was transferred to Canberra, a planned city designed by American Walter Burley Griffin. Australia passed the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act on October 9, 1942 (with effect as of September 3, 1939), which officially established Australia's complete autonomy in both internal and external affairs and formalized a situation that had existed for years.<ref>The Australia Act (effective March 3, 1986) eliminated almost all remaining vestiges of British legal authority, including the ability to appeal to the British Privy Council.</ref>

In World War II Australia again rallied to the British cause, but were left practically undefended when at fall of Singapore in 1942 the Japanese captured much of the Australian army. The rest of the army was rushed back from the Middle East to defend against a possible Japanese invasion. Britain was no help, so Australia turned, permanently, to the United States for its defense.

In practice the monarch is only symbolic—a symbol especially of ties to the [[British Empire]] that the Irish and new immigrants are unwilling to continue. In 1998,republicans were given a free hand to choose the form of republic they wanted. This was put to a referendum in 1999, and enjoyed strong support among the politicians and in the mainstream media. But a campaign led by a group, [http://www.norepublic.com.au Australians for Constitutional Monarchy ] resulted in the defeat of the referendum in all states and 72% of electorates. Republicans remain unable to agree on how to replace the present system—whether with a powerful elected president responsible directly to the people, or with a weak president chosen by the government (as in Germany), the model which was rejected in 1999 because of distrust of politicians.

== See also ==

* [[Australian dollar]]
* [[Currency#Australia|Currency: Australia]]

==Bibliography==

===References===
* Bambrick, Susan ed. ''The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Australia'' (1994)
* Davison, Graeme, John Hirst, and Stuart Macintyre, eds. ''The Oxford Companion to Australian History'' (2001) online at many academic libraries; also [http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Companion-Australian-History/dp/019551503X/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209696680&sr=8-6 excerpt and text search]
* O'Shane, Pat et al. ''Australia: The Complete Encyclopedia'' (2001)
* Shaw, John, ed. ''Collins Australian Encyclopedia'' (1984)
* Serle. Percival, ed. ''Dictionary of Australian Biography'' (1949) [http://gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/00-dict-biogIndex.html online edition]
[[File:Aussie1.jpg|thumb|280px]]
===Guides===
* ''Australia For Dummies'' by Marc Llewellyn and Lee Mylne. (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Australia-Dummies-Travel-Marc-Llewellyn/dp/0470178345/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254126338&sr=1-8 excerpt and text search]
* '' Central Australia: Adelaide to Darwin'' by Charles Rawlings-Way and Meg Worby (2009) [http://www.amazon.com/Central-Australia-Adelaide-Darwin-Regional/dp/1741046637/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254126389&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
* ''Frommer's Australia 2009'' by Lee Mylne et al. (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Frommers-Australia-2009-Complete/dp/0470345446/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254126132&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* ''Moon Living Abroad in Australia'' by James M. Lane (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Living-Abroad-Australia-James/dp/1598801392/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254126389&sr=1-24 excerpt and text search]
* ''The Rough Guide to Australia'' by Margo Daly et al. (2009) [http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-Australia-Travel-Guides/dp/1848360738/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254126389&sr=1-13 excerpt and text search]
* Vaisutis, Justine et al. ''Lonely Planet Sydney & New South Wales'' (2009) [http://www.amazon.com/Australia-Country-Guide-Justine-Vaisutis/dp/174179160X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254126132&sr=1-4 excerpt and text search]

===Economics and business===
* Kelly, Paul. ''The End of Certainty: Power, Politics and Business in Australia,'' (1994)
* McLean, Ian W. "Consumer Prices and Expenditure Patterns in Australia 1850-1914." ''Australian Economic History Review''(1999) 39(1): 1-28; includes a consumer price index (CPI) for the period 1850 to 1914. Issn: 0004-8992 Fulltext: [[Ebsco]]
* Moran, Anthony. ''Australia: Nation, Belonging, and Globalization'' Routledge, 2004 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=108858937 online edition]
*Robinson GM, Loughran RJ, and Tranter PJ. ''Australia and New Zealand: economy, society and environment''.(2000)

===Environment and Geography===
* Appleton, Richard, and Barbara Appleton. ''The Cambridge Dictionary of Australian Places'' (1993)
* Dovers, Stephen. ''Australian Environmental History: Essays & Cases'' (1995) [http://www.amazon.com/Australian-Environmental-History-Essays-Cases/dp/0195534824/ref=sr_1_8/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193540375&sr=1-8 excerpt and text search]
* Garden, Don. ''Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific: An Environmental Hisory.'' ABC-CLIO, 2005. 398 pp.
* Hutton, Drew, and Libby Connors. ''History of the Australian Environment Movement'' (1999) [http://www.amazon.com/History-Australian-Environment-Movement-Hutton/dp/052145686X/ref=sr_1_4/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193540375&sr=1-4 excerpt and text search]
* Lines, William. ''Taming the Great South Land: A History of the Conquest of Nature in Australia'' (1992)
*Powell JM . ''An Historical Geography of Modern Australia: The Restive Fringe''. (1988)
*Robinson GM, Loughran RJ, and Tranter PJ. ''Australia and New Zealand: economy, society and environment''.(2000)

===History===
see [[History of Australia]] for more detaile guide
* Atkinson, Alan. ''The Europeans in Australia: A History. Vol. 2: Democracy.'' (2005). 440 pp.
* Barker, Anthony. ''What Happened When: A Chronology of Australia from 1788.'' Allen & Unwin. 2000. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=108433410 online edition]
* Basset, Jan. ''The Oxford Illustrated Dictionary of Australian History'' (1998)
* Bolton, Geoffrey. ''The Oxford History of Australia: Volume 5: 1942-1995. The Middle Way'' (2005)
* Clarke, Frank G. ''The History of Australia'' (2002). [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=101344125 online edition]
* Davison, Graeme, John Hirst, and Stuart Macintyre, eds. ''The Oxford Companion to Australian History'' (2001) online at many academic libraries; also [http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Companion-Australian-History/dp/019551503X/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209696680&sr=8-6 excerpt and text search]
* Day, David. ''Claiming a Continent: A New History of Australia'' (2001);
* Edwards, John. ''Curtin's Gift: Reinterpreting Australia's Greatest Prime Minister,'' (2005) [http://www.questia.com/read/108661368 online edition]
* Hughes, Robert. ''The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia’s Founding'' (1988). [http://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Shore-Robert-Hughes/dp/0099448548/ref=pd_bbs_3/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193540375&sr=1-3 excerpt and text search]
* Kemp, Rod, and Marion Stanton, eds. ''Speaking for Australia: Parliamentary Speeches That Shaped Our Nation'' Allen & Unwin, 2004 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=110168653 online edition]
* Kingston, Beverley. ''The Oxford History of Australia: Volume 3: 1860-1900 Glad, Confident Morning'' (1993)
* Kociumbas, Jan. ''The Oxford History of Australia: Volume 2: 1770-1860 Possessions'' (1995)
* Macintyre, Stuart. ''The Oxford History of Australia: Volume 4: 1901-42, the Succeeding Age'' (1993)
* Macintyre, Stuart. ''A Concise History of Australia'' (2nd. ed. 2009) [http://www.amazon.com/Concise-History-Australia-Cambridge-Histories/dp/0521735939/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254126389&sr=1-14 excerpt and text search]
* Martin, A. W. ''Robert Menzies: A Life'' (2 vol 1993-99), online at ACLS e-books
* Megalogenis, George. ''The Longest Decade'' (2nd ed. 2009), politics 1990-2008
* Schreuder, Deryck, and Stuart Ward, eds. ''Australia's Empire'' (Oxford History of the British Empire Companion Series) (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Australias-Empire-History-British-Companion/dp/0199273731/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226788019&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Serle. Percival, ed. ''Dictionary of Australian Biography'' (1949)[http://gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/00-dict-biogIndex.html online edition]
* Taylor, Peter. ''The Atlas of Australian History'' (1991)
* Welsh, Frank. ;;Australia: A New History of the Great Southern Land'' (2008)

===International Relations and Military===
* Bridge, Carl ed., ''Munich to Vietnam: Australia's Relations with Britain and the United States since the 1930s,'' Melbourne University Press 1991
* Dennis, Peter, Jeffrey Grey, Ewan Morris, and Robin Prior. ''The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History.'' (1996)
* Firth, Stewart. ''Australia in International Politics: An Introduction to Australian Foreign Policy'' (2005) [http://www.questia.com/read/108662470 online edition]
* Grant, Ian. ''A Dictionary of Australian Military History - from Colonial Times to the Gulf War'' (1992)
* Lee, David. ''Search for Security: The Political Economy of Australia's Postwar Foreign and Defence Policy'' (1995)
* McLean, David. "From British Colony to American Satellite? Australia and the USA during the Cold War," ''Australian Journal of Politics & History" (2006) 52 (1), 64–79. Rejects satellite model. [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8497.2006.00408a.x online at Blackwell-Synergy]
* McLean, David. "Australia in the Cold War: a Historiographical Review." ''International History Review'' (2001) 23(2): 299-321. Issn: 0707-5332
* Murphy, John. ''Harvest of Fear: A History of Australia's Vietnam War'' (1993)
* Watt, Alan. ''The Evolution of Australian Foreign Policy 1938–1965,'' Cambridge University Press, 1967

===Culture and society===
* Bebbington, Warren. ''A Dictionary of Australian Music'' (1999)
* Bennett, Bruce et al. ''The Oxford Literary History of Australia'' (1999)
* Bennett, Tony, and David Carter. ''Culture in Australia: Policies, Publics and Programs'' (2001) [http://www.amazon.com/Culture-Australia-Reshaping-Australian-Institutions/dp/0521004039/ref=sr_1_47/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193533775&sr=8-47 excerpt and text search]
* Breward, Ian. ''A History of the Churches in Australasia.'' (2002). 474 pp.
* Carey, Hilary. ''Believing in Australia: A Cultural History of Religions'' (1996)
* Horton, David. ''The Encyclopedia of Aboriginal Australia: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History, Society and Culture'' (2001)
* Huggan Graham. ''Postcolonialism, Racism, Transnationalism'' (Oxford Studies in Postcolonial Literatures) (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Australian-Literature-Postcolonialism-Transnationalism-Postcolonial/dp/0199274622/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209696680&sr=8-10 excerpt and text search]
* Jupp, James, ed. ''The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, its People and their Origins'' (2nd ed. 2002) 960pp [http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0521807891/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-4827826-5463040#reader-link excerpt and text search]
* Jupp, James. ''The English in Australia'' (2004) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0521542952/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-4827826-5463040#reader-link excerpt and text search]
* Kleinert, Sylvia. and Margo Neale. ''The Oxford Companion to Aboriginal Art and Culture'' (2001)
* Leitner, Gerhard. ''Australia's Many Voices: Australian English--the National Language'' (2004) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/3110181940/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-4827826-5463040#reader-link excerpt and text search]
* Love, J.W. ed. ''Australia and the Pacific Islands'' (Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 9) (1998) [http://www.amazon.com/Australia-Pacific-Islands-Garland-Encyclopedia/dp/0824060385/ref=sr_1_14/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193533487&sr=8-14 excerpt and text search]
* McAllister, Ian, Steve Dowrick, Riaz Hassan; ''The Cambridge Handbook of the Social Sciences in Australia'' Cambridge University Press, 2003 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=108131347 online edition]
* McCulloch, Alan. ''Encyclopedia of Australian Art'' 2 vol (1984)
* McDonald, John. ''Federation: Australian Art and Society, 1901-2001. Natl. Gallery of Australia, 2002. 264 pp.
* Moran, Albert. ''Historical Dictionary of Australian Radio and Television'' (2007)
* Nile, Richard. ''The Making of the Australian Literary Imagination.'' (2002). 315 pp.
* Rickard, John, ''Australia: A Cultural History'' (1988)
* Webby, Elizabeth. ''The Cambridge Companion to Australian Literature'' (2000) [http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Companion-Australian-Literature-Companions/dp/0521658438/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209696680&sr=8-7 excerpt and text search]
* Wilde, William H. et al eds. ''The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature'' (1995) online at [[OUP]] [http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Companion-Australian-Literature/dp/019553381X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209696680&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search]
* ''The Oxford Literary History of Australia.''
* Samuels, Selina, ed. ''Australian Writers, 1915-50.'' (2002). 510 pp.
* Sayers, Andrew. ''Australian Art'' (2001) [http://www.amazon.com/Australian-Art-Oxford-History/dp/0192842145/ref=sr_1_7/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193540375&sr=1-7 excerpt and text search]
* Webby, Elizabeth, ed. ''The Cambridge Companion to Australian Literature'' (2006)
* Wannan, Bill. ''A Dictionary of Australian Folklore: Lore, Legends, Myths and Traditions'' (1988)

==Primary sources==
* [http://samizdat.stores.yahoo.net/auslitandhis.html Australia: Literature and History 136 e-books]

==External links==
* [http://www.fed.gov.au Australian Government portal]
* [http://www.aph.gov.au Australian Parliament House (Reps & Senate) portal]
* [http://www.gg.gov.au Governor-General of Australia]
*[http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/oceania.htm Australia and Oceania]
* [http://www.norepublic.com.au Australians for Constitutional Monarchy]
* [http://www.crownedrepublic.com.au The Crowned Republic ]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{| style="width: 100%; background:transparent; border: 2px solid #000099;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1"
!colspan=2 style="width: 100%; text-align: center; background-color: #000088; color: white; "|'''Copyright Details'''
|-
!style="background-color: #000088; color:white;"|License:
|style=" background-color: none;"| Some of the text for this article is in the [[Public Domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the U.S. Code
|-
!style=" background-color: #000088; color:white;"|Source:
|style="background-color: none;border-top: 2px solid black"| File available from the {{{1|[[United States Federal Government]] [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2698.htm]}}}.
|}

[[Category:Oceanian Countries]]
[[Category:Continents]]
[[Category:Australia]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]
[[Category:British Empire]]
[[Category:Bibliographies]]

Germany

2018-05-16T18:23:09Z

Qaz: corrected to what source article says

{{Country
|name =''Bundesrepublik Deutschland''
|map =Germany rel 94.jpg
|map2 =Loc of Germany.PNG
|flag =Flag of Germany.JPG
|arms =Arms of Germany.png
|capital =Berlin
|capital-raw =
|government =Federal Republic (Parliamentary)
|government-raw =
|language =German
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =Frank-Walter Steinmeier
|president-raw =
|chancellor =Angela Merkel
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =
|pm-raw =
|area =137,858 sq mi
|pop =80,722,792
|pop-basis =2016
|gdp =
|gdp-year =$3.045 trillion (2006)
|gdp-pc =$36,975 (2006)
|currency =[[Euro]] (formerly the [[Deutsche Mark]])
|idd =
|tld =.de
}}
:''For the impact on left-wing policies on Germany and the rest of Europe, see [[European migrant crisis]]''
'''Germany''' (official name: '''Federal Republic of Germany''') is a federally organized Representative [[Democracy]] in [[Central Europe]] with a population of about 82.2 million. The capital city and seat of government is [[Berlin]].

The major ethnic groups are German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4% Polish 1%, Yugoslavs 1% and others 4%. 29% of the population are Protestants, 27% are Roman Catholics and 4.4% are Muslim.<ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html</ref>

As Europe's largest economy and the most populous nation wholly within Europe, Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. The central German bank, the [[Bundesbank]], has historically been the most influential force within the financial markets of the European Union.

Currently Germany is ruled by the pseudo-conservative [[Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU) under chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] and the left-wing [[SPD]]. Before it was ruled by CDU and the left-liberal [[Free Democratic Party]] (FDP).

In June 2017, both German parliament chambers voted to legalize [[Same-sex marriage|same-sex "marriage"]]. The new law went into effect on October 1, 2017. The Bavarian state government is currently investigating a possible appeal to the German constitutional court.

==People==
===Demography===
[[File:German-fans.jpg|thumb|250px|German fans.]]
In 2005 there were 388,451 marriages and 201,693 divorces. There were 685,795 births and 830,227 deaths. The number of births has dropped from 767,000 in 2000, while the deaths have risen from 179,600.

The average age at marrying (for the first time) for men was 32 and for women 29. Abortions are officially illegal, according to a 1995 law. However, prosecutions are not brought if they are performed in the first three months of pregnancy after consultation with a doctor. The annual abortion rate, at under ten per 1,000 women aged 15–44, is among the lowest in the world

In 2005 10.2% of all children lived in poverty (in households with income below 50% of the national median).

Germany had a Net Reproduction Rate (NRR) of 0.66 in 1999. A rate of NRR=1.0 equals a constant population. Therefore, in terms of births and deaths (and not counting immigration) the population is shrinking by 34% between generations.[3]

Life expectancy of females at birth in West Germany rose from 71 years in 1954 to 80 years in 2000; the expectancy for boys rose from 66 to 75. Expectancy in the eastern zone was about three years less.

Projected population in 2050 is 76 million, down from the present 82 million. There will be more deaths than births, and that is largely offset by a net inflow of immigrants from 2000 to 2050, predicted to be about 240,000 per year.

<blockquote>
Germany's recent debate about immigration misses an important reality: for Germany, and most all developed countries, attracting educated and skilled foreign workers is a matter of economic survival.<ref>[http://www.cfr.org/germany/germanys-immigration-dilemma/p24213 Germany's Immigration Dilemma.]</ref>
</blockquote>

===Ethnicity===
[[File:Germany - houses.jpg|left|340px]]
Most inhabitants of Germany are ethnic German. There are, however, more than 7 million foreign residents, many of whom are the families and descendants of so-called "guest workers" (foreign workers, mostly from Turkey, invited to Germany in the 1950s and 1960s to fill labor shortages) who remained in Germany. Germany has a sizable ethnic Turkish population. Germany is also a prime destination for political and economic refugees from many developing countries. An ethnic Danish minority lives in the north, and a small Slavic minority known as the Sorbs lives in eastern Germany. Due to restrictive German citizenship laws, most "foreigners" do not hold German citizenship even when born and raised in Germany. However, since the German government undertook citizenship and immigration law reforms in 2002, more foreign residents have had the ability to naturalize.

===Education===
Germany has one of the world's highest average levels of education, technological development, and economic productivity. Since the end of World War II, the number of youths entering universities has more than tripled, and the trade and technical schools of the Federal Republic of Germany (F.R.G.) are reasonable good. German 15-year olds score about average in comparison with similar countries.

At the university level, however, there has been a dramatic decline in quality from the days before Hitler, when German universities were the best in the world. Since the student revolts of 1968, conditions at the once-famous universities have deteriorated badly. A strong egalitarianism prevents the re-emergence of world class faculties and no German university ranks among the top 40 in the world.<ref>Gebhard Schweigler, "Heidelberg is Not Harvard …and Germany is embarrassed." [http://www.atlantic-times.com/archive_detail.php?recordID=83 ''The Atlantic Times'' Dec. 2004]</ref>

The conservative government has tried to reverse the decline by offering €1.9 billion (about $2.7 billion) in excellence grants to numerous schools spread over a period of five years—far less money than Harvard spends in one year. Little improvement has been reported from this small investment. The leading schools are Freiburg, Heidelberg and Konstanz (all in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg), Aachen, Göttingen, the Free University of Berlin, two schools in Munich and Karlsruhe’s Technical University.<ref>Lutz Lichtenberger, "Selective Upgrades The government’s 'Excellence Initiative' grants German universities small packs of ivy seeds," [http://www.atlantic-times.com/archive_detail.php?recordID=1080 ''The Atlantic Times'' Nov. 2007]</ref> Meanwhile, top German scientists and engineers migrate to the United States, where their talents are appreciated.

===Standard of Living===
[[File:Living Germany.jpg|left|170px]]
With a per capita income level of more than $28,700, Germany is a broadly middle class society. A generous social welfare system provides for universal medical care, unemployment compensation, and other social needs. Millions of Germans travel abroad each year.

With unification on October 3, 1990, Germany began the major task of bringing the standard of living of Germans in the former German Democratic Republic (G.D.R.) up to that of western Germany. This has been a lengthy and difficult process due to the relative inefficiency of industrial enterprises in the former G.D.R., difficulties in resolving property ownership in eastern Germany, and the inadequate infrastructure and environmental damage that resulted from years of mismanagement under communist rule.
{{Clear}}

===Extremism===
Economic malaise in eastern Germany is one factor contributing to extremist violence, primarily from the political right. Confusion about the causes of the current hardships and a need to place blame has found expression in harassment and violence by some Germans directed toward foreigners, particularly non-Europeans. The vast majority of Germans condemn such violence.

Wolfgang Schaube, the Interior minister 2005-9, was shot by a deranged man in 1990 and is confined to a wheel chair. He calls on Germans to feel more patriotic, and for immigrants to assimilate faster. He has adopted tough policies on policing and anti-terrorism, such as giving the military authority to shoot down hijacked planes.

===Religion===
[[Image:St Stephens Cathedral interior.jpg|thumb|left|300px|St. Stephens Cathedral (''Stephansdom'') in Passau, Bavaria.]]
In 2006 the Roman Catholic Church reported a membership of 25.7 million. The Evangelical Church, a confederation of the Lutheran, Uniate, and Reformed Protestant Churches, has 25.3 million members. Together, these two churches account for nearly two-thirds of the population.<ref>According to [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108448.htm U.S. State Department, "International Religious Freedom Report 2008"]</ref>
[[File:Church pipe organ St Stephen s Cathedral of Passau Germany..jpg|thumb|Church pipe organ, St. Stephen's Cathedral of Passau.]]
Protestant Christian denominations include: New Apostolic Church, 371,305; Ethnic German Baptists from the former Soviet Union (FSU), 85,000; and Baptist, 75,000. Muslims number 3.5 million, including Sunnis, 2.5 million; Alevis, 410,000; and Shi'a, 225,000. Until 2004 the annual number of conversions to Islam was 300, largely Christian women native citizens marrying Muslim men; however, since 2004 the annual numbers of conversions have jumped into the thousands. There are approximately 2,600 Islamic places of worship, including an estimated 150 traditional architecture mosques, with 100 more mosques being planned. One million Muslims are citizens. Orthodox Christians number 1.4 million, including Greek Orthodox/Constantinople Patriarchate, 450,000; Serbian Orthodox, 250,000; Romanian Orthodox, 300,000; and Russian Orthodox/Moscow Patriarchate, 150,000. Buddhists number 245,000, Jehovah's Witnesses 165,000, and Hindus 97,500. The Church of Scientology operates 18 churches and missions, and according to press reports, it has 30,000 members. However, according to the Offices for the Protection of the Constitution (OPC) in Brandenburg and Hamburg, the Church of Scientology has 5,000-6,000 members.

According to estimates, Jews number more than 200,000, of which 107,330 are registered members of the Jewish community. Of these registered community members, 100,967 are immigrants and 6,363 are originally from the country. From 1990 to 2006, approximately 202,000 Jews and non-Jewish dependents from the countries of the FSU arrived, joining 25,000 to 30,000 Jews already in the country. As a result of a more restrictive immigration policy regarding Jews from the FSU, the number of Jewish immigrants decreased to 1,296 in 2007 from 1,971 in 2006 and 3,124 in 2005. The new policy was designed in cooperation with Jewish organizations in order to better manage the integration of individuals into the Jewish community.

An estimated 21 million persons (one-quarter of the population) either have no religious affiliation or belong to unrecorded religious organizations.

On December 18, 2007, the Bertelsmann Foundation published a survey on religious convictions and practice in the country, which failed to confirm the commonly held belief that the country was becoming more secular. Fully 70% of adult respondents said they were religious, and of those, 18% said they were "deeply religious" and regularly attend worship services, up from 15% in earlier studies. In the 18-29 age group, 41% expressed a belief in eternal life and a divine being, more than in any other age bracket. Roman Catholics report that 15% of nominal Catholics regularly attend Sunday Mass. Seventeen years after reunification, the country's eastern part remains far more secular than the west. The Bertelsmann Foundation found former easterners self-identified as 36% religious and 8% deeply religious, in contrast with 78% and 21%, respectively, for those from the west. Only 5 to 10% of eastern citizens belong to a religious organization, but numbers are increasing among non-Lutheran Protestants in the east.
====Discrimination====
[[File:Muslims in Europe map.jpg|thumb|290px|Muslims in Europe by country.]]
There have been recent reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, and practice. Right-wing extremists committed politically motivated crimes against minorities including religious groups, as well as anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic acts. Cemeteries were desecrated, and Muslim communities sometimes suffered societal discrimination when building new mosques and finding allotments of land for cemeteries; however, many members of Government and civil society initiated discussions about Muslim integration and expressed their commitment to addressing the issue. The Roman Catholic and Evangelical churches continued to use "sect commissioners" to warn the public of dangers from some minority religious groups such as the Unification Church, Scientologists, Universal Life (Universelles Leben), and Transcendental Meditation practitioners. Scientologists continue to find "sect filters" used against them in employment as well as discrimination in political party membership.

<blockquote>
Muslim population is around 3 million (3.6%); the majority of the Muslim population is Turkish, with many retaining strong links to Turkey. Others arrived from Bosnia and Kosovo during the Balkan wars. Until recently Muslims were considered "guest workers", who would one day leave the country - a view that is changing. Racist violence is a sensitive issue, with the authorities trying a range of strategies to beat it. Steps are being taken to improve integration.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4385768.stm#germany Muslims in Europe.]</ref>
</blockquote>

====Religion in schools====
Most public schools offer Protestant and Catholic religious instruction in cooperation with those churches, as well as instruction in Judaism if enough students express interest. The number of Islamic religion classes in public schools continued to grow. In principle, participants of the federal government-sponsored Islam Conference agreed that Islamic education should be made widely available. Education is a state responsibility and, in part because no nationally recognized Islamic organization exists that could assist in developing a curriculum or providing services, the form and content of Islamic instruction vary from state to state. Organizations providing Islamic instruction do not have public law corporation status.

Depending on the state, a nonreligious ethics course or study hall may be available for students not wishing to participate in religious instruction.
[[File:MUSLIM GERMANY RELIGION SCHOOL.jpg|thumb|left|330px|Coauthors Evelin Lubig-Fohsel and Guel Solgun-Kaps hold the German-language textbook they wrote for state-sponsored religion classes in Germany’s schools.]]
Islamic classes in public schools continued to be a controversial topic but were increasingly common throughout the country, except in areas where the Muslim population was too small to support them. Although no Muslim group had "public law corporation" status that would entitle them to offer Islamic courses, state governments recognized the need and demand and worked with local Muslim organizations to establish such courses. On March 13, 2008, the Interior Minister was quoted in the press indicating that the Federal Government and Muslim community leaders had reached an agreement in principle that schools should offer classes in Islam taught in German alongside the other religions, but he noted that it would take time to implement the agreement.

There are an estimated 900,000 Muslim students in the public school system; Islamic education in schools is offered in some states. At the start of the 2006‑07 school year, authorities in Baden‑Wuerttemberg established a two‑course system: one for Sunni and Shi'a students and another for Alevis. State officials and Muslim groups in Baden‑Wuerttemberg agreed upon the system and the initial reactions were positive. Some states offered similar programs while others were working with Muslim leaders to establish a uniform curriculum. Later in the year, universities in Frankfurt, Ludwigsburg, Karlsruhe, and Weingarten began offering training courses in the teaching of Islam.

The legal obligation that children attend school, confirmed by the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Justice in 2006, continued to be a problem for some home-schooling advocates, such as Baptists from the FSU in Eastern Westphalia, due to concerns about sex education and the teaching of evolution. On August 2, 2007, the Stuttgart Administrative Court dismissed the case brought by several Russian‑German immigrant families belonging to the Baptist group Gemeinde Gottes who had petitioned in 2004 to send their children to a private religious school run by members of their community. The court ruled that the teaching staff was insufficiently qualified. Other home-schooling cases remain in the court system.

<blockquote>
Public schools in Germany must offer religion classes, and pilot courses in Islam are now being offered in addition to established programs in Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism.<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2010/0120/Why-German-public-schools-now-teach-Islam Why German public schools now teach Islam.]</ref>
</blockquote>

===State support for religion===
In order to help support [[Protestant]], [[Catholic]], and [[Jewish]] religious institutions, the German state collects [[taxes]] on members of those religions and passes the funding along to the relevant religious administrative body.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19737983]</ref>

===Data===
*Population (2007 est.): 82 million.
*Ethnic groups: Primarily German; Danish minority in the north, Sorbian (Slavic) minority in the east; 7.3 million foreign residents.
*Religions: Protestants (26 million); Roman Catholics (26 million); approximately 3.2 million Muslims.
*Language: German.
*Education: Years compulsory—9-13 (depending on the Land); attendance—100%; literacy—99%.
*Health: Infant mortality rate (2006 est.)--4.12/1,000; life expectancy (2006 est.)--women 81.96 years, men 77.81 years.
*Persons employed (2006 avg.): 39.08 million; unemployed (2006 avg.): 9.8% of labor force.

==Government==
===Executive Branch===
[[File:Merkel.jpg|thumb|Angela Merkel.]]
Germany has a president as [[head of state]]. The president's powers are essentially representative.
The current president is Frank-Walter Steinmeier, succeeding [[Joachim Gauck]].

The actual political power and head of government is the chancellor ("Bundeskanzler"), who is elected by federal parliament ("Bundestag"). The chancellor is typically elected in the first session of a newly elected Bundestag for the entire legislative period of four years. The parliament can only force the chancellor to resign in a ''constructive motion of no-confidence'', if it elects at the same time a new Chancellor. The current chancellor is [[Angela Merkel|Dr. Angela Merkel]]. The current government is a coalition between the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD).
{{Clear}}

===Legislative Branch===
[[File:Bonn Bundestag Plenarsaal Germany.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Bundestag Plenarsaal at Bonn.]]
Germany has a bicameral system with a federal parliament ("Bundestag") and a representation of the states ("Bundesrat"). The members of Bundestag in elected every four years, using a personalized proportional system. The members of the Bundesrat are representatives of the state governments, and the delegations of each state are required to vote as a bloc on behalf of their governments. Each delegation has between 3 and 6 members, depending on the size of the represented state. The position of president of the Bundesrat rotates on an annual basis between the prime ministers of the states.
{{Clear}}

===Judicative Branch===
The German constitution provides for an independent jurisdiction. The highest appeals court in Germany is the Federal Court of Justice ("Bundesgerichtshof"), which is seated in the Southwestern city of [[Karlsruhe]]. Members of the Federal court are elected by a committee, with 16 delegates from the states, one from each state, appointed by the state governments, and 16 delegates appointed by the federal parliament. The Federal Constitutional Court ("Bundesverfassungsgericht") is the highest court to review decisions and acts by the executive and legislative branches of government. It can be called to determine whether public acts are unconstitutional and can render them ineffective if they are not. This court is also seated in city of Karlsruhe, and it members are elected by the Bundesrat and Bundestag, and need a 2/3 majority in each.

===Political Parties===
====Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU)====
[[File:Germ-vote-2009.jpg|200px|thumb|Exit polls from Sept. 2009 election won by the conservative coalition CDU and FDP]]
:''Main article: [[Christian Democratic Union]] and [[Christian Social Union]]
An important aspect of postwar German politics was the emergence of a moderate, ecumenical Christian party—the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)--operating in alliance with a related Bavarian party, the Christian Social Union (CSU). Although each party maintains its own structure, the two form a common caucus in the Bundestag and do not run opposing campaigns. The CDU/CSU has adherents among Catholics, Protestants, rural interests, and members of all economic classes. It is generally conservative on economic and social policy and more identified with the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches.

The September 2009 elections were a major win for the conservative forces led by Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]], breaking a stalemate and opening the way for more conservative economic policies. Previously since an indecisive election in 2005 the Christian Democrats ([[CDU]]) (on the center-right) formed a "grand coalition" with the Social Democrats ([[SPD]]) (on the center-left). From 2009 to 2013 Merkel and her CDU formed a coalition with the libertarian, pro-business [[Free Democratic Party|Free Democrats]] (FDP). Left in the cold was the SPD, the [[Alliance '90/The Greens|Greens]], and the ex-Communists who remain strong in the former East Germany under the name "[[The Left]]". Merkel moved forward on tax cuts, reform of the tax code, reduction of bureaucracy and a possible extension of the time that nuclear power plants can continue to operate.<ref>Craig Whitlock, "Germany's Merkel Reelected Easily, Will Form New Coalition," [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/27/AR2009092700631.html?nav=emailpage ''Washington Post'' Sept. 28, 2009]</ref> Merkel's program announced as she took office Oct. 28 includes $36 billion in income tax cuts, lower business taxes, and higher family benefits. The budget will be in deficit for the next four years, as the government believes the economy is too fragile for spending cuts and that more stimulus is needed to end the recession. By law the budget must be balanced by the year 2016. Nuclear power plants will be given an extension, and Merkel wants to move more of the welfare costs from corporations to households.

The CDU has the greatest base of faithful voters, but is recently struggling to maintain majorities in big cities.

====Free Democratic Party (FDP)====
:''Main article:'' [[Free Democratic Party]]
The FDP has traditionally been composed mainly of middle and upper class Protestants who consider themselves heirs to the European libertarian tradition. It supports free trade and reducing the role of the state in economic policy. It is libertarian on social issues. The party has participated in all but three postwar federal governments but had not been in federal government from 1998 to 2009.

====Social Democratic Party (SPD)====
[[File:German party SPD.jpg|140px|left]]
:''Main article:'' [[SPD]]
The SPD is one of the oldest organized political parties in the world. It originally advocated Marxist principles, but in the 1959 Godesberg Program abandoned the concept of a "class party" while continuing to stress social welfare programs. Under the leadership of Gerhard Schroeder, the SPD-Greens government implemented in 2003 the centrist Agenda 2010 reforms, designed to modernize the country's social system and labor market. The SPD has a powerful base in the bigger cities and industrialized states.

After the FDP, the partner of the CDU, left the parliament, Merkel created a "grand coalition" with the SPD.
{{Clear}}

====The Left====
:''Main article:'' [[The Left]]
The PDS (for 'Partei des demokratischen Sozialismus'; "Party of Democratic Socialism", the renamed communist party of the former East Germany, and follow-up of the [[SED]]) and the WASG (for 'Wahlalternative Arbeit und Soziale Gerechtigkeit'; "Voting alternative work and social justice" composed of west-German leftists) merged in June 2007 to form a party simply known as "[[The Left]]." The party's foreign policy is largely shaped by its rigid opposition to foreign military deployments, for example in [[Afghanistan]], and insists on an immediate pull-out. On domestic policy, the party opposes economic and social reforms, such as Hartz IV, which aim to increase free markets and reduce unemployment benefits. The Left proposes to weaken the free market system with a new orientation to democratic socialist principles. The Left also experienced a lot of criticism due to its communist wing, the 'communist platform' which makes up 4.4% of the national vote, an insufficient total to clear the 5 percent hurdle.<ref>[http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/facts/bl_electoral_system.htm German Culture.com; Electoral System of Germany (next to last paragraph)]</ref>
{{Clear}}

====Alliance 90/Greens====
:''Main article:'' [[Alliance '90/The Greens]]
In the late 1970s, environmentalists organized politically as the Greens. Opposition to nuclear power, military power, and certain aspects of highly industrialized society were principal campaign issues. In the December 1990 all-German elections, the Greens merged with the Eastern German Alliance 90, a loose grouping of civil rights activists with diverse political views. The Greens joined a federal government for the first time in 1998, forming a coalition with the SPD.

In 2012 they took advantage of the Fukushima nuclear plant desaster in Japan, allowing them to form the government of the state of Baden-Württemberg in a coalition with the SPD, which is the smaller partner this time.

====Alternative for Germany====
The [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD) is a right-wing party that was founded to in February 2013 as a reaction to the Financial crisis in Europe. A main theme area of the party is the rejection of [[Illegal Immigration]].

====Other parties====
[[File:German communist logo.jpg|thumb|200px|The logo of the German Communist Party]]
Because of the instability caused by the need for multi-party coalitions in the Weimar Republic, Germany's Basic Law today requires parties reach 5% of the vote to win seats in the Bundestag. In addition to those parties that won representation in the Bundestag in 2005, a variety of minor parties won a cumulative 2.7% of the vote, down from 3.0% in 2002. Several other parties were on the ballot in one or more states but did not qualify for representation in the federal Bundestag.

Another important party is the [[Pirate Party]] (PIRATEN).

===Principal Government Officials===
*President—Frank-Walter Steinmeier
*President of the Bundestag—Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU)
*Chancellor—Angela Merkel (CDU)
*Vice Chancellor and Minister of Finance—Olaf Scholz (SPD)
*Minister of Interior—[[Horst Seehofer]] (CSU)
*Minister of Minister of Foreign Affairs—Heiko Maas (SPD)
*Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy—Peter Altmaier (CDU)
*Minister of Justice—Katarina Barley (SPD)
*Minister of Labor and Social Affairs—Hubertus Heil (SPD)
*Minister of Defense—Ursula von der Leyen (CDU)
*Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection—Julia Klöckner (CDU)
*Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth—Franziska Giffey (SPD)
*Minister of Health—Jens Spahn (CDU)
*Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs—Andreas Scheuer (CSU)
*Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety—Svenja Schulze (SPD)
*Minister of Education and Research—Anja Karliczek (CDU)
*Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development—Gerd Müller (CSU)
*Head of the Federal Chancellery and Minister for Special Tasks—Helge Braun (CDU)

===Foreign Relations===
[[File:German Foreign Minister Welcomes Ukrainian President Yanukovych.jpg|thumb|340px|Former German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle welcomes former Ukrainian President [[Viktor Yanukovych]] in Berlin, 2010.]]
Germany continues to emphasize close ties with the United States, membership in NATO, and the "deepening" of integration among current members of the EU. The Federal Republic of Germany took part in all of the joint postwar efforts aimed at closer political, economic, and defense cooperation among the countries of western Europe. Germany has been a large net contributor to the EU budget. Germany also is a strong supporter of the United Nations and of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

During the postwar era, the Federal Republic of Germany also sought to improve its relationship with the countries of Central Europe freed from communism, first establishing trade agreements and, subsequently, diplomatic relations. With unification, German relations with the restored democracies in central and eastern Europe intensified. On November 14, 1990, Germany and Poland signed a treaty confirming the Oder-Neisse border. They also concluded a cooperation treaty on June 17, 1991. Germany concluded four treaties with the Soviet Union covering the overall bilateral relationship, economic relations, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the territory of the former G.D.R., and German support for those troops. Russia accepted obligations under these treaties as successor to the Soviet Union. Germany continues to be active economically in the states of central and eastern Europe and to actively support the development of democratic institutions, bilaterally and through the EU.

====Relations with the United States====
[[File:Nazi crowd salute.jpg|thumb|300px|Nazi crowd salute.]]
U.S.-German relations have been a focal point of American involvement in Europe since the end of World War II. Germany stands at the center of European affairs and is a key partner in U.S. relations with Europeans in NATO and the European Union.

German-American ties extend back to the colonial era. More than 7 million Germans have immigrated over the last three centuries, and today nearly a quarter of U.S. citizens claim German ancestry. In recognition of this heritage and the importance of modern-day U.S.-German ties, the U.S. President annually has proclaimed October 6, the date the first German immigrants arrived in 1623, to be "German-American Day."

U.S. policy toward Germany remains the preservation and consolidation of a close and vital relationship with Germany, not only as friends and trading partners, but also as allies sharing common institutions. During the 45 years in which Germany was divided, the U.S. role in Berlin and the large American military presence in West Germany served as symbols of the U.S. commitment to preserving peace and security in Europe. Since German unification, the U.S. commitment to these goals has not changed. The U.S. made significant reductions in its troop levels in Germany after the Cold War ended, and, on July 12, 1994, President Clinton "cased the colors" at the Berlin Brigade's deactivation ceremony. The U.S., however, continues to recognize that the security and prosperity of the United States and Germany significantly depend on each other.

As allies in NATO, the United States and Germany work side by side to maintain peace and freedom. This unity and resolve made possible the successful conclusion of the 1987 U.S.-U.S.S.R. Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), the Two-plus-Four process—which led to the Final Settlement Treaty—and the November 1990 Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty.
[[File:President and First Lady Obama with Chancellor Merkel.jpg|thumb|left|320px|President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are welcomed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband, professor Joachim Sauer, to Rathaus in Baden-Baden, Germany, 2009.]]
More recently, the two allies have cooperated closely in peacekeeping efforts in the Balkans and have worked together to encourage the evolution of open and democratic states throughout central and eastern Europe. Germany is also a strong contributor to our common effort to secure peace and stability in Afghanistan, contributing almost 3,000 troops to the NATO ISAF mission.

Following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, Germany has been a reliable U.S. ally in the campaign against terrorism. As two of the world's leading trading nations, the United States and Germany share a common, deep-seated commitment to an open and expanding world economy. Personal ties between the United States and Germany extend beyond immigration to include intensive foreign exchange programs, booming tourism in both directions, and the presence in Germany of large numbers of American military personnel and their dependents.

The United States and Germany have built a solid foundation of bilateral cooperation in a relationship that has changed significantly over nearly six decades. The historic unification of Germany and the role the United States played in that process have served to strengthen ties between the two countries.

German-American political, economic, and security relationships continue to be based on close consultation and coordination at the most senior levels. High-level visits take place frequently, and the United States and Germany cooperate actively in international forums.

====War on Terror====
Germany currently contributes troops to the NATO-led ISAF operation in [[Afghanistan]], but did not support the invasion of [[Iraq]]. German military participates in NATO Force Protection Program, protecting US military bases located in Germany.

====Libya====

[[Libyan uprising 2011]]

<blockquote>
Germany’s Defense Minister Thomas de Maziere has criticized NATO’s controversial military operation in Libya and lack of foresight when it comes to intervening in the North African country. [http://2012indyinfo.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/presstv-germany-slams-nato-mission-in-libya/]
</blockquote>

==Economy==
[[Image:The_castle3.jpg|right|thumb|270px|Neuschwanstein Castle, a popular tourist destination.]]
Germany is the world's third-largest economy and the largest in Europe.
From the 1948 currency reform until the early 1970s, West Germany experienced almost continuous economic expansion. Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed down, and even declined, from the mid-1970s through the recession of the early 1980s. The economy then experienced 8 consecutive years of growth that ended with a downturn beginning in late 1992. Since unification, Germany has seen annual average real growth of only about 1.5% and stubbornly high unemployment. In 2006, Germany had its best year since 2000 with 2.7% growth; for 2007, growth was at 2.5% despite a 3 percentage point VAT hike at the beginning of the year. The government forecasts 1.7% growth in GDP for 2008. Unemployment in 2007 dropped to an annualized average of 9.0% nationwide, but it is still significantly higher—15.1%--in the German states that make up the former East Germany.

Germans often describe their economic system as a "social market economy." The German Government provides an extensive array of social services. The state intervenes in the economy by providing subsidies to selected sectors and by owning some segments of the economy, while promoting competition and free enterprise. The government has restructured the railroad system on a corporate basis, privatized the national airline, and is privatizing telecommunications and postal services.

The German economy is heavily export-oriented, with exports accounting for more than one-third of national output. As a result, exports traditionally have been a key element in German macroeconomic expansion, accounting for over half of the economic growth in recent years. Germany is a strong advocate of closer European economic integration, and its economic and commercial policies are increasingly determined within the European Union (EU). Germany uses the common European currency, the euro, and the European Central Bank sets monetary policy.
[[File:German transmission lines.jpg|thumb|left|340px|Transmission lines and generating stations.]]
In the early-mid 2000s, Germany adopted a complex set of labor/social welfare reforms to overcome structural weaknesses of the German welfare state and to create policies more conductive to employment. Defying a skeptical German public, the coalition government of Chancellor Angela Merkel initiated additional reform measures, such as the gradual increase in the mandatory retirement age from 65 to 67—a move that would add 2.5 million to the workforce by 2030. Subsequently, however, there has been active political debate and some rollback of these labor reforms; most notably the government decided to extend the payment period of unemployment benefits to older workers in early 2008.

Fifteen years after reunification (October 3, 1990), Germany had made great progress in raising the standard of living in eastern Germany, introducing a market economy and improving its infrastructure. At the same time, the process of convergence between east and west is taking longer than originally expected and, on some measures, has stagnated since the mid-1990s. Eastern economic growth rates have been lower than in the west in recent years, unemployment is twice as high, prompting many skilled easterners to seek work in the west, and productivity continues to lag. Eastern consumption levels are dependent on public net financial transfers from west to east totaling about $13 billion per year. In addition to social assistance payments, the government will extend funds to promote eastern economic development through 2019.

The United States is Germany's second-largest trading partner, and U.S.-German trade has continued to grow strongly. Two-way trade in goods totaled $184 billion in 2007. U.S. exports to Germany were $71 billion while U.S. imports from Germany were more than $113 billion. At nearly $45 billion, the U.S.'s fifth-largest trade deficit is with Germany. Major U.S. export categories include aircraft, electrical equipment, telecommunications equipment, data processing equipment, and motor vehicles and parts. German export sales are concentrated in metalworks, motor vehicles, machinery, chemicals and heavy electrical equipment. Much bilateral trade is intra-industry or intra-firm.

Germany has a liberal foreign investment policy. For 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available, German investment in the U.S. amounted to 233 billion euros (29% of all German foreign direct investment, or FDI; the U.S. is the number-one destination for German FDI), while U.S. investment in Germany was 45 billion euros (11.5% of all FDI invested in Germany; U.S. is third-largest source of FDI in Germany).

U.S. firms employ about 510,000 people in Germany; German firms likewise employ about 746,000 people in the United States.

Despite persistence of some structural rigidities in the labor market and extensive government regulation, the economy remains strong and internationally competitive. Although production costs are very high, Germany is still an export powerhouse, and unit labor costs have decreased in the last 10 years. Additionally, Germany is strategically placed to take advantage of the rapidly growing central European countries. The current government has addressed some of the country's structural problems, with important tax, social security, and financial sector reforms.
*GDP (2007 est.): $3.1 trillion.
*Annual growth rate: (2006) 2.7%; (2007) 2.5%.
*Per capita income (PPP, 2006): $31,900.
*Inflation rate (consumer prices, 2007): 2.2%.
*Natural resources: Iron, hard coal, lignite, potash, natural gas.
*Agriculture (0.9% of GDP): Products—corn, wheat, potatoes, sugar, beets, barley, hops, viticulture, forestry, fisheries.
*Industry (29.1% of GDP): Types—car-making; mechanical, electrical, and precision engineering; chemicals; environmental technology; optics; medical technology; biotech and genetic engineering; nanotechnology; aerospace; logistics.
*Trade (2006): Exports--$1.03 trillion: chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products, manufactured goods, electrical products. Major markets—France, U.S., and U.K. Imports--$844 billion: food, petroleum products, manufactured goods, electrical products, motor vehicles, apparel. Major suppliers—France, Netherlands, U.S.

The German economy showed substantial improvement in 2007 at 2.5% growth due to the effect of recent economic reforms and strong global economic growth. The export-led recovery is now filtering through to the domestic economy where private consumption has long been at a low level.
===Crisis of 2008===
The worldwide [[Financial Crisis of 2008]] hit Germany in the summer, revealing high risk policies pursued by numerous large banks looking for high rates of return outside Germany. In September the government unveiled a $635-billion bailout package for its floundering banks. Economic growth for 2009 is forecast to be an anemic 0.2%.

Automobile manufacturing is a major sector, but the financial crisis caused credit to be harder to obtain; many families postponed purchases. Auto exports fell 10% in October 2008 from October 2007; domestic sales dropped 8%. In contrast 2007 was a record year with production of 12.1 million vehicles and employment of 756,000 workers; an eighth of those jobs were created in the last five years alone.

The German economy has since recovered and the impact of the ongoing euro crisis isn't being noticed yet.

==History==
See [[German History]]

== Sports ==
[[File:Sunken Village by Timm Ulrichs Munich.JPG|thumb|Architectural sculpture "Sunken Village" by Timm Ulrichs, and in the back Allianz Arena, Munich.]]
[[Association Football]] is the most popular sport by far, followed by [[Team Handball]] (not to be confused with [[American handball]]). Basketball and (ice) hockey play a minor role, whereas baseball and American football are, despite being organized, hardly being noticed by the general public.

The most popular non-sport-games are [[chess]] and [[skat]], both being organized in [[bundesligas]].

Germany was the winner of the 2014 [[FIFA World Cup]].

==The states (Bundesländer) and their capitals==
[[File:Frankfurt skyline.jpg|thumb|300px|Frankfurt am Main, Hesse.]]
(In alphabetical order)
* [[Baden-Wuerttemberg]]: [[Stuttgart]]
* [[Bavaria]] (''Bayern''): [[München]]
* [[Berlin]]: [[Berlin]]
* [[Brandenburg]]: [[Potsdam]]
* [[Bremen]]: [[Bremen]]
* [[Hamburg]]: [[Hamburg]]
* [[Hesse]] (''Hessen''): [[Wiesbaden]]
* [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]: [[Schwerin]]
* [[Lower Saxony]] (''Niedersachsen''): [[Hannover]]
* [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] (''Nordrhein-Westfalen''): [[Düsseldorf]]
* [[Rhineland-Palatinate]] (''Rheinland-Pfalz''): [[Mainz]]
* [[Saarland]]: [[Saarbrücken]]
* [[Saxony]] (''Sachsen''): [[Dresden]]
* [[Saxony-Anhalt]] (''Sachsen-Anhalt''): [[Magdeburg]]
* [[Sleswick-Holsatia]] (''Schleswig-Holstein''): [[Kiel]]
* [[Thuringia]] (''Thüringen''): [[Erfurt]]

==Famous Germans==
{|
|-
|
*[[Konrad Adenauer]]
*[[Hannah Arendt]]
*[[Johann Sebastian Bach]]
*[[Franz Beckenbauer]]
*[[Boris Becker]]
*[[Pope Benedict XVI]]
*[[Ludwig van Beethoven]]
*[[Otto von Bismarck]]
*[[Heinrich Böll]]
*[[Willy Brandt]]
*[[Wernher von Braun]]
*[[Bertolt Brecht]]
*[[Dietrich Buxtehude]]
*[[Marlene Dietrich]]
*[[Albrecht Dürer]]
*[[Albert Einstein]]
*[[Roland Emmerich]]
*[[Friedrich Engels]]
*[[Daniel Fahrenheit]]
*[[Rainer Werner Fassbinder]]
|
*[[Joseph Goebbels]]
*[[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]]
*[[Hermann Göring]]
*[[Günter Grass]]
*[[Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen]]
*[[Johannes Gutenberg]]
*[[Georg Friedrich Händel]]
*[[Otto Hahn]]
*[[Friedrich Händel]]
*[[Ernst August von Hannover]]
*[[Karl August von Hardenberg]]
*[[Friedrich Hegel]]
*[[Werner Heisenberg]]
*[[Heinrich Hesse]]
*[[Heinrich Himmler]]
*[[Adolf Hitler]]
*[[Oliver Kahn]]
*[[Henry Kissinger]]
*[[Helmut Kohl]]
*[[Käthe Kollwitz]]
|
*[[Otto Kretschmer]]
*[[Karl Liebknecht]]
*[[Loriot]]
*[[Martin Luther]]
*[[Rosa Luxemburg]]
*[[Thomas Mann]]
*[[Karl Marx]]
*Angela Merkel
*[[Lise Meitner]]
*[[Anne-Sophie Mutter]]
*[[Nena]]
*[[Dirk Nowitzki]]
*[[Friedrich Nietzsche]]
*[[Erwin Rommel]]
*[[Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen]]
*[[Friedrich Schiller]]
*[[Gerhard Schröder]]
*[[Heinrich Schliemann]]
*[[Michael Schumacher]]
*[[Karlheinz Stockhausen]]
*[[Richard Wagner]]
*[[Wim Wenders]]
|}

==Further reading==
* Schafers, Bernha, ''The State of Germany Atlas'' (1998) [http://www.amazon.com/State-Germany-Atlas-Bernha-Schafers/dp/0415188261/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201324991&sr=1-27 excerpt and text search]
* Schulte-Peevers, Andrea, et al. ''Lonely Planet Germany'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Germany-Andrea-Schulte-Peevers/dp/1740599888/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201324694&sr=1-3 excerpt and text search]

===Since 1990===
* Alba, Richard. Peter Schmidt, and Martina Wasmer. ''Germans or Foreigners?: Attitudes Toward Ethnic Minorities in Post-Reunification Germany'' (2004) [http://www.amazon.com/Germans-Foreigners-Minorities-Post-Reunification-Transition/dp/1403963789/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201324886&sr=1-22 excerpt and text search]
* Berghahn, Volker Rolf. ''Modern Germany: society, economy, and politics in the twentieth century'' (1987) [http://hdl.handle.net.proxy.cc.uic.edu/2027/heb.01673 ACLS E-book]
* Buse, Dieter K. ed. ''Modern Germany: An Encyclopedia of History, People, and Culture 1871-1990'' (2 vol 1998)
* Kahn, Charlotte. ''Ten Years of German Unification: One State, Two Peoples'' (2000) [http://www.questia.com/read/23486249 online edition]
* Larres, Klaus. ''Germany Since Unification: The Development of the Berlin Republic'' (2nd ed. 2001) [http://www.amazon.com/Germany-Since-Unification-Second-Development/dp/0333919998/ref=sr_1_28?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201324991&sr=1-28 excerpt and text search]

===Economics and society===
* Siebert, Horst. ''The German Economy: Beyond the Social Market'' (2005) [http://www.amazon.com/German-Economy-Beyond-Social-Market/dp/0691096643/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201328508&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Zimmermann, Klaus F. et al. ''Immigration Policy and the Labor Market: The German Experience and Lessons for Europe'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Immigration-Policy-Labor-Market-Experience/dp/354068381X/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201328716&sr=8-9 excerpt and text search]

====Politics====
* Green, Simon, and William E. Paterson. ''Governance in Contemporary Germany: The Semisovereign State Revisited'' (2005) [http://www.amazon.com/Governance-Contemporary-Germany-Semisovereign-Revisited/dp/0521848814/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201324991&sr=1-25 excerpt and text search]
* Hancock, M. Donald, ''Politics in Europe: An Introduction to the Politics of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden'' (2006) [http://www.amazon.com/Politics-Europe-Introduction-Kingdom-Germany/dp/1933116455/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201324694&sr=1-11 excerpt and text search]
* Schmidt, Manfred G. ''Political Institutions in the Federal Republic of Germany'' (2003) ISBN 0198782594

==See also==
*[[Refugee]]s
*[[Atheistic Germany and alcoholism]]
*[[Atheistic Germany and loneliness]]
*[[Bavaria]]
*[[Bestiality and Germany]]
*[[Communist East Germany and alcoholism]]
*[[German Painting]]
*[[Gallery of German Masterpieces]]
*[[Prussia]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.justgermany.org/germany/germany-facts.asp Germany Basic Facts.]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

 
===Sources===
* source: [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3997.htm US State Department Country Study]

{{European Union}}

[[Category:German History]]
[[Category:Germany]]
[[Category:NATO Members]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]

California

2018-05-16T17:36:50Z

Qaz: completely untrue - the population is in fact increasing rapidly, is at an all-time high, and that ref says that the population is increasing

{{USState
|name=California
|flag=California_State_Flag.gif
|motto=Eureka (I have found it)
|nick=The Golden State
|capital=Sacramento
|language=English
|governor=Jerry Brown
|gparty=Democrat
|senator1=Dianne Feinstein
|s1party=Democrat
|s1phone=(202) 224-3841
|s1email=http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe Contact
|senator2=Kamala Harris
|s2party=Democrat
|s2phone=(202) 224-3553
|s2email=http://www.harris.senate.gov/content/contact-senator Contact
|population=35 million
|date=September 9, 1850 (31st)
}}
'''California''' is an illustration of the failure of [[liberal]] policies, as the State is virtually insolvent, has one of the worst educational systems in the world, and has lost many high-achievers to other states. Known as the Golden State, it became the 31st state on September 9, 1850. It is located on the west coast of the [[United States]], by the [[Pacific Ocean]] and bordered by [[Oregon]], [[Nevada]] and [[Arizona]]. It is the largest state in population but will be surpassed by the more [[conservative]] [[Texas]] by 2050. Its governor is [[Jerry Brown]]. It has served as a poster child for [[liberalism]] , ex. [[Hollywood values]] and [[San Francisco values]] since the 1960s, especially [[Los Angeles]] and [[San Francisco]].

However, the California economy has surpassed the [[atheist]]ic [[United Kingdom]], which illustrates that an atheistic ideology (which prevails in the UK) is even less productive than a [[liberal]] one.

Liberals ran California into the economic ground. In 2012, its [[leftist]] politicians proposed making its citizens pay an extra $9-billion in new taxes, with half of that going into [[government]] pensions.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/05/15/how-california-budget-blunders-led-to-my-divorce-from-golden-state/</ref>

In 2015, California faces a worsening water shortage after years of failed liberal policies toward the problem. Attempts at voluntary self-restraint in the use of water have been unsuccessful in its [[Leftist]] culture.

The state Constitution of California, like all of the other 50 states, acknowledges God or our Creator or the ''Sovereign Ruler of the Universe''. It says:
:''We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure and perpetuate its blessings, do establish this Constitution.''

==Economy==
The economy has been badly battered by the [[Recession of 2008]], especially by the collapse of the state's [[housing bubble]]. Unemployment in August 2009 reached 12.2%, the highest since 1940. Home building this year is less than a quarter of what it was in 2005, and 500,000 of the state’s job losses have been in construction, finance, real estate and industries related to construction. The state budget is in crisis, because it relied heavily on personal income taxes. The financial collapse greatly reduced personal wealth of rich Californians, and job losses related to the housing bust combined to sharply reduce that source of revenue. After bitter debate in the legislature a budget was passed in July 2009. It closed a roughly $24 billion two-year gap with extensive cuts to social services, parks and education, which in turn reduced consumer spending among laid off and furloughed government workers.Also greatly damaging the economy is their very [[socialist]] nature, being a state in which welfare is easy to come by increasing mass numbers of homeless how live to drink and get high

==Another budget crisis==
An ugly budget crisis in 2009 was resolved after months of squabbling, with budget cuts, accounting gimmicks, and new taxes. The legislature in 2009 cut billions from education, healthcare and social services while temporarily hiking income, sales and vehicle taxes. The 2010 budget deficit is projected at $21 billion which must be closed somehow.

Suggested solutions include raising tobacco taxes; cutting pensions for retired public workers; repealing corporate tax breaks passed in 2008 and 2009; revising the tax rules for commercial and residential property; reducing the 2/3 legislative vote needed to pass a budget; and strengthening the firewall that protects local government and transportation money from being raided by the state. "There's a lot of people putting chess pieces on the board right now," said Jon Coupal, president of the anti-tax Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. "The question is which of those chess pieces will be moving."<ref>Shane Goldmacher, "California faces a projected deficit of $21 billion," [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-budget-deficit18-2009nov18,0,7647152.story ''LosAngeles Times'' Nov. 18, 2009]</ref>

==History==
see [[History of California]]

==Miscellaneous facts==
*California was the first state to remove [[school prayer]] from its [[public school]]s, legalize [[abortion]] in the later [[1960s]] (1967 for "therapeutic" reasons, "on-demand" in 1969) before the U.S. Supreme Court's ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' in 1973 and passed the U.S.' first [[no-fault]] [[divorce]] laws, signed by Governor [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1969.
*California surpassed France in 2000 to become the fifth largest economy in the world
*Los Angeles hosted the Summer [[Olympics]] in [[Olympics#1932 Los Angeles|1932]] and [[Olympics#1984 Los Angeles|1984]].
*The California [[Redwood]] was named the official state tree in 1937.<ref>http://www.learncalifornia.org/doc.asp?id=678</ref>
*The [[state flower]] is the [[Golden poppy]]
*San Bernardino County is the largest county in the United States; [[Los Angeles]] is the largest by population.<ref>http://www.50states.com/facts/calif.htm</ref>
*Since 2000, California has offered [[domestic partnership]]s, which are similar to [[same sex marriage]].<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/domestic-partnership-in-the-united-states Answers.com]</ref> Same-sex marriage was briefly legal in 2008, but this ended when Proposition 8, a voter referendum to define marriage as only being between a man and woman, passed.

==Politics==

From 2003-2011 California's governor was liberal Republican [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]. This is the same position that was once held by conservative icon [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1966-74. California is considered to be one of the [[blue state|"blue-est" states]], consistently voting for Democratic legislative and Presidential candidates since 1992, mixed in with numerous Republican governors. Los Angeles and San Francisco are the centers of liberalism, while San Diego and other cities outside these localities are much more conservative. Prior to 1992, California was consistently a [[red state]].

[[Richard Nixon]] is the only President to have been born in California, but he lived in New York when elected in 1968. [[Ronald Reagan]] was a resident when elected in 1980.

In the past, conservative areas of California included Orange and Ventura Counties, but Ventura County (Simi Valley) is heavily [[Democrat]] now like most of California. The [[Ronald Reagan]] Presidential Library is located in Ventura County. Orange County, however, is still heavily Republican.

==Business climate==
California scores poorly in state ratings of business climate. In a CNBC survey, it ranked 32nd overall but last in "cost of business" and 49th in "business friendliness." IT (Intel, Google, Hewlett Packard, Cisco, Apple, Yahoo!) and biotechnology remain strengths, but some traditional industries are struggling. High costs, as well as tax breaks from other states, have caused movie studios to shift production from California. In 1996, feature films involved 14,500 production days in Los Angeles County; in 2008, the total had fallen in half. Businessmen both in California and those who have moved out of the state have said that California has declared war on its own economy, with Los Angeles and San Francisco taking particular delight in job-killing legislation.

==Budget Crises==
The state has had two severe budget crises in 2009, caused by high spending, a plunge in tax revenue (caused by the decline in income of the wealthy who pay most of the taxes), and a refusal of enough Republicans to provide the two-thirds majority in the legislature needed to raise taxes. Long term borrowing is not allowed—the state has to balance its budget annually, but many gimmicks are used.

With a $26 billion deficit in its $92 billion budget, the state ran out of money and issued IOU's (warrants) before the solution was reached: massive spending cuts. In February 2009, the Legislature raised the state sales tax, bringing the total—including local sales taxes—to about 9 cents or more. Top income tax rates, already among the highest in the country, were raised. So were motor vehicle registration fees. Spending cuts approved in February and July are deep. Together, the cuts equal almost 30% of the general revenue fund and will affect schools, prisons, colleges and welfare. Some welfare benefits will be cut by half. California's student-teacher ratio, now about a third above the national average, will probably go even higher. The high prestige University of California system lost 20% of its state payments. It is raising tuition and student fees by 9.3%, imposing salary reductions of 4% to 10% on more than 100,000 workers, and postponing faculty hires until improvements occur.

Republicans claimed victory in the end, as they achieved large budget cuts and no new taxes.

==Elected officials==
===Federal===
*Sen. [[Kamala D. Harris]] [D, CA]
*Sen. [[Dianne Feinstein]] [D, CA]
*Rep. [[Doug LaMalfa]] [R, CA-1]
*Rep. [[Jared Huffman]] [D, CA-2]
*Rep. [[John Garamendi]] [D, CA-3]
*Rep. [[Tom McClintock]] [R, CA-4]
*Rep. [[Mike Thompson]] [D, CA-5]
*Rep. [[Doris O. Matsui]] [D, CA-6]
*Rep. [[Ami Bera]] [D, CA-7]
*Rep. [[Paul Cook]] [R, CA-8]
*Rep. [[Jerry McNerney]] [D, CA-9]
*Rep. [[Jeff Denham]] [R, CA-10]
*Rep. [[Mark DeSaulnier]] [D, CA-11]
*Rep. [[Nancy Pelosi]] [D, CA-12]
*Rep. [[Barbara Lee]] [D, CA-13]
*Rep. [[Jackie Speier]] [D, CA-14]
*Rep. [[Eric Swalell]] [D, CA-15]
*Rep. [[Jim Costa]] [D, CA-16]
*Rep. [[Ro Khanna]] [D, CA-17]
*Rep. [[Anna G. Eshoo]] [D, CA-18]
*Rep. [[Zoe Lofgren]] [D, CA-19]
*Rep. [[Jimmy Panetta]] [D, CA-20]
*Rep. [[David Valadao]] [R, CA-21]
*Rep. [[Devin Nunes]] [R, CA-22]
*Rep. [[Kevin McCarthy]] [R, CA-23]
*Rep. [[Salud Carbajal]] [D, CA-24]
*Rep. [[Steve Knight]] [R, CA-25]
*Rep. [[Julia Brownley]] [D, CA-26]
*Rep. [[Judy Chu]] [D, CA-27]
*Rep. [[Adam Schiff]] [D, CA-28]
*Rep. [[Tony Cárdenas]] [D, CA-29]
*Rep. [[Brad Sherman]] [D, CA-30]
*Rep. [[Pete Aguilar]] [D, CA-31]
*Rep. [[Grace Napolitano]] [D, CA-32]
*Rep. [[Ted Lieu]] [D, CA-33]
*Rep. [[Lucille Roybal-Allard]] [D, CA-34]
*Rep. [[Xavier Bercerra]] [D, CA-35] (vacancy)
*Rep. [[Norma Torres]] [D, CA-36]
*Rep. [[Raul Ruiz]] [D, CA-37]
*Rep. [[Karen Bass]] [D, CA-38]
*Rep. [[Linda Sánchez]] [D, CA-39]
*Rep. [[Lucille Roybal-Allard]] [D, CA-40]
*Rep. [[Mark Takano]] [D, CA-41]
*Rep. [[Ken Calvert]] [R, CA-42]
*Rep. [[Maxine Waters]] [D, CA-43]
*Rep. [[Nanette Barragán]] [D, CA-44]
*Rep. [[Mimi Walters]] [R, CA-45]
*Rep. [[J. Luis Correa]] [D, CA-46]
*Rep. [[Alan Lowenthall]] [D, CA-47]
*Rep. [[Dana Rohrabacher]] [R, CA-48]
*Rep. [[Darrell Issa]] [R, CA-49]
*Rep. [[Duncan D. Hunter]] [R, CA-50]
*Rep. [[Juan Vargas]] [D, CA-51]
*Rep. [[Scott Peters]] [D, CA-52]
*Rep. [[Susan Davis]] [D, CA-53]

===Statewide===
* [[Governor of California|Governor]] [[Jerry Brown]] (D)
* Lieutenant Governor [[Gavin Newsom]] (D)
* Secretary of State [[Debra Bowen]] (D)
* Attorney General [[Steve Cooley]] (R)
* State Treasurer [[Bill Lockyer]] (D)
* State Controller [[John Chiang]] (D)

==Energy==
[[File:CA-oil.jpg|thumb|375px|right]][[File:Oil-symbol.jpg|thumb|300px|right]] California is rich in conventional and renewable energy resources. It has large crude oil and substantial natural gas deposits in six geological basins, located in the Central Valley and along the Pacific coast. Most of those reserves are concentrated in the southern San Joaquin Basin. More than a dozen of the Nation’s 100 largest oil fields are located in California, including the Belridge South oil field, the second largest oil field in the contiguous United States. In addition, Federal assessments indicate that large undiscovered deposits of recoverable oil and gas lie offshore in the federally administered Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), although Federal law currently prohibits oil and gas leasing in that area. California’s renewable energy potential is extensive. The State’s hydroelectric power potential ranks second in the Nation (behind Washington State), and substantial geothermal and wind power resources are found along the coastal mountain ranges and the eastern border with Nevada. High solar energy potential is found in southeastern California’s sunny deserts.<ref>See [http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=CA Energy Information Administration, State Report 2009]</ref>

California is the most populous state in the nation and its total energy demand is second only to Texas. Although California is a leader in the energy-intensive chemical, forest products, glass, and petroleum industries, the State has one of the lowest per capita energy consumption rates in the country. The California government’s energy-efficiency programs have contributed to low per capita energy consumption. Driven by high demand from California’s many motorists, major airports, and military bases, the transportation sector is the State’s largest energy-consumer. More motor vehicles are registered in California than any other State, and worker commute times are among the longest in the country.

===Petroleum===
California is one of the top producers of crude oil in the [[United States]], with output accounting for more than one-tenth of total U.S. production. Drilling operations are concentrated primarily in Kern County and the Los Angeles basin, although substantial production also takes place offshore in both State and Federal waters. Concerns regarding the cumulative impacts of offshore oil and gas development, combined with a number of major marine oil spills throughout the world in recent years, have led to a permanent moratorium on offshore oil and gas leasing in California waters and a deferral of leasing in Federal waters. However, development on existing State and Federal leases is not affected and may still occur within offshore areas leased prior to the effective date of the moratorium.

A network of crude oil pipelines connects production areas to refining centers in the Los Angeles area, the San Francisco Bay area, and the Central Valley. California refiners also process large volumes of Alaskan and foreign crude oil received at ports in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and the Bay Area. Crude oil production in California and Alaska is in decline and California refineries have become increasingly dependent on foreign imports. Led by Saudi Arabia and Ecuador, foreign suppliers now provide more than two-fifths of the crude oil refined in California; however, California’s dependence on foreign oil remains less than the national average.

California ranks third in the United States in petroleum refining capacity and accounts for more than one-tenth of total U.S. capacity. California’s largest refineries are highly sophisticated; they are capable of processing a wide variety of crude oil types and are designed to yield a high percentage of light products like motor gasoline. To meet strict Federal and State environmental regulations, California refineries are configured to produce cleaner fuels, including reformulated motor gasoline and low-sulfur diesel.

Most California motorists are required to use a special motor gasoline blend called California Clean Burning Gasoline (CA CBG). In the ozone non-attainment areas of Imperial County and the Los Angeles metropolitan area, motorists are required to use California Oxygenated Clean Burning Gasoline, and the Los Angeles area is also required to use oxygenated motor gasoline during the winter months. By 2004, California completed a transition from methyl tertiary butyl-ether (MTBE) to ethanol as a gasoline oxygenate additive, making California the largest ethanol fuel market in the United States. There are four ethanol production plants in central and southern California, but most of California’s ethanol supply is transported by rail from corn-based producers in the Midwest. Some supply is also imported from abroad.

Due to the relative isolation and specific requirements of the California fuel market, California motorists are particularly vulnerable to short-term spikes in the price of motor gasoline. No pipelines connect California to other major U.S. refining centers, and California refineries often operate at near maximum capacity due to high demand for petroleum products. When an unplanned refinery outage occurs, replacement supplies must be brought in via marine tanker. Locating and transporting this replacement gasoline (which must conform to the State’s strict fuel requirements) can take from two to six weeks.

===Natural Gas===
California natural gas production typically accounts for less than 2 percent of total annual U.S. production and satisfies less than one-fifth of State demand. Production takes place in basins located in northern and southern California, as well as offshore in the Pacific Ocean. California receives most of its natural gas by pipeline from production regions in the Rocky Mountains, the Southwest, and western Canada. As with crude oil production, California natural gas production is in decline. However, State supply has remained relatively stable due to increasing amounts of natural gas shipped from the Rocky Mountains. California markets are served by two key natural gas trading centers—the Golden Gate Center in northern California and the California Energy Hub in southern California—and the State has nearly a dozen natural gas storage facilities that help stabilize supply. In part to help meet California’s demand for natural gas, several companies have proposed building liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals in southern California.

===Coal, Electricity, and Renewables===
Natural gas-fired power plants typically account for more than one-half of State electricity generation. California is one of the largest hydroelectric power producers in the United States, and with adequate rainfall, hydroelectric power typically accounts for close to one-fifth of State electricity generation. California’s two nuclear power plants account for almost one-fifth of total generation. Due to strict emission laws, only a few small coal-fired power plants operate in California.

California leads the nation in electricity generation from nonhydroelectric renewable energy sources. California generates electricity using wind, geothermal, solar, fuel wood, and municipal solid waste/landfill gas resources. A facility known as “The Geysers,” located in the Mayacamas Mountains north of San Francisco, is the largest complex of geothermal power plants in the world, with more than 750 megawatts of installed capacity. California has numerous wind farms in five major wind resource areas, and several new projects are currently under construction. The world’s largest solar power facility operates in California’s Mojave Desert. Two southern California utilities are planning to build new solar farms, a 500-megawatt facility in the Mojave Desert and a 300-megawatt plant in the Imperial Valley. These proposed plants would dwarf existing U.S. solar generation capacity. To further boost renewable energy use, California’s Energy Action Plan includes incentives that encourage Californians to install solar power systems on their rooftops.

===Imports===
Due to high electricity demand, California imports more electricity than any other State. States in the Pacific Northwest deliver power to California markets primarily from hydroelectric sources, while States in the Desert Southwest deliver power primarily from coal- and natural gas-fired sources. Hydroelectric power comes to California primarily through the Western USA interconnection, which runs from northern Oregon to southern California. The system, also known as the Pacific Intertie, is the largest single electricity transmission program in the United States. Although the Pacific Intertie was originally designed to transmit electricity south during California’s peak summer demand season, flow is sometimes reversed overnight and has occasionally been reversed during periods of reduced hydroelectric generation in the Northwest. California restricts the use of coal-fired generation within its boundaries; however, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) operates the coal-fired Intermountain power plant in Utah, which delivers three-fourths of its output to LADWP and other California municipal utilities. A recent California law forbids utilities from entering into long-term contracts with conventional coal-fired power producers. Intermountain’s existing contracts with southern California cities are set to expire in 2027.

===Energy crisis===
In 2000 and 2001, California suffered an energy crisis characterized by electricity price instability and four major blackouts and caused by a supply and demand imbalance. Multiple factors contributed to this imbalance, including: a heavy dependence on out-of-State electricity providers, drought conditions in the northwest that reduced hydroelectric power generation, a rupture on a major natural gas pipeline supplying California power plants, strong economic growth leading to increased electricity demand in western States, an increase in unplanned power plant outages, and unusually high temperatures that increased electricity demand for air-conditioning and other cooling uses. Following the energy crisis, the California State government created an Energy Action Plan designed to eliminate outages and excessive price spikes. To achieve these goals, the plan calls for optimizing energy conservation, building sufficient new generation facilities, upgrading and expanding the electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure, and ensuring that generation facilities can quickly come online when needed.

==Spectator Sports==

California has more professional sports teams than any other state.

*[[NBA]] - [[Los Angeles Lakers]], [[Los Angeles Clippers]], [[Golden State Warriors]], [[Sacramento Kings]]
*[[NHL]] - [[Anaheim Ducks]], [[Los Angeles Kings]], [[San Jose Sharks]]
*[[NFL]] - [[Oakland Raiders]], [[San Francisco 49ers]], and [[San Diego Chargers]]
*[[Baseball]] - [[Los Angeles Angels]] of Anaheim, [[San Diego Padres]], [[Oakland Athletics]], [[San Francisco Giants]], [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]

In college sports, [[UCLA]] and [[USC]] have recently had great success, in [[basketball]] and [[football]] respectively.

==Education==

The state of California has three tiers of public higher education: the California community colleges, the [[California State University]] (CSU) system, and the [[University of California]] (UC) system. Here are some notable universities from California.
*[[California Institute of Technology]]
*[[Stanford University]]
*[[University of California, Berkeley]]
*[[University of California, Los Angeles]]
*[[University of California, San Francisco]], primarily a medical school
*[[University of Southern California]]

==Places of Interest==
[[Image:California’s Peaks.jpg|right|300px]]
*[[Alcatraz Island]]
*[[Disneyland]]
*[[Golden Gate Bridge]]
*[[Monterey Bay Aquarium]]
*[[Redwood Forest]]
*[[Yosemite]]
{{Clear}}

==Major Cities==
*[[Los Angeles]]
*[[Oakland]]
*[[San Diego]]
*[[San Francisco]]
*[[San Jose]]

==See also==
* [[Jefferson State]]
* [[Strategic relocation]] - [[vote with your feet]] [[Free States Movement]]
* [[Left Coast]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.ca.gov Official Website]
* [http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-330643-year-county.html]

==References==
<references/>

{{USstates}}

[[Category:California]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]
[[Category:Western United States]]
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]
[[Category:Blue States]]
[[Category:Gun Control]]
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]
[[Category:Liberalism]]

Benjamin Britten

2018-05-07T03:13:36Z

Qaz:

'''Benjamin Britten''' (1913-1976) was a [[England|British]] [[composer]] who wrote songs, orchestral music and a number of [[opera]]s, including ''[[The Turn of the Screw]]'', ''[[Billy Budd]]'', ''Peter Grimes'', ''Death in Venice'' and ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. As a songwriter, he had a great sensitivity to English poetry. He is regarded as one of the outstanding composers of the twentieth century.

He studied music under Frank Bridge at the Royal College of Music in London. During [[World War II]] he was a pacifist, who fled England to America to avoid being called up to serve in the army. In this respect, he was like his friends [[W. H. Auden]] and [[Christopher Isherwood]]. After the war, he returned to England, and settled in [[East Anglia]], where he set up the Aldeburgh Music festival at The Maltings, Snape, in Suffolk. Shortly before he died he was made a life peer of the UK.

==Religious beliefs==

Britten was a [[Christian]] and a practicing member of the [[Church of England]]. However he often found this difficult to reconcile with his [[Communist]] views and his [[homosexuality]] which had, as is so often found, a strong [[pedophile]] aspect. Many of Britten's operas deal with his inner guilt, conflict and torment over the latter problem in particular, choosing themes concerned with harm to children (in ''Peter Grimes''), or the guilt of an adult who deliberately corrupts a child (in ''The Turn of the Screw'').

==Homosexuality and links with pedophilia==

According to Eric Crozier, Britten's librettist for ''Albert Herring'', Britten was seduced or raped as a boy by a master at his private school, and was thereafter "under a compulsion to corrupt other small boys." <ref>
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/jun/04/biography.features</ref>
This provides an example of the classic pattern of CSA > homosexuality > CSA > homosexuality etc.

From 1934 onwards, Britten visited Germany from time to time and had a relationship with a German boy, Wulff Scherchen who was aged from 13-17. It may or may not have been physical. In 1936, Britten met 13-year-old Harry Morris, whom he invited to go on holiday with him in Cornwall. When Britten came to his bedroom at night and made "a sexual approach" Harry screamed and hit Britten with a chair, then Britten's sister Beth rushed into the room. Harry left the next morning and told his mother what had happened, but she did not believe him. Morris related this to John Bridcut, a biographer of Britten.
David Spenser was thirteen years old when he had the role of Harry in Britten's opera ''Albert Herring''. When he first went to stay with Britten at Crag House, they shared a double bed, Britten explaining that with the recent move from the Old Mill at Snape it was the only bed in the house.
Roger Duncan, the 11-year-old son of the writer Ronald Duncan, spent many weeks staying with Britten, who took him and another boy, Humphrey Stone, on regular naked midnight swims.<ref>John Bridcut, Britten's Children. Faber, London, 2006</ref>

Britten made no secret of his interest in boys, frequently writing vocal or choral music for them and was much associated with Westminster Choir School in London. [image]
However, the benign image he tried to cultivate is belied by more disturbing facts that have been tracked down by modern researchers such as Ian Pace. Britten was a close friend of [[Peter Righton]], founder and lynchpin of the British [[Pedophile Information Exchange]], (PIE) and also of Michael Davidson, a self-confessed pederast whose books detail his pedophile escapades on the Continent. Righton lived in Suffolk, close to the Maltings, Snape where Britten ran his music Festival, and Righton’s diaries mention meetings with Britten, Peter Pears, and their mutual friend Davidson whom he calls fellow “boy-lovers” his term for pederasts. Righton was convicted for pedophile offences and has been exposed as a lifelong predator on boys, a systematic arch-criminal who set up networks that enabled him and other pederasts to prey on boys in care-homes, boarding-schools and foster-homes. His friendship with Britten is confirmed by the many biographies that draw on Righton as a source, and an expert on Britten. He had a passion for his friends' operas, particularly ''Death in Venice.''
<ref>https://ianpace.wordpress.com/2014/05/11/peter-righton-benjamin-britten-peter-pears-and-michael-davidson/</ref>

The police uncovered a large-scale juvenile pimping operation centered on a house owned by the infamous gangster Ronnie Kray in the Suffolk village of Tattingstone near Ipswich. This house was fairly close to where Britten and Righton lived. Evidently there must have been enough clients in that area for trade to thrive. A police investigation named the Islington Suffolk Project has also revealed that large numbers of boys from care-homes in Islington were sent on holiday to the Henniker estate in Suffolk where Righton lived, and put at the disposal of "boy-lovers" according to Peter McKelvie, a child protection officer in the UK.
<ref>http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/suffolk-drive-to-discover-more-about-child-sex-predator-peter-righton-s-time-in-suffolk-and-the-links-to-national-abuse-inquiries-1-3716846</ref>
<ref>http://listserv.bccls.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9709E&L=OPERA-L&P=58232</ref>

Britten lived with a long-term partner, the singer Peter Pears, who was also homosexual, but like most such relationships it was not sexually exclusive. One biographer has even alleged that Britten caught syphilis from Pears, who had many other contacts. while the syphilis is only an allegation, strongly denied by doctors, the promiscuity is an accepted fact.<ref>Paul Kildea, ''Benjamin Britten: A life in the Twentieth Century,'' pub. Allen Lane, London 2013.</ref> Pears seems to have shared Britten's taste for boys, making them into a classic example of homosexual pedophile partnerships. In a TV program produced by John Bridcut and broadcast in 2013, colleagues remember how Britten and Pears both got in a lather of erotic excitement about the boy singers while working on his opera ''Death in Venice'', a story he chose for its homoerotic pederastic theme.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03hj038</ref>

[[Tom O’Carroll]], the [[PIE]] member and veteran convicted pedophile, has boasted about Benjamin Britten’s known involvement with established pedophile networks in England. According to O'Carroll, Peter Pears confided to a friend that while they lived together, Britten was having relations with boys. He may have indulged while abroad as “He spent a lot of time in the East, touring in, notably, India, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Ceylon.” O’Carroll categorizes Britten as “hebephile” rather than a “pedophile”.<ref>https://tomocarroll.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/benjamin-britten-both-gay-and-a-boy-lover/</ref>
<ref>
http://listserv.bccls.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9709E&L=OPERA-L&P=58232
http://listserv.bccls.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9710A&L=OPERA-L&T=0&P=4953
http://aangirfan.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/britten-hemmings-krays-mi5-bbc.html</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Britten, Benjamin}}
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Composers]]
[[Category:English People]]
[[Category:Homosexuals]]

Category:Women Authors

2018-05-07T02:43:56Z

Qaz:

[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Women|Authors]]

Category:Women Singers

2018-05-07T02:43:18Z

Qaz:

[[Category:Singers]]
[[Category:Women|Singers]]

Category:Dutch Painters

2018-05-07T02:42:18Z

Qaz:

[[Category:Dutch People|Painters]]
[[Category:Painters]]

Category:Netherlands

2018-05-07T02:41:32Z

Qaz: definitely not

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:EU Members]]

Netherlands

2018-05-07T02:40:45Z

Qaz:

{{Country|
|map=Netherlands rel87.jpg
|map2=Netherlands location.PNG
|flag=Netherlandsflag.gif
|arms=
|capital=Amsterdam
|government=Constitutional monarchy
|language=Dutch
|king=Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
|president=
|chancellor=
|pm=Mark Rutte
|area=41,526 km² (18,41% water)
|pop=17,016,967
|pop-basis=2016
|gdp-year=2006 (est)
|gdp-pc=$35,078
|currency=Euro (€) (EUR)
|idd=31
|tld=.nl
}}
:''For the impact on left-wing policies on the Netherlands and the rest of Europe, see [[European migrant crisis]]''
The '''Netherlands''' (Dutch: ''Nederland'') is a country in the [[European Union]] in northwestern Europe, north of Belgium and France. It is a part of [[the Kingdom of the Netherlands]]. It is bordered by [[Belgium]] and [[Germany]], and has a total population of 16.9 million (2015). Its system of government is [[constitutional monarchy]]. The country is often referred to as "Holland", which was originally the name of two densely populated provinces of the country (North-Holland and South-Holland). The cities of [[Amsterdam]], [[Rotterdam]] and [[The Hague]] all lie in these provinces, that have always been the most influential regions in the Netherlands. The official language is [[Dutch]] and the people are referred to in English as Dutchmen or collectively as the Dutch.

The major ethnic groups in the Netherlands are [[Dutch]] 79%, Turks 2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccans 2%.

==History==
See [[History of the Netherlands]]

==Dike system==
The term "Netherlands" means "low country": about a quarter of the land area, containing more than half of the population, is actually below sea level, and would flood if the sea were not held back by a system of [[dike]]s. The Dutch have a saying that "God created the earth, but the Dutch made Holland".

A major breach of the dikes occurred in 1953, killing 1800 people. To avoid a repeat of the disaster the Dutch began construction of the "Delta Project" to protect the country from future inundations. Begun in 1953 and completed in 2002 the Delta Project is considered a modern wonder of civil engineering. After [[Hurricane Katrina]], a delegation of American engineers was invited by the Dutch government to see how the project works and how its technology can be applied in the United States for low-lying cities like [[New Orleans]].

==Major cities==
[[Amsterdam]], named for the Amstel river, is the largest city, and the capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is ringed by an extensive system of concentric canals. The seat of government, however, is located for historical reasons in [[The Hague]] (''Den Haag'').

[[Eindhoven]], a city of the southern province of Brabant, is the location of the giant electronics corporation, '''Philips''' (full name: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.), with annual revenue equivalent to about $40 billion. (The U.S. corporation [[General Electric]] has revenues of about $150 billion, but much of it is from non-electronics businesses). The Eindhoven area is known for its high concentration of high-tech industires, which include '''ASML''', the world primary producer of lithography system for the production of semiconductors, and '''Océ''', a leading producer of printers and copiers.

[[Groningen]] is home to many branches of ''KPN'', the former state company of Post, Telegraphy and Telephony. It had its headquarters in Groningen when it was still state run, and move to [[The Hague]] since. ''KPN'' stands for ''Koninklijke PTT Nederland'', or ''Royal PTT Netherlands''. Groningen is also home to ''Gasunie'' (Gasunion), a public-private partnership that exploits the natural gas reseves in the province of Groningen and the adjoint [[North Sea]].

[[File:Jongkind A Windmill near Delft 1857.jpg|thumb|left|[[Johan Barthold Jongkind]], A Windmill near Delft, 1857.]]
[[Delft]] is a small town in [[South Holland]], situated between [[Rotterdam]] and [[The Hague]]. It is noted for the blue-and-white Delft pottery, and as the home of the great artist [[Jan Vermeer]].

[[Arnhem]] is a city in Gelderland, lying on the north bank of the Lower Rhine river. It was the scene of a major battle during [[Operation Market Garden]] in September 1944, when British and allied paratroop forces captured its strategic road bridge before being overwhelmed by German forces in the area.

[[Leeuwarden]] ([[Frisian]]: ''Ljouwert'') is the capital of the northern province of Friesland; it was also the home town of the spy [[Mata Hari]] and the artist [[M.C. Escher]].
It has a population of 92,000.

[[Utrecht]] is a city of the central province of Utrecht. It is the seat of a bishopric and is a major communications hub and rail center. With a population of 290,000, it is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.
The city is best known as the site of lengthy peace negotiations to end the [[Wars of Spanish Succession]] in the 18th century. The resulting peace, called the [[Treaty of Utrecht]], was signed in April 1713.

Hoek van Holland ("Hook of Holland", literally 'corner of Holland') is a port in [[South Holland]], and is administratively part of the city of [[Rotterdam]]. It lies at the outflow of the Nieuwe Waterweg [[canal]] and the [[North Sea]], and is the base for ferry services to [[Harwich]] in eastern [[England]].

==Provinces==

South Holland contains the cities of [[The Hague]] and [[Rotterdam]].

Flevoland is the youngest of the twelve provinces, having the least population (ca. 360,000). It was created in 1986 on two [[polder]]s: just 80 years ago, there was no dry land but the [[Zuiderzee]]. Its capital is [[Lelystad]].

Friesland is a coastal province in the north, home to the [[Frisian]] language and people.

Gelderland borders [[Germany]] to the east, and extends north to the [[Ijsselmeer]]. Gelderland includes the major cities of [[Nijmegen]] and [[Arnhem]], as well as the extensive heathland known as the Veluwe, now a national park.

North Brabant is often referred to as ''Brabant'', as there is no ''south Brabant'' in the Netherlands.
The southern part of the former ''duchy of Brabant'' (including the important cities of [[Antwerp]] and [[Leuven]]) now belongs to Belgium. While [[Eindhoven]] is the biggest city in North Brabant, its capital is [['s-Hertogenbosch]].

==Business==
The Netherlands is the home of the Anglo-Dutch oil company [[Royal Dutch Shell]] . Other well known Dutch or partly Dutch multinationals are [[Unilever]], a company owning many household brands, ''ING Group'', a banking group, ''Ahold'', an international chain of supermarkets, ''Reed Elsevier'', a publishing house, ''Nielsen Company'', owner of the [[Yellow Pages]], and ''Randstad Holding'', a company providing [[human resource services]]. The famous ''Dutch East India Company'', which dominated trade in with South-East Asia in the 17th century, is regarded as the first multinational in history.
The Netherlands has long been famous for its production of flowers, and also for a related economic event, the "[[tulip mania]]" of 1636-1637. [[Tulip]]s were traded on stock exchanges, and bid up to fantastic prices by people who understood that the prices were crazy but hoped to sell at a profit to even crazier investors. Many people mortgaged their homes for a single tulip bulb and in one case an entire brewery was exchanged for a few bulbs. As with all [[economic bubble]]s, when bidding began to lag people tried to sell and the bubble burst with disastrous consequences. Since then the Dutch have been renowned for their carefulness with money and have established a significant presence in the banking and financial sectors.

==King's Day==
April 27 is King's Day - the national holiday to mark the official birthday of the monarch. King's Day is the one day of the year when ordinary Netherlanders are permitted to sell goods on the streets without a license. Consequently, the whole country is turned into a gigantic flea market (garage sale). The primary effect of this is that people buy goods they do not want or need, solely in order to sell them the following year. In an act of patriotism, most of the populace wear orange colored clothing (the national color) to identify with the Royal House Of Orange-Nassau.

Those not involved with selling their surplus belongings celebrate the national holiday at outdoors parties in the cities or with fine weather, spend the free day on a terrace of a pub, or cycle in the national ''Fietsen op Dijken'' tour around the nation's dikes.

==Anne Frank==
[[Anne Frank]] was a famous Jewish girl who hid from Nazis in the house of friends in Amsterdam. She wrote a diary which was later published and became a best seller. Her family left Germany in 1933 because of the Nazis, but the Nazis caught up with her and sent her to Belsen death camp where she died before end of war in 1945. Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam is now a popular tourist attraction.

==Society==
[[Same sex marriage]] has been recognized by the Dutch government since 2001.<ref>[http://marriage.about.com/cs/samesexmarriage/a/samesex.htm About.com]</ref> Furthermore, legal [[prostitution]], [[euthanasia]], [[abortion]] and its drug policy (see above) make The Netherlands the most liberal country in the world by most standards. Christianity was once the dominant factor in Dutch society and politics, but since the 1970s plays a secondary role in society, with only 15% of the population being [[Protestant]] (2015) and just under 24% are [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]]. There is a rising [[Muslim]] population (5%) which has caused social strains. An overall decline in religion can be seen as of 2004. These days The Netherlands are considered one of the least churchgoing countries in Europe.

===Drug policies===
The Netherlands is noted for its low-crime rate (although comparable to other western European nations) and [[libertarian]] legislation. Examples are licensed prostitution in designated areas of major cities, such as Amsterdam's Red Light District, the legal soft [[drugs]] sold in the country's many coffee shops, [[abortion]] rights, [[same-sex marriage]]s and [[euthanasia]].

Consuming and carrying (for personal use only) the "soft drugs" ([[marijuana]], [[hashish]] and [[hallucinogenic mushrooms]]) were made legal in the Netherlands in 1976 in a final attempt to stop drug-related crime in the 1970s. Soft drugs can be legally purchased by individuals over 18 in the famed (licensed) coffee shops, that do sell coffee as well, but are prohibited from serving alcohol.
The Dutch policy regarding soft drugs (and previously prostitution) is called "gedoogbeleid" (condonement policy). This means that although certain behavior is officially prohibited by law, a condonement clause prevents law enforcement agencies from prosecuting this behavior. This clause is, legally speaking, not a law and can be reverted much easier than a regular law.

The main reason for this policy is to try to split the market for "soft drugs" from the one for "hard drugs", this to avoid that users "upgrade" from soft to "hard drugs" (the latter are still illegal). So in short, the law tries to prevent citizen's exposure to hard drugs by providing a legal context in which to purchase cannabis. The policy also allows the police to focus on the war on hard drugs and criminal trade, and avoid the exhaustive bureaucratic costs associated with low-profile possession busts. In fact, most major cities in the world have similar non-prosecution policies, but the Dutch one is the only nationwide one.

Growing marijuana and hashish for commercial purposes is still officially illegal (it is legal to own up to four plants per household), causing coffee shop owners to rely on illegal homegrown products. Only two state run companies are exempted from this rule in order to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes. Leftist movements have stated that the government should make its mind up: "either make growing marijuana and hashish legal, or ban soft drugs altogether".

Some argue that the legal status of soft drugs has had no significant adverse effects on Dutch society.{{who}} This is probably due to the fact that it has become a more or less socially accepted drug like alcohol and tobacco, removing the need for dealers and effectively terminating cannabis' status as an anti-establishment symbol, and in effect diminishing its' popularity somewhat amongst youth. Some disagree:
* {{marijuana-passive-Dutch}}

== See also ==

*[[Painting of the Dutch Century]]
*[[Gallery of Flemish and Dutch painting]]
*[[Flemish School of Painting]]
*[[Gallery of Dutch Still life Masterpieces]]
*[[Countries of the world - Gross Domestic Product per capita]]

==Bibliography==
===Guides===
* DK. ''Amsterdam'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Amsterdam-EYEWITNESS-TRAVEL-GUIDE-Publishing/dp/075662441X/ref=pd_bbs_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-9 excerpt and text search]
* DK. ''Netherlands'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Holland-Eyewitness-Travel-Guides-Ewart/dp/0789493055/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]
* ''Lonely Planet the Netherlands'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Netherlands-Travel-Guides/dp/1741042992/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* ''Michelin the Green Guide Netherlands'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Green-Guide-Netherlands-Guides/dp/2067123319/ref=pd_bbs_sr_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-10 excerpt and text search]
===Current conditions===
* Delsen, Lei. ''Exit Polder Model? Socioeconomic Changes in the Netherlands'' (2002) [http://www.questia.com/read/113099417?title=Exit%20Polder%20Model%3f%20%20Socioeconomic%20Changes%20in%20the%20Netherlands online edition]
* Mathijs, Ernest, ed. ''The Cinema of the Low Countries.'' (2004). 268 pp.
* Vuijsje, Herman. ''The Politically Correct Netherlands: Since the 1960s.'' (2000). 244 pp.
* White, Colin, et al. ''The Undutchables: An Observation of the Netherlands, Its Culture And Its Inhabitants'' (2005)
===History surveys===
* Arblaster, Paul. ''A History of the Low Countries.'' (2006). 298 pp.
* Blom, J. C. H. and E. Lamberts, eds. ''History of the Low Countries'' (2006) 504pp [http://www.amazon.com/History-Low-Countries-J-Blom/dp/1845452720/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443552&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]; also [http://www.questia.com/read/1379132?title=History%20of%20the%20Low%20Countries complete edition online]
* Hooker, Mark T. ''The History of Holland'' (1999) 264pp [http://www.amazon.com/History-Holland-Greenwood-Histories-Nations/dp/0313306583/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209805742&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
* Israel, Jonathan. ''The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall, 1477-1806'' (1995) a major synthesis; [http://www.questia.com/read/91981119?title=The%20Dutch%20Republic%3a%20Its%20Rise%2c%20Greatness%2c%20and%20Fall%2c%201477-1806 complete online edition]; also [http://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Republic-Greatness-1477-1806-History/dp/0198207344/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443552&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Kossmann, E. H. ''The Low Countries 1780-1940'' (1978)
* van Oostrom, Frits, and Hubert Slings. ''A Key to Dutch History'' (2007)
* Pirenne, Henri. ''Belgian Democracy, Its Early History'' (1910, 1915) 250 pp. history of towns in the Low Countries [http://www.questia.com/read/1276323?title=Belgian%20Democracy%2c%20Its%20Early%20History online free]
* Rietbergen, P.J.A.N. ''A Short History of the Netherlands. From Prehistory to the Present Day''. 5th ed. Amersfoort: Bekking, 2002. ISBN 9061094402
* Vlekke, Bernard H. M. ''Evolution of the Dutch Nation'' (1945) 382 pp. [http://www.questia.com/read/82243176?title=Evolution%20of%20the%20Dutch%20Nation online edition]

==Online resources==
* [http://www.iisg.nl/ International Institute of Social History (IISH)]
* [http://www.minbuza.nl/history/en/home History of the Netherlands, introduction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
* [http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/lowcountries/dutchrevolt.html Dutch revolt: maps]

==References==
<references/>

{{European Union}}

[[Category:Dutch History]]
[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO Members]]
[[Category:Netherlands]]

Netherlands

2018-05-07T02:34:15Z

Qaz: /* Society */

{{Country|
|map=Netherlands rel87.jpg
|map2=Netherlands location.PNG
|flag=Netherlandsflag.gif
|arms=
|capital=Amsterdam
|government=Constitutional monarchy
|language=Dutch
|king=Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
|president=
|chancellor=
|pm=Mark Rutte
|area=41,526 km² (18,41% water)
|pop=17,016,967
|pop-basis=2016
|gdp-year=2006 (est)
|gdp-pc=$35,078
|currency=Euro (€) (EUR)
|idd=31
|tld=.nl
}}
:''For the impact on left-wing policies on the Netherlands and the rest of Europe, see [[European migrant crisis]]''
The '''Netherlands''' (Dutch: ''Nederland'') is a country in the [[European Union]] in northwestern Europe, north of Belgium and France. It is a part of [[the Kingdom of the Netherlands]]. It is bordered by [[Belgium]] and [[Germany]], and has a total population of 16.9 million (2015). Its system of government is [[constitutional monarchy]]. The country is often referred to as "Holland", which was originally the name of two densely populated provinces of the country (North-Holland and South-Holland). The cities of [[Amsterdam]], [[Rotterdam]] and [[The Hague]] all lie in these provinces, that have always been the most influential regions in the Netherlands. The official language is [[Dutch]] and the people are referred to in English as Dutchmen or collectively as the Dutch.

The major ethnic groups in the Netherlands are [[Dutch]] 94%, Surinamese 2%, Asians 2% and others 2%.

==History==
See [[History of the Netherlands]]

==Dike system==
The term "Netherlands" means "low country": about a quarter of the land area, containing more than half of the population, is actually below sea level, and would flood if the sea were not held back by a system of [[dike]]s. The Dutch have a saying that "God created the earth, but the Dutch made Holland".

A major breach of the dikes occurred in 1953, killing 1800 people. To avoid a repeat of the disaster the Dutch began construction of the "Delta Project" to protect the country from future inundations. Begun in 1953 and completed in 2002 the Delta Project is considered a modern wonder of civil engineering. After [[Hurricane Katrina]], a delegation of American engineers was invited by the Dutch government to see how the project works and how its technology can be applied in the United States for low-lying cities like [[New Orleans]].

==Major cities==
[[Amsterdam]], named for the Amstel river, is the largest city, and the capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is ringed by an extensive system of concentric canals. The seat of government, however, is located for historical reasons in [[The Hague]] (''Den Haag'').

[[Eindhoven]], a city of the southern province of Brabant, is the location of the giant electronics corporation, '''Philips''' (full name: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.), with annual revenue equivalent to about $40 billion. (The U.S. corporation [[General Electric]] has revenues of about $150 billion, but much of it is from non-electronics businesses). The Eindhoven area is known for its high concentration of high-tech industires, which include '''ASML''', the world primary producer of lithography system for the production of semiconductors, and '''Océ''', a leading producer of printers and copiers.

[[Groningen]] is home to many branches of ''KPN'', the former state company of Post, Telegraphy and Telephony. It had its headquarters in Groningen when it was still state run, and move to [[The Hague]] since. ''KPN'' stands for ''Koninklijke PTT Nederland'', or ''Royal PTT Netherlands''. Groningen is also home to ''Gasunie'' (Gasunion), a public-private partnership that exploits the natural gas reseves in the province of Groningen and the adjoint [[North Sea]].

[[File:Jongkind A Windmill near Delft 1857.jpg|thumb|left|[[Johan Barthold Jongkind]], A Windmill near Delft, 1857.]]
[[Delft]] is a small town in [[South Holland]], situated between [[Rotterdam]] and [[The Hague]]. It is noted for the blue-and-white Delft pottery, and as the home of the great artist [[Jan Vermeer]].

[[Arnhem]] is a city in Gelderland, lying on the north bank of the Lower Rhine river. It was the scene of a major battle during [[Operation Market Garden]] in September 1944, when British and allied paratroop forces captured its strategic road bridge before being overwhelmed by German forces in the area.

[[Leeuwarden]] ([[Frisian]]: ''Ljouwert'') is the capital of the northern province of Friesland; it was also the home town of the spy [[Mata Hari]] and the artist [[M.C. Escher]].
It has a population of 92,000.

[[Utrecht]] is a city of the central province of Utrecht. It is the seat of a bishopric and is a major communications hub and rail center. With a population of 290,000, it is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.
The city is best known as the site of lengthy peace negotiations to end the [[Wars of Spanish Succession]] in the 18th century. The resulting peace, called the [[Treaty of Utrecht]], was signed in April 1713.

Hoek van Holland ("Hook of Holland", literally 'corner of Holland') is a port in [[South Holland]], and is administratively part of the city of [[Rotterdam]]. It lies at the outflow of the Nieuwe Waterweg [[canal]] and the [[North Sea]], and is the base for ferry services to [[Harwich]] in eastern [[England]].

==Provinces==

South Holland contains the cities of [[The Hague]] and [[Rotterdam]].

Flevoland is the youngest of the twelve provinces, having the least population (ca. 360,000). It was created in 1986 on two [[polder]]s: just 80 years ago, there was no dry land but the [[Zuiderzee]]. Its capital is [[Lelystad]].

Friesland is a coastal province in the north, home to the [[Frisian]] language and people.

Gelderland borders [[Germany]] to the east, and extends north to the [[Ijsselmeer]]. Gelderland includes the major cities of [[Nijmegen]] and [[Arnhem]], as well as the extensive heathland known as the Veluwe, now a national park.

North Brabant is often referred to as ''Brabant'', as there is no ''south Brabant'' in the Netherlands.
The southern part of the former ''duchy of Brabant'' (including the important cities of [[Antwerp]] and [[Leuven]]) now belongs to Belgium. While [[Eindhoven]] is the biggest city in North Brabant, its capital is [['s-Hertogenbosch]].

==Business==
The Netherlands is the home of the Anglo-Dutch oil company [[Royal Dutch Shell]] . Other well known Dutch or partly Dutch multinationals are [[Unilever]], a company owning many household brands, ''ING Group'', a banking group, ''Ahold'', an international chain of supermarkets, ''Reed Elsevier'', a publishing house, ''Nielsen Company'', owner of the [[Yellow Pages]], and ''Randstad Holding'', a company providing [[human resource services]]. The famous ''Dutch East India Company'', which dominated trade in with South-East Asia in the 17th century, is regarded as the first multinational in history.
The Netherlands has long been famous for its production of flowers, and also for a related economic event, the "[[tulip mania]]" of 1636-1637. [[Tulip]]s were traded on stock exchanges, and bid up to fantastic prices by people who understood that the prices were crazy but hoped to sell at a profit to even crazier investors. Many people mortgaged their homes for a single tulip bulb and in one case an entire brewery was exchanged for a few bulbs. As with all [[economic bubble]]s, when bidding began to lag people tried to sell and the bubble burst with disastrous consequences. Since then the Dutch have been renowned for their carefulness with money and have established a significant presence in the banking and financial sectors.

==King's Day==
April 27 is King's Day - the national holiday to mark the official birthday of the monarch. King's Day is the one day of the year when ordinary Netherlanders are permitted to sell goods on the streets without a license. Consequently, the whole country is turned into a gigantic flea market (garage sale). The primary effect of this is that people buy goods they do not want or need, solely in order to sell them the following year. In an act of patriotism, most of the populace wear orange colored clothing (the national color) to identify with the Royal House Of Orange-Nassau.

Those not involved with selling their surplus belongings celebrate the national holiday at outdoors parties in the cities or with fine weather, spend the free day on a terrace of a pub, or cycle in the national ''Fietsen op Dijken'' tour around the nation's dikes.

==Anne Frank==
[[Anne Frank]] was a famous Jewish girl who hid from Nazis in the house of friends in Amsterdam. She wrote a diary which was later published and became a best seller. Her family left Germany in 1933 because of the Nazis, but the Nazis caught up with her and sent her to Belsen death camp where she died before end of war in 1945. Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam is now a popular tourist attraction.

==Society==
[[Same sex marriage]] has been recognized by the Dutch government since 2001.<ref>[http://marriage.about.com/cs/samesexmarriage/a/samesex.htm About.com]</ref> Furthermore, legal [[prostitution]], [[euthanasia]], [[abortion]] and its drug policy (see above) make The Netherlands the most liberal country in the world by most standards. Christianity was once the dominant factor in Dutch society and politics, but since the 1970s plays a secondary role in society, with only 15% of the population being [[Protestant]] (2015) and just under 24% are [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]]. There is a rising [[Muslim]] population (5%) which has caused social strains. An overall decline in religion can be seen as of 2004. These days The Netherlands are considered one of the least churchgoing countries in Europe.

===Drug policies===
The Netherlands is noted for its low-crime rate (although comparable to other western European nations) and [[libertarian]] legislation. Examples are licensed prostitution in designated areas of major cities, such as Amsterdam's Red Light District, the legal soft [[drugs]] sold in the country's many coffee shops, [[abortion]] rights, [[same-sex marriage]]s and [[euthanasia]].

Consuming and carrying (for personal use only) the "soft drugs" ([[marijuana]], [[hashish]] and [[hallucinogenic mushrooms]]) were made legal in the Netherlands in 1976 in a final attempt to stop drug-related crime in the 1970s. Soft drugs can be legally purchased by individuals over 18 in the famed (licensed) coffee shops, that do sell coffee as well, but are prohibited from serving alcohol.
The Dutch policy regarding soft drugs (and previously prostitution) is called "gedoogbeleid" (condonement policy). This means that although certain behavior is officially prohibited by law, a condonement clause prevents law enforcement agencies from prosecuting this behavior. This clause is, legally speaking, not a law and can be reverted much easier than a regular law.

The main reason for this policy is to try to split the market for "soft drugs" from the one for "hard drugs", this to avoid that users "upgrade" from soft to "hard drugs" (the latter are still illegal). So in short, the law tries to prevent citizen's exposure to hard drugs by providing a legal context in which to purchase cannabis. The policy also allows the police to focus on the war on hard drugs and criminal trade, and avoid the exhaustive bureaucratic costs associated with low-profile possession busts. In fact, most major cities in the world have similar non-prosecution policies, but the Dutch one is the only nationwide one.

Growing marijuana and hashish for commercial purposes is still officially illegal (it is legal to own up to four plants per household), causing coffee shop owners to rely on illegal homegrown products. Only two state run companies are exempted from this rule in order to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes. Leftist movements have stated that the government should make its mind up: "either make growing marijuana and hashish legal, or ban soft drugs altogether".

Some argue that the legal status of soft drugs has had no significant adverse effects on Dutch society.{{who}} This is probably due to the fact that it has become a more or less socially accepted drug like alcohol and tobacco, removing the need for dealers and effectively terminating cannabis' status as an anti-establishment symbol, and in effect diminishing its' popularity somewhat amongst youth. Some disagree:
* {{marijuana-passive-Dutch}}

== See also ==

*[[Painting of the Dutch Century]]
*[[Gallery of Flemish and Dutch painting]]
*[[Flemish School of Painting]]
*[[Gallery of Dutch Still life Masterpieces]]
*[[Countries of the world - Gross Domestic Product per capita]]

==Bibliography==
===Guides===
* DK. ''Amsterdam'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Amsterdam-EYEWITNESS-TRAVEL-GUIDE-Publishing/dp/075662441X/ref=pd_bbs_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-9 excerpt and text search]
* DK. ''Netherlands'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Holland-Eyewitness-Travel-Guides-Ewart/dp/0789493055/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]
* ''Lonely Planet the Netherlands'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Netherlands-Travel-Guides/dp/1741042992/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* ''Michelin the Green Guide Netherlands'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Green-Guide-Netherlands-Guides/dp/2067123319/ref=pd_bbs_sr_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-10 excerpt and text search]
===Current conditions===
* Delsen, Lei. ''Exit Polder Model? Socioeconomic Changes in the Netherlands'' (2002) [http://www.questia.com/read/113099417?title=Exit%20Polder%20Model%3f%20%20Socioeconomic%20Changes%20in%20the%20Netherlands online edition]
* Mathijs, Ernest, ed. ''The Cinema of the Low Countries.'' (2004). 268 pp.
* Vuijsje, Herman. ''The Politically Correct Netherlands: Since the 1960s.'' (2000). 244 pp.
* White, Colin, et al. ''The Undutchables: An Observation of the Netherlands, Its Culture And Its Inhabitants'' (2005)
===History surveys===
* Arblaster, Paul. ''A History of the Low Countries.'' (2006). 298 pp.
* Blom, J. C. H. and E. Lamberts, eds. ''History of the Low Countries'' (2006) 504pp [http://www.amazon.com/History-Low-Countries-J-Blom/dp/1845452720/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443552&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]; also [http://www.questia.com/read/1379132?title=History%20of%20the%20Low%20Countries complete edition online]
* Hooker, Mark T. ''The History of Holland'' (1999) 264pp [http://www.amazon.com/History-Holland-Greenwood-Histories-Nations/dp/0313306583/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209805742&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
* Israel, Jonathan. ''The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall, 1477-1806'' (1995) a major synthesis; [http://www.questia.com/read/91981119?title=The%20Dutch%20Republic%3a%20Its%20Rise%2c%20Greatness%2c%20and%20Fall%2c%201477-1806 complete online edition]; also [http://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Republic-Greatness-1477-1806-History/dp/0198207344/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443552&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Kossmann, E. H. ''The Low Countries 1780-1940'' (1978)
* van Oostrom, Frits, and Hubert Slings. ''A Key to Dutch History'' (2007)
* Pirenne, Henri. ''Belgian Democracy, Its Early History'' (1910, 1915) 250 pp. history of towns in the Low Countries [http://www.questia.com/read/1276323?title=Belgian%20Democracy%2c%20Its%20Early%20History online free]
* Rietbergen, P.J.A.N. ''A Short History of the Netherlands. From Prehistory to the Present Day''. 5th ed. Amersfoort: Bekking, 2002. ISBN 9061094402
* Vlekke, Bernard H. M. ''Evolution of the Dutch Nation'' (1945) 382 pp. [http://www.questia.com/read/82243176?title=Evolution%20of%20the%20Dutch%20Nation online edition]

==Online resources==
* [http://www.iisg.nl/ International Institute of Social History (IISH)]
* [http://www.minbuza.nl/history/en/home History of the Netherlands, introduction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
* [http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/lowcountries/dutchrevolt.html Dutch revolt: maps]

==References==
<references/>

{{European Union}}

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO Members]]
[[Category:Netherlands]]
[[Category:Dutch History]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]

Margaret Thatcher

2018-05-07T02:26:59Z

Qaz: /* External links */

{{Prime Minister
|image=Margaret_Thatcher.jpg
|seq=71
|term_start=May 4, 1979
|term_end=November 28, 1990
|party=Conservative Party
|previous=James Callaghan
|next=John Major
|birth_date=October 13, 1925
|birth_place=Grantham
|death_date=April 8, 2013
|death_place=London
|spouse=[[Denis Thatcher|Sir Denis Thatcher, Bt]]
|religion=[[Methodist]]
}}

'''Margaret Hilda Thatcher (née Roberts)''', Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, LG, OM, PC (born October 13, 1925. died April 8, 2013), was [[Prime Minister]] of the [[United Kingdom]] from 1979 to 1990, and the first woman to hold the position. Her leadership permanently moved Britain to the right and reshaped the nation's political environment to stress economic growth and international competitiveness. The [[Labour Party]] in response under [[Tony Blair]] jettisoned their old leftist ideas and followed Thatcher-lite programs. Despite being in power for 13 years from 1997 to 2010 Labour did not remove any of Thatcher's anti-union legislation and has refused to even consider doing so.

Thatcher was chosen to be the leader of the Conservative Party in February 1975, succeeding former Prime Minister [[Edward Heath]]. She was opposed to [[socialism]] and excessive union power which had brought down the previous Conservative government in 1974. She led the Conservatives to victory in the May 1979 [[General Election]] and thus became Prime Minister.
{{cquote|'''The economic success of the Western world is a product of its moral philosophy and practice. ''The economic results are better because the moral philosophy is superior.'' Choice is the essence of ethics: if there were no choice, there would be no ethics, no good, no evil; good and evil have meaning only insofar as man is free to choose.''' <ref>[http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/103336 1977 speech by Margaret Thatcher; Zurich Economic Society]</ref>}}

Thatcher sold many of the UK's nationalized industries back to private investors and made tax cuts. She broke the power of the trade unions which stood in the way of industrial progress, especially in the mining, print and shipbuilding industries and the public sector. Due to her strong standards and her leadership style, she became known as the "[[Iron Lady]]," a term originally coined as an insult in the [[Soviet Union|Soviet Army]] newspaper ''Krasnaya Zvezda'' (Red Star,) but one she adopted enthusiastically. A famous statement of hers was "You turn if you want to, but the lady's not for turning", in reference to calls from within her own party to back down (in the political terminology of the time, "U-turn") on issues that were important to her. Thatcher was always a strong supporter of close relations with the [[United States]] and was a good friend of President [[Ronald Reagan]], uniting with him in actions against the Communists.

She led Britain to victory against [[Argentina]] in a 1982 war over Argentinian aggression against the [[Falkland Islands]]. The United States was allied with both countries, and initially tried to broker a negotiated settlement. When Thatcher rejected the proposed compromise, the U.S. supported Britain with intelligence information and the supply of advanced AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles. The conflict led to a strong friendship with the Chilean leader [[Augusto Pinochet]] after Chile helped Britain in the conflict. In 1986, she banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools in a piece of legislation known as [[Section 28]].

Thatcher led the Conservative Party to victory in three general elections (1979, 1983 and 1987). By 1990, her popularity was waning and there were calls from within her own party for her to step aside. She was challenged for the party leadership and just failed to gain the necessary majority in the first election despite getting more votes than her rival [[Michael Heseltine]]. After being convinced by colleagues that she would narrowly fail to gain the necessary votes she decided not to stand for a second ballot and resigned as party leader on 22 November 1990. [[John Major]] won the party leadership vote, and was subsequently appointed to succeed Thatcher as Prime Minister. Heseltine's reputation was destroyed by his actions and his career in the Conservative Party slowly declined, although he remained in the British government and was Deputy Prime Minister between 1995 and 1997..

''Thatcher was the longest serving British Prime Minister in more than 150 years and, alongside [[Winston Churchill]], is considered to be one of the two most important British political leaders of the twentieth century.''

She fundamentally moved the British economy from factories and mines to services and finance; although manufacturing output grew considerably under her leadership there was an even greater increase in the banking sector. [[Time|Time Magazine]] wrote of Lady Thatcher:
{{cquote|'''She was the catalyst who set in motion a series of interconnected events that gave a revolutionary twist to the century's last two decades and helped mankind end the millennium on a note of hope and confidence. The triumph of capitalism, the almost universal acceptance of the market as indispensable to prosperity, the collapse of Soviet imperialism, the downsizing of the state on nearly every continent and in almost every country in the world — Margaret Thatcher played a part in all those transformations, and it is not easy to see how any would have occurred without her. ''Champion of free minds and markets, she helped topple the welfare state and make the world safer for capitalism and mankind.''''' <ref>[http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/thatcher.html Time Magazine; Time 100 citation]</ref>}} 

==Career prior to 1979==
The predominant influence in Lady Thatcher's early life was her father, [[Alfred Roberts]]. Roberts was a grocer by occupation who was active in local politics. She attended Somerville College, [[Oxford University|Oxford]], where she read chemistry and became chairman of the university Conservative association. After graduating, she worked for a time as a research chemist before qualifying as a barrister and practicing as a tax lawyer, an indication of her interest in financial matters. In this time period, it was uncommon in Britain for a woman from a background to go to an upper-class university and then to pursue a career in the elitist male world of the Bar.

Lady Thatcher married Denis Thatcher, a successful businessman whom she met at a Conservative Party meeting; a quiet man, he kept out of the spotlight. They had two children, twins Mark Thatcher and Carol Thatcher.

Under the weak and troubled Conservative premiership of [[Edward Heath]] (1970-1974), Thatcher served as Secretary of State for Education during which time her most noted achievement was the withdrawal of a daily milk ration to primary age schoolchildren earning her the nickname Milk-Snatcher. After the Conservatives were defeated in the elections of February and October 1974, Thatcher challenged the more liberal Heath for the leadership of the party. When she went into Heath's office to tell him her decision, he did not even bother to look up. "You'll lose," he said. "Good day to you." [http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/thatcher.html]

[[Image:503px-Thatcher-loc.jpg|right|thumb|Margaret Thatcher as Leader of the Opposition in 1975.]]
Though at the time she was a relatively untested figure (and many in the party were wary of choosing a woman leader), she defeated both Heath and other male rivals in the contest in February 1975. Heath subsequently became a prominent personal and political adversary of Thatcher, drawing accusations of bitterness.

In the 1970s, Thatcher's strongly conservative, pro-capitalist stance resonated with a new mood among the British electorate, many of whom had become dissatisfied with the post-[[World War II]] statist consensus (the "post-war consensus", sometimes also called "Butskellism" after the centrist Conservative politician [[Rab Butler]] and the moderate Labour politician [[Hugh Gaitskell]]). Thatcher and the Conservatives offered a clear alternative vision for an increasingly aspirational society. The Conservative politician Sir [[Keith Joseph]] was the primary intellectual force behind these theories that later became known as ''Thatcherism''. They were strongly influenced by the pro-market intellectuals [[Friedrich von Hayek]] and [[Milton Friedman]].

===Attitude to Abortion===
Thatcher, throughout her parliamentary career, voted in favor of [[Abortion Act of 1967|liberal abortion laws]].[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1988thatcher.html]

==1979 election==
The Labour party under [[James Callaghan]] (prime minister 1976-79) contested the May 1979 election as unemployment passed the one-million mark and unions became more aggressive. The Conservatives used a highly effective poster created by Saatchi and Saatchi, showing a dole queue snaking into the distance and it carried the caption "Labour isn't working".

Voters gave Conservatives 43.9% of the vote and 339 seats to Labour's 269, for an overall majority of 43 seats. People generally voted against Labour rather than for the Conservatives. Labour was weakened by the steady long-term decline in the proportion of manual workers in the electorate. Twice as many manual workers normally voted Labour as voted Conservative, but they now constituted only 56% of the electorate. When [[Harold Wilson]] won narrowly for Labour in 1964, they had accounted for 63%. Furthermore, they were beginning to turn against the trade unions—alienated, perhaps, by the difficulties of the winter of 1978-9. In contrast, Tory policies stressing wider home ownership, which Labour refused to match. Thatcher did best in districts where the economy was relatively strong and was weaker where it was contracting.

==Prime Ministership==
===Economic policy===
Thatcher's chief goals in power were to reverse Britain's economic decline and to reduce the range of the state as well as standing taller on the international stage. She found a soul-mate in Ronald Reagan, elected in 1980 but whom she had met in 1975. Thatcher started by increasing interest rates to drive down inflation which hit the manufacturing sector and caused unemployment to rise sharply and there was a deep recession in the early 1980s blamed on her Government's economic policy. This led to her famous quote: 'the lady is not for turning', and she refused a policy reversal and, despite an open letter from 364 "economists", taxes were increased in the middle of a recession. Although unemployment did not reach 3 million till 1982, a year earlier British cities burned as thousands took to the streets to demonstrate their frustration. Inflation was going down though, allowing interest rates to fall, proving those "economists" wrong.

===Falkland Islands===
As the economy started to recover Argentina invaded the Falklands, the first (and unprovoked) invasion of sovereign British territory by a foreign government since the Second World War. This invasion was preceded, and possibly encouraged, by her withdrawal of the Royal Navy's Antarctic patrol ship ''HMS Endurance'' from the South Atlantic. Thatcher immediately declared her resolve to recapture the islands in line with the wishes of their inhabitants, and dispatched a naval task force to that end. With help from President [[Augusto Pinochet|Pinochet]] of [[Chile]] and, more covertly, [[Ronald Reagan]], the British forces swiftly recaptured the islands. The resulting wave of patriotic enthusiasm as well as her right to buy policy for council homes, and a uselessly divided opposition, meant she got a landslide victory in the June 1983 general election.

===Unions===
The central theme of Thatcher's second term was reducing the power of the trade unions with a series of measures that a number of unions reacted to with industrial action. In particular action was initiated by the National Union of Mineworkers led by Arthur Scargill, who openly declared the intention of bringing down the elected government. The Tories had prepared for the strike by building up coal reserves and deploying police units fitted out with new riot gear brought in after the disturbances of 1981. The miners responded with violence and very ugly scenes developed on picket lines that split the country. Scargill's failure to hold a ballot for the strike undermined public support and the striker's chant of 'vote with your feet' calling miners to join the strike was turned on them as more and more returned to work over the year of the strike.

===IRA===
In the middle of the strike, on October 12, 1984, the Provisional IRA (Irish Republican Army; a terror group that seeks Irish Reunification) detonated a bomb during the Conservative Party conference in Brighton. Thatcher escaped injury but five people died in the attack and Margaret Tebbit was left paralyzed; the conference went on as normal. Thatcher delivered a speech less than four hours after the explosion.

===Privatization===
Thatcher's political and economic philosophy emphasized free markets and since gaining power she had experimented in selling off nationalized industries starting with the National Freight company, most of the large utilities followed.

Privatization was perhaps the most enduring legacy of the political economy developed under Thatcher. She privatized long-nationalized corporations (such as the telephone and aerospace firms) and, most important, sold public housing to tenants, all on favorable terms. Theis turned Labour-minded tenants into Conservative-minded property owners and mortgage payers. The policy developed an important electoral dimension during the second Thatcher government (1983–90). It involved more than denationalization: wider share ownership was the second plank of the policy, and this provides an important historical perspective on the relationship between Thatcherism and 20th century conservatism.<ref>Richard Stevens, "The Evolution of Privatisation as an Electoral Policy, c. 1970-90." ''Contemporary British History'' 2004 18(2): 47-75. Issn: 1361-9462 Fulltext: [[Ebsco]]</ref>

===Foreign policy===
Thatcher supported Reagan's [[Cold War]] policies of [[rollback]] of Communism. She supported the stationing of nuclear missiles in Europe and at British bases, ignoring the last-gasp protests by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. She supported the American bombing raid on [[Libya]] from bases in Britain in 1986 and, by refusing to side with a European consortium, in backing the American-based Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation over a British company Westland. [[Michael Heseltine]] resigned in protest at her style of leadership over this.

In 1984 she visited [[China]] and signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration with [[Deng Xiaoping]] that agreed the handover of [[Hong Kong]] in 1997. At the Fontainebleau summit in 1984 Thatcher argued that the UK paid far more to the EEC than it received in spending and negotiated a budget rebate using the argument that ‘We want our money back’. In 1985, the University of Oxford voted to refuse her an honorary degree in protest against her cuts in funding for education.

===Reelected 1987===
In 1987, Thatcher became the first British Prime Minister to win three consecutive general elections since [[Lord Liverpool]] (1812-1827).

===Environment===
In the late 1980s Thatcher began to be concerned by environmental policy and in 1988 she made a major speech accepting the problems of global warming, ozone depletion and acid rain.<ref>[http://www.margaretthatcher.org/speeches/displaydocument.asp?docid=107346 Speech to the Royal Society, 9/27/1988]</ref>

However, in her Autobiography, she has told her readers that she regretted what she said in the 1980s and that she thought: "Global Warming provides a marvellous excuse for global socialism" showing her change from a liberal attitude towards Global Warming to a Conservative one.

===Europe===
At Bruges, she made a speech in which she outlined her opposition to proposals from the European Communities for a federal structure and increasing centralization of decision-making believing that the role of the EC should be limited to ensuring free trade and effective competition. She was specifically against Economic and Monetary Union, through which a single currency would replace national currencies, and for which the EC was making preparations. In 1989 the economy high interest rates were imposed to stop an unsustainable boom. At the Madrid European summit, Nigel Lawson and Geoffrey Howe forced Thatcher to agree the circumstances in which she would join the Exchange Rate Mechanism, a preparation for monetary union. She took revenge on both by demoting Howe and listening more to her adviser Sir Alan Walters on economic matters. Lawson resigned that October and in November, a so-called ‘stalking horse candidate Sir Anthony Meyer challenged Thatcher for the leadership of the Conservative Party. In 1989 a new system of local government finance to replace the rates was introduced for Scotland in 1989 and for England and Wales in 1990. Called the 'Community Charge' but known as the Poll Tax was applied at the same amount to every individual resident with only limited discounts. Widespread opposition culminated in a huge [http://newsfilm.bufvc.ac.uk/article.php?story=200510081953085 demonstration] in London on March 31 that turned into the largest outbreak of public disorder central London had seen in a century which was followed by millions of people refusing to pay the tax. This along with her government's handling of the economy, her perceived arrogance and a general feeling that she would never retire, made her politically vulnerable. Geoffrey Howe resigned on November 1 and condemned Thatcher's policy on the European Communities then openly invited 'others to consider their own response'. Michael Heseltine's response was a leadership challenge which resulted in a narrow failure, by two votes, for Thatcher to win automatic re-election. After consulting with cabinet colleagues she found a vast majority thought that she could not win on the second ballot. On November 22nd Thatcher announced that she would not be a candidate in the second ballot. She supported John Major as her successor, and retired from Parliament at the 1992 election.

==Thatcherism==
[[Thatcherism]] refers to Thatcher's economic policies while prime minister 1979 and 1990.
It consisted of
*[[free market]] [[supply-side economics]]
*[[tax]] reduction
*artificial manipulation of the money supply to reduce [[inflation]]
*[[privatization]] of public industry
*reining in of [[labor union|trade union]] influence and power

==Life after being Prime Minister==
After leaving the House of Commons, Thatcher was dubbed '''Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven''' and entered the House of Lords. Denis Thatcher was given a Baronetcy, which ensured that their son, Mark, would inherit the title of "Sir Mark".

She publicly endorsed [[William Hague]] against Kenneth Clarke for the Conservative leadership in 1997. She made many speaking engagements around the world, including very vocal support of former General [[Augusto Pinochet]], whom the new Labour administration extradited to Spain on trumped-up charges of torturing political opponents. In March 2002 she suffered a mild stroke, and made few speeches. In 2004 she attended the funeral of her old friend and political soul-mate, Ronald Reagan. Baroness Thatcher was still seen at Tory party gatherings until nearly the end of her life, and continued endorsing party leaders, such as Iain Duncan Smith. In August 2008, it became known that she was suffering from [[dementia]] and had withdrawn from public life.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7579352.stm Thatcher suffers from dementia]</ref>
[http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/thatcher.html][http://www.fandmpublications.co.uk/pages/margaretbiography1.htm][http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page126.asp]

==Quick Facts==
[[Image:THATCH~1.JPG|right|thumb|250px]]
*Born: 13 October 1925 in [[Grantham]], [[Lincolnshire]]

*First entered Parliament: 8 October 1959

*Became leader of the [[Conservative]] Party in February 1975

*Elected as Prime Minister in May 1979

*Age she became PM: 53 years, 204 days

*Maiden Speech: 5 February 1960 during the second reading of her Private Member's Bill

*Total time as PM: 11 years, 209 days

*Nickname: "The Iron Lady"

*Education: Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School and Somerville College, Oxford

*Before Thatcher became an MP, she worked as a research chemist for British Xylonite and then Lyons & Company, where she helped develop methods for preserving ice cream.

*Family: Margaret Thatcher is the younger of two daughters. She often gave her father as an example of an outstanding citizen. She married [[Sir Denis Thatcher]], and has one son and one daughter.

*Interests: Music, art, opera and reading.

[http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page126.asp][http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/thatcher.html]

==Husband==
Denis Thatcher, ''as the first male PM spouse in history'', was always likely to be the center of media attention - and he didn't disappoint.

When she met him, Baroness Thatcher remarked that "it was clear to me at once that Denis was an exceptional man - he had a certain style and dash." Described as a man of integrity, humor and common sense, he had a strong business background and fought with the Royal Artillery during the war.

It was said that Denis was in 'the Thatcher party not the Tory party'. He once famously remarked, recalling the words of Mark Twain, that: "it's better to keep my mouth shut and be thought a fool rather than open it and remove all doubt."

When he died in 2003 his wife paid tribute to the man she loved by saying: "Being PM is a lonely job. In a sense, it ought to be - you cannot lead from a crowd. But with Denis there I was never alone. What a man. What a husband. What a friend."

[http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page126.asp][http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/thatcher.html]

== Notable quotes==
*"The American dream, defended and projected by American power, has transformed oppression and poverty into liberty and prosperity." - Speech At the [[Hoover Institution]], July 19th 2000<ref>[http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/108388 Speech by the Rt. Hon. Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, FRS, Delivered at the Hoover Institution, California, On Wednesday 19th July 2000]</ref>

*"You have to win the argument before you can win the election."

*"The lady is not for turning."

*"I have made it quite clear that a unified Ireland was one solution that is out. A second solution was a confederation of two states. That is out. A third solution was joint authority. That is out-that is a derogation of sovereignty."

*"I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left."

*"If you lead a country like Britain, a strong country, a country which has taken a lead in world affairs in good times and in bad, a country that is always reliable, then you have to have a touch of iron about you."

*"I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near."

*" There is no such thing as [[society]]. There is living tapestry of men and women and people and the beauty of that tapestry and the quality of our lives will depend upon how much each of us is prepared to take responsibility for ourselves and each of us prepared to turn round and help by our own efforts those who are unfortunate"<ref>[http://www.margaretthatcher.org/speeches/displaydocument.asp?docid=106689 Interview in ''Woman's Own'']</ref>

*"What Britain needs is an iron lady."

*"Unless we change our ways and our direction, our greatness as a nation will soon be a footnote in the history books, a distant memory of an offshore island, lost in the mists of time like Camelot, remembered kindly for its noble past."

*"I just owe almost everything to my father [and] it's passionately interesting for me that the things that I learned in a small town, in a very modest home, are just the things that I believe have won the election."

*"Democratic nations must try to find ways to starve the terrorist and the hijacker of the oxygen of publicity on which they depend."<ref>[http://www.quoteworld.org/authors/margaret-thatcher/1/ Quotes by Margaret Thatcher]</ref>

*"It will be years before a woman either leads the Conservative Party or becomes Prime Minister. I don't see it happening in my time" (in 1970.) This quote was parodied in the 2006 TV series Life on Mars, when DCI Gene Hunt (speaking in 1973) stated "There'll never be a woman Prime Minister as long as I have a hole in my ar*e."

*“You may have to fight the battle more than once to win it.” <ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=zac9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA283&dq=fight+the+battle+more+than+once+to+win+it.&ei=3hpnS82IAaSyNNvx1PwN&cd=2 The Routledge dictionary of quotations‎ - Page 283 by Robert Andrews]</ref>

*(Referring to her friend and adviser William Whitelaw) "Every Prime Minister needs a Willie."

*"I like Mr Gorbachev, we can do business together."

*"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money." <ref>https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/margaretth502392.html</ref>

*"I am not sure what is meant by those who say that the Party should return to something called "One Nation Conservatism". As far as I can tell by their views on European federalism, such people's creed would be better described as "No Nation Conservatism"."

* "Sir Edward Gibbon, author of ''The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'', wrote tellingly of the collapse of Athens, which was the birthplace of democracy. He judged that, in the end, more than they wanted freedom, the Athenians wanted security. Yet they lost everything - security, comfort, and freedom. This was because they wanted not to give to society, but for society to give to them. The freedom they were seeking was freedom '''from''' responsibility. It is no wonder, then, that they ceased to be free. In the modern world, we should recall the Athenians' dire fate whenever we confront demands for increased state [[paternalism]]."<ref>[http://imprimisarchives.hillsdale.edu/file/archives/pdf/1995_03_Imprimis.pdf The Moral Foundations of Society], [[Imprimus]]</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Thatcherism]]
*[[Conservative Links]]

==References==
{{reflist|1}}

==Bibliography==
[[File:Thatcher-pic.jpg|thumb|260px]]

===Biography===
* Blundell, John. ''Margaret Thatcher: A Portrait of the Iron Lady'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Margaret-Thatcher-Portrait-Iron-Lady/dp/087586631X/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256981278&sr=1-9 excerpt and text search]
* Campbell, John. ''Margaret Thatcher. Vol. 1: The Grocer's Daughter.'' (2000); ''Margaret Thatcher. vol. 2: Iron Lady'' (2007), 520pp; 913pp; long, detailed authoritative biography
* Clarke, Peter. "Margaret Thatcher's Place in History: Two Views," ''Journal of the History of Economic Thought'' 2002 24(3): 357-368 online at EBSCO
* Geelhoed, Bruce E. and Hobbs, James F. ''Margaret Thatcher's Last Hurrah: In Victory and Downfall, 1987 and 1990.'' (1992). 193 pp. [http://www.questia.com/read/15091359?title=Margaret%20Thatcher%3a%20In%20Victory%20and%20Downfall%2c%201987%20and%201990 online edition]; also [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Margaret-Thatcher-Victory-Downfall-1987/dp/0275941485/ref=sr_1_34?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212823416&sr=8-34 excerpt and text search]
* King, Anthony. "The Outsider as Political Leader: the Case of Margaret Thatcher." ''British Journal of Political Science'' 2002 32(3): 435-454. Issn: 0007-1234 Fulltext: [[CUP]] and [[Jstor]]. Thatcher was a social outsider, psychological outsider and political outsider.
* Thompson, Juliet S., and Wayne C. Thompson. ''Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister Indomitable'' (1994) [http://www.questia.com/read/85710688?title=Margaret%20Thatcher%3a%20Prime%20Minister%20Indomitable online edition]
* Young, Hugo. ''The Iron Lady: A Biography of Margaret Thatcher.'' (1989). 570 pp. well-written and well researched

===Political studies===
* Adonis, Andrew, and Tim Hames, eds. ''A Conservative Revolution: The Thatcher-Reagan Decade'' (1994), comparative perspective
* Backhouse, Roger E. "The Macroeconomics of Margaret Thatcher," ''Journal of the History of Economic Thought'' 2002 24(3): 313-334 online at EBSCO
* Dellheim, Charles. ''The Disenchanted Isle: Mrs. Thatcher's Capitalist Revolution.'' (1995) 352 pp.
* Evans, Brendan. ''Thatcherism and British Politics, 1975-1997'' (2000)
* Evans, Eric J. ''Thatcher and Thatcherism.'' (2nd ed. 2004). 176 pp [http://www.questia.com/read/107494201?title=Thatcher%20and%20Thatcherism online edition]
* Fry, Geoffrey K. ''Politics of the Thatcher Revolution: An Interpretation of British Politics 1975 - 1990'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Politics-Thatcher-Revolution-Interpretation-British/dp/0333751965/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256981278&sr=1-11 excerpt and text search]
* Haseler, Stephen. ''The Battle for Britain: Thatcher and the New Liberals.'' (1990). 195 pp.
* Holmes, Martin. ''The First Thatcher Government, 1979-83: Contemporary Conservatism and Economic Change'' (1985); ''Thatcherism: Scope and Limits, 1983-87.'' (1989). 174 pp. a sympathetic assessment.
* Jenkins, Peter. ''Mrs. Thatcher's Revolution: The Ending of the Socialist Era.'' (1988). 417 pp. critical
* Johnson, Christopher. ''The Grand Experiment: Mrs. Thatcher's Economy and How It Spread.'' (1993). 341 pp.
* Kavanagh, Dennis. ''Thatcherism and British Politics: The End of Consensus?'' (1987). 334 pp.
* Kavanagh, Dennis, and Anthony Seldon, eds. ''The Thatcher Effect'' (1989), major interpretive essays by experts
* Krieger, Joel. ''Reagan, Thatcher, and the Politics of Decline.'' (1987). 247 pp.
* Moon, Jeremy. ''Innovative Leadership in Democracy: Policy Change under Thatcher.'' (1993). 157 pp.
* Morgan, K.O. ''The People's Peace: British History, 1945-90'' (1990) survey by leading scholar
* Pugliese, Stanislao, ed. ''The Political Legacy of Margaret Thatcher.'' (2003). 419 pp.
* Reitan, Earl A. ''The Thatcher Revolution: Margaret Thatcher, John Major, and Tony Blair, and the Transformation of Modern Britain, 1979-2001.'' (2003). 260 pp.
* Reitan, Earl A. ''Tory Radicalism: Margaret Thatcher, John Major, and the Transformation of Modern Britain, 1979-1997.'' (1997). 222 pp.
* Riddell, Peter. ''The Thatcher Decade: How Britain Has Changed during the 1980's.'' (1989). 236 pp.
* Roy, Subroto and Clarke, John, eds. ''Margaret Thatcher's Revolution: How It Happened and What It Meant.'' (2005). 209 pp.
* Savage, S.P., and L. Robbins, eds. ''Public Policy under Thatcher'' (1990), essays by experts
* Sharp, Paul. ''Thatcher's Diplomacy: The Revival of British Foreign Policy.'' (1997). 269 pp.
* Smith, Geoffrey. ''Reagan and Thatcher.'' (1991). 285 pp.
* Waine, Barbara. ''The Rhetoric of Independence: The Ideology and Practice of Social Policy in Thatcher's Britain.'' (1992). 172 pp.
* Wall, Stephen. ''A Stranger in Europe: Britain and the EU from Thatcher to Blair'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Europe-Britain-Thatcher-Blair/dp/0199284555/ref=sr_1_26?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212823185&sr=1-26 excerpt and text search]
* Walters, A. A. ''Britain's Economic Renaissance: Margaret Thatcher's Reforms, 1979-1984.'' (1986). 200 pp.
* Wapshott, Nicholas. ''Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher: A Political Marriage.'' (2007) 329 pp. [http://www.amazon.com/Ronald-Reagan-Margaret-Thatcher-Political/dp/159523053X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256981278&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search]
* Whipple, Amy C. "'Ordinary People': The Cultural Origins of Popular Thatcherism in Britain, 1964-1979." PhD dissertation Northwestern U. 2004. 253 pp. DAI 2004 65(5): 1926-A. DA3132626 Fulltext: [[ProQuest Dissertations & Theses]]
* [http://www.amazon.com/Margaret-Thatcher-Bibliography-Bibliographies-Statesmen/dp/book-citations/0313282889/ref=sid_dp_av?ie=UTF8&citeType=citing#citing additional books]

===Primary sources===
* Clark, Alan. ''Mrs. Thatcher's Minister: The Private Diaries of Alan Clark.'' (1994). 421 pp.
* Thatcher, Margaret. ''The Path to Power (1995); ''The Downing Street Years.'' (1993). 914 pp., highly detailed memoirs

==External links==
* [http://www.margaretthatcher.org/ Margaret Thatcher Foundation]
* [https://librivox.org/author/3625 Works by Margaret Thatcher - text and free audio] - [[LibriVox]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thatcher, Margaret}}
[[Category:Abortion Advocates]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:Chemists]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Cold War]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:English People]]
[[Category:Liberal Conservatism]]
[[Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom award winners]]
[[Category:United Kingdom Prime Ministers]]
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Margaret Thatcher

2018-05-07T02:26:01Z

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Ségolène Royal

2018-05-07T02:02:59Z

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[[Image:Segolene royal.jpg|thumb|Ségolène Royal]]

'''Marie-Ségolène Royal''' (born 22 September 1953 in Dakar, [[Senegal]]) was the [[democratic socialism|Socialist]] candidate for the [[2007 French presidential elections|2007 French presidential election]]. On May 6, 2007 [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] won the French presidential election. The socialist Ségolène Royal conceded defeat, by a 53-47% margin. She is currently running for the [[French Socialist Party]] Primary Elections.

Her father Jacques Royal, is a Catholic, [[conservative]] [[France|French]] army colonel. Royal attended the prestigious Ecole Nationale d'Administration. She has also a Degree in Economics, Graduate of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. At the Ecole Nationale she met François Hollande, the leader of the Socialist Party and father of her four children. Both collaborated with the staff of Socialist President François Mitterrand.

She is a National Assembly member and the President of the Poitou-Charentes region. On March 27, 2000, She was appointed as Minister at the Ministry of Employment and Solidarity, with delegated responsibility for Childhood and the Family.

== Writings ==

*''Le printemps des grands-parents'', Editions Robert Laffont, 1987
*''Le ras-le-bol des bébés zappeurs'', Editions Robert Laffont, 1989
*''Pays, paysans, paysage'', Editions Robert Laffont, 1993
*''La vérité d'une femme'', Stock. (A Woman's Truth), 1996
*''Désirs d'avenir'', 2006
*''Maintenant'', 2007
*''Ma plus belle histoire, c'est vous'', 2007
*''Si la gauche veut des idées'', 2008
*''Femme debout'', 2009
*''Lettre à tous les résignés et aux indignés qui veulent des solutions'', 2011

==Policies==

Segolene Royal has promised to implement leftist economic policies that will "frighten the capitalists." She also calls for European opposition to "the American hyperpower." <ref>http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20070424-102752-8335r.htm</ref>

She is known for her admiration for some "[[Third Way]]" policies (and has been compared to [[Tony Blair]] in this respect), for her insistence on the importance of the "welfare state" and for her support of participatory democracy and devolution.

== References ==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal, Ségolène}}
[[Category:French Politicians]]
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[[Category:Socialists]]
[[Category:Women Politicians]]

Theresa May

2018-05-07T01:57:34Z

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{{Prime Minister
|image=Theresa May UK.jpg
|seq=76
|term_start=July 13, 2016
|term_end=present
|previous=David Cameron
|party=Conservative Party
|birth_date=October 1, 1956
|birth_place=Eastbourne
|spouse=Philip May
|religion=[[Anglican]]
}}

'''Theresa May''' (born October 1, 1956) is the Prime Minister of the [[United Kingdom]] and leader of the [[Conservative Party]]. She became Prime Minister without having led her party to victory in a general election, an unusual occurrence. Instead, she won the [[Conservative Party]] leadership contest triggered by [[David Cameron]]'s resignation in the aftermath of his defeat in the [[Brexit]] referendum.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/who-are-the-favourites-to-become-prime-minister-after-the-brexit/ Tory leadership contest: How Theresa May's victory over Andrea Leadsom unfolded, The Telegraph, July 11, 2016]</ref> From 2010 until becoming Prime Minister she served as the [[Home Secretary]].

==Early life==
She was born in Eastbourne, Sussex, the only child of Zaidee Mary and Hubert Brasier.

==Premiership==
May officially initiated [[Brexit]] on March 29, 2017, when she triggered Article 50 and begun the two-year negotiations process to withdraw from the European Union.<ref>Suarez Sang, Lucia I. (March 29, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/03/29/brexit-triggered-u-k-prime-minister-sends-letter-to-european-union-to-begin-exit.html Brexit triggered: UK prime minister sends letter to European Union to begin divorce]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 29, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/03/29/triggered/ TRIGGERED: Britain Invokes Article 50 to Begin Brexit Process]. ''Breitbart News''. March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.</ref> May's government rejected calls from conservatives for a law protecting free speech and ending existing restrictions on it.<ref>Montgomery, Jack (January 28, 2018). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/01/28/tory-government-rejects-petition-free-speech-act/ Tory Government REJECTS Petition for a Free Speech Act]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved January 28, 2018.</ref> Instead, the pursued policies restricting free speech.<ref>Friedman, Victoria (February 5, 2018). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/02/05/intimidating-political-candidates-campaigners-criminalised/ ‘Intimidating’ Politicians and Campaigners to Be Criminalised by May Government]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved February 5, 2018.</ref>

===2017 general election===
For the election results, see [[House of Commons (UK)]]. Due to several blunders made during the campaign,<ref>Barone, Michael (June 9, 2017). [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/barone-breaking-down-theresa-mays-disastrous-night/article/2625473 Barone: Breaking down Theresa May's disastrous night]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Dickson, Annabelle (June 9, 2017). [http://www.politico.eu/article/theresa-may-election-mistakes/ 8 election blunders that cost Theresa May her majority]. ''Politico''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> May's Conservative Party lost seats in a snap election she chose to hold in order to gain power, resulting in a hung parliament.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/09/uk-election-theresa-may-to-ask-queen-permission-to-form-government-despite-losing-majority.html UK election: Theresa May to ask queen permission to form government despite losing majority]. ''Fox News''. June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> As the Conservative Party remained the party with the most seats, May decided to seek a governing agreement with the right-wing, socially conservative [[Democratic Unionist Party]] (DUP).<ref>Kassam, Raheem (June 9, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/06/09/secret-blessing-tory-dup-alliance-will-remind-tories-conservatism-supposed-look-like/ The Silver Lining? A Tory-DUP Alliance Will Remind the Tories What Conservatism Is Supposed to Look Like]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Horton, Helena (June 9, 2017). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/09/7-things-didnt-know-dup/ 7 things you didn't know about the DUP]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> The two parties signed the agreement<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/tory-dup-deal-agreement-full/ Tory-DUP deal: The agreement in full]. ''The Telegraph''. June 26, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref> on June 26, 2017.<ref>Montgomery, Jack (June 26, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/06/26/theresa-may-signs-confidence-supply-agreement-dup/ DUP Triumphant: Tories Forced to Protect Pensions Triple Lock and Commit to Armed Forces Covenant]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-40403434 Conservatives agree pact with DUP to support May government]. ''BBC News''. Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref><ref>Kirka, Danica; Katz, Gregory (June 26, 2017). [http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/26/northern-ireland-party-leader-in-talks-with-conservatives.html UK's May makes deal she needs to govern, but critics abound]. ''Fox News'' (from the ''Associated Press''). Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref>

==Political positions==
Former [[United Kingdom Independence Party]] leader [[Nigel Farage]] noted in 2017 that May had adopted the exact same political positions as he had a few years earlier.<ref>Merrick, Rob (May 7, 2017). [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/election-latest-nigel-farage-theresa-may-stolen-ukip-policies-brussels-bashing-immigration-a7722346.html Nigel Farage says Theresa May is winning because she has stolen all his policies]. ''The Independent''. Retrieved May 7, 2017.</ref> In her 2017 campaign manifesto, May and the Conservative Party adopted some of UKIP's EU and immigration policies.<ref>Montgomery, Jack (May 18, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/18/may-reveals-polarising-policies-immigration-social-care/ Theresa May Launches Conservative Manifesto: Pledge to Leave EU Single Market, Elderly Care Cost Raid]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref><ref name="RaynerMay2017">Rayner, Gordon (May 18, 2017). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/18/conservative-manifesto-general-election-2017-key-points-policies/ Conservative manifesto for General Election 2017: Key points, policies and summary]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> However, the manifesto also called for some forms of government expansion and additional social spending,<ref name="RaynerMay2017"/><ref>Edmunds, Donna Rachel (May 18, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/18/conservatives-social-policy-biggest-stealth-tax-history/ Conservatives’ Social Policy is ‘Biggest Stealth Tax in History’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> and the manifesto contained several worrisome pledges for conservatives and proponents of Brexit.<ref>Edmunds, Donna Rachel (May 18, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/18/top-7-conservative-manifesto-pledges-to-worry-brexiteers/ Top 7 Conservative Manifesto Pledges to Worry Brexiteers]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 19, 2017.</ref> Additionally, the manifesto rejected individualism and "untrammeled free markets", and May rejected statements that she was like former Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] or that she would "drift to the Right."<ref>Hughes, Laura (May 18, 2017). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/18/general-election-2017-latest-news-polls-analysis/ Theresa May rejects Margaret Thatcher comparisons and says her government 'will not drift to the right']. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> Former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne wrote an editorial at the time of the manifesto's release stating that Conservative Party leadership never intended to keep its current and previous immigration reduction promises.<ref>Montgomery, Jack (May 17, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/17/osborne-boasts-tories-never-intended-keep-immigration-promises/ Osborne Boasts Tories Never Intended to Keep Immigration Promises in Shock Editorial]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref>

===Islamic terrorism===
In March 2017, after a deadly major [[March 2017 UK terror attack|Islamic terrorist attack]] in [[Westminster]], May refused to admit that the attack was actually Islamist terrorism and called Islam a "great faith" — overlooking key facts about Islam.<ref>Deacon, Liam (March 23, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/03/23/theresa-may-islamist-westminster-attack/ Theresa May says ‘Islamist’ Westminster Attack ‘Not Islamic’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 23, 2017.</ref>

May harshly criticized U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] for sharing videos on Twitter that depicted Muslims attacking people and committing vandalism — in response, President Trump said to May "don’t focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom."<ref>Emanuel, Louis; Allen, Nick; Sabur, Rozina; Henderson, Barney (November 30, 2017). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/29/trump-shared-muslim-crimes-videos-tweeted-british-far-right/ Donald Trump hits back at Theresa May after re-tweeting British far-Right group's anti-Muslim videos]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved December 6, 2017.</ref><ref>Kassam, Raheem (December 6, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/12/06/kassam-6-days-ago-trump-told-the-uk-to-focus-on-radical-islam-now-after-a-plot-to-kill-the-prime-minister-theyre-still-blaming-him/ Kassam: 6 Days Ago Trump Told the UK to Focus on Radical Islam. Now, After A Plot to Kill the Prime Minister, They’re Still Blaming Him]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 6, 2017.</ref> Six days later, British security services stopped an Islamist plot to assassinate May.<ref>Kew, Ben (December 5, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/12/05/security-services-foil-islamist-plot-to-blow-up-downing-street-kill-theresa-may/ Security Services Foil Islamist Plot to Blow Up Downing Street, Kill Theresa May]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 6, 2017.</ref>

===Homosexuality and gender-confusion===
In the past, Theresa May voted against equalising the age of consent for same-sex interactions, voted twice against permitting homosexual couples to jointly adopt children, and voted against a bill that would repeal Section 28, an education regulation that forbid teachers to speak about homosexuality at all unless it was related to [[Sexually transmitted disease|STDs]].<ref>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/10426/theresa_may/maidenhead/divisions?policy=826</ref> However, she supported the introduction of [[same-sex "marriage"]] in the United Kingdom during the premiership of David Cameron.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/16/theresa-may-used-europe-to-push-through-gay-marriage/ Theresa May used Europe to push through gay marriage, The Telegraph, July 16, 2016]</ref>

In February 2018, in a response to a Christian organization's petition to ban sex-change operations for minors, May's government endorsed those very same practices.<ref>Deacon, Liam (February 21, 2018). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/02/21/tory-govt-backs-sex-change-treatment-for-under-16s-slams-christian-group/ May Govt Backs Sex-Change Treatment for Under 16s, Snubs Christian Group]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved February 22, 2018.</ref>

===Climate change===
Shortly after becoming Prime Minister, May abolished a climate change agency.<ref>[http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/new-british-pm-kills-climate-change-agency/article/2596645 New British PM kills climate change agency, Washington Examiner, July 15, 2016]</ref> However, May is a supporter of the [[Paris climate agreement]] and indirectly attacked U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] for choosing to leave the agreement.<ref name="UNspeech2017">Multiple references:
*Kassam, Raheem (September 20, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/09/20/uk-pm-may-opens-front-trump-u-n-general-assembly-backs-paris-agreement-lectures-refugees/ UK PM May Dings Trump at U.N. General Assembly: Backs Paris Agreement, Lectures on Refugees]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
*Dallison, Paul (September 20, 2017). [http://www.politico.eu/article/trump-climate-change-theresa-may-takes-swipe-at-stance-in-un-speech/ Theresa May takes swipe at Trump’s climate stance in UN speech]. ''Politico''. Retrieved September 20, 2017.</ref>

===May and religion===
To the dismay of many secularists, and causing much controversy in the United Kingdom, May said that "God helps me make many difficult decisions", particularly relating to [[Brexit]].<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/27/theresa-may-says-christian-faith-helps-make-difficult-decisions/</ref>

===Law and order===
May's Investigatory Powers Act was signed into law in December 2016, which requires all internet service providers (ISPs) to store every IP's internet history in the United Kingdom. This information can then be accessed via warrants issued by a special Investigatory Powers Commissioner or the courts.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/19/extreme-surveillance-becomes-uk-law-with-barely-a-whimper</ref><ref>http://www.fintech.finance/01-news/using-the-internet-against-you/</ref>

===Immigration===
In a 2017 speech at the [[United Nations]], May spoke sympathetically about immigration to Europe from the Middle East.<ref name="UNspeech2017"/>

===Trade===
May supports [[free trade]] and has attacked [[protectionism]], such as that promoted by the [[Trump Administration]].<ref name="UNspeech2017"/>

===Israel===
May criticized U.S. President Trump for recognizing [[Jerusalem]] as the capital city of Israel.<ref>Tomlinson, Chris (December 6, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/12/06/saboteur-may-flakes-israel-support-opens-another-front-trumps-america-britain-needs-trade-deal/ Saboteur May Flakes on Israel Support, Opens Up ANOTHER Front With Trump’s America (Which Britain Needs a Trade Deal With)]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 6, 2017.</ref>

==See also==
* [[British politics]]
* [[European migrant crisis]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

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Category:German Politicians

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Category:German Chancellors

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Category:German Politicians by Party

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Bill Cosby

2018-05-07T01:45:46Z

Qaz: /* External links */ it's sourced to a Christian publication that he explicitly stated that he is a Protestant

'''William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr.''', born July 12, 1937 (age {{age|1937|7|12}}), is an American [[actor]] and [[comedian]] from [[Philadelphia]]. He is famous for his role on ''[[The Cosby Show]]'', the highest rated show in television at that time, his [[Jello]] advertisements, his children's comedy cartoon ''Fat Albert'' and his comedy albums.

In 1976, he earned a [[doctorate]] in education from the [[University of Massachusetts]] at Amherst.

Bill Cosby has been married to Camille Cosby since 1964. They had four daughters and son. Their son was murdered in 1997 and his killer is in prison. One of their daughters died in 2018.

Cosby is a [[Protestant]] and has spoken about how important his faith is to him.<ref>[http://www.christianpost.com/news/qa/bill-cosby-talks-family-faith-and-tim-tebow-64962 Bill Cosby talks family, faith and Tim Tebow]</ref> He angered many people when he voiced criticism of the [[African-American]] community's acceptance of single-parent households, high crime and imprisonment rates and other problems. He has also said black people in America should not blame white people for the problems black people face today. He said that they should take personal responsibility and better themselves through education and hard work, rather than becoming parents at an early age.<ref name="ref1">National Leadership Network of Conservative African-Americans. ''Thank You, Bill Cosby, For Saying the Right Thing at the Right Time'' [http://www.nationalcenter.org/P21NVFritschCosby904.html]</ref> For this reason, Cosby was highly regarded among [[conservative]]s who feel the same way.<ref name="ref1" /><ref>Murphy, James (April 30, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/item/28936-bill-cosby-convicted-of-sexual-assault Bill Cosby's Conviction of Sexual Assault Overshadows the Rest of His Life]. ''The New American''. Retrieved May 3, 2018.</ref>

Cosby has been accused of [[sexual assault]] and [[sexual harassment]] by many women. Cosby has pleaded not guilty to three charges, and his trial in court began June 5, 2017.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/06/us/bill-cosby-sex-abuse-hearing Bill Cosby sex abuse hearing]</ref> The first trial ended in a [[hung jury]], and he was [[New trial|retried]] in 2018.<ref>[http://pagesix.com/2017/06/18/cosby-knew-he-would-get-a-hung-jury-all-along/ Cosby knew he would get a hung jury all along]</ref> On April 26, 2018, he was convicted of three counts in relation to drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2004.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/26/arts/television/bill-cosby-guilty-retrial.html Bill Cosby found guilty]</ref> He is currently under house arrest while awaiting sentencing.

Several universities have revoked honorary degrees awarded to Cosby due to sexual assault allegations, including [[Yale University]] which revoked the first honorary degree in the history of the university.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.billcosby.com/ Bill Cosby's website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosby, Bill}}
[[Category:American Actors]]
[[Category:American Comedians]]
[[Category:American Criminals]]
[[Category:Best Selling Authors]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Educators]]
[[Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom award winners]]

Talk:List of atheist shooters and serial killers

2018-04-27T20:20:59Z

Qaz: /* Why are there people on this list who aren't atheists? */

{{Wikiproject Religion}}

== Why are there people on this list who aren't atheists? ==
I removed [[Kimveer Gill]] and [[James Eagan Holmes]] because there's no evidence that they have ever been [[atheist]]s. They've been reinstated without justification, or even edit summaries. The ref for KG does not mention atheism. The link for JEH explicitly states that he was an [[agnostic]]. By definition, agnostics aren't atheists. A list of atheists should obviously not include anyone who has never been an atheist. [[User:Qaz|Qaz]] ([[User talk:Qaz|talk]]) 16:19, 27 April 2018 (EDT)

Talk:List of atheist shooters and serial killers

2018-04-27T20:19:34Z

Qaz:

{{Wikiproject Religion}}

== Why are there people on this list who aren't atheists? ==
I removed [[Kimveer Gill]] and [[James Eagan Holmes]] because there's no evidence that they have ever been [[atheist]]s - yet they've been reinstated without justification. The ref for KG does not mention atheism. The link for JEH explicitly states that he was an [[agnostic]]. By definition, agnostics aren't atheists. A list of atheists should obviously not include anyone who has never been an atheist. [[User:Qaz|Qaz]] ([[User talk:Qaz|talk]]) 16:19, 27 April 2018 (EDT)

Peter Sutcliffe

2018-04-27T14:05:49Z

Qaz: He's never said he's an atheist, and it's unsourced. He was raised Catholic, became a Jehovah's Witness in 2015 and considered converting to Islam in 2016.

'''Peter William Sutcliffe''' (born June 2, 1946) is a notorious [[British]] serial killer known as "The Yorkshire Ripper". Beginning in July 1975 and culminating with his capture in January 1981, he was responsible for the deaths of 13 women and the attempted murder of 7 more.

A lorry driver by trade, his modus operandi involved picking up women in his car or truck and assaulting them using a hammer and a screwdriver before leaving them for dead. The manhunt for him was one of the largest ever by the [[British]] police force and involved using [[forensic]] techniques that were cutting-edge at the time.

The "Ripper" name given to him was attributed to the media covering the manhunt and is a reference to "Jack the Ripper" an historical London killer who also preyed on women.

At his trial Sutcliffe claimed to believe that [[God]] had told him to murder the women, who were [[prostitute]]s. Since his arrest and [[incarceration]], several documentaries have been made about his life and an ITV film has been made about the manhunt that led to his arrest.

==External links==

* [http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/sutcliffe/mask_1.html Peter Sutcliffe at crimelibrary.com]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutcliffe, Peter}}
[[Category:Serial Killers]]

Charles Manson

2018-04-27T13:53:25Z

Qaz: there's no indication that he was anti-war - quite the opposite, he wanted to start a war between whites and blacks

'''Charles Manson''' (November 12, 1934 - November 19, 2017) was a 1960s ringleader of a murderous [[California]] [[cult]] whose most famous crime was ordering the murder of [[Sharon Tate]] and 6 other people.

He [[brainwashing|brain-washed]] a devoted group of followers into various murders, with the hope of starting a race war and being the leader of the post-apocalyptic world he said the war would create.<ref>Borsella, C. ''On Persecution, Identity and Activism: Aspects of the Italian-American Experience from the Late 19th Century to Today''; Dante University Press; Boston. p. 110, (2005) [http://books.google.com/books?id=hWkQNm6MOxQC&lpg=PA110&dq=%22Charles%20Manson%22&pg=PA2#v=onepage&q=%22Charles%20Manson%22&f=false]</ref> Because Manson directed the members of the cult to commit multiple murders, he was convicted of the murders under a joint-responsibility rule which makes it a crime to be involved in a conspiracy to commit murder.

Manson held notions commonly regarded as ludicrous; for example, he believed that the [[Beatles]] were his disciples, and their song "Helter Skelter" inspired his idea. Manson was a [[racist]] who hated black people and burned a [[swastika]] scar on his forehead.<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1205141/The-Devils-disciples-40-years-killing-sprees-Charles-Manson-grotesque-celebrity-Twitter-page.html</ref> He is a [[Satanism|Satanist]] and said that he is [[Jesus Christ]] and [[Satan]] in one person and the Reincarnation of [[Aleister Crowley]].

In April 2011, Manson broke a 20-year silence to make nonsensical remarks about the [[global warming]] scam and supposed human damage to the environment.<ref>http://nation.foxnews.com/charles-manson/2011/04/18/charles-manson-breaks-20-year-silenceto-speak-out-about-global-warming#ixzz1JvxUz9EH</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== See also ==
*[[Scientology]]

==External links ==
*[http://www.charliemanson.com/tom-snyder-1981.htm 1981 Tom Snyder interview with Charles Manson], Transcribed by Aaron Bredlau. CharlieManson.com. Retrieved 26 April 2007.
*[http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/manson/manson.htm The Trial of Charles Manson] at Famous Trials

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manson, Charles}}
[[Category:American Criminals]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Serial Killers]]

Serial killer

2018-04-27T13:39:29Z

Qaz: removed a dead link and corrected the info - it has to be at least 3, not merely 2

A '''serial killer''' is a murderer who is responsible for multiple killings carried out on separate occasions. Definition from the FBI website: ''Serial Murder: The unlawful killing of three or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events.''

==Examples==
*[[Charles Manson]]
*[[Albert Fish]]
*[[List of atheist shooters and serial killers]]

==References==
<references/>

{{Ten Commandments}}

[[Category:Murderers]]

Halloween (1978 film)

2018-04-27T13:33:45Z

Qaz: what is conservative about a slasher film in which the protagonist is an apparently immortal serial killer? The film doesn't take a political stance at all

'''Halloween''' is a classic [[American]] [[horror movie]] from 1978, directed and written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence. The film tells about a fictional serial killer named ''Michael Myers''.

The film is one of the most influential slasher films of all time.

In 2007, Rob Zombie produced a remake of the film, and in 2009 he also produced the sequel for the remake.

==Films==
A complete list of all ''Halloween'' films.

===Original Films===
''Halloween'' (1978) ''Halloween II'' (1981) ''Halloween III'' (1983) ''Halloween IV'' (1988) ''Halloween V'' (1989) ''Halloween VI: The Curse of Michael Myers'' (1995) ''Halloween H20: 20 Years Later'' (1998) ''Halloween: Resurrection'' (2002)

===Remakes===
''Halloween'' (2007) ''Halloween II'' (2009) ''Halloween 3-D'' (2015)

==External links==
* [http://halloweenmovies.com HalloweenMovies.com]

[[Category:Movies‏‎]]
[[Category:Horror (Film)]]
[[Category:Thrillers]]

List of atheist shooters and serial killers

2018-04-27T13:16:32Z

Qaz: The source article explicitly says he's an agnostic, who by definition cannot be an atheist. Therefore he is definitely not eligible for inclusion on this list. You can't include people who aren't atheists on a list of atheists.

[[File:Jeffrey Dahmer Milwaukee Police 1991 mugshot.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|As an [[atheism|atheist]], the [[serial killer]] [[Jeffrey Dahmer]] engaged in [[cannibalism]].<ref name="PhillipsDahmer1994"/> See also: [[Atheism and cannibalism]] ]]
The following is a '''list of atheist shooters and serial killers'''. [[Atheist]]s have a long record of being [[Mass murder|mass shooters]] and [[militant atheism]] in general has a causal association [[Atheism and Mass Murder|with mass murder]].

Due to this fact, [[peer review]]ed research published in academic journals has found that society-at-large is likely to [[Distrust of atheists|hold atheists responsible]] for capital criminal acts and that even atheists are likely to assume that [[serial killer]]s are fellow atheists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4758164/Atheists-naturally-assume-immoral-people-atheists.html|title=Do we need religion to have good morals? Even atheists think horrific crimes are likely committed by atheists|last=Pettit|first=Harry|date=August 7, 2017|publisher=[[Daily Mail]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/07/anti-atheist-prejudice-secularity|title=Atheists tend to be seen as immoral – even by other atheists: study|date=August 7, 2017|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/in-atheists-we-distrust/
|title=In Atheists We Distrust|date=January 17, 2012|publisher=[[Scientific American]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017|author=Daisy Grewal}}</ref>

== United States ==
[[File:Loughner173005--300x300.jpg|right|150px|thumb|[[Jared Loughner]]'s mugshot, released January 10, 2011]]
*Gabriel Ross Parker, shooter at Marshall County High School in Kentucky who murdered two people (January 2018)<ref>Sayers, Justin; Wolfson, Andrew (March 7, 2018). [https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2018/03/07/marshall-county-school-shooting-gabe-parker-experiment-motive/403035002/ Gabe Parker saw Marshall County school shooting as an experiment, officer says]. ''The Courier-Journal''. Retrieved March 21, 2018.</ref><ref>[https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kentucky/articles/2018-03-08/police-teen-saw-shooting-as-experiment-showed-no-remorse Police: Teen Saw Shooting as Experiment, Showed No Remorse]. ''U.S. News & World Report'' (from the ''Associated Press''). March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.</ref><ref>Root, Kayla (January 25, 2018). [https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2018/january/kentucky-shooter-joined-atheist-group-but-couldnt-stop-these-students-from-praying Kentucky Shooter Joined Atheist Group, but Couldn't Stop ALL These Students from Praying]. ''CBN News''. Retrieved March 21, 2018.</ref>
*[[Devin Patrick Kelley]], perpetrator of the Sutherland Springs, [[Texas]] shooting at First Baptist Church, murdered 26 people (November 2017)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5053013/Devin-Kelley-outcast-preached-atheism.html|title=Texas church shooter Devin Kelley was an 'outcast'|last=Stanton|first=Jenny|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=Daily Mail|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://shoebat.com/2017/11/05/make-no-mistake-about-it-the-man-who-slaughtered-26-christians-in-a-baptist-church-in-texas-was-an-atheist-who-hated-christ-and-the-christian-faith/|title=Make No Mistake About It, The Man Who Slaughtered 26 Christians In A Baptist Church In Texas Was An Atheist Who Hated Christ And The Christian Faith | Walid Shoebat|last=Shoebat|first=Theodore|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=[[Walid Shoebat]]|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/11/update-sutherland-springs-gunman-devin-kelley-wore-black-facebook-page-suggests-diehard-atheist-cnn-fan/|title=UPDATE: Sutherland Springs Gunman Devin Kelley Wore "All Black" - Facebook Page Suggests He Was Diehard Atheist, CNN Fan|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=The Gateway Pundit|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://heavy.com/news/2017/11/devin-kelley-p-sutherland-springs-church-shooter-patrick-kelly/|title=Devin Kelley: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=Heavy|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://onehallyu.com/topic/601997-texas-shooter-devin-patrick-kelley-was-a-radical-sjw-atheist/|title=Texas shooter Devin Patrick Kelley was a radical SJW Atheist!|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=OneHallyu|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>[http://www.pacificpundit.com/2017/11/05/devin-kelley-facebook-liked-atheist-pages-cnn/ DEVIN KELLEY FACEBOOK LIKED ATHEIST PAGES, CNN], Pacific Pundit</ref>
*Chris Harper Mercer, Umpqua Community College gunman (October 2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/umpqua-gunman-chris-harper-mercer-hated-religion-online|title=Umpqua Gunman Chris Harper Mercer Hated Religion Online|date=October 2, 2015|publisher=[[The Daily Beast]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017|author=Katie Zavadski}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/02/oregon-shooter-said-to-have-singled-out-christians-for-killing-in-horrific-act-of-cowardice/?utm_term=.38c6d31660e9|title=Oregon shooter said to have singled out Christians for killing in ‘horrific act of cowardice’|date=October 2, 2015|publisher=[[The Washington Post]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017|author=Eli Saslow, Sarah Kaplan and Joseph Hoyt}}</ref>
*[[Craig Stephen Hicks]], perpretator of the Chapel Hill Shootings (February 2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/02/chapel-hill-shooting-white-male-atheist-murders-three-muslim-students|title=The Chapel Hill shooting: White male atheist murders three Muslim students|publisher=[[New Statesman]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref>
*[[Jared Lee Loughner]], perpetrator of the Tucson Shootings (January 2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-is-jared-loughner-friends-reveal-alienation/|title=Who is Jared Loughner? Friends Reveal Alienation|date=January 10, 2011|publisher=[[CBS News]]|accessdate=7 October 2017|quote=An ardent atheist, he began to characterize people as sheep whose free will was being sapped by the government and the monotony of modern life.}}</ref>
*[[Seung-Hui Cho]], perpetrator of the [[Virginia Tech shootings]] (April 2007)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.godtvradio.com/2017/08/atheists-list-of-killers-and-criminals.html|title=Atheists List of Killers and Criminals|last=Keane|first=Brett|date=August 16, 2017|publisher=GodTVRadio News|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref>
*[[Jeffrey Dahmer]], serial killer and sex offender responsible for the rape, murder, and dismemberment of seventeen men and boys (1978 - 1991)<ref name="PhillipsDahmer1994">{{cite web|author=Stone Phillips, Jeffrey Dahmer|title=Jeffrey Dahmer Interview - MSNBC Footage|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQGDHTVHL8g|accessdate=October 7, 2017|year=1994|publisher=Dateline NBC|page=175}}</ref>
*James Oliver Huberty, perpetrator of the San Ysidro McDonald's massacre (July 1984)<ref name="Wolcott2004">{{cite book|last=Wolcott|first=Martin Gilman|title=The Evil 100|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=AqAtjVMGnLIC&pg=PA175|accessdate=October 7, 2017|year=2004|publisher=Kensington Publishing Corporation|isbn=9780806525556|page=175}}</ref>

== Canada ==
*[[Kimveer Gill]], perpetrator of the Dawson College Shooting (September 2006)<ref name="Langton2010">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=GXYoZe620MYC&pg=PT79|last=Langton|first=Jerry|title=Rage: The True Story of a Sibling Murder|accessdate=7 October 2017|date=January 12, 2010|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9780470739969|page=79|quote=I hate this world, I hate the people in it, I hate the way people live, I hate God, I hate the deceivers, I hate betrayers, I hate religious zealots...}}</ref>

== Study: People assume serial killers are atheists ==

''See also:'' [[Atheism and serial killers]]

The news and analysis website ''Axios'' reported:
{{Cquote|A [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-017-0151 new study published in Nature Human Behaviour] found that people around the world are predisposed to believe that atheists are more likely to be serial killers than religious believers — a bias even held by atheists themselves.

By the numbers: The study included 3,256 participants across 13 diverse countries that included highly secular nations like Finland and the Netherlands as well as highly religious ones like the United Arab Emirates and India.<ref>[https://www.axios.com/youre-more-likely-to-assume-a-serial-killer-is-an-atheist-2470310571.html People assume serial killers are atheists], Axios</ref>}}

== See also ==
*[[Atheism and psychopathy]]
*[[Irreligion, psychopathy, crime, violence and antisocial behavior]]
*[[Atheism and mental illness]]
*[[Atheism and Mass Murder|Atheism and mass murder]]
*[[Atheism and morality]]
*[[Atheism and rape]]
*[[Atheistic communism and torture]]
*[[Atheism and alcoholism]]
*[[Atheism and suicide]]
*[[Atheism and cannibalism]]
*[[Atheism and health]]
*[[Atheism and depression]]
*[[Irreligious prison population]]
*[[Religion and crime reduction]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.godtvradio.com/2017/08/atheists-list-of-killers-and-criminals.html Atheists List of Killers and Criminals] by Brett Keane
*[http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1121/p09s01-coop.html CS Monitor - Atheism, not religion, is the real force behind the mass murders of history] by [[Dinesh D'Souza]]
*[http://www.thomism.org/atheism/atheist_murderers.html Atheist Murderers] by Julian Ahlquist
{{Nb Atheism}}
[[Category:Atheism]]
[[Category:Atheists]]
[[Category:Violence]]

Talk:James Eagan Holmes

2018-04-26T22:32:02Z

Qaz:

== A somewhat pedantic question/remark ==
''Holmes dyed his hair a bright reddish orange for the evening of the crime, apparently in imitation of the Joker, a nemesis of Batman.'' I know that many news outlets have said the exact same thing. I'm pretty sure though, that the Joker '''never''' had orange/reddish hair. It was always '''green'''. Maybe the connection between hair colour and the Joker persona should be removed. We don't have to repeat the mistakes of the lamestream media--[[User:VPropp|VPropp]] 09:38, 25 July 2012 (EDT)
:You're correct, so I've removed it. The source article doesn't say why he dyed his hair. [[User:Qaz|Qaz]] ([[User talk:Qaz|talk]]) 18:32, 26 April 2018 (EDT)

James Eagan Holmes

2018-04-26T22:30:31Z

Qaz: removed false info which isn't in the source, per talk page

[[File:James Eagan Holmes.jpg|right|200px]]
'''James Eagan Holmes''' (born December 13, 1987) is suspected of killing 12 and wounding 58 in a mass murder perpetrated at a sold-out midnight showing of "[[The Dark Knight Rises]]," a movie about [[Batman]]. The crime occurred in Aurora, [[Colorado]], in the early morning of July 20, 2012.<ref name="BBC">[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18937513 Profile: Aurora cinema shooting suspect James Holmes], [[BBC]]</ref>

Holmes was a Ph.D. student in science who reportedly received many shipments, probably materials for his crime, at his office at the [[University of Colorado]].

Holmes personally received $26,000 in funding from the [[National Institutes of Health]], a division of the [[Department of Health and Human Services]] in the [[Obama Administration]]. This was in addition to free tuition:<ref>[http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/07/24/james-holmes-received-26k-grant-from-bethesda-based-national-institutes-of-health/#.UA7rb4EsvRk.twitter James Holmes Received $26K Grant From Bethesda-Based National Institutes of Health], [[CBS News]]</ref>

{{cquote|James Holmes received thousands from grad-school grants ahead of deadly Aurora shooting ... 'This was his only known income, so ... ''what you have here is the specter of a federally funded shooting because this appears to be the money he had access to during the time he was planning this'','}}

observed a former FBI assistant director.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/james-holmes-received-thousands-from-grad-school-grants-ahead-of-deadly-aurora-shooting/ James Holmes received thousands from grad-school grants ahead of deadly Aurora shooting], [[CBS News]]</ref> Holmes was found [[incompetent]] to stand trial in May 2016.

Holmes dyed his hair a bright reddish orange for the evening of the crime (see the booking photo to the right). He "told police he was the fictitious Batman villain, the Joker, and when cops put evidence bags over his hands to preserve traces of gunpowder residue, he pretended the bags were puppets."<ref name="ABC News">[http://abcnews.go.com/US/james-holmes-spitting-correction-officers-forcing-spit-guard/story?id=16844456 James Holmes Spitting At Correction Officers, Forcing Use of Spit Guard], [[ABC News]]</ref>

Holmes professed to be an [[agnostic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/alleged-shooter-james-holmes-bragged-of-soul-penetrating-eyes-on-dating-website-2012-7|title=Alleged Shooter James Holmes Bragged Of 'Soul Penetrating Eyes' On Dating Website|last=Rogers|first=Abby|date=July 23, 2012|publisher=[[Business Insider]]|language=English|accessdate=October 8, 2017|quote=In his profile, Holmes described himself as an agnostic man who "definitely" wants kids, only drinks "socially," and doesn't smoke.}}</ref> '''Holmes was obsessed with role-playing [[video games]] and reportedly planned his attack long in advance'''. "Authorities working in the jail say that Holmes is maintaining his villainous 'Joker' persona. 'Let’s just say he hasn’t shown any remorse,' a jail employee said. ''''He thinks he’s acting in a movie.''''"<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/james-holmes-mug-shot-released/ James Holmes' mug shot released], [[CBS News]]</ref>

Holmes will be formally charged with multiple first-degree murders. While in jail, Holmes has repeatedly spat on guards.<ref name="ABC News"/>

==Background==

Holmes was born in [[liberal]] [[California]]. He graduated in 2006 from Westview High,<ref name="AssociatedPress">[http://www.boston.com/news/education/articles/2012/07/21/basic_timeline_for_suspected_colo_theater_gunman/ Timeline for Suspected Colo. Theater Gunman], [[Associated Press]]</ref> a [[public school]].<ref>[http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/pusdwvhs/ Westview High School official website]</ref> A video of him from around that time shows him in a science camp talking about "temporal illusions", which he describes as "illusion[s] that allows you to change the past",<ref name="ABC2">[http://abcnews.go.com/US/james-holmes-video-colorado-shooting-suspect-abc-news/story?id=16830653#.UA3ToKDiFX9 Colorado Shooting Suspect James Holmes Was Turned Away From Gun Range], [[ABC News]]</ref> an idea that reek of liberal [[relativism]]. This kind of thinking, in which objective morality does not exist, might have been one of the factors which lead him to engage in such murderous actions later on.

Another possible cause for Holmes' violent behavior might be his indulgence in video and computer games. According to acquaintance of his, Holmes was an avid player of computer games<ref>[http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1229335--james-holmes-suspected-in-colorado-theatre-shooting-rampage Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes described as quiet graduate student], [[Toronto Star]]</ref> which are known to increase violent behavior.<ref>[http://www.killology.org/article_teachkid.htm "Teaching Kids To Kill"], By Lt. Col. Dave Grossman</ref>

Likewise, sexualized entertainment and pornography cannot be ruled as having had an effect on Holmes' behavior. Seeing that he had a personal profile on Adult FriendFinder (a website whose purpose is to facilitate casual sex),<ref>[http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/365528/20120721/james-eagan-holmes-sex-profile-photo.htm James Eagan Holmes Had Profile On Sex Website, Plus Everything Else We Know About The Colorado Shooting Suspect], [[International Business Times]]</ref> it is unlikely to assume that he had not viewed porn, which is known to cause individuals to engage in anti-social and violent behavior.

Many of the audience were students from local high schools who were influenced by the attack at the local Columbine High School. The schools had held annual "Code 3" lockdown drills which taught them how to react in a shooting situation.<ref name=saslow>{{cite news|title=The Columbine Generation: In violence's shadow, bound by new tragedy|date=July 23, 2012|page=A1|author=Eli Saslow|work=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref> As a result, the audience dropped to the floor and moved quickly away from Holmes without injuring others in the crowd.

==The shooting==

The shooting occurred during the local premiere of ''The Dark Knight Rises''. Many people attended the midnight premiere wearing costumes based on earlier Batman movies. Holmes was wearing full body armor, including a throat protector and a ballistic face protector. He carried three weapons: a Remington shotgun, a Smith & Wesson M&P assault rifle with a 100-round drum magazine and a Glock .40 caliber handgun.<ref name=wp>{{cite news|title=A day of tears and twists in Colorado|work=[[Washington Post]]|page=A1|date=July 23, 2012|author=David Fahrenthold, Thomas Heath and Joel Achenbach}}</ref> Twenty minutes into the show, Holmes entered the movie theater through the emergency exit, released a gas grenade,<ref name=saslow/> and began shooting at patrons.<ref name=denver/> Twelve people died and 58 were wounded.<ref name=denver/> Holmes' assault rifle had jammed about half way through its magazine.<ref name=wp/> At least one bullet penetrated the partition separating the adjacent theatre and wounded a patron in the next room.<ref name=saslow/> Holmes was arrested shortly after the shooting was over.<ref name=denver>[http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_21124893/12-shot-dead-58-wounded-aurora-movie-theater 12 shot dead, 58 wounded in Aurora movie theater during Batman premier], [[Denver Post]]</ref> When police arrived, they appeared to have mistaken Holmes for a SWAT officer based on his costume. Holmes left the theatre and returned to his car. One officer noticed something irregular about Holmes' SWAT gear, questioned him, and arrested him. Holmes surrendered without resisting.<ref name=wp/>

Police then went to Holmes' apartment to investigate further and discovered that it had been booby-trapped with many explosives. Police concluded that Homes had spent months accumulating explosives, weapons and ammunition.<ref name=wp/> The computer collected at the apartment is being analyzed with the assistance of the FBI.<ref name=wp/>

==Political Reaction==
President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney took down their campaign ads in Colorado and cancelled political rallies on Saturday, July 21. On Sunday, July 22, Obama flew to Colorado to meet with each family of the victims.<ref name=nakamura>{{cite news|title=Obama vists victims, again taking on mantle of healer in chief|author=David Nakamura|date=July 23, 2012|work=[[Washington Post]]|page=A8}}</ref> The City of Aurora organized a prayer [[vigil]] for Sunday night that drew over a 1000 attendees.<ref name=nakamura/>

Ever since [[Al Gore]] lost the presidential election in 2000 in part due to [[Democrat]] demands for [[gun control]] in the aftermath of the [[Columbine massacre]], Democrats have had an unspoken rule against demanding gun control. White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters, "The president's view is that we can take steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them under existing law."<ref name=wp/> [[Neoconservative]] commentator Bill Kristol told Fox News Sunday that this was a mistake and that Obama should show more leadership on calling for an assault weapon ban.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday/2012/07/22/feinstein-johnson-debate-stricter-gun-control-netanyahu-dangerous-times-middle-east|title=Feinstein, Johnson debate stricter gun control; Netanyahu on dangerous times in the Middle East|date=July 22, 2012|work=[[Fox News]] Sunday}}</ref>

==Sentencing==

On the 7th August 2015 a Colorado jury spared Holmes the death penalty.
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-33825710]

== References ==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, James Eagan}}
[[Category:Agnostics]]
[[Category:American Criminals]]
[[Category:Gun Free Zones]]
[[Category:Incompetents]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Mass Murderers]]

== See also ==
*[[Young mass murderers]]

List of atheist shooters and serial killers

2018-04-26T22:26:12Z

Qaz: /* United States */ source explicitly says agnostic, not atheist

[[File:Jeffrey Dahmer Milwaukee Police 1991 mugshot.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|As an [[atheism|atheist]], the [[serial killer]] [[Jeffrey Dahmer]] engaged in [[cannibalism]].<ref name="PhillipsDahmer1994"/> See also: [[Atheism and cannibalism]] ]]
The following is a '''list of atheist shooters and serial killers'''. [[Atheist]]s have a long record of being [[Mass murder|mass shooters]] and [[militant atheism]] in general has a causal association [[Atheism and Mass Murder|with mass murder]].

Due to this fact, [[peer review]]ed research published in academic journals has found that society-at-large is likely to [[Distrust of atheists|hold atheists responsible]] for capital criminal acts and that even atheists are likely to assume that [[serial killer]]s are fellow atheists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4758164/Atheists-naturally-assume-immoral-people-atheists.html|title=Do we need religion to have good morals? Even atheists think horrific crimes are likely committed by atheists|last=Pettit|first=Harry|date=August 7, 2017|publisher=[[Daily Mail]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/07/anti-atheist-prejudice-secularity|title=Atheists tend to be seen as immoral – even by other atheists: study|date=August 7, 2017|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/in-atheists-we-distrust/
|title=In Atheists We Distrust|date=January 17, 2012|publisher=[[Scientific American]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017|author=Daisy Grewal}}</ref>

== United States ==
[[File:Loughner173005--300x300.jpg|right|150px|thumb|[[Jared Loughner]]'s mugshot, released January 10, 2011]]
*Gabriel Ross Parker, shooter at Marshall County High School in Kentucky who murdered two people (January 2018)<ref>Sayers, Justin; Wolfson, Andrew (March 7, 2018). [https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2018/03/07/marshall-county-school-shooting-gabe-parker-experiment-motive/403035002/ Gabe Parker saw Marshall County school shooting as an experiment, officer says]. ''The Courier-Journal''. Retrieved March 21, 2018.</ref><ref>[https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kentucky/articles/2018-03-08/police-teen-saw-shooting-as-experiment-showed-no-remorse Police: Teen Saw Shooting as Experiment, Showed No Remorse]. ''U.S. News & World Report'' (from the ''Associated Press''). March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.</ref><ref>Root, Kayla (January 25, 2018). [https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2018/january/kentucky-shooter-joined-atheist-group-but-couldnt-stop-these-students-from-praying Kentucky Shooter Joined Atheist Group, but Couldn't Stop ALL These Students from Praying]. ''CBN News''. Retrieved March 21, 2018.</ref>
*[[Devin Patrick Kelley]], perpetrator of the Sutherland Springs, [[Texas]] shooting at First Baptist Church, murdered 26 people (November 2017)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5053013/Devin-Kelley-outcast-preached-atheism.html|title=Texas church shooter Devin Kelley was an 'outcast'|last=Stanton|first=Jenny|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=Daily Mail|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://shoebat.com/2017/11/05/make-no-mistake-about-it-the-man-who-slaughtered-26-christians-in-a-baptist-church-in-texas-was-an-atheist-who-hated-christ-and-the-christian-faith/|title=Make No Mistake About It, The Man Who Slaughtered 26 Christians In A Baptist Church In Texas Was An Atheist Who Hated Christ And The Christian Faith | Walid Shoebat|last=Shoebat|first=Theodore|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=[[Walid Shoebat]]|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/11/update-sutherland-springs-gunman-devin-kelley-wore-black-facebook-page-suggests-diehard-atheist-cnn-fan/|title=UPDATE: Sutherland Springs Gunman Devin Kelley Wore "All Black" - Facebook Page Suggests He Was Diehard Atheist, CNN Fan|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=The Gateway Pundit|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://heavy.com/news/2017/11/devin-kelley-p-sutherland-springs-church-shooter-patrick-kelly/|title=Devin Kelley: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=Heavy|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://onehallyu.com/topic/601997-texas-shooter-devin-patrick-kelley-was-a-radical-sjw-atheist/|title=Texas shooter Devin Patrick Kelley was a radical SJW Atheist!|date=November 5, 2017|publisher=OneHallyu|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>[http://www.pacificpundit.com/2017/11/05/devin-kelley-facebook-liked-atheist-pages-cnn/ DEVIN KELLEY FACEBOOK LIKED ATHEIST PAGES, CNN], Pacific Pundit</ref>
*Chris Harper Mercer, Umpqua Community College gunman (October 2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/umpqua-gunman-chris-harper-mercer-hated-religion-online|title=Umpqua Gunman Chris Harper Mercer Hated Religion Online|date=October 2, 2015|publisher=[[The Daily Beast]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017|author=Katie Zavadski}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/02/oregon-shooter-said-to-have-singled-out-christians-for-killing-in-horrific-act-of-cowardice/?utm_term=.38c6d31660e9|title=Oregon shooter said to have singled out Christians for killing in ‘horrific act of cowardice’|date=October 2, 2015|publisher=[[The Washington Post]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017|author=Eli Saslow, Sarah Kaplan and Joseph Hoyt}}</ref>
*[[Craig Stephen Hicks]], perpretator of the Chapel Hill Shootings (February 2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/02/chapel-hill-shooting-white-male-atheist-murders-three-muslim-students|title=The Chapel Hill shooting: White male atheist murders three Muslim students|publisher=[[New Statesman]]|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref>
*[[Jared Lee Loughner]], perpetrator of the Tucson Shootings (January 2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-is-jared-loughner-friends-reveal-alienation/|title=Who is Jared Loughner? Friends Reveal Alienation|date=January 10, 2011|publisher=[[CBS News]]|accessdate=7 October 2017|quote=An ardent atheist, he began to characterize people as sheep whose free will was being sapped by the government and the monotony of modern life.}}</ref>
*[[Seung-Hui Cho]], perpetrator of the [[Virginia Tech shootings]] (April 2007)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.godtvradio.com/2017/08/atheists-list-of-killers-and-criminals.html|title=Atheists List of Killers and Criminals|last=Keane|first=Brett|date=August 16, 2017|publisher=GodTVRadio News|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref>
*[[Jeffrey Dahmer]], serial killer and sex offender responsible for the rape, murder, and dismemberment of seventeen men and boys (1978 - 1991)<ref name="PhillipsDahmer1994">{{cite web|author=Stone Phillips, Jeffrey Dahmer|title=Jeffrey Dahmer Interview - MSNBC Footage|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQGDHTVHL8g|accessdate=October 7, 2017|year=1994|publisher=Dateline NBC|page=175}}</ref>
*James Oliver Huberty, perpetrator of the San Ysidro McDonald's massacre (July 1984)<ref name="Wolcott2004">{{cite book|last=Wolcott|first=Martin Gilman|title=The Evil 100|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=AqAtjVMGnLIC&pg=PA175|accessdate=October 7, 2017|year=2004|publisher=Kensington Publishing Corporation|isbn=9780806525556|page=175}}</ref>

== Canada ==
*[[Kimveer Gill]], perpetrator of the Dawson College Shooting (September 2006)<ref name="Langton2010">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=GXYoZe620MYC&pg=PT79|last=Langton|first=Jerry|title=Rage: The True Story of a Sibling Murder|accessdate=7 October 2017|date=January 12, 2010|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9780470739969|page=79|quote=I hate this world, I hate the people in it, I hate the way people live, I hate God, I hate the deceivers, I hate betrayers, I hate religious zealots...}}</ref>

== Study: People assume serial killers are atheists ==

''See also:'' [[Atheism and serial killers]]

The news and analysis website ''Axios'' reported:
{{Cquote|A [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-017-0151 new study published in Nature Human Behaviour] found that people around the world are predisposed to believe that atheists are more likely to be serial killers than religious believers — a bias even held by atheists themselves.

By the numbers: The study included 3,256 participants across 13 diverse countries that included highly secular nations like Finland and the Netherlands as well as highly religious ones like the United Arab Emirates and India.<ref>[https://www.axios.com/youre-more-likely-to-assume-a-serial-killer-is-an-atheist-2470310571.html People assume serial killers are atheists], Axios</ref>}}

== See also ==
*[[Atheism and psychopathy]]
*[[Irreligion, psychopathy, crime, violence and antisocial behavior]]
*[[Atheism and mental illness]]
*[[Atheism and Mass Murder|Atheism and mass murder]]
*[[Atheism and morality]]
*[[Atheism and rape]]
*[[Atheistic communism and torture]]
*[[Atheism and alcoholism]]
*[[Atheism and suicide]]
*[[Atheism and cannibalism]]
*[[Atheism and health]]
*[[Atheism and depression]]
*[[Irreligious prison population]]
*[[Religion and crime reduction]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.godtvradio.com/2017/08/atheists-list-of-killers-and-criminals.html Atheists List of Killers and Criminals] by Brett Keane
*[http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1121/p09s01-coop.html CS Monitor - Atheism, not religion, is the real force behind the mass murders of history] by [[Dinesh D'Souza]]
*[http://www.thomism.org/atheism/atheist_murderers.html Atheist Murderers] by Julian Ahlquist
{{Nb Atheism}}
[[Category:Atheism]]
[[Category:Atheists]]
[[Category:Violence]]

Talk:Kimveer Gill

2018-04-26T22:04:45Z

Qaz: /* Atheist? */

== Notability ==
Does anyone else think that this person doesn't really seem to be notable enough to warrant their own entry in an encyclopedia? [[User:Sulgran|Sulgran]] 23:40, 8 April 2007 (EDT)

== Terrorist ==

Gill was a lot of things - a murderer, a criminal, a scumbag - but his shooting spree was not politically motivated, and thus, given CPs own definition of terrorism (as well as any reasonable definition of the word) he was not a "terrorist." [[User:AliceBG|AliceBG]] 12:05, 12 June 2008 (EDT)

== Atheist? ==
Someone saying that he hated God is not an indication that he was an atheist. If anything, it shows that he did believe in God. Mentioning a Bible passage which does not say that atheists hate God is irrelevant to the fact that there is no evidence that KG ever self-identified as anything in regard to religion - or the absence of it. There is no evidence of KG having been an atheist, yet the Atheist category has been repeatedly re-added. The only self-identification from KG in regard to his identity is that he was a goth - which is about music, clothes etc., not religion. Even if he carried out the [[Dawson College shooting]] in connection to being a goth, it still does not indicate anything about his religious beliefs or lack of them. [[User:Qaz|Qaz]] ([[User talk:Qaz|talk]]) 11:54, 26 April 2018 (EDT)
:Someone saying they hate God does '''not''' equate to theism. Read Richard Dawkin's writings on God, where he calls God every single slanderous word he can think of. Dawkins clearly hates God (though he doesn't use the exact term). Many atheists express a clear contempt of God, for various reasons.[https://creation.com/atheist-god-hate][https://carm.org/do-atheists-hate-the-god-they-dont-believe-in] I want Conservative's perspective on this if we're going to remove him (Cons originally added him). Before that, he's staying. --[[User:1990'sguy|1990'sguy]] ([[User talk:1990'sguy|talk]]) 12:03, 26 April 2018 (EDT)
::That still doesn't indicate that KG was an atheist - there's no evidence of him self-identifying as anything other than a goth. He didn't say he was an atheist, nor did his family, the media etc. No source says he was an atheist, so why claim that he was? Hating God doesn't indicate atheism. [[User:Qaz|Qaz]] ([[User talk:Qaz|talk]]) 12:11, 26 April 2018 (EDT)
:::Hating God also definitely doesn't indicate theism, something you've claimed several times -- many atheists clearly hate God, and hating God seems to be something significantly more common among atheists. I will try to contact Cons soon, and if he agrees with you, he'll remove it. --[[User:1990'sguy|1990'sguy]] ([[User talk:1990'sguy|talk]]) 12:14, 26 April 2018 (EDT)
::::I've heard, in person, people of various religions (as well as less religious people) express anger and hatred towards God for various reasons. Those two extremely biased sources that you cited on this talk page don't give any evidence that many atheists say that they hate God; you only have the authors' claims that they heard that said by them. Even if there were proof that most atheists have expressed hatred towards God, that still wouldn't show that KG was an atheist. I don't know why you claim that a category can only be removed by the editor who added it - that's not how any online encyclopedia works. The burden of inclusion rests with the editor(s) who want it included. Are there any reliable sources which state that KG was an atheist? No, there aren't - so there's no justification for claiming that he was one. Assigning any religiously or politically based information to a person obviously requires reliable sourcing. [[User:Qaz|Qaz]] ([[User talk:Qaz|talk]]) 18:04, 26 April 2018 (EDT)

Bill Cosby

2018-04-26T21:41:31Z

Qaz:

Dr. '''William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr.''', born July 12, 1937 (age {{age|1937|7|12}}), is an American [[actor]] and [[comedian]] from [[Philadelphia]]. He is famous for his role on ''[[The Cosby Show]]'', the highest rated show in television at that time, his [[Jello]] advertisements, his children's comedy cartoon ''Fat Albert'' and his comedy albums.

In 1976, he earned a [[doctorate]] in education from the [[University of Massachusetts]] at Amherst.

Bill Cosby has been married to Camille Cosby since 1964. They had four daughters and son. Their son was murdered in 1997 and his killer is in prison. One of their daughters died in 2018.

Cosby is a [[Protestant]] and has spoken about how important his faith is to him.<ref>[http://www.christianpost.com/news/qa/bill-cosby-talks-family-faith-and-tim-tebow-64962 Bill Cosby talks family, faith and Tim Tebow]</ref> He angered many people when he voiced criticism of the [[African-American]] community's acceptance of single-parent households, high crime and imprisonment rates and other problems. He has also said black people in America should not blame white people for the problems black people face today. He said that they should take personal responsibility and better themselves through education and hard work, rather than becoming parents at an early age.<ref name="ref1">National Leadership Network of Conservative African-Americans. ''Thank You, Bill Cosby, For Saying the Right Thing at the Right Time'' [http://www.nationalcenter.org/P21NVFritschCosby904.html]</ref> For this reason, Cosby is highly regarded amongst conservatives who feel the same way.<ref name="ref1" />

Cosby has been accused of [[sexual assault]] and [[sexual harassment]] by many women. Cosby has pleaded not guilty to three charges, and his trial in court began June 5, 2017. <ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/06/us/bill-cosby-sex-abuse-hearing Bill Cosby sex abuse hearing]</ref> The first trial ended in a [[hung jury]], and he will be [[New trial|retried]] in 2018.<ref>[http://pagesix.com/2017/06/18/cosby-knew-he-would-get-a-hung-jury-all-along/ Cosby knew he would get a hung jury all along]</ref> On April 26, 2018, he was convicted of three counts in relation to drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2004.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/26/arts/television/bill-cosby-guilty-retrial.html Bill Cosby found guilty]</ref>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.billcosby.com/ Bill Cosby's website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosby, Bill}}
[[Category:American Actors]]
[[Category:American Comedians]]
[[Category:American Criminals]]
[[Category:Best Selling Authors]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Educators]]
[[Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom award winners]]

Borat

2018-04-26T20:40:28Z

Qaz: /* Links */

'''''Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of [[Kazakhstan]]''''' is a 2007 [[mockumentary]] film released by 20th Century Fox. The film stars British comic [[Sacha Baron Cohen]] in the title role.

In the film, Borat Sagdiyev is an ignorant, [[anti-Semitic]], [[misogynist]] Kazakh journalist who goes to [[United States|America]] to learn about the country's culture. In America, Borat falls for Pamela Anderson on television, and goes all the way to [[California]] in an attempt to marry her. Along the way, he meets up with a lot of people who think that Borat is an actual foreigner with no knowledge of U.S. customs.

This film has a lot of gross sexual references and toilet humor. Many critics believe this film is anti-American because Borat talks to many racists and sexists. Sacha Baron Cohen just says he made this film to show "just how dumb [[racism]] is". Many Jewish people also objected to the film, most notably the [[Anti-Defamation League]], since the main character is anti-Semitic. Ironically, Cohen is an observant [[Judaism|Jew]], and during the film while supposedly speaking [[Kazakh]], is actually speaking [[Hebrew]].

An example of the anti-American nature of the film occurs in a scene at a [[rodeo]]. Borat gets the audience to sing along to the American anthem and then he sings the supposed "Kazakh" national anthem, which contains highly offensive verses. The crowd, on the belief that he is well-intentioned, sings along until they realize what he has gotten them to say—a sing-songy skewering of traditional American values.

Many people that Borat met in the film have filed lawsuits against Cohen and 20th Century Fox. For example, a businessman who ran screaming from Cohen when he attempted to hug him is filing a lawsuit. Also, the fraternity brothers who supposedly made misogynistic remarks while talking to Cohen sued Cohen and Fox, claiming that he tricked them into making the racist and sexist remarks. The case was eventually dropped.

==Links==
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443453/ Borat] at IMDB.com

[[Category:Comedy Movies]]
[[Category:Hollywood Values]]

Sacha Baron Cohen

2018-04-26T20:37:31Z

Qaz:

'''Sacha Baron Cohen''' (born October 13, 1971) is a [[United Kingdom|British]] comedian and actor, screenwriter and film producer. Cohen was born in Hammersmith, [[London]], and is [[Jewish]].<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20070619135236/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article1294842.ece</ref>

==Filmography==
*2000: ''Da Ali G Show''
*2002: ''Ali G indahouse''
*2006: ''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby''
*2006: ''[[Borat]]''
*2007: ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street''
*2009: ''Brüno''
*2011: ''Hugo''
*2013: ''[[The Dictator]]''

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baron Cohen, Sacha}}
[[Category:British Actors]]
[[Category:British Comedians]]
[[Category:British Writers]]
[[Category:English People]]
[[Category:European Jews]]
[[Category:Hollywood Values]]

Category:British Writers

2018-04-26T20:30:04Z

Qaz: Created page with "Writers"

[[Category:British People|Writers]]

Category:British Poets

2018-04-26T20:28:48Z

Qaz:

[[Category:British Writers|Poets]]
[[Category:Poets]]

Category:British Authors

2018-04-26T20:27:39Z

Qaz:

[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:British Writers|Authors]]

Category:British Politicians

2018-04-26T20:24:39Z

Qaz:

[[Category:British People|Politicians]]
[[Category:British Politics|Politicians]]
[[Category:Politicians]]

Category:United Kingdom Prime Ministers

2018-04-26T20:23:05Z

Qaz:

[[Category:British Politicians|Prime Ministers]]
[[Category:Prime Ministers]]
[[Category:United Kingdom|Prime Ministers]]

Terry Nichols

2018-04-26T19:29:57Z

Qaz:

'''Terry Nichols''' (born April 1, 1955; Lapeer, [[Michigan]]) was one of the [[accomplice]]s of [[Timothy McVeigh]] in the 1995 [[Oklahoma City bombing]] that killed 168 people. He was convicted of 161 counts of first degree [[murder]] and was sentenced to life im[[prison]]ment without the possibility of [[parole]].

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Terry}}
[[Category:American Criminals]]
[[Category:Mass Murderers]]
[[Category:Terrorists]]

Terry Nichols

2018-04-26T19:29:24Z

Qaz:

'''Terry Nichols''' (born April 1, 1955; Lapeer, [[Michigan]]) was one of the [[accomplice]]s of [[Timothy McVeigh]] in the 1995 [[Oklahoma City bombing]] that killed 168 people. He was convicted of 161 counts of first degree [[murder]] and was sentenced to life im[[prisonment]] without the possibility of [[parole]].

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Terry}}
[[Category:American Criminals]]
[[Category:Mass Murderers]]
[[Category:Terrorists]]

Terry Nichols

2018-04-26T19:25:28Z

Qaz:

'''Terry Nichols''' (born April 1, 1955; Lapeer, [[Michigan]]) was one of the [[accomplice]]s of [[Timothy McVeigh]] in the 1995 [[Oklahoma City bombing]] that killed 168 people. He was convicted of 161 counts of [[first degree murder]] and was sentenced to [[life imprisonment]] without the possibility of [[parole]].

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Terry}}
[[Category:American Criminals]]
[[Category:Mass Murderers]]
[[Category:Terrorists]]

Timothy McVeigh

2018-04-26T19:17:32Z

Qaz: /* References */

[[Image:Mcveighmugshot.jpg|right|145px|thumb]]
'''Timothy McVeigh''' (April 23, 1968 – June 11, 2001) was the main perpetrator in the [[Oklahoma City Bombing]] on April 19, 1995, which killed 168 people in the worst act of domestic terrorism in American history. He was pulled over that afternoon by Lieutenant Charles Hanger for driving without a license plate, and arrested after Lt. Hanger found an unregistered firearm in his car.<ref>http://www.nleomf.com/TheFund/programs/OOM/hanger_oct01.htm</ref>
McVeigh was a veteran of [[Operation Desert Storm]]. Contrary to the popular and oft-repeated belief among [[liberal]]s and [[Atheism|atheists]], McVeigh was not a right-wing evangelical Christian. In fact, McVeigh was raised Roman Catholic, but professed [[agnosticism]].<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/jun/11/mcveigh.usa4</ref> His political beliefs were [[libertarian]].

==Motivations==
McVeigh intended to avenge the deaths among the [[Branch Davidians]] at [[Waco]], [[Texas]], a third of which were members of minority groups, including 30 blacks, as well as 6 Hispanics and 7 Asians and including a number of interracial marriages.<ref>David B. Kopel and Paul H. Blackman, ''No More Wacos: What’s Wrong With Federal Law Enforcement and How To Fix It'', Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1997, 409-411.</ref> McVeigh's accomplice, [[Terry Nichols]] was himself married to a Philippine national despite widespread allegations spread through the mainstream media of racial motivations behind the bombings. McVeigh was [[politically profiled]] in Brandon Stickney's ''All-American Monster - The Unauthorized Biography of Timothy McVeigh''. In an interview with Lawrence W. Myers in ''Media Bypass'' magazine:
{{Cquote|McVeigh said he considers unfair and unfounded the notion that the mainstream press has classified him as a racist simply because he had read ''The Turner Diaries''. He said he responded to a gun magazine advertisement for the book around 1988 because it was being billed as a novel about what may happen when the government comes to confiscate privately owned firearms.

McVeigh also pointed out, and his sergeant confirms, that while in the Army he served alongside black soldiers without incident or problem, and when he lived off base, he and Michael Fortier routinely gave rides to work to two fellow soldiers who were black.

Although there were no African-Americans in McVeigh’s graduating class, and few in his hometown, according to the U. S. Army there are no reported incidents of him having any professional problems as a soldier dealing with other races.

Furthermore, McVeigh’s platoon sergeant was black and his platoon leader was black, and both gave him the highest ratings an infantry soldier can attain.<ref>Lawrence W. Myers, ''Tim McVeigh: An Interview'', Media Bypass, February 1996, pg. 36.</ref>}}

==Leftist conspiracy theories==
Following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing [[Leonard Zeskind]] teamed with James Ridgeway, who
writes about right-wing politics for various liberal and leftist serials, and they produced a
conspiracy theory of their very own.
{{Cquote|There is every reason to believe that the attack was a call for revolution by the far [[rightist|right wing]] of this country, organized through the widespread militia movement and carried out by one of the leaderless terror cells created by that movement.

It is probable that the three men being held in connection with the bombing—Timothy McVeigh, James Nichols and his brother Terry Nichols—are all members of that same militia cell.<ref>James Ridgeway and Leonard Zeskind, ''Revolution U.S.A.,'' Village Voice, 2 May 1995.</ref>}}

None of this proved true, and one of the most intensive investigations in FBI history has failed to link these three to any militia organization in any significant way whatsoever. In addition, James Nichols was not even a defendant in the case. The article also refers to the Posse Comitatus, a radical tax protest group of mythical proportions, as a precursor to the militias.

In 1996 Zeskind was also a contributor along with [[Chip Berlet]] and others to ''Conspiracies: Real Grievances, Paranoia, and Mass Movements'', edited by Eric Ward and published by PeanutButter Publishing. The general thrust of their contributions was to attack conspiracy theories of the right while ignoring those of the left.<ref>Eric Ward, editor, ''Conspiracies: Real Grievances, Paranoia, and Mass Movements'', (Washington: Peanut Butter Press, 1997) See also: James A. Jones, ''Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment''. (NY: The Free Press, 1981).</ref>

== Other theories ==
McVeigh's first lead defense counsel Stephen Jones coauthored a book titled ''Others Unknown: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing Conspiracy'' in which he suggests that McVeigh's co-conspirator Terry Nichols had connections to Islamic [[terrorists]] in the Philippines, among other possibilities.

Some have suggested that [[Jose Padilla]] bears a resemblance to John Doe #2, who was initially identified as a suspect in the bombing.<ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/news/06132002.shtml]</ref>

==Execution==
McVeigh was executed by the federal government on June 11, 2001.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McVeigh, Timothy}}
[[Category:Agnostics]]
[[Category:American Criminals]]
[[Category:Liberal Bias]]
[[Category:Liberal Media]]
[[Category:Mass Murderers]]
[[Category:Terrorists]]

Category:American Criminals

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[[Category:American People|Criminals]]
[[Category:Criminals]]