Looking for accurate, up-to-date data on development issues? "World Development Indicators" is the World Bank's premier annual compilation of data about development. This indispensable statistical reference allows you to consult over 900 indicators for some 150 economies and 14 country groups in more than 80 tables. It provides a current overview of the most recent data available as well as important regional data and income group analysis in six thematic sections: World View, People, Environment, Economy, States and Markets, and Global Links. The CD-ROM editions contain 46 years of time series data for more than 200 countries from 1960-2007, single-year observations, and spreadsheets on many topics. It contains more than 1,000 country tables and the text from the "World Development Indicators 2009" print edition. The Windows based format permits users to search for and retrieve data in spreadsheet form, create maps and charts, and fully download them into other popular software programs for study or presentation purposes. The CD-ROM system requires Windows 98 or NT 4.0 or later, 20 MB of available hard disk space, 32 MB of RAM, and 2 MB of video memory. 64 K color video display recommended. Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.0 or higher and sound card optional....

This at-a-glance guide to political violence and global security provides a wealth of information on armed conflicts since 1946: death tolls, assaults on human rights, including political repression and child soldiers, and the causes of war and peace. Extraordinary changes are taking place in global security. Despite the escalating violence in Iraq, and the widening war in Dafur, since the beginning of 2002 there has been a decline in armed conflict worldwide. The number of war deaths, military coups, refugees, international crises, and genocides has also decreased. Many of these changes can be attributed to international activism, spearheaded by the UN which seeks to stop ongoing wars, helps to negotiate peace settlements, supports post-conflict reconstruction, and prevents old wars from flaring up again. Drawing upon data from the Human Security Report 2005, the miniAtlas of Human Security uses colorful world maps and other graphics to chart the incidence and severity of global violence. With easy-to-read text and captions, this fourth volume in the World Bank miniAtlas series provides a visually-compelling introduction to a dramatic but largely unknown trend: the decline in the number and deadliness of armed conflicts and wars over the past 1 5 years. Specially designed to show detailed information on a small scale, it is a succinct introduction to vital trends in global conflict and today s most pressing security challenges....

Looking for accurate, up-to-date data on development issues? World Development Indicators is the World Bank's premier annual compilation of data about development. This indispensable statistical reference allows you to consult over 900 indicators for some 150 economies and 14 country groups in more than 80 tables. It provides a current overview of the most recent data available as well as important regional data and income group analysis in six thematic sections: World View, People, Environment, Economy, States and Markets, and Global Links. World Development Indicators 2009 presents the most current and accurate development data on both a national level and aggregated globally. It allows you to monitor the progress made toward meeting the Millennium Development Goals endorsed by the United Nations and its member countries, the World Bank, and a host of partner organizations. These goals, which focus on development and the elimination of poverty, serve as the agenda for international development efforts. New feature Statistics help us understand the events that trigger a crisis and measure its impact. Along with this year's 91 data tables,each section of the World Development Indicators 2009 has an introduction that shows statistics in action, describing the history of the current global crisis, its effect on developing economies, and the challenges they face....

Aquaculture - the farming of fish and aquatic plants - has become the world's fastest-growing food production sector, even as the amount of wild fish caught in our seas and freshwaters declines. From fish foods and pharmaceuticals to management of entire aquatic ecosystems, acquaculture is truly changing the face of the waters. Increase growth, however, brings increased risk, and aquaculture now lies at a crossroads. One direction points toward the giant strides in productivity, industry concentration, and product diversification. Another direction points toward the dangers of environmental degradation and the marginalization of small fish farmers. Yet another direction invites aquaculture to champion the poor and provide vital environmental services to stressed aquatic environments. Changing the Face of the Waters offers a cutting-edge analysis of the critical challenges facing aquaculture, balancing aquaculture's role in economic growth with the need for sound management of natural resources. The book also provides guidance on sustainable aquaculture by evaluating alternative development pathways, placing particular emphasis on the application of lessons from Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Aimed at policy makers, planners, and scientists, this book provides a comprehensive frame of reference for orienting ideas and initiatives in this dynamic industry....

Bolivia s informal economic sector is the largest in Latin America, and women-owned businesses tend to be overrepresented in the informal sector and to be less profitable than firms in the formal sector. This study seeks to better understand gender-based differences in firms tendencies toward formality, the impact of formality on profits, and the productivity of small informal firms. Using data from firm surveys, national household surveys, and qualitative data from focus groups, the study conducts a gender analysis of formality and productivity in six different sectors in Bolivia. The findings shed new light on how gender-based differences contribute to a firm s decision to become formal and the consequences of this decision for profitability. The outcomes of the study suggest that policies should focus on increasing the productivity and scale of women-owned businesses. Two general priorities emerge: promoting women s access to productive assets to facilitate growth and productivity and providing an enabling environment for women s entrepreneurship by expanding women s choices and capacity to respond to market opportunities....

The Little Data Book on Private Sector Development 2009 is one of a series of pocket-sized books intended to provide a quick reference to development data on different topics. The Little Data Book on Private Sector Development 2009 provides data for more than 20 key indicators on business environment and private sector development in a single page for each of the World Bank member countries and other economies with populations of more than 30,000. These more than 200 country pages are supplemented by aggregate data for regional and income groupings....

The key development issues facing our world today are vividly illustrated in "The Atlas of Global Development". Based upon authoritative data from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, this handsome volume provides a wealth of information on crucial global topics such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, corruption, environmental sustainability, migration, and growing populations. Features include: easy-to-read, colorful world maps, tables, graphs, text, and photographs; detailed information about targets for the Millennium Development Goals; definitions, sources, notes and abbreviations of commonly used terms; and, country comparisons for key development indicators.Completely revised and updated, "The Atlas of Global Development, Second Edition" highlights social, economic, and environmental issues that affect us all. This new edition includes new topics such as internet use, foreign direct investment, and food production....

Doing Business 2010 is the seventh in a series of annual reports investigating the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 183 economies--from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe--and over time. Regulations affecting 10 stages of a business's life are measured: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and closing a business. Data in Doing Business 2010 are current as of June 1, 2009. The indicators are used to analyze economic outcomes and identify what reforms have worked, where and why....

Doing Business 2009 is the sixth in a series of annual reports comparing business regulations in 181 countries, measuring regulations affecting 10 areas of everyday business: starting a business dealing with licenses employing workers registering property getting credit protecting investors paying taxes trading across borders enforcing contracts closing a business The 2009 edition of Doing Business updates all sets of indicators, ranks countries on their overall ease of doing business, and analyzes reforms to business regulation by identifying which countries are improving their business environment the most and which ones needs improvement. The indicators are used to analyze economic outcomes and identify what reforms have worked, where and why, focusing on how complex business regulations dampen investment, growth and job creation in all businesses, and especially opportunities for women entrepreneurs....

Combating Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism: A Comprehensive Training Guide has been developed by the Financial Market Integrity Unit of the World Bank to support the World Bank s Capacity Enhancement Program on AML/CFT. The modules are comprised of the following eight Modules: Module 1 - Effects on Economic Development and International Standards Module 2 - Legal Requirements to meet International Standards Module 3a - Regulatory and Institutional Requirements Module 3b - Compliance Requirements for Financial Institutions Module 4 - Building an Effective Financial Intelligence Unit Module 5 - Domestic (inter-agency) and International Cooperation Module 6 - Combating the Financing of Terrorism Module 7 - Investigating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing The program offers countries the tools, skills and knowledge to build and strengthen their institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks for developing a robust AML/CFT regime....

Following the serious economic crisis in 2001 02, Argentina mobilized an unprecedented effort to provide income support to the segment of the population most in need. Now, as growth has returned and social indicators recovered to precrisis levels, there is an opening to move from emergency support programs to a more comprehensive, long-term, and sustainable strategy for social protection. The challenge is to design and fully implement a social protection system that has adequate coverage and benefits and is integrated and fiscally and politically sustainable. The analysis contained in this book aimed to contribute to and inform the debate about the future of income support policies in Argentina, taking the views, values, and preferences of the stakeholders and the population as starting points. The research included two innovative efforts to collect and understand the landscape of ideas regarding options for social protection circulating in Argentina: first, an extensive set of consultations with policy makers and practitioners in social policy, mainly at the provincial level; and second, a national, representative opinion survey on the views and perceptions of the population regarding social policy and income support programs in particular....

Over the past two years, the world has seen turmoil in a relatively small segment of the U.S. credit markets morph into a severe global economic and financial crisis. Although aggressive monetary policy, fiscal stimulus, and guarantee programs to shore up the banking industry have begun to stabilize financial markets and slow the pace of economic contraction, policy makers face an extended battle to revive the global economy. Going forward, national and international policy makers must support emerging signs of recovery with persistent, robust efforts to restore confidence in the financial system and transform the adverse feedback loop between the financial sector and the real economy into a positive one. With analysis and data extending from short-term bank lending to long-term bond issuance in both local and foreign currency, Global Development Finance 2009: Charting a Global Recovery is unique in its breadth of coverage of the trends and issues of fundamental importance to the financing of the developing world, including coverage of capital originating from developing countries themselves. The report is an indispensable resource for governments, economists, investors, financial consultants, academics, bankers, and the entire development community....

Does investing in health raise economic growth? Can governments achieve rapid growth or high incomes without investing in health? What are the options and benefits of different analytic approaches to measuring the causal link between health and growth? Have medical advances influenced life expectancy levels? Do health investments lead to higher individual productivity? Why are investments in early childhood development and nutrition important? How do governments invest in improving health status? Where should governments invest in health to improve the welfare and health status of the population? What are the pitfalls in public health care provision and finance? How can public investments raise health status and household productivity? This book has been prepared for the Commission on Growth and Development to evaluate the state of knowledge on the relationship between health and economic growth. It does not pretend to provide all the answers, but it does review the evidence as well as identify insights and policy levers to help countries pinpoint critical health investments that can enhance and strengthen national growth strategies. It examines a variety of topics including policy imperatives in assessing the benefits of health investments, the methodological challenges in measuring the link between health and economic growth at the macroeconomic level, and the nature of the evidence on the types and timing of interventions that promote health, productivity, and earnings. Written by prominent academics in their fields, Health and Growth seeks to create a better understanding of the role of health investments in growth and to inform policy makers of the benefi ts and pitfalls of alternative scenarios....

This handy pocket guide is a quick reference for users interested in the gender statistics. It presents gender-disaggregated data for more than 200 countries in an easy country-by-country reference on demography, education, health, labor force, political participation and the Millennium Development Goals. The book's summary pages cover regional and income group aggregates....

The main objective of this report is to help policymakers in the Caribbean design an agenda of policy actions to accelerate trade integration and growth, and to reduce poverty. Each part of the report focuses on a key question and provides an in-depth analysis of the issues raised, laying the foundations for policy recommendations described in the last chapter of the report. Part I asks whether the Caribbean's economic and trade system are sound enough to sustain the new era of its global trade relations. Part II addresses the opportunities and challenges that the new trade environment offers to the Caribbean. Part III assesses the impact of the recently-negotiated Economic Partnership Agreement on growth and poverty reduction using two types of macroeconomic models. The report concludes with policy priorities for accelerating Caribbean integration into the world economy and for reaping the benefits of global competition....

The World Bank is in the initial stages of developing a new annual series of World Bank Country Briefs. Tanzania- the second report in the series - will be published in the winter of 2009. These short, country-specific reports examine the economic, social, environmental, and business landscape of developing countries, focusing on issues critical to development. Overview People and Poverty Environment Economy Governance and Business Environment Global Links Statistical Appendix...

Now in its eigth edition, this pocket-sized reference on key development data for over 200 countries provides profiles of each country with 54 development indicators about people, environment, economy, technology and infrastructure, trade, and finance....

Africa Development Indicators 2008/09 provides the most detailed collection of data on Africa available in one volume. It contains more than 450 macroeconomic, sectoral, and social indicators, covering 53 African countries. Additional data may be found on the companion CD-ROM, covering about 1,400 indicators from 1965 to 2006. A few macro indicators have provisional data for 2007 while others indicators have data for 2007 2008. Designed to provide all those interested in Africa with a focused and convenient set of data to monitor development programs and aid flows in the region, this is an invaluable reference tool for analysis and policy makers who want a better understanding of the economic and social developments occurring in Africa....