auto-update week 16

africa/ag.json

@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@
         "text": "<br>Council of the Nation - last held on 5 February 2022 (next expected in 2025)<br>National People's Assembly - snap election held on 12 June 2021 (next to be held on 12 June 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br>Council of the Nation - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 54, RND 22, Future Front 7, National Construction Movement 5, FFS 4, other 6, independent 18, appointed 58; composition as of August 2023 - men 163, women 7, percent of women 4.1%<br><br>National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 98, MSP 65, RND 58, (Future Front) 48, Movement of National Construction 39, other 15, independent 84; composition - men 375, women 32, percent of women 7.9%; note - total Parliament percent of women 6.7%"
+        "text": "<br>Council of the Nation - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 54, RND 22, Future Front 7, National Construction Movement 5, FFS 4, other 6, independent 18, appointed 58; composition as of February 2024 - men 163, women 7, percentage women 4.1%<br><br>National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 98, MSP 65, RND 58, (Future Front) 48, Movement of National Construction 39, other 15, independent 84; composition as of February 2024 - men 375, women 32, percent of women 7.9%; note - total Parliament percent of women 6.8%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

africa/ao.json

@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@
         "text": "last held on 24 August 2022 (next to be held in 2027)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - MPLA 51.1%, UNITA 43.9%, FNLA 1.1%, PHA 1%, PRS 1.1%, other 1.7%; seats by party - MPLA 124, UNITA 90, FNLA 2, PHA 2, PRS 2; composition as of January 2024 - men 135, women 85, percent of women 38.6%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - MPLA 51.1%, UNITA 43.9%, FNLA 1.1%, PHA 1%, PRS 1.1%, other 1.7%; seats by party - MPLA 124, UNITA 90, FNLA 2, PHA 2, PRS 2; composition as of January 2024 - men 135, women 85, percentage women 38.6%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

africa/bc.json

@@ -1191,9 +1191,6 @@
     "Military service age and obligation": {
       "text": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2023)"
     },
-    "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "approximately 300 Mozambique (Southern African Development Community force; the mission is scheduled to end by mid-2024) (2024)"
-    },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "the BDF’s key functions include defending the country's territorial integrity on land and in the air, ensuring national security and stability, and aiding civil authorities in support of domestic missions such as disaster relief and anti-poaching; it participates in regional and international security operations; the Ground Force has five small brigades of infantry, light armor, and artillery, plus commandos and a marine unit with boats and river craft for patrolling Botswana's internal waterways and supporting anti-poaching operations; the Air Arm has a small squadron of ageing fighters, as well as some multipurpose helicopters<br><br>Bechuanaland/Botswana did not have a permanent military during colonial times, with the British colonial administrators relying instead on small, lightly armed constabularies such as the Bechuanaland Mounted Police, the Bechuanaland Border Police, and by the early 1960s, the Police Mobile Unit (PMU); after independence in 1966, Botswana militarized the PMU and gave it responsibility for the country’s defense rather than create a conventional military force; however, turmoil in neighboring countries and numerous cross-border incursions by Rhodesian and South African security forces in the 1960s and 1970s demonstrated that the PMU was inadequate for defending the country and led to the establishment of the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) in 1977 (2023)"
     }

africa/by.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>Established in the 1600s, the Burundi Kingdom has had borders similar to those of modern Burundi since the 1800s. Burundi’s two major ethnic groups, the majority Hutu and minority Tutsi, share a common language and culture and largely lived in peaceful cohabitation under Tutsi monarchs in pre-colonial Burundi. Regional, class, and clan distinctions contributed to social status in the Burundi Kingdom, yielding a complex class structure. German colonial rule in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and Belgian rule after World War I preserved Burundi’s monarchy. Seeking to simplify administration, Belgian colonial officials reduced the number of chiefdoms and eliminated most Hutu chiefs from positions of power. In 1961, the Burundian Tutsi king’s oldest son, Louis RWAGASORE was murdered by a competing political faction shortly before he was set to become prime minister, triggering increased political competition that contributed to later instability. Burundi gained its independence from Belgium in 1962 as the Kingdom of Burundi.</p> <p>Revolution in neighboring Rwanda stoked ethnic polarization as the Tutsi increasingly feared violence and loss of political power. A failed Hutu-led coup in 1965 triggered a purge of Hutu officials and set the stage for Tutsi officers to overthrow the monarchy in 1966 and establish a Tutsi-dominated republic. A Hutu rebellion in 1972 that resulted in the death of several thousand Tutsi civilians sparked a brutal crackdown on Hutu civilians by the Tutsi-led military, which ultimately killed 100,000-200,000 people. International pressure led to a new constitution in 1992 and democratic elections in June 1993. Burundi's first democratically elected president, Hutu Melchior NDADAYE, was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office by Tutsi military officers fearing Hutu domination, sparking a civil war. His successor, Cyprien NTARYAMIRA, died when the Rwandan president’s plane he was traveling on was shot down in April 1994, which triggered the Rwandan genocide and further entrenched ethnic conflict in Burundi. The internationally brokered Arusha Agreement, signed in 2000, and subsequent cease-fire agreements with armed movements ended the 1993-2005 civil war. Burundi’s second democratic elections were held in 2005, resulting in the election of Pierre NKURUNZIZA as president. He was reelected in 2010 and again in 2015 after a controversial court decision allowed him to circumvent a term limit. President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE - from NKURUNZIZA’s ruling party - was elected in 2020.</p>"
+      "text": "<p>Established in the 1600s, the Burundi Kingdom has had borders similar to those of modern Burundi since the 1800s. Burundi’s two major ethnic groups, the majority Hutu and minority Tutsi, share a common language and culture and largely lived in peaceful cohabitation under Tutsi monarchs in pre-colonial Burundi. Regional, class, and clan distinctions contributed to social status in the Burundi Kingdom, yielding a complex class structure. German colonial rule in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and Belgian rule after World War I preserved Burundi’s monarchy. Seeking to simplify administration, Belgian colonial officials reduced the number of chiefdoms and eliminated most Hutu chiefs from positions of power. In 1961, the Burundian Tutsi king’s oldest son, Louis RWAGASORE, was murdered by a competing political faction shortly before he was set to become prime minister, triggering increased political competition that contributed to later instability. <br><br>Burundi gained its independence from Belgium in 1962 as the Kingdom of Burundi. Revolution in neighboring Rwanda stoked ethnic polarization as the Tutsi increasingly feared violence and loss of political power. A failed Hutu-led coup in 1965 triggered a purge of Hutu officials and set the stage for Tutsi officers to overthrow the monarchy in 1966 and establish a Tutsi-dominated republic. A Hutu rebellion in 1972 resulted in the deaths of several thousand Tutsi civilians and sparked brutal Tutsi-led military reprisals against Hutu civilians which ultimately killed 100,000-200,000 people. International pressure led to a new constitution in 1992 and democratic elections in 1993. Tutsi military officers feared Hutu domination and assassinated Burundi's first democratically elected president, Hutu Melchior NDADAYE, in 1993 after only 100 days in office, sparking a civil war. In 1994, his successor, Cyprien NTARYAMIRA, died when the Rwandan president’s plane he was traveling on was shot down, which triggered the Rwandan genocide and further entrenched ethnic conflict in Burundi. The internationally brokered Arusha Agreement, signed in 2000, and subsequent cease-fire agreements with armed movements ended the 1993-2005 civil war. Burundi’s second democratic elections were held in 2005, resulting in the election of Pierre NKURUNZIZA as president. He was reelected in 2010 and again in 2015 after a controversial court decision allowed him to circumvent a term limit. President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE -- from NKURUNZIZA’s ruling party -- was elected in 2020.</p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@
         "text": "[1] (202) 342-2578"
       },
       "email address and website": {
-        "text": "burundiembusadc@gmail.com<br><br>https://burundiembassy-usa.com/index.php"
+        "text": "burundiembusadc@gmail.com<br><br>Burundi Embassy Washington D.C. (burundiembassy-usa.com)"
       }
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
@@ -1169,7 +1169,8 @@
       "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (2023)"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "760 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); approximately 3,000 in Somalia (ATMIS); note - foreign troop contingents under ATMIS are drawing down towards a final exit in December 2024) (2024)"
+      "text": "760 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); up to 3,000 in Somalia (ATMIS; note - foreign troop contingents under ATMIS are drawing down towards a final exit in December 2024) (2024)",
+      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>Burundi deployed military troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2022 as part of an East African regional force; as of 2024, as many as 1,000 troops reportedly remained in the DRC"
     },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "the FDNB is responsible for defending Burundi’s territorial integrity and protecting its sovereignty; it has an internal security role, including maintaining and restoring public order if required; the FDNB also participates in providing humanitarian/disaster assistance, countering terrorism, narcotics trafficking, piracy, and illegal arms trade, and protecting the country’s environment; the FDNB conducts limited training with foreign partners such as Russia and participates in regional peacekeeping missions, most recently in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Somalia; these missions have provided the force some operational experience and funding; in recent years the FDNB has conducted operations against anti-government rebel groups based in the neighboring DRC that have carried out sporadic attacks in Burundi, such as the such as National Forces of Liberation (FNL), the Resistance for the Rule of Law-Tabara (aka RED Tabara), and Popular Forces of Burundi (FPB or FOREBU)<br><br>the Land Force’s primary units are four regionally based divisions which are comprised mostly of light infantry complemented by a few battalions of artillery, light armored forces, and commandos; the FDNB also has a separate special security brigade for protecting key facilities; the Air Force is lightly equipped with a handful of combat helicopters, while the Naval Force has a few patrol boats for monitoring Burundi’s 175-km shoreline on Lake Tanganyika<br><br>the Arusha Accords that ended the 1993-2005 civil war created a unified military by balancing the predominantly Tutsi ex-Burundi Armed Forces (ex-FAB) and the largely Hutu dominated armed movements and requiring the military to have a 50/50 ethnic mix of Tutsis and Hutus (2023)"

africa/cd.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>Chad emerged from a collection of powerful states that controlled the Sahelian belt starting around the 9th century. These states focused on controlling trans-Saharan trade routes and profited mostly from the slave trade. The Kanem-Bornu Empire, centered around the Lake Chad Basin, existed between the 9th and 19th centuries, and during its peak, the empire controlled territory stretching from southern Chad to southern Libya and included portions of modern-day Algeria, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, and Sudan. The Sudanese warlord Rabih AZ-ZUBAYR used an army comprised largely of slaves to conquer the Kanem-Bornu Empire in the late 19th century. In southeastern Chad, the Bagirmi and Ouaddai (Wadai) kingdoms emerged in the 15th and 16th centuries and lasted until the arrival of the French in the 19th and 20th centuries. France began moving into the region in the late 1880s and defeated the Bagirmi kingdom in 1897, Rabih AZ-ZUBAYR in 1900, and the Ouddai kingdom in 1909. In the arid regions of northern Chad and southern Libya, an Islamic order called the Sanusiyya (Sanusi) relied heavily on the trans-Saharan slave trade and had upwards of 3 million followers by the 1880s. The French arrived in the region in the early 1900s and defeated the Sanusiyya in 1910 after years of intermittent war. By 1910, France had incorporated the northern arid region, the Lake Chad Basin, and southeastern Chad into French Equatorial Africa.  </p> <p>Chad achieved its independence in 1960 and saw three decades of instability, oppressive rule, civil war, and a Libyan invasion. With the help of the French military and several African countries, Chadian leaders expelled Libyan forces during the 1987 \"Toyota War,\" so named for the use of Toyota pickup trucks as fighting vehicles. In 1990, Chadian general Idriss DEBY led a rebellion against President Hissene HABRE. Under DEBY, Chad drafted and approved a constitution and held elections in 1996. DEBY led the country until April 2021 when he was killed during a rebel incursion. Shortly after his death, a group of military officials - led by former President DEBY’s son, Mahamat Idriss DEBY - took control of the government. The military officials dismissed the National Assembly, suspended the Constitution, and formed a Transitional Military Council (TMC) while pledging to hold democratic elections by October 2022. A national dialogue in August-October 2022 culminated in decisions to extend the transition for up to two years, dissolve the TMC, and appoint Mahamat DEBY as Transitional President; The transitional authorities held a constitutional referendum in December 2023 and claimed 86 percent of votes were in favor of the new constitution. The transitional authorities announced plans to hold elections by October 2024.</p> <p>Chad has faced widespread poverty, an economy severely weakened by volatile international oil prices, terrorist-led insurgencies in the Lake Chad Basin, and several waves of rebellions in northern and eastern Chad. In late 2015, the government imposed a state of emergency in the Lake Chad Basin following multiple attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram, now known as ISIS-West Africa. In mid-2015, Boko Haram conducted bombings in N'Djamena. In late 2019, the Chadian government also declared a state of emergency in the Sila and Ouaddai regions bordering Sudan and in the Tibesti region bordering Niger where rival ethnic groups are still fighting. The army has suffered heavy losses to Islamic terror groups in the Lake Chad Basin. </p>"
+      "text": "<p>Chad emerged from a collection of powerful states that controlled the Sahelian belt starting around the 9th century. These states focused on controlling trans-Saharan trade routes and profited mostly from the slave trade. The Kanem-Bornu Empire, centered around the Lake Chad Basin, existed between the 9th and 19th centuries, and at its peak, the empire controlled territory stretching from southern Chad to southern Libya and included portions of modern-day Algeria, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, and Sudan. The Sudanese warlord Rabih AZ-ZUBAYR used an army comprised largely of slaves to conquer the Kanem-Bornu Empire in the late 19th century. In southeastern Chad, the Bagirmi and Ouaddai (Wadai) kingdoms emerged in the 15th and 16th centuries and lasted until the arrival of the French in the 19th and 20th centuries. France began moving into the region in the late 1880s and defeated the Bagirmi kingdom in 1897, Rabih AZ-ZUBAYR in 1900, and the Ouddai kingdom in 1909. In the arid regions of northern Chad and southern Libya, an Islamic order called the Sanusiyya (Sanusi) relied heavily on the trans-Saharan slave trade and had upwards of 3 million followers by the 1880s. The French defeated the Sanusiyya in 1910 after years of intermittent war. By 1910, France had incorporated the northern arid region, the Lake Chad Basin, and southeastern Chad into French Equatorial Africa.  </p> <p>Chad achieved its independence in 1960 and then saw three decades of instability, oppressive rule, civil war, and a Libyan invasion. With the help of the French military and several African countries, Chadian leaders expelled Libyan forces during the 1987 \"Toyota War,\" so named for the use of Toyota pickup trucks as fighting vehicles. In 1990, Chadian general Idriss DEBY led a rebellion against President Hissene HABRE. Under DEBY, Chad approved a constitution and held elections in 1996. Shortly after DEBY was killed during a rebel incursion in 2021, a group of military officials -- led by DEBY’s son, Mahamat Idriss DEBY -- took control of the government. The military officials dismissed the National Assembly, suspended the Constitution, and formed a Transitional Military Council (TMC), while pledging to hold democratic elections by October 2022. A national dialogue in August-October 2022 culminated in decisions to extend the transition for up to two years, dissolve the TMC, and appoint Mahamat DEBY as Transitional President; the transitional authorities held a constitutional referendum in December 2023 and claimed 86 percent of votes were in favor of the new constitution. The transitional authorities have announced plans to hold elections by October 2024.</p> <p>Chad has faced widespread poverty, an economy severely weakened by volatile international oil prices, terrorist-led insurgencies in the Lake Chad Basin, and several waves of rebellions in northern and eastern Chad. In 2015, the government imposed a state of emergency in the Lake Chad Basin following multiple attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram, now known as ISIS-West Africa. The same year, Boko Haram conducted bombings in N'Djamena. In 2019, the Chadian government also declared a state of emergency in the Sila and Ouaddai regions bordering Sudan and in the Tibesti region bordering Niger, where rival ethnic groups are still fighting. The army has suffered heavy losses to Islamic terror groups in the Lake Chad Basin. </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -903,7 +903,7 @@
       "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019": {
         "text": "$310.032 million (2019 est.)"
       },
-      "note": "note: holdings of gold (year end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars"
+      "note": "note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars"
     },
     "Debt - external": {
       "Debt - external 31 December 2017": {

africa/cf.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo.From 1968-1992, the country was named the People’s Republic of the Congo.  A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government took office in 1992, at which time the country reverted to the name Republic of the Congo.  A two-year civil war that ended in 1999 restored former President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso, who had ruled from 1979 to 1992, and sparked a short period of ethnic and political unrest that was resolved by a peace agreement in late 1999. A new constitution adopted three years later provided for a multi-party system and a seven-year presidential term, and elections arranged shortly thereafter retained SASSOU-Nguesso. Following a year of renewed fighting, President SASSOU-Nguesso and southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003. SASSOU-Nguesso was reelected in 2009 and, after passing a constitutional referendum allowing him to run for additional terms, was reelected again in 2016 and 2021. The Republic of the Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term."
+      "text": "Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. From 1968 to 1992, the country was named the People’s Republic of the Congo.  A quarter-century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990, and a democratically elected government took office in 1992, at which time the country reverted to \"the Republic of the Congo\" name.  A two-year civil war that ended in 1999 restored to power former President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso, who had ruled from 1979 to 1992. A new constitution adopted three years later provided for a multi-party system and a seven-year presidential term, and the next elections retained SASSOU-Nguesso. After a year of renewed fighting, SASSOU-Nguesso and southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in 2003. SASSOU-Nguesso was reelected in 2009 and, after passing a constitutional referendum allowing him to run for additional terms, was reelected again in 2016 and 2021. The Republic of the Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

africa/cm.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "Much of the area of present-day Cameroon was ruled by powerful chiefdoms before becoming a German colony in 1884 known as Kamerun. After World War I, the territory was divided between France and the UK as League of Nations mandates. French Cameroon became independent in 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon. The following year the southern portion of neighboring British Cameroon voted to merge with the new country to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. In 1972, a new constitution replaced the federation with a unitary state, the United Republic of Cameroon. The country has generally enjoyed stability, which has enabled the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Nonetheless, unrest and violence in the country's two western, English-speaking regions has persisted since 2016. Movement toward democratic reform is slow and political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA."
+      "text": "Powerful chiefdoms ruled much of the area of present-day Cameroon before it became a German colony known as Kamerun in 1884. After World War I, the territory was divided between France and the UK as League of Nations mandates. French Cameroon became independent in 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon. The following year, the southern portion of neighboring British Cameroon voted to merge with the new country to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. In 1972, a new constitution replaced the federation with a unitary state, the United Republic of Cameroon. The country has generally enjoyed stability, which has enabled the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Nonetheless, unrest and violence in the country's two western, English-speaking regions have persisted since 2016. Movement toward democratic reform is slow, and political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@
         "text": "[1] (202) 387-3826"
       },
       "email address and website": {
-        "text": "mail@cameroonembassyusa"
+        "text": "<br>mail@cameroonembassyusa<br><br>Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC, USA (cameroonembassyusa.org)"
       }
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {

africa/cn.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "For centuries prior to colonization in the 19th century, the archipelago of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean, served as a key node in the maritime trade networks that connected the Middle East, India, and eastern African regions. Composed of the islands of Anjouan, Mayotte, Moheli, and Grande Comore, Comoros spent most of the 20th century as a colonial outpost until it declared independence from France on 6 July 1975. Residents of Mayotte, however, voted to remain in France, and the French Government has since classified it as a French Overseas Department. Since independence, Comoros has weathered approximately 20 realized and attempted coups, mostly between 1975 and 2000, resulting in prolonged political instability and stunted economic development. In 2002, President AZALI Assoumani became the first elected president following the completion of the Fomboni Accords, in which the islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli reached an agreement whereby the presidency would rotate among the islands every five years. This power-sharing agreement also included provisions allowing each island to maintain its local government. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed SAMBI was elected as president from Anjouan. In 2007, Mohamed BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union of the Comoros, refusing to step down when Comoros' other islands held legitimate elections in July. The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis by applying sanctions and a naval blockade to Anjouan, but in March 2008 the AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The island's inhabitants generally welcomed the move. In May 2011, Ikililou DHOININE won the presidency in peaceful elections widely deemed to be free and fair. In closely contested elections in 2016, former President AZALI Assoumani won a second term, when the rotating presidency returned to Grande Comore. A referendum held in July 2018 - boycotted by the opposition parties - approved a new constitution that extended presidential term limits and abolished the requirement for the presidency to rotate between the three main islands. In August 2018, President AZALI formed a new government and subsequently ran and was elected president in March 2019. President AZALI was reelected in January 2024 in an election that was disputed by the opposition but validated by the Supreme Court."
+      "text": "For centuries prior to colonization in the 19th century, the Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean served as a key node in maritime trade networks that connected the Middle East, India, and eastern African regions. Composed of the islands of Anjouan, Mayotte, Moheli, and Grande Comore, Comoros spent most of the 20th century as a colonial outpost until it declared independence from France on 6 July 1975. Residents of Mayotte, however, voted to remain in France, and the French Government has since classified it as a French Overseas Department. <br><br>Since independence, Comoros has weathered approximately 20 successful and attempted coups, mostly between 1975 and 2000, resulting in prolonged political instability and stunted economic development. In 2002, President AZALI Assoumani became the first elected president following the completion of the Fomboni Accords, in which the islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli agreed to rotate the presidency among the islands every five years. This power-sharing agreement also included provisions allowing each island to maintain its local government. In 2007, Mohamed BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union of the Comoros, refusing to step down when Comoros' other islands held legitimate elections. The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis with sanctions and a naval blockade of Anjouan, but in 2008, the AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The island's inhabitants generally welcomed the move. In 2011, Ikililou DHOININE won the presidency in peaceful elections widely deemed to be free and fair. In closely contested elections in 2016, AZALI won a second term, when the rotating presidency returned to Grande Comore. In 2018, a referendum -- which the opposition parties boycotted -- approved a new constitution that extended presidential term limits and abolished the requirement for the presidency to rotate between the three main islands. AZALI formed a new government later that year, and he subsequently ran and was reelected in 2019. AZALI was reelected again in January 2024 in an election that the opposition disputed but the Supreme Court validated."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

africa/ct.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>The Central African Republic (CAR) is a perennially weak state that sits at the crossroads of ethnic and linguistic groups in the center of the African continent. Among the last areas of Sub-Saharan Africa to be drawn into the world economy, its introduction into trade networks around the early 1700s fostered significant competition among its population. The local population sought to benefit from the lucrative Atlantic, trans-Saharan, and Indian Ocean trade in enslaved people and ivory. Slave raids aided by the local populations fostered animosity between ethnic groups that remains today. The territory was established as a French colony named Ubangui-Shari in 1903, and France modeled its administration of the colony after the Belgian Congo, subcontracting control of the territory to private companies that collected rubber and ivory. Although France banned the domestic slave trade in CAR in the 1910s, the private companies continued to exploit the population through forced labor. The colony of Ubangi-Shari gained independence from France as the Central African Republic in August 1960, but the death of independence leader Barthelemy BOGANDA six months prior led to an immediate struggle for power.</p> <p>CAR’s political history has since been marred by a series of coups, the first of which brought Jean-Bedel BOKASSA to power in 1966. BOKASSA’s regime was characterized by widespread corruption and an intolerance of opposition, which manifested in the disappearances of many who challenged BOKASSA’s rule. In an effort to prolong his mandate, he named himself emperor in 1976 and changed the country’s name to the Central African Empire. His regime’s economic mismanagement culminated in widespread student protests in early 1979 that were violently suppressed by security forces. BOKASSA, rumored to have participated in the killing of some young students after the protests, fell out of favor with the international community and was overthrown in a French-backed coup in 1979. After BOKASSA’s departure, the country’s name once again became the Central African Republic.</p> <p>CAR’s fifth coup in March 2013 unseated President Francois BOZIZE after a mainly Muslim rebel coalition named the Seleka seized the capital and forced BOZIZE, who himself had taken power in a coup in 2003, to flee the country. Widespread abuses by the Seleka spurred the formation of mainly Christian self-defense groups that called themselves the anti-Balaka, which have also committed human rights abuses against Muslim populations in retaliation. Since the rise of the self-defense groups, conflict in CAR has become increasingly ethnoreligious-based, although focused on identity as opposed to religious ideology. Elections organized by a transitional government in early 2016 installed independent candidate Faustin-Archange TOUADERA as president; he was reelected in December 2020. A peace agreement signed in February 2019 between the government and the main armed factions has had little effect, and armed groups remain in control of large swaths of the country's territory.</p>"
+      "text": "<p>The Central African Republic (CAR) is a perennially weak state that sits at the crossroads of ethnic and linguistic groups in the center of the African continent. Among the last areas of Sub-Saharan Africa to be drawn into the world economy, its introduction into trade networks around the early 1700s fostered significant competition among its population. The local population sought to benefit from the lucrative Atlantic, trans-Saharan, and Indian Ocean trade in enslaved people and ivory. Slave raids aided by the local populations fostered animosity between ethnic groups that remains today. The territory was established as a French colony named Ubangui-Shari in 1903, and France modeled its administration of the colony after the Belgian Congo, subcontracting control of the territory to private companies that collected rubber and ivory. Although France banned the domestic slave trade in CAR in the 1910s, the private companies continued to exploit the population through forced labor. The colony of Ubangi-Shari gained independence from France as the Central African Republic in 1960, but the death of independence leader Barthelemy BOGANDA six months prior led to an immediate struggle for power.</p> <p>CAR’s political history has since been marred by a series of coups, the first of which brought Jean-Bedel BOKASSA to power in 1966. Widespread corruption and intolerance for any political opposition characterized his regime. In an effort to prolong his mandate, BOKASSA named himself emperor in 1976 and changed the country’s name to the Central African Empire. His regime’s economic mismanagement culminated in widespread student protests in 1979 that were violently suppressed by security forces. BOKASSA fell out of favor with the international community and was overthrown in a French-backed coup in 1979. After BOKASSA’s departure, the country’s name once again became the Central African Republic.</p> <p>CAR’s fifth coup in 2013 unseated President Francois BOZIZE after the Seleka, a mainly Muslim rebel coalition, seized the capital and forced BOZIZE to flee the country. The Seleka's widespread abuses spurred the formation of mainly Christian self-defense groups that called themselves the anti-Balaka, which have also committed human rights abuses against Muslim populations in retaliation. Since the rise of these groups, conflict in CAR has become increasingly ethnoreligious, although focused on identity rather than religious ideology. Elections in 2016 installed independent candidate Faustin-Archange TOUADERA as president; he was reelected in 2020. A peace agreement signed in 2019 between the government and the main armed factions has had little effect, and armed groups remain in control of large swaths of the country's territory. TOUADERA's United Hearts Movement has governed the country since 2016, and a new constitution approved by referendum on 30 July 2023 effectively ended term limits, creating the potential for TOUADERA to extend his rule. </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

africa/cv.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cabo Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. The fusing of European and various African cultural traditions is reflected in Cabo Verde’s Crioulo language, music, and pano textiles. Following independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cabo Verde continues to sustain one of Africa's most stable democratic governments and relatively stable economies, maintaining a currency formerly pegged to the Portuguese escudo and then the euro since 1998. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cabo Verde's expatriate population - concentrated in Boston and Western Europe - is greater than its domestic one. <br><br>Most Cabo Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents. Cabo Verde’s population descends from its first permanent inhabitants in the late 15th-century – a preponderance of West African slaves, a small share of Portuguese colonists, and even fewer Italians and Spaniards. Among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable. Islands in the east are very dry and are home to the country's growing tourism industry. The more western islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged their soil fertility and vegetation. For centuries, the country’s overall population size has fluctuated significantly, as recurring periods of famine and epidemics have caused high death tolls and emigration. In November 2021, Jose Maria Pereira NEVES was sworn in as Cabo Verde's latest president."
+      "text": "The Portuguese discovered and colonized the uninhabited islands of Cabo Verde in the 15th century; Cabo Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. The fusing of European and various African cultural traditions is reflected in Cabo Verde’s Crioulo language, music, and pano textiles. After gaining independence in 1975, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cabo Verde continues to sustain one of Africa's most stable democratic governments and relatively stable economies, maintaining a currency pegged first to the Portuguese escudo and then to the euro since 1998. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cabo Verde's expatriate population -- concentrated in Boston, Massachusetts and Western Europe -- is greater than its domestic one. <br><br>Most Cabo Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents. Cabo Verde’s population descends from its first permanent inhabitants in the late 15th-century -- a preponderance of West African slaves, a small share of Portuguese colonists, and even fewer Italians and Spaniards. Among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is varied. The islands in the east are very dry and are home to the country's growing tourism industry. The more western islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged their soil fertility and vegetation. For centuries, the country’s overall population size has fluctuated significantly, as recurring periods of famine and epidemics have caused high death tolls and emigration. "
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

africa/dj.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>The region of present-day Djibouti was the site of the medieval Ifat and Adal Sultanates. In the late 19th century, treaties signed by the Afar sultans with the French allowed the latter to establish the colony of French Somaliland in 1862. The French signed additional treaties with the ethnic Somali in 1885.</p> Tension between the ethnic Afar and Somali populations increased over time, as the ethnic Somalis perceived that the French unfairly favored the Afar and gave them disproportionate influence in local governance. In 1958, the French held a referendum that provided residents of French Somaliland the option to either continue their association with France or to join neighboring Somalia as it established its independence. The ethnic Somali protested the vote, because French colonial leaders did not recognize many Somali as residents, which gave the Afar outsized influence in the decision to uphold ties with France. After a second referendum in 1967, the French changed the territory’s name to the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, in part to underscore their relationship with the ethnic Afar and downplay the significance of the ethnic Somalis. A final referendum in 1977 established Djibouti as an independent nation and granted ethnic Somalis Djiboutian nationality, formally resetting the balance of power between the majority ethnic Somalis and minority ethnic Afar residents. Upon independence, the country was named after its capital city of Djibouti. Hassan Gouled APTIDON, an ethnic Somali leader, installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest between the Afar minority and Somali majority culminated in a civil war during the 1990s that ended in 2001 with a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Somali Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multiparty presidential election resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH as president; he was reelected to a second term in 2005 and extended his tenure in office via a constitutional amendment, which allowed him to serve his third and fourth terms, and to begin a fifth term in 2021. <br><br>Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Its ports handle 95% of Ethiopia’s trade. Djibouti’s ports also service transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The government holds longstanding ties to France, which maintains a military presence in the country, as does the US, Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain, and China."
+      "text": "<p>Present-day Djibouti was the site of the medieval Ifat and Adal Sultanates. In the late 19th century, the Afar sultans signed treaties with the French that allowed the latter to establish the colony of French Somaliland in 1862. The French signed additional treaties with the ethnic Somali in 1885.</p> Tension between the ethnic Afar and Somali populations increased over time, as the ethnic Somalis perceived that the French unfairly favored the Afar and gave them disproportionate influence in local governance. In 1958, the French held a referendum that provided residents of French Somaliland the option to either continue their association with France or to join neighboring Somalia as it established its independence. Ethnic Somali protested the vote, because French colonial leaders did not recognize many Somali as residents, which gave the Afar outsized influence in the decision to uphold ties with France. After a second referendum in 1967, the French changed the territory’s name to the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, in part to underscore their relationship with the ethnic Afar and downplay the significance of the ethnic Somalis. A final referendum in 1977 established Djibouti as an independent nation and granted ethnic Somalis Djiboutian nationality, formally resetting the balance of power between the majority ethnic Somalis and minority ethnic Afar residents. Upon independence, the country was named after its capital city of Djibouti. Hassan Gouled APTIDON, an ethnic Somali leader, installed an authoritarian one-party state and served as president until 1999. Unrest between the Afar minority and Somali majority culminated in a civil war during the 1990s that ended in 2001 with a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Somali Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multiparty presidential election resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH as president; he was reelected to a second term in 2005 and extended his tenure in office via a constitutional amendment, which allowed him to serve his third and fourth terms, and to begin a fifth term in 2021. <br><br>Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Its ports handle 95% of Ethiopia’s trade. Djibouti’s ports also service transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The government has longstanding ties to France, which maintains a military presence in the country, as do the US, Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain, and China."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -1166,7 +1166,7 @@
       "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2023)"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "approximately 960 Somalia (ATMIS; note - ATMIS troop contingents are drawing down towards a final exit in December 2024); Djibouti has about 200 police deployed to the Central African Republic under MINUSCA (2023)"
+      "text": "approximately 950 Somalia (ATMIS; note - ATMIS troop contingents are drawing down towards a final exit in December 2024); Djibouti has about 200 police deployed to the Central African Republic under MINUSCA (2024)"
     },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "Djibouti's military forces are largely focused on border, coastal, and internal security duties, such as counterterrorism; China, France, Italy, Japan, and the US maintain bases in Djibouti for regional military missions, including counter-terrorism, counter-piracy, crisis response, and security assistance (note &ndash; France has multiple bases and hosts troop contingents from Germany and Spain); the EU and NATO also maintain a presence to support multinational naval counter-piracy operations and maritime training efforts (2023)"

africa/eg.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. Arab conquerors introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 elevated Egypt as an important world transportation hub. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Egypt gained partial independence from the UK in 1922 and acquired full sovereignty from Britain in 1952. British forces evacuated the Suez Canal Zone in 1956. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have reaffirmed the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt's fast-growing population as it implements large-scale infrastructure projects, energy cooperation, and foreign direct investment appeals.</p> <p>Inspired by the 2010 Tunisian revolution, Egyptian opposition groups led demonstrations and labor strikes countrywide, culminating in President Hosni MUBARAK's ouster in 2011. Egypt's military assumed national leadership until a new legislature was in place in early 2012; later that same year, Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed MORSI won the presidential election. Following protests throughout the spring of 2013 against MORSI's government and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian Armed Forces intervened and removed MORSI from power in July 2013 and replaced him with interim president Adly MANSOUR. Simultaneously, the government began enacting laws to limit freedoms of assembly and expression. In January 2014, voters approved a new constitution by referendum and in May 2014 elected former defense minister Abdel Fattah EL-SISI president. Egypt elected a new legislature in December 2015, its first House of Representatives since 2012. ELSISI was reelected to a second four-year term in March 2018. In April 2019, Egypt approved via national referendum a set of constitutional amendments extending ELSISI’s term in office through 2024. The amendments also allow future presidents up to two consecutive six-year terms in office, reestablish an upper legislative house, allow for one or more vice presidents, establish a 25% quota for female legislators, reaffirm the military’s role as guardian of Egypt, and expand presidential authority to appoint the heads of judicial councils. EL-SISI was reelected for a third term in December 2023. Legislative elections were held in October-November 2020.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>"
+      "text": "<p>The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations in Egypt. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. Arab conquerors introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and ruled for the next six centuries. The Mamluks, a local military caste, took control around 1250 and continued to govern after the Ottoman Turks conquered Egypt in 1517.<br><br>Completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 elevated Egypt as an important world transportation hub. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but the country's nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Egypt gained partial independence from the UK in 1922 and full sovereignty in 1952. British forces evacuated the Suez Canal Zone in 1956. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have reaffirmed the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt's fast-growing population as it implements large-scale infrastructure projects, energy cooperation, and foreign direct investment appeals.</p> <p>Inspired by the 2010 Tunisian revolution, Egyptian opposition groups led demonstrations and labor strikes countrywide, culminating in President Hosni MUBARAK's ouster in 2011. Egypt's military assumed national leadership until a new legislature was in place in early 2012; later that same year, Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed MORSI won the presidential election. Following protests throughout the spring of 2013 against MORSI's government and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian Armed Forces intervened and removed MORSI from power in July 2013 and replaced him with interim president Adly MANSOUR. Simultaneously, the government began enacting laws to limit freedoms of assembly and expression. In 2014, voters approved a new constitution by referendum and then elected former defense minister Abdel Fattah EL-SISI president. EL-SISI was reelected to a second four-year term in 2018 and a third term in December 2023. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

africa/ek.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>Equatorial Guinea consists of a continental territory and five inhabited islands; it is one of the smallest countries by area and population in Africa. The mainland region was most likely predominantly inhabited by Pygmy ethnic groups prior to the migration of various Bantu-speaking ethnic groups around the second millennium BC. The island of Bioko, the largest of Equatorial Guinea’s five inhabited islands and the location of the country’s capital of Malabo, has been occupied since at least 1000 B.C. In the early 1470s, Portuguese explorers landed on Bioko Island and Portugal soon after established control of the island and other areas of modern Equatorial Guinea. In 1778, Portugal ceded its colonial hold over present-day Equatorial Guinea to Spain in the Treaty of El Pardo. The borders of modern-day Equatorial Guinea would evolve between 1778 and 1968 as the area remained under European colonial rule.<br><br>In 1968, Equatorial Guinea was granted independence from Spain and elected Francisco MACIAS NGUEMA as its first president. President MACIAS consolidated power soon after his election and ruled brutally for approximately 11 years. Under his regime, Equatorial Guinea experienced mass suppression, purges, and killings. Some estimates indicate that a third of the population either went into exile or was killed under President MACIAS’ rule. In 1979, present-day President OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO, then a senior military officer, deposed President MACIAS in a violent coup. President OBIANG has ruled since and has been elected in non-competitive contests several times, most recently in November 2022. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and there is nearly no space for political opposition. Equatorial Guinea experienced rapid economic growth in the early years of the 21st century due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves in 1996. Production peaked in 2004 and has declined since. The country's economic windfall from oil production resulted in massive increases in government revenue, a significant portion of which was designated for the development of infrastructure. Systemic corruption, however, has hindered socio-economic development and there have been limited improvements in the population's living standards. Equatorial Guinea continues to seek to diversify its economy, increase foreign investment, and assume a greater role in regional and international affairs. </p> <p> </p>"
+      "text": "<p>Equatorial Guinea consists of a continental territory and five inhabited islands; it is one of the smallest countries by area and population in Africa. The mainland region was most likely predominantly inhabited by Pygmy ethnic groups prior to the migration of various Bantu-speaking ethnic groups around the second millennium BC. The island of Bioko, the largest of Equatorial Guinea’s five inhabited islands and the location of the country’s capital of Malabo, has been occupied since at least 1000 B.C. In the early 1470s, Portuguese explorers landed on Bioko Island, and Portugal soon after established control of the island and other areas of modern Equatorial Guinea. In 1778, Portugal ceded its colonial hold over present-day Equatorial Guinea to Spain in the Treaty of El Pardo. The borders of modern-day Equatorial Guinea would evolve between 1778 and 1968 as the area remained under European colonial rule.<br><br>In 1968, Equatorial Guinea was granted independence from Spain and elected Francisco MACIAS NGUEMA as its first president. MACIAS consolidated power soon after his election and ruled brutally for over a decade. Under his regime, Equatorial Guinea experienced mass suppression, purges, and killings. Some estimates indicate that a third of the population either went into exile or was killed under MACIAS’ rule. In 1979, present-day President OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo, then a senior military officer, deposed MACIAS in a violent coup. OBIANG has ruled since and has been elected in non-competitive contests several times, most recently in 2022. The president exerts near-total control over the political system. <br><br>Equatorial Guinea experienced rapid economic growth in the early years of the 21st century due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves in 1996. Production peaked in 2004 and has declined since. The country's economic windfall from oil production resulted in massive increases in government revenue, a significant portion of which was earmarked for infrastructure development. Systemic corruption, however, has hindered socio-economic development, and the population has seen only limited improvements to living standards. Equatorial Guinea continues to seek to diversify its economy, increase foreign investment, and assume a greater role in regional and international affairs. </p> <p> </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador Dr. Crisantos Obama ONDO (since 27 February 2024)"
+        "text": "Ambassador Dr. Crisantos OBAMA ONDO (since 27 February 2024)"
       },
       "chancery": {
         "text": "2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009"
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@
         "text": "<br>info@egembassydc.com<br><br>https://www.egembassydc.com/"
       },
       "consulate(s) general": {
-        "text": "Houston, New York"
+        "text": "Houston"
       }
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@
       "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019": {
         "text": "$40.817 million (2019 est.)"
       },
-      "note": "note: holdings of gold (year end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars"
+      "note": "note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars"
     },
     "Debt - external": {
       "Debt - external 31 December 2017": {

africa/er.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>After independence from Italian colonial control in 1941 and 10 years of British administrative control, the UN established Eritrea as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952. Ethiopia's full annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a violent 30-year conflict for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean fighters defeating government forces. Eritreans overwhelmingly approved independence in a 1993 referendum. ISAIAS Afwerki has been Eritrea's only president since independence; his rule, particularly since 2001, has been characterized by highly autocratic and repressive actions. His government has created a highly militarized society by instituting an unpopular program of mandatory conscription into national service – divided between military and civilian service – of indefinite length. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. A subsequent 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) demarcation was rejected by Ethiopia. More than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate ended in 2018 after the newly elected Ethiopian prime minister accepted the EEBC’s 2007 ruling, and the two countries signed declarations of peace and friendship. Following the July 2018 peace agreement with Ethiopia, Eritrean leaders engaged in intensive diplomacy around the Horn of Africa, bolstering regional peace, security, and cooperation, as well as brokering rapprochements between governments and opposition groups. In November 2018, the UN Security Council lifted an arms embargo that had been imposed on Eritrea since 2009, after the UN Somalia-Eritrea Monitoring Group reported they had not found evidence of Eritrean support in recent years for al-Shabaab. The country’s rapprochement with Ethiopia led to a resumption of economic ties, but the level of air transport, trade, and tourism have remained roughly the same since late 2020. The Eritrean economy remains agriculture-dependent, and the country is still one of Africa’s poorest nations. Eritrea faced new international condemnation and US sanctions in mid-2021 for its participation in the war in Ethiopia’s Tigray Regional State, where Eritrean forces were found to have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. As most Eritrean troops were departing northern Ethiopia in January 2023, ISAIAS began a series of diplomatic engagements aimed at bolstering Eritrea’s foreign partnerships and regional influence. Despite the country's improved relations with its neighbors, ISAIAS has not let up on repression and conscription and militarization continue.</p>"
+      "text": "<p>Eritrea won independence from Italian colonial control in 1941, but the UN only established it as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952, after a decade of British administrative control. Ethiopia's full annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a violent 30-year conflict for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean fighters defeating government forces. Eritreans overwhelmingly approved independence in a 1993 referendum. ISAIAS Afwerki has been Eritrea's only president since independence; his rule, particularly since 2001, has been characterized by highly autocratic and repressive actions. His government has created a highly militarized society by instituting an unpopular program of mandatory conscription into national service -- divided between military and civilian service -- of indefinite length. <br><br>A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in 2000. Ethiopia rejected a subsequent 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) demarcation. More than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate ended in 2018 when the newly elected Ethiopian prime minister accepted the EEBC’s 2007 ruling, and the two countries signed declarations of peace and friendship. Eritrean leaders then engaged in intensive diplomacy around the Horn of Africa, bolstering regional peace, security, and cooperation, as well as brokering rapprochements between governments and opposition groups. In 2018, the UN Security Council lifted an arms embargo that had been imposed on Eritrea since 2009, after the UN Somalia-Eritrea Monitoring Group reported they had not found evidence of Eritrean support in recent years for al-Shabaab. The country’s rapprochement with Ethiopia led to a resumption of economic ties, but the level of air transport, trade, and tourism have remained roughly the same since late 2020. <br><br>The Eritrean economy remains agriculture-dependent, and the country is still one of Africa’s poorest nations. Eritrea faced new international condemnation and US sanctions in mid-2021 for its participation in the war in Ethiopia’s Tigray Regional State, where Eritrean forces were found to have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. As most Eritrean troops were departing northern Ethiopia in January 2023, ISAIAS began a series of diplomatic engagements aimed at bolstering Eritrea’s foreign partnerships and regional influence. Despite the country's improved relations with its neighbors, ISAIAS has not let up on repression, and conscription and militarization continue.</p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@
       "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017": {
         "text": "$143.412 million (2017 est.)"
       },
-      "note": "note: holdings of gold (year end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars"
+      "note": "note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars"
     },
     "Debt - external": {
       "Debt - external 31 December 2017": {

africa/et.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>The area that is modern-day Ethiopia is rich in cultural and religious diversity with more than 80 ethnic groups. The oldest hominid yet found comes from Ethiopia, and Ethiopia was the second country to officially adopt Christianity in the 4th century A.D. A series of monarchies ruled the area that is now Ethiopia from 980 B.C. to 1855, when the Amhara kingdoms of northern Ethiopia united in an empire under Tewodros II. Many Ethiopians still speak reverently about the Battle of Adwa in 1896, when they defeated Italian forces and thus retained their freedom from colonial rule. <br><br>Emperor Haile SELASSIE became an internationally renowned figure in 1935, when he unsuccessfully appealed to the League of Nations to prevent Italy from occupying Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941. SELASSIE survived an attempted coup in 1960, annexed modern-day Eritrea in 1962, and played a leading role in establishing the Organization of African Unity in 1963. However, in 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed him and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, drought, and massive displacement, the Derg regime was toppled in 1991 by a coalition of opposing forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). The EPRDF became an ethno-federalist political coalition that ruled Ethiopia from 1991 until its dissolution in 2019. Ethiopia adopted its constitution in 1994 and held its first multiparty elections in 1995. <br><br>A two-and-a-half-year border war with Eritrea in the late 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. Ethiopia subsequently rejected the 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission demarcation. This resulted in more than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate between the two countries.  In 2012, longtime leader Prime Minister MELES Zenawi died in office and was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn, marking the first peaceful transition of power in decades. Following a wave of popular dissent and anti-government protest that began in 2015, HAILEMARIAM resigned in 2018 and ABIY Ahmed Ali took office the same year as Ethiopia's first ethnic Oromo prime minister. In 2018, ABIY promoted a rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea that was marked with a peace agreement and a reopening of their shared border. In November 2019, Ethiopia's nearly 30-year ethnic-based ruling coalition, the EPRDF, merged into a single unity party called the Prosperity Party; however, the lead coalition party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), declined to join. In November 2020, a military conflict erupted between forces aligned with the TPLF and the Ethiopian military. The conflict - which was marked by atrocities committed by all parties - ended in November 2022 with a cessation of hostilities agreement between the TPLF and the Ethiopian Government. However, Ethiopia continues to experience ethnic-based violence as other groups - including the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and Amhara militia Fano - seek concessions from the Ethiopian Government.</p>"
+      "text": "<p>The area that is modern-day Ethiopia is rich in cultural and religious diversity with more than 80 ethnic groups. The oldest hominid yet found comes from Ethiopia, and Ethiopia was the second country to officially adopt Christianity in the 4th century A.D. A series of monarchies ruled the area that is now Ethiopia from 980 B.C. to 1855, when the Amhara kingdoms of northern Ethiopia united in an empire under Tewodros II. Many Ethiopians still speak reverently about the Battle of Adwa in 1896, when they defeated Italian forces and won their freedom from colonial rule. <br><br>Emperor Haile SELASSIE became an internationally renowned figure in 1935, when he unsuccessfully appealed to the League of Nations to prevent Italy from occupying Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941. SELASSIE survived an attempted coup in 1960, annexed modern-day Eritrea in 1962, and played a leading role in establishing the Organization of African Unity in 1963. However, in 1974, a military junta called the Derg deposed him and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, drought, and massive displacement, the Derg regime was toppled in 1991 by a coalition of opposing forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). The EPRDF became an ethno-federalist political coalition that ruled Ethiopia from 1991 until its dissolution in 2019. Ethiopia adopted its constitution in 1994 and held its first multiparty elections in 1995. <br><br>A two-and-a-half-year border war with Eritrea in the late 1990s ended with a peace treaty in 2000. Ethiopia subsequently rejected the 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission demarcation. This resulted in more than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate between the two countries. In 2012, longtime Prime Minister MELES Zenawi died in office and was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn, marking the first peaceful transition of power in decades. Following a wave of popular dissent and anti-government protest that began in 2015, HAILEMARIAM resigned in 2018, and ABIY Ahmed Ali took office the same year as Ethiopia's first ethnic Oromo prime minister. In 2018, ABIY promoted a rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea that was marked with a peace agreement and a reopening of their shared border. In 2019, Ethiopia's nearly 30-year ethnic-based ruling coalition, the EPRDF, merged into a single unity party called the Prosperity Party; however, the lead coalition party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), declined to join. In 2020, a military conflict erupted between forces aligned with the TPLF and the Ethiopian military. The conflict -- which was marked by atrocities committed by all parties -- ended in 2022 with a cessation of hostilities agreement between the TPLF and the Ethiopian Government. However, Ethiopia continues to experience ethnic-based violence as other groups -- including the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and Amhara militia Fano -- seek concessions from the Ethiopian Government.</p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -611,10 +611,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:<br>House of Federation or Yefedereshein Mikir Bete (153 seats maximum; 144 seats current; members indirectly elected by state assemblies to serve 5-year terms)<br>House of People's Representatives or Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete (547 seats maximum; 470 seats current; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; 22 seats reserved for minorities; all members serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "House of Federation - last held 4 October 2021 (next expected in October 2026)<br>House of People's Representatives - last held in two parts on 21 June 2021 and 30 September 2021 (next expected in June 2026)"
+        "text": "<br>House of Federation - last held 4 October 2021 (next expected in October 2026)<br>House of People's Representatives - last held in two parts on 21 June 2021 and 30 September 2021 (next expected in June 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "House of Federation - percent of vote by coalition/party - NA; seats by coalition/party - NA; composition - men 100, women 44, percent of women 30.6%<br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by coalition/party - NA; seats by coalition/party - Prosperity Party 454, NAMA 5, EZEMA 4, Gedeo People's Democratic organization 2, Kucha People Democratic Party 1, independent 4; composition - men 275, women 195, percent of women  41.5%; note - total Parliament percent of women 38.9%"
+        "text": "<br>House of Federation - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA; composition as of February 2024 - men 102, women 43, percentage women 29.7%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Prosperity Party 454, NAMA 5, EZEMA 4, Gedeo People's Democratic organization 2, Kucha People Democratic Party 1, independent 4; composition as of February 2024 - men 275, women 195, percentage women 41.3%; note - total Parliament percentage women 38.9%"
       },
       "note": "<strong>notes:</strong> House of Federation is responsible for interpreting the constitution and federal-regional issues and the House of People's Representatives is responsible for passing legislation; percent of vote percentages are calculated on the number of members actually seated versus on the constitutional maximums"
     },

africa/ga.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>In the 10th century, Muslim merchants established some of The Gambia’s earliest large settlements as trans-Saharan trade hubs. These settlements eventually grew into major export centers sending slaves, gold, and ivory across the Sahara. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, European colonial powers began establishing trade with The Gambia. In 1664, the United Kingdom established a colony in The Gambia focused on exporting enslaved people across the Atlantic. During the roughly 300 years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the UK and other European powers may have exported as many as 3 million people from The Gambia.</p> <p>The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed the short-lived confederation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1994, Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup overthrowing the president and banning political activity. He subsequently won every presidential election until 2016, when he lost to Adama BARROW, who headed an opposition coalition during free and fair elections. BARROW won reelection in December 2021. The Gambia is the only member of the Economic Community of West African States that does not have presidential term limits. Since the 2016 election, The Gambia and the US have enjoyed improved relations. US assistance to the country has supported democracy-strengthening activities, capacity building, economic development, and security sector education and training programs. </p> <br> <p> </p> <p> </p>"
+      "text": "<p>In the 10th century, Muslim merchants established some of The Gambia’s earliest large settlements as trans-Saharan trade hubs. These settlements eventually grew into major export centers sending slaves, gold, and ivory across the Sahara. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, European colonial powers began establishing trade with The Gambia. In 1664, the United Kingdom established a colony in The Gambia focused on exporting enslaved people across the Atlantic. During the roughly 300 years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the UK and other European powers may have exported as many as 3 million people from The Gambia.</p> <p>The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed the short-lived confederation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1994, Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup overthrowing the president and banning political activity. He subsequently won every presidential election until 2016, when he lost to Adama BARROW, who headed an opposition coalition during free and fair elections. BARROW won reelection in 2021. The Gambia is the only member of the Economic Community of West African States that does not have presidential term limits. Since the 2016 election, The Gambia and the US have enjoyed improved relations. US assistance to the country has supported democracy-strengthening activities, capacity building, economic development, and security sector education and training programs. </p> <br> <p> </p> <p> </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -566,10 +566,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral National Assembly (58 seats; 53 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 5 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 9 April 2022 (next to be held in 2027)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 9 April 2022 (next to be held in 2027)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - NPP 33.9%, UDP 28.3%, independent 22.6%, NRP 7.5%, PDOIS 3.7%, APRL 3.7%; seats by party - NPP 18, UDP 15, independent 12,NRP 4, APRL 2, PDOIS 2; composition - men 52, women 6, percent of women 10.3%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NPP 33.9%, UDP 28.3%, independent 22.6%, NRP 7.5%, PDOIS 3.7%, APRL 3.7%; seats by party - NPP 18, UDP 15, independent 12, NRP 4, APRL 2, PDOIS 2; composition as of February 2024 - men 53, women 5, percentage women 8.6%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

africa/gb.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>Gabon, a sparsely populated country known for its dense rainforests and vast petroleum reserves, is one of the most prosperous and stable countries in central Africa. Approximately 40 ethnic groups are represented, the largest of which is the Fang, a group that covers the northern third of Gabon and expands north into Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. From about the early 1300s, various kingdoms emerged in and surrounding present-day Gabon, including the Kingdoms of Loango and Orungu. Because most early Bantu languages spoken in these kingdoms did not have a written form, historical traditions were passed on orally, resulting in much of Gabon's early history being lost over time. Portuguese traders who arrived in the mid-1400s gave the area its name of Gabon. At that time, indigenous trade networks began to engage with European traders, exchanging goods such as ivory and wood. For a century beginning in the 1760s, trade came to focus mostly on enslaved people. While many groups in Gabon participated in the slave trade, the Fang were a notable exception. As the slave trade declined in the late 1800s, France colonized the country and directed a widespread extraction of Gabonese resources. Anti-colonial rhetoric by Gabon’s educated elites increased significantly in the early 1900s, but no widespread rebellion materialized. French decolonization following World War II led to the country’s independence in 1960.</p> <p>Within a year of independence, the government changed from a parliamentary to a presidential system, and Leon M’BA won the first presidential election in 1961. El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest ruling heads of state in history - was M’BA’s vice president and assumed the presidency after M’BA’s death in 1967. BONGO went on to dominate the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009). In 1968, he declared Gabon a single-party state and created the Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG), which remains the predominant party in Gabonese politics today. In the early 1990s, he reintroduced a multiparty system under a new constitution after he was confronted with growing political opposition. He was reelected by wide margins in 1995, 1998, 2002, and 2005 against a divided opposition and amidst allegations of fraud. Following President BONGO's death in 2009, a new election brought his son, Ali BONGO Ondimba, to power. President Ali BONGO Ondimba was reelected in 2016 in a close election against a united opposition. Gabon’s Constitutional Court reviewed the contested election results and ruled in his favor. President Ali BONGO Ondimba won a third term in Gabon’s 26 August 2023 election, but he was overthrown in a military coup on 30 August 2023.  Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema led a military group called the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions that arrested and detained President BONGO, canceled the election results, and dissolved state institutions.  On 4 September 2023, Gen. OLIGUI was sworn in as transitional president of Gabon.</p> <p> </p>"
+      "text": "<p>Gabon, a sparsely populated country known for its dense rainforests and vast petroleum reserves, is one of the most prosperous and stable countries in central Africa. Approximately 40 ethnic groups are represented, the largest of which is the Fang, a group that covers the northern third of Gabon and expands north into Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. From about the early 1300s, various kingdoms emerged in present-day Gabon and the surrounding area, including the Kingdoms of Loango and Orungu. Because most early Bantu languages spoken in these kingdoms did not have a written form, much of Gabon's early history was lost over time. Portuguese traders who arrived in the mid-1400s gave the area its name of Gabon. At that time, indigenous trade networks began to engage with European traders, exchanging goods such as ivory and wood. For a century beginning in the 1760s, trade came to focus mostly on enslaved people. While many groups in Gabon participated in the slave trade, the Fang were a notable exception. As the slave trade declined in the late 1800s, France colonized the country and directed a widespread extraction of Gabonese resources. Anti-colonial rhetoric by Gabon’s educated elites increased significantly in the early 1900s, but no widespread rebellion materialized. French decolonization after World War II led to the country’s independence in 1960.</p> <p>Within a year of independence, the government changed from a parliamentary to a presidential system, and Leon M’BA won the first presidential election in 1961. El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba was M’BA’s vice president and assumed the presidency after M’BA’s death in 1967. BONGO went on to dominate the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009). In 1968, he declared Gabon a single-party state and created the still-dominant Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG). In the early 1990s, he reintroduced a multiparty system under a new constitution in response to growing political opposition. He was reelected by wide margins in 1995, 1998, 2002, and 2005 against a divided opposition and amidst allegations of fraud. After BONGO's death in 2009, a new election brought his son, Ali BONGO Ondimba, to power, and he was reelected in 2016. He won a third term in the August 2023 election but was overthrown in a military coup a few days later. Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema led a military group called the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions that arrested BONGO, canceled the election results, and dissolved state institutions. In September 2023, OLIGUI was sworn in as transitional president of Gabon.</p> <p> </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charg&eacute; d'Affaires Ellen B. THORBURN (since 27 October 2022); note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe"
+        "text": "Ambassador Ambassador Vernelle Trim FITZPATRICK (since 26 January 2024); note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "Sabliere, B.P. 4000, Libreville"

africa/gh.json

@@ -581,10 +581,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Parliament (275 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 7 December 2020 (next to be held in December 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 7 December 2020 (next to be held in December 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party (preliminary) - NPP 137, NDC 137, independent 1; composition - men 235, women 40, percent of women 14.5%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NPP 50.4%, NDC 46.2%, independent 2.3%, other 1.1%; seats by party- NPP 137, NDC 137, independent 1; composition as of February 2024 - men 235, women 40, percentage women 14.6%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -1241,7 +1241,7 @@
       "text": "18-27 years of age for voluntary military service, with basic education certificate; no conscription (2023)"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "875 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 725 (plus about 275 police) South Sudan (UNMISS); 650 Sudan (UNISFA) (2023)",
+      "text": "875 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 725 (plus about 275 police) South Sudan (UNMISS); 670 Sudan (UNISFA) (2024)",
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> since sending a contingent of troops to the Congo in 1960, the military has been a regular contributor to African- and UN-sponsored peacekeeping missions"
     },
     "Military - note": {

africa/gv.json

@@ -578,13 +578,13 @@
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
       "description": {
-        "text": "formerly the People's National Assembly; note - on 5 September 2021, Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA led a military coup in which President CONDE was arrested and detained, the constitution suspended, and the government and People's National Assembly dissolved; on 22 January 2022, an 81-member Transitional National Council was installed; on 19 February 2024 Guinea's military leaders dissolved the government "
+        "text": "formerly the People's National Assembly; note - on 5 September 2021, Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA led a military coup in which President CONDE was arrested and detained, the constitution suspended, and the government and People's National Assembly dissolved; on 22 January 2022, an 81-member Transitional National Council was installed; on 19 February 2024 Guinea's military leaders dissolved the government"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "81 members to the Transitional National Council were appointed by the transitional president Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA on 22 January 2022; elections for a permanent legislature had not been announced as of late January 2022; on 19 February 2024 Guinea's military leaders dissolved the government "
+        "text": "<br>81 members to the Transitional National Council were appointed by the transitional president Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA on 22 January 2022; elections for a permanent legislature had not been announced as of late January 2022; on 19 February 2024 Guinea's military leaders dissolved the government"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "81 members of the National Transitional Council appointed on 22 January 2022 by the transitional president; the members represent all of the country's socio-professional organizations and political parties"
+        "text": "<br>81 members of the National Transitional Council appointed on 22 January 2022 by the transitional president; the members represent all of the country's socio-professional organizations and political parties"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

africa/iv.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>Various small kingdoms ruled the area of Cote d'Ivoire between the 15th and 19th centuries, when European explorers arrived and then began to expand their presence. In 1844, France established a protectorate. During this period, many of these kingdoms and tribes fought to maintain their cultural identities - some well into the 20th century. For example, the Sanwi kingdom - originally founded in the 17th century - tried to break away from Cote d’Ivoire and establish an independent state in 1969.  <br><br>Cote d’Ivoire achieved independence from France in 1960 but has maintained close ties with France. The export and production of cocoa and foreign investment drove economic growth that led Cote d’Ivoire to become one of the most prosperous states in West Africa. In December 1999, a military coup overthrew the government. In late 2000, junta leader Robert GUEI held rigged elections and declared himself the winner. Popular protests forced him to step aside, and Laurent GBAGBO was elected. In September 2002, Ivoirian dissidents and members of the military launched a failed coup that developed into a civil war. In 2003, a cease-fire resulted in rebels holding the north, the government holding the south, and peacekeeping forces occupying a buffer zone in the middle. In March 2007, President GBAGBO and former rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister. The two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone, integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces, and holding elections. In November 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in five months of violent conflict. In April 2011, after widespread fighting, GBAGBO was formally forced from office by armed OUATTARA supporters and UN and French forces. In 2015, OUATTARA won a second term. In October 2020, OUATTARA won a controversial third presidential term, despite a two-term limit in the Ivoirian constitution, in an election boycotted by the opposition. Through political compromise with OUATTARA, the opposition did participate peacefully in March 2021 legislative elections and won a substantial minority of seats. Also in March 2021, the International Criminal Court in The Hague ruled on a final acquittal for GBAGBO, who was on trial for crimes against humanity, paving the way for GBAGBO’s June 2021 return to Abidjan. GBAGBO has publicly met with President OUATTARA since his return in June 2021 as a demonstration of political reconciliation. The next presidential election is scheduled for 2025.</p> <br> <p> </p>"
+      "text": "<p>Various small kingdoms ruled the area of Cote d'Ivoire between the 15th and 19th centuries, when European explorers arrived and then began to expand their presence. In 1844, France established a protectorate. During this period, many of these kingdoms and tribes fought to maintain their cultural identities -- some well into the 20th century. For example, the Sanwi kingdom -- originally founded in the 17th century -- tried to break away from Cote d’Ivoire and establish an independent state in 1969.  <br><br>Cote d’Ivoire achieved independence from France in 1960 but has maintained close ties. Foreign investment and the export and production of cocoa drove economic growth that led Cote d’Ivoire to become one of the most prosperous states in West Africa. Then in 1999, a military coup overthrew the government, and a year later, junta leader Robert GUEI held rigged elections and declared himself the winner. Popular protests forced him to step aside, and Laurent GBAGBO was elected. Ivoirian dissidents and members of the military launched a failed coup in 2002 that developed into a civil war. In 2003, a cease-fire resulted in rebels holding the north, the government holding the south, and peacekeeping forces occupying a buffer zone in the middle. In 2007, President GBAGBO and former rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister. The two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone, integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces, and holding elections. <br><br>In 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in five months of violent conflict. Armed OUATTARA supporters and UN and French troops eventually forced GBAGBO to step down in 2011. OUATTARA won a second term in 2015 and a controversial third term in 2020 -- despite the two-term limit in the Ivoirian constitution -- in an election boycotted by the opposition. Through political compromise with OUATTARA, the opposition participated peacefully in 2021 legislative elections and won a substantial minority of seats. Also in 2021, the International Criminal Court in The Hague ruled on a final acquittal for GBAGBO, who was on trial for crimes against humanity, paving the way for GBAGBO’s return to Abidjan the same year. GBAGBO has publicly met with OUATTARA since his return as a demonstration of political reconciliation. </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

africa/ke.json

@@ -587,10 +587,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:<br>Senate (68 seats; 47 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 20 directly elected by proportional representation vote - 16 women, 2 representing youth, 2 representing the disabled, and one Senate speaker; members serve 5-year terms)<br>National Assembly (350 seats; 290 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 47 women in single-seat constituencies elected by simple majority vote, and 12 members nominated by the National Assembly - 6 representing youth and 6 representing the disabled, and one Assembly speaker; members serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Senate - last held on 9 August 2022 (next to be held on 10 August 2027)<br>National Assembly - last held on 9 August 2022 (next to be held on 10 August 2027)"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - last held on 9 August 2022 (next to be held on 10 August 2027)<br>National Assembly - last held on 9 August 2022 (next to be held on 10 August 2027)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Kenya Kwanza 33, Azimio La Umoja 32, independent 2, other 1; composition - men 47, women 21, percent of women is 31%<br><br>National Assembly - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Kenya Kwanza alliance 176, Azimio La Umoja alliance 161, independent 12, other 1; composition - men 268, women 82, percent of women 23%"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Kenya Kwanza 33, Azimio La Umoja 32, independent 2, other 1; composition - men 46, women 21, percentage women is 31.3%<br><br>National Assembly - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Kenya Kwanza alliance 176, Azimio La Umoja alliance 161, independent 12, other 1; composition - men 267, women 81, percentage women 24.6%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -1254,8 +1254,7 @@
       "text": "no conscription; 18-26 years of age for voluntary service for men and women (under 18 with parental consent; upper limit 30 years of age for specialists, tradesmen, or women with a diploma; 39 years of age for chaplains/imams); 9-year service obligation (7 years for Kenyan Navy) and subsequent 3-year re-enlistments; applicants must be Kenyan citizens (2024)"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "260 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); more than 3,000 troops deployed in Somalia under ATMIS (note - ATMIS troop contingents are drawing down towards a final exit in December 2024) (2023)",
-      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> in November 2022, Kenya sent approximately 1,000 troops to the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as part of a newly formed East Africa Community Regional Force (EACRF) to assist the DRC military against the rebel group M23; the force is led by Kenya"
+      "text": "400 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); more than 3,000 troops deployed in Somalia under ATMIS (note - ATMIS troop contingents are drawing down towards a final exit in December 2024) (2024)"
     },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "the KDF's chief security concerns and missions include protecting the country’s sovereignty and territory, regional disputes, the threat posed by the al-Shabaab terrorist group based in neighboring Somalia, maritime crime and piracy, and assisting civil authorities in responding to emergency, disaster, or political unrest as requested; it has considerable experience, having conducted operations in neighboring Somalia since 2011 and taken part in numerous regional peacekeeping and security missions; the KDF is a leading member of the Africa Standby Force; it participates in multinational exercises, and has ties to a variety of foreign militaries, including those of France, the UK, and the US <br><br>the Army has five combat brigades comprised of infantry, armored, and artillery forces, as well as special operations regiment with airborne, special forces, and ranger battalions; it also has a helicopter-equipped air cavalry battalion; the Navy has several offshore patrol vessels, large coastal patrol boats, and missile-armed craft; the Air Force has a small inventory of older US-origin fighter aircraft, as well as some transport aircraft and combat helicopters <br><br>Kenyan military forces intervened in Somalia in October 2011 to combat the al-Shabaab terrorist group, which had conducted numerous cross-border attacks into Kenya; in November 2011, the UN and the African Union invited Kenya to incorporate its forces into the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM); Kenyan forces were formally integrated into AMISOM (now the AU Transition Mission in Somalia or ATMIS) in February 2012<br><br>the Kenya Military Forces were created following independence in 1963; the current KDF was established and its composition laid out in the 2010 constitution; it is governed by the Kenya Defense Forces Act of 2012; the Army traces its origins back to the Kings African Rifles (KAR), a British colonial regiment raised from Britain's East Africa possessions from 1902 until independence in the 1960s; the KAR conducted both military and internal security functions within the colonial territories, and served outside the territories during the World Wars (2023)"

africa/li.json

@@ -555,10 +555,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral National Assembly consists of:<br>The Liberian Senate (30 seats; members directly elected in 15 2-seat districts by simple majority vote to serve 9-year staggered terms; each district elects 1 senator and elects the second senator 3 years later, followed by a 6-year hiatus, after which the first Senate seat is up for election)<br>House of Representatives (73 seats; members directly elected in single-seat districts by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms; eligible for a second term)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "<p>Senate - general election held on 10 October 2023 with half the seats up for election (next to be held on 9 October 2029)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 10 October 2023 (next to be held 9 October 2029)</p> <p> </p>"
+        "text": "<p><br>Senate - general election held on 10 October 2023 with half the seats up for election (next to be held in October 2029)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 10 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2029)</p> <p> </p>"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<p>Senate - percent of vote by party - Collaborating Political Parties 43.3%, Congress for Democratic Change 16.6%, People's Unification Party 6.6%, Movement for Democracy and Reconstructions 3.3%, National Democratic Coalition 3.3%, National Patriotic Party 3.3%, Independent 23.3%; seats by coalition/party- CPP 13, CDC 5, PUP 2, MDR 1, NDC 1, NPP 1, Independent 7; composition - men 27, women 3, percent of women 11%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - Coalition for Democratic Change 28.7%, Unity Party 27.3%, People's Unification Party 6.8%, Liberty Party 4.1%, Americo Liberian Party 4.1%, Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction 4.1%, Movement for Economic Empowerment 1.3%, Liberia Transformation Party 1.3%, United People's Party 1.3%, Victory for Change Party 1.3%, Liberian People's Party 1.3%, Liberia National Union 1.3%, Independent 17.8%; seats by coalition/party - CDC 21, UP 20, PUP 5, LP 3, ALP 3, MDR 3, MOVEE 1, LTP 1, UPP 1, VCP 1, LPP 1, LNU 1, Independent 13; composition - men 66, women 7, percent of women 9.5%; total Parliament percent of women 9.7%</p> <p> </p>"
+        "text": "<p><br>Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - Collaborating Political Parties 43.3%, Congress for Democratic Change 16.6%, People's Unification Party 6.6%, Movement for Democracy and Reconstructions 3.3%, National Democratic Coalition 3.3%, National Patriotic Party 3.3%, independent 23.3%; seats by party/coalition - CPP 13, CDC 5, PUP 2, MDR 1, NDC 1, NPP 1, independent 7; composition as of February 2024 - men 27, women 3, percentage women 10%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - Coalition for Democratic Change 28.7%, Unity Party 27.3%, People's Unification Party 6.8%, Liberty Party 4.1%, Americo Liberian Party 4.1%, Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction 4.1%, Movement for Economic Empowerment 1.3%, Liberia Transformation Party 1.3%, United People's Party 1.3%, Victory for Change Party 1.3%, Liberian People's Party 1.3%, Liberia National Union 1.3%, independent 17.8%; seats by party/coalition - CDC 21, UP 20, PUP 5, LP 3, ALP 3, MDR 3, MOVEE 1, LTP 1, UPP 1, VCP 1, LPP 1, LNU 1, independent 13; composition as of Friday 2024 - men 65, women 8, percentage women 9.5%; total Parliament percentage women 10.7%</p>"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Political parties and leaders": {
-      "text": "All Liberian Party or ALP [Benoni UREY]<br>Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD [vacant]<br>Alternative National Congress or ANC [Alexander B. CUMMINGS, JR]<br>Coalition for Democratic Change [George WEAH] (includes CDC, NPP, and LPDP) Congress for Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH]<br>Liberia Destiny Party or LDP [Nathaniel BARNES]<br>Liberia National Union or LINU [Dr. Clarence K. MONIBA]<br>Liberia Transformation Party or LTP [Kennedy SANDY]<br>Liberian People Democratic Party or LPDP [Alex J. TYLER]<br>Liberian People's Party or LPP [Henry FAHNBULLEH, JR] <br>Liberty Party or LP [Charles Brumskine]<br>Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction or MDR [Prince Y. JOHNSON]<br>Movement for Economic Empowerment [Joseph JONES]<br>Movement for Progressive Change or MPC [Simeon FREEMAN]<br>National Democratic Coalition or NDC [Dew MAYSON]<br>National Democratic Party of Liberia or NDPL [D. Nyandeh SIEH]<br>National Patriotic Party or NPP [Jewel HOWARD TAYLOR]<br>National Reformist Party or NRP [Maximillian T. W. DIABE]<br>National Union for Democratic Progress or NUDP [Victor BARNEY]<br>People's Unification Party or PUP [Isobe GBORKORKOLLIE]<br>Unity Party or UP [Josephe BOAKAI]<br>United People's Party [MacDonald WENTO]<br>Victory for Change Party or VCP [Marcus R. JONES]"
+      "text": "All Liberian Party or ALP [Benoni UREY]<br>Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD (vacant)<br>Alternative National Congress or ANC [Alexander B. CUMMINGS, JR]<br>Coalition for Democratic Change [George WEAH] (includes CDC, NPP, and LPDP)<br>Collaborating Political Parties or CPP [collective leadership] (coalition includes ANC, LP; CPP dissolved in April 2024)<br>Congress for Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH]<br>Liberia Destiny Party or LDP [Nathaniel BARNES]<br>Liberia National Union or LINU [Dr. Clarence K. MONIBA]<br>Liberia Transformation Party or LTP [Kennedy SANDY]<br>Liberian People Democratic Party or LPDP [Alex J. TYLER]<br>Liberian People's Party or LPP [Henry FAHNBULLEH, JR] <br>Liberty Party or LP [Charles BRUMSKINE]<br>Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction or MDR [Prince Y. JOHNSON]<br>Movement for Economic Empowerment [Joseph JONES]<br>Movement for Progressive Change or MPC [Simeon FREEMAN]<br>National Democratic Coalition or NDC [Dew MAYSON]<br>National Democratic Party of Liberia or NDPL [D. Nyandeh SIEH]<br>National Patriotic Party or NPP [Jewel HOWARD TAYLOR]<br>National Reformist Party or NRP [Maximillian T. W. DIABE]<br>National Union for Democratic Progress or NUDP [Victor BARNEY]<br>People's Unification Party or PUP [Isobe GBORKORKOLLIE]<br>Unity Party or UP [Josephe BOAKAI]<br>United People's Party [MacDonald WENTO]<br>Victory for Change Party or VCP [Marcus R. JONES]"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
       "text": "ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO&nbsp;"

africa/lt.json

@@ -561,10 +561,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:<br>Senate (33 seats; 22 principal chiefs and 11 other senators nominated by the king with the advice of the Council of State, a 13-member body of key government and non-government officials; members serve 5-year terms)<br>National Assembly (120 seats; 80 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 40 elected through proportional representation; members serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "<p>Senate - last appointed by the king in November 2022 (next to be appointed 2028)<br>National Assembly - last held on 7 October 2022 (next to be held in February 2028)</p>"
+        "text": "<p><br>Senate - last appointed by the king in November 2022 (next to be appointed 2028)<br>National Assembly - last held on 7 October 2022 (next to be held in February 2028)</p>"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<p>Senate - percent of votes by party - NA, seats by party - NA; composition - men 25, women 8, percent of women 24.2%<br>National Assembly - percent of votes by party - RFP 38.9%, DC 24.7%, ABC 7.1%, BAP 5.4%, AD 4.0%, MEC 3.2%, LCD 2.3%, SR 2.1%, BNP 1.4%, PFD 0.9%, BCM 0.8%, MPS 0.8%, MIP 0.7%; seats by party - RFP 56, DC 29, ABC 8, BAP 6, AD 5, MEC 4, LCD 3, SR 2, BNP 1, PFD 1,BCM 1, MPS 1, NIP 1, HOPE 1, TBD 1; composition - men 88, women 32, percent of women 26.6%; note - total Parliament percent of women 22.9%</p>"
+        "text": "<p><br>Senate - percent of votes by party - NA, seats by party - NA; composition as of February 2024 - men 25, women 8, percent age women 24.2%<br><br>National Assembly - percent of votes by party - RFP 38.9%, DC 24.7%, ABC 7.1%, BAP 5.4%, AD 4.0%, MEC 3.2%, LCD 2.3%, SR 2.1%, BNP 1.4%, PFD 0.9%, BCM 0.8%, MPS 0.8%, MIP 0.7%; seats by party - RFP 56, DC 29, ABC 8, BAP 6, AD 5, MEC 4, LCD 3, SR 2, BNP 1, PFD 1, BCM 1, MPS 1, NIP 1, HOPE 1, TBD 1; composition as of February 2024 - men 90, women 30, percentage 25%; note - total Parliament percentage women 24.8%</p>"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

africa/ly.json

@@ -523,10 +523,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral House of Representatives (Majlis Al Nuwab) or HoR (200 seats including 32 reserved for women; members directly elected by majority vote; member term NA); note - the High State Council serves as an advisory group for the HoR"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 25 June 2014"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 25 June 2014"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition; note - only 188 of the 200 seats were filled in the June 2014 election because of boycotts and lack of security at some polling stations; some elected members of the HoR also boycotted the election"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; note - only 188 of the 200 seats were filled in the June 2014 election because of boycotts and lack of security at some polling stations; some elected members of the House of Representatives also boycotted the election"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

africa/ma.json

@@ -574,10 +574,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:<br>Senate or Antenimierandoholona  (18 seats; 12 members indirectly elected by an electoral college of municipal, communal, regional, and provincial leaders and 6 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)<br>National Assembly or Antenimierampirenena (151 seats; 87 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 64 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Senate - last held on 11 December 2020 (next to be held in December 2025)<br>National Assembly - last held on 27 May 2019 (next to be held in 29 May 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - last held on 11 December 2020 (next to be held in December 2025)<br>National Assembly - last held on 27 May 2019 (next to be held on 29 May 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br>Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; elected seats by party - Irmar 10, Malagasy Miara Miainga 2; composition - men 16, women 2, percent of women 11.1%<br><br>National Assembly - percent of vote by coalition/party - IRD coalition 55.6%, TIM 10.6%<br>independents 30.5%, other 3.3%; seats by coalition/party - IRD coalition 84, TIM 16, independents 46, other 5; composition - men 124, women 27, percent of women 17.9%"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; elected seats by party - Irmar 10, Malagasy Miara Miainga 2; composition - men 17, women 1, percentage women 5.6%<br><br>National Assembly - percent of vote by party/coalition - IRD 55.6%, TIM 10.6%, independent 30.5%, other 3.3%; seats by party/coalition - IRD 84, TIM 16, independent 46, other 5; composition - men 123, women 28, percentage women 18.5%; total Parliament percentage women 10.7%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Political parties and leaders": {
-      "text": "<p>Group of Young Malagasy Patriots (Groupe des Jeunes Malgaches Patriotes) or GJMP [Jean Nicolas RANDRIANASOLO]<br>I Love Madagascar (Tiako I Madagasikara) or TIM [Marc RAVALOMANANA]<br>Isika Rehetra Miaraka amin'i Andry Rajoelina coalition or IRD (electoral coalition includes TGV and other parties)<br>Malagasy Aware (Malagasy Tonga Saina) or MTS [Roland RATSIRAKA]<br>Malagasy Tia Tanindrazana or MATITA or ANGADY [Hyacinthe Befeno TODIMANANA]<br>Movement for Democracy in Madagascar (Mouvement pour la Démocratie à Madagascar) or MDM [Pierrot RAJAONARIVELO]<br>Rally for Democratic Socialism (Rassemblement pour Socialisme Démocratique - Nouveau) or RPSD Vaovao [Siteny RANDRIANASOLONIAIKO]<br>Young Malagasies Determined (Tanora Malagasy Vonona) or TGV [Andry RAJOELINA]<br><br><strong>Note:</strong> Only coalitions/parties with seats in the National Assembly included</p>"
+      "text": "<p>Group of Young Malagasy Patriots (Groupe des Jeunes Malgaches Patriotes) or GJMP [Jean Nicolas RANDRIANASOLO]<br>I Love Madagascar (Tiako I Madagasikara) or TIM [Marc RAVALOMANANA]<br>Isika Rehetra Miaraka amin'i Andry Rajoelina coalition or IRD (electoral coalition includes TGV and other parties)<br>Malagasy Aware (Malagasy Tonga Saina) or MTS [Roland RATSIRAKA]<br>Malagasy Tia Tanindrazana or MATITA or ANGADY [Hyacinthe Befeno TODIMANANA]<br>Movement for Democracy in Madagascar (Mouvement pour la Démocratie à Madagascar) or MDM [Pierrot RAJAONARIVELO]<br>Rally for Democratic Socialism (Rassemblement pour Socialisme Démocratique - Nouveau) or RPSD Vaovao [Siteny RANDRIANASOLONIAIKO]<br>Young Malagasies Determined (Tanora Malagasy Vonona) or TGV [Andry RAJOELINA]</p>"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
       "text": "ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, COMESA, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"

africa/mi.json

@@ -594,10 +594,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 21 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 21 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - n/a; seats by party - DPP 62, MCP 55, UDF 10, PP 5, other 5, independent 55, vacant 1; composition as of July 2023 - men 153, women 40, percent of women 20.7%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPP 62, MCP 55, UDF 10, PP 5, other 5, independent 55, vacant 1; composition as of February 2024 - men 153, women 40, percentage women 20.7%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -1222,7 +1222,7 @@
       "text": "18-30years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; high school equivalent required for enlisted recruits and college equivalent for officer recruits; initial engagement is 7 years for enlisted personnel and 10 years for officers (2023)"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "750 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)&nbsp; (2023)"
+      "text": "740 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2024)"
     },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "the MDF’s primary responsibility is external security; it is also tasked as necessary with providing support to civilian authorities during emergencies, supporting the Police Service, protecting national forest reserves, and participating in regional peacekeeping missions, as well as assisting with infrastructure development; it is generally considered to be a professional and effective service, although most of its equipment is aging and obsolescent; Malawi contributes regularly to African Union and UN peace support operations; the Army is the dominant service and has three infantry brigades while its subordinate maritime force has a few patrol boats for monitoring Lake Malawi <br><br>the MDF was established in 1964 from elements of the Kings African Rifles (KAR), a British colonial regiment raised from Great Britain's various possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s; the KAR conducted both military and internal security functions within the colonial territories, and served outside the territories during the World Wars (2023)"

africa/ml.json

@@ -597,13 +597,13 @@
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
       "description": {
-        "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members directly elected in single and multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; 13 seats reserved for citizens living abroad; members serve 5-year terms)<br><br>note 1 - the National Assembly was dissolved on 18 August 2020 following a military coup and the resignation of President KEITA; the transition government created a National Transition Council (CNT) whose 121 members were selected by then-transition vice president Assimi GOITA; the CNT acts as the transition government's legislative body with Malick DIAW serving as the president; in February 2022, the CNT increased the number of seats to 147, but some of the additional seats have not yet been filled<br>note 2 - passage of a constitutional referendum held on 18 June 2023 calls for the creation of a \"senate\""
+        "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members directly elected in single and multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; 13 seats reserved for citizens living abroad; members serve 5-year terms)<br><br>note 1 - the National Assembly was dissolved on 18 August 2020 following a military coup and the resignation of President KEITA; the transition government created a National Transition Council (CNT) whose 121 members were selected by then transition Vice President Assimi GOITA; the CNT acts as the transitional government's legislative body, with Malick DIAW serving as the president; in February 2022, the CNT increased the number of seats to 147, but some of the additional seats have not yet been filled<br><br>note 2 - passage of a constitutional referendum held on 18 June 2023 calls for the creation of a \"Senate\""
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 30 March and 19 April 2020; note - following the dissolution of the National Assembly in August 2020 and the ratification of a new constitutional in July 2023 expanding the powers of the military junta, no plans for legislative elections have been announced"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 30 March and 19 April 2020; note - following the dissolution of the National Assembly in August 2020 and the ratification of a new constitution in July 2023 expanding the powers of the military junta, no plans for legislative elections have been announced"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA composition - NA"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - NA"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

africa/mo.json

@@ -607,10 +607,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:<br>House of Councillors or Majlis al-Mustacharine (120 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college of local councils, professional organizations, and labor unions; members serve 6-year terms)<br>House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwab (395 seats; 305 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 90 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - 60 seats reserved for women and 30 seats for those under age 40 in regional multi-seat constituencies, with the seats divided proportionally among the 12 regions by population size of the region"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "House of Councillors - last held on 5 October 2021 (next to be held by 31 October 2027)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 8 September 2021 (next to be held by 30 September 2026)"
+        "text": "<br>House of Councillors - last held on 5 October 2021 (next to be held by 31 October 2027)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 8 September 2021 (next to be held by 30 September 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br>House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RNI 27, PAM 19, PI 17, MP 12, USFP 8, UGIM 6, CDT 3, PJD 3, UC 2, UMT 2, Amal 1, FDT 1, MDS 1, PRD 1, independent 1; composition as of October 2021) men 105, women 15, percent of women 12.5% <br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party - RNI 102, PAM 87, PI 81, USFP 34, MP 28, PPS 22, UC 18, PJD 13, MDS 5, other 5; composition as of July 2022 - men 305, women 90, percent of women 24.1%; note - overall percent of women in Parliament 21.4%"
+        "text": "<br>House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RNI 27, PAM 19, PI 17, MP 12, USFP 8, UGIM 6, CDT 3, PJD 3, UC 2, UMT 2, Amal 1, FDT 1, MDS 1, PRD 1, independent 1; composition as of February 2024 - men 106, women 14, percentage women 11.7%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party - RNI 102, PAM 87, PI 81, USFP 34, MP 28, PPS 22, UC 18, PJD 13, MDS 5, other 5; composition as of February 2024 - men 299, women 96, percentage women 24.3%; total Parliament percentage women 21.4%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -1263,7 +1263,7 @@
       "text": "19-25 years of age for 12-month compulsory and voluntary military service for men and women (conscription abolished 2006 and reintroduced in 2019) (2023)"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "775 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 925 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2023)"
+      "text": "770 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 930 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2024)"
     },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) are responsible for defending Morocco’s territorial integrity; key areas of concern for the FAR include regional challenges such as the Polisario Front in Western Sahara and Algeria; Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara and administers the territory that it controls; the Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), an organization that seeks the territory’s independence, disputes Morocco’s claim of sovereignty over the territory; Moroccan and Polisario forces fought intermittently from 1975, when Spain relinquished colonial authority over the territory, until a 1991 cease-fire and the establishment of a UN peacekeeping mission; the Polisario withdrew from the cease-fire in November 2020, and since then there have been reports of intermittent indirect fire between the FAR and Polisario fighters across the 2,500-kilometer-long berm built in 1987 that separates the two sides; Algeria is considered a regional rival and has openly backed the Polisario Front<br><br>the FAR has experience in counterinsurgency, desert warfare, and international peacekeeping and security operations; it participates in both bilateral and multinational exercises and has relations with a variety of partners including the militaries of France, Spain, and the US, as well as NATO, the Arab League, and the African Union; the FAR provided fighter aircraft to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen from 2015-2019; Morocco has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation<br><br>the Royal Army has considerable artillery, armored, mechanized infantry, and motorized infantry forces formed as brigades, regiments, and independent battalions that are mostly deployed in two geographic commands focused on Western Sahara in the south and Algeria in the east and north; its armored forces include some 400 modern US-made tanks purchased since 2012; the Army also has brigades of airborne and security troops; the Navy's warships include about six frigates and more than 20 offshore patrol craft of varying size and capabilities; it also has a small force of naval infantry; the Air Force has approximately 100 French- and US-made combat aircraft<br> <br>the FAR was created in May 1956; large numbers of Moroccans were recruited for service in the Spahi and Tirailleur regiments of the French Army of Africa during the period of the French protectorate (1912-1956); many Moroccans fought under the French Army during both World Wars; after World War II, Moroccans formed part of the French Far East Expeditionary Corps during the First Indochina War (1946-1954); the Spanish Army recruited Moroccans from the Spanish Protectorate during both the Rif War (1921-26) and the Spanish Civil War (1936-39)<br><br>the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) was established by Security Council resolution 690 in April 1991 in accordance with settlement proposals accepted in August 1988 by Morocco and the Polisario Front; MINURSO was unable to carry out all the original settlement proposals, but continues to monitor the cease-fire and reduce the threat of mines and unexploded ordnance, and has provided logistic support to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with personnel and air and ground assets (2023)"

africa/mp.json

@@ -530,10 +530,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (70 seats maximum; 62 members directly elected multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and up to 8 seats allocated to non-elected party candidates by the Office of Electoral Commissioner; members serve a 5-year term)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 7 November 2019 (next to be held by late 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 7 November 2019 (next to be held by late 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - Mauritian Alliance 2019 (MSM, ML, MAG, and PM) 37.7%, National Alliance (PTR, PMSD, and MJCB) 32.8%, MMM 20.6%, OPR 1%, Other 7.9%; elected seats by party as of November 2019 - the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) 38 seats, the Mauritius Labour Party (PTR) or (MLP) 14, Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) 8, and the Rodrigues People's Organization (OPR) 2; composition as of July 2022 - men 56, women 14, percent of women 20% (2019)"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - Mauritian Alliance 2019 (MSM, ML, MAG, and PM) 37.7%, National Alliance (PTR, PMSD, and MJCB) 32.8%, MMM 20.6%, OPR 1%, other 7.9%; seats by party - MSM 38, PTR 14, MMM 8, OPR 2; composition as of February 2024 - men 56, women 14, percentage women 20% (2019)"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Political parties and leaders": {
-      "text": "Alliance Morisien (Mauritian Alliance 2019; coalition includes PM, MSM, ML, and MAG) [Pravind JUGNAUTH] <br>Jean-Claude Barbier Movement (Mouvement Jean-Claude Barbier) or MJCB [Jean-Claude Barbier]<br>Mauritian Militant Movement (Mouvement Militant Mauricien) or MMM [Paul BERENGER]<br>Mauritian Social Democratic Party (Parti Mauricien Social Democrate) or PMSD [Xavier Luc DUVAL]<br>Mauritius Labor Party (Parti Travailliste) or PTR or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]<br>Militant Platform or PM (Plateforme Militante) [Steven OBEEGADOO]<br>Militant Socialist Movement (Mouvement Socialist Mauricien) or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH]<br>Muvman Liberater or ML [Ivan COLLENDAVELLOO]<br>National Alliance (coalition includes PTR, PMSD, and MJCB) [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]<br>Patriotic Movement (Mouvement Patriotique) or MAG [Alan GANOO]<br>Rodrigues Peoples Organization (Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais) or OPR [Serge CLAIR]<br> <p><strong>note</strong>: only parties with seats in the National Assembly listed</p>"
+      "text": "Alliance Morisien (Mauritian Alliance 2019; coalition includes PM, MSM, ML, and MAG) [Pravind JUGNAUTH] <br>Jean-Claude Barbier Movement (Mouvement Jean-Claude Barbier) or MJCB [Jean-Claude Barbier]<br>Mauritian Militant Movement (Mouvement Militant Mauricien) or MMM [Paul BERENGER]<br>Mauritian Social Democratic Party (Parti Mauricien Social Democrate) or PMSD [Xavier Luc DUVAL]<br>Mauritius Labor Party (Parti Travailliste) or PTR or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]<br>Militant Platform or PM (Plateforme Militante) [Steven OBEEGADOO]<br>Militant Socialist Movement (Mouvement Socialist Mauricien) or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH]<br>Muvman Liberater or ML [Ivan COLLENDAVELLOO]<br>National Alliance (coalition includes PTR, PMSD, and MJCB) [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]<br>Patriotic Movement (Mouvement Patriotique) or MAG [Alan GANOO]<br>Rodrigues Peoples Organization (Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais) or OPR [Serge CLAIR]"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
       "text": "ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, COMESA, CPLP (associate), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SAARC (observer), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"

africa/mr.json

@@ -598,12 +598,12 @@
         "text": "unicameral Parliament or Barlamane consists of the National Assembly or Al Jamiya Al Wataniya (176 seats statutory; 88 members filled from one or two seat constituencies elected by a two-round majority system and the other 88 members filled from a single, nationwide constituency directly elected by proportional representation vote); 20 seats are reserved for women candidates in the nationwide constituency, 11 seats are reserved for young candidates (aged between 25 and 35), and 4 members directly elected by the diaspora; all members serve 5-year terms"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held in 2 rounds on 13 and 27 May 2023 (next to be held in May 2028)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 13 May 2023 with a second round on 27 May 2023 (next to be held in May 2028)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - El INSAF 107, Tawassoul 11, UDP 10, FRUD (Republican Front for Unity and Democracy) 7, El Islah (Reformist Party) 6, National Democratic Alliance (AND) 6, El Karama (Dignity Party) 5, Nida Al-Watan 5, Sawab 5, Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal 4, Hiwar 3, Mauritanian Party for Union and Change (HATEM) 3, El Vadila (Party of Virtue) 2, Union for Planning and Construction (UPC) 1, Party of the Mauritanian Masses (Hakam) 1; composition - men, 135, women 41, percent of women elected 23.3%"
+        "text": "<br>National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - El Insaf 107, Tawassoul 11, UDP 10, FRUD 7, El Islah 6, AND 6, El Karama 5, Nida Al-Watan 5, Sawab 5, AJD/MR 4, HIWAR 3, HATEM 3, El Vadila 2, UPC 1, Hakam 1; composition as of February 2024 - men 135, women 41, percentage women 23.3%"
       },
-      "note": "<strong>note -</strong> the early parliamentary elections in 2023 were the first to be held under President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, elected in 2019 in a first peaceful transition of power; the elections followed the agreement between the government and parties in September 2022 to renew the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and hold the elections in the first semester of 2023 for climatic and logistical reasons"
+      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the early parliamentary elections in 2023 were the first to be held under President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El GHAZOUANI, elected in 2019 in the first peaceful transition of power; the elections followed the agreement between the government and parties in September 2022 to renew the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and hold the elections in the first semester of 2023 for climatic and logistical reasons"
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
       "highest court(s)": {
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Political parties and leaders": {
-      "text": "Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal or AJD/MR [Ibrahima Moctar SARR]<br>El Insaf or Equity Party [Mohamed Melainine Ould EYIH]<br>El Islah Party [Mohamed Ould TALEBNA]<br>El Karama Party [Cheikhna Ould Mohamed Ould HAJBOU]<br>El Vadila [Ethmane Ould Cheikh Ahmed Eboul MEALY]<br>FRUD (Republican Front for Unity and Democracy) [Kadiata Malick DIALLO]<br>Mauritanian Party of Union and Change (HATEM) [Saleh Ould HANENNA]<br>National Democratic Alliance or AND [Yacoub Ould MOINE]<br>National Rally for Reform and Development or RNRD or TAWASSOUL [Hamadi Ould Sidi MOKHTAR]<br>Nida El-Watan [Daoud Ould Ahmed AICHA]<br>Party for Conciliation and Prosperity or HIWAR [Valle Mint Mini]<br>Party of the Mauritanian Masses (Hakam) [El Khalil Ould ENNAHOUI]<br>Sawab Party [Ahmed Salem Ould HORMA]<br>Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]<br>Union of Planning and Construction (UPC) [Qari Ould Mohamed ABDALLAHI]<br><br><strong>note</strong>: only parties with seats in the National Assembly listed"
+      "text": "Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal or AJD/MR [Ibrahima Moctar SARR]<br>El Insaf or Equity Party [Mohamed Melainine Ould EYIH]<br>El Islah or Reform Party [Mohamed Ould TALEBNA]<br>El Karama or Dignity Party [Cheikhna Ould Mohamed Ould HAJBOU]<br>El Vadila or Virtue Party [Ethmane Ould Cheikh Ahmed Eboul MEALY]<br>Mauritanian Party of Union and Change or HATEM [Saleh Ould HANENNA]<br>National Democratic Alliance or AND [Yacoub Ould MOINE]<br>National Rally for Reform and Development or RNRD or TAWASSOUL [Hamadi Ould Sidi MOKHTAR]<br>Nida El-Watan [Daoud Ould Ahmed AICHA]<br>Party for Conciliation and Prosperity or HIWAR [Valle Mint Mini]<br>Party of the Mauritanian Masses or Hakam [El Khalil Ould ENNAHOUI]<br>Republican Front for Unity and Democracy or FRUD [Kadiata Malick DIALLO]<br>Sawab Party [Ahmed Salem Ould HORMA]<br>Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]<br>Union of Planning and Construction or UPC [Qari Ould Mohamed ABDALLAHI]"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
       "text": "ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AIIB, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
@@ -1231,7 +1231,7 @@
       "text": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; has a compulsory two-year military service law, but the law has reportedly never been applied (2023)"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "450 (plus about 320 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2023)"
+      "text": "450 (plus about 325 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2024)"
     },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "founded in 1960, the Mauritanian military is responsible for territorial defense and internal security; it also assists in economic development projects, humanitarian missions, and disaster response; securing the border and countering terrorist groups operating in the Sahel, particularly from Mali, are key operational priorities; since a spate of deadly terrorist attacks on civilian and military targets in the 2005-2011 timeframe, the Mauritanian Government has increased the defense budget (up 40% between 2008 and 2018) and military equipment acquisitions, enhanced military training, heightened security cooperation with its neighbors and the international community, and built up the military’s counterinsurgency and counterterrorism forces and capabilities; equipment acquisitions have prioritized mobility, flexibility, and intelligence collection, including light ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft, assault helicopters, patrol vessels, light trucks, and surveillance radars; Mauritania has received foreign security assistance from France, NATO, and the US in areas such as commando/special forces operations, counterterrorism, and professional military education<br><br>the Army has sought to create lighter, more nimble units capable of operating in the harsh environment of the Sahel; since 2009, for example, it has enhanced existing camel-mounted nomad patrol units and created up to eight Special Intervention Groups (GSI), 200-man French-trained Army commando/counterterrorism units that are mounted on light vehicles, carry their own supplies, and operate in remote desert border areas for extended periods of time; in addition to the GSI and camel-mounted forces, the Army has multiple motorized infantry battalions, plus individual battalions of tanks, light armored reconnaissance, presidential guards, and airborne/commando forces to supplement garrison units stationed throughout the country in six military regions; the Gendarmerie has territorial-based, mobile, and specialized units such rapid reaction forces (Rapid Action Group – Surveillance and Intervention Group or GAR-SI) that conduct counterterrorism missions and work with the regular military services; the Air Force has acquired a few light attack combat aircraft in recent years, but remains small with a total inventory of about 20 patrol, transport, and trainer airplanes and helicopters; in addition to two offshore patrol vessels acquired from China in 2016, the Navy has a small force of coastal and inshore patrol craft and boats to monitor the country’s 750km-long coastline and Economic Exclusion Zone, plus a unit of marines (Fusiliers Marins); it has conducted joint patrols with the Senegalese Navy along their shared maritime border (2023)"

africa/mz.json

@@ -587,10 +587,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (250 seats; 248 members elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote and 2 members representing Mozambicans abroad directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 15 October 2019 (next to be held on 15 October 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 15 October 2019 (next to be held on 9 October 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 71%, RENAMO 23%, MDM 4%; seats by party - FRELIMO 184, RENAMO 60, MDM 6; composition as of July 2022 - men 144, women 106, percent of women 42.4%"
+        "text": "percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 71%, RENAMO 23%, MDM 4%; seats by party - FRELIMO 184, RENAMO 60, MDM 6; composition as of February 2024 - men 142, women 108, percentage women 43.2%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

africa/ng.json

@@ -589,10 +589,10 @@
         "text": "the CNSP dissolved the unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (171 statutory seats - 166 currently; 158 members directly elected from 8 multi-member constituencies in 7 regions and Niamey by party-list proportional representation, 8 reserved for minorities elected in special single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 5 seats reserved for Nigeriens living abroad - l seat per continent - elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms) as part of the 26 July 2023 military coup"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 27 December 2020 (prior to the military coup, next elections were to be held in December 2025)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 27 December 2020 (prior to the military coup, next elections were to be held in December 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 37.04%, MODEN/FA Lumana 8.71%, MPR-Jamhuriya 7.59%, MNSD-Nassara 6.77%,&nbsp; RDR-Tchanji 4.41%, CPR-Inganci 4.15%, MPN-Kishin Kassa 3.97%, PJP Generation Dubara 2.88%, ANDP Zaman Lahya 2.46%, RPP Farrilla 2.10%, ARD Adaltchi-Mutuntchi 1.74%, AMEN AMIN 1.43%, MDEN Falala 1.42%, other 15.33%; seats by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 79, MODEN/FA Lumana 19, MPR-Jamhuriya 14, MNSD-Nassara 13, CPR-Inganci 8, MPN-Kishin Kassa 6, ANDP-Zaman Lahiya 3, RPP Farrilla 2, PJP Generation Dubara 2, ARD Adaltchi-Mutuntchi 2, AMEN AMIN 2, other 16; composition - men 123, women 43, percent of women 25.9%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 37%, MODEN/FA Lumana 8.7%, MPR-Jamhuriya 7.6%, MNSD-Nassara 6.8%,  RDR-Tchanji 4.4%, CPR-Inganci 4.2%, MPN-Kishin Kassa 4%, PJP Generation Dubara 2.9%, ANDP Zaman Lahya 2.5%, RPP Farrilla 2.1%, ARD Adaltchi-Mutuntchi 1.7%, AMEN AMIN 1.4%, MDEN Falala 1.4%, other 15.3%; seats by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 79, MODEN/FA Lumana 19, MPR-Jamhuriya 14, MNSD-Nassara 13, CPR-Inganci 8, MPN-Kishin Kassa 6, ANDP-Zaman Lahiya 3, RPP Farrilla 2, PJP Generation Dubara 2, ARD Adaltchi-Mutuntchi 2, AMEN AMIN 2, other 16; composition - men 115, women 51, percentage women 30.7%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

africa/ni.json

@@ -586,10 +586,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral National Assembly consists of:<br>Senate (109 seats - 3 each for the 36 states and 1 for Abuja-Federal Capital Territory; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)<br>House of Representatives (360 seats statutory, 258 current; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "<br>Senate - last held on 25 February 2023 (next to be held on 25 February 2027)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 25 February 2023 (next to be held on 25 February 2027) <p> </p>"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - last held on 25 February 2023 (next to be held in February 2027)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 25 February 2023 (next to be held in February 2027) <p> </p>"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<em><em><br></em></em>Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 59, PDP 36, LP 8, NNPP 2, SDP 2, YPP 1, APGA 1; composition - men 106, women 3, percent of women 2.8%<em><em><br><br></em></em>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 178, PDP 114, LP 35, NNPP 19, APGA 5, other 7, vacant 2; composition - men 344, women 14, percent of women 3.8%; note - total National Assembly percent of women 3.6% <p> </p>"
+        "text": "<em><em><br></em></em>Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 59, PDP 36, LP 8, NNPP 2, SDP 2, YPP 1, APGA 1; composition as of February 2024 - men 105, women 4, percentage women 3.7%<em><em><br><br></em></em>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 178, PDP 114, LP 35, NNPP 19, APGA 5, other 7, vacant 2; composition as of February 2024 - men 344, women 14, percentage women 3.8%; note - total National Assembly percentage women 3.9% <p> </p>"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -1259,7 +1259,7 @@
       "text": "18-26 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2023)"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "175 Sudan/South Sudan (UNISFA) (2023)",
+      "text": "190 Sudan/South Sudan (UNISFA) (2024)",
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> Nigeria has committed an Army combat brigade (approximately 3,000 troops) to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a regional counter-terrorism force comprised of troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger; MNJTF conducts operations against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups operating in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeast border; national MNJTF troop contingents are deployed within their own country territories, although cross‐border operations are conducted periodically"
     },
     "Military - note": {

africa/pu.json

@@ -552,10 +552,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (102 seats; 100 members directly elected in 27 multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote and 2 elected in single-seat constituencies for citizens living abroad (Africa 1, Europe 1); all members serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last election held 4 June 2023 (next election on 30 June 2027) note: on 4 December 2023 the president dissolved the parliament with new elections held at a future date"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 4 June 2023 (next to be held on 30 June 2027); note - on 4 December 2023 the president dissolved the parliament with new elections to be held at a future date"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - PAIGC 39.4%, Madem G-15 21.1%, PRS 14.9%, other 12.5%; seats by party - PAIGC 54, Madem G-15 29, PRS- 12, other 7; composition - men 92, women 10, percent of women 9.8%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - PAIGC 39.4%, Madem G-15 21.1%, PRS 14.9%, other 12.5%; seats by party - PAIGC 54, Madem G-15 29, PRS- 12, other 7; composition as of February 2024 - men 92, women 10, percentage women 9.8%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

africa/sf.json

@@ -1247,9 +1247,6 @@
       "LNG terminal(s) (import)": {
         "text": "Mossel Bay"
       }
-    },
-    "Transportation - note": {
-      "text": "South Africa operates one PC 5 or 6 class light icebreaker<br>note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 5 - year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 70-120 cm); PC 6 - summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 30-70 cm)"
     }
   },
   "Military and Security": {
@@ -1285,7 +1282,7 @@
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> in 2020, women comprised about 30% of the military"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "1,150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); up to 1,500 authorized for Mozambique (part of a Southern African Development Community force to help quell an insurgency; scheduled to be withdrawn by mid-2024) (2024)"
+      "text": "1,150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2024)"
     },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "the SANDF’s primary responsibilities include territorial and maritime defense, supporting the Police Service, protecting key infrastructure, and participating in international peacekeeping missions; the SANDF traditionally has been one of Africa’s most capable militaries, but in recent years its operational readiness and modernization programs have been hampered by funding shortfalls; it participates regularly in African and UN peacekeeping missions and is a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Standby Force; in 2021, it sent up to 1,500 troops to Mozambique as part of a multinational SADC force to help combat an insurgency, and South African forces are a key component of the UN’s Force Intervention Brigade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; in recent years, the SANDF has been deployed internally to assist the Police Service with quelling unrest and assisting with border security<br><br>the Army in recent years has reorganized, and its combat forces are organized into four “modern” brigades, each designed for specific missions and responding to modern-day threats such as “asymmetric” warfare; the new brigades are separated into airborne, light infantry, mechanized, and motorized forces; the Navy operates a mixed force of warships, patrol craft, submarines, and support vessels; its principal combatants are four frigates and three attack submarines; the Navy also has a maritime rapid reaction squadron that includes naval infantry and combat divers; the Air Force has squadrons of multipurpose fighter, ground attack, and transport aircraft, as well as attack and transport helicopters<br><br>the SANDF was created in 1994 to replace the South African Defense Force (SADF); the SANDF was opened to all South Africans who met military requirements, while the SADF was a mostly white force (only whites were subject to conscription) with non-whites only allowed to join in a voluntary capacity; the SANDF also absorbed members of the guerrilla and militia forces of the various anti-apartheid opposition groups, including the African National Congress, the Pan Africanist Congress, and the Inkatha Freedom Party, as well as the security forces of the formerly independent Bantustan homelands (2023)"

africa/so.json

@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Religions": {
-      "text": "Sunni Muslim (Islam) (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter)"
+      "text": "Muslim 99.9% (Sunni Muslim 98.1%, Shia Muslim 1.2%, Islamic schismatic 0.6%), ethnic religionist 0.1% (2020 est.)"
     },
     "Demographic profile": {
       "text": "<p>Somalia scores very low for most humanitarian indicators, suffering from poor governance, protracted internal conflict, underdevelopment, economic decline, poverty, social and gender inequality, and environmental degradation. Despite civil war and famine raising its mortality rate, Somalia’s high fertility rate and large proportion of people of reproductive age maintain rapid population growth, with each generation being larger than the prior one. More than 60% of Somalia’s population is younger than 25 as of 2020, and the fertility rate is among the world’s highest at almost 5.5 children per woman – a rate that has decreased little since the 1970s.</p> <p>A lack of educational and job opportunities is a major source of tension for Somalia’s large youth cohort, making them vulnerable to recruitment by extremist and pirate groups. Somalia has one of the world’s lowest primary school enrollment rates – just over 40% of children are in school – and one of the world’s highest youth unemployment rates. Life expectancy is low as a result of high infant and maternal mortality rates, the spread of preventable diseases, poor sanitation, chronic malnutrition, and inadequate health services.</p> <p>During the two decades of conflict that followed the fall of the SIAD regime in 1991, hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes. Today Somalia is the world’s fourth highest source country for refugees, after Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan. Insecurity, drought, floods, food shortages, and a lack of economic opportunities are the driving factors.</p> <p>As of 2022, more than 660,000 Somali refugees were hosted in the region, mainly in Kenya, Yemen, Egypt, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Uganda, while nearly 3 million Somalis were internally displaced. Since the implementation of a tripartite voluntary repatriation agreement among Kenya, Somalia, and the UNHCR in 2013, many Somali refugees have returned home, some 80,000 between 2014 and 2022.  The Kenyan Government in March 2021 ordered the closure of its two largest refugee camps, Dadaab and Kakuma, which then hosted more than 410,000 mainly Somali refugees.  However, the UN refugee agency presented a road map, including voluntary repatriation, relocation to third countries, and alternative stay options that persuaded the Kenyan Government to delay the closures.  The plan was supposed to lead to both camps being closed by 30 June 2022. Yet, as of May 2022, few Somali refugees had decided to return home because of security concerns and the lack of job prospects, instead waiting in the camps unsure of what the future held for them. Other Somali asylum seekers brave the dangers of crossing the Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen – despite its internal conflict – with aspirations to move onward to Saudi Arabia and other locations.</p>"

africa/wa.json

@@ -575,10 +575,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:<br>National Council (42 seats); members indirectly elected 3 each by the 14 regional councils to serve 5-year terms); note - the Council primarily reviews legislation passed and referred by the National Assembly<br>National Assembly (104 seats; 96 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed list, proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 8 nonvoting members appointed by the president)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "National Council - elections for regional councils to determine members of the National Council held on 25 November 2020 (next to be held on 25 November 2025)<br>National Assembly - last held on 27 November 2019 (next to be held in 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>National Council - elections for regional councils to determine members of the National Council held on 25 November 2020 (next to be held on 25 November 2025)<br>National Assembly - last held on 27 November 2019 (next to be held in November 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<p>National Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SWAPO 28, LPM 6,IPC 2, PDM 2, UDF 2, NUDO 1, independent 1; composition as of July 2022 - men 36, women 6, percent of women 14.3%<br><br>National Assembly - percent of vote by party - SWAPO 65.5%, PDM 16.6%, LPM 4.7%, NUDO 1.9%, APP 1.8%, UDF 1.8%, RP 1.8%, NEFF 1.7%, RDP 1.1%, CDV .7%, SWANU .6%, other 1.8%; seats by party - SWAPO 63, PDM 16, LPM 4, NUDO 2, APP 2, UDF 2, RP 2, NEFF 2, RDP 1, CDV 1, SWANU 1; composition as of July 2022 - men 58, women 46, percent of women 44.2%; note - overall percent of women in Parliament 35.6%</p>"
+        "text": "<br>National Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SWAPO 28, LPM 6,IPC 2, PDM 2, UDF 2, NUDO 1, independent 1; composition as of February 2024 - men 36, women 6, percentage women 14.3% <br><br>National Assembly - percent of vote by party - SWAPO 65.5%, PDM 16.6%, LPM 4.7%, NUDO 1.9%, APP 1.8%, UDF 1.8%, RP 1.8%, NEFF 1.7%, RDP 1.1%, CDV .7%, SWANU .6%, other 1.8%; seats by party - SWAPO 63, PDM 16, LPM 4, NUDO 2, APP 2, UDF 2, RP 2, NEFF 2, RDP 1, CDV 1, SWANU 1; composition as of February 2024 - men 58, women 46, percentage women 44.2%; total Parliament percentage women 35.6%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

africa/wz.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>A Swazi kingdom was founded in the mid-18th century and ruled by a series of kings including MSWATI II, a 19th century ruler whose appellation was adopted to become the name of the country and its predominant ethnic group. The kingdom’s modern borders were defined by European countries during the late-19th century and Swaziland (as it became known) was administered as a UK high commission territory from 1903 until its independence in 1968. A new constitution came into effect in 2005, which included provisions for a more independent parliament and judiciary, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear, and the kingdom is still considered an absolute monarchy. King MSWATI III renamed the country from Swaziland to Eswatini in 2018 to reflect the name most commonly used by its citizens. In 2021, MSWATI III used security forces to suppress prodemocracy protests. A national dialogue and reconciliation process agreed to in the wake of violence has not materialized. In November 2023, King MSWATI III appointed a new Prime Minister following peaceful national elections.  Despite its classification as a lower-middle income country, Eswatini suffers from severe poverty, corruption, and high unemployment. Eswatini has the world's highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, although recent years have shown marked declines in new infections. Eswatini is the only country in Africa that recognizes Taiwan.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>"
+      "text": "<p>A Swazi kingdom was founded in the mid-18th century and ruled by a series of kings, including MSWATI II, a 19th century ruler whose name was adopted for the country and its predominant ethnic group. European countries defined the kingdom’s modern borders during the late-19th century, and Swaziland (as it became known) was administered as a UK high commission territory from 1903 until its independence in 1968. A new constitution that came into effect in 2005 included provisions for a more independent parliament and judiciary, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear, and the kingdom is still considered an absolute monarchy. King MSWATI III renamed the country from Swaziland to Eswatini in 2018 to reflect the name most commonly used by its citizens. <br><br>In 2021, MSWATI III used security forces to suppress prodemocracy protests. A national dialogue and reconciliation process agreed to in the wake of violence has not materialized. In November 2023, King MSWATI III appointed a new prime minister following peaceful national elections.  Despite its classification as a lower-middle income country, Eswatini suffers from severe poverty, corruption, and high unemployment. Eswatini has the world's highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, although recent years have shown marked declines in new infections. Eswatini is the only country in Africa that recognizes Taiwan.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@
         "text": "[268] 2416-3344"
       },
       "email address and website": {
-        "text": "MBACONSULAR@state.gov<br><br>Homepage - U.S. Embassy in Eswatini (usembassy.gov)"
+        "text": "<br>ConsularMbabane@state.gov<br><br>Homepage - U.S. Embassy in Eswatini (usembassy.gov)"
       }
     },
     "Flag description": {

antarctica/fs.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>In February 2007, the Iles Eparses became an integral part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF). The Southern Lands are now divided into five administrative districts, two of which are archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; the third is a district composed of two volcanic islands, Ile Saint-Paul and Ile Amsterdam; the fourth, Iles Eparses, consists of five scattered tropical islands around Madagascar. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna, scientists at the various scientific stations, fishermen, and military personnel. The fifth district is the Antarctic portion, which consists of \"Adelie Land,\" a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840.</p> <p><strong>Ile Amsterdam:</strong> Discovered but not named in 1522 by the Spanish, the island subsequently received the appellation of Nieuw Amsterdam from a Dutchman; it was claimed by France in 1843. A short-lived attempt at cattle farming began in 1871. A French meteorological station established on the island in 1949 is still in use.</p> <p><strong>Ile Saint Paul:</strong> Claimed by France since 1893, the island was a fishing industry center from 1843 to 1914. In 1928, a spiny lobster cannery was established, but when the company went bankrupt in 1931, seven workers were abandoned. Only two survived until 1934 when rescue finally arrived.</p> <p><strong>Iles Crozet:</strong> A large archipelago formed from the Crozet Plateau, Iles Crozet is divided into two main groups: L'Occidental (the West), which includes Ile aux Cochons, Ilots des Apotres, Ile des Pingouins, and the reefs Brisants de l'Heroine; and L'Oriental (the East), which includes Ile d'Est and Ile de la Possession (the largest island of the Crozets). Discovered and claimed by France in 1772, the islands were used for seal hunting and as a base for whaling. Originally administered as a dependency of Madagascar, they became part of the TAAF in 1955.</p> <p><strong>Iles Kerguelen:</strong> This island group, discovered in 1772, consists of one large island (Ile Kerguelen) and about 300 smaller islands. A permanent group of 50 to 100 scientists resides at the main base at Port-aux-Francais.</p> <p><strong>Adelie Land:</strong> The only non-insular district of the TAAF is the Antarctic claim known as \"Adelie Land.\" The US Government does not recognize it as a French dependency.</p> <p><strong>Bassas da India:</strong> A French possession since 1897, this atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is awash at high tide.</p> <p><strong>Europa Island:</strong> This heavily wooded island has been a French possession since 1897; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs a weather station.</p> <p><strong>Glorioso Islands:</strong> A French possession since 1892, the Glorioso Islands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (Ile Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrison operates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse.</p> <p><strong>Juan de Nova Island:</strong> Named after a famous 15th-century Spanish navigator and explorer, the island has been a French possession since 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate. Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorological station.</p> <p><strong>Tromelin Island:</strong> First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological station.</p>"
+      "text": "<p>In 2007, the Iles Eparses became an integral part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF). The Southern Lands are now divided into five administrative districts, two of which are archipelagos, the Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; the third is a district composed of two volcanic islands, Ile Saint-Paul and Ile Amsterdam; the fourth, Iles Eparses, consists of five scattered tropical islands around Madagascar. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna, scientists at the various scientific stations, fishermen, and military personnel. The fifth district is the Antarctic portion, which consists of \"Adelie Land,\" a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840.</p> <p><strong>Ile Amsterdam:</strong> Discovered but not named in 1522 by the Spanish, the island subsequently received the appellation of Nieuw Amsterdam from a Dutchman; it was claimed by France in 1843. A short-lived attempt at cattle farming began in 1871. A French meteorological station established on the island in 1949 is still in use.</p> <p><strong>Ile Saint Paul:</strong> Claimed by France since 1893, the island was a fishing industry center from 1843 to 1914. In 1928, a spiny lobster cannery was established, but when the company went bankrupt in 1931, seven workers were abandoned. Only two survived until 1934 when rescue finally arrived.</p> <p><strong>Iles Crozet:</strong> A large archipelago formed from the Crozet Plateau, Iles Crozet is divided into two main groups: L'Occidental (the West), which includes Ile aux Cochons, Ilots des Apotres, Ile des Pingouins, and the reefs Brisants de l'Heroine; and L'Oriental (the East), which includes Ile d'Est and Ile de la Possession, the largest island of the Crozets. Discovered and claimed by France in 1772, the islands were used for seal hunting and as a base for whaling. Originally administered as a dependency of Madagascar, they became part of the TAAF in 1955.</p> <p><strong>Iles Kerguelen:</strong> This island group, discovered in 1772, consists of one large island (Ile Kerguelen) and about 300 smaller islands. A permanent group of 50 to 100 scientists resides at the main base at Port-aux-Francais.</p> <p><strong>Adelie Land:</strong> The only non-insular district of the TAAF is the Antarctic claim known as \"Adelie Land.\" The US Government does not recognize it as a French dependency.</p> <p><strong>Bassas da India:</strong> A French possession since 1897, this atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is awash at high tide.</p> <p><strong>Europa Island:</strong> This heavily wooded island has been a French possession since 1897; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs a weather station.</p> <p><strong>Glorioso Islands:</strong> A French possession since 1892, the Glorioso Islands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (Ile Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrison operates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse.</p> <p><strong>Juan de Nova Island:</strong> Named after a famous 15th-century Spanish navigator and explorer, the island has been a French possession since 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate. Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorological station.</p> <p><strong>Tromelin Island:</strong> First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological station.</p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

australia-oceania/aq.json

@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@
         "text": "Senate - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independent 18; composition - men 17, women 1; percent of women 5.6%<br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 20, women 1; percent of women 4.8%; note - total Legislature percent of women 5.1%"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independent 18; composition - men 17, women 1; percentage women 5.6%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 20, women 1; percentage women 4.8%; note - total Legislature percentage women 5.1%"
       },
       "note": "<strong id=\"tinymce\" class=\"mce-content-body \" style=\"font-size: 18px;\" contenteditable=\"true\" spellcheck=\"false\" data-id=\"field_notes\">note:</strong> American Samoa elects 1 member by simple majority popular vote to serve a 2-year term as a delegate to the US House of Representatives; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote; election of delegate last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2022); Amata Coleman RADEWAGEN elected delegate; Amata Coleman RADEWAGEN (Republican Party) 83.5%, Oreta CHRICHTON (Democratic Party) 14.4%, Meleagi SUITONU-CHAPMAN (Democratic Party) 2.1%"
     },

australia-oceania/as.json

@@ -576,10 +576,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Federal Parliament consists of:<br>Senate (76 seats; 12 members from each of the 6 states and 2 each from the 2 mainland territories; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of state membership renewed every 3 years and territory membership renewed every 3 years)<br>House of Representatives (151 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by majority preferential vote; members serve terms of up to 3 years)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Senate - last held on 21 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 21 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025)"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - last held on 21 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 21 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - Liberal/National Coalition 40.7%, ALP 34.2%, Greens 14.5%, Pauline Hansen's One Nation 2.6%, Jacqui Lambee Network 2.6%, United Australia Party 1.3%, independent 3.9%; seats by party/coalition - Liberal/National Coalition 31, ALP 26, Australian Greens 11, Pauline Hansen's One Nation 2, Jacqui Lambee Network 2, United Australia Party 1, independent 3; composition - 33 men, 43 women; percentage of women 56.6%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - ALP 50.9%, Coalition 36.4%, 7.9%, 2.6%, others less than 1%; seats by party/coalition - ALP 77, Coalition 55, independent 12, Greens 4, Katter's 1, Center Alliance 1; composition as of January 2024 - 93 men, 57 women; percentage of women 38% (note - one seat will be filled after a by-election on 2 March 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - Liberal/National Coalition 40.7%, ALP 34.2%, Greens 14.5%, Pauline Hansen's One Nation 2.6%, Jacqui Lambee Network 2.6%, United Australia Party 1.3%, independent 3.9%; seats by party/coalition - Liberal/National Coalition 31, ALP 26, Australian Greens 11, Pauline Hansen's One Nation 2, Jacqui Lambee Network 2, United Australia Party 1, independent 3; composition as of April 2024 - 33 men, 42 women; percentage women 56%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - ALP 50.9%, Coalition 36.4%, 7.9%, 2.6%, others less than 1%; seats by party/coalition - ALP 77, Coalition 55, independent 12, Greens 4, Katter's 1, Center Alliance 1, vacant 1; composition as of April 2024 - 92 men, 59 women; percentage women 39.1%; note - total Federal Parliament percentage women 44.7%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -1214,9 +1214,6 @@
       "dry bulk cargo port(s)": {
         "text": "Dampier (iron ore), Dalrymple Bay (coal), Hay Point (coal), Port Hedland (iron ore), Port Walcott (iron ore)"
       }
-    },
-    "Transportation - note": {
-      "text": "Australia operates one PC 3 or 4 class medium icebreaker based in Tasmania in support of operations in Antarctica<br>note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 3 - year-round operation in second-year ice which may include multi-year ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 2.5 m); PC 4 - year-round operation in thick first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 120 cm)"
     }
   },
   "Military and Security": {
@@ -1253,7 +1250,7 @@
       "note": "<strong>note 1:</strong> foreign nationals who are permanent residents, particularly New Zealanders, or those who have applied for citizenship or overseas candidates who have appropriate experience and qualifications from an overseas military can apply to join the ADF <br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> women have served in all roles, including combat arms, since 2013; in 2022, they comprised about 20% of the military"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "<strong>note: </strong>since the 1990s, Australia has deployed more than 30,000 personnel on nearly 100 UN peacekeeping and coalition military operations, including in Cambodia, Rwanda, the Solomon Islands, Somalia, and East Timor"
+      "text": "<strong>note: </strong>the number of Australian military forces varies by mission; since the 1990s, Australia has deployed more than 30,000 personnel on nearly 100 UN peacekeeping and coalition military operations around the World"
     },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "Australia has been part of the Australia, New Zealand, and US Security (ANZUS) Treaty since 1951; Australia is also a member of the Five Powers Defense Arrangements (FPDA), a series of mutual assistance agreements reached in 1971 embracing Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK; the FPDA commits the members to consult with one another in the event or threat of an armed attack on any of the members and to mutually decide what measures should be taken, jointly or separately; there is no specific obligation to intervene militarily <br><br>Australia has a long-standing military relationship with the US; Australian and US forces first fought together in France in 1918 at the Battle of Hamel, and have fought together in every major US conflict since; Australia and the US signed an agreement in 2014 that allowed for closer bi-lateral defense and security cooperation, including annual rotations of US Marines and enhanced rotations of US Air Force aircraft to Australia; Australian military forces train often with US forces; Australia has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation <br><br>Australia also has long-standing defense and security ties to the UK, including defense and security cooperation treaties in 2024 and 2013; in 2020, Australia and the UK signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the building of a next generation of frigates for their respective navies; the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) is their premier bilateral forum on foreign policy, defense, and security issues <br><br>in 2021, Australia, the UK, and the US announced an enhanced trilateral security partnership called “AUKUS” which would build on existing bilateral ties, including deeper integration of defense and security-related science, technology, industrial bases, and supply chains, as well as deeper cooperation on a range of defense and security capabilities; the first initiative under AUKUS was a commitment to support Australia in acquiring conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy<br><br>the ADF's missions include protecting Australia’s borders and maritime interests, responding to domestic natural disasters, and deploying overseas for humanitarian, peacekeeping, and other security-related missions; it trains regularly and participates in international exercises; the Army’s principal combat forces include a divisional headquarters with three mechanized brigades and a special operations command; the Navy operates over 40 surface craft and submarines, including 11 destroyers and frigates, two landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships, and six attack-type submarines; the RAF has an air combat group with more than 140 modern combat aircraft, as well as transport and surveillance air groups (2024)"

australia-oceania/ck.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>British captain William KEELING discovered Cocos (Keeling) Islands in 1609, and they were named the Cocos Islands in 1622 for their coconut trees. Some maps began referring to them as the Keeling Islands in 1703. In 1825, Scottish trader John CLUNIES-ROSS was trying to get to Christmas Island but was blown off-course and landed on Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The next year, a British trader hired John’s brother to bring slaves and a harem of Malay women to create the first permanent settlement on the island. By the 1830s, the Clunies-Ross family had firmly established themselves as the leaders of the islands and they ruled Cocos (Keeling) Islands in a feudal style until 1978.<br><br>The UK annexed the islands in 1857 and administered them from Ceylon after 1878 and from Singapore after 1886. Cocos (Keeling) Islands hosted a cable relaying station and was attacked by the Germans in World War I. The Japanese similarly attacked the islands in World War II. The UK transferred the islands to Australia in 1955, which officially named the islands the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and in 1978, Australia bought all the land held by the Clunies-Ross family, ending their control of the islands’ governance. In a referendum in 1984, most islanders voted to integrate with Australia, and Western Australian laws have applied on the islands since 1992.</p> <p> </p>"
+      "text": "<p>British Captain William KEELING discovered the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in 1609, and they were named for their coconut trees in 1622. Some maps began referring to them as the Keeling Islands in 1703. In 1825, Scottish trader John CLUNIES-ROSS was trying to get to Christmas Island but was blown off-course and landed on Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The next year, a British trader hired CLUNIES-ROSS's brother to bring slaves and a harem of Malay women to create the first permanent settlement on the island. By the 1830s, the Clunies-Ross family had firmly established themselves as the leaders of the islands, and they ruled Cocos (Keeling) Islands in a feudal style until 1978.<br><br>The UK annexed the islands in 1857 and administered them from Ceylon after 1878 and from Singapore after 1886. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands hosted a cable relaying station and was attacked by the Germans in World War I. The Japanese similarly attacked the islands in World War II. The UK transferred the islands to Australia in 1955, when they were officially named the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and in 1978, Australia bought all the land held by the Clunies-Ross family, ending their control of the islands. In a referendum in 1984, most islanders voted to integrate with Australia, and Western Australian laws have applied on the islands since 1992.</p> <p> </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

australia-oceania/cq.json

@@ -426,10 +426,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature consists of:<br>Senate (9 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)<br>House of Representatives (20 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 2-year terms)<br><br>the Northern Mariana Islands directly elects 1 delegate to the US House of Representatives by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "<br>CNMI Senate - last held on 8 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024)<br>CNMI House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held in November 2024)<br>Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands delegate to the US House of Representatives  - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held in November 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>CNMI Senate - last held on 8 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)<br>CNMI House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)<br>Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands delegate to the US House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br>CNMI Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 6, independent 3; composition - men 7, women 2, percent of women 22.2%<br>CNMI House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 9, Democrat Party 8, independent 3; composition - men 15, women 5, percent of women 25%; note - overall CNMI legislature percent of women 24.1%<br><br>delegate to US House of Representatives - seat won by independent; composition - 1 man"
+        "text": "<br>CNMI Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 6, independent 3; composition as of January 2023 - men 6, women 3, percentage women 33.3%<br><br>CNMI House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 9, Democrat Party 8, independent 3; composition as of January 2023 - men 17, women 3, percentage women 15%; total Commonwealth Legislature percentage women 20.7%<br><br>Northern Mariana Islands delegate to US House of Representatives - seat won by independent; composition - 1 man"
       },
       "note": "<strong id=\"tinymce\" class=\"mce-content-body \" style=\"font-size: 18px;\" contenteditable=\"true\" spellcheck=\"false\" data-id=\"field_notes\">note:</strong> the Northern Mariana Islands delegate to the US House of Representatives can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the \"Committee of the Whole House\" but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote"
     },

australia-oceania/cr.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>The widely scattered islands were first charted in 1803, but they were too small to host any permanent human habitation. The 1870s and 1880s, saw attempts at guano mining, but these were soon abandoned. The islands became an Australian territory in 1969 and its boundaries were extended in 1997. A small meteorological staff has operated on the Willis Islets since 1921, and several other islands host unmanned weather stations, beacons, and lighthouses. Much of the territory lies within marine national nature reserves.</p> <p style=\"margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 18.0pt; background: white;\"> </p>"
+      "text": "<p>The widely scattered Coral Sea Islands were first charted in 1803, but they were too small to host permanent human habitation. The 1870s and 1880s saw attempts at guano mining, but these were soon abandoned. The islands became an Australian territory in 1969, and the boundaries were extended in 1997. A small meteorological staff has operated on the Willis Islets since 1921, and several other islands host unmanned weather stations, beacons, and lighthouses. Much of the territory lies within national marine nature reserves.</p> <p style=\"margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 18.0pt; background: white;\"> </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

australia-oceania/cw.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "Polynesians from Tahiti were probably the first people to settle Rarotonga around A.D. 900. Over time, Samoans and Tongans also settled in Rarotonga, and Rarotongans voyaged to the northern Cook Islands, settling Manihiki and Rakahanga. Pukapuka and Penrhyn in the northern Cook Islands were settled directly from Samoa. Prior to European contact, there was considerable travel and trade between inhabitants of the different islands and atolls but they were not united in a single political entity. Spanish navigators were the first Europeans to spot the northern Cook Islands in 1595 followed by the first landing in 1606. The Cook Islands remained free of further European contact until the 1760s, and in 1773, British explorer James COOK saw Manuae in the southern Cook Islands. The islands were named after COOK in the 1820s by Russian mapmakers. English missionary activity during the 1820s and 1830s banned singing and dancing and converted most of the population.<br><br>Fearing France would militarily occupy the islands like it did in Tahiti, Rarotongans asked the UK for protectorate status in the 1840s and 1860s, which the UK ignored. In 1888, Queen MAKEA TAKAU of Rarotonga formally petitioned for protectorate status, which the UK reluctantly agreed to. In 1901, the UK placed Rarotonga and the rest of the islands in the New Zealand Colony and in 1915, the Cook Islands Act organized the Cook Islands into one political entity. It remained a protectorate until 1965, when New Zealand granted the Cook Islands self-government status. The Cook Islands has a great deal of local autonomy and is an independent member of international organizations, but it is in free association with New Zealand, which is responsible for defense and foreign affairs. In September 2023, the US recognized the Cook Islands as a sovereign and independent state."
+      "text": "Polynesians from Tahiti were probably the first people to settle Rarotonga -- the largest of the Cook Islands -- around A.D. 900. Over time, Samoans and Tongans also settled in Rarotonga, and Rarotongans voyaged to the northern Cook Islands, settling Manihiki and Rakahanga. Pukapuka and Penrhyn in the northern Cook Islands were settled directly from Samoa. Prior to European contact, there was considerable travel and trade between inhabitants of the different islands and atolls, but they were not united in a single political entity. Spanish navigators were the first Europeans to spot the northern Cook Islands in 1595, followed by the first landing in 1606, but no further European contact occurred until the 1760s. In 1773, British explorer James COOK spotted Manuae in the southern Cook Islands, and Russian mapmakers named the islands after COOK in the 1820s. English missionary activity during the 1820s and 1830s converted most of the population to Christianity.<br><br>Fearing France would militarily occupy the islands as it did in Tahiti, Rarotongans asked the UK for protectorate status in the 1840s and 1860s, a request the UK ignored. In 1888, Queen MAKEA TAKAU of Rarotonga formally petitioned for protectorate status, to which the UK reluctantly agreed. In 1901, the UK placed Rarotonga and the rest of the islands in the New Zealand Colony, and in 1915, the Cook Islands Act organized the islands into one political entity. It remained a protectorate until 1965, when New Zealand granted the Cook Islands self-governing status. The Cook Islands has a great deal of local autonomy and is an independent member of international organizations, but it is in free association with New Zealand, which is responsible for its defense and foreign affairs. In September 2023, the US recognized the Cook Islands as a sovereign and independent state."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

australia-oceania/fj.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>Austronesians settled Fiji around 1000 B.C., followed by successive waves of Melanesians starting around the first century A.D. Fijians traded with Polynesian groups in Samoa and Tonga, and by about 900, much of Fiji was in the Tu’i Tongan Empire’s sphere of influence. The Tongan influence declined significantly by 1200, while Melanesian seafarers continued to periodically arrive in Fiji, further mixing Melanesian and Polynesian cultural traditions. Dutch explorer Abel TASMAN was the first European to spot Fiji in 1643, followed by British explorer James COOK in 1774. Captain William BLIGH plotted the islands in 1789. In the 1800s, merchants, traders, and whalers frequented the islands and the first missionaries arrived in 1835. Rival kings and chiefs competed for power, at times aided by Europeans and their weapons, and in 1865, Seru Epenisa CAKOBAU united many groups into the Confederacy of Independent Kingdoms of Viti. The arrangement proved weak and in 1871 CAKOBAU formed the Kingdom of Fiji in an attempt to centralize power. Fearing a hostile takeover by a foreign power as the kingdom’s economy began to falter, CAKOBAU ceded Fiji to the UK in 1874.<br><br>The first British governor set up a plantation-style economy and brought in more than 60,000 Indians as indentured laborers, most of whom chose to stay in Fiji rather than return to India when their contracts expired. In the early 1900s, society was divided along ethnic lines, with iTaukei (indigenous Fijians), Europeans, and Indo-Fijians living in separate areas and maintaining their own languages and traditions. ITaukei fears of an Indo-Fijian takeover of government delayed independence through the 1960s; Fiji achieved independence in 1970 with agreements in place to allocate parliamentary seats by ethnic groups. Long-serving Prime Minister Kamisese MARA largely balanced these ethnic divisions, but concerns about growing Indo-Fijian political influence led to two coups in 1987. A new constitution in 1990 cemented iTaukei control of politics, leading thousands of Indo-Fijians to leave. A reformed constitution in 1997 was more equitable and led to the election of an Indo-Fijian prime minister in 1999, who was ousted in a coup the following year. In 2005, the new prime minister put forward a bill that would grant pardons to the coup perpetrators, leading Commodore Josaia Voreqe \"Frank\" BAINIMARAMA to launch a coup in 2006. BAINIMARAMA appointed himself prime minister in 2007 and retained the position after elections in 2014 and 2018 that international observers deemed credible. BAINIMARAMA's party lost control of the prime minister position following elections in December 2022 and former opposition leader Sitiveni Ligamamada RABUKA won the office by one vote and leads a coalition with a slim, three-seat parliamentary margin.<br><br>With relatively well-developed infrastructure, Fiji has become a hub for the Pacific, hosting the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the main campus of the University of the South Pacific. In addition, Fiji is a center for Pacific tourism, and Nadi International Airport is by far the busiest airport in a Pacific island country.</p>"
+      "text": "<p>Austronesians settled Fiji around 1000 B.C., followed by successive waves of Melanesians starting around the first century A.D. Fijians traded with Polynesian groups in Samoa and Tonga, and by about A.D. 900, much of Fiji was in the Tu’i Tongan Empire’s sphere of influence. The Tongan influence declined significantly by 1200, while Melanesian seafarers continued to periodically arrive in Fiji, further mixing Melanesian and Polynesian cultural traditions. Dutch explorer Abel TASMAN was the first European to spot Fiji in 1643, followed by British explorer James COOK in 1774. Captain William BLIGH plotted the islands in 1789. In the 1800s, merchants, traders, and whalers frequented the islands, and the first missionaries arrived in 1835. Rival kings and chiefs competed for power, at times aided by Europeans and their weapons, and in 1865, Seru Epenisa CAKOBAU united many groups into the Confederacy of Independent Kingdoms of Viti. The arrangement proved weak, and in 1871 CAKOBAU formed the Kingdom of Fiji in an attempt to centralize power. Fearing a hostile takeover by a foreign power as the kingdom’s economy began to falter, CAKOBAU ceded Fiji to the UK in 1874.<br><br>The first British governor set up a plantation-style economy and brought in more than 60,000 Indians as indentured laborers, most of whom chose to stay in Fiji rather than return to India when their contracts expired. In the early 1900s, society was divided along ethnic lines, with iTaukei (indigenous Fijians), Europeans, and Indo-Fijians living in separate areas and maintaining their own languages and traditions. ITaukei fears of an Indo-Fijian takeover of government delayed independence through the 1960s; Fiji achieved independence in 1970 with agreements to allocate parliamentary seats by ethnic groups. After two coups in 1987, a new constitution in 1990 cemented iTaukei control of politics, leading thousands of Indo-Fijians to leave. A reformed constitution in 1997 was more equitable and led to the election of an Indo-Fijian prime minister in 1999, who was ousted in a coup the following year. In 2005, the new prime minister put forward a bill that would grant pardons to the coup perpetrators, leading Commodore Josaia Voreqe \"Frank\" BAINIMARAMA to launch a coup in 2006. BAINIMARAMA appointed himself prime minister in 2007 and retained the position after elections in 2014 and 2018 that international observers deemed credible. BAINIMARAMA's party lost control of the prime minister position after elections in 2022 -- former opposition leader Sitiveni Ligamamada RABUKA won the office by one vote and leads a coalition with a slim, three-seat parliamentary margin.<br><br>With relatively well-developed infrastructure, Fiji has become a hub for the Pacific, hosting the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the main campus of the University of the South Pacific. In addition, Fiji is a center for Pacific tourism, and Nadi International Airport is by far the busiest airport in a Pacific island country.</p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -531,10 +531,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Parliament (55 seats; members directly elected in a nationwide, multi-seat constituency by open-list proportional representation vote with a 5% electoral threshold; members serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 14 December 2022 (next to be held in 2026)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 14 December 2022 (next to be held in 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - FijiFirst 42.5%, People's Alliance 35.8%, NFP 8.9%, SODELPA 5.1%, other 7.7%; seats by party - FijiFirst 26, People's Alliance 21, NFP 5, SODELPA 3; composition as of January 2024 - men 50, women 5, percent of women 9.1%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - FijiFirst 42.5%, People's Alliance 35.8%, NFP 8.9%, SODELPA 5.1%, other 7.7%; seats by party - FijiFirst 26, People's Alliance 21, NFP 5, SODELPA 3; composition as of February 2024 - men 50, women 5, percentage women 9.1%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

australia-oceania/fm.json

@@ -474,10 +474,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Congress (14 seats; 10 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 2-year terms and 4 at- large members directly elected from each of the 4 states by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 7 March 2023 (next to be held in March 2025)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 7 March 2023 (next to be held in March 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 14; composition - men 12, women 2; percentage of women 14.3%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote - NA; seats by party - independent 14; composition as of February 2024 - men 11, women 2; percentage women 15.4%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

australia-oceania/fp.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "French Polynesia consists of five archipelagos - the Austral Islands, the Gambier Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Society Islands, and the Tuamotu Archipelago. The Marquesas were first settled around 200 B.C. and the Society Islands around A.D. 300. Raiatea in the Society Islands became a center for religion and culture. Exploration of the other islands emanated from Raiatea and by 1000, there were small permanent settlements in all the island groups. Ferdinand MAGELLAN was the first European to see the islands of French Polynesia in 1520, and successive European voyagers traveled through them over the next two centuries. In 1767, British explorer Samuel WALLIS was the first European to visit Tahiti, followed by French navigator Louis Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE in 1768, and British explorer James COOK in 1769. King POMARE I united Tahiti and surrounding islands into the Kingdom of Tahiti in 1788. Protestant missionaries arrived in 1797 and POMARE I’s successor converted in the 1810s, along with most Tahitians. In the 1830s, Queen POMARE IV refused to allow French Catholic missionaries to operate, leading France to declare a protectorate over Tahiti and fight the French-Tahitian War of the 1840s in an attempt to annex the islands. POMARE IV requested British assistance to fight France, and while the UK did not provide material support, it did diplomatically pressure France to simply maintain its protectorate status.<br><br>In 1880, King POMARE V ceded Tahiti and its possessions to France, changing its status into a colony. France then claimed the Gambier Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago and by 1901 had incorporated all five island groups into its establishments in Oceania. A Tahitian nationalist movement formed in 1940, leading France to grant French citizenship to the islanders in 1946 and change it to an overseas territory. In 1957, the islands’ name was changed to French Polynesia and the following year, 64% of voters chose to stay part of France when they approved a new constitution. Uninhabited Mururoa Atoll was established as a French nuclear test site in 1962 and tests were conducted between 1966 and 1992 (underground beginning in 1975). France also conducted tests at Fangataufa Atoll, including its last nuclear test in 1996.<br><br>France granted French Polynesia partial internal autonomy in 1977 and expanded autonomy in 1984. French Polynesia was converted into an overseas collectivity in 2003 and renamed an overseas territory inside the Republic in 2004. Pro-independence politicians won a surprise majority in local elections that same year but in subsequent elections have been relegated to a vocal minority. In 2013, French Polynesia was relisted on the UN List of Non-Self Governing Territories."
+      "text": "French Polynesia consists of five archipelagos -- the Austral Islands, the Gambier Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Society Islands, and the Tuamotu Archipelago. The Marquesas were first settled around 200 B.C. and the Society Islands around A.D. 300. Raiatea in the Society Islands became a center for religion and culture. Exploration of the other islands emanated from Raiatea, and by 1000, there were small permanent settlements in all the island groups. Ferdinand MAGELLAN was the first European to see the islands of French Polynesia in 1520. In 1767, British explorer Samuel WALLIS was the first European to visit Tahiti, followed by French navigator Louis Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE in 1768 and British explorer James COOK in 1769. King POMARE I united Tahiti and surrounding islands into the Kingdom of Tahiti in 1788. Protestant missionaries arrived in 1797, and POMARE I’s successor converted in the 1810s, along with most Tahitians. In the 1830s, Queen POMARE IV refused to allow French Catholic missionaries to operate, leading France to declare a protectorate over Tahiti and fight the French-Tahitian War of the 1840s in an attempt to annex the islands. <br><br>In 1880, King POMARE V ceded Tahiti and its possessions to France, changing its status into a colony. France then claimed the Gambier Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago and by 1901 had incorporated all five island groups into its establishments in Oceania. A Tahitian nationalist movement formed in 1940, leading France to grant French citizenship to the islanders in 1946 and change it to an overseas territory. In 1957, the islands’ name was changed to French Polynesia, and the following year, 64% of voters chose to stay part of France when they approved a new constitution. Uninhabited Mururoa Atoll was established as a French nuclear test site in 1962, and tests were conducted between 1966 and 1992 (underground beginning in 1975). France also conducted tests at Fangataufa Atoll, including its last nuclear test in 1996.<br><br>France granted French Polynesia partial internal autonomy in 1977 and expanded autonomy in 1984. French Polynesia was converted into an overseas collectivity in 2003 and renamed an overseas territory in 2004. Pro-independence politicians won a surprise majority in local elections that same year, but in subsequent elections, they have been relegated to a vocal minority. In 2013, French Polynesia was relisted on the UN List of Non-Self-Governing Territories."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -435,10 +435,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Assembly of French Polynesia or Assembl&eacute;e de la Polyn&eacute;sie fran&ccedil;aise (57 seats; elections held in 2 rounds; in the second round, 38 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by a closed-list proportional representation vote; the party receiving the most votes gets an additional 19 seats; members serve 5-year terms; French Polynesia indirectly elects 2 senators to the French Senate via an electoral college by absolute majority vote for 6-year terms with one-half the membership renewed every 3 years and directly elects 3 deputies to the French National Assembly by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for 5-year terms"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Assembly of French Polynesia - last held on 16 and 30 April 2023 (next to be held in 2028)<br>French Senate - last held on 24 September 2023 (next to be held on 30 September 2026)<br>French National Assembly - last held in 2 rounds on 12 and 19 June 2022 (next to be held in 2027)"
+        "text": "<br>Assembly of French Polynesia - last held on 16 and 30 April 2023 (next to be held in 2028)<br>French Senate - last held on 24 September 2023 (next to be held on 30 September 2026)<br>French National Assembly - last held in 2 rounds on 12 and 19 June 2022 (next to be held in 2027)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "Assembly of French Polynesia - percent of vote by party - People's Servant Party 66.7%; List of the People 26.3%, I Love Polynesia 5.3%, Rally of Mahoi People 1.8%; seats by party - People's Servant People 38; List of the People 15, I Love Polynesia 3, Rally of the Mahoi People 1, composition - men 27, women 30, percent of women 52.6%<br>French Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Popular Rally 1, People's Servant Party 1; composition - NA<br>French National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Servant Party 3; composition - NA"
+        "text": "Assembly of French Polynesia - percent of vote by party - People's Servant Party 66.7%; List of the People 26.3%, I Love Polynesia 5.3%, Rally of Mahoi People 1.8%; seats by party - People's Servant People 38; List of the People 15, I Love Polynesia 3, Rally of the Mahoi People 1, composition - men 29, women 28, percentage women 49.1%<br><br>French Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Popular Rally 1, People's Servant Party 1; composition - NA<br><br>French National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Servant Party 3; composition - NA"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

australia-oceania/gq.json

@@ -431,10 +431,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Legislature of Guam or Liheslaturan Guahan (15 seats; members elected in a single countrywide constituency by simple majority vote to serve 2-year terms)<br>Guam directly elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term as the delegate to the US House of Representatives; note - the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Guam Legislature - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on November 2024)<br>delegate to the US House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on November 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>Guam Legislature - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)<br>delegate to the US House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "Guam Legislature - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 10, Republican Party 5; composition - men 5, women 10, percent of women 66.7%<br>Guam delegate to the US House of Representatives - Democratic Party 1 (man)"
+        "text": "<br>Guam Legislature - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 9, Republican Party 6; composition as of February 2024 - men 9, women 6, percent of women 40%<br><br>Guam delegate to the US House of Representatives - Democratic Party 1 (man)"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

australia-oceania/kr.json

@@ -518,13 +518,13 @@
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
       "description": {
-        "text": "unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (46 seats; 44 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two-rounds if needed; 1 member appointed by the Rabi Council of Leaders - representing Banaba Island, and 1 ex officio member - the attorney general; members serve 4-year terms)"
+        "text": "unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (46 seats; 44 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; 1 member appointed by the Rabi Council of Leaders - representing Banaba Island, and 1 ex officio member - the attorney general; members serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "legislative elections originally scheduled to be held in two rounds on 7 and 15 April 2020 but rescheduled for 14 and 21 April (next to be held in 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>legislative elections originally scheduled to be held in two rounds on 7 and 15 April 2020 but rescheduled for 14 and 21 April 2020 (next to be held in 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party (second round) - NA; seats by party (second round) - TKB 21, BKM 21, 2 independents; composition - 42 men, 3 women; percentage of women 6.7%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - TKB 22, BKM 22, appointed 1; composition as of February 2024 - 42 men, 3 women; percentage women 6.7%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

australia-oceania/kt.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>Although Europeans sighted the island as early as 1615, it was only named in 1643 by English Captain William MYNORS for the day of its rediscovery. Another English ship sailed by the island in 1688 and found it uninhabited. Attempts to explore the island over the next two centuries were hampered by steep cliffs and dense jungle. The discovery of phosphate on the island in 1887 led to the UK annexing it the following year. In 1898, the Christmas Island Phosphate Company brought in 200 Chinese indentured servants to work the mines, along with Malays, Sikhs, and a small number of Europeans. The UK administered Christmas Island from Singapore.<br><br>Japan invaded the island in 1942, but islanders sabotaged Japanese mining operations, making the mines relatively unproductive. After World War II, Australia and New Zealand bought the Christmas Island Phosphate Company, and in 1958, the UK transferred sovereignty from Singapore to Australia in exchange for $20 million for the loss of future phosphate income. In 1980, Australia set up the Christmas Island National Park and expanded its boundaries throughout the 1980s until it covered more than 60% of the island’s territory. The phosphate mine was closed in 1987 because of environmental concerns and Australia has rejected several efforts to reopen it.<br><br>In the 1980s, boats of asylum seekers started landing on Christmas Island and the migrants claimed refugee status since they were on Australian territory. In 2001, Australia declared Christmas Island outside the Australian migration zone and built an immigration detention center on the island. Completed in 2008, the controversial detention center was officially closed in 2018, but then reopened in early 2019. In 2020, the center served as a coronavirus quarantine facility for Australian citizens evacuated from China.</p>"
+      "text": "<p>Although Europeans sighted Christmas Island as early as 1615, it was only named in 1643 by English Captain William MYNORS for the day of its rediscovery. Another English ship sailed past the island in 1688 and found it to be uninhabited. Steep cliffs and dense jungle hampered attempts to explore the island over the next two centuries. The discovery of phosphate on the island in 1887 led to the UK annexing it the following year. In 1898, the Christmas Island Phosphate Company brought in 200 Chinese indentured servants to work the mines, along with Malays, Sikhs, and a small number of Europeans. The UK administered Christmas Island from Singapore.<br><br>Japan invaded the island in 1942, but islanders sabotaged Japanese mining operations, making the mines relatively unproductive. After World War II, Australia and New Zealand bought the Christmas Island Phosphate Company, and in 1958, the UK transferred sovereignty from Singapore to Australia in exchange for $20 million to compensate for the loss of future phosphate income. In 1980, Australia set up the Christmas Island National Park and expanded its boundaries throughout the 1980s until it covered more than 60% of the island’s territory. The phosphate mine was closed in 1987 because of environmental concerns, and Australia has rejected several efforts to reopen it.<br><br>In the 1980s, boats of asylum seekers started landing on Christmas Island, and the migrants claimed refugee status because they were on Australian territory. In 2001, Australia declared Christmas Island to be outside the Australian migration zone and built an immigration detention center on the island. Completed in 2008, the controversial detention center was closed in 2018 but then reopened in 2019. In 2020, the center served as a coronavirus quarantine facility for Australian citizens evacuated from China.</p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

australia-oceania/nc.json

@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@
         "text": "<br>Territorial Congress - last held on 12 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024)<br>French Senate - election last held on 24 September 2023 (next to be held on 30 September 2026)<br>French National Assembly - election last held on 12 and 19 June 2022 (next to be held by June 2027)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br>Territorial Congress - percent of vote by party - N/A; seats by party - Future With Confidence 18, UNI 9, UC 9, CE 7, FLNKS 6, Oceanic Awakening 3, PT 1, LKS 1 (Anti-Independence 28, Pro-Independence 26);<br>French Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2<br>French National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CE 2"
+        "text": "<br>Territorial Congress - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Future With Confidence 18, UNI 9, UC 9, CE 7, FLNKS 6, Oceanic Awakening 3, PT 1, LKS 1 (Anti-Independence 28, Pro-Independence 26)<br><br>French Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2<br><br>French National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CE 2"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

australia-oceania/ne.json

@@ -410,10 +410,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Assembly or Fono Ekepule (20 seats; 14 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 6 directly elected from the National Register or \"common roll\" by majority vote; members serve 3-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 29 April 2023 (next to be held in 2026)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 29 April 2023 (next to be held in 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independent 20; composition - men 17, women 3, percent of women 15%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 20; composition as of July 2022 - men 17, women 3, percentage women 15%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

australia-oceania/nf.json

@@ -360,10 +360,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Norfolk Island Regional Council (5 seats; councillors directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); mayor elected annually by the councillors"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 28 May 2016 (next originally scheduled for 13 March 2021 was postponed); note - on 6 December 2021, the councillors of the Norfolk Island Regional Council were formally dismissed by the assistant minister and appointed as Administrator of the Council until 2024"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 28 May 2016 (next originally scheduled for 13 March 2021 was postponed); note - on 6 December 2021, the councilors of the Norfolk Island Regional Council were formally dismissed by the assistant minister who was appointed as Administrator of the Council until 2024"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "seats by party - independent 5; composition - men 4, women 1, percent of women 20%"
+        "text": "seats by party - independent 5; composition - men 4, women 1, percentage women 20%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

australia-oceania/nr.json

@@ -470,10 +470,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Parliament (19 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote using the \"Dowdall\" counting system by which voters rank candidates on their ballots; members serve 3-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 24 September 2022 (next to be held in September 2025)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 24 September 2022 (next to be held in September 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 19; composition - men 17, women 2, percent of women 10.5%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 19; composition as of February 2024 - men 17, women 2, percentage women 10.5%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

australia-oceania/nz.json

@@ -548,10 +548,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (121 seats for 2023-26 term); 72 members directly elected in 65 single-seat constituencies and 7 Maori constituencies by simple majority vote and 49 directly elected by closed party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 3-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 14 October 2023 (next scheduled for October 2026)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 14 October 2023 (next scheduled for October 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - National Party 38.1%, Labor Party 26.9%, Green Party 11.6%, ACT Party 8.6%, New Zealand First 6.1%; Maori Party 3.1%; seats by party - National Party 48, Labor Party 34, Green Party 15, ACT Party 11, New Zealand First 8, Maori Party 6; composition - 67 men, 56 women; percentage of women 45.5%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - National Party 38.1%, Labor Party 26.9%, Green Party 11.6%, ACT Party 8.6%, New Zealand First 6.1%; Maori Party 3.1%; seats by party - National Party 48, Labor Party 34, Green Party 15, ACT Party 11, New Zealand First 8, Maori Party 6; composition as of February 2024 - 67 men, 56 women; percentage of women 45.5%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

australia-oceania/pc.json

@@ -341,13 +341,13 @@
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
       "description": {
-        "text": "unicameral Island Council: 10 seats; (7 members - 5 councillors, the mayor, and the deputy mayor - elected by popular vote, and 3 ex officio non-voting members - the administrator, who serves as both the head of government and the representative of the governor of Pitcairn Islands, the governor, and the deputy governor; the councillors and the deputy mayor serve 2-year terms, the mayor serves a 3-year term, and the administrator is appointed by the governor for an indefinite term)"
+        "text": "unicameral Island Council: 10 seats; (7 members - 5 councilors, the mayor, and the deputy mayor - elected by popular vote, and 3 ex officio non-voting members - the administrator, who serves as both the head of government and the representative of the governor of Pitcairn Islands, the governor, and the deputy governor; the councilors and the deputy mayor serve 2-year terms, the mayor serves a 3-year term, and the administrator is appointed by the governor for an indefinite term)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 6 November 2019 (next scheduled election - NA)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 6 November 2019 (next to be held in - NA)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote - NA; seats - 5 independent; composition - men 4, women 6, percent of women 60%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 5; composition - men 4, women 6, percent of women 60%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

australia-oceania/ps.json

@@ -494,10 +494,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral National Congress or Olbiil Era Kelulau consists of:<br>Senate (13 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by majority vote to serve 4-year terms)<br>House of Delegates (16 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Senate - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024)<br>House of Delegates - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024)<br>House of Delegates - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "Senate - percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 13; composition - men 12, women 1; percent of women 7.7%<br>House of Delegates - percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 16; composition - men 15, women 1; percent of women 6.3%; note - overall percent of women in National Congress 6.9%"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 13; composition as of February 2024 - men 12, women 1; percentage women 7.7%<br><br>House of Delegates - percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 16; composition as of February 2024 - men 15, women 1; percentage women 6.3%; note - total National Congress percentage women 6.9%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

australia-oceania/rm.json

@@ -511,10 +511,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral National Parliament consists of:<br>Nitijela (33 seats; members in 19 single- and 5 multi-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the Council of Iroij, a 12-member group of tribal leaders advises the Presidential Cabinet and reviews legislation affecting customary law or any traditional practice); members appointed to serve 1-year terms"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 20 November 2023 (next to be held in November 2027)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 20 November 2023 (next to be held in November 2027)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<em>2023</em>: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by part - independents 33; composition - men 29, women 4, percent of women 12.1%<br><br><em>2019</em>: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independent 33; composition - men 31, women 2, percent of women 6.1%"
+        "text": "<em><br></em>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by part - independent 33; composition as of February 2024 - men 29, women 4, percent of women 12.1%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

central-america-n-caribbean/aa.json

@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@
         "text": "last held on 25 June 2021 (next to be held in June 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party MEP 35.3%, AVP 31.3%, ROOTS 9.4%, MAS 8%, Accion21 5.8%; seats by party - MEP 9, AVP 7, ROOTS 2, MAS 2, Accion21 1; composition as of September 2023 - men 13, women 8, percent of women - 38.1%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party MEP 35.3%, AVP 31.3%, ROOTS 9.4%, MAS 8%, Accion21 5.8%; seats by party - MEP 9, AVP 7, ROOTS 2, MAS 2, Accion21 1; composition as of September 2023 - men 13, women 8, percent of women - 38.1%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json

@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@
         "text": "<br>Senate - last appointed on 17 February 2023 (next appointments in 2028)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 18 January 2023 (next to be held in March 2028)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br>Senate - composition as of January 2024 - men 10, women 7, percent of women 41.1%<br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - ABLP 47.1%, UPP 45.2%, BPM 1.5%, independent 5.2%; seats by party - ABLP 9, UPP 6, BPM 1, independent 1; composition as of January 2024 - men 17, women 1, percent of women 5.6%; note - total Parliament percent of women 22.2%"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - composition as of February 2024 - men 10, women 7, percentage women 41.2%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - ABLP 47.1%, UPP 45.2%, BPM 1.5%, independent 5.2%; seats by party - ABLP 9, UPP 6, BPM 1, independent 1; composition as of February 2024 - men 17, women 1, percentage women 5.6%; note - total Parliament percentage women 22.9%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

central-america-n-caribbean/av.json

@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@
         "text": "last held on 29 June 2020 (next to be held in 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APM 7, AUF 4; composition - men 8, women 3, percent of women 27.3%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APM 7, AUF 4; composition - men 8, women 3, percentage women 27.3%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

central-america-n-caribbean/bb.json

@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@
         "text": "<br>Senate - last appointments on 4 February 2022 (next appointments in February 2027)<br>House of Assembly - last held on 19 January 2022 (next to be held in January 2027)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br>Senate - appointed: BLP 12, independent 9; composition as of January 2024 - men 13, women 8, percent of women 38.1% <br>House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - BLP 69%, DLP 26.5%, other 4.5%; seats by party - BLP 30; composition as of August 2023 - men 22, women 8, percent of women 26.7%; note - total Parliament percent of women 32.7%"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - appointed - BLP 12, independent 9; composition as of February 2024 - men 13, women 8, percentage women 38.1%<br><br>House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - BLP 69%, DLP 26.5%, other 4.5%; seats by party - BLP 30; composition as of February 2024 - men 22, women 8, percentage women 26.7%; note - total Parliament percentage women 32.7%"
       },
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> tradition dictates that the next election is held within 5 years of the last election, but constitutionally it is 5 years from the first seating of Parliament plus a 90-day grace period"
     },

central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json

@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@
         "text": "<br>Senate - last appointments on 7 October 2021 (next appointments by 31 October 2026)<br>House of Assembly - last held on 16 September 2021 (next to be held by September 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br>Senate - appointed: PLP 12, FNM 4; composition as of August 2023 - men 12, women 4, percent of women 25%<br><br>House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - PLP 52.5%, FNM 36.2%; seats by party - PLP 32, FNM 7; composition as of August 2023 - men 32, women 7, percent of women 18%; note - total Parliament percent of women 20%"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - appointed: PLP 12, FNM 4; composition as of February 2024 - men 12, women 4, percentage women 25%<br><br>House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - PLP 52.5%, FNM 36.2%; seats by party - PLP 32, FNM 7; composition as of February 2024 - men 32, women 7, percentage women 18%; note - total Parliament percentage women 20%"
       },
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> Parliament sits for 5 years from the date of the last general election: the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time"
     },

central-america-n-caribbean/bh.json

@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@
         "text": "<br>Senate - last appointed 11 November 2020 (next appointments in November 2025)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 11 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br>Senate - all members appointed; composition as of August 2023 - composition - men 8, women 6, percent of women 43%<br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PUP 59.6%, UDP 38.8%, other 1.6%; seats by party - PUP 26, UDP 5; composition as of August 2023 - men 27, women 5, percent of women 15.6%; note - total percent of women in the National Assembly 24%"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - all members appointed; composition as of February 2024 - composition - men 8, women 6, percent of women 42.9%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PUP 59.6%, UDP 38.8%, other 1.6%; seats by party - PUP 26, UDP 5; composition as of February 2024 - men 27, women 5, percent of women 15.6%; note - total percent of women in the National Assembly 23.9%"
       },
       "note": "<strong> </strong>"
     },

central-america-n-caribbean/cj.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries and were administered by Jamaica after 1863. In 1959, the islands became a territory within the Federation of the West Indies. When the Federation dissolved in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency. The territory has transformed itself into a significant offshore financial center."
+      "text": "The British colonized the Cayman Islands during the 18th and 19th centuries, and Jamaica -- also a British colony at the time -- administered the islands after 1863. In 1959, the islands became a territory within the Federation of the West Indies. When the Federation dissolved in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency. The territory has transformed itself into a significant offshore financial center."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by Indigenous populations, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. On 1 December 1948, Costa Rica dissolved its armed forces. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread."
+      "text": "<p>Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance from Indigenous populations, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two-and-a-half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica was one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence.</p> <p>Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. General Federico TINOCO Granados led a coup in 1917, but the threat of US intervention pushed him to resign in 1919. In 1948, landowner Jose FIGUERES Ferrer raised his own army and rebelled against the government. The brief civil war ended with an agreement to allow FIGUERES to remain in power for 18 months, then step down in favor of the previously elected Otilio ULATE. FIGUERES was later elected twice in his own right, in 1953 and 1970.</p> <p>Costa Rica experienced destabilizing waves of refugees from Central American civil wars in the 1970s and 1980s, but peace in the region has since helped the economy rebound.  Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries.</p> <p> </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the arrival of Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and following its development as a Spanish colony during the next several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations, and Havana became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule eventually provoked an independence movement and occasional rebellions were harshly suppressed. US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 assisted the Cubans in overthrowing Spanish rule. The Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence from Spain in 1898 and, following three-and-a-half years of subsequent US military rule, Cuba became an independent republic in 1902 after which the island experienced a string of governments mostly dominated by the military and corrupt politicians. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his authoritarian rule held the subsequent regime together for nearly five decades. He handed off the presidency in February 2008 to his younger brother Raul CASTRO. Cuba's communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez, hand-picked by Raul CASTRO to succeed him, was approved as president by the National Assembly and took office on 19 April 2018. DIAZ-CANEL was appointed First Secretary of the Communist Party on 19 April 2021 following the retirement of Raul CASTRO, and continues to serve as both president and first secretary.</p> <p>Cuba traditionally and consistently portrays the US embargo, in place since 1961, as the source of its difficulties. As a result of efforts begun in December 2014 to reestablish diplomatic relations with the Cuban Government, which were severed in January 1961, the US and Cuba reopened embassies in their respective countries in July 2015. The embargo remains in place, and the relationship between the US and Cuba remains tense. </p> <p>Illicit migration of Cuban nationals to the US via maritime and overland routes has been a longstanding challenge. On 12 January 2017, the US and Cuba signed a Joint Statement ending the so-called \"wet-foot, dry-foot\" policy – by which Cuban nationals who reached US soil were permitted to stay. Irregular Cuban maritime migration has dropped significantly since FY 2016, when migrant interdictions at sea topped 5,000, but land border crossings continue. In FY 2022, the US Coast Guard interdicted almost 10,000 Cuban nationals at sea. Also in FY 2022, 230,000 Cuban nationals presented themselves at various land border ports of entry throughout the US.</p>"
+      "text": "<p>The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the arrival of Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492, as the country was developed as a Spanish colony during the next several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations, and Havana became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule eventually provoked an independence movement, and occasional rebellions were harshly suppressed. US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 assisted the Cubans in overthrowing Spanish rule. The Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence from Spain in 1898, and after three-and-a-half years of subsequent US military rule, Cuba became an independent republic in 1902. <br><br>Cuba then experienced a string of governments mostly dominated by the military and corrupt politicians. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his authoritarian rule held the subsequent regime together for nearly five decades. He handed off the presidency to his younger brother Raul CASTRO in 2008. Cuba's communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez, hand-picked by Raul CASTRO to succeed him, was approved as president by the National Assembly and took office in 2018. DIAZ-CANEL was appointed First Secretary of the Communist Party in 2021 after the retirement of Raul CASTRO and continues to serve as both president and first secretary.</p> <p>Cuba traditionally and consistently portrays the US embargo, in place since 1961, as the source of its difficulties. As a result of efforts begun in 2014 to reestablish diplomatic relations, the US and Cuba reopened embassies in their respective countries in 2015. The embargo remains in place, however, and the relationship between the US and Cuba remains tense. Illicit migration of Cuban nationals to the US via maritime and overland routes has been a longstanding challenge. In 2017, the US and Cuba signed a Joint Statement ending the so-called \"wet-foot, dry-foot\" policy, by which Cuban nationals who reached US soil were permitted to stay. Irregular Cuban maritime migration has dropped significantly since 2016, when migrant interdictions at sea topped 5,000, but land border crossings continue. </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

central-america-n-caribbean/do.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which colonized the island in 1805. Slavery ended in 1833 and in 1835 the first three men of African descent were elected to the legislative assembly of Dominica. In 1871, Dominica became part first of the British Leeward Islands and then the British Windward Islands until 1958. In 1967, Dominica became an associated state of the UK, and formally took responsibility for its internal affairs. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. On 18 September 2017, Hurricane Maria passed over the island, causing extensive damage to structures, roads, communications, and the power supply, and largely destroying critical agricultural areas."
+      "text": "Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans, due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Britain in 1763, and Dominica became a British colony in 1805. Slavery ended in 1833, and in 1835, the first three men of African descent were elected to the legislative assembly of Dominica. In 1871, Dominica became first part of the British Leeward Islands and then the British Windward Islands until 1958. In 1967, Dominica became an associated state of the UK, formally taking responsibility for its internal affairs, and the country gained its independence in 1978. In 1980, Dominica's fortunes improved when Mary Eugenia CHARLES -- the first female prime minister in the Caribbean -- replaced a corrupt and tyrannical administration, and she served for the next 15 years. In 2017, Hurricane Maria passed over the island, causing extensive damage to structures, roads, communications, and the power supply, and largely destroying critical agricultural areas."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "embassy": {
-        "text": "the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to"
+        "text": "the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica"
       }
     },
     "Flag description": {

central-america-n-caribbean/dr.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "The Taino - indigenous inhabitants of Hispaniola prior to the arrival of Europeans - divided the island into five chiefdoms and territories. Christopher COLUMBUS explored and claimed the island on his first voyage in 1492; it became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821 but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative rule followed, capped by the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas TRUJILLO from 1930 to 1961. Juan BOSCH was elected president in 1962 but was deposed in a military coup in 1963. In 1965, the US led an intervention in the midst of a civil war sparked by an uprising to restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in the presidential election. BALAGUER maintained a tight grip on power for most of the next 30 years when international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then, regular competitive elections have been held in which opposition candidates have won the presidency. Former President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (first term 1996-2000) won election to a new term in 2004 following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve more than one term, and was later reelected to a second consecutive term. Following the two-term presidency of Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (2012-2020), Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona was elected president in July 2020."
+      "text": "The Taino -- indigenous inhabitants of Hispaniola prior to the arrival of Europeans -- divided the island now known as the Dominican Republic and Haiti into five chiefdoms and territories. Christopher COLUMBUS explored and claimed the island on his first voyage in 1492; it became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821, but the Haitians conquered and ruled it for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later, they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. <br><br>A legacy of unsettled and mostly non-representative rule followed, capped by the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas TRUJILLO from 1930 to 1961. Juan BOSCH was elected president in 1962 but was deposed in a military coup in 1963. In 1965, the US led an intervention in the midst of a civil war sparked by an uprising to restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in the presidential election. BALAGUER maintained a tight grip on power for most of the next 30 years, until international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then, regular competitive elections have been held. "
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charg&eacute; d'Affaires Alexander TITOLO"
+        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charg&eacute; d'Affaires Patricia Aguilera (since 1 October 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "Av. Republica de Colombia #57, Santo Domingo"

central-america-n-caribbean/gj.json

@@ -488,10 +488,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:<br>Senate (13 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 10 on the advice of the prime minister and 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms)<br>House of Representatives (15 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Senate - last appointments on 3 August 2022 (next to be held no later than 2027)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 23 June 2022 (next to be held no later than 2027)"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - last appointments on 3 August 2022 (next to be held no later than 2027)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 23 June 2022 (next to be held no later than 2027)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - NDC 7, NNP 3, independents 3<br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NDC 51.8%; NNP 47.8%; other 0.4%; seats by party - NDC 9; NNP 6"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - NDC 7, NNP 3, independent 3; composition as of February 2024 - men 11, women 5, percentage women 31.3%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NDC 51.8%; NNP 47.8%; other 0.4%; seats by party - NDC 9; NNP 6; composition as of February 2024 - men 9, women 4, percentage women 30.8%; note - total Parliament percentage women 31%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

central-america-n-caribbean/gt.json

@@ -562,10 +562,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (160 seats; 128 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies in the country's 22 departments and 32 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed party-list proportional representation vote, using the D'Hondt method; members serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 25 June 2023 (next to be held in June 2027)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 25 June 2023 (next to be held in June 2027)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - VAMOS 39, UNE 28, SEMILLA 23, CABAL 18, Valor-Unionist 12, VIVA 11, TODOS 6, VOS 4, BIEN 4, CREO 3, PPN 3, Victoria 3, Blue 2, Elephant 2, Change 1, Winaq-URNG 1; composition - men 128, women 32, percent of women 20%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - VAMOS 39, UNE 28, SEMILLA 23, CABAL 18, Valor-Unionist 12, VIVA 11, TODOS 6, VOS 4, BIEN 4, CREO 3, PPN 3, Victoria 3, Blue 2, Elephant 2, Change 1, Winaq-URNG 1; composition - men 128, women 32, percentage women 20%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -1233,7 +1233,7 @@
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> as of 2017, women comprised up to 10% of the active military"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2023)"
+      "text": "190 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2024)"
     },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "the military is responsible for maintaining sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the honor of Guatemala, but has long focused on internal security; since the 2000s, the Guatemalan Government has used the military extensively to support the National Civil Police in internal security operations (as permitted by the constitution) to combat organized crime, gang violence, and narco-trafficking; in recent years, however, the military has moved to refocus on border security and preparing for conventional operations; it participates in UN missions on a small scale and has a peacekeeping operations training command that offers training to regional countries; the military has security ties with regional partners such as Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, and Honduras; cooperation with El Salvador and Honduras has included a combined police-military anti-gang task force to patrol border areas; it also has ties with the US, including joint training exercises and material assistance<br><br>the Land Forces are organized into small combat brigades of infantry, marines, military police, paratroopers, presidential guards, and special forces, including some specialized for jungle and mountain operations that were created to assist in combating crime; the Naval Force has commands for both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, operates a small flotilla of patrol boats, and has a special forces element; the Air Force has a few light fixed-wing ground attack aircraft and multipurpose helicopters; for its internal security missions and supporting the police, the military has typically organized into task forces<br><br>the military held power during most of Guatemala’s 36-year civil war (1960-1996) and conducted a campaign of widespread violence and repression, particularly against the country’s majority indigenous population; more than 200,000 people were estimated to have been killed or disappeared during the conflict (2023)"

central-america-n-caribbean/ho.json

@@ -565,12 +565,12 @@
         "text": "unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; members directly elected in 18 multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 28 November 2021 (next to be held on 30 November 2025)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 28 November 2021 (next to be held on 30 November 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - LIBRE 39.8%, PNH 31.3%, PL 16.4%, PSH 10.9%, DC 0.8%, PAC 0.8%; seats by bloc or party - LIBRE 51, PNH 40, PL 21, PSH 14, DC 1, PAC 1; composition - men 93, women 35, percent of women 27.3%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - LIBRE 39.8%, PNH 31.3%, PL 16.4%, PSH 10.9%, DC 0.8%, PAC 0.8%; seats by party - LIBRE 51, PNH 40, PL 21, PSH 14, DC 1, PAC 1; composition as of February 2024 - men 93, women 35, percentage women 27.3%"
       },
-      "note": "<br><strong><em>note:</em></strong> seats by bloc or party as of 1 May 2022 - LIBRE 50, PNH 44, PL 22, PSH 10, DC 1, PAC 1"
+      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> seats by party as of 1 May 2022 - LIBRE 50, PNH 44, PL 22, PSH 10, DC 1, PAC 1"
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
       "highest court(s)": {

central-america-n-caribbean/jm.json

@@ -526,10 +526,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:<br>Senate (21 seats; 13 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and 8 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the opposition party leader; members serve 5-year terms (no term limits) or until Parliament is dissolved)<br>House of Representatives (63 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms (no term limits) or until Parliament is dissolved)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Senate - last full slate of appointments early on 3 September 2020 (next full slate in 2025)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 3 September 2020 (next to be held in 2025)"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - last full slate of appointments early on 3 September 2020 (next full slate in 2025)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 3 September 2020 (next to be held in 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition (as of June 2021) - men 13, women 8, percent of women 38.1%<br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - JLP 57%, PNP 42.8%, independent 0.2%; seats by party - JLP 48, PNP 15; composition (as of June 2021) - men 45, women 18; percent of women 28.6%; note - total Parliament percent of women 31%"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition as of February 2024 - men 13, women 8, percentage women 38.1%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - JLP 57%, PNP 42.8%, independent 0.2%; seats by party - JLP 48, PNP 15; composition as of February 2024 - men 45, women 14; percentage women 23.7%; note - total Parliament percentage women 27.5%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

central-america-n-caribbean/mh.json

@@ -414,10 +414,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Legislative Assembly (12 seats; 9 members directly elected in a single constituency by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds to serve 5-year terms; the speaker, normally elected from the outside by the Assembly for a 5-year term, and 2 ex-officio members - the attorney general and financial secretary)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 18 November 2019 (next to be held in 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 18 November 2019 (next to be held in 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - MCAP 42.7%, PDM 29.9%, other 17.1%; seats by party - MCAP 5, PDM 3, independent 1; composition, including the speaker and 2 ex-officio members - men 8, women 4, percent of women 33.3%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - MCAP 42.7%, PDM 29.9%, other 17.1%; seats by party - MCAP 5, PDM 3, independent 1; composition as of April 2024 (including the speaker and 2 ex-officio members) - men 8, women 4, percentage women 33.3%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json

@@ -545,10 +545,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 statutory seats, current 91; 70 members in multi-seat constituencies, representing the country's 15 departments and 2 autonomous regions, and 20 members in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by party-list proportional representation vote; up to 2 seats reserved for the previous president and the runner-up candidate in the previous presidential election; members serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 7 November 2021 (next to be held on 1 November 2026)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 7 November 2021 (next to be held on 1 November 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 75, PLC 10, ALN 2, APRE 1, PLI 2, YATAMA 1; composition - men 45, women 46, percent of women 50.6%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 75, PLC 9, ALN 2, APRE 1, CCN 1, PLI 1, YATAMA 1; composition - men 42, women 49, percent of women 53.9%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -1197,7 +1197,7 @@
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {
     "Disputes - international": {
-      "text": "<p><em>Nicaragua-El Salvador-Honduras</em>: the 1992 ICJ ruling for El Salvador and Honduras advised a tripartite resolution to establish a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca, which considers Honduran access to the Pacific; the court ruled, rather, that the Gulf of Fonseca represents a condominium, with control being shared by El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua; the decision allowed for the possibility that the three nations could divide the waters at a later date if they wished to do so</p> <p><em>Nicaragua-Costa Rica</em><strong>: </strong>Nicaragua and Costa Rica regularly file border dispute cases with the ICJ over the delimitations of the San Juan River and the northern tip of Calero Island, virtually uninhabited areas claimed by both countries; there is an ongoing case in the ICJ to determine Pacific and Atlantic ocean maritime borders as well as land borders; in 2009, the ICJ ruled that Costa Rican vessels carrying out police activities could not use the river, but official Costa Rican vessels providing essential services to riverside inhabitants and Costa Rican tourists could travel freely on the river; in 2011, the ICJ provisionally ruled that both countries must remove personnel from the disputed area; in 2013, the ICJ rejected Nicaragua's 2012 suit to halt Costa Rica's construction of a highway paralleling the river on the grounds of irreparable environmental damage; in 2013, the ICJ, regarding the disputed territory, ordered that Nicaragua should refrain from dredging or canal construction and refill and repair damage caused by trenches connecting the river to the Caribbean and upheld its 2010 ruling that Nicaragua must remove all personnel; in early 2014, Costa Rica brought Nicaragua to the ICJ over offshore oil concessions in the disputed region; in 2018, the ICJ ruled that Nicaragua must remove a military base from a contested coastal area near the San Juan River, and that Costa Rica had sovereignty over the northern part of Isla Portillos, including the coast, but excluding Harbour Head Lagoon; additionally, Honduras was required to pay reparations for environmental damage to part of the wetlands at the mouth of the San Juan River</p> <p><em>Nicaragua-Colombia</em><strong>: </strong>Nicaragua filed a case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Colombia in 2013 over the delimitation of the Continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles from the Nicaraguan coast, as well as over the alleged violation by Colombia of Nicaraguan maritime space in the Caribbean Sea, which contains rich oil and fish resources; as of September 2021, Colombia refuses to abide by the ICJ ruling</p> <p> </p>"
+      "text": "<p><em>Nicaragua-Costa Rica</em><strong>: </strong>Nicaragua and Costa Rica regularly file border dispute cases with the ICJ over the delimitations of the San Juan River and the northern tip of Calero Island, virtually uninhabited areas claimed by both countries; there is an ongoing case in the ICJ to determine Pacific and Atlantic ocean maritime borders as well as land borders; in 2009, the ICJ ruled that Costa Rican vessels carrying out police activities could not use the river, but official Costa Rican vessels providing essential services to riverside inhabitants and Costa Rican tourists could travel freely on the river; in 2011, the ICJ provisionally ruled that both countries must remove personnel from the disputed area; in 2013, the ICJ rejected Nicaragua's 2012 suit to halt Costa Rica's construction of a highway paralleling the river on the grounds of irreparable environmental damage; in 2013, the ICJ, regarding the disputed territory, ordered that Nicaragua should refrain from dredging or canal construction and refill and repair damage caused by trenches connecting the river to the Caribbean and upheld its 2010 ruling that Nicaragua must remove all personnel; in early 2014, Costa Rica brought Nicaragua to the ICJ over offshore oil concessions in the disputed region; in 2018, the ICJ ruled that Nicaragua must remove a military base from a contested coastal area near the San Juan River, and that Costa Rica had sovereignty over the northern part of Isla Portillos, including the coast, but excluding Harbour Head Lagoon; additionally, Honduras was required to pay reparations for environmental damage to part of the wetlands at the mouth of the San Juan River</p> <p><em>Nicaragua-Colombia</em><strong>: </strong>Nicaragua filed a case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Colombia in 2013 over the delimitation of the Continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles from the Nicaraguan coast, as well as over the alleged violation by Colombia of Nicaraguan maritime space in the Caribbean Sea, which contains rich oil and fish resources; as of September 2021, Colombia refuses to abide by the ICJ ruling</p> <p> </p>"
     },
     "Trafficking in persons": {
       "tier rating": {

central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json

@@ -558,10 +558,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (71 seats; 45 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - populous towns and cities - by open list proportional representation vote and 26 directly elected in single-seat constituencies - outlying rural districts - by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 5 May 2019 (next to be held on 5 May 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 5 May 2019 (next to be held on 5 May 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRD 35, CD 18, Panamenista 8, MOLIRENA 5, independent 5; composition - men 55, women 16, percent of women 22.5%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRD 35, CD 18, Panamenista 8, MOLIRENA 5, independent 5; composition as of February 2024 - men 55, women 16, percentage women 22.5%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

central-america-n-caribbean/td.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export. Independence was attained in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing. The government is struggling to reverse a surge in violent crime."
+      "text": "First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British control in the early 19th century. The emancipation of enslaved people in 1834 disrupted the twin islands' sugar industry.  Contract workers arriving from India between 1845 and 1917 augmented the labor force, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export that remains the dominant economic industry. Trinidad and Tobago attained independence in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tobago has greater tourism potential but continues to recover from an 18-month travel ban imposed in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The government is struggling to reverse a surge in violent crime."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@
         "text": "president indirectly elected by an electoral college of selected Senate and House of Representatives members for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 January 2023 (next to be held by February 2028); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime minister"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "Christine KANGALOO elected president by the electoral college on 20 January 2023; electoral college vote  Christine KANGALOO (PNM) 48, Israel KHAN (UNC) 22"
+        "text": "<br><em>2023: </em>Christine KANGALOO elected president by the electoral college on 20 January 2023; electoral college vote  Christine KANGALOO (PNM) 48, Israel KHAN (UNC) 22<br><br><em>2018: </em>Paula-Mae WEEKES (independent) elected president; ran unopposed and was elected without a vote; she was Trinidad and Tabago's first female head of state"
       }
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@
         "text": "Senate - last appointments on 28 August 2020 (next appointments in August 2025)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 10 August 2020 (next to be held in 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br>Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition as of February 2024 - men 19, women 13, percent of women 40.6%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent by party - NA; seats by party - PNM 22, UNC 19; composition as of February 2024 - men 30, women 12, percent of women 28.6%; note - overall Parliament percent of women 33.8%"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - PNM 16, UNC 6, Independent 9; composition as of February 2024 - men 19, women 13, percent of women 40.6%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent by party - NA; seats by party - PNM 23, UNC 19; composition as of February 2024 - men 30, women 12, percent of women 28.6%; note - overall Parliament percent of women 33.8%"
       },
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly (19 seats; 15 assemblymen directly elected by simple majority vote and 4 appointed councilors - 3 on the advice of the chief secretary and 1 on the advice of the minority leader; members serve 4-year terms)"
     },
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Political parties and leaders": {
-      "text": "Congress of the People or COP [Kirt SINNETTE]<br>People's National Movement or PNM [Keith ROWLEY]<br>Progressive Democratic Patriots or PDP (Tobago) [Watson DUKE]<br>United National Congress or UNC [Kamla PERSAD-BISSESSAR]"
+      "text": "People's National Movement or PNM [Keith ROWLEY]<br>United National Congress or UNC [Kamla PERSAD-BISSESSAR]<br>Tobago People’s Party or Tobago [Farley AUGUSTINE]"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
       "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@
         "text": "(868) 822-5905"
       },
       "email address and website": {
-        "text": "<br>acspos@state.gov<br><br>https://tt.usembassy.gov/"
+        "text": "<br>ptspas@state.gov<br><br>https://tt.usembassy.gov/"
       }
     },
     "Flag description": {

central-america-n-caribbean/uc.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "The original Arawak Indian settlers who arrived on the island from South America in about A.D. 1000, were largely enslaved by the Spanish early in the 16th century and forcibly relocated to other colonies where labor was needed. Curacao was seized by the Dutch from the Spanish in 1634. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curacao was hard hit economically by the Dutch abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of the Isla Refineria to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oilfields. In 1954, Curacao and several other Dutch Caribbean colonies were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In referenda in 2005 and 2009, the citizens of Curacao voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in October 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles."
+      "text": "The original Arawak Indian settlers who arrived on Curacao from South America in about A.D. 1000 were largely enslaved by the Spanish early in the 16th century and forcibly relocated to other colonies where labor was needed. The Dutch seized Curacao from the Spanish in 1634. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curacao was hard hit economically when the Dutch abolished slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of the Isla Refineria to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oilfields. In 1954, Curacao and several other Dutch Caribbean colonies were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In referenda in 2005 and 2009, the citizens of Curacao voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

central-asia/kg.json

@@ -564,10 +564,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Supreme Council or Jogorku Kenesh (90 seats statutory, current 88; 54 seats allocated for proportional division among political party lists from the national vote and 36 seats allocated for candidates running in single-seat constituencies; members serve 5-year terms; parties must receive 5% of the vote to win seats in the Council)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 28 November 2021 (next to be held in 2026)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 28 November 2021 (next to be held in 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - Ata-Jurt Kyrgyzstan or AJK 17.3%, Ishenim 15%, Yntymak 12.1%, Alyans 9.2%, Butun Kyrgyzstan 7.8%, Yiman Nuru 6.8%, other 30%; seats by party - AJK 15, Ishenim 12, Yntymak 9, Alyns 7, Butun Kyrgyzstan 6, Yiman Nuru 5, other 36; composition - men 70, women 18, percent of women 20%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - AJK 17.3%, Ishenim 15%, Yntymak 12.1%, Alyans 9.2%, Butun Kyrgyzstan 7.8%, Yiman Nuru 6.8%, other 30%; seats by party - AJK 15, Ishenim 12, Yntymak 9, Alyns 7, Butun Kyrgyzstan 6, Yiman Nuru 5, other 36; composition as of February 2024 - men 70, women 19, percentage women 21.1%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

central-asia/kz.json

@@ -575,10 +575,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan consists of:<br>Senate (50 seats); 40 members indirectly elected by 2-round majority vote by the oblast-level assemblies and 10 members appointed by decree of the president; members serve 6-year terms, with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years)<br>Mazhilis (98 seats; 69 members directly elected in a single national constituency by party list proportional representation vote (5% minimum threshold to gain seats) and 29 directly elected in single-seat constituencies to serve 5-year terms"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Senate - last held on 14 January 2023 (next to be held in 2026)<br>Mazhilis - last held on 19 March 2023 (next to be held in 2026)"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - last held on 14 January 2023 (next to be held in 2026)<br>Mazhilis - last held on 19 March 2023 (next to be held in 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<strong><br></strong>Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition (as of April 2023) - men 39, women 11, percent of women 22%<br>Mazhilis - percent of vote by party - Amanat (formerly Nur Otan) 53.9%, Auvl 10.9%, Respublica 8.6%, Ak Zhol 8.4%, QHP 6.8%, NSDP 5.2%, Baytak 2.3%, Against all 3.9%; percent of vote by party (single-mandate districts) Amanat (formerly Nur Otan) 75.9%, Independent 24%; seats by party Amanat (formerly Nur Qtan) 62, Auvl 8, Respublica 6, Ak Zhol 6, QHP 5, NSDP 4, Independents 7; composition (as of March 2023) - men 80, women 18, percent of women 18.4%; note - total Parliament percent of women 19.6%"
+        "text": "<strong><br></strong>Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition (as of April 2023) - men 38, women 12, percentage women 24%<br><br>Mazhilis - percent of vote by party - Nur Otan 53.9%, Auvl 10.9%, Respublica 8.6%, Ak Zhol 8.4%, QHP 6.8%, NSDP 5.2%, Baytak 2.3%, Against all 3.9%; percent of vote by party (single-mandate districts) - Nur Otan 75.9%, independent 24%; seats by party - Nur Otan 62, Auvl 8, Respublica 6, Ak Zhol 6, QHP 5, NSDP 4, independent 7; composition as of March 2023 - men 79, women 19, percentage women 18.4%; note - total Parliament percentage women 20.9%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

central-asia/rs.json

@@ -1283,7 +1283,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Transportation - note": {
-      "text": "Russia operates the largest polar-class icebreaker fleet in the world with 52 vessels, seven of which are the world's only nuclear-powered heavy icebreakers; the primary mission includes keeping open ports, terminals, and shipping lanes along the Northern Sea Route (see Arctic Ocean map), in the Baltic Sea, and in the Russian Far East, including the Sea of Okhotsk; Russia operates seven PC 1 or 2 heavy icebreakers, 31 PC 3 or 4 medium icebreakers, and 14 PC 5 or 6 light icebreakers; note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 1 - year-round operation in all polar waters (ice thickness >3 m); PC 2 - year-round operation in moderate multi-year ice conditions (ice thickness up to 3 m); PC 3 - year-round operation in second-year ice which may include multi-year ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 2.5 m); PC 4 - year-round operation in thick first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 120 cm); PC 5 - year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 70-120 cm); PC 6 - summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 30-70 cm)"
+      "text": "Russia operates the largest polar-class icebreaker fleet in the world with 52 vessels, seven of which are the world's only nuclear-powered heavy icebreakers; the primary mission includes keeping open ports, terminals, and shipping lanes along the Northern Sea Route (see Arctic Ocean map), in the Baltic Sea, and in the Russian Far East, including the Sea of Okhotsk"
     }
   },
   "Military and Security": {

east-n-southeast-asia/bx.json

@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador Dato Paduka Haji Serbini bin Haji ALI (since 28 January 2016)"
+        "text": "Ambassador Dato Paduka Haji SERBINI bin Haji Ali (since 28 January 2016)"
       },
       "chancery": {
         "text": "3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008"

east-n-southeast-asia/cb.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863, and it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following the Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April 1975, after a seven-year struggle, communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off 20 years of civil war.</p> The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a cease-fire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders were tried for crimes against humanity by a hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal supported by international assistance. In 2018, the tribunal heard its final cases, but it remains in operation to hear appeals. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. In October 2004, King Norodom SIHANOUK abdicated the throne and his son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. Local (Commune Council) elections were held in Cambodia in 2012, with little of the violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in July 2013 were disputed, with the opposition - the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) - boycotting the National Assembly. The political impasse was ended nearly a year later, with the CNRP agreeing to enter parliament in exchange for commitments by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to undertake electoral and legislative reforms. The CNRP made further gains in local commune elections in June 2017, accelerating sitting Prime Minister HUN SEN’s efforts to marginalize the CNRP before national elections in 2018. HUN SEN arrested CNRP President KEM SOKHA in September 2017. The Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in November 2017 and banned its leaders from participating in politics for at least five years. The CNRP’s seats in the National Assembly were redistributed to smaller, less influential opposition parties, while all of the CNRP’s 5,007 seats in the commune councils throughout the country were reallocated to the CPP. With the CNRP banned, the CPP swept the 2018 national elections, winning all 125 National Assembly seats and effectively turning the country into a one-party state.<br><br>Cambodia has strong and growing economic and political ties with its large neighbor to the north, China. More than 53% of foreign investment in the country in 2021 came from China, and Beijing has provided over $15 billion in financial assistance since the 1990s. China accounted for 443 percent of Cambodia’s foreign debt in 2021. The CPP also partly sees Chinese support as a counterbalance to Thailand and Vietnam and to international criticism of the CPP’s human rights and antidemocratic record."
+      "text": "<p>Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries.  Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863, and it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In 1975, after a seven-year struggle, communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off 20 years of civil war.</p> The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a cease-fire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore a semblance of normalcy under a constitutional monarchy and a coalition government, despite some continued factional fighting. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in 1999. A hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal tried some of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders for crimes against humanity; the tribunal heard its final cases in 2018 but remains in operation to hear appeals. Local elections were held in Cambodia in 2012, with little of the violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in 2013 were disputed, with the opposition -- the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) -- boycotting the National Assembly. The political impasse ended nearly a year later when the CNRP agreed to enter parliament in exchange for commitments by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to undertake reforms. The CNRP made further gains in local commune elections in 2017, accelerating sitting Prime Minister HUN SEN’s efforts to marginalize the CNRP before national elections in 2018. HUN SEN arrested CNRP President KEM SOKHA in September 2017. The Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP a month later and banned its leaders from participating in politics for at least five years. The CNRP’s National Assembly seats were redistributed to smaller, less influential opposition parties, while all of the CNRP’s 5,007 seats in the commune councils throughout the country were reallocated to the CPP. With the CNRP banned, the CPP swept the 2018 national elections, winning all 125 National Assembly seats and effectively turning the country into a one-party state.<br><br>Cambodia has strong and growing economic and political ties with its large neighbor to the north, China. The CPP also partly sees Chinese support as a counterbalance to Thailand and Vietnam and to international criticism of the CPP’s human rights and antidemocratic record."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -1228,7 +1228,7 @@
       "note": "<strong>note: </strong>as of 2018, women made up an estimated 6% of the active-duty military"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "225 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 180 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2023)"
+      "text": "340 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 180 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2024)"
     },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "outside of periodic border skirmishes with Thailand, the RCAF’s primary responsibilities are border, coastal, and internal security; since 2016, the RCAF has conducted a small annual training exercise known as “Golden Dragon” with the military of China, except for 2021-2022 when it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic; the Army has a few infantry divisions and a number of independent brigades, including about five rapid reaction “intervention” brigades, a border security brigade, and a prime minister’s bodyguard brigade, as well as an airborne/special operations brigade under a special forces command created in 2020; the Navy maintains a small force of patrol boats and a naval infantry brigade for coastal defense; the Air Force has a small number of combat and transport helicopters; the Royal Gendarmerie is reportedly organized into battalions and several mobile response units<br><br>the RCAF was re-established in 1993 under the first coalition government from the merger of the Cambodian Government’s military forces (Cambodian People’s Armed Forces) and the two non-communist resistance forces (Sihanoukist National Army, aka National Army for Khmer Independence, and the Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces); thousands of communist Khmer Rouge fighters began surrendering by 1994 under a government amnesty program and the last of the Khmer Rouge forces (National Army of Democratic Kampuchea) were demobilized or absorbed into the RCAF in 1999<br><br>Cambodia continues to be one of the most densely landmine-contaminated countries in the world; by the early 1990s, various aid organizations estimated there were 8 to 10 million landmines scattered throughout the country, with a particularly heavy concentration on a 1,000-km strip along the northwest Thai-Cambodia border known as the \"K5 belt\"; the mines were laid during Cambodia’s decades-long war by the Cambodian army, the Vietnamese, the Khmer Rouge, the non-communist fighters, and US forces; part of Cambodia's defense policy is demining the territory with the intent of having the entire country cleared of unexploded ordnances by 2035; over 1 million landmines and over 3 million explosives were discovered and removed from 1992 to 2018; in 2018, the Cambodian government and Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), a government agency, launched the National Mine Action Strategy for 2018-2025 (2023)"

east-n-southeast-asia/ch.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>China's historical civilization dates to at least the 13th century B.C., first under the Shang (to 1046 B.C.) and then the Zhou (1046-221 B.C) dynasties. The imperial era of China began in 221 B.C. under the Qin Dynasty and lasted until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912. During this period, China alternated between periods of unity and disunity under a succession of imperial dynasties. In the 19th century, the Qing Dynasty suffered heavily from overextension by territorial conquest, insolvency, civil war, imperialism, military defeats, and foreign expropriation of ports and infrastructure. It collapsed following the Revolution of 1911, and China became a republic under SUN Yat-sen of the Kuomintang (KMT or Nationalist) Party. However, the republic was beset by division, warlordism, and continued foreign intervention. In the late 1920s, a civil war erupted between the ruling KMT-controlled government led by CHIANG Kai-shek, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Japan occupied much of northeastern China in the early 1930s, and then launched a full-scale invasion of the country in 1937. The resulting eight years of warfare devastated the country and cost up to 20 million Chinese lives by the time of Japan’s defeat in 1945. The Nationalist-Communist civil war continued with renewed intensity following the end of World War II and culminated with a CCP victory in 1949, under the leadership of MAO Zedong.<br><br>MAO and the CCP established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring the PRC's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and launched agricultural, economic, political, and social policies - such as the Great Leap Forward (1958-1962) and the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) - that cost the lives of millions of people. MAO died in 1976. Beginning in 1978, subsequent leaders DENG Xiaoping, JIANG Zemin, and HU Jintao focused on market-oriented economic development and opening up the country to foreign trade, while maintaining the rule of the CCP. Since the change, China has been among the world’s fastest growing economies, with real gross domestic product averaging over 9% growth annually through 2021, lifting an estimated 800 million people out of poverty, and dramatically improving overall living standards. By 2011, the PRC’s economy was the second largest in the world. The growth, however, has created considerable social displacement, adversely affected the country’s environment, and reduced the country’s natural resources. Current leader XI Jinping has continued these policies, but also has maintained tight political controls. Over the past decade, China has also increased its global outreach, including military deployments, participation in international organizations, and initiating a global connectivity initiative in 2013 called the \"Belt and Road Initiative\" (BRI). While many nations have signed on to BRI agreements to attract PRC investment, others have balked at the opaque lending behavior; weak environment, social, and governance (ESG) standards; and other practices that undermine local governance and foster corruption associated with some BRI-linked projects. XI Jinping assumed the positions of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission in 2012 and President in 2013. In March 2018, the PRC’s National People’s Congress passed an amendment abolishing presidential term limits, opening the door for XI to seek a third five-year term in 2023, which he ultimately secured.</p> <p> </p>"
+      "text": "<p>China's historical civilization dates to at least the 13th century B.C., first under the Shang (to 1046 B.C.) and then the Zhou (1046-221 B.C.) dynasties. The imperial era of China began in 221 B.C. under the Qin Dynasty and lasted until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912. During this period, China alternated between periods of unity and disunity under a succession of imperial dynasties. In the 19th century, the Qing Dynasty suffered heavily from overextension by territorial conquest, insolvency, civil war, imperialism, military defeats, and foreign expropriation of ports and infrastructure. It collapsed following the Revolution of 1911, and China became a republic under SUN Yat-sen of the Kuomintang (KMT or Nationalist) Party. However, the republic was beset by division, warlordism, and continued foreign intervention. In the late 1920s, a civil war erupted between the ruling KMT-controlled government, led by CHIANG Kai-shek, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Japan occupied much of northeastern China in the early 1930s, and then launched a full-scale invasion of the country in 1937. The resulting eight years of warfare devastated the country and cost up to 20 million Chinese lives by the time of Japan’s defeat in 1945. The Nationalist-Communist civil war continued with renewed intensity after the end of World War II and culminated with a CCP victory in 1949, under the leadership of MAO Zedong.<br><br>MAO and the CCP established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring the PRC's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and launched agricultural, economic, political, and social policies -- such as the Great Leap Forward (1958-1962) and the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) -- that cost the lives of millions of people. MAO died in 1976. Beginning in 1978, leaders DENG Xiaoping, JIANG Zemin, and HU Jintao focused on market-oriented economic development and opening up the country to foreign trade, while maintaining the rule of the CCP. Since the change, China has been among the world’s fastest growing economies, with real gross domestic product averaging over 9% growth annually through 2021, lifting an estimated 800 million people out of poverty and dramatically improving overall living standards. By 2011, the PRC’s economy was the second largest in the world. The growth, however, has created considerable social displacement, adversely affected the country’s environment, and reduced the country’s natural resources. Current leader XI Jinping has continued these policies but has also maintained tight political controls. Over the past decade, China has increased its global outreach, including military deployments, participation in international organizations, and a global connectivity plan in 2013 called the \"Belt and Road Initiative\" (BRI). Many nations have signed on to BRI agreements to attract PRC investment, but others have balked at the opaque lending behavior; weak environment, social, and governance (ESG) standards; and other practices that undermine local governance and foster corruption associated with some BRI-linked projects. XI Jinping assumed the positions of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission in 2012 and President in 2013. In 2018, the PRC’s National People’s Congress passed an amendment abolishing presidential term limits, opening the door for XI to seek a third five-year term in 2023, which he ultimately secured.</p> <p> </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -1274,7 +1274,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Transportation - note": {
-      "text": "<strong>note 1:</strong> seven of the world’s ten largest container ports are in China<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> China operates one PC 3 or 4 class medium ice breaker and three PC 5 or 6 class light icebreakers<br>note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 3 - year-round operation in second-year ice which may include multi-year ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 2.5 m); PC 4 - year-round operation in thick first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 120 cm); PC 5 - year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 70-120 cm); PC 6 - summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 30-70 cm)"
+      "text": "seven of the world’s ten largest container ports are in China<br>"
     }
   },
   "Military and Security": {

east-n-southeast-asia/hk.json

@@ -449,10 +449,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Legislative Council or LegCo (90 seats); 20 members directly elected in 2-seat constituencies, 30 indirectly elected by the approximately 220,000 members of various functional constituencies based on a variety of methods, and 50 indirectly elected by the 1,500-member Election Committee; members serve 4-year terms; note - in March 2021, China's National People's Congress amended the electoral rules and system for the LegCo; the total number of seats increased from 70 to 90, directly elected geographical constituencies were reduced from 35 to 20 seats, while trade-based indirectly elected functional constituencies remained at 30; an additional 40 seats were elected by the 1,500-member Election Commission; all political candidates are evaluated by the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee (CERC), established in April 2022; the CERC consists of the chairperson, 2-4 official members, and 1-3 non-official members, all appointed by the chief executive"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 19 Dec 2021 (next to be held in 2025)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 19 Dec 2021 (next to be held in 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by bloc: pro-Beijing 93.8%, non-establishment 6.2%; seats by association/block/party - pro-Beijing 89 (DAB 19, FTU 8, BPA 7, NPP 5, Liberal Party 4, NTAS 4, HKFEW 2, HKFLU 2, CF 2, RT 1, PP 1, KWND 1, NPHK 1, NCF-1; other/independent 41), non-aligned 1 (Third Side); composition - men 73, women 17, percent of women 18.9%; note - Hong Kong's leading pro-democracy political parties boycotted the 2021 election"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by bloc: pro-Beijing 93.8%, non-establishment 6.2%; seats by association/bloc/party - pro-Beijing 89 (DAB 19, FTU 8, BPA 7, NPP 5, Liberal Party 4, NTAS 4, HKFEW 2, HKFLU 2, CF 2, RT 1, PP 1, KWND 1, NPHK 1, NCF-1; other/independent 41), non-aligned 1 (Third Side); composition - men 73, women 17, percentage women 18.9%; note - Hong Kong's leading pro-democracy political parties boycotted the 2021 election"
       },
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> in July 2023, Hong Kong lawmakers reduced the proportion of directly elected seats on local district councils from some 90% to about 20%; under the new law, the majority of the 470 seats are now filled by members appointed by the chief executive, rural committee chairpersons, and others elected by local committees that are packed with pro-establishment figures"
     },
@@ -1038,7 +1038,7 @@
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {
     "Disputes - international": {
-      "text": "the Frontier Closed Area was established in 1951 as a buffer zone between Hong Kong and mainland China to prevent illegal migration and the smuggling of goods&nbsp;"
+      "text": "none identified"
     },
     "Illicit drugs": {
       "text": "<p>modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering; groups involved in money laundering range from local street organizations to sophisticated international syndicates involved in assorted criminal activities, including drug trafficking; major source of precursor chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics</p>"

east-n-southeast-asia/id.json

@@ -600,10 +600,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral People's Consultative Assembly or Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat (MPR) consists of:<br>Regional Representative Council or Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (136 seats; non-partisan members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - 4 each from the country's 34 electoral districts - by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); note - the Regional Representative Council has no legislative authority<br>House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (580 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by single non-transferable vote to serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Regional Representative Council - last held on 14 February 2024 (next to be held in 2029)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 14 February 2024 (next to be held in 2029)"
+        "text": "<br>Regional Representative Council - last held on 14 February 2024 (next to be held in 2029)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 14 February 2024 (next to be held in 2029)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "Regional Representative Council - all seats elected on a non-partisan basis; composition as of January 2024 - men 102, women 34, percent of women 25%<br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDI-P 16.7%, Golkar 15.3%, Gerindra 13.2%, PKB 10.6%, Nasdem 9.7%, PKS 8.4%, PD 7.4%, PAN 7.2%; other 11.5% (10 additional parties received votes); seats by party - PDI-P 110, Golkar 102, Gerindra 86, PKB 68, Nasdem 69, PKS 53, PD 44, PAN 48; composition as of January 2024 - men 449, women 126, percent of women 21.9%; total People's Consultative Assembly percent of women 22.5%"
+        "text": "<br>Regional Representative Council - all seats elected on a non-partisan basis; composition as of January 2024 - men 102, women 34, percentage women 25%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDI-P 16.7%, Golkar 15.3%, Gerindra 13.2%, PKB 10.6%, Nasdem 9.7%, PKS 8.4%, PD 7.4%, PAN 7.2%; other 11.5% (10 additional parties received votes); seats by party - PDI-P 110, Golkar 102, Gerindra 86, PKB 68, Nasdem 69, PKS 53, PD 44, PAN 48; composition as of December 2023 - men 449, women 126, percentage women 21.9%; total People's Consultative Assembly percentage women NA%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

east-n-southeast-asia/ja.json

@@ -559,10 +559,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral National Diet or Kokkai consists of:<br>House of Councillors or Sangi-in (248 seats; 148 members directly elected in multi-seat districts by simple majority vote and 100 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years)<br><br>House of Representatives or Shuugi-in (465 seats; 289 members directly elected in single-seat districts by simple majority vote and 176 directly elected in multi-seat districts by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve up to 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "House of Councillors - last held on 10 July 2022 (next to be held in July 2025)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 31 October 2021 (next to be held by October 2025)"
+        "text": "<br>House of Councillors - last held on 10 July 2022 (next to be held in July 2025)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 31 October 2021 (next to be held by October 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/grouping as of January 2024 - LDP 116, CDP-SDP 40, Komeito 27, JCP 11, Ishin-FEFA 21, DPFP 11, Reiwa 5, OW 2, NHK 2, independent 12; composition - 182 men, 66 women; percent of women 26.6% <br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/grouping as of January 2024 - LDP 260, CDP 96, Ishin 41, Komeito 32, JCP 10, DPFP 7, Yushi no Kai 4, FEFA 4, Reiwa 3, independents 7; composition - 416 men, 48 women; percent women 10.3%; note - total National Diet percent of women 16%"
+        "text": "<br>House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/grouping as of January 2024 - LDP 116, CDP-SDP 40, Komeito 27, JCP 11, Ishin-FEFA 21, DPFP 11, Reiwa 5, OW 2, NHK 2, independent 12; composition as of February 2024 - men 182, women 66; percentage women 26.6%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/grouping as of January 2024 - LDP 260, CDP 96, Ishin 41, Komeito 32, JCP 10, DPFP 7, Yushi no Kai 4, FEFA 4, Reiwa 3, independent 7; composition as of February 2024 - men 416 men, women 48; percentage women 10.3%; note - total National Diet percentage women 16%"
       },
       "note": "<strong>note: </strong>the Diet in June 2017 redrew Japan's electoral district boundaries and reduced from 475 to 465 seats in the House of Representatives; the amended electoral law, which cuts 6 seats in single-seat districts and 4 in multi-seat districts, was reportedly intended to reduce voting disparities between densely and sparsely populated voting districts"
     },
@@ -1221,9 +1221,6 @@
         "text": "Chita, Chita Midorihama, Fukuoka, Futtsu, Hachinone, Hakodate, Hatsukaichi, Higashi Ohgishima, Higashi Niigata, Himeiji, Hitachi, Ishikari, Joetsu, Kagoshima, Kawagoe, Hibiki, Mitzushima, Nagasaki, Naoetsu, Negishi, Ohgishima, Oita, Sakai, Sakaide, Senboku, Shin Minato, Shin-Sendai, Sodeshi Shimizu, Sodegaura, Soma, Tobata, Toyama Shinko, Yanai, Yokkaichi, Yoshinoura"
       },
       "note": "Okinawa - Nakagusuku"
-    },
-    "Transportation - note": {
-      "text": "Japan operates one PC 3 or 4 class medium icebreaker<br>note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 3 - year-round operation in second-year ice which may include multi-year ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 2.5 m); PC 4 - year-round operation in thick first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 120 cm)"
     }
   },
   "Military and Security": {

east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json

@@ -537,10 +537,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members directly elected by majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms); note - functions as a rubberstamp legislature; the Korean Workers' Party selects all candidates"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 10 March 2019 (next to be held in March 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 10 March 2019 (next to be held in March 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KWP 607, KSDP 50, Chondoist Chongu Party 22, General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) 5, religious associations 3; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; composition as of March 2022 - men 566, women 121, percent of women 17.6%<br><br><strong>note:</strong> KWP, KSDP, Chondoist Chongu Party, and Chongryon are under the KWP's control; a token number of seats reserved for minor parties"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KWP 607, KSDP 50, Chondoist Chongu Party 22, General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) 5, religious associations 3; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; composition as of February 2024 - men 566, women 121, percentage women 17.6%<br><br><strong>note:</strong> KWP, KSDP, Chondoist Chongu Party, and Chongryon are under the KWP's control; a token number of seats reserved for minor parties"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json

@@ -557,10 +557,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Gukhoe (300 seats statutory, current 295; 253 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 47 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 15 April 2020 (next to be held on 10 April 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 10 April 2024 (next to be held in April 2028)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party/coalition - DPK/Platform Party 49.9%, United Future Party 41.5%, JP 1.7%; seats by party - DPK/Platform Party 180, United Future Party (now PPP) 103, JP 6, ODP 3, PP 3, independent 5; composition as of April 2022 - men 242, women 57, percent of women 19.1%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party/coalition (constituency) - Democratic Alliance 52.3%, PPP 45.7%, others 2%; percent of vote by party/coalition (proportional) - PPP 36.7%, Democratic Alliance 26.7%, Rebuilding Korea Party 24.3%, New Reform Party 3.6%, New Future Party 1.7%, others 7%; seats by party - Democratic Alliance 176 (DPK 169), PPP 108, Rebuilding Korea Party 12, New Reform Party 3, New Future Party 1; composition prior to 2024 election - men 240, women 60, percentage women 20%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -575,8 +575,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Political parties and leaders": {
-      "text": "Basic Income Party [SHIN Ji-hye] <br>Democratic Party of Korea or DPK [LEE Jae-myung] (renamed from Minjoo Party of Korea or MPK in October 2016); includes the former Open Democratic Party [CHOI Kong-wook], which merged with the DP in January 2022 and the Together Citizens' Party or Platform Party [WOO Hee-jong, CHOI Bae-geun], which merged with the DP in May 2022)<br>Hope of Korea [Yang Hyang-ja]<br>Justice Party or JP [LEE Jeong-mi]<br>People Power Party or PPP [HAN Dong-hoon] (renamed from United Future Party in September 2020, formerly Liberty Korea Party)<br>Transition Korea [CHO Jung-hun]",
-      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>the DPK is South Korea’s largest party and its main progressive party; the People Power Party (PPP) is a conservative grouping and is South Korea’s second-largest party"
+      "text": "Basic Income Party [MUN Mi-jeong]<br>New Reform Party [LEE Jun-seok]<br>Democratic Party of Korea or DPK [LEE Jae-myung] <br>New Future Party [LEE Nak-yun]<br>Open Democratic Party or ODP [KIM Sang-gyun]<br>People Power Party or PPP [HAN Dong-hoon] <br>Progressive Party or Jinbo Party [YOON Hee-suk]<br>Rebuilding Korea Party [CHO Kuk]<br>Social Democratic Party [NA]<br><br>note - the Democratic Alliance Coalition consists of the DPK and the smaller Basic Income, Jinbo, Open Democratic, and Social Democratic parties, as well as two independents; for the 2024 election, the Basic Income Party, the ODP, and the Social Democratic Party formed the New Progressive Alliance"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
       "text": "ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CABEI, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC"
@@ -1205,9 +1204,6 @@
       "LNG terminal(s) (import)": {
         "text": "Incheon, Kwangyang, Pyeongtaek, Samcheok, Tongyeong, Yeosu"
       }
-    },
-    "Transportation - note": {
-      "text": "South Korea operates one PC 5 or 6 class light icebreaker<br>note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 5 - year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 70-120 cm); PC 6 - summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 30-70 cm)"
     }
   },
   "Military and Security": {

east-n-southeast-asia/la.json

@@ -570,10 +570,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Sapha Heng Xat (164 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote from candidate lists provided by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party; members serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 21 February 2021 (next to be held in 2026)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 21 February 2021 (next to be held in 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP 158, independent 6; composition - men 128, women 36, percent of women 21.9%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP 158, independent 6; composition as of February 2024 - men 128, women 36, percentage women 22%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

east-n-southeast-asia/mc.json

@@ -395,10 +395,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Legislative Assembly or Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (33 seats; 14 members directly elected by proportional representation vote, 12 indirectly elected by an electoral college of professional and commercial interest groups, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 12 September 2021 (next to be held in September 2025)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 12 September 2021 (next to be held in September 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote - ACUM 20.1%, UPD 18%, NE 13.8%, UMG 12.7%, UPP 11.4%, ABL 10.8%, PS 6.6%, other 6.6%; seats by political group - ACUM 3, UPD 2, UMG 2, UPP 2, ABL 2, NE 2, PS 1; composition NA"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote - ACUM 20.1%, UPD 18%, NE 13.8%, UMG 12.7%, UPP 11.4%, ABL 10.8%, PS 6.6%, other 6.6%; seats by political group - ACUM 3, UPD 2, UMG 2, UPP 2, ABL 2, NE 2, PS 1; composition - men NA, women NA, percentage women NA%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

east-n-southeast-asia/mg.json

@@ -570,13 +570,13 @@
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
       "description": {
-        "text": "unicameral State Great Hural or Ulsyn Ikh Khural (126 seats; 78 members directly elected in a selected constituency by simple majority vote and 48 members directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - a constitutional referendum passed in May 2023 increased the number of seats to 126 from 76"
+        "text": "unicameral State Great Hural or Ulsyn Ikh Khural (126 seats; 78 members directly elected in a selected constituency by simple majority vote and 48 members directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - a constitutional referendum passed in May 2023 increased the number of seats from 76 to 126"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 24 June 2020 (next to be held 30 June 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 24 June 2020 (next to be held 30 June 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - MPP 44.9%, DP 24.5%, Our Coalition 8.1%, independent 8.7%, Right Person Electorate Coalition 5.2%, other 8.5%; seats by party - MPP 62, DP 11, Our Coalition 1, Right Person Electorate Coalition 1; independent 1; composition - 63 men, 13 women; percent of women 17.1%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - MPP 44.9%, DP 24.5%, Our Coalition 8.1%, independent 8.7%, Right Person Electorate Coalition 5.2%, other 8.5%; seats by party - MPP 62, DP 11, Our Coalition 1, Right Person Electorate Coalition 1, independent 1; composition - 59 men, 13 women; percentage women 18.1%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -1208,8 +1208,8 @@
       "text": "18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (can enter military schools at age 17); 12-month conscript service obligation for men in the army, air forces, or police (can be extended 3 months under special circumstances); conscription service can be exchanged for a 24‐month stint in the civil service or a cash payment determined by the Mongolian Government; after conscription, soldiers can contract into military service for 2 or 4 years; volunteer military service for men and women is 24 months, which can be extended for another two years up to the age of 31 (2024)"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "860 South Sudan (UNMISS) (2023)",
-      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> from 2003 to July 2021, some 3,300 Mongolian troops served in Afghanistan, including about 1,300 under the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission (2015 to 2021); since 2002, Mongolia has deployed more than 19,000 peacekeepers and observers to UN operations in more than a dozen countries"
+      "text": "875 South Sudan (UNMISS) (2024)",
+      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> since 2002, Mongolia has deployed more than 20,000 peacekeepers and observers to UN operations in more than a dozen countries"
     },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "the MAF does not face a significant external military threat and focuses instead on counterterrorism, disaster response, and international peacekeeping; the Ground Force is the military’s primary service and is centered on a motorized infantry brigade equipped largely with Soviet-era equipment; it also has a battalion devoted to peacekeeping duties and hosts an annual international peacekeeping exercise known as “Khaan Quest”; Mongolia’s primary military partner is Russia, and in addition to receiving Russian military equipment, the MAF participates in Russia’s large “Vostok” exercise, which is conducted every four years <br><br>Mongolia has been engaged in dialogue and cooperation with NATO since 2005 and is considered by NATO to be a global partner; Mongolia supported the NATO-led Kosovo Force from 2005-2007 and contributed troops to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan from 2009-2014, as well as to the follow-on Resolute Support Mission that provided training, advice, and other assistance to the Afghan security forces (2015-2021) (2023)"

east-n-southeast-asia/my.json

@@ -566,10 +566,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Parliament of Malaysia or Parlimen Malaysia consists of:<br>Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 members appointed by the king and 26 indirectly elected by 13 state legislatures; members serve 3-year terms)<br>House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) (2016)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Senate - appointed<br>House of Representatives - last held on 19 Nov 2022 (next to be held in 2027)"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - appointed<br>House of Representatives - last held on 19 Nov 2022 (next to be held in 2027)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "Senate - appointed; composition - men 41, women 10, percent of women 29.6%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - PH 37.5%, PN 30.4%, BN 22.4%, GPS 4%, WARISAN 1.8%, GRS 1.3%, other 2.6%; seats by party/coalition - PH 90, PN 50, BN 42, GPS 18, WARISAN 7, PEJUANG 4, PBM 3, PSB 1, MUDA 1, independent 4, vacant 2; composition - 192 men, 30 women; percent women 13.5%"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - appointed; composition - men 51, women 10, percentage women 16.4%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - PH 37.5%, PN 30.4%, BN 22.4%, GPS 4%, WARISAN 1.8%, GRS 1.3%, other 2.6%; seats by party/coalition - PH 90, PN 50, BN 42, GPS 18, WARISAN 7, PEJUANG 4, PBM 3, PSB 1, MUDA 1, independent 4, vacant 2; composition as of February 2024 - 192 men, 30 women; percentage women 13.5%; total Parliament percentage women 9.2%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
@@ -1236,7 +1236,7 @@
       "note": "<strong>note: </strong>in 2020, the military announced a goal of having 10% of the active force comprised of women"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
-      "text": "830 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2023)"
+      "text": "830 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2024)"
     },
     "Military - note": {
       "text": "the Malaysian military is primarily focused on internal and maritime security and responding to natural disasters; maritime security has received increased emphasis in recent years, particularly anti-piracy operations in the Strait of Malacca and countering Chinese incursions in Malaysia’s Economic Exclusion Zone, as well as addressing identified shortfalls in maritime capabilities; as such, Malaysia has undertaken efforts to procure more modern ships, improve air and maritime surveillance, expand the Navy’s support infrastructure (particularly bases/ports) and domestic ship-building capacities, restructure naval command and control, and increase naval cooperation with regional and international partners; as of 2023, for example, the Navy had five frigates on order (due in 2026-2029), which would increase the number of operational frigates from two to seven, and complement its small inventory of littoral combat ships (comparable to light frigates in capabilities) and offshore patrol vessels; in addition, the Navy conducts air and naval patrols with Indonesia and the Philippines; it also cooperates with the US military, including on maritime surveillance and training<br><br>the Army’s force structure reflects its traditional focus on counterinsurgency operations and terrorist threats; its four divisional commands are comprised largely of infantry brigades; it also has separate brigades of airborne, security, and special operations forces; Malaysia does not have a marine corps, but places considerable emphasis on amphibious capabilities for some of its Army ground units; the Air Force has a mix of about 50 combat aircraft and helicopters <br><br>Malaysia is a member of the Five Powers Defense Arrangements (FPDA), a series of mutual assistance agreements reached in 1971 embracing Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK; the FPDA commits the members to consult with one another in the event or threat of an armed attack on any of the members and to mutually decide what measures should be taken, jointly or separately; there is no specific obligation to intervene militarily (2023)"

east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json

@@ -562,10 +562,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral National Parliament (118 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies - 89 local, 20 provincial, the autonomous province of Bouganville, and the National Capital District - by majority preferential vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the constitution allows up to 126 seats"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held from 4-22 July 2022 (next to be held in June 2027)"
+        "text": "<br>last held from 4-22 July 2022 (next to be held in June 2027)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PANGU PATI - 39, PNC - 17, URP - 11, NAP - 6, SDP - 4, PFP - 4, PP &ndash; 4, PNGP &ndash; 3,&nbsp; ULP - 3, Advance PNG - 2, National Party - 2, Liberal Party - 2, AP - 1, Destiny Party - 1, Greens - 1, MAP - 1, NGP - 1, ODP - 1, PLP - 1, PMC - 1, PPP - 1, PRP - 1, THE - 1, independents - 10; composition - NA"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PANGU PATI - 39, PNC - 17, URP - 11, NAP - 6, SDP - 4, PFP - 4, PP – 4, PNGP – 3,  ULP - 3, Advance PNG - 2, National Party - 2, Liberal Party - 2, AP - 1, Destiny Party - 1, Greens - 1, MAP - 1, NGP - 1, ODP - 1, PLP - 1, PMC - 1, PPP - 1, PRP - 1, THE - 1, independent - 10; composition as of February 2024 - men 108, women 3, percentage women 2.7%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json

@@ -588,10 +588,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of:<br>Senate or Senado (24 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years)<br>House of Representatives or Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan (316 seats; 253 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 63 representing minorities directly elected by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 3-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Senate - elections last held on 9 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025)<br>House of Representatives - elections last held on 9 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025)"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - elections last held on 9 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025)<br>House of Representatives - elections last held on 9 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPC 5, PDP-Laban 5, NP 4, other 5, independent 5; composition - men 17, women 7, percent of women 29%<br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP-Laban 22.7%, NP 13.7%, NUP 12.6%, NPC 11.7%,  Lakas-CMD 9.4%,LP 3.8%, HNP 2.5%, other 19.6% independent 4%; seats by party - PDP-Laban 66, NP, NPC 35, NUP 33, Lakas-CMD 26, LP 10, HNP 6,  other 35, independent 6, party-list 63; composition - men 226, women 85, percent of women 27.3%; note - total Congress percent of women 27.4%"
+        "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPC 5, PDP-Laban 5, NP 4, other 5, independent 5; composition - men 17, women 7, percentage women 29.2%<br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP-Laban 22.7%, NP 13.7%, NUP 12.6%, NPC 11.7%,  Lakas-CMD 9.4%, LP 3.8%, HNP 2.5%, other 19.6%, independent 4%; seats by party - PDP-Laban 66, NP 36, NPC 35, NUP 33, Lakas-CMD 26, LP 10, HNP 6, other 35, independent 6, party-list 63; composition - men 226, women 85, percentage women 27.3%; total Congress percentage women 27.5%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json

@@ -544,10 +544,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Parliament (104 seats statutory, 103 current term; 93 members directly elected by simple majority popular vote, up to 9 nominated by a parliamentary selection committee and appointed by the president, and up to 12 non-constituency members from opposition parties to ensure political diversity; members serve 5-year terms); note - the number of nominated members increased to 12 for the 2020 election for the first time"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 10 July 2020 (next must be held by 24 November 2025)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 10 July 2020 (next must be held by 24 November 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - PAP 89.2%, WP 10.6%, other 0.2%; seats by party - PAP 83, WP 10; composition of total Parliament - men 73, women 30, percent of women 29.1%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - PAP 89.2%, WP 10.6%, other 0.2%; seats by party - PAP 83, WP 10; composition of total Parliament - men 70, women 29, percentage women 29.3%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json

@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@
         "text": "president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 13 January 2024 (next to be held in 2028); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<em><em>2023: </em></em>LAI Ching-te (DPP) 40.1%, HOU Yu-ih (KMT) 33.5%, KO Wen-je (TPP) 26.5%; note - LAI takes office on 20 May 2024<em><br><br>2020: </em>TSAI Ing-wen reelected president; percent of vote - TSAI Ing-wen (DPP) 57.1%, HAN Kuo-yu (KMT) 38.6%, James SOONG (PFP) 4.3%; note - TSAI is the first woman elected president of Taiwan<br><em><br><br></em>"
+        "text": "<em><em>2023:</em></em> LAI Ching-te elected president; percent of vote<em><em> - </em></em>LAI Ching-te (DPP) 40.1%, HOU Yu-ih (KMT) 33.5%, KO Wen-je (TPP) 26.5%; note - LAI takes office on 20 May 2024<em><br><br>2020: </em>TSAI Ing-wen reelected president; percent of vote - TSAI Ing-wen (DPP) 57.1%, HAN Kuo-yu (KMT) 38.6%, James SOONG (PFP) 4.3%; note - TSAI is the first woman elected president of Taiwan<br><em><br><br></em>"
       }
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
@@ -437,10 +437,10 @@
         "text": "unicameral Legislative Yuan (113 seats; 73 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 34 directly elected in a single island-wide constituency by proportional representation vote, and 6 directly elected in multi-seat aboriginal constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 13 January 2024 (next to be held in 2028)"
+        "text": "<br>last held on 13 January 2024 (next to be held in 2028)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party - DPP 40.6%, KMT 37.2%, TPP 12.6%, other 5.7%, independent 3.9%; seats by party - KMT 52, DPP 51, TPP 8, independent 2; composition - men 66, women 47, percent of women 41.6%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party - DPP 40.6%, KMT 37.2%, TPP 12.6%, other 5.7%, independent 3.9%; seats by party - KMT 52, DPP 51, TPP 8, independent 2; composition as of February 2024 - men 66, women 47, percentage women 41.6%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

europe/al.json

@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@
         "text": "last held on 25 April 2021 (next to be held in 2025)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party/coalition - PS 48.7%, PD-Alliance for Change 39.4%, LSI 6.8%, PSD 2.3%, other 2.8%; seats by party/coalition - PS 74, PD-Alliance for Change 59, LSI 4, PSD 3; composition as of August 2023 - men 90, women 50, percent of women 35.7%"
+        "text": "<br>percent of vote by party/coalition - PS 48.7%, PD-Alliance for Change 39.4%, LSI 6.8%, PSD 2.3%, other 2.8%; seats by party/coalition - PS 74, PD-Alliance for Change 59, LSI 4, PSD 3; composition as of February 2024 - men 90, women 50, percentage 35.7%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {