diff --git a/africa/ag.json b/africa/ag.json index ddd2e64a..6c61f235 100644 --- a/africa/ag.json +++ b/africa/ag.json @@ -564,13 +564,13 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
Council of the Nation or Majlis al-Umma (174 seats, statutory; 170 currently); two-thirds of members indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local assemblies within each wilaya, and one-third of members appointed by the president; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years)
National People's Assembly or al-Majlis al-Sha'abi al-Watani (407 seats, including 8 seats for Algerian diaspora); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); note - in March 2021, President TEBBOUNE ordered the number of Assembly seats be reduced to 407 from 462" + "text": "bicameral Parliament or Barlaman consists of:
Council of the Nation or Majlis al-Umma (174 seats, statutory; 170 currently); two-thirds of members indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local assemblies within each wilaya, and one-third of members appointed by the president; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years)
National People's Assembly or al-Majlis al-Sha'abi al-Watani (407 seats, including 8 seats for Algerian diaspora); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote using the Hare quota method; members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { - "text": "
Council of the Nation - last held on 5 February 2022 (next election expected in 2025)
National People's Assembly - snap election held on 12 June 2021 (next to be held on 12 June 2026)" + "text": "
Council of the Nation - last held on 5 February 2022 (next expected in 2025)
National People's Assembly - snap election held on 12 June 2021 (next to be held on 12 June 2026)" }, "election results": { - "text": "
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 2023 - men 163, women 7, percent of women 4.1%

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 6.8%" + "text": "
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%

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 6.8%" } }, "Judicial branch": { diff --git a/africa/ao.json b/africa/ao.json index 481fe560..169e58d2 100644 --- a/africa/ao.json +++ b/africa/ao.json @@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ "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%, PRS 1.1%, FNLA 1.1%, PHA 1%, other 1.7%; seats by party - MPLA 124, UNITA 90, PRS 2, FNLA 2; PHA-2; composition - men 146, women 74, percent of women 33.6%" + "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 - men 146, women 74, percent of women 33.6%" } }, "Judicial branch": { @@ -1265,7 +1265,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "23,187 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 9,272 (Guinea), 6,357 (Cote d'Ivoire), 5,725 (Mauritania) (2023)" + "text": "23,255 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 9,272 (Guinea), 6,357 (Cote d'Ivoire), 5,725 (Mauritania) (2023)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { diff --git a/africa/bc.json b/africa/bc.json index 45ba9928..0d9ddea4 100644 --- a/africa/bc.json +++ b/africa/bc.json @@ -1187,19 +1187,19 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 9,000 active BDF personnel (2022)" + "text": "approximately 9,000 active BDF personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the BDF has a mix of mostly older weapons and equipment, largely of Western/European-origin; in recent years, it has received limited amounts of material from several European countries and the US (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2022)" + "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) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "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; today, the BDF’s primary missions include securing territorial integrity/border security and internal duties such as disaster relief and anti-poaching

Botswana participates in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Standby Force, and beginning in 2021 contributed nearly 300 troops to the SADC’s effort to help the Mozambique Government suppress an insurgency (2023)" + "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 is a small and professional force that participates in regional and international security operations; the Ground Force has five small brigades of infantry, light armor, and artillery, plus a unit of 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

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)" } }, "Space": { diff --git a/africa/bn.json b/africa/bn.json index 8a19f70a..b9793eeb 100644 --- a/africa/bn.json +++ b/africa/bn.json @@ -1193,8 +1193,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Beninese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Beninoises, FAB; aka Benin Defense Forces): Army, Navy, Air Force; Ministry of Interior and Public Security: Republican Police (Police Republicaine, DGPR) (2023)", - "note": "note: FAB is under the Ministry of Defense and is responsible for external security and supporting the DGPR in maintaining internal security, which has primary responsibility for enforcing law and maintaining order " + "text": "Beninese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Beninoises, FAB; aka Benin Defense Forces): Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard (aka Republican Guard)

Ministry of Interior and Public Security: Republican Police (Police Republicaine, DGPR) (2023)", + "note": "note: FAB is under the Ministry of Defense and is responsible for external security and supporting the DGPR in maintaining internal security, which has primary responsibility for enforcing law and maintaining order; the DGPR was formed in 2018 through a merger of police and gendarmes" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1214,7 +1214,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 7,000 active-duty troops; estimated 5,000 Republican Police (2022)" + "text": "approximately 12,000 active-duty troops, including about 3,000 National Guard; estimated 5,000 Republican Police (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FAB is equipped with a small mix of mostly older or secondhand French, Soviet-era, and US equipment; in recent years, France has provided it with limited amounts of newer military hardware such as armored vehicles and helicopters (2023)" diff --git a/africa/by.json b/africa/by.json index 4fa265a7..cdadfc59 100644 --- a/africa/by.json +++ b/africa/by.json @@ -1156,7 +1156,7 @@ "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "National Defense Force of Burundi (Force de Defense Nationale du Burundi or FDNB): Land Force (Force Terrestre), the Navy Force (Force Marine), the Air Force (Force Aerienne) and Specialized Units (Unites Specialisees) (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the Specialized Units include a special security brigade for the protection of institutions (aka BSPI) and military police

note 2: the Burundi National Police (Police Nationale du Burundi) are under the Ministry of Interior, Community Development, and Public Security" + "note": "note 1: the Specialized Units include a special security brigade for the protection of institutions (aka BSPI) and military police

note 2: in 2022, Burundi created a new reserve force (Force de réserve et d’appui au développement, FRAD); the FRAD's duties include organizing paramilitary trainings, supporting other components in protecting the integrity of the national territory, conceiving and implementing development projects, and operationalizing national and international partnerships

note 3: the Burundi National Police (Police Nationale du Burundi) is under the Ministry of Interior, Community Development, and Public Security" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1176,7 +1176,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 25-30,000 active-duty troops, the majority of which are ground forces (2022)" + "text": "approximately 25-30,000 active-duty troops, the majority of which are ground forces (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FDN has a mix of mostly older weapons and equipment typically of French, Russian, and Soviet origin, and a smaller selection of more modern secondhand equipment from such countries as China, South Africa, and the US (2023)" @@ -1200,7 +1200,7 @@ "text": "86,230 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "84,791 (some ethnic Tutsis remain displaced from intercommunal violence that broke out after the 1993 coup and fighting between government forces and rebel groups; violence since April 2015) (2022)" + "text": "76,987 (some ethnic Tutsis remain displaced from intercommunal violence that broke out after the 1993 coup and fighting between government forces and rebel groups; violence since April 2015) (2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "767 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/africa/cd.json b/africa/cd.json index 9986ad51..b8d3890e 100644 --- a/africa/cd.json +++ b/africa/cd.json @@ -1153,7 +1153,7 @@ "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Chadian National Army (Armee Nationale du Tchad, ANT): Land Forces (l'Armee de Terre, AdT), Chadian Air Force (l'Armee de l'Air Tchadienne, AAT), General Direction of the Security Services of State Institutions (Direction Generale des Services de Securite des Institutions de l'Etat, GDSSIE); National Gendarmerie; Ministry of Public Security and Immigration: National Nomadic Guard of Chad (GNNT) (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the GDSSIE, formerly known as the Republican Guard, is the presidential guard force and is considered to be Chad's elite military unit; it is reportedly a division-size unit with infantry, armor, and special forces/anti-terrorism regiments (known as the Special Anti-Terrorist Group or SATG, aka Division of Special Anti-Terrorist Groups or DGSAT)

note 2: the Chadian National Police are under the Ministry of Security and Immigration; border security duties are shared by the Army, Customs (Ministry of Public Security and Immigration), the Gendarmerie, and the GNNT" + "note": "note 1: the GDSSIE, formerly known as the Republican Guard, is the presidential guard force and is considered to be Chad's elite military unit; it is reportedly a division-sized force with infantry, armor, and special forces/anti-terrorism regiments (known as the Special Anti-Terrorist Group or SATG, aka Division of Special Anti-Terrorist Groups or DGSAT)

note 2: the Chadian National Police are under the Ministry of Public Security and Immigration; border security duties are shared by the Army, Customs (Ministry of Public Security and Immigration), the Gendarmerie, and the GNNT" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1173,7 +1173,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "limited and varied information; estimated to have up to 35,000 active ANT personnel (25-30,000 Ground Forces; 300 Air Force; approximately 5,000 GDSSIE); approximately 5,000 National Gendarmerie; approximately 3,000 Nomadic Guard (2022)" + "text": "limited and varied information; estimated to have up to 35,000 active ANT personnel (approximately 25-30,000 Ground Forces, 5,000 GDSSIE, and a few hundred Air Force); approximately 5,000 National Gendarmerie; approximately 3,000 Nomadic Guard (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the ANT is mostly armed with older or secondhand equipment from Belgium, France, Russia, and the former Soviet Union; in recent years it has received equipment, including donations, from other countries, including China, Turkey, and the US (2023)" @@ -1201,7 +1201,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "192,473 (Sudan) (includes refugees since 15 April 2023), 128,060 (Central African Republic), 26,552 (Cameroon), 21,053 (Nigeria) (2023)" + "text": "382,320 (Sudan) (includes refugees since 15 April 2023), 128,083 (Central African Republic), 26,668 (Cameroon), 21,081 (Nigeria) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "381,289 (majority are in the east) (2023)" diff --git a/africa/cf.json b/africa/cf.json index 1fcb92af..cc02bbbe 100644 --- a/africa/cf.json +++ b/africa/cf.json @@ -1245,7 +1245,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 12,000 active duty troops (8,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 2,000 Gendarmerie) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 12,000 active-duty troops (including 2,000 Gendarmerie) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FAC has mostly Soviet-era armaments, with a small mix of French and South African equipment (2023)" @@ -1266,7 +1266,7 @@ "text": "30,290 (Central African Republic), 27,476 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers)(2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "159,830 (multiple civil wars since 1992) (2022)" + "text": "27,000 (multiple civil wars since 1992) (2022)" } }, "Trafficking in persons": { diff --git a/africa/cg.json b/africa/cg.json index 6106a90a..f67a1353 100644 --- a/africa/cg.json +++ b/africa/cg.json @@ -1267,7 +1267,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "limited and widely varied information; approximately 100,000 active troops (mostly Army, but includes several thousand Navy and Air Force personnel, as well as about 10,000 Republican Guard; note -  Navy personnel includes naval infantry) (2022)" + "text": "estimates vary; up to 140,000 active troops, including approximately 10,000 Republican Guard (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FARDC is equipped mostly with Soviet-era weapons systems and equipment (2023)" @@ -1295,7 +1295,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "211,274 (Central African Republic), 208,227 (Rwanda), 57,020 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 43,271 (Burundi) (2023)" + "text": "211,274 (Central African Republic), 208,075 (Rwanda), 57,020 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 43,271 (Burundi) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "6.17 million (fighting between government forces and rebels since mid-1990s; conflict in Kasai region since 2016) (2023)" diff --git a/africa/cm.json b/africa/cm.json index bf27de45..d138143a 100644 --- a/africa/cm.json +++ b/africa/cm.json @@ -1266,7 +1266,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 35-40,000 active-duty troops; (20-25,000 ground forces, including the Rapid Intervention Battalion/BIR and Presidential Guard; 2,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 12,000 Gendarmerie) (2022)", + "text": "information varies; approximately 35-40,000 active-duty troops (20-25,000 ground forces, including the Rapid Intervention Battalion/BIR and Presidential Guard; 2,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 12,000 Gendarmerie) (2023)", "note": "note: the BIR has approximately 5,000 personnel" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { @@ -1298,10 +1298,10 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "351,090 (Central African Republic), 116,706 (Nigeria) (2023)" + "text": "352,938 (Central African Republic), 117,738 (Nigeria) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "1.01 million (2023) (includes far north, northwest, and southwest)" + "text": "1.066 million (2023) (includes far north, northwest, and southwest)" } } } diff --git a/africa/cv.json b/africa/cv.json index c9c21a80..73183372 100644 --- a/africa/cv.json +++ b/africa/cv.json @@ -1138,7 +1138,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 1,200 personnel including about 100 in the Coast Guard (2022)" + "text": "the military has approximately 1,000-1,200 personnel  (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FACV has a limited amount of mostly dated and second-hand equipment, largely from China, some European countries, and the former Soviet Union (2023)" diff --git a/africa/dj.json b/africa/dj.json index 90cbca46..36b80661 100644 --- a/africa/dj.json +++ b/africa/dj.json @@ -1130,7 +1130,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Djibouti Armed Forces (Force Armée Djiboutienne or FAD): Army, Navy, Air Force; Djibouti Coast Guard; Ministry of Interior: National Gendarmerie, National Police (2023)", + "text": "Djibouti Armed Forces (Force Armée Djiboutienne or FAD): Army, Navy, Air Force; Djibouti Coast Guard

Ministry of Interior: National Gendarmerie, National Police (2023)", "note": "note: the National Police is responsible for security within Djibouti City and has primary control over immigration and customs procedures for all land border-crossing points, while the National Gendarmerie is responsible for all security outside of Djibouti City, as well as for protecting critical infrastructure within the city, such as the international airport" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1151,7 +1151,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 10,000 active troops (8,000 Army; 250 Naval; 250 Air; 1,500 Gendarmerie) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 10,000 active-duty military personnel; approximately 2,000 Gendarmerie (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FAD's inventory includes mostly older French and Soviet-era weapons systems, although in recent years it has received limited amounts of more modern, but largely secondhand equipment from a variety of other countries, including China, the Netherlands, and the US (2023)" diff --git a/africa/er.json b/africa/er.json index 567242da..1d82380c 100644 --- a/africa/er.json +++ b/africa/er.json @@ -1144,7 +1144,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "limited available information; estimated 150,000-200,000 personnel, including about 2,000 in the naval and air forces (2022)" + "text": "limited available information; estimated 150,000-200,000 personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the EDF inventory is comprised primarily of older Russian and Soviet-era systems; Eritrea was under a UN arms embargo from 2009 to 2018; from the 1990s to 2008, Russia was the leading supplier of arms to Eritrea, and in recent years, Eritrea has expressed interest in purchasing additional Russian equipment; in 2022, it reportedly received some UAVs from Russia (2023)" diff --git a/africa/et.json b/africa/et.json index 4457ccf6..3ccba103 100644 --- a/africa/et.json +++ b/africa/et.json @@ -1260,7 +1260,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; prior to the 2020-2022 Tigray conflict, approximately 150,000 active-duty troops, including about 3,000 Air Force personnel (no personnel numbers available for the re-established Navy) (2022)" + "text": "information varies; prior to the 2020-2022 Tigray conflict, approximately 150,000 active-duty troops (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the ENDF's inventory is comprised mostly of Russian and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, the ENDF has received arms from a variety of countries, including China, Israel, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates; Ethiopia has a modest industrial defense base centered on small arms and production of armored vehicles (2023)" @@ -1297,10 +1297,10 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "417,218 (South Sudan), 290,073 (Somalia), 165,450 (Eritrea), 13,513 (Sudan) (refugees since 15 April 2023) (2023)" + "text": "417,306 (South Sudan), 298,892 (Somalia), 165,450 (Eritrea), 35,218 (Sudan) (refugees since 15 April 2023) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "2.73 million (includes conflict- and climate-induced IDPs, excluding unverified estimates from the Amhara region; border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000; ethnic clashes; and ongoing fighting between the Ethiopian military and separatist rebel groups in the Somali and Oromia regions; natural disasters; intercommunal violence; most IDPs live in Sumale state) (2023)" + "text": "4.385 million (includes conflict- and climate-induced IDPs, excluding unverified estimates from the Amhara region; border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000; ethnic clashes; and ongoing fighting between the Ethiopian military and separatist rebel groups in the Somali and Oromia regions; natural disasters; intercommunal violence; most IDPs live in Sumale state) (2023)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { diff --git a/africa/ga.json b/africa/ga.json index 2d0b2ea4..f1026b71 100644 --- a/africa/ga.json +++ b/africa/ga.json @@ -1158,7 +1158,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Gambian Armed Forces (GAF): the Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambia Navy, Gambia Air Force, Republican National Guard (2023)", + "text": "Gambian Armed Forces (GAF; aka Armed Forces of the Gambia): the Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambia Navy, Gambia Air Force, Republican National Guard (2023)", "note": "note: the National Guard is responsible for VIP protection, riot control, and presidential security; the Gambia Police Force under the Ministry of Interior maintains internal security" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1179,7 +1179,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 3,000 active troops (2022)" + "text": "estimated 3,000 military personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the GAF has a limited and obsolescent equipment inventory originating from several suppliers, including China, the UK, and the US (2023)" @@ -1194,6 +1194,11 @@ "Transnational Issues": { "Disputes - international": { "text": "

attempts to stem refugees, cross-border raids, arms smuggling, and other illegal activities by separatists from southern Senegal's Casamance region, as well as from conflicts in other west African states

" + }, + "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { + "IDPs": { + "text": "5,600 (2022)" + } } } } \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/africa/gv.json b/africa/gv.json index 323047c3..785c3114 100644 --- a/africa/gv.json +++ b/africa/gv.json @@ -1174,7 +1174,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "National Armed Forces: Army, Guinean Navy (Armee de Mer or Marine Guineenne), Guinean Air Force (Force Aerienne de Guinee), Presidential Security Battalion (Battailon Autonome de la Sécurité Presidentielle, BASP), Gendarmerie (2023)", + "text": "National (or Guinean) Armed Forces: Army, Guinean Navy (Armee de Mer or Marine Guineenne), Guinean Air Force (Force Aerienne de Guinee), Presidential Security Battalion (Battailon Autonome de la Sécurité Presidentielle, BASP), Gendarmerie (2023)", "note": "note: the National Gendarmerie is overseen by the Ministry of Defense, while the National Police is under the Ministry of Security; the Gendarmerie and National Police share responsibility for internal security, but only the Gendarmerie can arrest police or military officials" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1195,7 +1195,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 12,000 active personnel (9,000 Army; 400 Navy; 800 Air Force; 300 BASP; 1,500 Gendarmerie) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 12,000 active personnel, including about 1,500 Gendarmerie (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the inventory of the Guinean military consists largely of aging and outdated (mostly Soviet-era) equipment; in recent years, it has received small amounts of equipment from China, France, and South Africa (2023)" diff --git a/africa/iv.json b/africa/iv.json index 2793ecb8..fd26be3a 100644 --- a/africa/iv.json +++ b/africa/iv.json @@ -1284,11 +1284,8 @@ "text": "

disputed maritime border between Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana

" }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { - "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "6,316 (Burkina Faso)" - }, "IDPs": { - "text": "302,000 (post-election conflict in 2010-11, as well as civil war from 2002-04; land disputes; most pronounced in western and southwestern regions) (2021)" + "text": "302,000 (post-election conflict in 2010-11, as well as civil war from 2002-04; land disputes; most pronounced in western and southwestern regions) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "930,578 (2022); note - many Ivoirians lack documentation proving their nationality, which prevent them from accessing education and healthcare; birth on Ivorian soil does not automatically result in citizenship; disputes over citizenship and the associated rights of the large population descended from migrants from neighboring countries is an ongoing source of tension and contributed to the country's 2002 civil war; some observers believe the government's mass naturalizations of thousands of people over the last couple of years is intended to boost its electoral support base; the government in October 2013 acceded to international conventions on statelessness and in August 2013 reformed its nationality law, key steps to clarify the nationality of thousands of residents; since the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration to eradicate statelessness in West Africa in February 2015, 6,400 people have received nationality papers in Cote d'Ivoire; in September 2020, Cote d'Ivoire adopted Africa's first statelessness determination procedure to regularize the status of stateless people" diff --git a/africa/ke.json b/africa/ke.json index ca59b89f..b4eae99d 100644 --- a/africa/ke.json +++ b/africa/ke.json @@ -1249,7 +1249,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 24,000 personnel (20,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 2,500 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 24,000 personnel (20,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 2,500 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the KDF's inventory traditionally carried mostly older or second-hand Western weapons systems, particularly from France, the UK, and the US; however, since the 2000s it has sought to modernize and diversify its imports, and suppliers have included several countries including China, Italy, and the US (2023)" @@ -1295,7 +1295,7 @@ "text": "281,319 (Somalia), 157,402 (South Sudan), 57,286 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 21,847 (Ethiopia), 8,392 (Burundi), 5,756 (Sudan) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "190,000 (election-related violence, intercommunal violence, resource conflicts, al-Shabaab attacks in 2017 and 2018) (2021)" + "text": "30,000 (election-related violence, intercommunal violence, resource conflicts, al-Shabaab attacks in 2017 and 2018) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "16,779 (2022); note - the stateless population consists of Nubians, Kenyan Somalis, and coastal Arabs; the Nubians are descendants of Sudanese soldiers recruited by the British to fight for them in East Africa more than a century ago; Nubians did not receive Kenyan citizenship when the country became independent in 1963; only recently have Nubians become a formally recognized tribe and had less trouble obtaining national IDs; Galjeel and other Somalis who have lived in Kenya for decades are included with more recent Somali refugees and denied ID cards" diff --git a/africa/li.json b/africa/li.json index 8a2f8f89..e5e455ab 100644 --- a/africa/li.json +++ b/africa/li.json @@ -1165,14 +1165,13 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 2,000 active personnel (2022)" + "text": "approximately 2,000 active personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the military has a limited inventory; in recent years, it has received small quantities of equipment, including donations, from countries such as China and the US (2022)" + "text": "the military has a limited inventory; in recent years, it has received small quantities of equipment, including donations, from countries such as China and the US (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18-35 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2022)", - "note": "note: as of 2020, women made up less than 1% of the active military" + "text": "18-35 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2023)" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "160 Mali (MINUSMA) (2023)" diff --git a/africa/lt.json b/africa/lt.json index ff7561e6..08ae1d97 100644 --- a/africa/lt.json +++ b/africa/lt.json @@ -1155,13 +1155,13 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 2,000 personnel (2022)" + "text": "approximately 2,000 personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the LDF has a small inventory of older and second-hand equipment from a variety of countries (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "20-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2022)" + "text": "20-30 years of age for voluntary military service for both men and women (women can serve in combat arms); no conscription (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "Lesotho's declared policy for its military is the maintenance of the country's sovereignty and the preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; the LDF is a small force comprised of about a half dozen infantry companies; it began in 1964 as the Police Mobile Unit (PMU); the PMU was designated as the Lesotho Paramilitary Force in 1980 and became the Royal Lesotho Defense Force in 1986; it was subsequently renamed the Lesotho Defense Force in 1993 (2023)" diff --git a/africa/ma.json b/africa/ma.json index a5e4fb4d..587d74dd 100644 --- a/africa/ma.json +++ b/africa/ma.json @@ -1187,7 +1187,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 13,000 personnel (12,000 Army; 500 Navy; 500 Air Force); estimated 10,000 Gendarmerie (2022)" + "text": "estimated 13,000 personnel (12,000 Army; 500 Navy; 500 Air Force); estimated 10,000 Gendarmerie (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the PAF's inventory consists mostly of aging Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, it has received small amounts of secondhand equipment from South Africa and the UAE (2023)" diff --git a/africa/mi.json b/africa/mi.json index 3d35f6fa..b2da2900 100644 --- a/africa/mi.json +++ b/africa/mi.json @@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Malawi Defense Force (MDF): Army (includes maritime force), Air Force (2023)", + "text": "Malawi Defense Force (MDF): Army, Maritime Force, Air Force, National Service (reserve force) (2023)", "note": "note: the MDF reports directly to the president as commander in chief; the Malawi Ministry of Defense was abolished in 2011; the Malawi Police Service is under the Ministry of Homeland Security" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1205,13 +1205,13 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 8,000 active duty troops (including about 500 air and marine forces personnel) (2022)" + "text": "estimated 10,000 active military personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the MDF's inventory is comprised of mostly obsolescent or secondhand equipment originating from such countries as France and South Africa; in recent years, it has received small amounts of armaments from a few countries, including China (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18 years 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 (2022)" + "text": "18-30 years 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) (2023)" @@ -1226,7 +1226,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "33,332 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) 10,953 (Burundi) (refugees and asylum seekers), 6,488 (Rwanda) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023)" + "text": "33,520 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) 11,433 (Burundi) (refugees and asylum seekers), 6,563 (Rwanda) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { diff --git a/africa/ml.json b/africa/ml.json index 22bf6016..2dc74b95 100644 --- a/africa/ml.json +++ b/africa/ml.json @@ -1208,7 +1208,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 20,000 active FAMa personnel (includes up to 2,000 Air Force); approximately 5,000 Gendarmerie; approximately 10,000 National Guard (2022)" + "text": "information varies; estimated 35,000 total active military and paramilitary personal, including approximately 20,000 FAMa (up to 2,000 Air Force), 5,000 Gendarmerie, and 10,000 National Guard (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FAMa's inventory consists primarily of Soviet-era equipment, although in recent years it has received limited quantities of newer armaments from more than a dozen countries, especially China and Russia (2023)" @@ -1235,7 +1235,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "27,794 (Burkina Faso) (refugees and asylum seekers), 19,547 (Niger) (refugees and asylum seekers), 14,953 (Mauritania) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023)" + "text": "28,820 (Burkina Faso) (refugees and asylum seekers), 19,712 (Niger) (refugees and asylum seekers), 14,955 (Mauritania) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "375,539 (Tuareg rebellion since 2012) (2023)" diff --git a/africa/mp.json b/africa/mp.json index 3c4f8073..78759f03 100644 --- a/africa/mp.json +++ b/africa/mp.json @@ -1135,32 +1135,9 @@ "text": "no regular military forces; the Mauritius Police Force (MPF) under the Ministry of Defense includes a paramilitary unit known as the Special Mobile Force, which includes some motorized infantry and light armored units; the MPF also has a Police Helicopter Squadron, a Special Support Unit (riot police), and the National Coast Guard (also includes an air squadron) (2023)", "note": "note: the MPF is responsible for law enforcement and maintenance of order within the country; a police commissioner heads the force and has authority over all police and other security forces, including the Coast Guard and Special Mobile Forces; the Special Mobile Forces share responsibility with police for internal security" }, - "Military expenditures": { - "Military Expenditures 2022": { - "text": "0.3% of GDP (2022 est.)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2021": { - "text": "0.3% of GDP (2021 est.)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2020": { - "text": "0.3% of GDP (2020 est.)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2019": { - "text": "0.3% of GDP (2019 est.)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2018": { - "text": "0.3% of GDP (2018 est.)" - } - }, - "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 1,700 Special Mobile Force; approximately 800 National Coast Guard (2022)" - }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the MPF's inventory is comprised of mostly secondhand equipment from Western European countries and India; since 2010, India has been the primary supplier (2023)" }, - "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "service is voluntary (2022)" - }, "Military - note": { "text": "the country’s primary security partner is India, and Indian naval vessels often patrol Mauritian waters; the MPF has also received assistance and training from France, the UK, and the US; the MPF’s chief security concerns are piracy and narcotics trafficking

the Special Mobile Force was created in 1960 following the withdrawal of the British garrison (2023)" } @@ -1169,6 +1146,14 @@ "Disputes - international": { "text": "

Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory); claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Mauritius-France: Mauritius has claimed French-administered Tromelin Island (part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands) since 1976

Mauritius-UK: Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)

" }, + "Trafficking in persons": { + "tier rating": { + "text": "Tier 2 Watch List — Mauritius does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; these efforts included partnering with an international organization to adopt standard operating procedures for victim identification and referral, enhancing screening for trafficking indicators during labor inspections, and adopting a 2022-2026 National Action Plan; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts, compared with the previous reporting period, to expand its anti-trafficking capacity; officials did not prosecute any suspected traffickers, did not convict any traffickers, nor report initiating any investigations for the second consecutive year; the government provided minimal services to victims and did not identify any victims for the third consecutive year; officials continued to compel some adult foreign victims to participate in criminal proceedings using threats of deportation and arrest; police regularly investigated potential trafficking cases as other crimes, and prosecutors routinely pursued lesser offenses with lesser penalties in cases initially investigated as trafficking; courts continued to provide lenient sentences to first-time offenders, weakening deterrence; therefore, Mauritius was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List (2023)" + }, + "trafficking profile": { + "text": "human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Mauritius; girls across the country—particularly from low-income communities—are exploited in child sex trafficking; taxi drivers, sometimes involved in commercial sex networks, knowingly transport child sex traffickers and victims; traffickers may exploit children in sex trafficking on Rodrigues Island, an autonomous territory of Mauritius; members of underserved communities, including individuals in commercial sex, women and children of African descent (Creoles), and LGBTQI+ persons, are vulnerable to sex trafficking, particularly in urban areas; traffickers, including gang members, force Mauritian children and foreign migrants to carry drugs; foreign migrants, particularly Malagasy women, are recruited under false pretenses of employment or tourism but forced into sex trafficking and domestic servitude; previous reports indicate traffickers, in partnership with criminal networks in Russia and Kazakhstan, recruit Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian women to move to Mauritius, under the guise of a marriage agency, then exploit them in sex trafficking; traffickers exploit migrants—primarily from Bangladesh, India, Madagascar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka—in labor trafficking in the garment, textile, manufacturing, and construction industries; labor trafficking is more common in small- and medium-sized businesses that employ migrant workers, primarily from Bangladesh, often recruited by former migrant workers who returned to their country of origin; traffickers may exploit migrant workers aboard foreign-owned fishing vessels in Mauritius’ territorial waters and ports (2023)" + } + }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "

consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering

" } diff --git a/africa/mr.json b/africa/mr.json index e8a46ad5..c475825b 100644 --- a/africa/mr.json +++ b/africa/mr.json @@ -1193,7 +1193,7 @@ "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Mauritanian Armed Forces (aka Armée Nationale Mauritanienne): National Army, National Navy (Marine Nationale), Mauritania Islamic Air Force; Gendarmerie (Ministry of Defense)

Ministry of Interior and Decentralization: National Police, National Guard, General Group for Road Safety (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the National Police are responsible for enforcing the law and maintaining order in urban areas, while the paramilitary Gendarmerie is responsible for maintaining civil order around metropolitan areas and providing law enforcement services in rural areas; the Gendarmerie is under the Ministry of Defense, but also supports the ministries of Interior and Justice

note 2: the National Guard performs a limited police function in keeping with its peacetime role of providing security at government facilities, to include prisons; regional authorities may call upon the National Guard to restore civil order during riots and other large-scale disturbances 

note 3: the General Group for Road Safety maintains security on roads and operates checkpoints throughout the country" + "note": "note 1: the National Police are responsible for enforcing the law and maintaining order in urban areas, while the paramilitary Gendarmerie is responsible for maintaining civil order around metropolitan areas and providing law enforcement services in rural areas; like the Mauritanian Armed Forces, the Gendarmerie is under the Ministry of Defense, but also supports the ministries of Interior and Justice

note 2: the National Guard performs a limited police function in keeping with its peacetime role of providing security at government facilities, to include prisons; regional authorities may call upon the National Guard to restore civil order during riots and other large-scale disturbances 

note 3: the General Group for Road Safety maintains security on roads and operates checkpoints throughout the country" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1213,7 +1213,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 16,000 active armed forces personnel (15,000 Army; 700 Navy; 300 Air Force); estimated 3,000 Gendarmerie; estimated 2,000 National Guard (2022)" + "text": "approximately 16,000 Mauritanian Armed Forces personnel (15,000 Army; 700 Navy; 300 Air Force); estimated 3,000 Gendarmerie; estimated 2,000 National Guard (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory is limited and made up largely of older French and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, Mauritania has received small amounts of mostly secondhand military equipment from a variety of suppliers, with China as the leading provider (2023)" @@ -1240,7 +1240,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "26,000 (Sahrawis) (2021); 98,202 (Mali) (2022)" + "text": "26,000 (Sahrawis) (2021); 102,400 (Mali) (2023)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { diff --git a/africa/mz.json b/africa/mz.json index c7c4636e..8ef98442 100644 --- a/africa/mz.json +++ b/africa/mz.json @@ -1215,8 +1215,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Defense Forces of Mozambique (Forcas Armadas de Defesa de Mocambique, FADM): Mozambique Army (Ramo do Exercito), Mozambique Navy (Marinha de Guerra de Mocambique, MGM), Mozambique Air Force (Forca Aerea de Mocambique, FAM)

Ministry of Interior: Mozambique National Police (PRM), the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC), Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR; police special forces), Border Security Force; other security forces include the Presidential Guard and the Force for the Protection of High-Level Individuals (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the FADM and other security forces are referred to collectively as the Defense and Security Forces (DFS)

note 2: the PRM, SERNIC, and the UIR are responsible for law enforcement and internal security; the Border Security Force is responsible for protecting the country’s international borders and for carrying out police duties within 24 miles of borders

note 3: the Presidential Guard provides security for the president, and the Force for the Protection of High-level Individuals provides security for senior-level officials at the national and provincial" + "text": "Armed Forces for the Defense of Mozambique (Forcas Armadas de Defesa de Mocambique, FADM): Mozambique Army (Ramo do Exercito), Mozambique Navy (Marinha de Guerra de Mocambique, MGM), Mozambique Air Force (Forca Aerea de Mocambique, FAM)

Ministry of Interior: Mozambique National Police (PRM), the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC), Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR; police special forces), Border Security Force; other security forces include the Presidential Guard and the Force for the Protection of High-Level Individuals (2023)", + "note": "note 1: the FADM and other security forces are referred to collectively as the Defense and Security Forces (DFS)

note 2: the PRM, SERNIC, and the UIR are responsible for law enforcement and internal security; the Border Security Force is responsible for protecting the country’s international borders and for carrying out police duties within 24 miles of borders

note 3: the Presidential Guard provides security for the president, and the Force for the Protection of High-level Individuals provides security for senior-level officials at the national and provincial levels" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1236,7 +1236,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information limited and varied; approximately 12,000 personnel (11,000 Army and about 1,000 Air Force and Navy) (2022)" + "text": "information limited and varied; estimated 12,000 active personnel (11,000 Army and about 1,000 Air Force and Navy) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FADM's inventory consists primarily of Soviet-era equipment, although in recent years it has received limited quantities of more modern equipment from a variety of countries, mostly as aid/donations (2023)" @@ -1245,7 +1245,7 @@ "text": "registration for military service is mandatory for all men and women at 18 years of age; 18-35 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; 24-month service obligation (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the FADM is responsible for external security, cooperating with police on internal security, and responding to natural disasters and other emergencies; the current primary focus of the FADM is countering an insurgency driven by militants with ties to the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) terrorist group in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, an area known for rich liquid natural gas deposits; insurgent attacks in the province began in 2017 and the fighting has left over 4,000 estimated dead and nearly 1 million displaced; the FADM is widely assessed as lacking the training, equipment, and overall capabilities to address the insurgency; several countries from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the EU, as well as Rwanda and the US are providing various forms of military assistance; the SADC countries and Zambia have sent more than 3,000 military and security personnel, while the EU and the US have provided training assistance

the FADM’s Army is comprised largely of light infantry supplemented by several battalions of artillery and special forces; the Air Force has small numbers of Soviet-era combat aircraft and helicopters

in 2023, the Mozambique Government legalized local militias that have been assisting security forces operating in Cabo Delgado against Islamic militants since 2020; this Local Force is comprised of ex-combatants and other civilians and is to receive training, uniforms, weapons, and logistical support from the FADM (2023)" + "text": "the FADM is responsible for external security, cooperating with police on internal security, and responding to natural disasters and other emergencies; the current primary focus of the FADM is countering an insurgency driven by militants with ties to the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) terrorist group in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, an area known for rich liquid natural gas deposits; insurgent attacks in the province began in 2017 and the fighting has left over 4,000 estimated dead and nearly 1 million displaced; the FADM is widely assessed as lacking the training, equipment, and overall capabilities to address the insurgency; several countries from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the EU, as well as Rwanda and the US are providing various forms of military assistance; the SADC countries and Zambia have sent more than 3,000 military and security personnel, while some EU member states and the US have provided training assistance

the FADM’s Army is comprised largely of light infantry supplemented by several battalions of artillery and special forces; the Air Force has small numbers of Soviet-era combat aircraft and helicopters

in 2023, the Mozambique Government legalized local militias that have been assisting security forces operating in Cabo Delgado against Islamic militants since 2020; this Local Force is comprised of ex-combatants and other civilians and is to receive training, uniforms, weapons, and logistical support from the FADM (2023)" } }, "Terrorism": { @@ -1260,10 +1260,18 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "12,398 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 9,261 (Burundi) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023)" + "text": "12,554 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 10,655 (Burundi) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "1.03 million (north Mozambique, violence between the government and an opposition group, violence associated with extremists groups in 2018, political violence 2019) (2022)" + "text": "875,972 (north Mozambique, violence between the government and an opposition group, violence associated with extremists groups in 2018, political violence 2019) (2023)" + } + }, + "Trafficking in persons": { + "tier rating": { + "text": "Tier 2 Watch List — Mozambique does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; the government increased investigations and prosecutions, trained law enforcement and front-line officials, published and disseminated draft standard operating procedures (SOPs) for victim referral and care and raising public awareness; officials convened government and civil society stakeholders and coordinated with neighboring governments; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts, compared with the previous reporting period, to expand its anti-trafficking capacity; despite increased investigations, Mozambique did not report identifying any victims and lacked adequate procedures to screen vulnerable populations for trafficking; for the seventh consecutive year, the government failed to adopt its draft National Referral Mechanism and SOPs for care and referral of victims; Mozambique did not report providing financial or in-kind support to the civil society organizations that identify and assist victims; the lack of a formally adopted National Action Plan, including dedicated resources for preventing trafficking, reduced integration of anti-trafficking efforts; reports of low-level official complicity in trafficking crimes persisted; the government did not provide sufficient resources to victim protection services, relying on NGOs and international organizations to provide the majority of services to victims; the government lacked effective policies or laws to regulate foreign labor recruiters and hold them liable for fraudulent recruiting; therefore, Mozambique was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List (2023)" + }, + "trafficking profile": { + "text": "human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Mozambique, as well as Mozambicans abroad; forced child labor occurs in agriculture, mining, and market vending in rural areas, often with the complicity of family members; migrants, especially women and girls from rural areas in neighboring countries such as Malawi, are lured to cities in Mozambique, Eswatini, or South Africa   with promises of employment or education but are exploited in domestic servitude or sex trafficking; individuals with albinism may be vulnerable to sex and labor trafficking by traditional healers; Mozambican girls are exploited in bars, roadside clubs, overnight stopping points, and restaurants along the southern transport corridor that links Maputo with Eswatini and South Africa; girls are exploited in sex trafficking in and around mining worksites; women and girls are recruited online with false employment promises, then exploited in sex trafficking or forced labor; children from vulnerable families are at risk of trafficking, including children from Gaza province who migrate to Maputo and work in street vending; child sex trafficking is prevalent in the cities that have highly mobile populations and large numbers of long-distance truck drivers; individuals in displacement camps or otherwise affected by cyclones were vulnerable to trafficking; non-state armed groups exploited women and children, among the over one million IDPs in northern and central Mozambique displaced by violent extremism, in forced labor and sex trafficking; non-state armed groups also recruited or used child soldiers; extremists lure youth with promises of employment in the fishing sector, and then force them to fight with non-state armed groups; Mozambican men and boys are exploited in forced labor on South African farms and mines before being turned over to police for deportation as undocumented migrants; Mozambican boys who migrate to Eswatini are at risk of forced labor; Mozambican adults and girls are exploited in forced labor and sex trafficking abroad, including in Angola, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Portugal; traffickers allegedly bribe officials to move victims within the country and across borders to Eswatini and South Africa (2023)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { diff --git a/africa/ng.json b/africa/ng.json index cecb0d6c..6ced8154 100644 --- a/africa/ng.json +++ b/africa/ng.json @@ -1208,7 +1208,8 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 12,000 active FAN troops (8,000 Army; 200 Air Force; 4,000 Gendarmerie); approximately 3,000 National Guard (2022)" + "text": "information varies; estimated 30-35,000 active FAN troops; estimated 5-10,000 paramilitary Gendarmerie and National Guard personnel (2023)", + "note": "note: in 2020, the Nigerien Government announced it intended to increase the size of the FAN to 50,000 by 2025" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FAN's inventory consists of a wide variety of older weapons; in recent years, it has received small amounts of mostly secondhand equipment and donations from several countries, including Egypt and the US (2023)" @@ -1218,7 +1219,7 @@ }, "Military deployments": { "text": "875 Mali (MINUSMA) (2023)", - "note": "note 1: Niger is part of a four (formerly five)-nation anti-jihadist task force known as the G5 (now G4) Sahel Group, set up in 2014 with Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali (withdrew in 2022), and Mauritania; it has committed 1,100 troops and 200 gendarmes to the force; defense forces from each of the participating states are allowed to pursue terrorist fighters up to 100 km into neighboring countries; the force is backed by France, the UN, and the US

note 2: Niger also has about 1,000 troops committed to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) 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" + "note": "note 1: Niger is part of a four (formerly five)-nation anti-jihadist task force known as the G5 (now G4) Sahel Group, set up in 2014 with Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali (withdrew in 2022), and Mauritania; it has committed 1,100 troops and 200 gendarmes to the force; defense forces from each of the participating states are allowed to pursue terrorist fighters up to 100 km into neighboring countries; the force is backed by France, the UN, and the US

note 2: Niger also has committed about 1,000 troops to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) 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": { "text": "while the FAN is responsible for ensuring external security, much of its focus is internal, particularly counterinsurgency/counterterrorism operations against terrorist groups operating in the areas bordering Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, and Nigeria, as well as much of northern Niger and the Diffa and Lake Chad regions; these groups include the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) in the Greater Sahara, Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM); up to 70% of the security forces are assigned to fighting militants and protecting borders

the FAN is a lightly armed, but experienced military; it has conducted training and combat operations with foreign partners, including the French and US; the EU has also provided security assistance, particularly to the GN, GNN, and the National Police; the FAN also conducts counterterrorism operations with the G4 Sahel Group and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which coordinates the Lake Chad states’ operations against Boko Haram

in recent years, Niger has focused on making its security services more mobile to improve their effectiveness in countering terrorism and protecting the country’s borders; with training support and material assistance from the US and the EU, each security service has created new units or reconfigured existing units with an emphasis on mobility, hybridization, and specialized training; since the 2010s, the Army has created a special operations command, several special intervention battalions, and an anti-terrorism unit known as the 1st Expeditionary Force of Niger (EFoN); the GN has created mobile units modeled on European gendarmerie forces known as the Rapid Action Group—Surveillance and Response in the Sahel (Groupe d'action Rapides—Surveillance et Intervention au Sahel or GAR-SI Sahel); the GNN has developed mobile Multipurpose Squadrons (Escadrons Polyvalentes de la Garde Nationale de Niger or EP-GNN), while the National Police have created Mobile Border Control Companies (Compagnie Mobile de Contrôle des Frontières or CMCF); Niger has also established training centers for special forces in Tillia and peacekeeping in Ouallam; meanwhile, the Air Force has received a few armed UAVs from Turkey

the Army was established in 1960 from French colonial forces, while the Air Force was formed as the Niger National Escadrille in 1961; the GN received its first Nigerien commander in 1962; since its establishment, Niger’s military has played a significant role in the country’s politics, conducting successful coups in 1974, 1996, 1999, and 2010, and ruling Niger for much of the period before 1999; the FAN also conducted counterinsurgency operations against Taureg rebels during 1990-95 and 2007-09 (2023)" @@ -1239,7 +1240,7 @@ "text": "189,245 (Nigeria), 66,5020 (Mali) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "376,809 (includes the regions of Diffa, Tillaberi, and Tahoua; unknown how many of the 11,000 people displaced by clashes between government forces and the Tuareg militant group, Niger Movement for Justice, in 2007 are still displaced; inter-communal violence; Boko Haram attacks in southern Niger, 2015) (2022)" + "text": "335,277 (includes the regions of Diffa, Tillaberi, and Tahoua; unknown how many of the 11,000 people displaced by clashes between government forces and the Tuareg militant group, Niger Movement for Justice, in 2007 are still displaced; inter-communal violence; Boko Haram attacks in southern Niger, 2015) (2023)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { diff --git a/africa/ni.json b/africa/ni.json index 6004d0ec..eb7bad25 100644 --- a/africa/ni.json +++ b/africa/ni.json @@ -1233,8 +1233,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "

Nigerian Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Coast Guard), Air Force

Ministry of Interior: Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Police Force (NPF)

(2023)", - "note": "note 1: the NSCDC a paramilitary agency commissioned to assist the military in the management of threats to internal security, including attacks and natural disasters

note 2: the Office of the National Security Advisor is responsible for coordinating all security and enforcement agencies, including the Department of State Security (DSS), the NSCDC, the Ministry of Justice, and the NPF; border security responsibilities are shared among the NPF, the DSS, the NSCDC, Customs, Immigration, and the Nigerian military

note 3: some states have created local security forces in response to increased violence, insecurity, and criminality that have exceeded the response capacity of government security forces" + "text": "Nigerian Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Coast Guard), Air Force

Ministry of Interior: Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Police Force (NPF) (2023)", + "note": "note 1: the NSCDC is a paramilitary agency commissioned to assist the military in the management of threats to internal security, including attacks and natural disasters

note 2: the Office of the National Security Advisor is responsible for coordinating all security and enforcement agencies, including the Department of State Security (DSS), the NSCDC, the Ministry of Justice, and the NPF; border security responsibilities are shared among the NPF, the DSS, the NSCDC, Customs, Immigration, and the Nigerian military

note 3: some states have created local security forces in response to increased violence, insecurity, and criminality that have exceeded the response capacity of government security forces" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1254,16 +1254,16 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 135,000 active-duty armed forces personnel (100,000 Army; 20,000 Navy/Coast Guard; 15,000 Air Force); approximately 80,000 Security and Civil Defense Corps (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 135,000 active-duty armed forces personnel (100,000 Army; 20,000 Navy/Coast Guard; 15,000 Air Force); approximately 80,000 Security and Civil Defense Corps (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory consists of a wide variety of imported weapons systems of Chinese, European, Middle Eastern, Russian (including Soviet-era), and US origin; the military is undergoing a considerable modernization program, and in recent years has received equipment from nearly 20 countries with China and Russia as the leading suppliers; Nigeria is also developing a defense-industry capacity, including small arms, armored personnel vehicles, and small-scale naval production (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18-26 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2022)" + "text": "18-26 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2023)" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "200 Ghana (ECOMIG) (2022)", + "text": "175 Sudan/South Sudan (UNISFA); has about 200 police and military assigned to the MINUSMA mission in Mali (2023)", "note": "note: 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": { @@ -1297,7 +1297,7 @@ "text": "86,401 (Cameroon) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "3.3 million (northeast Nigeria; Boko Haram attacks and counterinsurgency efforts in northern Nigeria; communal violence between Christians and Muslims in the middle belt region, political violence; flooding; forced evictions; cattle rustling; competition for resources) (2023)" + "text": "3.579 million (northeast Nigeria; Boko Haram attacks and counterinsurgency efforts in northern Nigeria; communal violence between Christians and Muslims in the middle belt region, political violence; flooding; forced evictions; cattle rustling; competition for resources) (2023)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { diff --git a/africa/od.json b/africa/od.json index d9627986..ada3fed7 100644 --- a/africa/od.json +++ b/africa/od.json @@ -1015,7 +1015,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF): Ground Force (includes Presidential Guard), Air Force, Air Defense Forces; National (or Necessary) Unified Forces (NUF); Ministry of Interior: South Sudan National Police Service  (2023)", + "text": "South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF): Ground Force (includes Presidential Guard), Air Force, Air Defense Forces; National (or Necessary) Unified Forces (NUF)

Ministry of Interior: South Sudan National Police Service (2023)", "note": "note 1: the NUF are being formed by retraining rebel and pro-government militia fighters into military, police, and other government security forces; in August 2022, South Sudan held the first graduation ceremony for retrained personnel

note 2: numerous irregular forces operate in the country with official knowledge, including militias operated by the National Security Service (an internal security force under the Ministry of National Security) and proxy forces" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1036,8 +1036,8 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "estimated 150-200,000 active personnel, mostly ground forces with small contingents of air and riverine forces (2022)", - "note": "note: some active SSPDF personnel may be militia; the National/Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) will have some 50-80,000 personnel; the initial batch of 22,000 NUF personnel completed training in August 2022" + "text": "estimated 150-200,000 active personnel, mostly ground forces with small contingents of air and riverine forces (2023)", + "note": "note: some active SSPDF personnel may be militia; the National/Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) are expected to have up to 80,000 personnel when training and integration is completed; the first batch of approximately 20,000 NUF personnel completed training in late 2022" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the SSPDF inventory is primarily of Soviet origin; South Sudan has been under a UN arms embargo since 2018 (2023)" @@ -1059,10 +1059,10 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "139,912 (Sudan) (refugees since 15 April 2023), 12,491 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2023)" + "text": "245,371 (Sudan) (refugees since 15 April 2023), 12,491 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "2.23 million (alleged coup attempt and ethnic conflict beginning in December 2013; information is lacking on those displaced in earlier years by: fighting in Abyei between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in May 2011; clashes between the SPLA and dissident militia groups in South Sudan; inter-ethnic conflicts over resources and cattle; attacks from the Lord's Resistance Army; floods and drought) (2023)" + "text": "2.258 million (alleged coup attempt and ethnic conflict beginning in December 2013; information is lacking on those displaced in earlier years by: fighting in Abyei between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in May 2011; clashes between the SPLA and dissident militia groups in South Sudan; inter-ethnic conflicts over resources and cattle; attacks from the Lord's Resistance Army; floods and drought) (2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "10,000 (2022)" diff --git a/africa/pu.json b/africa/pu.json index f3d85cba..3af20122 100644 --- a/africa/pu.json +++ b/africa/pu.json @@ -1103,7 +1103,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, Air Force; Ministry of Internal Administration: Guard Nacional (a gendarmerie force), Public Order Police, Border Police, Rapid Intervention Police, Maritime Police (2022)", + "text": "People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, Air Force

Ministry of Internal Administration: Guard Nacional (a gendarmerie force), Public Order Police, Border Police, Rapid Intervention Police, Maritime Police (2023)", "note": "note: the Public Order Police is responsible for maintaining law and order, while the Judicial Police, under the Ministry of Justice, has primary responsibility for investigating drug trafficking, terrorism, and other transnational crimes" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1124,7 +1124,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 4,000 total active troops, including a few hundred air and naval personnel (2022)" + "text": "approximately 4,000 active troops, including a few hundred air and naval personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FARP is armed mostly with Soviet-era equipment, much of which is reportedly unserviceable (2023)" diff --git a/africa/se.json b/africa/se.json index c44659fc..93258918 100644 --- a/africa/se.json +++ b/africa/se.json @@ -1109,8 +1109,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Seychelles Defense Forces (SDF): Army (includes infantry, special forces, and a presidential security unit), Coast Guard, and Air Force; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Seychelles Police Force (includes unarmed police and an armed paramilitary Police Special Support Wing, and the Marine Police Unit) (2023)", - "note": "note: the military reports to the president, who acts as minister of defense  " + "text": "Seychelles Defense Forces (SDF): Army (includes infantry, special forces, and a presidential security unit), Coast Guard, and Air Force

Ministry of Internal Affairs: Seychelles Police Force (includes unarmed police and an armed paramilitary Police Special Support Wing, and the Marine Police Unit) (2023)", + "note": "note: the SDF reports to the president, who acts as minister of defense  " }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1130,13 +1130,13 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 500 personnel (2022)" + "text": "approximately 500-1,000 personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the SDF's inventory primarily consists of Soviet-era equipment delivered in the 1970s and 1980s; in recent years, the SDF has received limited amounts of more modern equipment, mostly donations of patrol boats and aircraft, from several suppliers led by China and India (2022)" + "text": "the SDF's inventory primarily consists of Soviet-era equipment delivered in the 1970s and 1980s; in recent years, the SDF has received limited amounts of more modern equipment, mostly donations of patrol boats and aircraft, from several suppliers led by China and India (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18-28 (18-25 for officers) years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 6-year initial commitment; no conscription (2022)" + "text": "18-28 (18-25 for officers) years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 6-year initial commitment; no conscription (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "formed in 1977, the SDF is one of the world's smallest militaries; its primary responsibility is maritime security, particularly countering illegal fishing, piracy, and drug smuggling; it was given police powers in 2022; the Seychelles has strong security ties with India (2023)" diff --git a/africa/sf.json b/africa/sf.json index fd0083fc..2f95384b 100644 --- a/africa/sf.json +++ b/africa/sf.json @@ -1251,7 +1251,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army (includes Reserve Force), South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), South African Military Health Services; Ministry of Police: South African Police Service (2023)", + "text": "South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army (includes Reserve Force), South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), South African Military Health Services

Ministry of Police: South African Police Service (2023)", "note": "note: the South African Police Service includes a Special Task Force for counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and hostage rescue operations" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1272,17 +1272,17 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 75,000 active duty personnel (40,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 10,000 Air Force; 8,000 Military Health Service; 10,000 other, including administrative, logistics, military police); 180,000 South African Police Service (2022)" + "text": "approximately 75,000 active-duty personnel (40,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 10,000 Air Force; 8,000 Military Health Service; 10,000 other, including administrative, logistics, military police); 180,000 South African Police Service (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the SANDF's inventory consists of a mix of domestically produced and foreign-supplied equipment; South Africa's domestic defense industry produced most of the Army's major weapons systems (some were jointly produced with foreign companies), while the Air Force and Navy inventories include a mix of European-, Israeli-, and US-origin weapons systems (2022)" + "text": "the SANDF's inventory consists of a mix of domestically produced and foreign-supplied equipment; South Africa's domestic defense industry produced most of the Army's major weapons systems (some were jointly produced with foreign companies), while the Air Force and Navy inventories include a mix of aging European-, Israeli-, and US-origin weapons and equipment; the SANDF has received only a limited number of imported weapons in recent years  (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-22 (18-26 for college graduates) years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 2-year service obligation (2023)", "note": "note: in 2019, women comprised about 30% of the military" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "1,150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); up to 1,500 Mozambique (part of a Southern African Development Community force to help quell an insurgency) (2022)" + "text": "1,150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); up to 1,500 Mozambique (part of a Southern African Development Community force to help quell an insurgency) (2023)" }, "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 approximately 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 to combat trafficking along the border

the Army in recent years has reorganized, and its combat forces are organized into 4 “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 4 frigates and 3 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

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)" diff --git a/africa/sg.json b/africa/sg.json index 4a15502f..f0b9e3fa 100644 --- a/africa/sg.json +++ b/africa/sg.json @@ -1203,8 +1203,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Senegalese Armed Forces (les Forces Armées Sénégalaises, FAS): Army, Senegalese National Navy (Marine Senegalaise, MNS), Senegalese Air Force (l'Armee de l'Air du Senegal), National Gendarmerie (includes Territorial and Mobile components) (2023)", - "note": "note: the National Police under the Ministry of Interior operates in major cities, while the Gendarmerie under the FAS primarily operates outside urban areas; both services have specialized anti-terrorism units" + "text": "Senegalese Armed Forces (les Forces Armées Sénégalaises, FAS): Army, Senegalese National Navy (Marine Senegalaise, MNS), Senegalese Air Force (l'Armee de l'Air du Senegal), National Gendarmerie (includes Territorial and Mobile components)

Ministry of Interior: National Police (2023)", + "note": "note: the National Police operates in major cities, while the Gendarmerie under the FAS primarily operates outside urban areas; both services have specialized anti-terrorism units" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1224,7 +1224,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 19,000 active personnel (12,000 Army; 1,000 Navy/Coast Guard; 1,000 Air Force; 5,000 National Gendarmerie) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 19,000 active personnel (12,000 Army; 1,000 Navy/Coast Guard; 1,000 Air Force; 5,000 National Gendarmerie) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FAS inventory includes mostly older or secondhand equipment from a variety of countries, including France, South Africa, and Russia/former Soviet Union; in recent years, the FAS has undertaken a modernization program and has received small amounts of newer equipment from more than 10 countries, with France as the leading supplier (2023)" @@ -1233,7 +1233,7 @@ "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 20 years of age for selective compulsory service for men and possibly women; 24-month service obligation (2023)" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "950 Mali (MINUSMA); note - Senegal also has about 1,000 police deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mali (2023)" + "text": "200 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 950 Mali (MINUSMA); note - Senegal also has about 1,000 police deployed to UN peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), and Mali (MINUSMA) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "despite limited resources, the FAS is considered to be a well-equipped, experienced, and professional military; it has a history of non-interference in the country’s political process and good relations with civil authorities; it is experienced in foreign deployments and has received considerable assistance from the French military, which maintains a presence in Senegal, and the US, with smaller levels from Germany, Spain, and the UK; the FAS’s primary focuses are border, internal, and maritime security; it is closely watching the prevalence of multiple active terrorist groups across the region and political instability in neighboring Mali and Guinea and has recently established new military and gendarmerie camps along its eastern border; it also works with the government in areas such as preventive healthcare, infrastructure development, environmental protection, and disaster response

the Army is spread amongst 7 military zones and organized into a mix of light infantry battalions and light armored reconnaissance squadrons, as well as airborne, special operations, and artillery battalions; the Gendarmerie includes mobile units, as well as the Presidential Guard (aka “The Red Guard”); the Navy is a small force of coastal patrol craft; in recent years it has acquired some modern platforms from France and Israel, including its first offshore patrol vessel, to improve the Navy’s ability to patrol Senegal’s coastline and economic exclusion zone, conduct fisheries inspections, counter drug trafficking, and combat piracy; the Air Force is configured for supporting the ground forces and has a small number of light attack aircraft and helicopter gunships, as well as transport and reconnaissance aircraft

Senegalese security forces have been engaged in a low-level counterinsurgency campaign in the southern Casamance region against various factions of the separatist Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance (MDFC) since 1982; the conflict is one of longest running low-level insurgencies in the World, having claimed more than 5,000 lives while leaving another 60,000 displaced; in May 2023, a faction of the MFDC agreed to a peace deal (2023)" @@ -1250,10 +1250,10 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "11,502 (Mauritania) (2023)" + "text": "11,505 (Mauritania) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "8,400 (2021)" + "text": "8,400 (2022)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { diff --git a/africa/sl.json b/africa/sl.json index a3e5f74d..a1181ce0 100644 --- a/africa/sl.json +++ b/africa/sl.json @@ -1149,7 +1149,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): operates under a Joint Force Command with Land Forces, Maritime Forces, and an Air Wing; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Sierre Leone Police (2022)" + "text": "Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Land Forces, Maritime Forces, Air Wing

Ministry of Internal Affairs: Sierre Leone Police (2023)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1169,16 +1169,16 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 9,000 personnel, mostly ground forces (2022)" + "text": "approximately 10,000 personnel, mostly ground forces (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the RSLAF has a small inventory that includes a mix of Soviet-origin and other older foreign-supplied equipment; in recent years, it has received limited amounts of mostly donations and secondhand equipment (2022)" + "text": "the RSLAF has a small inventory that includes a mix of Soviet-origin and other older foreign-supplied equipment; in recent years, it has received limited amounts of mostly donations and secondhand equipment (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-29 for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve; no conscription (2022)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the RSLAF’s principle responsibilities are securing the borders and the country’s territorial waters, supporting civil authorities during emergencies and reconstruction efforts, and participating in peacekeeping missions; it is small, lightly armed, and has a limited budget; since being reduced in size and restructured with British assistance after the end of the civil war in 2002, it has received assistance from several foreign militaries, including those of Canada, China, France, the UK, and the US; the RSLAF has participated in peacekeeping operations in Somalia and Sudan; the Land Forces are by far the largest service and have 4 small light infantry brigades; the Maritime Forces have a few small coastal and in-shore patrol boats, while the Air Wing has a handful of serviceable combat helicopters

the RSLAF’s origins lie in the Sierra Leone Battalion of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF), a multi-regiment force formed by the British colonial office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Gold Coast (Ghana), Nigeria (Lagos and the protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria), Sierra Leone, and Gambia; the RWAFF fought in both World Wars (2023)" + "text": "the RSLAF’s principle responsibilities are securing the borders and the country’s territorial waters, supporting civil authorities during emergencies and reconstruction efforts, and participating in peacekeeping missions; it is small, lightly armed, and has a limited budget; since being reduced in size and restructured with British assistance after the end of the civil war in 2002, it has received assistance from several foreign militaries, including those of Canada, China, France, the UK, and the US; the RSLAF has participated in peacekeeping operations in Somalia and Sudan; the Land Forces are by far the largest service with four small light infantry brigades; the Maritime Forces have a few small coastal and in-shore patrol boats, while the Air Wing has a handful of serviceable combat helicopters

the RSLAF’s origins lie in the Sierra Leone Battalion of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF), a multi-regiment force formed by the British colonial office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Gold Coast (Ghana), Nigeria (Lagos and the protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria), Sierra Leone, and Gambia; the RWAFF fought in both World Wars (2023)" }, "Maritime threats": { "text": "the International Maritime Bureau reported one incident in the territorial waters of Sierra Leone in 2022 where the ship was hijacked, this was the first incident reported in two years; this incident was one of only two hijackings Worldwide in 2022; the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea remain a very high risk for piracy and armed robbery of ships; past incidents have been reported where vessels were attacked and crews kidnapped; these incidents showed that the pirates / robbers in the area are well armed and violent; pirates have robbed vessels and kidnapped crews for ransom; in the past, product tankers were hijacked and cargo stolen; the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation has issued a Maritime Advisory (2023-001 - Gulf of Guinea-Piracy/Armed Robbery/Kidnapping for Ransom) effective 3 January 2023, which states in part, \"Piracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping for ransom continue to serve as significant threats to US-flagged vessels transiting or operating in the Gulf of Guinea\"" diff --git a/africa/so.json b/africa/so.json index 9bc290d2..fb29f3d1 100644 --- a/africa/so.json +++ b/africa/so.json @@ -1092,8 +1092,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Ministry of Defense: Somali National Army (SNA); Ministry of Internal Security: Somali National Police (SNP, includes a maritime unit and a Turkish-trained commando unit known as Harmacad, or Cheetah); National Security and Intelligence Agency (includes a commando/counterterrorism unit) (2023)", - "note": "note 1: Somalia has numerous militia (aka \"macawisley\") and regional forces operating throughout the country; these forces include ones that are clan- and warlord-based, semi-official paramilitary and special police forces (aka \"darwish\"), and externally-sponsored militias; the SNA is attempting to incorporate some of these militia units

note 2: Somaliland has army and naval forces under the Somaliland Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces" + "text": "Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF; aka Somali National Defense Force): Land Forces (Somali National Army or SNA), Somali Navy, Somali Air Force

Ministry of Internal Security: Somali National Police (SNP, includes Coast Guard and a commando unit known as Harmacad or Cheetah) 

National Security and Intelligence Agency (includes a commando/counterterrorism unit) (2023)", + "note": "note 1:  the Somali Navy and Air Force have only a few hundred personnel, little equipment, and are not operational

note 2: Somalia has numerous militia (\"macawisley\") and regional forces operating throughout the country; these forces include ones that are clan- and warlord-based, semi-official paramilitary and special police forces (\"darwish\"), and externally sponsored militias

note 3: Somaliland and Puntland have separate military and security forces" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2021": { @@ -1113,7 +1113,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "estimates vary; up to 20,000 SNA personnel (2023)", + "text": "estimates vary; approximately 18-20,000 regular military personnel (2023)", "note": "note 1: in January 2023, the Somali Government said the SNA would have 24,000 trained and equipped troops by 2024

note 2: as of 2022, there were estimates of up to 50,000 militia forces operating in the country" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { @@ -1146,7 +1146,7 @@ "text": "9,208 (Yemen) (2022)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "2.968 million (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources; famine; insecurity because of fighting between al-Shabaab and the Transitional Federal Government's allied forces) (2022)" + "text": "3.864 million (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources; famine; insecurity because of fighting between al-Shabaab and the Transitional Federal Government's allied forces) (2022)" } } } diff --git a/africa/su.json b/africa/su.json index 8c6c3ef3..864c955f 100644 --- a/africa/su.json +++ b/africa/su.json @@ -1183,7 +1183,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): Ground Force, Navy, Sudanese Air Force; Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Border Guards; Ministry of Interior: security police, special forces police, traffic police, Central Reserve Police (2023)", + "text": "Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): Ground Force, Navy, Sudanese Air Force; Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Border Guards

Ministry of Interior: security police, special forces police, traffic police, Central Reserve Police (2023)", "note": "note 1: the RSF is a semi-autonomous paramilitary force formed in 2013 to fight armed rebel groups in Sudan, with Mohammed Hamdan DAGALO (aka Hemeti) as its commander (he is also a member of the Sovereign Council); it was initially placed under the National Intelligence and Security Service, then came under the direct command of former president Omar al-BASHIR, who boosted the RSF as his own personal security force; as a result, the RSF was better funded and equipped than the regular armed forces; the RSF has since recruited from all parts of Sudan beyond its original Darfuri Arab groups but remains under the personal patronage and control of DAGALO; the RSF has participated in combat operations in Yemen and in counterinsurgency operations in Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile State; it has also been active along the borders with Libya and the Central African Republic and has been used to respond to anti-regime demonstrations; the RSF has been accused of committing human rights abuses against civilians and is reportedly involved in business enterprises, such as gold mining

note 2: the Central Reserve Police (aka Abu Tira) is a combat-trained paramilitary force that has been used against demonstrators and sanctioned by the US for human rights abuses" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1208,17 +1208,17 @@ "text": "estimates vary widely; up to 200,000 SAF personnel; the strength of the RSF ranges from a low of about 30,000 to as many as 100,000 fighters; up to 80,000 Central Reserve Police (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the SAF's inventory includes a mix of Chinese, Russian, Soviet-era, and domestically produced weapons systems; in recent years, Russia has been the leading arms provider; Sudan has one of the largest defense industries in Africa, which includes state-owned companies with military involvement; it mostly manufactures weapons systems under license from China, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine (2022)" + "text": "the SAF's inventory includes a mix of Chinese, Russian, Soviet-era, and domestically produced weapons systems; in recent years, China and Russia have been the leading arms providers; Sudan has one of the largest defense industries in Africa, which includes state-owned companies with military involvement; it mostly manufactures weapons systems under license from China, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-33 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service for men and women; 12-24 month service obligation (2023)", "note": "note: implementation of conscription is reportedly uneven" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "approximately 750 Democratic Republic of the Congo (East African Community stabilization force)

Sudan joined the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015, reportedly providing as many as 40,000 troops during the peak of the war in 2016-17, mostly from the Rapid Support Forces; by 2021, Sudan had reduced the size of the force to about a brigade (approximately 2-3,000 troops) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 750 Democratic Republic of the Congo (East African Community stabilization force)

reportedly continues to maintain several hundred troops in Yemen; Sudan joined the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015, providing as many as 40,000 troops during the peak of the war in 2016-17, mostly from the Rapid Support Forces; by 2021, Sudan had reduced the size of the force to about a brigade (approximately 2-3,000 troops) (2022)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "

the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) is a large and relatively well-equipped military; its primary focuses are internal security, border issues, and potential external threats from its neighbors; the SAF is often supported by militia and paramilitary forces, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF); in the Spring of 2023, heavy fighting broke out between the SAF and the paramilitary RSF amid disputes over an internationally-backed plan for a transition towards civilian rule, particularly around the capital Khartoum and in some outlying areas; both the SAF and the RSF have some operational experience from internal security operations and Sudan’s years-long intervention in Yemen with the Saudi-led coalition; information on the organization of the SAF and the RSF varies; the SAF Army is estimated to have more than 10 infantry divisions, as well as divisions of mechanized, armored, and airborne/special forces, and several independent infantry brigades; the SAF Air Force has several squadrons of Chinese- and Russian-origin combat  aircraft, as well as multiple squadrons of combat helicopters, also largely of Russian origin; the Navy has a small force of coastal patrol boats; the RSF is a lightly-armed ground force reportedly organized into brigades of varying size and makeup   

the Sudanese military has been a dominant force in the ruling of the country since its independence in 1956; in addition, the Sudanese military and security forces have a large role in the country's economy, reportedly controlling over 200 commercial companies, including businesses involved in gold mining, rubber production, agriculture, and meat exports

the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has operated in the disputed Abyei region along the border between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011; UNISFA's mission includes ensuring security, protecting civilians, strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, de-mining, monitoring/verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the area, and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid; UNISFA had about 2,800 personnel deployed as of early 2023

the October 2020 peace agreement provided for the establishment of a Joint Security Keeping Forces (JSKF) comprised of 12,000 personnel tasked with securing the Darfur region in the place of the UN African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), a joint African Union-UN peacekeeping force that operated in the war-torn region between 2007 and the end of its mandate in December 2020; in June 2021, Sudan's transitional government announced it would increase the size of this force to 20,000 and expand its mission scope to include the capital and other parts of the country suffering from violence; the force would include the SAF, RSF, police, intelligence, and representatives from armed groups involved in peace negotiations; in September 2022, the first 2,000 members of the JSKF completed training (2023)" + "text": "

the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) is a large and relatively well-equipped military; its primary focuses are internal security, border issues, and potential external threats from its neighbors; the SAF is often supported by militia and paramilitary forces, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF); in the Spring of 2023, heavy fighting broke out between the SAF and the paramilitary RSF amid disputes over an internationally-backed plan for a transition towards civilian rule, particularly around the capital Khartoum and in some outlying areas, particularly the western region of Darfur; both the SAF and the RSF have some operational experience from internal security operations and Sudan’s years-long intervention in Yemen with the Saudi-led coalition; information on the organization of the SAF and the RSF varies; the SAF Army is estimated to have more than 10 infantry divisions, as well as divisions of mechanized, armored, and airborne/special forces, and several independent infantry brigades; the SAF Air Force has several squadrons of Chinese- and Russian-origin combat  aircraft, as well as multiple squadrons of combat helicopters, also largely of Russian origin; the Navy has a small force of coastal patrol boats; the RSF is a lightly-armed ground force reportedly organized into brigades of varying size and makeup   

the Sudanese military has been a dominant force in the ruling of the country since its independence in 1956; in addition, the Sudanese military and security forces have a large role in the country's economy, reportedly controlling over 200 commercial companies, including businesses involved in gold mining, rubber production, agriculture, and meat exports

the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has operated in the disputed Abyei region along the border between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011; UNISFA's mission includes ensuring security, protecting civilians, strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, de-mining, monitoring/verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the area, and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid; UNISFA had about 2,800 personnel deployed as of early 2023

the October 2020 peace agreement provided for the establishment of a Joint Security Keeping Forces (JSKF) comprised of 12,000 personnel tasked with securing the Darfur region in the place of the UN African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), a joint African Union-UN peacekeeping force that operated in the war-torn region between 2007 and the end of its mandate in December 2020; in June 2021, Sudan's transitional government announced it would increase the size of this force to 20,000 and expand its mission scope to include the capital and other parts of the country suffering from violence; the force would include the SAF, RSF, police, intelligence, and representatives from armed groups involved in peace negotiations; in September 2022, the first 2,000 members of the JSKF completed training (2023)" } }, "Space": { @@ -1245,7 +1245,7 @@ "text": "808,336 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 137,402 (Eritrea) (refugees and asylum seekers), 93,477 (Syria) (refugees and asylum seekers), 72,334 (Ethiopia) (refugees and asylum seekers), 24,370 (Central African Republic) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "3.6 million (armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan since 15 April 2023) (2023)" + "text": "4.076 million (armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan since 15 April 2023) (2023); note - includes some non-Sudanese nationals" } } } diff --git a/africa/to.json b/africa/to.json index 17ad3cfa..9b1ef438 100644 --- a/africa/to.json +++ b/africa/to.json @@ -1203,8 +1203,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Togolese Army (l'Armee de Terre), Togolese Navy (Forces Naval Togolaises), Togolese Air Force (Armee de l’Air), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale Togolaise or GNT); Ministry of Security and Civil Protection: National Police Directorate (Direction de la Police Nationale) (2023)", - "note": "note: the Police Directorate and GNT are responsible for law enforcement and maintenance of order within the country; the GNT is also responsible for migration and border enforcement; the GNT falls under the Ministry of the Armed Forces but also reports to the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection on many matters involving law enforcement and internal security " + "text": "Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Togolese Army (l'Armee de Terre), Togolese Navy (Forces Naval Togolaises), Togolese Air Force (Armee de l’Air), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale Togolaise or GNT)

Ministry of Security and Civil Protection: National Police Directorate (Direction de la Police Nationale) (2023)", + "note": "note: the Police Directorate and GNT are responsible for law enforcement and maintenance of order within the country; the GNT is also responsible for migration and border enforcement; the GNT falls under the Ministry of the Armed Forces but also reports to the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection on many matters involving law enforcement and internal security; in 2022, the Ministry of the Armed Forces was made part of the Office of the Presidency" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1224,17 +1224,17 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 11,000 personnel (6,500 Army; 500 Air and Navy; 3,000 Gendarmerie) (2022)", + "text": "estimated 15,000 active-duty personnel, including approximately 3,000 Gendarmerie (2023)", "note": "note: in January 2022, the Togolese Government announced its intent to boost the size of the FAT to more than 20,000 by 2025" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the FAT has a small, mixed inventory of mostly older equipment from a variety of countries, including Brazil, China, France, Germany, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Africa, the UK, and the US (2022)" + "text": "the FAT has a small, mixed inventory of mostly older equipment from a variety of countries; in recent years, it has received limited amounts of equipment from several suppliers, including France, Russia, and the US (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18 years of age for military service; 2-year service obligation; no conscription; women have been able to serve since 2007 (2022)" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "730 (plus about 300 police) Mali (MINUSMA) (May 2022)" + "text": "725 (plus about 300 police) Mali (MINUSMA) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "since its creation in 1963, the Togolese military has had a history of interfering in the country’s politics with assassinations, coups, influence, and a large military crackdown in 2005 that killed hundreds; over the past decade, however, it has made some efforts to reform and professionalize, as well as increase its role in UN peacekeeping activities; Togo maintains a regional peacekeeping training center for military and police in Lome; the FAT participates in multinational exercises and has received training from foreign partners, including France and the US

the FAT’s current focuses are primarily terrorism and maritime security; in recent years, it has increased operations in the northern border region of the country to boost border security and prevent terrorist infiltrations from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida-affiliated militant groups based in Mali that also operates in neighboring Burkina Faso; in 2022, the Togolese Government declared a state of emergency in the north due to the threat from JNIM following an attack on a Togolese military post that killed several soldiers; the Navy and Air Force have increased focus on combating piracy and smuggling in the Gulf of Guinea

the Army has a mixed force of small, lightly-armed combined arms, infantry, and commando regiments, as well as a rapid reaction force; the Gendarmerie includes mobile, regionally-based, and maritime units; the Navy operates a few patrol boats while the Air Force has a small inventory of training, light attack-capable, and transport aircraft, as well as combat helicopters and a few armed UAVs acquired from Turkey in 2022 (2023)" @@ -1255,7 +1255,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "8,395 (Ghana) (2023)" + "text": "9,872 (Burkina Faso), 8,436 (Ghana) (2023)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { diff --git a/africa/tp.json b/africa/tp.json index 3de42978..1784a32f 100644 --- a/africa/tp.json +++ b/africa/tp.json @@ -1119,14 +1119,11 @@ "text": "Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (Forcas Armadas de Sao Tome e Principe, FASTP): Army, Coast Guard of Sao Tome e Principe (Guarda Costeira de Sao Tome e Principe, GCSTP), Presidential Guard, National Guard (2023)", "note": "note: the Army and Coast Guard are responsible for external security while the public security police and judicial police maintain internal security; both the public security police and the military report to the Ministry of Defense and Internal Affairs; the judicial police report to the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration, and Human Rights" }, - "Military expenditures": { - "text": "Not available" - }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "the FASTP has approximately 500 personnel (2022)" + "text": "the FASTP has approximately 500 personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the FASTP has a limited inventory of light weapons (2022)" + "text": "the FASTP has a limited inventory of light weapons (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service (reportedly not enforced); 17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service (2023)" diff --git a/africa/ts.json b/africa/ts.json index 739fc2ed..41e41264 100644 --- a/africa/ts.json +++ b/africa/ts.json @@ -1178,7 +1178,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Tunisian Armed Forces (Forces Armées Tunisiennes, FAT): Tunisian Army (includes Air Defense Force), Tunisian Navy, Tunisia Air Force; Ministry of Interior: National Police, National Guard (2023)", + "text": "Tunisian Armed Forces (Forces Armées Tunisiennes, FAT): Tunisian Army (includes Air Defense Force), Tunisian Navy, Tunisia Air Force

Ministry of Interior: National Police, National Guard (2023)", "note": "note: the National Police has primary responsibility for law enforcement in the major cities, while the National Guard (gendarmerie) oversees border security and patrols smaller towns and rural areas" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1199,17 +1199,17 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 35,000 active duty personnel (25,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force); estimated 10,000 National Guard (2022)" + "text": "approximately 35,000 active-duty personnel (25,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force); estimated 10,000 National Guard (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the Tunisian military's inventory includes mostly older or second-hand US and European equipment; in recent years, the Netherlands and US have been the leading suppliers of arms to Tunisia (2022)" + "text": "the Tunisian military's inventory includes mostly older or second-hand US and European equipment; in recent years, the Netherlands, Turkey, and US have been the leading suppliers of arms to Tunisia (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "20-23 years of age for compulsory service for men with a 12-month service obligation; individuals engaged in higher education or vocational training programs prior to their military drafting are allowed to delay service until they have completed their programs (up to age 35); 18-23 years of age for voluntary service for men and women (2023)", "note": "note 1: as of 2021, approximately 20-25,000 active military personnel were conscripts

note 2: women have been allowed in the service since 1975 as volunteers only, although as recently as 2018, the Tunisian Government has discussed the possibility of conscripting women; as of 2018, women constituted less than 7% of the military and served in all three services" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "325 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 100 Mali (MINUSMA) (May 2022)" + "text": "775 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 100 Mali (MINUSMA) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the FAT is responsible for territorial defense and internal security; its operational areas of focus are countering Islamic terrorist groups and assisting with securing the border; it is conducting counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations against militant groups linked to al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the Islamic State of ash-Sham (ISIS) who are fighting a low-intensity insurgency, mostly in the mountainous region along the border with Algeria, particularly the Chaambi Mountains near the city of Kasserine; the military has the lead role for security in this area and also routinely conducts joint operations with Algerian security forces against these groups, as well to counter smuggling and trafficking activities; the FAT in recent years also has increased its role in securing the southern border against militant activity, smuggling, and trafficking from war-torn Libya; since 2015, Tunisia has constructed a system of berms, trenches, and water-filled moats, complemented by electronic surveillance equipment such as motion detectors, ground surveillance radars, and infrared sensors along the 220-kilometer border with Libya; in the remote southern areas of the border with Libya, buffer/exclusion zones have also been established where the military has the lead for counterterrorism efforts; outside of these border areas, the Ministry of Interior (MOI) has the responsibility for counterterrorism, particularly for urban areas; the National Police Anti-Terrorism Brigade and the National Guard Special Unit have the lead for MOI counterterrorism operations

the FAT is a conscript-based, but professional force that has historically remained largely apolitical and stayed out of the country’s economy; following Tunisia’s 1956 independence, FAT officers were legally prohibited from joining political parties, and the military did not intervene to prop up BEN ALI in 2011; nevertheless, President SAIED’s use of military courts to try civilians and placement of military troops outside of the parliament building after he dissolved the Assembly has raised concerns of military politicization
 
the FAT conducts bilateral and multinational training exercises with a variety of countries, including Algeria and other North African and Middle Eastern countries, France, and the US, as well as NATO; it also participates in UN peacekeeping operations; the Army has 5 combat brigades, including 3 mechanized infantry, a desert patrol, and a special forces brigade, as well as an armored reconnaissance regiment; the Navy is a coastal defense force with a small inventory of offshore patrol ships complemented by a mix of fast attack and patrol craft; the Air Force largely supports the Army’s operations; it has a handful of older US-made fighter aircraft and a few dozen combat helicopters, mostly of French and US origin 

Tunisia 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 (2023)" diff --git a/africa/tz.json b/africa/tz.json index acf85a30..cc8c80d7 100644 --- a/africa/tz.json +++ b/africa/tz.json @@ -1235,8 +1235,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Tanzania People's Defense Forces (TPDF or Jeshi la Wananchi la Tanzania, JWTZ): Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force, National Building Army (Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa, JKT), People's Militia (Reserves); Ministry of Home Affairs: Tanzania Police Force (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the National Building Army (aka National Services) is a paramilitary organization under the Defense Forces that provides 6 months of military and vocational training to individuals as part of their 2 years of public service; after completion of training, some graduates join the regular Defense Forces while the remainder become part of the People's (or Citizen's) Militia

note 2: the Tanzania Police Force includes the Police Field Force (aka Field Force Unit), a special police division with the responsibility for controlling unlawful demonstrations and riots" + "text": "Tanzania People's Defense Forces (TPDF or Jeshi la Wananchi la Tanzania, JWTZ): Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force, National Building Army (Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa, JKT), People's Militia (Reserves)

Ministry of Home Affairs: Tanzania Police Force (2023)", + "note": "note 1: the National Building Army (aka National Services) is a paramilitary organization under the Defense Forces that provides six months of military and vocational training to individuals as part of their two years of public service; after completion of training, some graduates join the regular Defense Forces while the remainder become part of the People's (or Citizen's) Militia

note 2: the Tanzania Police Force includes the Police Field Force (aka Field Force Unit), a special police division with the responsibility for controlling unlawful demonstrations and riots" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1256,16 +1256,16 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 25,000 active duty personnel (21,000 Land Forces; 1,000 Naval Forces; 3,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 25,000 active-duty personnel (21,000 Land Forces; 1,000 Naval Forces; 3,000 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the TPDF's inventory includes mostly Soviet-era and Chinese equipment; in recent years, China has been the leading supplier of arms to the TPDF (2022)" + "text": "the TPDF's inventory includes mostly Soviet-era and Chinese equipment; in recent years, China has been the leading supplier of arms and equipment (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; 6-year commitment (2-year contracts afterwards); selective conscription for 2 years of public service (2023)" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "450 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 850 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 125 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2022)", + "text": "575 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 850 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 125 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2023)", "note": "note: in 2021, Tanzania began contributing troops to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) intervention force that was assisting the Mozambique Government's fight against Islamic militants" }, "Military - note": { diff --git a/africa/ug.json b/africa/ug.json index 6c509fc7..ce722856 100644 --- a/africa/ug.json +++ b/africa/ug.json @@ -1188,8 +1188,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF): Land Force (includes marines), Air Force, Special Forces Command, Reserve Force; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Uganda Police Force (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the Special Forces Command is a separate branch within the UPDF; it evolved from the former Presidential Guard Brigade and has continued to retain presidential protection duties in addition to its conventional missions, such as counterinsurgency

note 2: the Uganda Police Force includes air, field, territorial, and marine units, as well as a presidential guard force

note 3: in 2018, President MUSEVENI created a volunteer force of Local Defense Units under the military to beef up local security in designated parts of the country" + "text": "Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF): Land Force (includes marines), Air Force, Special Forces Command, Reserve Force

Ministry of Internal Affairs: Uganda Police Force (2023)", + "note": "note 1: the Special Forces Command is a separate branch within the UPDF; it evolved from the former Presidential Guard Brigade and has continued to retain presidential protection duties in addition to its traditional missions, such as counterinsurgency

note 2: the Uganda Police Force includes air, field, territorial, and marine units, as well as a presidential guard force

note 3: in 2018, President MUSEVENI created a volunteer force of Local Defense Units under the military to beef up local security in designated parts of the country" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1209,16 +1209,16 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 50,000 troops, including about 1,000-1,500 air and marine personnel; approximately 20-30,000 personnel in the Local Defense Units (2022)" + "text": "approximately 45-50,000 active-duty troops (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the UPDF's inventory is mostly older Russian/Soviet-era equipment with a limited mix of more modern Russian- and Western-origin arms; in recent years, Russia has been the leading supplier of arms to the UPDF; Uganda has a small but growing defense industry that can manufacture light armored vehicles and perform maintenance on some military equipment, including its Russian-made helicopters  (2023)" + "text": "the UPDF's inventory is mostly older Russian/Soviet-era equipment with a limited mix of more modern Russian- and Western-origin arms; in recent years, Belarus and Russia have been the leading supplier of arms to the UPDF; Uganda has a small but growing defense industry that can manufacture light armored vehicles and perform maintenance on some military equipment, including its Russian-made helicopters (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-25 years of age for voluntary military duty for men and women; 18-30 for those with degrees/diplomas in specialized fields such as medicine, engineering, chemistry, and education, or possess qualifications in some vocational skills; 9-year service obligation (2022)" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "6,500 Somalia (ATMIS; UNSOM); 250 Equatorial Guinea (training mission) (2023)", + "text": "approximately 6,500 Somalia (625 for UNSOM; the remainder under ATMIS; note - foreign troop contingents in Somalia under ATMIS are drawing down towards a final withdrawal in December 2024); 250 Equatorial Guinea (training mission) (2023)", "note": "note: in December 2022, Uganda 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" }, "Military - note": { @@ -1246,7 +1246,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "891,331 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 494,874 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 69,614 (Somalia), 42,641 (Burundi), 32,871 (Eritrea), 23,457 (Rwanda), 7,787 (Ethiopia) (2023)" + "text": "893,925 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 494,874 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 51,692 (Somalia), 41,132 (Burundi), 36,900 (Eritrea), 23,808 (Rwanda), 9,139 (Ethiopia), 5,776 (Sudan) (2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "67,000 (2022)" diff --git a/africa/uv.json b/africa/uv.json index ae0db722..6bda77ae 100644 --- a/africa/uv.json +++ b/africa/uv.json @@ -1203,7 +1203,7 @@ "text": "18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women may serve in supporting roles (2022)" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "650 (plus about 180 police) Mali (MINUSMA) (May 2022)", + "text": "650 (plus about 200 police) Mali (MINUSMA) (2023)", "note": "note: Burkina Faso is part of a four (formerly five)-nation anti-jihadist task force known as the G4 Sahel Group, set up in 2014 with Chad, Mali (withdrew in 2022), Mauritania, and Niger; it has committed 550 troops and 100 gendarmes to the force; as of 2020, defense forces from each of the participating states were allowed to pursue terrorist fighters up to 100 km into neighboring countries; the force is backed by France, the UN, and the US" }, "Military - note": { @@ -1222,10 +1222,10 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "35,860 (Mali) (2023)" + "text": "36,372 (Mali) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "

1,761,915 (2022)

" + "text": "

2,062,534 (2023)

" } } } diff --git a/africa/wa.json b/africa/wa.json index 426365ee..c47ed88a 100644 --- a/africa/wa.json +++ b/africa/wa.json @@ -1192,7 +1192,7 @@ "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Namibian Defense Force (NDF): Army, Navy, Air Force (2023)", - "note": "note: the Namibian Police Force has a paramilitary Special Field Force responsible for protecting borders and government installations; the Police Force is under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security" + "note": "note: the Namibian Police Force is under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security; it has a paramilitary Special Field Force responsible for protecting borders and government installations" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1212,13 +1212,13 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 12,500 personnel (11,000 Army; 1,000 Navy; 500 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 12,500 personnel (11,000 Army; 1,000 Navy; 500 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the NDF's inventory consists of a mix of Soviet-era and some more modern systems from a variety of countries, including Brazil, China, Germany, India, and South Africa; in recent years, China has been the leading supplier; Namibia has a small defense industry that produces items such as armored personnel carriers (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18-25 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2022)", + "text": "18-25 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2023)", "note": "note: as of 2018, women comprised more than 20% of the active duty military" }, "Military - note": { @@ -1231,7 +1231,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "6,233 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023)" + "text": "6,285 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023)" } } } diff --git a/africa/za.json b/africa/za.json index aef6cbe7..24f676e7 100644 --- a/africa/za.json +++ b/africa/za.json @@ -1202,7 +1202,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Zambia Defense Force (ZDF): Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force, Zambia National Service; Defense Force Medical Service; Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security: Zambia Police (includes a paramilitary battalion) (2023)", + "text": "Zambia Defense Force (ZDF): Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force, Zambia National Service; Defense Force Medical Service

Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security: Zambia Police (includes a paramilitary battalion) (2023)", "note": "note: the Zambia National Service is a support organization that also does public work projects" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1223,10 +1223,10 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 17,000 active troops (15,000 Army; 2,000 Air) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 17,000 active troops (15,000 Army; 2,000 Air) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the ZDF's inventory is largely comprised of Chinese, Russian, and Soviet-era armaments; in recent years, China has been the leading supplier of arms to Zambia (2022)" + "text": "the ZDF's inventory is largely comprised of Chinese, Russian, and Soviet-era armaments; in recent years, leading suppliers have included China and Italy (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-25 years of age (17 with parental consent) for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription; 12-year enlistment period (7 years active, 5 in the Reserves); must be Zambian citizens, holder of a green national registration card, and must have a school Grade 12 certification (2023)", @@ -1245,7 +1245,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "56,687 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 7,866 (Burundi) (2023)" + "text": "57,301 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 8,330 (Burundi) (2023)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { diff --git a/africa/zi.json b/africa/zi.json index 868d66a2..45678da5 100644 --- a/africa/zi.json +++ b/africa/zi.json @@ -590,13 +590,13 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (80 seats; 60 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - 6 seats in each of the 10 provinces - by proportional representation vote, 16 indirectly elected by the regional governing councils, 2 reserved for the National Council Chiefs, and 2 reserved for members with disabilities; members serve 5-year terms)

National Assembly (270 seats; 210 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 60 seats reserved for women directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)" + "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (80 seats; 60 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - 6 seats in each of the 10 provinces - by proportional representation vote, 16 indirectly elected by the regional governing councils, 18 reserved for the National Council Chiefs, and 2 reserved for members with disabilities; members serve 5-year terms)

National Assembly (270 seats; 210 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 60 seats reserved for women directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "

Senate - last held for elected member on 23 August 2023 (next to be held in 2028)
National Assembly - last held on 23 August 2023 (next to be held in 2028)

" }, "election results": { - "text": "

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 34, MDC Alliance 25, Chiefs 18, people with disabilities 2, MDC-T 1; composition - men 45, women 35, percent of women 43.8%

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 136, CCC-73, vacant-1; composition - men 184, women 81, percent of women 31.5%; note - total Parliament percent of women 34.3%

" + "text": "

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 33, CCC- 27, Chiefs 18, people with disabilities 2; composition - men 44, women 36, percent of women 45%

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 169, CCC-100, vacant-1; composition - men 193, women 86, percent of women 30.8%; note - total Parliament percent of women 34.3%

" } }, "Judicial branch": { @@ -1182,7 +1182,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ); Ministry of Home Affairs: Zimbabwe Republic Police (2023)" + "text": "Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ)

Ministry of Home Affairs: Zimbabwe Republic Police (2023)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2019": { @@ -1202,10 +1202,10 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 30,000 active duty troops, including about 4,000 Air Force personnel (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 30,000 active-duty troops, including about 4,000 Air Force personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the ZDF inventory is comprised mostly of Soviet-era and older Chinese equipment; since the early 2000s, Zimbabwe has been under an arms embargo from the EU, as well as targeted sanctions from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US (2022)" + "text": "the ZDF inventory is comprised mostly of Soviet-era and older Chinese equipment; since the early 2000s, Zimbabwe has been under an arms embargo from the EU, as well as targeted sanctions from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-22 years of age for voluntary military service (18-24 for officer cadets; 18-30 for technical/specialist personnel); no conscription; women are eligible to serve (2022)" @@ -1229,7 +1229,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "11,811 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 9,907 (Mozambique) (2023)" + "text": "11,833 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 9,926 (Mozambique) (2023)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/aq.json b/australia-oceania/aq.json index e041b349..4d4b7ae3 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/aq.json +++ b/australia-oceania/aq.json @@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Legislature or Fono consists of:
Senate (18 seats; members indirectly selected by regional governing councils to serve 4-year terms)
House of Representatives (21 seats; 20 members directly elected by simple majority vote and 1 decided by public meeting on Swains Island; members serve 2-year terms)" + "text": "bicameral Legislature or Fono consists of:
Senate (18 seats; members indirectly selected by regional governing councils to serve 4-year terms)
House of Representatives (21 seats; 20 members in single- and multi-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority popular vote and 1 decided by public meeting on Swains Island; members serve 2-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "
Senate - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024)
House of Representatives - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024)" @@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ "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%
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%





















5" }, - "note": "note: American Samoa elects 1 member by simple majority 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%" + "note": "note: 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%" }, "Judicial branch": { "highest court(s)": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/bp.json b/australia-oceania/bp.json index 8764dfcc..f81a0d45 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/bp.json +++ b/australia-oceania/bp.json @@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "lower middle-income Pacific island economy; natural resource rich; primarily subsistence agriculture and fishing; land rights conflicts; fairly low public debt; underdeveloped financial sector; large, state-owned enterprise presence" + "text": "lower middle-income Pacific island economy; natural resource rich but environmentally fragile; key agrarian sector; growing Chinese economic relationship; infrastructure damage due to social unrest; metal mining operations" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { @@ -790,10 +790,10 @@ } }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "China 65%, Italy 9%, India 6% (2019)" + "text": "China 59%, Italy 9%, India 6%, Netherlands 4%, Australia 3% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { - "text": "lumber, fish, aluminum, palm oil, cocoa beans (2019)" + "text": "lumber, tuna, palm oil, coconut oil, gold (2021)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2021": { @@ -807,10 +807,10 @@ } }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "China 24%, Australia 13%, South Korea 12%, Singapore 12%, Malaysia 10% (2019)" + "text": "China 36%, Singapore 13%, Australia 12%, Malaysia 10%, New Zealand 6% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "refined petroleum, fish, insulated wiring, broadcasting equipment, excavation machinery (2019)" + "text": "refined petroleum, scrap iron, fish, iron structures, poultry meats, rice (2021)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021": { @@ -1101,7 +1101,7 @@ "text": "no regular military forces; the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force is responsible for internal and external security and reports to the Ministry of Police, National Security, and Correctional Services (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "China and Australia have provided equipment to the Solomons Islands Police Force; the maritime branch operates patrol boats provided by Australia (2022)" + "text": "China and Australia have provided equipment to the Solomons Islands Police Force; the maritime branch operates patrol boats provided by Australia (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "Australia and New Zealand provide material and training assistance to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (2023)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/cw.json b/australia-oceania/cw.json index 21aaa5a3..a3b1a022 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/cw.json +++ b/australia-oceania/cw.json @@ -635,6 +635,9 @@ } }, "Exports": { + "Exports 2021": { + "text": "$31.4 million (2021 est.)" + }, "Exports 2011": { "text": "$3.125 million (2011 est.)" }, @@ -650,6 +653,9 @@ "text": "fish products, recreational boats, paintings, lobsters, tuna (2021)" }, "Imports": { + "Imports 2021": { + "text": "$215 million (2021 est.)" + }, "Imports 2011": { "text": "$109.3 million (2011 est.)" }, diff --git a/australia-oceania/fj.json b/australia-oceania/fj.json index a9ab650a..aefa8925 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/fj.json +++ b/australia-oceania/fj.json @@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "tourism-based Pacific island economy, susceptible to sea-level rises; new energy infrastructure investments; major foreign direct investment; COVID-19 crippled tourism sector; privatizing state-owned enterprises; military coups have destabilized labor force" + "text": "upper-middle income, tourism-based Pacific island economy; susceptible to ocean rises; key energy and infrastructure investments; post-pandemic tourism resurgence; improved debt standing; limited workforce" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { @@ -817,7 +817,7 @@ } }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "United States 29%, Australia 14%, New Zealand 7%, Japan 6%, Tonga 6% (2019)" + "text": "United States 34%, Australia 14%, China 7%, New Zealand 7%, Tonga 4% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "water, fuel wood, gold, sugar, refined petroleum, fish (2021)" @@ -834,10 +834,10 @@ } }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "Singapore 18%, Australia 13%, China 13.8%, New Zealand 11%, France 11%, South Korea 8% (2017)" + "text": "New Zealand 18%, China 16%, Singapore 14%, Australia 13%, United States 9% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "refined petroleum, aircraft, cars, wheat, broadcasting equipment (2019)" + "text": "refined petroleum, aircraft, cars, dentistry devices, broadcasting equipment (2021)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021": { @@ -1154,13 +1154,13 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 4,000 active personnel (2022)" + "text": "approximately 4,000 active personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the RFMF is lightly armed and equipped; Australia has provided patrol boats and a few armored personnel carriers; it also provides logistical support for RFMF regional or UN operations; in recent years, China has provided construction equipment and military vehicles (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 55 (2022)" + "text": "18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 55 (2023)" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "170 Egypt (MFO); 160 Iraq (UNAMI); 150 Golan Heights (UNDOF) (2023)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/fm.json b/australia-oceania/fm.json index a52ed736..22a059b0 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/fm.json +++ b/australia-oceania/fm.json @@ -748,29 +748,38 @@ } }, "Exports": { - "Exports 2013": { - "text": "$88.3 million (2013 est.)" + "Exports 2021": { + "text": "$179 million (2021 est.)" + }, + "Exports 2020": { + "text": "$122 million (2020 est.)" + }, + "Exports 2019": { + "text": "$130 million (2019 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "Thailand 73%, Japan 10%, China 9% (2019)" + "text": "Thailand 81%, China 9%, Japan 4%, Philippines 4%, United States 1% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "skipjack, tuna, fish fillets, aircraft, scrap iron (2021)" }, "Imports": { - "Imports 2015": { - "text": "$167.8 million (2015 est.)" + "Imports 2021": { + "text": "$126 million (2021 est.)" }, - "Imports 2013": { - "text": "$258.5 million (2013 est.)" + "Imports 2020": { + "text": "$133 million (2020 est.)" + }, + "Imports 2019": { + "text": "$121 million (2019 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "United States 32%, China 16%, Japan 14%, Taiwan 9%, Philippines 6%, South Korea 6% (2019)" + "text": "United States 34%, China 16%, Japan 11%, Taiwan 7%, South Korea 6% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "poultry meats, netting, broadcasting equipment, various meats, fish products (2019)" + "text": "poultry meats, broadcasting equipment, other meats, cars, fish products, rice, lumber (2021)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021": { @@ -968,7 +977,7 @@ "text": "no military forces; Federated States of Micronesia National Police (includes a maritime wing); the Department of Justice oversees the National Police; State police forces are responsible for law enforcement in their respective states and are under the jurisdiction of each state’s director of public safety (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "defense is the responsibility of the US

Micronesia has a \"shiprider\" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Micronesia's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; \"shiprider\" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2022)" + "text": "defense is the responsibility of the US

Micronesia has a \"shiprider\" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Micronesia's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; \"shiprider\" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/fp.json b/australia-oceania/fp.json index 19d0197e..78b230a8 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/fp.json +++ b/australia-oceania/fp.json @@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ "text": "President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Dominique SORAIN (since 10 July 2019)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President of French Polynesia Moetai BROTHERSON Edouard FRITCH (since 12 May 2023)" + "text": "President of French Polynesia Moetai BROTHERSON (since 12 May 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers approved by the Assembly from a list of its members submitted by the president" @@ -510,15 +510,16 @@ "text": "small, territorial-island tourism-based economy; large French financing; lower EU import duties; Pacific Islands Forum member; fairly resilient from COVID-19; oil-dependent infrastructure" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { - "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017": { - "text": "$5.49 billion (2017 est.)" + "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { + "text": "$5.65 billion (2021 est.)" }, - "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016": { - "text": "$5.383 billion (2016 est.)" + "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": { + "text": "$5.52 billion (2020 est.)" }, - "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015": { - "text": "$6.963 billion (2015 est.)" - } + "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { + "text": "$5.94 billion (2019 est.)" + }, + "note": "note: data are in 2015 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2021": { @@ -532,15 +533,16 @@ } }, "Real GDP per capita": { - "Real GDP per capita 2015": { - "text": "$17,000 (2015 est.)" + "Real GDP per capita 2021": { + "text": "$18,600 (2021 est.)" }, - "Real GDP per capita 2014": { - "text": "$20,100 (2014 est.)" + "Real GDP per capita 2020": { + "text": "$18,300 (2020 est.)" }, - "Real GDP per capita 2010": { - "text": "$22,700 (2010)" - } + "Real GDP per capita 2019": { + "text": "$19,800 (2019 est.)" + }, + "note": "note: data are in 2015 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$4.795 billion (2015 est.)" @@ -585,7 +587,7 @@ } }, "Agricultural products": { - "text": "coconuts, fruit, roots/tubers nes, pineapples, cassava, sugar cane, eggs, tropical fruit, tomatoes" + "text": "coconuts, fruit, roots/tubers, pineapples, cassava, sugar cane, eggs, tropical fruit, tomatoes" }, "Industries": { "text": "tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates" @@ -666,32 +668,38 @@ } }, "Exports": { - "Exports 2014": { - "text": "$1.245 billion (2014 est.)" + "Exports 2021": { + "text": "$162 million (2021 est.)" }, - "Exports 2013": { - "text": "$1.168 billion (2013 est.)" + "Exports 2020": { + "text": "$94.4 million (2020 est.)" + }, + "Exports 2019": { + "text": "$184 million (2019 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "Japan 23.1%, Hong Kong 21.5%, Kyrgyzstan 15.9%, US 15.9%, France 12.4% (2017)" + "text": "United States 47%, Japan 17%, France 14%, Netherlands 4%, Poland 3% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "paintings, pearls, tuna, aircraft parts, coconut oil, vanilla, electrical panels (2021)" }, "Imports": { - "Imports 2014": { - "text": "$2.235 billion (2014 est.)" + "Imports 2021": { + "text": "$1.66 billion (2021 est.)" }, - "Imports 2013": { - "text": "$2.271 billion (2013 est.)" + "Imports 2020": { + "text": "$1.75 billion (2020 est.)" + }, + "Imports 2019": { + "text": "$2.24 billion (2019 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "France 27.9%, South Korea 12.1%, US 10.1%, China 7.3%, NZ 6.7%, Singapore 4.2% (2017)" + "text": "France 43%, New Zealand 12%, China 8%, United States 6%, Singapore 5% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment" + "text": "refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, passenger ships (2021)" }, "Debt - external": { "text": "

NA

" diff --git a/australia-oceania/kr.json b/australia-oceania/kr.json index e3a343e5..c4dc8de6 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/kr.json +++ b/australia-oceania/kr.json @@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "small, growing, environmentally fragile, Pacific island economy; major financial support from remittances, aid, and phosphate mining fund; tourism and fishing industries; poor business climate; inadequate anticorruption efforts; poor fiscal management" + "text": "lower-middle income, Pacific island economy; environmentally fragile; sizable remittances; key phosphate mining fund; tourism and fishing industries; public sector-dominated economy; recent withdrawal from Pacific Islands Forum; ongoing constitutional crisis" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { @@ -773,7 +773,7 @@ } }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "Thailand 53%, Philippines 17%, South Korea 10%, Japan 9% (2019)" + "text": "Thailand 60%, Indonesia 11%, Philippines 10%, Japan 6%, South Korea 3% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "skipjacks, tuna, fish fillets, ships, coconut oil, copra (2021)" @@ -790,10 +790,10 @@ } }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "China 20%, Fiji 19%, Australia 12%, Taiwan 11%, South Korea 11%, New Zealand 7%, Japan 5% (2019)" + "text": "China 23%, Taiwan 16%, Fiji 16%, Australia 12%, New Zealand 6% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "refined petroleum, netting, raw sugar, rice, poultry meats (2019)" + "text": "fishing ships, beef, netting, poultry meat, rice, refined petroleum, sugar, refrigerators (2021)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/nc.json b/australia-oceania/nc.json index 327cd597..ff3716c6 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/nc.json +++ b/australia-oceania/nc.json @@ -501,18 +501,18 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "upper-middle-income French Pacific territorial economy; large tourism presence that was hit hard by COVID-19; nickel and other metals mining operations; continuing French subsidies; large exporter of nickel to China" + "text": "upper-middle-income French Pacific territorial economy; enormous nickel reserves; ongoing French independence negotiations; large Chinese nickel exporter; luxury eco-tourism destination; large French aid recipient; high cost-of-living; lingering wealth disparities" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { + "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { + "text": "$10.266 billion (2021 est.)" + }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017": { "text": "$11.11 billion (2017 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016": { "text": "$10.89 billion (2016 est.)" }, - "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015": { - "text": "$10.77 billion (2015 est.)" - }, "note": "note: data are in 2015 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { @@ -527,14 +527,14 @@ } }, "Real GDP per capita": { + "Real GDP per capita 2021": { + "text": "$35,700 (2021 est.)" + }, "Real GDP per capita 2015": { "text": "$31,100 (2015 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2014": { "text": "$32,100 (2014 est.)" - }, - "Real GDP per capita 2012": { - "text": "$29,800 (2012 est.)" } }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { @@ -669,29 +669,38 @@ } }, "Exports": { - "Exports 2014": { - "text": "$2.207 billion (2014 est.)" + "Exports 2021": { + "text": "$1.92 billion (2021 est.)" + }, + "Exports 2020": { + "text": "$1.8 billion (2020 est.)" + }, + "Exports 2019": { + "text": "$1.79 billion (2019 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "China 59%, South Korea 14%, Japan 11% (2019)" + "text": "China 55%, South Korea 16%, Japan 11%, Taiwan 4%, Spain 3% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "iron alloys, nickel, essential oils, recreational boats, shrimp (2021)" }, "Imports": { - "Imports 2015": { - "text": "$2.715 billion (2015 est.)" + "Imports 2021": { + "text": "$2.26 billion (2021 est.)" }, - "Imports 2014": { - "text": "$4.4 billion (2014 est.)" + "Imports 2020": { + "text": "$2.1 billion (2020 est.)" + }, + "Imports 2019": { + "text": "$2.48 billion (2019 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "France 43%, Australia 12%, Singapore 12%, China 6% (2019)" + "text": "France 39%, Australia 14%, Singapore 11%, New Zealand 7%, China 7% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "refined petroleum, aircraft, coal, cars, packaged medicines (2019)" + "text": "refined petroleum, coal, cars, packaged medicines, delivery trucks (2021)" }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 31 December 2013": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/ne.json b/australia-oceania/ne.json index 95a22b08..dd89d979 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/ne.json +++ b/australia-oceania/ne.json @@ -460,11 +460,17 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "upper-middle-income self-governing New Zealand territorial economy; massive emigration; postage stamps, small-scale agricultural processing, and subsistence farming; depends on New Zealand subsidies; EU preferential market access not utilized" + "text": "upper-middle-income self-governing New Zealand territorial economy; environmentally fragile; massive emigration; post-pandemic tourism rebound; postage stamps, small-scale agricultural processing, and subsistence farming; most recent Asian Development Bank member" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { - "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2003": { - "text": "$10.01 million (2003 est.)" + "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { + "text": "$18.7 million (2021 est.)" + }, + "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": { + "text": "$19.9 million (2020 est.)" + }, + "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { + "text": "$20.9 million (2019 est.)" } }, "Real GDP growth rate": { @@ -473,9 +479,16 @@ } }, "Real GDP per capita": { - "Real GDP per capita 2003": { - "text": "$5,800 (2003 est.)" - } + "Real GDP per capita 2021": { + "text": "$11,100 (2021 est.)" + }, + "Real GDP per capita 2020": { + "text": "$11,800 (2020 est.)" + }, + "Real GDP per capita 2019": { + "text": "$12,400 (2019 est.)" + }, + "note": "note: data are in 2009 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$10.01 million (2003) (2003)" @@ -542,26 +555,26 @@ "text": "1 April - 31 March" }, "Exports": { - "Exports 2004": { - "text": "$201,400 (2004 est.)" + "Exports 2021": { + "text": "$5.68 million (2021 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "Indonesia 92%, South Korea 5% (2019)" + "text": "Indonesia 57%, Thailand 7%, South Korea 5%, Czechia 4%, Poland 4% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "tanker ships, collector's items, commemorative coins, fruits, nuts, juice, electrical resistors (2021)" }, "Imports": { - "Imports 2004": { - "text": "$9.038 million (2004 est.)" + "Imports 2021": { + "text": "$43.8 million (2021 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "New Zealand 43%, United Kingdom 30%, Japan 22% (2019)" + "text": "New Zealand 41%, United Kingdom 40%, Japan 15%, Israel 3%, Fiji 1% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "hydraulic engines, ships, refined petroleum, cars, plastics (2019)" + "text": "floating platforms, tugboats, refined petroleum, cargo ships, cars, plasticware (2021)" }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 2002": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/nh.json b/australia-oceania/nh.json index e3af6d95..5366d2ac 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/nh.json +++ b/australia-oceania/nh.json @@ -115,13 +115,14 @@ } }, "Ethnic groups": { - "text": "Melanesian 99.2%, non-Melanesian 0.8% (2016 est.)" + "text": "Ni-Vanuatu 99%, other 1% (European, Asian, other Melanesian, Polynesian, Micronesian, other) (2020 est.)" }, "Languages": { - "text": "local languages (more than 100) 63.2%, Bislama (official; creole) 33.7%, English (official) 2%, French (official) 0.6%, other 0.5% (2009 est.)" + "text": "Indigenous languages (more than 100) 82.6%, Bislama (official; creole) 14.5%, English (official) 2.1%, French (official) 0.8% (2020 est.)", + "note": "note: data represent first language spoken for population aged 3 years and above" }, "Religions": { - "text": "Protestant 70% (includes Presbyterian 27.9%, Anglican 15.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.5%, Assemblies of God 4.7%, Church of Christ 4.5%, Neil Thomas Ministry 3.1%, and Apostolic 2.2%), Roman Catholic 12.4%, customary beliefs 3.7% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 12.6%, none 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2009 est.)" + "text": "Protestant 39.9% (Presbyterian 27.2%, Seventh Day Adventist 14.8%, Anglican 12%, Churches of Christ 5%, Assemblies of God 4.9%, Neil Thomas Ministry/Inner Life Ministry 3.2%), Roman Catholic 12.1%, Apostolic 2.3%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.8%, customary beliefs (including Jon Frum cargo cult) 3.1%, other 12%, none 1.4%, unspecified 0.1% (2020 est.)" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { @@ -506,7 +507,7 @@ "text": "President Nikenike VUROBARAVU (since 23 July 2022)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Ishmael KALSAKAU (since 4 November 2022)" + "text": "Prime Minister Sato KILMAN (since 4 September 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament" @@ -515,7 +516,7 @@ "text": "president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and presidents of the 6 provinces; Vanuatu president serves a 5-year term; election last held on 23 July 2022 (next to be held in 2027); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held on 20 April 2020 (next to be held following general elections in 2024)" }, "election results": { - "text": "Nikenike VUROBARAVU elected president in eighth round on 23 July 2022 with 48 votes;
Ishmael KALSAKAU (UMP) elected prime minister on 4 November 2022 with 50 votes" + "text": "Nikenike VUROBARAVU elected president in eighth round on 23 July 2022 with 48 votes;
Ishmael KALSAKAU (UMP) defeated as prime minister in no-confidence vote on 16 August 2023;  Sato KILMAN elected prime minister on 4 September 2023 with 57 votes against 23 for Ishmael KALSAKAU" } }, "Legislative branch": { @@ -597,7 +598,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "Pacific island agriculture- and tourism-based economy; environmentally vulnerable to cyclones; poor property rights administration; corruption-prone; subsidizing loss-prone state enterprises in agriculture, banking, and airports" + "text": "lower-middle income Pacific island economy; extremely reliant on subsistence agriculture and tourism; environmentally fragile; struggling post-pandemic and Tropical Cyclone Harold rebound; sizeable inflation; road infrastructure aid from Australia" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { @@ -680,7 +681,7 @@ } }, "Agricultural products": { - "text": "coconuts, roots/tubers nes, bananas, vegetables, pork, fruit, milk, beef, groundnuts, cocoa" + "text": "coconuts, roots/tubers, bananas, vegetables, pork, fruit, milk, beef, groundnuts, cocoa" }, "Industries": { "text": "food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning" @@ -788,10 +789,10 @@ } }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "Japan 33%, Thailand 13%, Mauritania 13%, South Korea 11%, China 9%, Fiji 7% (2019)" + "text": "Thailand 54%, Japan 18%, South Korea 6%, Cyprus 5%, China 4% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { - "text": "fish and fish products, tug boats, perfume plants, mollusks, cocoa beans (2019)" + "text": "tuna, floating platforms, cargo ships, perfume plants, mollusks, copra (2021)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2021": { @@ -805,10 +806,10 @@ } }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "China 29%, Australia 18%, New Zealand 11%, Fiji 11%, Taiwan 5%, Thailand 5% (2019)" + "text": "China 26%, Australia 16%, New Zealand 15%, Fiji 8%, Singapore 7% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "refined petroleum, fishing ships, delivery trucks, poultry meats, broadcasting equipment (2019)" + "text": "refined petroleum, fishing ships, poultry meats, delivery trucks, lumber, rice, broadcasting equipment (2021)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/nr.json b/australia-oceania/nr.json index dc34f500..7566e743 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/nr.json +++ b/australia-oceania/nr.json @@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "upper-middle-income Pacific island country; phosphate resource exhaustion made island interior uninhabitable; licenses fishing rights; houses Australia’s Regional Processing Centre; former known tax haven; largely dependent on foreign subsidies" + "text": "upper-middle-income Pacific island country; phosphate resource exhaustion made island interior uninhabitable; licenses fishing rights; houses Australia’s Regional Processing Centre; former tax haven; largely dependent on foreign subsidies" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { @@ -706,32 +706,40 @@ } }, "Exports": { - "Exports 2018": { - "text": "$31.101 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" + "Exports 2021": { + "text": "$187 million (2021 est.)" }, - "Exports 2017": { - "text": "$39.883 million (2017 est.)" - } + "Exports 2020": { + "text": "$105 million (2020 est.)" + }, + "Exports 2019": { + "text": "$32.7 million (2019 est.)" + }, + "note": "note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "Thailand 34%, Australia 16%, United States 13%, South Korea 10%, Philippines 9%, Japan 7%, France 5% (2019)" + "text": "Thailand 49%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Philippines 11%, South Korea 8%, India 7% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "skipjack, calcium phosphates, tuna, cars, delivery trucks, low-voltage protection equipment (2021)" }, "Imports": { - "Imports 2018": { - "text": "$94.796 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" + "Imports 2021": { + "text": "$94.2 million (2021 est.)" }, - "Imports 2017": { - "text": "$91.571 million (2017 est.)" - } + "Imports 2020": { + "text": "$103 million (2020 est.)" + }, + "Imports 2019": { + "text": "$88.2 million (2019 est.)" + }, + "note": "note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "Taiwan 52%, Australia 28% (2019)" + "text": "Australia 36%, Taiwan 16%, China 12%, Japan 12%, Nigeria 7% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "refined petroleum, construction vehicles, tug boats, poultry meats, cars (2019)" + "text": "refined petroleum, tugboats, cigarettes, cars, construction vehicles (2021)" }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 2004": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/nz.json b/australia-oceania/nz.json index e8980c37..ca31e2fa 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/nz.json +++ b/australia-oceania/nz.json @@ -865,7 +865,7 @@ } }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "China 28%, Australia 14%, US 9%, Japan 6% (2019)" + "text": "China 33%, Australia 12%, United States 11%, Japan 6%, South Korea 3% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "milk cream powders, lumber, beef, butter, mutton (2021)" @@ -882,10 +882,10 @@ } }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "China 18%, Australia 15%, US 9%, Japan 6%, Germany 5% (2019)" + "text": "China 22%, Australia 15%, United States 7%, Japan 6%, Thailand 5% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "cars, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, delivery trucks, gas turbines (2019)" + "text": "cars, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, delivery trucks, broadcasting equipment, gas turbines (2021)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021": { @@ -1175,7 +1175,7 @@ "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2023)", - "note": "note: the New Zealand Police, under the minister of police, are responsible for internal security" + "note": "note: the New Zealand Police, under the Minister of Police, are responsible for internal security" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/ps.json b/australia-oceania/ps.json index 7f2cdfc5..1959d95e 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/ps.json +++ b/australia-oceania/ps.json @@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "high-income Pacific island economy; major subsistence agriculture and fishing industries; reliant on US aid; strong tourism has prompted sustainability oversight mechanism; severely disrupted by COVID-19" + "text": "high-income Pacific island economy; environmentally fragile; subsistence agriculture and fishing industries; US aid reliance; rebounding post-pandemic tourism industry and services sector; very high living standard and low unemployment" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { @@ -779,10 +779,10 @@ } }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "Japan 70%, South Korea 15%, United States 7% (2019)" + "text": "Japan 34%, Taiwan 16%, Turkey 16%, Italy 12%, United States 9% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { - "text": "fish, computers, broadcasting equipment, office machinery/parts, scrap vessels (2019)" + "text": "computers, scrap vessels, recreational boats, scrap iron, fish, scrap copper, scrap aluminum (2021)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2021": { @@ -796,10 +796,10 @@ } }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "South Korea 19%, China 18%, Taiwan 17%, United States 17%, Japan 16% (2019)" + "text": "China 34%, United States 21%, South Korea 12%, Japan 8%, Taiwan 6% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "refined petroleum, fish, cars, broadcasting equipment, modeling instruments (2019)" + "text": "refined petroleum, boat propellers, iron structures, cars, floating docks, broadcasting equipment, prefabricated buildings (2021)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/rm.json b/australia-oceania/rm.json index a5fc2fe2..48fc83f0 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/rm.json +++ b/australia-oceania/rm.json @@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "upper middle-income Pacific island economy; US aid reliance; large public sector workforce; produces coconut oil as a substitute to diesel fuel; becoming offshore banking locale; fishing rights seller; import-dependent" + "text": "upper middle-income Pacific island economy; US aid reliance; large public sector; coconut oil production as diesel fuel substitute; growing offshore banking locale; fishing rights seller; import-dependent" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { @@ -784,35 +784,37 @@ } }, "Exports": { + "Exports 2021": { + "text": "$1.37 billion (2021 est.)" + }, "Exports 2020": { - "text": "$76.734 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" + "text": "$773 million (2020 est.)" }, "Exports 2019": { - "text": "$54.987 million (2019 est.)" + "text": "$1.17 billion (2019 est.)" }, - "Exports 2018": { - "text": "$128.904 million (2018 est.)" - } + "note": "note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "Poland 28%, Denmark 19%, South Korea 13%, Indonesia 10%, Cyprus 6% (2019)" + "text": "Denmark 33%, South Korea 20%, Germany 15%, Poland 9%, Cyprus 4% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "ships, recreational boats, skipjack, tuna, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment (2021)" }, "Imports": { + "Imports 2021": { + "text": "$10.7 billion (2021 est.)" + }, "Imports 2020": { - "text": "$171.201 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" + "text": "$12 billion (2020 est.)" }, "Imports 2019": { - "text": "$91.814 million (2019 est.)" + "text": "$9.1 billion (2019 est.)" }, - "Imports 2018": { - "text": "$174.722 million (2018 est.)" - } + "note": "note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "South Korea 39%, China 27%, Japan 15% (2019)" + "text": "South Korea 33%, China 30%, Japan 11%, Greece 3%, Cyprus 3% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "ships, refined petroleum, centrifuges, recreational boats, boat propellers (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/tn.json b/australia-oceania/tn.json index ea90fc82..e502da14 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/tn.json +++ b/australia-oceania/tn.json @@ -110,14 +110,14 @@ } }, "Ethnic groups": { - "text": "Tongan 97%, part-Tongan 0.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified <0.1% (2016 est.)" + "text": "Tongan 96.5%, other (European, Fijian, Samoan, Indian, Chinese, other Pacific Islander, other Asian, other) 3.5% (2021 est.)" }, "Languages": { - "text": "Tongan and English 76.8%, Tongan, English, and other language 10.6%, Tongan only (official) 8.7%, English only (official) 0.7%, other 1.7%, none 2.2% (2016 est.)", - "note": "note: data represent persons aged 5 and older who can read and write a simple sentence in Tongan, English, or another language" + "text": "Tongan only 85%, Tongan and other language 13.9%, Tongan not used at home 1.1% (2021 est.)", + "note": "note: data represent language use at home of persons aged 5 and older" }, "Religions": { - "text": "Protestant 64.1% (includes Free Wesleyan Church 35%, Free Church of Tonga 11.9%, Church of Tonga 6.8%, Assembly of God 2.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.2%, Tokaikolo Christian Church 1.6%, other 4.3%), Church of Jesus Christ 18.6%, Roman Catholic 14.2%, other 2.4%, none 0.5%, unspecified 0.1% (2016 est.)" + "text": "Protestant 63.9% (Free Wesleyan Church 34.2%, Free Church of Tonga 11.3%, Church of Tonga 6.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.5%, Assembly of God 2.5%, Tokaikolo/Maamafo'ou 1.5%, Constitutional Church of Tonga 1.2%, other Protestant 4%), Church of Jesus Christ 19.7%, Roman Catholic 13.7%, other 2.1%, none 0.6%, no answer 0.1% (2021 est.)" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { @@ -540,13 +540,13 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats statutory, 27 current); 17 people's representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, and 9 indirectly elected by hereditary leaders; members serve 4-year terms)" + "text": "unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats statutory, 26 current); 17 people's representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, and 9 indirectly elected by hereditary leaders; members serve 4-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "last held on 18 November 2021 (next to be held in November 2025)" }, "election results": { - "text": "percent of vote - NA; seats by party (elected members) - independents 11, nobles' representatives 9,  Democratic Party 3, Peoples Party 3; composition - men 26, women 1, percent of women 3.7%" + "text": "percent of vote - NA; seats by party (elected members) - independents 11, nobles' representatives 9, Democratic Party 3, Peoples Party 3; composition - men 26, women 1, percent of women 3.7%" } }, "Judicial branch": { @@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Viliami Va’inga TONE (since 20 April 2021)" + "text": "Ambassador Viliana Va’inga TONE (since 20 April 2021)" }, "chancery": { "text": "250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022" @@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ } }, "Agricultural products": { - "text": "coconuts, gourds, cassava, sweet potatoes, vegetables, yams, taro, roots/tubers nes, plantains, lemons/limes" + "text": "coconuts, gourds, cassava, sweet potatoes, vegetables, yams, taro, roots/tubers, plantains, lemons/limes" }, "Industries": { "text": "tourism, construction, fishing" @@ -799,10 +799,10 @@ } }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "United States 38%, South Korea 18%, Australia 14%, New Zealand 14%, Japan 6%,  (2019)" + "text": "United States 22%, South Africa 18%, New Zealand 15%, Australia 13%, South Korea 11% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { - "text": "squash, fish, various fruits and nuts, antiques, coral and shells (2019)" + "text": "natural gas, shellfish, various fruits and nuts, vegetables, cassava, coral and shells (2021)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2021": { @@ -816,10 +816,10 @@ } }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "Fiji 29%, New Zealand 23%, China 14%, United States 8%, Australia 6%, Japan 6% (2019)" + "text": "New Zealand 36%, China 20%, Fiji 18%, Australia 6%, United States 6% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "refined petroleum, poultry meats, audio equipment, mutton, goat meat, broadcasting equipment (2019)" + "text": "refined petroleum, poultry meats, cars, mutton, goat meat, lumber, x-ray equipment, broadcasting equipment (2021)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021": { @@ -1091,7 +1091,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "His Majesty's Armed Forces Tonga (aka Tonga Defense Services): Joint Force headquarters, Tonga Royal Guard, Land Force (Royal Tongan Marines), Tonga Navy, Training Wing, Air Wing, and Support Unit; Ministry of Police and Fire Services: Tonga Police Force (2023)" + "text": "His Majesty's Armed Forces Tonga (aka Tonga Defense Services): Tonga Royal Guard, Land Force (Royal Tongan Marines), Tonga Navy, Air Wing

Ministry of Police and Fire Services: Tonga Police Force (2023)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2020": { @@ -1111,16 +1111,16 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 650 personnel (2022)" + "text": "approximately 500-700 personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the Tonga military's inventory includes mostly light weapons and equipment from Australia, European countries (primarily the UK), and the US (2022)" + "text": "the Tonga military's inventory includes mostly light weapons and equipment from Australia, European countries (primarily the UK), and the US; nearly all of its military acquisitions in recent years have come from Australia (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "voluntary military service for men and women 18-25 (16 with parental approval for non-combat positions); no conscription (2022)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the HMAF’s primary missions are protecting the King and Tonga’s sovereignty; the HMAF has also contributed small numbers of personnel to multinational military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Solomon Islands; it is a small force comprised of a royal guard company, a marine battalion, and a few naval patrol boats 

Tonga participated in World War I as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, but the Tonga Defense Force (TDF) was not established until 1939 at the beginning of World War II; in 1943, New Zealand helped train about 2,000 Tongan troops who saw action in the Solomon Islands; the TDF was disbanded at the end of the war, but was reactivated in 1946 as the Tonga Defense Services (TDS); in 2013, the name of the TDS was changed to His Majesty’s Armed Forces of Tonga (HMAF); Tongan troops deployed to Iraq from 2004-2008 and Afghanistan to support UK forces from 2010-2014

Tonga has a \"shiprider\" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Tonga's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; \"shiprider\" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2023)" + "text": "the HMAF’s primary missions are protecting the King and Tonga’s sovereignty; the HMAF has contributed small numbers of personnel to multinational military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Solomon Islands; it is a small force comprised of a royal guard company, a marine battalion, a few naval patrol boats, and a couple of aircraft for maritime patrolling, search and rescue, and training purposes

Tonga participated in World War I as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, but the Tonga Defense Force (TDF) was not established until 1939 at the beginning of World War II; in 1943, New Zealand helped train about 2,000 Tongan troops who saw action in the Solomon Islands; the TDF was disbanded at the end of the war, but was reactivated in 1946 as the Tonga Defense Services (TDS); in 2013, the name of the TDS was changed to His Majesty’s Armed Forces of Tonga (HMAF); Tongan troops deployed to Iraq from 2004-2008 and Afghanistan to support UK forces from 2010-2014

Tonga has a \"shiprider\" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Tonga's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; \"shiprider\" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/tv.json b/australia-oceania/tv.json index b1e8b0c5..bceb040d 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/tv.json +++ b/australia-oceania/tv.json @@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador (vacant)
note - also Permanent Representative to UN; Tapugao FALEFOU presented his credentials to the Secretary General of the UN on 30 December 2022, but has not presented his credentials for Ambassador to the US as of 1 June 2023" + "text": "Ambassador Tapugao FALEFOU (since 19 April 2023)
note - also Permanent Representative to UN" }, "chancery": { "text": "685 Third Avenue, Suite 1104, New York, NY 10017" @@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { - "text": "upper middle-income but very fragile Pacific island economy; currency pegged to Australian dollar; public revenues from international aid, fishing licenses, and national trust fund; pursuing Te Kakeega sustainable development; significant remittances" + "text": "upper middle-income Pacific island economy; extremely environmentally fragile; currency pegged to Australian dollar; large international aid recipient; subsistence agrarian sector; Te Kakeega sustainable development; domain name licensing incomes" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { @@ -650,7 +650,7 @@ } }, "Agricultural products": { - "text": "coconuts, vegetables, tropical fruit, bananas, roots/tubers nes, pork, poultry, eggs, pig fat, pig offals" + "text": "coconuts, vegetables, tropical fruit, bananas, roots/tubers, pork, poultry, eggs, pig fat, pig offals" }, "Industries": { "text": "fishing" @@ -744,10 +744,10 @@ } }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "Thailand 50%, Indonesia 40% (2019)" + "text": "Thailand 91%, Nigeria 5%, Philippines 3%, South Korea 1% (2021)" }, "Exports - commodities": { - "text": "fish, ships, coins, metal-clad products, electrical power accessories (2019)" + "text": "tugboats, tuna, nitrile compounds, integrated circuits, electrical power accessories (2021)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2021": { @@ -761,10 +761,10 @@ } }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "China 32%, Japan 29%, Fiji 23%, New Zealand 6% (2019)" + "text": "China 36%, Japan 33%, Fiji 13%, South Korea 9%, New Zealand 4% (2021)" }, "Imports - commodities": { - "text": "refined petroleum, fishing ships, tug boats, other ships, iron structures (2019)" + "text": "cargo ships, fishing ships, refined petroleum, tankers, tugboats, construction vehicles (2021)" }, "Debt - external": { "text": "

NA

" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json index 691f19cf..e7ab6353 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json @@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (17 seats; members appointed by the governor general)
House of Representatives (17 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms; in addition, 1 ex-officio seat is allocated for the attorney general and 1 seat for the speaker of the House - elected by the House membership following its first post-election session)" + "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (17 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and leader of the opposition; members served 5-year terms)
House of Representatives (19 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms; in addition, 1 ex-officio seat is allocated for the attorney general and 1 seat for the speaker of the House - elected by the House membership following its first post-election session)" }, "elections": { "text": "
Senate - last appointed on 17 February 2023 (next appointments in 2028)
House of Representatives - last held on 18 January 2023 (next to be held in March 2028)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json index b9422349..262a980b 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json @@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Cornelius A. SMITH (since 28 June 2019)" + "text": "King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Cynthia A. PRATT (since 1 September 2023)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Philip DAVIS (since 17 September 2021)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json index 1e231acd..199862b2 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json @@ -1212,7 +1212,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "12,500 Public Force personnel; approximately 500-600 Air, 500-600 Coast Guard, and 300-400 Border Police personnel (2022)" + "text": "12-15,000 Ministry of Public Security personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Public Force is lightly armed with an inventory that includes mostly older, secondhand US equipment (2023)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json index b4a11bed..1c18622a 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json @@ -1202,7 +1202,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "limited available information; estimated 50,000 active personnel (approximately 40,000 Army; 3,000 Navy; 8,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "limited available information; estimated 50,000 active personnel, including approximately 40,000 Army (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory is comprised of aging Russian and Soviet-era equipment (2023)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json index b6759b34..05816753 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json @@ -1180,7 +1180,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "IDPs": { - "text": "17,000 (violence among armed gangs in the metropolitan area os Port-au-Prince) (2021)" + "text": "171,000 (violence among armed gangs in the metropolitan area os Port-au-Prince) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "2,992 (2018); note - individuals without a nationality who were born in the Dominican Republic prior to January 2010" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json index a26660f8..d01b026b 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json @@ -1153,7 +1153,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Army of Nicaragua (Ejercito de Nicaragua, EN): Land Forces (Fuerza Terrestre); Naval Forces (Fuerza Naval); Air Forces (Fuerza Aérea) (2023)", + "text": "Armed Forces of Nicaragua (formal name is Army of Nicaragua or Ejercito de Nicaragua, EN): Land Forces (Fuerza Terrestre); Naval Forces (Fuerza Naval); Air Forces (Fuerza Aérea) (2023)", "note": "note: both the military and the Nicaraguan National Police (Policía Nacional de Nicaragua or PNN) report directly to the president; Parapolice, which are nonuniformed, armed, and masked units with marginal tactical training and loose hierarchical organization, act in coordination with government security forces and report directly to the National Police; they have been used to suppress anti-government protesters" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1174,13 +1174,13 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 12,000 active personnel (10,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1,200 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 12,000 active personnel (10,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1,200 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory includes mostly secondhand Russian/Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, Russia has been the leading arms supplier to Nicaragua (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; tour of duty 18-36 months; requires Nicaraguan nationality and 6th-grade education (2022)" + "text": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; tour of duty 18-36 months (2022)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the military is responsible for defending Nicaragua’s independence, sovereignty, and territory, but also has some domestic security responsibilities; key tasks include border security, assisting the police, protecting natural resources, and providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance; it has ties with the militaries of Cuba, Venezuela, and Russia; Russia has provided training support and equipment 

the military’s Land Forces have a mechanized brigade and approximately 8 regional commands or detachments, each with 1 or more light infantry battalions; there is also a small special operations command; the Naval Forces operate patrol boats and have a naval infantry battalion; the Air Forces do not possess any combat aircraft 

the modern Army of Nicaragua was created in 1979 as the Sandinista Popular Army (1979-1984); prior to 1979, the military was known as the National Guard, which was organized and trained by the US in the 1920s and 1930s; the first commander of the National Guard, Anastasio SOMOZA GARCIA, seized power in 1937 and ran the country as a military dictator until his assassination in 1956; his sons ran the country either directly or through figureheads until the Sandinistas came to power in 1979; the defeated National Guard was disbanded by the Sandinistas (2023)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json index e28b8dd4..fd522da5 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json @@ -1188,8 +1188,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security: the Panama National Police (La Policía Nacional de Panamá, PNP), National Aeronaval Service (Servicio Nacional Aeronaval, SENAN), National Border Service (Servicio Nacional de Fronteras, SENAFRONT) (2023)", - "note": "note: the PNP includes a special forces directorate with counterterrorism and counternarcotics units; SENAFRONT has three regionally-based border security brigades, plus a specialized brigade comprised of special forces, counternarcotics, maritime, and rapid reaction units" + "text": "no regular military forces; the paramilitary Panamanian Public Forces are under the Ministry of Public Security and include the Panama National Police (La Policía Nacional de Panamá, PNP), National Aeronaval Service (Servicio Nacional Aeronaval, SENAN), and National Border Service (Servicio Nacional de Fronteras, SENAFRONT) (2023)", + "note": "note: the PNP includes a special forces directorate with counterterrorism and counternarcotics units; SENAFRONT has three regionally based border security brigades, plus a specialized brigade comprised of special forces, counternarcotics, maritime, and rapid reaction units" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1209,13 +1209,13 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 20,000 National Police; 4,000 National Border Service; 3,000 National Air-Naval Service (2022)" + "text": "approximately 27,000 Ministry of Public Security personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "Panama's security forces are lightly armed; Canada, Italy and the US have provided equipment to the security forces in recent years (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the Panama National Police is principally responsible for internal law enforcement and public order, while the National Border Service handles border security; the Aeronaval Service is responsible for carrying out naval and air operations that include some internal security responsibilities; key areas of focus are countering narcotics trafficking and securing the border, particularly along the southern border with Colombia where most of the public security forces are deployed

Panama created a paramilitary National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Panamá) in the 1950s from the former National Police (established 1904); the National Guard subsequently evolved into more of a military force with some police responsibilities; it seized power in a coup in 1968 and military officers ran the country until 1989; in 1983, the National Guard was renamed the Panama Defense Force (PDF); the PDF was disbanded after the 1989 US invasion and the current national police forces were formed in 1990; the armed forces were officially abolished under the 1994 Constitution (2023)" + "text": "the Panama National Police is principally responsible for internal law enforcement and public order, while the National Border Service handles border security; the Aeronaval Service is responsible for carrying out naval and air operations that include some internal security responsibilities; key areas of focus are countering narcotics trafficking and securing the border, particularly along the southern border with Colombia where the National Border Service (SENAFRONT) maintains a significant presence

Panama created a paramilitary National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Panamá) in the 1950s from the former National Police (established 1904); the National Guard subsequently evolved into more of a military force with some police responsibilities; it seized power in a coup in 1968 and military officers ran the country until 1989; in 1983, the National Guard was renamed the Panama Defense Force (PDF); the PDF was disbanded after the 1989 US invasion and the current national police forces were formed in 1990; the armed forces were officially abolished under the 1994 Constitution (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/sc.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/sc.json index 7b3a29f2..42ffbe0a 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/sc.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/sc.json @@ -1025,16 +1025,16 @@ "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Ministry of National Security: St. Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (SKNDF), St. Kitts and Nevis Coast Guard, the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (2023)", - "note": "note: the Nevis Police Force includes the paramilitary Special Services Unit" + "note": "note: the Nevis Police Force includes the paramilitary Special Services Unit" }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "the SKNDF has approximately 400 personnel (2022)" + "text": "less than 500 active personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the SKNDF is lightly armed with equipment from Belgium, the UK, and the US (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service (under 18 with written parental permission); no conscription (2022)" + "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service (under 18 with written parental permission); no conscription (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "St. Kitts joined the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) in 1984; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security

SKNDF's missions included defense of the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, protecting natural resources, interdicting narcotics trafficking, and providing humanitarian relief as needed (2023)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/td.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/td.json index e9c2a48c..074b3db7 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/td.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/td.json @@ -1082,8 +1082,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF): Army/Land Forces (Trinidad and Tobago Regiment), Coast Guard, Air Guard, Defense Force Reserves; Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) (2023)", - "note": "note: the Ministry of National Security oversees defense, immigration, and the police" + "text": "Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF): Army/Land Forces (Trinidad and Tobago Regiment), Coast Guard, Air Guard, Defense Force Reserves

Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) (2023)", + "note": "note: the Ministry of National Security oversees both the TTDF and the TTPS" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1103,10 +1103,10 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 4,500 TTDF personnel (2022)" + "text": "approximately 5,000 TTDF personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the TTDF's ground force inventory includes only light weapons, while the Coast Guard and Air Guard field mostly secondhand equipment from a mix of countries, including Australia, China, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US (2022)" + "text": "the TTDF's ground force inventory includes only light weapons, while the Coast Guard and Air Guard field mostly secondhand equipment from a mix of countries, including Australia, China, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (some age variations between services, reserves); no conscription (2022)", diff --git a/central-asia/kz.json b/central-asia/kz.json index ccd41cd8..1b616bc9 100644 --- a/central-asia/kz.json +++ b/central-asia/kz.json @@ -1265,7 +1265,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 40,000 active duty personnel (25,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Naval Forces; 12,000 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 40,000 active-duty personnel (25,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Naval Forces; 12,000 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Kazakh military's inventory is comprised of mostly older Russian and Soviet-era equipment, and Russia continues to be the leading supplier of arms (2023)" @@ -1274,7 +1274,7 @@ "text": "all men 18-27 are required to serve in the military for 12-24 months (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "Kazakhstan’s armed forces were formed in 1992 following the breakup of the Soviet Union and the disbandment of the Soviet Turkestan Military District whose forces formed the core of the new Kazakh military; the military’s principal responsibilities are territorial defense while the National Police, National Guard, Committee for National Security, and Border Service have primary responsibility for internal security, although the military may provide assistance as required; the military also participates in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations; in 2008, Kazakhstan opened up Central Asia’s first peacekeeper training center for military personnel of Kazakhstan, NATO, and other partners 

in 2022, Kazakhstan initiated a wide-ranging effort to enhance the country’s security sector, including organizational changes such as establishing new National Guard units, enhancing existing ones, and forming a special operations force, spending increases for equipment acquisitions, a new doctrine with renewed emphasis on defense of the border, and reforms to improve professionalism in the military

information on the military’s structure varies with the Land Forces reportedly having about 15 combat brigades, which include a mix of air assault and mechanized infantry, tank, artillery, and surface-to-surface missile forces; the Naval Forces include a naval infantry brigade and patrol craft for operating on the Caspian Sea; the Air Defense Forces have over 100 combat aircraft, largely of Soviet-origin, but also some more modern Russian-made fighter aircraft 

Kazakhstan has been a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and contributes troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force; it also has a relationship with NATO focused on democratic, institutional, and defense reforms; relations with NATO started in 1992, and Kazakhstan joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1995 (2023)" + "text": "Kazakhstan’s armed forces were formed in 1992 following the breakup of the Soviet Union and the disbandment of the Soviet Turkestan Military District whose forces formed the core of the new Kazakh military; the military’s principal responsibilities are territorial defense while the National Police, National Guard, Committee for National Security, and Border Service have primary responsibility for internal security, although the military may provide assistance as required; the military also participates in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations; in 2008, Kazakhstan opened up Central Asia’s first peacekeeper training center for military personnel of Kazakhstan, NATO, and other partners 

in 2022, Kazakhstan initiated a wide-ranging effort to enhance the country’s security sector, including organizational changes such as establishing new National Guard units, enhancing existing ones, and forming a special operations force, spending increases for equipment acquisitions, a new doctrine with renewed emphasis on defense of the border, and reforms to improve professionalism in the military

information on the military’s structure varies with the Land Forces reportedly having about 15 combat brigades, which include a mix of air assault and mechanized infantry, tank, artillery, and surface-to-surface missile forces; the Naval Forces include a naval infantry brigade and patrol craft for operating on the Caspian Sea; the Air Defense Forces have over 100 combat aircraft, largely of Soviet-origin, but also some more modern Russian-made fighter aircraft 

Kazakhstan has been a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and has obligated troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force; it also has a relationship with NATO focused on democratic, institutional, and defense reforms; relations with NATO started in 1992, and Kazakhstan joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1995 (2023)" } }, "Space": { diff --git a/central-asia/rs.json b/central-asia/rs.json index 5972bc7f..ce2c7ca4 100644 --- a/central-asia/rs.json +++ b/central-asia/rs.json @@ -1276,7 +1276,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: Ground Troops (Sukhoputnyye Voyskia, SV), Navy (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot, VMF), Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye Sily, VKS); Airborne Troops (Vozdushno-Desantnyye Voyska, VDV), and Missile Troops of Strategic Purpose (Raketnyye Voyska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya, RVSN) referred to commonly as Strategic Rocket Forces, are independent \"combat arms,\" not subordinate to any of the three branches

Federal National Guard Troops Service of the Russian Federation (FSVNG, National Guard, Russian Guard, or Rosgvardiya)

Federal Security Services (FSB): Federal Border Guard Service (includes land and maritime forces) (2022)", + "text": "Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: Ground Troops (Sukhoputnyye Voyskia, SV), Navy (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot, VMF), Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye Sily, VKS); Airborne Troops (Vozdushno-Desantnyye Voyska, VDV), and Missile Troops of Strategic Purpose (Raketnyye Voyska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya, RVSN) referred to commonly as Strategic Rocket Forces, are independent \"combat arms,\" not subordinate to any of the three branches

Federal National Guard Troops Service of the Russian Federation (FSVNG, National Guard, Russian Guard, or Rosgvardiya)

Federal Security Services (FSB): Federal Border Guard Service (includes land and maritime forces) (2023)", "note": "note 1: the Air Force and Aerospace Defense Forces were merged into the VKS in 2015; VKS responsibilities also include launching military and dual‐use satellites, maintaining military satellites, and monitoring and defending against space threats

note 2: the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Federal Security Service, Investigative Committee, Office of the Prosecutor General, and National Guard are responsible for law enforcement; the Federal Security Service is responsible for state security, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism, as well as for fighting organized crime and corruption; the national police force, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is responsible for combating all crime

note 3: the National Guard was created in 2016 as an independent agency for internal/regime security, combating terrorism and narcotics trafficking, protecting important state facilities and government personnel, and supporting border security; it also participates in armed defense of the country’s territory in coordination with the Armed Forces; forces under the National Guard include the Special Purpose Mobile Units (OMON), Special Rapid Response Detachment (SOBR), and Interior Troops (VV); these troops were originally under the command of the Interior Ministry (MVD); also nominally under the National Guard’s command are the forces of Chechen Republic head Ramzan KADYROV" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1297,8 +1297,8 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, approximately 850,000 active-duty troops (300,000 Ground Troops; 40,000 Airborne Troops; 150,000 Navy; 160,000 Aerospace Forces; 70,000 Strategic Rocket Forces; approximately 20,000 special operations forces; approximately 100,000 other uniformed personnel (command and control, cyber, support, logistics, security, etc.); estimated 350,000-plus Federal National Guard Troops (2023)", - "note": "note 1: in December 2022, the Russian Government announced a target level of 1.15 million total troops and subsequently announced further plans to expand the size of the armed forces to 1.5 million, but did not provide a timeline" + "text": "prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, approximately 900,000 active-duty troops (350,000 Ground Troops; 40,000 Airborne Troops; 150,000 Navy; 160,000 Aerospace Forces; 70,000 Strategic Rocket Forces; approximately 20,000 special operations forces; approximately 100,000 other uniformed personnel (command and control, cyber, support, logistics, security, etc.); estimated 350,000-plus Federal National Guard Troops (2023)", + "note": "note 1: in December 2022, the Russian Government announced a target level of 1.15 million total troops and subsequently announced further plans to expand the size of the armed forces to 1.5 million by 2026" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Russian Federation's military and paramilitary services are equipped with domestically produced weapons systems, although in recent years Russia has imported limited amounts of military hardware from external suppliers; the Russian defense industry is capable of designing, developing, and producing a full range of advanced air, land, missile, and naval systems; Russia is the world's second largest exporter of military hardware (2023)" @@ -1308,8 +1308,8 @@ "note": "note 1: in May 2022, Russia's parliament approved a law removing the upper age limit for contractual service in the military; in November 2022, President Vladimir PUTIN signed a decree allowing dual-national Russians and those with permanent residency status in foreign countries to be drafted into the army for military service

note 2: the Russian military takes on about 260,000 conscripts each year in two semi-annual drafts (Spring and Fall); as of 2021, conscripts comprised an estimated 30% of the Russian military's active duty personnel and most reserve personnel were former conscripts; in April of 2019, the Russian Government pledged its intent to end conscription as part of a decade-long effort to shift from a large, conscript-based military to a smaller, more professional force; an existing law allows for a 21-month alternative civil service for conscripts in hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities for those who view military duty as incompatible with their beliefs, but military conscription offices reportedly often broadly ignore requests for such service

note 3: as of 2020, women made up about 5% of the active-duty military

note 4: since 2015, foreigners 18-30 with a good command of Russian have been allowed to join the military on 5-year contracts and become eligible for Russian citizenship after serving 3 years; in October 2022, the Interior Ministry opened up recruitment centers for foreigners to sign a 1-year service contract with the armed forces, other troops, or military formations participating in the invasion of Ukraine with the promise of simplifying the process of obtaining Russian citizenship" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 3,000 Armenia; approximately 2,000 Armenia/Azerbaijan (peacekeepers for Nagorno-Karabakh); estimated 3,000-5,000 Belarus; approximately 7,000-10,000 Georgia; approximately 500 Kyrgyzstan; approximately 1,500 Moldova (Transnistria); estimated 2,000-5,000 Syria; approximately 5,000 Tajikistan (2022)", - "note": "note 1: in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine with an estimated 150,000 troops; prior to the invasion, it maintained an estimated 30,000 troops in areas of Ukraine occupied since 2014

note 2: prior to the invasion of Ukraine, Russia was assessed to have about 3,000-5,000 private military contractors conducting military and security operations in Africa and the Middle East, including in the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Sudan, and Syria" + "text": "information varies; approximately 3,000 Armenia; approximately 2,000 Armenia/Azerbaijan (peacekeepers for Nagorno-Karabakh); up to 5,000 Belarus; up to 10,000 Georgia; approximately 500 Kyrgyzstan; approximately 1,500 Moldova (Transnistria); estimated 2,000-5,000 Syria; approximately 3-5,000 Tajikistan (2023)", + "note": "note 1: in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine with an estimated 150,000 troops; prior to the invasion, it maintained an estimated 30,000 troops in areas of Ukraine occupied since 2014

note 2: as of 2023, Russia was assessed to have about 3,000-5,000 private military contractors conducting military and security operations in Africa and the Middle East, including in the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Sudan, and Syria" }, "Military - note": { "text": "as of 2023, Russian military forces continued to conduct active combat operations in Syria; Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in September 2015; Russian assistance included air support, special operations forces, military advisors, private military contractors, training, arms, and equipment

Russia is the leading member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and has committed approximately 8,000 troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force (2023)" @@ -1342,6 +1342,9 @@ "refugees (country of origin)": { "text": "2,852,395 (Ukraine) (as of 3 October 2022)" }, + "IDPs": { + "text": "7,500 (2022)" + }, "stateless persons": { "text": "56,960 (mid-year 2021); note - Russia's stateless population consists of Roma, Meskhetian Turks, and ex-Soviet citizens from the former republics; between 2003 and 2010 more than 600,000 stateless people were naturalized; most Meskhetian Turks, followers of Islam with origins in Georgia, fled or were evacuated from Uzbekistan after a 1989 pogrom and have lived in Russia for more than the required five-year residency period; they continue to be denied registration for citizenship and basic rights by local Krasnodar Krai authorities on the grounds that they are temporary illegal migrants" } diff --git a/central-asia/ti.json b/central-asia/ti.json index 07177b5f..583aa82c 100644 --- a/central-asia/ti.json +++ b/central-asia/ti.json @@ -1151,7 +1151,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan: Land Forces, Mobile Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces; National Guard; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops (reserves for Armed Forces in wartime), police; State Committee on National Security: Border Guard Forces (2023)" + "text": "Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan: Land Forces, Mobile Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces; National Guard

Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops (reserves for Armed Forces in wartime), police

State Committee on National Security: Border Guard Forces (2023)", + "note": "note: the National Guard, formerly the Presidential Guard, is tasked with ensuring public safety and security, similar to the tasks of the Internal Troops; it also takes part in ceremonial duties" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1171,10 +1172,10 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 9,500 active duty troops (8,000 Land and Mobile Forces; 1,500 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 10,000 active-duty troops (8,000 Land and Mobile Forces; 2,000 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the military's inventory is comprised of older Russian and Soviet-era equipment; it has received limited quantities of weapons systems in recent years, most of which was secondhand material from Russia (2021)" + "text": "the military's inventory is comprised of older Russian and Soviet-era equipment; it has received limited quantities of weapons systems in recent years, most of which was secondhand material from Russia (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service for men; women may volunteer; 24-month conscript service obligation; in August 2021, the Tajik Government began allowing men to pay a fee in order to avoid conscription (2023)" diff --git a/central-asia/tx.json b/central-asia/tx.json index 3dba0d6e..f58fc8b6 100644 --- a/central-asia/tx.json +++ b/central-asia/tx.json @@ -1165,7 +1165,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of Turkmenistan (aka Turkmen National Army): Land Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops, national police, Federal/State Border Guard Service (2023)" + "text": "Armed Forces of Turkmenistan (aka Turkmen National Army): Land Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces

Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops, national police, Federal/State Border Guard Service (2023)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2019": { @@ -1185,10 +1185,10 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; estimated 30,000 active duty troops (25,000 National Army; 1,000 Navy; 4,000 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2022)" + "text": "information varies; estimated 35,000 active-duty troops (30,000 Army; 1,000 Navy; 4,000 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the inventory for Turkmenistan's military is comprised largely of older Russian and Soviet-era weapons systems; in recent years however, it has attempted to diversify and purchased equipment from more than a dozen countries, with Turkey as the top supplier (2022)" + "text": "the inventory for Turkmenistan's military is comprised largely of older Russian and Soviet-era weapons systems; in recent years however, it has attempted to diversify and purchased equipment from more than a dozen countries, with China, Italy, and Turkey as the top suppliers (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-27 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 24-month conscript service obligation (30 months for the Navy); 20 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; men may enroll in military schools from age 15 (2023)" diff --git a/central-asia/uz.json b/central-asia/uz.json index 5621d5f2..f7b2a761 100644 --- a/central-asia/uz.json +++ b/central-asia/uz.json @@ -1178,8 +1178,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of Uzbekistan: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces; National Guard (Ministry of Defense); Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Security Troops, Border Guards, police (2023)", - "note": "note: the National Guard ensures public order and security of diplomatic missions, radio and television broadcasting, and other state entities" + "text": "Armed Forces of Uzbekistan: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces; National Guard 

Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Security Troops, Border Guards, police (2023)", + "note": "note: the National Guard is under the Defense Ministry, but is independent of the other military services; it is responsible for ensuring public order and the security of diplomatic missions, radio and television broadcasting, and other state entities" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2019": { @@ -1199,10 +1199,10 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 60,000 active duty troops, including 10-15,000 Air Force (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 50-60,000 active-duty troops, including 10-15,000 Air Force (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the Uzbek Armed Forces use mainly Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, Russia has been the leading supplier of arms, followed by China (2022)" + "text": "the Uzbek Armed Forces use mainly Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, Russia has been the leading supplier of arms, followed by China (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; 12-month conscript service obligation for men (those conscripted have the option of paying for a shorter service of 1 month while remaining in the reserves until the age of 27) (2023)", diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json index 01831688..d74da1e4 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json @@ -1250,7 +1250,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "estimates vary widely, from approximately 250,000 to as many as 400,000 personnel (2022)" + "text": "estimates vary widely, from approximately 250,000 to as many as 400,000 active personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Burmese military inventory is comprised mostly of older Chinese and Russian/Soviet-era equipment with a smaller mix of more modern acquisitions from a variety of countries; in recent years, China and Russia have been the leading suppliers of military hardware; Burma has a limited defense industry, including a growing shipbuilding capability and some production of ground force equipment that is largely based on Chinese and Russian designs (2023)" @@ -1268,7 +1268,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "IDPs": { - "text": "1.92 million (government offensives against armed ethnic minority groups near its borders with China and Thailand, natural disasters, forced land evictions) (2023)" + "text": "1.948 million (government offensives against armed ethnic minority groups near its borders with China and Thailand, natural disasters, forced land evictions) (2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "600,000 (2022); note - Rohingya Muslims, living predominantly in Rakhine State, are Burma's main group of stateless people; the Burmese Government does not recognize the Rohingya as a \"national race\" and stripped them of their citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Law, categorizing them as \"non-nationals\" or \"foreign residents;\" under the Rakhine State Action Plan drafted in October 2014, the Rohingya must demonstrate their family has lived in Burma for at least 60 years to qualify for a lesser naturalized citizenship and the classification of Bengali or be put in detention camps and face deportation; native-born but non-indigenous people, such as Indians, are also stateless; the Burmese Government does not grant citizenship to children born outside of the country to Burmese parents who left the country illegally or fled persecution, such as those born in Thailand; the number of stateless persons has decreased dramatically because hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since 25 August 2017 to escape violence" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/bx.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/bx.json index a7012023..c9d5555e 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/bx.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/bx.json @@ -1141,7 +1141,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 6,000 total active troops (4,000 Army; 1,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 7,000 total active-duty troops (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's s inventory includes equipment and weapons systems from a wide variety of suppliers from Asia, Europe, and the US (2023)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json index 691c01ae..1e6a2549 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json @@ -1073,7 +1073,7 @@ "text": "between 2010 and 2019, military expenditures accounted for an estimated 20-25% of North Korea's GDP annually; North Korea in the 2010s and 2020s has increasingly relied on illicit activities — including cybercrime — to generate revenue for its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs to evade US and UN sanctions" }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies widely; estimated 1.15 million active troops (950,000 Army; 120,000 Air Force; 60,000 Navy; 10,000 Strategic Missile Forces); estimated 200,000 internal security forces (2022)" + "text": "information varies widely; estimated 1.2 million active-duty troops; estimated 200,000 internal security forces (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the KPA is equipped with older weapon systems originally acquired from the former Soviet Union, Russia, and China, and some domestically produced equipment; North Korea produces a diverse array of military hardware, including small arms, munitions, light armored vehicles, tanks, naval vessels and submarines, and some advanced weapons systems, such as cruise and ballistic missiles; most are copies or upgrades of older foreign supplied equipment (2023)", diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json index 2dd39591..1f416416 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json @@ -1243,7 +1243,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 550,000 active-duty personnel (420,000 Army; 70,000 Navy, including about 30,000 Marines; 60,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 550,000 active-duty personnel (420,000 Army; 70,000 Navy, including about 30,000 Marines; 60,000 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the South Korean military is equipped with a mix of domestically produced and imported weapons systems; South Korea has a robust defense industry and production includes armored fighting vehicles, artillery, aircraft, naval ships, and missiles; its weapons are designed to be compatible with US and NATO systems; in recent years the top foreign weapons supplier has been the US, and some domestically produced systems are built under US license (2023)" @@ -1253,10 +1253,10 @@ "note": "note 1: women, in service since 1950, are able to serve in all branches, including as officers, and in 2022 comprised about 9% of the active duty military

note 2: the military brings on over 200,000 conscripts each year" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "275 South Sudan (UNMISS); 170 United Arab Emirates; note - since 2009, South Korea has kept a naval flotilla with approximately 300 personnel in the waters off of the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (2023)" + "text": "250 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 275 South Sudan (UNMISS); 170 United Arab Emirates; note - since 2009, South Korea has kept a naval flotilla with approximately 300 personnel in the waters off of the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the South Korean military is a mixed force of professionals and conscripts equipped largely with modern weapon systems that trains regularly, including bilateral and multinational exercises; the military is primarily focused on the threat from North Korea but also deploys abroad for multinational missions, including peacekeeping and other security operations

South Korea's primary defense partner is the US, and the 1953 US-South Korea Mutual Defense Treaty is a cornerstone of South Korea’s security; the Treaty committed the US to provide assistance in the event of an attack, particularly from North Korea; in addition, the Treaty gave the US permission to station land, air, and sea forces in and about the territory of South Korea as determined by mutual agreement; the US maintains approximately 28,000 military personnel in the country and conducts bilateral exercises with the South Korean military; South Korea 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; the South Korean military has assisted the US in conflicts in Afghanistan (5,000 troops; 2001-2014), Iraq (20,000 troops; 2003-2008), and Vietnam (325,000 troops; 1964-1973)

in 2016, South Korea concluded an agreement with the EU for participation in EU Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) missions and operations, such as the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta, which protects maritime shipping and conducts counter-piracy operations off the coast of East Africa

South Korea has been engaged with NATO through dialogue and security cooperation since 2005 and is considered by NATO to be a global partner; in 2022, South Korea established its Mission to NATO to further institutionalize its cooperative relationship; it has participated in NATO-led missions and exercises, including leading an integrated civilian-military reconstruction team in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, 2010-2013; it has also cooperated with NATO in countering the threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden by providing naval vessels as escorts

in addition to the invasion of South Korea and the subsequent Korean War (1950-53), North Korea from the 1960s to the 1980s launched a considerable number of limited military and subversive actions against South Korea using special forces and terrorist tactics; including aggressive skirmishes along the DMZ, overt attempts to assassinate South Korean leaders, kidnappings, the bombing of an airliner, and a failed effort in 1968 to foment an insurrection and conduct a guerrilla war in the South with more than 100 seaborne commandos; from the 1990s until 2010, the North lost two submarines and a semi-submersible boat attempting to insert infiltrators into the South (1996, 1998) and provoked several engagements in the Northwest Islands area along the disputed Northern Limit Line (NLL), including naval skirmishes between patrol boats in 1999 and 2002, the torpedoing and sinking of a South Korean corvette, the Cheonan, in 2010, and the bombardment of a South Korean Marine Corps installation on Yeonpyeong Island, also in 2010; since 2010, further minor incidents continue to occur periodically along the DMZ, where both the North and the South Korean militaries maintain large numbers of troops

in 2018, North Korea and South Korea signed a tension reduction agreement known as the Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA), which established land, sea, and air buffer zones along the DMZ and the NLL; implementation of the CMA required the removal of some land mines and guard posts; the efforts led to a reduction of military activity within the DMZ, but North Korea has failed to uphold much of its side of the agreement

the South Korean Army is organized into commands for aviation, ballistic and cruise missile operations, capital defense, ground operations, and rear area defense operations; the Ground Operations Command has six corps and most of the Army’s ground combat power, which includes 21 combined arms infantry divisions, several of which are mechanized, and about 20 independent armored, artillery, air assault, aviation, and special operations brigades; the active ground forces are backed up by a large reserve force made up of former active duty soldiers

the Navy is a modern force that conducts both coastal and blue water operations; it has three numbered fleets, each assigned to the seas east, west, and south of the country; it also has a submarine command, surface flotillas for specialized missions such as mine warfare and amphibious operations, an aviation wing, a special warfare force, and South Korea’s Marine Corps, which is one of the largest in the World and functions as a rapid reaction, strategic reserve, and island defense force; the Navy’s principal warships include more than 25 destroyers and frigates, two landing platform helicopter (LPH) amphibious assault ships, and nearly 20 attack-type submarines, complemented by a large force of corvettes and coastal patrol vessels

the South Korean Air Force has a largely modern inventory of more than 800 fixed and rotary wing aircraft, including over 500 fighter and multirole fighter aircraft; it is organized into commands for air combat and air mobility/reconnaissance with subordinate wings and squadrons; the Air Force also has commands for ground based air defense (2023)" + "text": "the South Korean military is a mixed force of professionals and conscripts equipped largely with modern weapon systems that trains regularly, including bilateral and multinational exercises; the military is primarily focused on the threat from North Korea but also deploys abroad for multinational missions, including peacekeeping and other security operations

South Korea's primary defense partner is the US, and the 1953 US-South Korea Mutual Defense Treaty is a cornerstone of South Korea’s security; the Treaty committed the US to provide assistance in the event of an attack, particularly from North Korea; in addition, the Treaty gave the US permission to station land, air, and sea forces in and about the territory of South Korea as determined by mutual agreement; the US maintains approximately 28,000 military personnel in the country and conducts bilateral exercises with the South Korean military; South Korea 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; the South Korean military has assisted the US in conflicts in Afghanistan (5,000 troops; 2001-2014), Iraq (20,000 troops; 2003-2008), and Vietnam (325,000 troops; 1964-1973)

in 2016, South Korea concluded an agreement with the EU for participation in EU Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) missions and operations, such as the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta, which protects maritime shipping and conducts counter-piracy operations off the coast of East Africa

South Korea has been engaged with NATO through dialogue and security cooperation since 2005 and is considered by NATO to be a global partner; in 2022, South Korea established its Mission to NATO to further institutionalize its cooperative relationship; it has participated in NATO-led missions and exercises, including leading an integrated civilian-military reconstruction team in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, 2010-2013; it has also cooperated with NATO in countering the threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden by providing naval vessels as escorts

in addition to the invasion of South Korea and the subsequent Korean War (1950-53), North Korea from the 1960s to the 1980s launched a considerable number of limited military and subversive actions against South Korea using special forces and terrorist tactics; including aggressive skirmishes along the DMZ, overt attempts to assassinate South Korean leaders, kidnappings, the bombing of an airliner, and a failed effort in 1968 to foment an insurrection and conduct a guerrilla war in the South with more than 100 seaborne commandos; from the 1990s until 2010, the North lost two submarines and a semi-submersible boat attempting to insert infiltrators into the South (1996, 1998) and provoked several engagements in the Northwest Islands area along the disputed Northern Limit Line (NLL), including naval skirmishes between patrol boats in 1999 and 2002, the torpedoing and sinking of a South Korean corvette, the Cheonan, in 2010, and the bombardment of a South Korean Marine Corps installation on Yeonpyeong Island, also in 2010; since 2010, further minor incidents continue to occur periodically along the DMZ, where both the North and the South Korean militaries maintain large numbers of troops

in 2018, North Korea and South Korea signed a tension reduction agreement known as the Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA), which established land, sea, and air buffer zones along the DMZ and the NLL; implementation of the CMA required the removal of some land mines and guard posts; the efforts led to a reduction of military activity within the DMZ, but North Korea has failed to uphold much of its side of the agreement

the South Korean Army is organized into commands for aviation, ballistic and cruise missile operations, capital defense, ground operations, air and missile defense, and rear area defense operations; the Ground Operations Command has six corps and most of the Army’s ground combat power, which includes 21 combined arms infantry divisions, several of which are mechanized, and about 20 independent armored, artillery, air assault, aviation, and special operations brigades; the active ground forces are backed up by a large reserve force made up of former active duty soldiers

the Navy is a modern force that conducts both coastal and blue water operations; it has three numbered fleets, each assigned to the seas east, west, and south of the country; it also has a submarine command, surface flotillas for specialized missions such as mine warfare and amphibious operations, an aviation wing, a special warfare force, and South Korea’s Marine Corps, which is one of the largest in the World and functions as a rapid reaction, strategic reserve, and island defense force; the Navy’s principal warships include more than 25 destroyers and frigates, two landing platform helicopter (LPH) amphibious assault ships, and nearly 20 attack-type submarines, complemented by a large force of corvettes and coastal patrol vessels

the South Korean Air Force has a largely modern inventory of more than 800 fixed and rotary wing aircraft, including over 500 fighter and multirole fighter aircraft; it is organized into commands for air combat and air mobility/reconnaissance with subordinate wings and squadrons; the Air Force also has commands for ground based air defense (2023)" } }, "Space": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/la.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/la.json index 9537d331..7e551a0d 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/la.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/la.json @@ -1207,7 +1207,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information is limited and estimates vary; approximately 30,000 active duty troops (26,000 Army; 4,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "limited and varied information; estimated 30,000 active-duty troops (26,000 Army; 4,000 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the LPAF is armed largely with Soviet-era weapons; in recent years, China and Russia have been the leading suppliers of military equipment to Laos (2023)" @@ -1216,7 +1216,7 @@ "text": "18 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; minimum 18-month service obligation (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the LPAF’s primary missions are border and internal security, including counterinsurgency and counterterrorism

Vietnam is the military's primary security partner, although in recent years, Laos has expanded defense ties with China and Russia (2023)" + "text": "the LPAF’s primary missions are border and internal security, including counterinsurgency and counterterrorism; the Army is organized into a few small divisions and independent regiments deployed around the country in four military regions; the Army is supported by a self-defense militia, which is estimated to be 100,000 strong; the small Air Force does not have any combat aircraft

Vietnam is the military's primary security partner, although in recent years, Laos has expanded defense ties with China and Russia (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json index eda235ad..a25ccefb 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json @@ -851,12 +851,16 @@ } }, "Exports": { - "Exports 2018": { - "text": "$10.597 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" + "Exports 2021": { + "text": "$11 billion (2021 est.)" }, - "Exports 2017": { - "text": "$10.254 billion (2017 est.)" - } + "Exports 2020": { + "text": "$9.36 billion (2020 est.)" + }, + "Exports 2019": { + "text": "$11 billion (2019 est.)" + }, + "note": "note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "Japan 25%, China 25%, Australia 16%, Taiwan 6%, South Korea 6% (2021)" @@ -865,11 +869,14 @@ "text": "natural gas, gold, copper, palm oil, nickel, crude petroleum, lumber, refined petroleum, tuna, coffee (2021)" }, "Imports": { - "Imports 2018": { - "text": "$4.844 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" + "Imports 2021": { + "text": "$4.25 billion (2021 est.)" }, - "Imports 2017": { - "text": "$4.662 billion (2017 est.)" + "Imports 2020": { + "text": "$3.77 billion (2020 est.)" + }, + "Imports 2019": { + "text": "$4.14 billion (2019 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { @@ -1213,7 +1220,7 @@ "text": "11,432 (Indonesia) (mid-year 2022)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "24,000 (natural disasters, tribal conflict, inter-communal violence, development projects) (2021)" + "text": "91,000 (tribal conflict, inter-communal violence) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "15 (2022)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json index 27862a1f..60ac8d7d 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json @@ -1221,8 +1221,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the Philippine Coast Guard is an armed and uniformed service under the Department of Transportation; it would be attached to the AFP in wartime; the Philippine National Police Force (PNP) falls under the Department of the Interior

note 2: the Philippine Government also arms and supports civilian militias; the AFP controls Civilian Armed Force Geographical Units, while the Civilian Volunteer Organizations fall under PNP command" + "text": "Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force

Department of Transportation: Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)

Department of the Interior: Philippine National Police Force (PNP) (2023)", + "note": "note 1: the PCG is an armed and uniformed service that would be attached to the AFP during a conflict

note 2: the Philippine Government also arms and supports civilian militias; the AFP controls Civilian Armed Force Geographical Units, while the Civilian Volunteer Organizations fall under PNP command" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1242,7 +1242,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 130,000 active duty personnel (90,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 8,000 Marine Corps; 15,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 140,000 active-duty personnel (100,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 8,000 Marine Corps; 15,000 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the AFP is equipped with a wide mix of imported weapons systems; in recent years, it has received equipment from more than a dozen countries led by Israel, South Korea, and the US (2023)" @@ -1282,7 +1282,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "IDPs": { - "text": "108,000 (government troops fighting the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Abu Sayyaf Group, and the New People's Army; clan feuds; armed attacks, political violence, and communal tensions in Mindanao) (2021)" + "text": "102,000 (government troops fighting the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Abu Sayyaf Group, and the New People's Army; clan feuds; armed attacks, political violence, and communal tensions in Mindanao) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "261 (2022); note - stateless persons are descendants of Indonesian migrants" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json index 2ceb1cc6..1c23933f 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json @@ -1161,7 +1161,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Singapore Armed Forces (SAF; aka Singapore Defense Force): Singapore Army, Republic of Singapore Navy, Republic of Singapore Air Force (includes air defense), Digital and Intelligence Service; Ministry of Home Affairs: Singapore Police Force (includes Police Coast Guard and the Gurkha Contingent) (2023)", + "text": "Singapore Armed Forces (SAF; aka Singapore Defense Force): Singapore Army, Republic of Singapore Navy, Republic of Singapore Air Force (includes air defense), Digital and Intelligence Service

Ministry of Home Affairs: Singapore Police Force (includes Police Coast Guard and the Gurkha Contingent) (2023)", "note": "note 1: the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) was stood up as the fourth SAF service in October of 2022

note 2: the Gurkha Contingent of the Singapore Police Force (GCSPF) is a paramilitary unit for riot control and acts as a rapid reaction force 

note 3: in 2009, Singapore established a multi-agency national Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) to work with law enforcement and maritime agencies to guard Singapore’s waters, including conducting daily patrols, as well as boarding and escort operations in the Singapore Strait; the MSTF is subordinate to the Singapore Navy" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1182,17 +1182,17 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 60,000 active duty troops (45,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 8,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 60,000 active duty troops (45,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 8,000 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the SAF has a diverse and largely modern mix of domestically produced and imported weapons; in recent years, the US has been the chief supplier of arms; other significant suppliers include France, Germany, Israel, and Sweden; Singapore has the most developed arms industry in Southeast Asia and is also its largest importer of weapons (2022)" + "text": "the SAF has a diverse and largely modern mix of domestically produced and imported Western weapons systems; in recent years, France and the US have been the chief suppliers of arms; Singapore has the most developed arms industry in Southeast Asia and is also its largest importer of weapons (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-21 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 16.5 years of age for voluntary enlistment (with parental consent); 24-month conscript service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 40 (enlisted) or age 50 (officers); women are not conscripted, but they are allowed to volunteer for all services and branches, including combat arms (2023)", - "note": "note 1: under the Enlistment Act, all male Singaporean citizens and permanent residents, unless exempted, are required to enter National Service (NS) upon attaining the age of 18; most NS conscripts serve in the Armed Forces, but some go into the Police Force or Civil Defense Force; conscripts comprise over half of the defense establishment

note 2: as of 2019, women made up about 8% of the active force

note 3: members of the Gurkha Contingent (GC) of the Singapore Police Force are mostly recruited from a small number of hill tribes in Nepal; the GC was formed in 1949 originally from selected ex-British Army Gurkhas" + "note": "note 1: under the Enlistment Act, all male Singaporean citizens and permanent residents, unless exempted, are required to enter National Service (NS) upon attaining the age of 18; most NS conscripts serve in the Armed Forces, but some go into the Police Force or Civil Defense Force; conscripts comprise over half of the defense establishment

note 2: as of 2019, women made up about 8% of the active force

note 3: the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) also has a uniformed volunteer auxiliary branch known as the Volunteer Corps (SAFVC); the SAFVC allows citizens and residents not subject to the National Service obligation, including Singaporean women, first generation permanent residents, and naturalized citizens, to contribute towards Singapore's defense; the volunteers must be 18-45 and physically fit

note 4: members of the Gurkha Contingent (GC) of the Singapore Police Force are mostly recruited from a small number of hill tribes in Nepal; the GC was formed in 1949 originally from selected ex-British Army Gurkhas" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "maintains permanent training detachments of military personnel in Australia, France, and the US (2022)" + "text": "maintains permanent training detachments of military personnel in Australia, France, and the US (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the SAF's roots go back to 1854 when the Singapore Volunteer Rifle Corps was formed under colonial rule; the first battalion of regular soldiers, the First Singapore Infantry Regiment, was organized in 1957; the modern SAF was established in 1965 and is today widely viewed as the best equipped military in Southeast Asia; the SAF’s primary responsibility is external defense, but it has trained for certain domestic security operations, including joint deterrence patrols with police in instances of heightened terrorism alerts; the Army is organized into 3 combined arms divisions and a “people’s defense force,” a divisional headquarters responsible for homeland security and counterterrorism; the Army is based largely on 2-year conscripts and reservists with a small cadre of professional soldiers, and Army units are comprised of a mix of active duty and cadre/reserve battalions that are filled out by reservists upon mobilization; the Air Force and Navy are primarily comprised of professionals; the Air Force has over 100 modern US-origin combat aircraft, plus squadrons for anti-submarine warfare, maritime patrol, early warning, surveillance, and logistical support, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles and attack helicopters; the Navy’s principal combat vessels are a mix of about 20 frigates, corvettes, and littoral combat ships (comparable to a corvette in capabilities), plus a few submarines 

Singapore 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)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/th.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/th.json index 5695ddd2..9d16300d 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/th.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/th.json @@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ "text": "King WACHIRALONGKON, also spelled Vajiralongkorn (since 1 December 2016)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister PRAYUT Chan-ocha (since July 2019)" + "text": "Prime Minister SETTHA Thawisin (since 5 September 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the king; a Privy Council advises the king" @@ -1226,8 +1226,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Royal Thai Armed Forces (Kongthap Thai, RTARF): Royal Thai Army (Kongthap Bok Thai, RTA), Royal Thai Navy (Kongthap Ruea Thai, RTN; includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force (Kongthap Akaat Thai, RTAF); Office of the Prime Minister: Royal Thai Police; Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the ISOC oversees counter-insurgency operations, as well as countering terrorism, narcotics and weapons trafficking, and other internal security duties; it is primarily run by the Army

note 2: official paramilitary forces in Thailand include the Thai Rangers (Thahan Phran or \"Hunter Soldiers\") under the Army; the Paramilitary Marines under the Navy; the Border Patrol Police (BPP) under the Royal Thai Police; the Volunteer Defense Corps (VDC or O So) and National Defense Volunteers (NDV), both under the Ministry of Interior; there are also several government-backed volunteer militias created to provide village security against insurgents in the deep south or to assist the ISOC" + "text": "Royal Thai Armed Forces (Kongthap Thai, RTARF): Royal Thai Army (Kongthap Bok Thai, RTA), Royal Thai Navy (Kongthap Ruea Thai, RTN; includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force (Kongthap Akaat Thai, RTAF)

Office of the Prime Minister: Royal Thai Police (2023)", + "note": "note 1: the Thai Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) oversees counter-insurgency operations, as well as countering terrorism, narcotics and weapons trafficking, and other internal security duties; it is primarily run by the Army

note 2: official paramilitary forces in Thailand include the Thai Rangers (Thahan Phran or \"Hunter Soldiers\") under the Army; the Paramilitary Marines under the Navy; the Border Patrol Police (BPP) under the Royal Thai Police; the Volunteer Defense Corps (VDC or O So) and National Defense Volunteers (NDV), both under the Ministry of Interior; there are also several government-backed volunteer militias created to provide village security against insurgents in the deep south or to assist the ISOC" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1247,17 +1247,17 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "estimated 300,000 active duty personnel (200,000 Army; 70,000 Navy; 30,000 Air Force); approximately 230,000 Royal Thai Police (2022)" + "text": "estimated 350,000 active-duty personnel (250,000 Army; 70,000 Navy; 30,000 Air Force); approximately 230,000 Royal Thai Police (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the RTARF has a diverse array of foreign-supplied weapons systems, including a large amount of older US equipment; in recent years, Thailand has received arms from nearly 20 countries, including China, South Korea, Sweden, Ukraine, and the US; Thailand has been making efforts to increase its domestic defense production capabilities in such areas as armored vehicles, unmanned aerial systems, and other military technologies (2023)" + "text": "the RTARF has a diverse array of foreign-supplied weapons systems, including a considerable amount of older US equipment; over the past decade, Thailand has received arms from nearly 20 countries, with China, South Korea, Ukraine, and the US being among the leading suppliers; in recent years, Thailand has been making efforts to increase its domestic defense production capabilities in such areas as armored vehicles, unmanned aerial systems, and other military technologies (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 21 years of age for compulsory military service for men; men register at 18 years of age; volunteer service obligation may be as short as 6 or 12 months, depending on educational qualifications; conscript service obligation also varies by educational qualifications, but is typically 24 months (2023)", "note": "note 1: serving in the armed forces is a national duty of all Thai citizens; conscription was introduced in 1905; it includes women, however, only men over the age of 21 who have not gone through reserve training are conscripted; conscripts are chosen by lottery (on draft day, eligible draftees can request volunteer service, or they may choose to stay for the conscription lottery); approximately 75-100,000 men are drafted for military service each year and conscripts reportedly comprise as much as 50% of the armed forces

note 2: as of 2020, women comprised about 8% of active-duty military personnel" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "280 South Sudan (UNMISS) (May 2022)" + "text": "275 South Sudan (UNMISS) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the RTARF’s missions include defending the country’s territory and sovereignty, protecting the monarchy, ensuring internal security, and responding to natural disasters; it also plays a large role in domestic politics and has attempted more than 20 coups since the fall of absolute monarchy in 1932, the most recent being in 2014; the Army, formed in 1874, is the dominant service and has 15 combat divisions spread across 4 military regions; ten of the divisions are infantry, while the others are armored/mechanized cavalry, special forces, and artillery; established in 1906, the Navy’s principal warships include a light aircraft/helicopter carrier, a landing platform dock (LPD) amphibious assault ship, and nearly 20 frigates, corvettes, and offshore patrol vessels; it also has a marine infantry division; the Air Force, established in 1913, is one of the oldest in Southeast Asia and has around 100 combat aircraft

since 2004, the military has fought against separatist insurgents in the southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, as well as parts of Songkhla; the insurgency is rooted in ethnic Malay nationalist resistance to Thai rule that followed the extension of Siamese sovereignty over the Patani Sultanate in the 18th century; the insurgency consists of several armed groups, the largest of which is the Barisan Revolusi Nasional-Koordinasi (BRN-C): since 2020, Thai officials have been negotiating with BRN, and has parallel talks with an umbrella organization, MARA Pattani, that claims to represent the insurgency groups; since 2004, violence associated with the insurgency has claimed more than 7,300 lives (as of 2023); the Thai Government has had as many as 100,000 military and paramilitary forces deployed in the south to combat the insurgency

Thailand 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; the Thai and US militaries host the annual \"Cobra Gold\" multinational military exercises in Thailand; the exercise is one of the largest multinational exercises in the Pacific region (2023)" @@ -1284,7 +1284,7 @@ "text": "90,617 (Burma) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2022)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "41,000 (2021)" + "text": "41,000 (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "566,900 (2022) (estimate represents stateless persons registered with the Thai Government; actual number may be as high as 3.5 million); note - about half of Thailand's northern hill tribe people do not have citizenship and make up the bulk of Thailand's stateless population; most lack documentation showing they or one of their parents were born in Thailand; children born to Burmese refugees are not eligible for Burmese or Thai citizenship and are stateless; most Chao Lay, maritime nomadic peoples, who travel from island to island in the Andaman Sea west of Thailand are also stateless; stateless Rohingya refugees from Burma are considered illegal migrants by Thai authorities and are detained in inhumane conditions or expelled; stateless persons are denied access to voting, property, education, employment, healthcare, and driving" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/tt.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/tt.json index b1c6749f..9806faff 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/tt.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/tt.json @@ -1124,7 +1124,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Timor-Leste Defense Force (Falintil-Forcas de Defesa de Timor-L'este, Falintil (F-FDTL)): Joint Headquarters with Land, Air, Naval, Service Support, and Education/Training components; Ministry of Interior: National Police (Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste, PNTL) (2023)" + "text": "Timor-Leste Defense Force (Falintil-Forcas de Defesa de Timor-L'este, Falintil (F-FDTL)): Joint Headquarters with Land, Air, Naval, Service Support, and Education/Training components

Ministry of Interior: National Police (Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste, PNTL) (2023)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1147,7 +1147,7 @@ "text": "approximately 1,500-2,000 personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the military is lightly armed and has a limited inventory consisting of equipment donated by other countries; in recent years, it has received small amounts of material from China, South Korea, and the US (2022)" + "text": "the military is lightly armed and has a limited inventory consisting of equipment donated by other countries; in recent years, it has received small amounts of donated equipment from China, South Korea, and the US (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsory service was authorized in 2020 for men and women aged 18-30 for 18 months of service, but the level of implementation is unclear (2023)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json index 3ee81049..6d8f36ae 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json @@ -1035,8 +1035,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Taiwan Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force; Taiwan Coast Guard Administration; Ministry of Interior: National Police (2023)", - "note": "note: the Coast Guard is a law enforcement organization with homeland security functions during peacetime and national defense missions during wartime" + "text": "Taiwan Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force

Ocean Affairs Council: Coast Guard Administration (CGA)

Ministry of Interior: National Police (2023)", + "note": "note: the CGA is a law enforcement organization with homeland security functions during peacetime and national defense missions during wartime; it was established in 2000 from the integration of the Coast Guard Command (formerly under the Ministry of Defense), the Marine Police Bureau (formerly under the National Police), and several cutters from the Taiwan Directorate General of Customs (Ministry of Finance)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1056,7 +1056,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 170,000 active duty troops (90,000 Army; 40,000 Navy, including approximately 10,000 marines; 40,000 Air Force) (2022)", + "text": "approximately 170,000 active-duty troops (90,000 Army; 40,000 Navy, including approximately 10,000 marines; 40,000 Air Force) (2023)", "note": "note: Taiwan trains about 120,000 reservists annually, but in 2022 announced intentions to increase that figure to 260,000" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { @@ -1067,7 +1067,7 @@ "note": "note 1: compulsory service is 5 weeks of basic training followed by 11 weeks of specialized training with field units; in 2022, the Taiwan announced that compulsory service would be extended from 4 to 12 months beginning in January 2024

note 2: as of 2023, women made up about 15% of the active-duty military" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the military’s primary responsibility is external security, including the defense of the country’s sovereignty and territory, and the protection of Taiwan’s air space, maritime claims, and sea lanes of communication; its main focus is the challenge posed by the People’s Republic of China; the military trains regularly and conducts multiservice exercises; the Army’s primary combat forces include 9 mechanized or motorized infantry brigades, 4 armored brigades, and 3 artillery brigades; it also has an aviation and special forces command that includes several squadrons of attack helicopters; the Air Force has nearly 300 fighter and multipurpose fighter aircraft organized, plus squadrons for anti-submarine and electronic warfare, early warning, and surveillance; the Navy’s warship inventory includes 4 destroyers, 22 frigates, more than 40 corvettes, patrol vessels, and missile-armed attack craft, and 2 combat-capable attack submarines; it also has 3 marine infantry brigades 

the US Taiwan Relations Act of April 1979 states that the US shall provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character and shall maintain the capacity of the US to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or social or economic system, of the people of Taiwan (2023)" + "text": "the military’s primary responsibility is external security, including the defense of the country’s sovereignty and territory, and the protection of Taiwan’s air space, maritime claims, and sea lanes of communication; its main focus is the challenge posed by the People’s Republic of China; the military trains regularly and conducts multiservice exercises; the Army’s primary combat forces include nine mechanized or motorized infantry brigades, four armored brigades, and three artillery brigades; it also has an aviation and special forces command that includes several squadrons of attack helicopters; the Air Force has nearly 300 fighter and multipurpose fighter aircraft organized, plus squadrons for anti-submarine and electronic warfare, early warning, and surveillance; the Navy’s warship inventory includes four destroyers, 22 frigates, more than 40 corvettes, patrol vessels, and missile-armed attack craft, and two combat-capable attack submarines; it also has three marine infantry brigades 

the US Taiwan Relations Act of April 1979 states that the US shall provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character and shall maintain the capacity of the US to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or social or economic system, of the people of Taiwan (2023)" } }, "Space": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json index d9f2722d..b79d1fd7 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json @@ -1210,8 +1210,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; aka Vietnam People's Army, VPA): Ground Forces, Navy (includes naval infantry), Air Force and Air Defense, Border Defense Force, and Vietnam Coast Guard; Vietnam People's Public Security Ministry; Vietnam Civil Defense Force (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the Public Security Ministry is responsible for internal security and controls the national police, a special national security investigative agency, and other internal security units, including specialized riot police regiments

note 2: the Vietnam Coast Guard was established in 1998 as the Vietnam Marine Police and renamed in 2013; Vietnam officially established a maritime self-defense force (civilian militia) in 2010 after the National Assembly passed the Law on Militia and Self-Defense Forces in 2009; the Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance (VFRS), established in 2013, is responsible for patrolling, monitoring for fishing violations, and carrying out fishery inspections; it is armed, allowed to use force if necessary, and works in tandem with the Vietnam Coast Guard" + "text": "People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; aka Vietnam People's Army, VPA): Ground Forces, Navy (includes naval infantry), Air Force and Air Defense, Border Defense Force, Vietnam Coast Guard

Vietnam People's Public Security Ministry; Vietnam Civil Defense Force (2023)", + "note": "note 1: the People's Public Security Ministry is responsible for internal security and controls the national police, a special national security investigative agency, and other internal security units, including specialized riot police regiments

note 2: the Vietnam Coast Guard was established in 1998 as the Vietnam Marine Police and renamed in 2013; Vietnam officially established a maritime self-defense force (civilian militia) in 2010 after the National Assembly passed the Law on Militia and Self-Defense Forces in 2009; the Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance (VFRS), established in 2013, is responsible for patrolling, monitoring for fishing violations, and carrying out fishery inspections; it is armed, allowed to use force if necessary, and works in tandem with the Vietnam Coast Guard" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2021": { @@ -1231,14 +1231,17 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information is limited and varied; estimated 450,000 active-duty troops (390,000 ground; 30,000 naval; 30,000 air); estimated 40,000 Border Defense Force and Coast Guard (2022)" + "text": "information is limited and varied; estimated 450,000 active-duty troops; estimated 40,000 Border Defense Force and Coast Guard (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the PAVN is armed largely with weapons and equipment from Russia and the former Soviet Union; in recent years, Russia has remained the most important supplier of newer PAVN military equipment, but Vietnam has diversified arms purchases to include more than a dozen other countries including Israel, South Korea, Ukraine, and the US; Vietnam has a limited domestic defense industry (2022)" + "text": "the PAVN is armed largely with weapons and equipment from Russia and the former Soviet Union; in recent years, Russia has remained the most important supplier of newer PAVN military equipment, but Vietnam has diversified arms purchases to include more than a dozen other countries including Belarus, Israel, the Netherlands, South Korea, and the US; Vietnam has a limited domestic defense industry (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service for men and women (in practice only men are drafted); service obligation is between 24 (Army, Air Defense) and 36 (Navy and Air Force) months (2023)" }, + "Military deployments": { + "text": "190 Abyei/South Sudan/Sudan (UNISFA) (2023)" + }, "Military - note": { "text": "the PAVN is the military arm of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and responsible to the Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest party organ on military policy; the CMC is led by the CPV General Secretary

the PAVN is one of the region’s largest militaries and has participated in numerous conflicts since its founding in the mid-1940s, including the First (1946-54) and Second (1950s-1975) Indochina Wars, the Cambodian-Vietnamese War (1978-1989), and the Sino-Vietnamese War (1979); the PAVN’s current missions include protecting the country's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests; in recent years, it has increased focus on protecting the country’s maritime economy and sovereignty; it also assists with natural disasters and is heavily involved in economic projects, including electrical infrastructure, oil and gas services, hydroelectric projects, aviation and seaport services, telecommunications, and the shipbuilding industry, while military-owned factories and enterprises produce weapons and equipment; the Ground Forces are spread throughout the country in approximately eight regional commands, four operational corps, and dozens of divisions and brigades, including some that are maintained at cadre strength and filled in wartime by an estimated five million reserves; the Navy in recent years has received increased government focus for procurement efforts because of the rise in territorial disputes in the South China Sea and has a growing combat force of about 20 frigates, corvettes, and fast-attack surface vessels, plus eight attack submarines; the Air Force has a mix of approximately 75 Soviet-era and Russian-made combat aircraft (2023)" }, diff --git a/europe/al.json b/europe/al.json index ff17cdf8..71670d98 100644 --- a/europe/al.json +++ b/europe/al.json @@ -577,13 +577,13 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)" + "text": "unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open party -list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method; members serve 4-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "last held on 25 April 2021 (next to be held in 2025)" }, "election results": { - "text": "
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 - men 93, women 47, percent of women 33.6%" + "text": "
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%" } }, "Judicial branch": { diff --git a/europe/an.json b/europe/an.json index 4c676738..aa5ed169 100644 --- a/europe/an.json +++ b/europe/an.json @@ -495,13 +495,13 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de les Valls (a minimum of 28 seats; 14 members directly elected in two-seat constituencies (7 parishes) by simple majority vote and 14 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - voters cast two separate ballots - one for a national list and one for a parish list" + "text": "unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de les Valls (a minimum of 28 seats; 14 members directly elected in two-seat constituencies (7 parishes) by simple majority vote and 14 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - voters cast two separate ballots - one for national and one for their parish" }, "elections": { "text": "last held on 2 April 2023 (next to be held in April 2027)" }, "election results": { - "text": "
percent of vote by party - DA 57.1%, Concord 17.8%, Forward 10.7%, SDP 10.7%, L'A 3.6%; seats by party - DA 16, Concord 5, Forward 3, SDP 3, L'A 1; composition - men 15, women 13, percent of women 46.4%" + "text": "
percent of vote by party - DA 57.1%, Concord 17.8%, Forward 10.7%, SDP 10.7%, L'A 3.6%; seats by party - DA 16, Concord 5, Forward 3, SDP 3, L'A 1; composition as of August 2023 - men 14, women 14, percent of women 50%" } }, "Judicial branch": { diff --git a/europe/au.json b/europe/au.json index 81045b67..59a6a2de 100644 --- a/europe/au.json +++ b/europe/au.json @@ -1263,7 +1263,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "68,700 (Syria), 43,725 (Afghanistan), 10,110 (Iraq), 8,684 (Somalia), 7,294 (Iran), 6,124 (Russia) (mid-year 2022); 68,700 (Ukraine) (as of 28 August 2023)" + "text": "68,700 (Syria), 43,725 (Afghanistan), 10,110 (Iraq), 8,684 (Somalia), 7,294 (Iran), 6,124 (Russia) (mid-year 2022); 68,700 (Ukraine) (as of 4 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "3,219 (2022)" diff --git a/europe/ez.json b/europe/ez.json index 8a23d29d..4eb40a5e 100644 --- a/europe/ez.json +++ b/europe/ez.json @@ -1230,7 +1230,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "364,885 (Ukraine) (as of 27 August 2023)" + "text": "366,440 (Ukraine) (as of 3 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "1,625 (2022)" diff --git a/europe/fi.json b/europe/fi.json index a491f5f6..e1046aa7 100644 --- a/europe/fi.json +++ b/europe/fi.json @@ -1276,7 +1276,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "9,175 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022); 60,315 (Ukraine) (as of 21 August 2023)" + "text": "9,175 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022); 60,615 (Ukraine) (as of 5 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "3,546 (2022)" diff --git a/europe/gr.json b/europe/gr.json index f24eed6b..ea3879f6 100644 --- a/europe/gr.json +++ b/europe/gr.json @@ -1248,7 +1248,7 @@ "stateless persons": { "text": "4,488 (2022)" }, - "note": "note: 1,247,731 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2023)" + "note": "note: 1,250,914 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-September 2023)" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis products and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug trafficking and organized crime" diff --git a/europe/hr.json b/europe/hr.json index 5e1ab6c8..7161bc83 100644 --- a/europe/hr.json +++ b/europe/hr.json @@ -1224,7 +1224,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 15,000 active-duty personnel (10,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 1,500 Air force; 2,000 joint/other) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 15,000 active-duty personnel (10,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 1,500 Air force; 2,000 joint/other) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the majority of the military's inventory consists of Soviet-era equipment, although in recent years Croatia has acquired some limited numbers of more modern weapon systems from Western suppliers, including France, Germany, and the US (2023)" @@ -1247,7 +1247,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "23,170 (Ukraine) (as of 18 August 2023)" + "text": "23,315 (Ukraine) (as of 1 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "2,889 (2022)" diff --git a/europe/hu.json b/europe/hu.json index 286f4a59..26d05943 100644 --- a/europe/hu.json +++ b/europe/hu.json @@ -1248,7 +1248,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 21,000 active-duty troops (16,000 Army; 5,000 Air Force) (2022)", + "text": "approximately 25,000 active-duty troops (20,000 Army; 5,000 Air Force) (2023)", "note": "note: in 2017, Hungary announced plans to increase the number of active soldiers to around 37,000 but did not give a timeline" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { @@ -1286,7 +1286,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "52,285 (Ukraine) (as of 29 August 2023)" + "text": "52,285 (Ukraine) (as of 3 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "130 (2022)" diff --git a/europe/it.json b/europe/it.json index 858503ea..60cbf8b9 100644 --- a/europe/it.json +++ b/europe/it.json @@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ } }, "Political parties and leaders": { - "text": "

Action-Italia Viva [Carlo CALENDA and Matteo RENZI]
Associative Movement of Italians Abroad or MAIE [Ricardo Antonio MERIO]
Brothers of Italy or FdI [Giorgia MELONI]
Democratic Party or PD [Elly SCHLEIN]
Five Star Movement or M5S [Giuseppe CONTE]
Forza Italia or FI 
Free and Equal (Liberi e Uguali) or LeU [Pietro GRASSO]
Greens and Left Alliance or AVS [Angelo BONELLI]
Italexit [Gianluigi PARAGONE]]
League or Lega [Matteo SALVINI]
More Europe or +EU [Emma BONINO]
Popular Union or PU [Luigi DE MAGISTRIS]
South calls North or ScN [Cateno DE LUCA] 
South Tyrolean Peoples Party or SVP [Philipp ACHAMMER]
other minor parties

" + "text": "

Action-Italia Viva [Carlo CALENDA and Matteo RENZI]
Associative Movement of Italians Abroad or MAIE [Ricardo Antonio MERIO]
Brothers of Italy or FdI [Giorgia MELONI]
Democratic Party or PD [Elly SCHLEIN]
Five Star Movement or M5S [Giuseppe CONTE]
Forza Italia or FI [Antonio TAJANI]
Free and Equal (Liberi e Uguali) or LeU [Pietro GRASSO]
Greens and Left Alliance or AVS [Angelo BONELLI]
Italexit [Gianluigi PARAGONE]]
League or Lega [Matteo SALVINI]
More Europe or +EU [Emma BONINO]
Popular Union or PU [Luigi DE MAGISTRIS]
South calls North or ScN [Cateno DE LUCA] 
South Tyrolean Peoples Party or SVP [Philipp ACHAMMER]
other minor parties

" }, "International organization participation": { "text": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC" @@ -1294,7 +1294,7 @@ "stateless persons": { "text": "3,000 (2022)" }, - "note": "note: 801,699 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2023)" + "note": "note: 811,094 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-September 2023)" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "

important gateway for drug trafficking; organized crime groups allied with Colombian and Spanish groups trafficking cocaine to Europe

" diff --git a/europe/lh.json b/europe/lh.json index 6690237b..74d8ae8e 100644 --- a/europe/lh.json +++ b/europe/lh.json @@ -919,7 +919,7 @@ }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { - "text": "litai (LTL) per US dollar -" + "text": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2021": { "text": "0.845 (2021 est.)" @@ -1250,7 +1250,7 @@ "text": "Lithuanian Space Office (established 2019; operates under the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology and focuses on developing links between Lithuanian space business, science, and public sectors, as well as the international space community); Lithuanian Space Association (established 2009; is an association of public and state-funded scientific and technology research institutes and private businesses behind much of Lithuania’s space program, including satellite development and ties to international space programs) (2023)" }, "Space program overview": { - "text": "has a small but growing space program; operates satellites; manufactures small satellites; conducts research and development of other space-related capabilities, including in propulsion system components, infrared-based technologies, remote sensing applications, opto-electronics, and radio frequency systems, as well as those related to astronomy (has one of the oldest observatories in Europe located in Vilnius) and space applications for life and physical sciences; participates in international space programs; associate member of the European Space Agency (ESA); has cooperated with space agencies and industries of China, India, Russia, Ukraine, and the US, as well as individual ESA/EU member states; as of 2022, more than 30 Lithuanian companies participated in space supply chains, as well as small satellite production (2023)", + "text": "has a small but growing space program; operates satellites; manufactures small satellites; conducts research and development of other space-related capabilities, including in propulsion system components, infrared-based technologies, remote sensing applications, opto-electronics, and radio frequency systems, as well as those related to astronomy (has one of the oldest observatories in Europe located in Vilnius) and space applications for life and physical sciences; participates in international space programs; associate member of the European Space Agency (ESA); has cooperated with space agencies and industries of China, India, Russia, Ukraine, and the US, as well as individual ESA/EU member states; has a small commercial space sector that participates in space supply chains and small satellite production (2023)", "note": "note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S" } }, @@ -1260,7 +1260,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "43,015 (Ukraine) (as of 15 August 2023)" + "text": "43,015 (Ukraine) (as of 1 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "2,720 (2022)" diff --git a/europe/lo.json b/europe/lo.json index cfc50b13..32cc00e5 100644 --- a/europe/lo.json +++ b/europe/lo.json @@ -1176,8 +1176,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (Ozbrojene Sily Slovenskej Republiky): Land Forces (Slovenské Pozemné Sily), Air Forces (Slovenské Vzdušné Sily), Special Operations Forces (Sily Pre Speciálne Operácie) (2023)

note: the national Slovak Police Force has sole responsibility for internal and border security and reports to the Ministry of Interior ", - "note": "note: the national Slovak Police Force has sole responsibility for internal and border security and reports to the Ministry of Interior " + "text": "Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (Ozbrojene Sily Slovenskej Republiky): Land Forces (Slovenské Pozemné Sily), Air Forces (Slovenské Vzdušné Sily), Special Operations Forces (Sily Pre Speciálne Operácie)

Ministry of Interior: Slovak Police Force (SPF or Policajný Zbor) (2023)", + "note": "note: the SPF has sole responsibility for internal and border security" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { @@ -1200,14 +1200,14 @@ "text": "approximately 14,000 active-duty personnel (8,000 Land Forces; 4,000 Air Forces; 2,000 other, including staff, special operations, and support forces) (2022)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the military's inventory consists mostly of Soviet-era platforms; in recent years, it has imported limited quantities of more modern equipment, particularly from Italy and the US (2022)" + "text": "the military's inventory consists mostly of Soviet-era platforms; in recent years, it has imported limited quantities of more modern equipment, particularly from Italy and the US (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription in peacetime suspended in 2004 (2023)", "note": "note: as of 2019, women made up around 12% of the military's full-time personnel" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "240 Cyprus (UNFICYP); up to 150 Latvia (NATO) (2022)", + "text": "240 Cyprus (UNFICYP); up to 150 Latvia (NATO) (2023)", "note": "note: in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, some NATO countries, including Slovakia, have sent additional troops and equipment to the battlegroups deployed in NATO territory in eastern Europe" }, "Military - note": { diff --git a/europe/md.json b/europe/md.json index a26b2c08..8df8fa48 100644 --- a/europe/md.json +++ b/europe/md.json @@ -1164,7 +1164,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova ( Forțele Armate ale Republicii Moldova): National Army (comprised of a General Staff, a Land Forces Command, and an Air Force Command); Ministry of Internal Affairs: General Carabinieri Inspectorate (aka Carabinieri Troops or Trupele de Carabinieri) (2023)", + "text": "Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova (Forțele Armate ale Republicii Moldova): National Army (comprised of a General Staff, a Land Forces Command, and an Air Force Command); Ministry of Internal Affairs: General Carabinieri Inspectorate (aka Carabinieri Troops or Trupele de Carabinieri) (2023)", "note": "note 1: the Carabinieri is a quasi-militarized gendarmerie responsible for protecting public buildings, maintaining public order, and other national security functions

note 2: the national police force reports to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and is the primary law enforcement body, responsible for internal security, public order, traffic, border security, and criminal investigations; the Moldovan Border Police (Poliției de Frontieră) are under the Ministry of Internal Affairs; prior to 2012, Border Police were under the armed forces and known as the Border Troops" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1185,7 +1185,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 6,500 active troops; approximately 2,000 Carabinieri (2022)" + "text": "approximately 6,500 active troops; approximately 2,000 Carabinieri (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory is limited and almost entirely comprised of older Russian and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, it has received small amounts of donated material from other nations, including the US (2023)" @@ -1195,7 +1195,7 @@ "note": "note: as of 2019, women made up about 20% of the military's full-time personnel" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "Moldova is constitutionally neutral, but has maintained a relationship with NATO since 1992; bilateral cooperation started when Moldova joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994; Moldova has contributed small numbers of troops to NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) since 2014, and a civilian NATO liaison office was established in Moldova in 2017 at the request of the Moldovan Government to promote practical cooperation and facilitate support

the 1992 war between Moldovan forces and Transnistrian separatists backed by Russian troops ended with a cease-fire; as of 2022, Russia maintained approximately 1,500 troops in Transnistria, some of which served under the authority of a peacekeeping force known as a Joint Control Commission that also included Moldovan and separatist personnel; the remainder of the Russian contingent (Operational Group of Russian Forces - Transnistria or OGF-T) guarded a depot of Soviet-era ammunition and trained Transnistrian separatist paramilitary troops (2023)" + "text": "Moldova is constitutionally neutral, but has maintained a relationship with NATO since 1992; bilateral cooperation started when Moldova joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994; Moldova has contributed small numbers of troops to NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) since 2014, and a civilian NATO liaison office was established in Moldova in 2017 at the request of the Moldovan Government to promote practical cooperation and facilitate support

the 1992 war between Moldovan forces and Transnistrian separatists backed by Russian troops ended with a cease-fire; as of 2022, Russia maintained approximately 1,500 troops in Transnistria, some of which served under the authority of a peacekeeping force known as a Joint Control Commission that also included Moldovan and separatist personnel; the remainder of the Russian contingent (Operational Group of Russian Forces - Transnistria or OGF-T) guarded a depot of Soviet-era ammunition and trained Transnistrian separatist paramilitary troops (note - most of the 1,500 Russian troops are local Transnistrians who have been given Russian passports) (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { @@ -1204,7 +1204,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "117,160 (Ukraine) (as of 20 August 2023)" + "text": "117,065 (Ukraine) (as of 27 August 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "1,701 (2022)" diff --git a/europe/mj.json b/europe/mj.json index 28d6f3e5..44fd382b 100644 --- a/europe/mj.json +++ b/europe/mj.json @@ -1245,12 +1245,20 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "56,915 (Ukraine) (as of 28 August 2023)" + "text": "56,915 (Ukraine) (as of 4 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "468 (2022)" }, - "note": "note: 32,557 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2023)" + "note": "note: 32,873 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2023)" + }, + "Trafficking in persons": { + "tier rating": { + "text": "Tier 2 Watch List — Montenegro does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; the government prosecuted more defendants and identified more trafficking victims, adopted the National Action Plan for 2022, and coordinating bodies met consistently; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts, compared with the previous reporting period, to expand its anti-trafficking capacity; officials did not convict any traffickers and reorganized the police office dedicated to investigating trafficking, reducing its ability to conduct proactive investigations; the government did not act quickly to protect victims after experts published credible allegations of abuse by an employee with management duties for the government-funded NGO-run anti-trafficking shelter, including physical violence, intimidation, and blackmail; although civil society and international organizations ceased victim referrals to the shelter, the government did not suspend its license and funding, continued to refer two child victims, and funded the shelter until the grant ended in December 2022; afterwards, Montenegro did not renew the shelter’s grant and decided to start renovating a government-run shelter for child trafficking victims; the government attempted to organize accommodations for child victims in foster families, but it did not develop a plan to provide protection for adult victims; therefore, Montenegro was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List (2023)" + }, + "trafficking profile": { + "text": "human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Montenegro, and Montenegrins abroad; traffickers are predominantly men between the ages of 25 and 49 and members of organized criminal groups that operate in the Western Balkans; victims in Montenegro are primarily women and girls from Montenegro, neighboring Balkan countries, and, to a lesser extent, other countries in Eastern Europe; traffickers exploit victims in the hospitality industry, including bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and cafes; children, particularly Romani, Ashkali, and Balkan Egyptian children, are forced to beg; Romani girls from Montenegro reportedly have been sold into marriages and forced into domestic servitude in Romani communities in Montenegro and, to a lesser extent, in Albania, Germany, and Kosovo; migrants from neighboring countries are vulnerable to forced labor, particularly during the summer tourism season; transnational organized criminal groups exploit some Montenegrin women and girls in sex trafficking in other Balkan countries (2023)" + } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "

drug trafficking groups are major players in the procurement and transportation of of large quantities of cocaine destined for European markets

" diff --git a/europe/mk.json b/europe/mk.json index 7cf92d70..93d0a967 100644 --- a/europe/mk.json +++ b/europe/mk.json @@ -1180,12 +1180,12 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "15,255 (Ukraine) (as of 22 August 2023)" + "text": "16,495 (Ukraine) (as of 3 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "521 (2022)" }, - "note": "note: 557,715 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-June 2023)" + "note": "note: 559,000 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2023)" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe; although not a financial center and most criminal activity is thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement" diff --git a/europe/no.json b/europe/no.json index 21185dc2..ae92d228 100644 --- a/europe/no.json +++ b/europe/no.json @@ -1232,7 +1232,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "15,901 (Syria), 10,883 (Eritrea) (mid-year 2022); 48,280 (Ukraine) (as of 27 July 2023)" + "text": "15,901 (Syria), 10,883 (Eritrea) (mid-year 2022); 53,440 (Ukraine) (as of 30 August 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "3,901 (2022)" diff --git a/europe/pl.json b/europe/pl.json index 48d5a030..95047d27 100644 --- a/europe/pl.json +++ b/europe/pl.json @@ -1215,8 +1215,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces (Wojska Ladowe), Navy (Marynarka Wojenna), Air Force (Sily Powietrzne), Special Forces (Wojska Specjalne), Territorial Defense Force (Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej) (2023)", - "note": "note: the police force is a national law enforcement body with regional and municipal units overseen by the Ministry of Interior and Administration; the Border Guard is responsible for border (including coastal) security and combating irregular migration and also reports to the Ministry of Interior and Administration" + "text": "Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces (Wojska Ladowe), Navy (Marynarka Wojenna), Air Force (Sily Powietrzne), Special Forces (Wojska Specjalne), Territorial Defense Force (Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej)

Ministry of Interior and Administration: Polish National Police (Policja); Border Guard (Straż Graniczna or SG) (2023)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { @@ -1276,7 +1275,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "968,390 (Ukraine) (as of 17 August 2023)" + "text": "968,390 (Ukraine) (as of 3 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "1,435 (2022)" diff --git a/europe/po.json b/europe/po.json index 30de301f..613fa538 100644 --- a/europe/po.json +++ b/europe/po.json @@ -1183,8 +1183,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Portuguese Armed Forces (Forças Armadas): Portuguese Army (Exercito Portuguesa), Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps, aka Corpo de Fuzileiros or Corps of Fusiliers), Portuguese Air Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP); National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana, GNR) (2023)", - "note": "note: the Ministries of Internal Administration and Justice have primary responsibility for internal security; the Ministry of Internal Administration oversees the Foreigners and Borders Service, Public Security Police, and GNR; the Foreigners and Borders Service has jurisdiction over immigration and border matters, the Public Security Police has jurisdiction in cities, and the GNR has jurisdiction in rural areas; the GNR is a national gendarmerie force comprised of military personnel with law enforcement, internal security, civil defense, disaster response, and coast guard duties; it is responsible to both the Ministry of Internal Administration and to the Ministry of National Defense; it is not part of the Armed Forces, but may be placed under the operational command of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces in the event of a national emergency; the GNR describes itself as a hinge between the Armed Forces and the police forces and other security services" + "text": "Portuguese Armed Forces (Forças Armadas): Portuguese Army (Exercito Portuguesa), Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps, aka Corpo de Fuzileiros or Corps of Fusiliers), Portuguese Air Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP)

Ministry of Internal Administration: Foreigners and Borders Service, Public Security Service, National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana, GNR) (2023)", + "note": "note: the Foreigners and Borders Service has jurisdiction over immigration and border matters, the Public Security Police has jurisdiction in cities, and the GNR has jurisdiction in rural areas; the GNR is a national gendarmerie force comprised of military personnel with law enforcement, internal security, civil defense, disaster response, and coast guard duties; it is responsible to both the Ministry of Internal Administration and to the Ministry of National Defense; it is not part of the Armed Forces, but may be placed under the operational command of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces in the event of a national emergency; the GNR describes itself as a hinge between the Armed Forces and the police forces and other security services" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { @@ -1214,7 +1214,7 @@ "note": "note: as of 2019, women made up about 12% of the military's full-time personnel" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "200 Central African Republic (MINUSCA/EUTM); approximately 200 Lithuania (NATO); approximately 230 Romania (NATO) (2023)", + "text": "225 Central African Republic (MINUSCA/EUTM); approximately 200 Lithuania (NATO); approximately 230 Romania (NATO) (2023)", "note": "note 1: in 2021, Portugal deployed about 80 troops to Mozambique to assist with the EU training mission

note 2: in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, some NATO countries, including Portugal, have sent additional troops to the battlegroups deployed in NATO territory in eastern Europe

note 3: Portugal also participates in several NATO maritime and air policing operations, as well as some EU international missions" }, "Military - note": { diff --git a/europe/ri.json b/europe/ri.json index 2c10d968..2e5dcb9e 100644 --- a/europe/ri.json +++ b/europe/ri.json @@ -1193,7 +1193,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Serbian Armed Forces (Vojska Srbije, VS): Land Forces (aka Army; includes Riverine Component, consisting of a naval flotilla on the Danube), Air and Air Defense Forces, Serbian Guard; Serbian Ministry of Interior: General Police Directorate (2023)", + "text": "Serbian Armed Forces (Vojska Srbije, VS): Land Forces (aka Army; includes Riverine Component, consisting of a naval flotilla on the Danube), Air and Air Defense Forces, Serbian Guard

Serbian Ministry of Interior: General Police Directorate (2023)", "note": "note: the Serbian Guard is a brigade-sized unit that is directly subordinate to the Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff; its duties include safeguarding key defense facilities and rendering military honors to top foreign, state, and military officials 
" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1214,10 +1214,10 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 25,000 active duty troops (15,000 Land Forces; 5,000 Air/Air Defense; 5,000 other); approximately 3,000 Gendarmerie (2022)" + "text": "approximately 25,000 active-duty troops (15,000 Land Forces; 5,000 Air/Air Defense; 5,000 other); approximately 3,000 Gendarmerie (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the military's inventory consists of Russian and Soviet-era weapons systems; in recent years, Russia has been the largest suppliers of arms to Serbia; China has also provided a growing amount of arms (2023)" + "text": "the military's inventory consists of Russian and Soviet-era weapons systems; in recent years, China and Russia have been the largest suppliers of arms to Serbia (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished January 2011 (2022)", @@ -1236,15 +1236,15 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "17,334 (Croatia), 7,997 (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (mid-year 2022)" + "text": "17,334 (Croatia), 7,997 (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (mid-year 2022); 5,690 (Ukraine) (as of 31 August 2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "196,995 (most are Kosovar Serbs, some are Roma, Ashkalis, and Egyptian (RAE); some RAE IDPs are unregistered) (2021)" + "text": "196,066 (most are Kosovar Serbs, some are Roma, Ashkalis, and Egyptian (RAE); some RAE IDPs are unregistered) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "2,594 (includes stateless persons in Kosovo) (2022)" }, - "note": "note: 995,408 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2023)" + "note": "note: 1,004,194 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2023)" }, "Trafficking in persons": { "tier rating": { diff --git a/europe/ro.json b/europe/ro.json index 0c5d996d..f615771e 100644 --- a/europe/ro.json +++ b/europe/ro.json @@ -1217,8 +1217,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Romanian Armed Forces (Forțele Armate Române or Armata Română): Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force (2023)", - "note": "note: the Ministry of Internal Affairs is responsible for the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police, the Romanian Gendarmerie (Jandarmeria Română), the border police, the General Directorate for Internal Protection, and the Directorate General for Anticorruption" + "text": "Romanian Armed Forces (Forțele Armate Române or Armata Română): Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force

Ministry of Internal Affairs: General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police, the Romanian Gendarmerie (Jandarmeria Română), the Romanian Border Police, the General Directorate for Internal Protection, and the Directorate General for Anticorruption (2023)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { @@ -1238,7 +1237,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 75,000 active duty personnel (58,000 Land Forces; 7,000 Naval Forces; 10,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 75,000 active-duty military personnel (58,000 Land Forces; 7,000 Naval Forces; 10,000 Air Force) (2022)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory is comprised mostly of Soviet-era and older domestically produced weapons systems, although in recent years it has launched an effort to acquire more Western-origin equipment from European countries and the US, including aircraft and armored vehicles (2023)" @@ -1247,7 +1246,7 @@ "text": "18 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; all military inductees contract for an initial 5-year term of service, with subsequent successive 3-year terms until age 36; conscription ended in 2006 (2022)" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "up to 120 Poland (NATO) (2022)" + "text": "up to 120 Poland (NATO) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "Romania became a member of NATO in 2004

Romania hosts a NATO multinational divisional headquarters (Multinational Division Southeast; became operational in 2017) and a French-led ground force battlegroup as part of NATO's tailored forward presence in the southeastern part of the Alliance in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine; Romania conducts its own air policing mission, but because of Russian aggression in the Black Sea region, NATO allies have sent detachments of fighters to augment the Romanian Air Force since 2014 (2023)" @@ -1274,7 +1273,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "94,515 (Ukraine) (as of 20 August 2023)" + "text": "86,850 (Ukraine) (as of 3 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "297 (2022)" diff --git a/europe/si.json b/europe/si.json index a7af1743..226a5c6e 100644 --- a/europe/si.json +++ b/europe/si.json @@ -1184,8 +1184,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Slovenian Armed Forces (Slovenska Vojska, SV): structured as a combined force with air, land, maritime, special operations, combat support, and combat service support elements (2023)", - "note": "note: the National Police maintain internal security and report to the Ministry of Interior" + "text": "Slovenian Armed Forces (Slovenska Vojska, SV): structured as a combined force with air, land, maritime, special operations, combat support, and combat service support elements

Ministry of Interior: National Police (2023)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { @@ -1208,7 +1207,7 @@ "text": "approximately 6,000 active-duty troops (2022)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the military's inventory is a mix of Soviet-era and smaller quantities of more modern Russian and Western equipment (2022)" + "text": "the military's inventory is a mix of Soviet-era and smaller quantities of more modern, mostly Western equipment; in recent years, it has imported limited amounts of equipment from a few European countries and the US (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; must be a citizen of the Republic of Slovenia; recruits sign up for 3-, 5-, or 10-year service contracts; conscription abolished in 2003 (2023)", @@ -1228,7 +1227,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "10,060 (Ukraine) (as of 21 August 2023)" + "text": "10,140 (Ukraine) (as of 4 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "10 (2020)" diff --git a/europe/sm.json b/europe/sm.json index 1575d1a8..c901234f 100644 --- a/europe/sm.json +++ b/europe/sm.json @@ -865,8 +865,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Military Corps (National Guard): Guard of the Rock (or Fortress Guard), Uniformed Militia, Guard of the Great and General Council, Corps of the Gendarmerie; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Civil Police Corps (2023)", - "note": "note: the captains regent oversee the Gendarmerie and National Guard when they are performing duties related to public order and security; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs exercises control over such administrative functions as personnel and equipment, and the courts exercise control over the Gendarmerie when it acts as judicial police" + "text": "Military Corps (National Guard): Guard of the Rock (or Fortress Guard), Uniformed Militia, Guard of the Great and General Council, Corps of the Gendarmerie

Ministry of Internal Affairs: Civil Police Corps (2023)", + "note": "note: the captains regent oversees the Gendarmerie and National Guard when they are performing duties related to public order and security; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs exercises control over such administrative functions as personnel and equipment, and the courts exercise control over the Gendarmerie when it acts as judicial police" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; government has the authority to call up all San Marino citizens from 16-60 years of age to serve in the military (2023)" diff --git a/europe/sp.json b/europe/sp.json index 769f034f..72a5e853 100644 --- a/europe/sp.json +++ b/europe/sp.json @@ -1282,12 +1282,12 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "14,994 (Syria) (mid-year 2022); 438,400 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2022); 186,045 (Ukraine) (as of 13 August 2023)" + "text": "14,994 (Syria) (mid-year 2022); 438,400 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2022); 186,125 (Ukraine) (as of 3 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "6,489 (2022)" }, - "note": "note: 295,589 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals, including Canary Islands (January 2015-August 2023)" + "note": "note: 301,166 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals, including Canary Islands (January 2015-September 2023)" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "

a primary European transit point for cocaine from South America and for hashish from Morocco; cocaine is shipped in raw or liquid form with mixed cargo to avoid detection or altered to escape detection Spanish chemists reconstitute it and distribute to Europe; minor domestic drug production; synthetic drugs, including ketamine, new psychoactive substances (NPS), and MDMA transit from Spain to the United States

" diff --git a/europe/sw.json b/europe/sw.json index c875ff5f..ff33e4c5 100644 --- a/europe/sw.json +++ b/europe/sw.json @@ -1239,7 +1239,7 @@ "note": "note 1: Sweden conscripts about 5,500 men and women each year; it plans to increase this number to 8,000 by 2025

note 2: as of 2021, women made up about 11% of the military's full-time personnel

note 3: conscientious objectors in Sweden have the right to choose alternative service (called vapenfri tjänst); after completing alternative service, the conscript then belongs to the civilian reserve" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "note: the Swedish military has small numbers of personnel deployed on multiple EU-, NATO-, and UN-led missions" + "text": "the Swedish military has small numbers of personnel deployed on multiple EU-, NATO-, and UN-led missions (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "Sweden maintained a policy of military non-alignment for over 200 years before applying for NATO membership in May 2022; before then, Stockholm joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994 and contributed to NATO-led missions, including those in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo

the Swedish military cooperates closely with the military forces of other Nordic countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO), which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden; areas of cooperation include armaments, education, human resources, training and exercises, and operations; NORDEFCO was established in 2009

Sweden is a signatory of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy and contributes to CSDP missions and operations (2023)" @@ -1269,7 +1269,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "113,213 (Syria), 26,857 (Afghanistan), 25,849 (Eritrea), 10,464 (Iraq), 9,315 (Somalia), 7,146 (Iran) (mid-year 2022); 40,930 (Ukraine) (as of 17 August 2023)" + "text": "113,213 (Syria), 26,857 (Afghanistan), 25,849 (Eritrea), 10,464 (Iraq), 9,315 (Somalia), 7,146 (Iran) (mid-year 2022); 40,970 (Ukraine) (as of 31 August 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "46,515 (2022); note - the majority of stateless people are from the Middle East and Somalia" diff --git a/europe/sz.json b/europe/sz.json index 2d8dfb15..2a26c60a 100644 --- a/europe/sz.json +++ b/europe/sz.json @@ -1270,7 +1270,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "14,726 (Eritrea), 11,441 (Afghanistan), 8,039 (Syria), (mid-year 2022); 65,780 (Ukraine) (as of 30 August 2023)" + "text": "14,726 (Eritrea), 11,441 (Afghanistan), 8,039 (Syria), (mid-year 2022); 65,800 (Ukraine) (as of 5 September 2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "891 (2022)" diff --git a/europe/uk.json b/europe/uk.json index cb2bfa0f..3de9f7e7 100644 --- a/europe/uk.json +++ b/europe/uk.json @@ -1218,7 +1218,7 @@ "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "United Kingdom Armed Forces (aka British Armed Forces, aka Her Majesty's Armed Forces): British Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2023)", - "note": "note: in 2021 the UK formed a joint service Space Command staffed by Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel, as well as civilians and key members of the commercial sector to manage space operations, training, and capabilities; it established a National Cyber Force comprised of military and intelligence personnel in 2020; in 2019, the UK formed the Strategic Command (formerly Joint Forces Command) to develop and manage the British military's medical services, training and education, defense intelligence, and information systems across the land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains; national-level special forces (UK Special Forces, UKSF) also fall under Strategic Command; in addition, the command manages joint overseas operations" + "note": "note: in 2021 the UK formed a joint service Space Command staffed by Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel, as well as civilians and key members of the commercial sector to manage space operations, training, and capabilities; it established a National Cyber Force comprised of military and intelligence personnel in 2020; in 2019, the UK formed the Strategic Command (formerly Joint Forces Command) to develop and manage the British military's medical services, training and education, defense intelligence, and information systems across the land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains; national-level special forces also fall under Strategic Command; in addition, the command manages joint overseas operations" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { @@ -1264,7 +1264,7 @@ "text": "preparing commercial space ports at SaxaVord (Shetland Islands) and Sutherland (Cornwall); a 2021 national space strategy called for additional space launch facilities in Argyll, Prestwick, Outer Hebrides (Scotland), and Snowdonia (Wales) (2023)" }, "Space program overview": { - "text": "has a comprehensive space program and is active across all areas of the space sector outside of launching humans into space, including satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs)/rockets and their components, space probes, satellites and satellite subcomponents, space sensors, spaceports, and various other space-related technologies; as a founding member of the European Space Agency (ESA), it is heavily involved in ESA programs and has bi-lateral relations with many members; is a close partner of the US NASA and since 2016 has forged over 350 relationships with international organizations across nearly 50 developing countries; has an extensive commercial space sector that produces SLVs, SLV components, satellites, satellite subcomponents and sensors, and other space-related technologies; as of 2020, the UK’s space sector generated revenues of over $20 billion per year (2023)", + "text": "has a comprehensive space program and is active across all areas of the space sector outside of launching humans into space, including satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs)/rockets and their components, space probes, satellites and satellite subcomponents, space sensors, spaceports, and various other space-related technologies; as a founding member of the European Space Agency (ESA), it is heavily involved in ESA programs and has bi-lateral relations with many members; is a close partner of the US NASA and since 2016 has forged over 350 relationships with international organizations across nearly 50 developing countries; has an extensive commercial space sector that produces SLVs, SLV components, satellites, satellite subcomponents and sensors, and other space-related technologies; the UK’s space sector generates revenues of over $20 billion per year (2023)", "note": "note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S" } }, diff --git a/europe/up.json b/europe/up.json index ea432b28..f8117b05 100644 --- a/europe/up.json +++ b/europe/up.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "

Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine achieved a short-lived period of independence (1917-20) but was reconquered and endured a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although Ukraine overwhelmingly voted for independence in 1991 around the time of the dissolution of the USSR, democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control, patronage politics, and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties.

A peaceful mass protest referred to as the \"Orange Revolution\" in the closing months of 2004 and early 2005 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in legislative (Rada) elections, become prime minister in August 2006, and be elected president in February 2010. In October 2012, Ukraine held Rada elections, widely criticized by Western observers as flawed due to use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates, interference with media access, and harassment of opposition candidates. President YANUKOVYCH's backtracking on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU in November 2013 - in favor of closer economic ties with Russia - and subsequent use of force against students, civil society activists, and other civilians in favor of the agreement and fed up with blatant corruption led to a three-month protest occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's use of violence to break up the protest camp in February 2014 led to all out pitched battles, scores of deaths, international condemnation, a failed political deal, and the president's abrupt departure for Russia. New elections in the spring allowed pro-West president Petro POROSHENKO to assume office in June 2014; he was succeeded by Volodymyr ZELENSKY in May 2019.

Shortly after YANUKOVYCH's departure in late February 2014, Russian President PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula falsely claiming the action was to protect ethnic Russians living there. Two weeks later, a \"referendum\" was held regarding the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation. The \"referendum\" was condemned as illegitimate by the Ukrainian Government, the EU, the US, and the UN General Assembly (UNGA). In response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, 100 members of the UN passed UNGA resolution 68/262, rejecting the \"referendum\" as baseless and invalid and confirming the sovereignty, political independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. In mid-2014, Russia began supplying proxies in two of Ukraine's eastern provinces with manpower, funding, and materiel beginning an armed conflict with the Ukrainian Government. Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the unrecognized Russian proxy republics signed the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum in September 2014 with the aim of ending the conflict. However, this agreement failed to stop the fighting or find a political solution. In a renewed attempt to alleviate ongoing clashes, leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany negotiated a follow-on Package of Measures in February 2015 to implement the Minsk agreements, but this effort failed as well. By early 2022, more than 14,000 civilians were killed or wounded as a result of the Russian intervention in eastern Ukraine.

On 24 February 2022, Russia escalated its conflict with Ukraine by launching a full-scale invasion of the country on several fronts in what has become the largest conventional military attack on a sovereign state in Europe since World War II. The invasion has received near universal international condemnation, and many countries have imposed sanctions on Russia and supplied humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine. Russia made substantial gains in the early weeks of the invasion but underestimated Ukrainian resolve and combat capabilities. By the end of 2022, Ukrainian forces had regained all territories in the north and northeast and made some advances in the east and south. Nonetheless, Russia in late September 2022 unilaterally declared its annexation of four Ukrainian oblasts - Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia - even though none was fully under Russian control. The annexations remain unrecognized by the international community.

The invasion has also created Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. As of 29 August 2023, there were 6.2 million Ukrainian refugees recorded globally, and 5.09 million people were internally displaced as of June 2023.  More than 26,700 civilian casualties had been reported, as of 27 August 2023. The invasion of Ukraine remains one of the two largest displacement crises worldwide (the other is the conflict in Syria).

The Ukrainian people continue to fiercely resist Russia’s full-scale invasion, which has targeted civilian and critical infrastructure - including energy - to try to break the Ukrainian will. President ZELENSKYY has focused on the civic identity of Ukrainians, regardless of ethnic or linguistic background, to unite the country behind the goals of ending the war by regaining as much territory as possible and advancing Ukraine’s candidacy for membership in the European Union (EU). Support for joining the EU and NATO has grown significantly, overcoming the historical, and sometimes artificial, divide between eastern and western Ukraine.

" + "text": "

Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine achieved a short-lived period of independence (1917-20) but was reconquered and endured a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although Ukraine overwhelmingly voted for independence in 1991 around the time of the dissolution of the USSR, democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control, patronage politics, and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties.

A peaceful mass protest referred to as the \"Orange Revolution\" in the closing months of 2004 and early 2005 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in legislative (Rada) elections, become prime minister in August 2006, and be elected president in February 2010. In October 2012, Ukraine held Rada elections, widely criticized by Western observers as flawed due to use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates, interference with media access, and harassment of opposition candidates. President YANUKOVYCH's backtracking on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU in November 2013 - in favor of closer economic ties with Russia - and subsequent use of force against students, civil society activists, and other civilians in favor of the agreement and fed up with blatant corruption led to a three-month protest occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's use of violence to break up the protest camp in February 2014 led to all out pitched battles, scores of deaths, international condemnation, a failed political deal, and the president's abrupt departure for Russia. New elections in the spring allowed pro-West president Petro POROSHENKO to assume office in June 2014; he was succeeded by Volodymyr ZELENSKY in May 2019.

Shortly after YANUKOVYCH's departure in late February 2014, Russian President PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula falsely claiming the action was to protect ethnic Russians living there. Two weeks later, a \"referendum\" was held regarding the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation. The \"referendum\" was condemned as illegitimate by the Ukrainian Government, the EU, the US, and the UN General Assembly (UNGA). In response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, 100 members of the UN passed UNGA resolution 68/262, rejecting the \"referendum\" as baseless and invalid and confirming the sovereignty, political independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. In mid-2014, Russia began supplying proxies in two of Ukraine's eastern provinces with manpower, funding, and materiel beginning an armed conflict with the Ukrainian Government. Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the unrecognized Russian proxy republics signed the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum in September 2014 with the aim of ending the conflict. However, this agreement failed to stop the fighting or find a political solution. In a renewed attempt to alleviate ongoing clashes, leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany negotiated a follow-on Package of Measures in February 2015 to implement the Minsk agreements, but this effort failed as well. By early 2022, more than 14,000 civilians were killed or wounded as a result of the Russian intervention in eastern Ukraine.

On 24 February 2022, Russia escalated its conflict with Ukraine by launching a full-scale invasion of the country on several fronts in what has become the largest conventional military attack on a sovereign state in Europe since World War II. The invasion has received near universal international condemnation, and many countries have imposed sanctions on Russia and supplied humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine. Russia made substantial gains in the early weeks of the invasion but underestimated Ukrainian resolve and combat capabilities. By the end of 2022, Ukrainian forces had regained all territories in the north and northeast and made some advances in the east and south. Nonetheless, Russia in late September 2022 unilaterally declared its annexation of four Ukrainian oblasts - Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia - even though none was fully under Russian control. The annexations remain unrecognized by the international community.

The invasion has also created Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. As of 6 September 2023, there were 6.2 million Ukrainian refugees recorded globally, and 5.09 million people were internally displaced as of June 2023.  More than 26,700 civilian casualties had been reported, as of 27 August 2023. The invasion of Ukraine remains one of the two largest displacement crises worldwide (the other is the conflict in Syria).

The Ukrainian people continue to fiercely resist Russia’s full-scale invasion, which has targeted civilian and critical infrastructure - including energy - to try to break the Ukrainian will. President ZELENSKYY has focused on the civic identity of Ukrainians, regardless of ethnic or linguistic background, to unite the country behind the goals of ending the war by regaining as much territory as possible and advancing Ukraine’s candidacy for membership in the European Union (EU). Support for joining the EU and NATO has grown significantly, overcoming the historical, and sometimes artificial, divide between eastern and western Ukraine.

" } }, "Geography": { @@ -1236,7 +1236,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU; Zbroyni Syly Ukrayiny or ZSU): Ground Forces (Sukhoputni Viys’ka), Naval Forces (Viys’kovo-Mors’ki Syly, VMS), Air Forces (Povitryani Syly, PS), Air Assault Forces (Desantno-shturmovi Viyska, DShV), Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (UASOF), Territorial Defense Forces (Reserves); Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Guard of Ukraine, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (includes Maritime Border Guard or Sea Guard) (2023)", + "text": "Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU; Zbroyni Syly Ukrayiny or ZSU): Ground Forces (Sukhoputni Viys’ka), Naval Forces (Viys’kovo-Mors’ki Syly, VMS), Air Forces (Povitryani Syly, PS), Air Assault Forces (Desantno-shturmovi Viyska, DShV), Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (UASOF), Territorial Defense Forces (Reserves)

Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Guard of Ukraine, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (includes Maritime Border Guard or Sea Guard) (2023)", "note": "note 1: in the event that martial law is declared, all National Guard units, with certain exceptions such as those tasked with providing for diplomatic security of embassies and consulates, would come under the command of the Ministry of Defense as auxiliary forces to the Armed Forces

note 2: the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) were formally established in July 2021; the TDF evolved from former Territorial Defense Battalions and other volunteer militia and paramilitary units that were organized in 2014-2015 to fight Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas; in January 2022, the TDF was activated as a separate military branch; it is organized into 25 brigades of varying size representing each of the 24 oblasts, plus the city of Kyiv" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1261,7 +1261,7 @@ "note": "note 1: following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, President ZELENSKY announced a general mobilization of the country; prior to the invasion, approximately 200,000 active Armed Forces troops (125,000 Army; 25,000 Airborne/Air Assault Forces; 2,000 Special Operations Forces; 10,000 Navy; 40,000 Air Force); approximately 50,000 National Guard; approximately 40,000 State Border Guard" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the Ukrainian military is equipped mostly with Russian-origin and Soviet-era weapons systems, although it has a growing inventory of Western-origin equipment; since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, it has received considerable quantities of weapons, including Soviet-era and more modern Western systems, from European countries and the US; Ukraine has a broad defense industry capable of building, maintaining, and upgrading a variety of its Russian/Soviet-era weapons systems, including armored vehicles, combat aircraft, missiles, and air defense systems (2023)" + "text": "the Ukrainian military is equipped largely with Russian-origin and Soviet-era weapons systems, although it has a growing inventory of Western-origin equipment; since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, it has received considerable quantities of weapons, including Soviet-era and more modern Western systems, from European countries and the US; Ukraine has a broad defense industry capable of building, maintaining, and upgrading a variety of its Russian/Soviet-era weapons systems, including armored vehicles, combat aircraft, missiles, and air defense systems (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "conscription abolished in 2012, but reintroduced in 2014; 20-27 years of age for compulsory military service; prior to the Russian invasion of February 2022, conscript service obligation was 12-18 months, depending on the service (2023)", @@ -1292,7 +1292,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "IDPs": { - "text": "

1,461,700 (Russian-sponsored separatist violence in Crimea and eastern Ukraine) (2021); 5.08 million (Russian invasion that started in February 2022); note – the more recent invasion total may reflect some double counting, since it is impossible to determine how many of the recent IDPs may also include IDPs from the earlier Russian-sponsored violence in Crimea and eastern Ukraine

" + "text": "

1,461,700 (Russian-sponsored separatist violence in Crimea and eastern Ukraine) (2021); 5.08 million (2023) (since Russian invasion that started in February 2022); note – the more recent invasion total may reflect some double counting, since it is impossible to determine how many of the recent IDPs may also include IDPs from the earlier Russian-sponsored violence in Crimea and eastern Ukraine

" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "36,459 (2022); note - citizens of the former USSR who were permanently resident in Ukraine were granted citizenship upon Ukraine's independence in 1991, but some missed this window of opportunity; people arriving after 1991, Crimean Tatars, ethnic Koreans, people with expired Soviet passports, and people with no documents have difficulty acquiring Ukrainian citizenship; following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, thousands of Crimean Tatars and their descendants deported from Ukraine under the STALIN regime returned to their homeland, some being stateless and others holding the citizenship of Uzbekistan or other former Soviet republics; a 1998 bilateral agreement between Ukraine and Uzbekistan simplified the process of renouncing Uzbek citizenship and obtaining Ukrainian citizenship" diff --git a/middle-east/ae.json b/middle-east/ae.json index 45b7cfac..d57705a4 100644 --- a/middle-east/ae.json +++ b/middle-east/ae.json @@ -1175,8 +1175,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Land Forces, Navy Forces, Air Force, Presidential Guard (includes special operations forces); Ministry of Interior: Coast Guard Forces, Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Patrol Agency (CICPA) (2023)", - "note": "note: each emirate maintains a local police force called a general directorate, which is officially a branch of the federal Ministry of Interior; all emirate-level general directorates of police enforce their respective emirate’s laws autonomously; they also enforce federal laws within their emirate in coordination with one another under the federal ministry; the State Security Directorate (SSD) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai State Security (DSS) have primary responsible for counterterrorism law enforcement efforts; local, emirate-level police forces, especially Abu Dhabi Police and Dubai Police, are the first responders in such cases and provide technical assistance to SSD and DSS " + "text": "United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Land Forces, Navy Forces, Air Force, Presidential Guard (includes special operations forces)

Ministry of Interior: Coast Guard Forces, Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Patrol Agency (CICPA) (2023)", + "note": "note: each emirate maintains a local police force called a general directorate, which is officially a branch of the federal Ministry of Interior; all emirate-level general directorates of police enforce their respective emirate’s laws autonomously; they also enforce federal laws within their emirate in coordination with one another under the federal ministry; the State Security Directorate (SSD) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai State Security (DSS) have primary responsible for counterterrorism law enforcement efforts; local, emirate-level police forces, especially the Abu Dhabi Police and Dubai Police, are the first responders in such cases and provide technical assistance to SSD and DSS" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2020": { @@ -1196,10 +1196,10 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 65,000 active personnel (45,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 12,000 Presidential Guard) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 65,000 active personnel (45,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 12,000 Presidential Guard) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the military's inventory is comprised of a wide variety of mostly modern imported equipment; over the past decade, the UAE has acquired military equipment from more than 20 countries with France, Russia, and the US as the leading suppliers; in recent years, the UAE has tried to boost its domestic defense industry (2023)" + "text": "the military's inventory is comprised of a wide variety of mostly modern imported equipment; over the past decade, the UAE has acquired military equipment from more than 20 countries with the US as the leading supplier; in recent years, the UAE has tried to boost its domestic defense industry (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for men (compulsory service initiated in 2014); 17 years of age for volunteers with parental approval; men can volunteer up to age 40; 24-month general service obligation, 16 months for secondary school graduates; women can volunteer to serve for 9 months regardless of education (2022)", diff --git a/middle-east/am.json b/middle-east/am.json index 2ab5e180..f855e40e 100644 --- a/middle-east/am.json +++ b/middle-east/am.json @@ -1230,6 +1230,9 @@ "refugees (country of origin)": { "text": "27,929 (Azerbaijan) (mid-year 2022)" }, + "IDPs": { + "text": "8,400 (2022)" + }, "stateless persons": { "text": "816 (2022)" } diff --git a/middle-east/gg.json b/middle-east/gg.json index 8433b4df..0eeee6fe 100644 --- a/middle-east/gg.json +++ b/middle-east/gg.json @@ -1201,7 +1201,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 30,000 troops, including active National Guard forces (2022)", + "text": "estimates vary; approximately 30,000 troops, including active National Guard forces (2023)", "note": "note: in December 2020, the Parliament of Georgia adopted a resolution determining that the Georgian Defense Forces would have maximum peacetime strength of 37,000 troops" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { @@ -1224,7 +1224,7 @@ "text": "24,180 (Ukraine) (as of 9 May 2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "305,000 (displaced in the 1990s as a result of armed conflict in the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; displaced in 2008 by fighting between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia) (2021)" + "text": "308,000 (displaced in the 1990s as a result of armed conflict in the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; displaced in 2008 by fighting between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "530 (2022)" diff --git a/middle-east/gz.json b/middle-east/gz.json index 7ccbeff3..2bfafba7 100644 --- a/middle-east/gz.json +++ b/middle-east/gz.json @@ -811,7 +811,7 @@ "text": "not available" }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "the military wing of HAMAS has an estimated 20-25,000 fighters (2022)" + "text": "the military wing of HAMAS has an estimated 20-25,000 fighters (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military wing of HAMAS is armed with light weapons, including an inventory of improvised rocket, anti-tank missile, and mortar capabilities; HAMAS acquires its weapons through smuggling or local construction and receives some military support from Iran (2023)" @@ -835,7 +835,7 @@ "text": "1.6 million (Palestinian refugees) (2022)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "131,000 (includes persons displaced within the Gaza Strip due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since June 2014 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative data do not go back beyond 2006) (2020); note - data represent Gaza Strip and West Bank" + "text": "12,000 (includes persons displaced within the Gaza Strip due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since June 2014 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative data do not go back beyond 2006) (2022); note - data represent Gaza Strip and West Bank" } } } diff --git a/middle-east/ir.json b/middle-east/ir.json index d7bcf632..e3a61099 100644 --- a/middle-east/ir.json +++ b/middle-east/ir.json @@ -1198,7 +1198,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "the military forces of Iran are divided between the Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah); Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces or Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Air Force, Air Defense Forces; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC or Sepah): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Aerospace Force (controls strategic missile force), Qods Force (aka Quds Force; special operations), Cyber Electronic Command, Basij Paramilitary Forces

Ministry of Interior: Law Enforcement Command; Ministry of Intelligence and Security (2023)", + "text": "the military forces of Iran are divided between the Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah); Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces or Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Air Force, Air Defense Forces; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC or Sepah): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Aerospace Force (controls strategic missile force), Qods Force (aka Quds Force; special operations), Cyber Electronic Command, Basij Paramilitary Forces

Ministry of Interior: Law Enforcement Command

Ministry of Intelligence and Security (2023)", "note": "note 1: the Artesh Navy operates Iran’s larger warships and operates in the Gulf of Oman, the Caspian Sea, and deep waters in the region and beyond; the IRGC Navy has responsibility for the closer-in waters of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz

note 2: the Basij is a volunteer paramilitary group under the IRGC with local organizations across the country, which sometimes acts as an auxiliary law enforcement unit for the IRGC; it is formally known as the Organization for the Mobilization of the Oppressed; it is also known as the Popular Mobilization Army

note 3: the Ministry of Intelligence and Security and law enforcement forces under the Interior Ministry, which report to the president, and the IRGC, which reports to the supreme leader, share responsibility for law enforcement and maintaining order

note 4: the Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA) is the uniformed police of Iran and includes branches for public security, traffic control, anti-narcotics, special forces (riot control, counterterrorism, hostage rescue, etc), intelligence, and criminal investigations; it has responsibility for border security (Border Guard Command)" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1219,7 +1219,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 550-600,000 active armed forces personnel; approximately 400,000 Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (350,000 Ground Forces; 18,000 Navy; 40,000 Air Force/Air Defense Forces); approximately 150-190,000 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (100-150,000 Ground Forces; 20,000 Navy; 15,000 Aerospace Force; 5-15,000 Qods Force); estimated 90,000 active Basij Paramilitary Forces (2022)" + "text": "information varies; up to 600,000 active armed forces personnel; approximately 400,000 Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (350,000 Ground Forces; 18,000 Navy; 40,000 Air Force/Air Defense Forces); approximately 150-190,000 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (100-150,000 Ground Forces; 20,000 Navy; 15,000 Aerospace Force; 5-15,000 Qods Force); estimated 90,000 active Basij Paramilitary Forces (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Iranian military's inventory includes a mix of domestically produced and mostly older foreign equipment largely of Chinese, Russian, Soviet, and US origin (US equipment acquired prior to the Islamic Revolution in 1979); it also has some military equipment from North Korea, including midget submarines and ballistic missiles; in recent years, Iran has received some newer equipment from Russia; Iran has a defense industry with the capacity to develop, produce, support, and sustain air, land, missile, and naval weapons programs (2023)" diff --git a/middle-east/is.json b/middle-east/is.json index 244b0ad9..0e3190b7 100644 --- a/middle-east/is.json +++ b/middle-east/is.json @@ -1235,7 +1235,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 173,000 active duty personnel (130,000 Ground Forces; 9,000 Naval; 34,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 170,000 active-duty personnel (130,000 Ground Forces; 10,000 Naval; 30,000 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the majority of the IDF's inventory is comprised of weapons that are domestically produced or imported from Europe and the US; the US has been the leading supplier of arms in recent years; Israel has a broad defense industrial base that can develop, produce, support, and sustain a wide variety of weapons systems for both domestic use and export, particularly armored vehicles, unmanned aerial systems, air defense, and guided missiles (2023)" diff --git a/middle-east/iz.json b/middle-east/iz.json index 8971cc94..ea939d83 100644 --- a/middle-east/iz.json +++ b/middle-east/iz.json @@ -1199,7 +1199,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Ministry of Defense: Iraqi Army, Army Aviation Command, Iraqi Navy, Iraqi Air Force, Iraqi Air Defense Command, Special Forces Command, Special Security Division (Green Zone protection)

National-Level Security Forces: Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS; reports to the Prime Minister), Prime Minister's Special Forces Division, Presidential Brigades

Ministry of Interior: Federal Police Forces Command, Border Guard Forces Command, Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency, Emergency Response Division, Facilities Protection Directorate, and Provincial Police

Ministry of Oil: Energy Police Directorate

Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC): Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Tribal Mobilization Forces (TMF); the PMF and TMF are a collection of approximately 60 militias of widely varied sizes and political interests

the two main Kurdish political parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), each maintain an independent security apparatus; the federal constitution provides the Kurdistan Regional Government the right to maintain internal security forces, but the KDP and the PUK separately controlled additional Peshmerga military units, as well as separate police forces under nominal Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Interior control; the constitution also allows for a centralized, separate internal security/intelligence (Asayish) service; however, the KDP and PUK also each maintain Asayish forces

Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Peshmerga: Regional Guard Brigades; Unit (or Division) 70 Forces and Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) of the PUK; Unit (or Division) 80 Forces and Counterterrorism Directorate (CTD) of the KDP; Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Interior: internal security forces include the Zeravani (KDP) and Emergency Response Forces (PUK) (2023)" + "text": "Ministry of Defense: Iraqi Army, Army Aviation Command, Iraqi Navy, Iraqi Air Force, Iraqi Air Defense Command, Special Forces Command, Special Security Division (Green Zone protection)

National-Level Security Forces: Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS; reports to the Prime Minister), Prime Minister's Special Forces Division, Presidential Brigades

Ministry of Interior: Federal Police Forces Command, Border Guard Forces Command, Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency, Emergency Response Division, Facilities Protection Directorate, and Provincial Police

Ministry of Oil: Energy Police Directorate

Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC): Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Tribal Mobilization Forces (TMF); the PMF and TMF are a collection of approximately 60 militias of widely varied sizes and political interests

the federal constitution provides the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) the right to maintain its own military/militia (peshmerga) and security forces, but the two main Kurdish political parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), each maintain their own forces: 

KRG Ministry of Peshmerga: Regional Guard Brigades; Unit (or Division) 70 Forces and Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) of the PUK; Unit (or Division) 80 Forces and Counterterrorism Directorate (CTD) of the KDP

KRG Ministry of Interior: both the KDP and PUK maintain separate police, emergency response, and internal security/intelligence (Asayish) services under nominal Ministry of Interior control  (2023)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2021": { @@ -1219,7 +1219,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 200,000 personnel under the Ministry of Defense (190,000 Army/Aviation Command/Special Forces; 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air/Air Defense Forces); approximately 25,000 National-Level Security Forces; Ministry of Peshmerga: approximately 150,000-plus (45-50,000 Regional Guard Brigades; 40-45,000 Unit 70 Forces; 65-70,000 Unit 80 Forces); estimated 100-160,000 Popular Mobilization Forces (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 200,000 personnel under the Ministry of Defense (190,000 Army/Aviation Command/Special Forces; 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air/Air Defense Forces); approximately 25,000 National-Level Security Forces; Ministry of Peshmerga: approximately 150,000-plus (45-50,000 Regional Guard Brigades; 40-45,000 Unit 70 Forces; 65-70,000 Unit 80 Forces); estimated 100-160,000 Popular Mobilization Forces (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Iraqi military's inventory includes a mix of equipment from a wide variety of sources, including Europe, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, and the US; in recent years, Russia and the US have been the leading suppliers of military hardware to Iraq (2023)" @@ -1253,10 +1253,10 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "7,864 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (mid-year 2022); 267,839 (Syria), 8,582 (Iran), 8,187 (Turkey) (2023)" + "text": "7,864 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (mid-year 2022); 267,839 (Syria), 8,664 (Iran), 8,044 (Turkey) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "1.17 million (displacement in central and northern Iraq since January 2014) (2023)" + "text": "1.157 million (displacement in central and northern Iraq since January 2014) (2023)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "47,253 (2022); note - in the 1970s and 1980s under SADDAM Husayn's regime, thousands of Iraq's Faili Kurds, followers of Shia Islam, were stripped of their Iraqi citizenship, had their property seized by the government, and many were deported; some Faili Kurds had their citizenship reinstated under the 2006 Iraqi Nationality Law, but others lack the documentation to prove their Iraqi origins; some Palestinian refugees persecuted by the SADDAM regime remain stateless" diff --git a/middle-east/le.json b/middle-east/le.json index 242d9785..4720a940 100644 --- a/middle-east/le.json +++ b/middle-east/le.json @@ -1183,7 +1183,7 @@ "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army Command (includes Presidential Guard Brigade, Land Border Regiments), Naval Forces, Air Forces

Ministry of Interior: Internal Security Forces Directorate (law enforcement; includes Mobile Gendarmerie), Directorate for General Security (DGS; border control, some domestic security duties); Parliamentary Police Force (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the commander of the LAF is also the commander of the Army; the LAF patrols external borders, while official border checkpoints are under the authority of Directorate for General Security

note 2: the Parliamentary Police Force reports to the speaker of parliament and has responsibility for protecting parliament premises and the speaker’s residence; both the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Armed Forces provide units to the Parliamentary Police Force" + "note": "note 1: the commander of the LAF is also the head of the Army; the LAF patrols external borders, while official border checkpoints are under the authority of Directorate for General Security

note 2: the Parliamentary Police Force reports to the speaker of parliament and has responsibility for protecting parliament premises and the speaker’s residence; both the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Armed Forces provide units to the Parliamentary Police Force" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2021": { @@ -1203,14 +1203,14 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 80,000 active troops (77,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 1,500 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 75,000 active troops (72,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 1,500 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the LAF inventory includes a wide mix of mostly older equipment from a diverse array of countries; in recent years, the US has been the leading supplier of armaments (mostly second-hand) to Lebanon (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "17-25 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2022)", - "note": "note: women were allowed to volunteer for military service in the 1980s; as of 2020, they comprised about 5% of the active duty military" + "text": "17-25 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2023)", + "note": "note: women were allowed to volunteer for military service in the 1980s; as of 2023, they comprised about 5% of the active duty military" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the LAF’s primary responsibilities are defense against external attack, border security, protecting the country’s territorial waters, and assisting with internal security and development projects; on Lebanon’s eastern and northern borders with Syria, the LAF has conducted operations to prevent or eliminate infiltrations of militants linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) and al-Qa’ida terrorist groups since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011; in the south, its focus is on maintaining stability along its volatile border with Israel where the LAF and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are separated by the Blue Line, a demarcation line established by the UN in 2000 following the withdrawal of the IDF, which had occupied southern Lebanon since invading in 1982; since the line’s establishment, the LAF and IDF have had periodic clashes, and IDF aircraft have routinely entered Lebanese air space; the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hizballah is based in south Lebanon and acts as a militia alongside the LAF; it has launched periodic cross-border attacks on Israel and threatened additional attacks, while the IDF has conducted air strikes on Hizballah positions and in 2006 launched a ground invasion into southern Lebanon to suppress the group; in 2022, Israeli and Lebanese officials agreed on a common demarcation of their maritime border after US mediation

the LAF’s domestic security responsibilities include countering narcotics trafficking and smuggling, managing protests, conducting search and rescue, and intervening to prevent violence between rival political factions; in recent years, the military has faced a financial crisis as government debt and national economic difficulties have undercut its ability to train and fully pay and supply personnel, which has sparked domestic and international fears that the armed forces may disintegrate; the UN, as well as countries such as France and the US have provided financial assistance 

the Army has about 12 infantry brigades (including a presidential guard brigade) that are supplemented by independent armored, artillery, border security, and “intervention” infantry regiments, as well as a special operations force comprised of airborne, marine commando, and ranger regiments that are regarded as the LAF’s elite units; the Air Force has a small inventory of aging combat aircraft and helicopters, while the Navy operates a mix of patrol craft and patrol boats

the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) has operated in the country since 1978, originally under UNSCRs 425 and 426 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security, and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the area; following the July-August 2006 war, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1701 enhancing UNIFIL and deciding that in addition to the original mandate, it would, among other things, monitor the cessation of hostilities, support the Lebanese Armed Forces as they deployed throughout the south of Lebanon, and provide assistance for humanitarian access for civilians and the return of displaced persons; UNIFIL had approximately 9,500 military personnel deployed in the country as of early 2023; UNIFIL includes a maritime task force (2023)" diff --git a/middle-east/mu.json b/middle-east/mu.json index f4999253..c145dece 100644 --- a/middle-east/mu.json +++ b/middle-east/mu.json @@ -1175,7 +1175,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 40,000 active duty troops (25,000 Army, 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 5,000 Royal Guard) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 40,000 active-duty troops (25,000 Army, 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 5,000 Royal Guard) (2022)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the SAF's inventory includes a mix of older and some more modern weapons systems from a variety of suppliers, particularly Europe and the US; in recent years, the UK has been the leading supplier of arms to Oman (2023)" @@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@ "text": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service (women have been allowed to serve since 2011); no conscription (2022)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the SAF’s primary responsibility is external security; it is a small, but professional and well-equipped military that trains regularly, including with foreign partners such as the UK, US, and Gulf Cooperation Council countries; the SAF has a longstanding security relationship with the British military going back to the 18th century; the relationship was notable during the Dhofar Rebellion (1963-1976), when the British military provided considerable assistance to the SAF in their eventually successful counterinsurgency campaign; today, the SAF and the British maintain a joint training base in Oman and exercise together regularly; in 2017, Oman and the UK signed an agreement allowing the British military the use of facilities at Al Duqm Port; in 2019, the US obtained access to the port, expanding on previous military cooperation agreements in 2014, 2010, and 1980; Oman also allows other nations to use some of its maritime facilities, including China

the Omani Navy conducts maritime security operations along the country’s long coastline, including patrolling, ensuring freedom of navigation in the key naval chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz, and countering piracy and smuggling; while Oman is not a member of the US-led, 34-member nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), which operates task forces to counter piracy and smuggling, the Omani Navy has at times participated in CMF-led joint exercises; the Navy is a small but relatively modern force; its principal warships include 5 corvettes and 4 offshore patrol vessels, which are supported by a number of small patrol and fast attack craft

the Royal Army was formed as the Muscat Garrison in 1907; today, it has an armored brigade equipped with American and British tanks, 2 brigades of infantry, and a border guard brigade, as well as an airborne regiment; the Royal Guard is comprised of an infantry brigade and 2 special forces regiments; the Air Force has about three dozen modern European- and US-made multipurpose fighter aircraft (2023)" + "text": "the SAF’s primary responsibility is external security; it is a small, but professional and well-equipped military that trains regularly, including with foreign partners such as the UK, US, and Gulf Cooperation Council countries; the SAF has a longstanding security relationship with the British military going back to the 18th century; the relationship was notable during the Dhofar Rebellion (1963-1976), when the British military provided considerable assistance to the SAF in their eventually successful counterinsurgency campaign; today, the SAF and the British maintain a joint training base in Oman and exercise together regularly; in 2017, Oman and the UK signed an agreement allowing the British military the use of facilities at Al Duqm Port; in 2019, the US obtained access to the port, expanding on previous military cooperation agreements in 2014, 2010, and 1980; Oman also allows other nations to use some of its maritime facilities, including China

the Omani Navy conducts maritime security operations along the country’s long coastline, including patrolling, ensuring freedom of navigation in the key naval chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz, and countering piracy and smuggling; while Oman is not a member of the US-led, 34-member nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), which operates task forces to counter piracy and smuggling, the Omani Navy has at times participated in CMF-led joint exercises; the Navy is a small but relatively modern force; its principal warships include nine corvettes and offshore patrol vessels, which are supported by a number of small patrol and fast attack craft

the Royal Army was formed as the Muscat Garrison in 1907; today, it has an armored brigade equipped with American and British tanks, 2 brigades of infantry, and a border guard brigade, as well as an airborne regiment; the Royal Guard is comprised of an infantry brigade and 2 special forces regiments; the Air Force has about three dozen modern European- and US-made multipurpose fighter aircraft (2023)" }, "Maritime threats": { "text": "

the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation has issued a Maritime Advisory (2023-003 - Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Bab al Mandeb Strait, Red Sea, and Somali Basin-Threats to Commercial Vessels) effective 23 February 2023, which states in part that \"Regional conflict, military activity, and political tensions pose threats to commercial vessels operating in the above listed geographic areas\"; Coalition Task Force (CTF) Sentinel has been established to provide escorts for commercial shipping transiting the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman

" diff --git a/middle-east/qa.json b/middle-east/qa.json index 35d60b38..133fafa5 100644 --- a/middle-east/qa.json +++ b/middle-east/qa.json @@ -1167,7 +1167,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 15,000 active-duty personnel (10,000 Land Force, including Emiri Guard; 3,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 15,000 active-duty personnel (10,000 Land Force, including Emiri Guard; 3,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Qatari military's inventory includes a broad mix of older and modern weapons systems, mostly from the US and Europe; in the 2010s, Qatar embarked on an extensive military expansion and modernization program with large air, ground, and naval equipment purchases; in recent years, France and the US have been the top suppliers; other major suppliers have included Germany, Italy, and the UK (2023)" @@ -1177,7 +1177,7 @@ "note": "note 1: the military incorporates about 2,000 conscripts annually

note 2: Qatar recruits foreign contract soldiers to overcome manpower limitations; it is estimated that as much as 85% of the military is comprised of foreigners" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the QAF is a small, but professional and trained force that is responsible for defense against external threats; following the downturn in ties with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in the mid-2010s, the Qatari Government embarked on a major arms acquisition and modernization program to increase the QAF’s capabilities and regional standing; the Air Force has benefited the most, growing from an inventory of 12 older combat aircraft and a few fighter trainers in 2017 to a current inventory of about 60 modern multirole fighter aircraft from France, the UK, and the US; it is slated to grow to about 100 such aircraft by the mid-2020s; other aircraft acquisitions have included US attack helicopters; the Land Force has re-equipped its armored brigade and separate mechanized and artillery battalions with modern tanks, armored vehicles, and self-propelled artillery, mostly with purchases from Germany and Turkey; meanwhile, the Navy over the same period has received 4 corvettes and 4 offshore patrol vessels from Italy and Turkey

Qatar hosts the regional headquarters for the US Central Command (CENTCOM; established 1983) and more than 8,000 US military forces at various military facilities, including the large Al Udeid Air Base; it has Major Non-NATO Ally 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; Qatar also hosts thousands of Turkish military forces at two bases established in 2014 and 2019 (2023)" + "text": "the QAF is a small, well-equipped, and trained force that is responsible for defense against external threats; following the downturn in ties with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in the mid-2010s, the Qatari Government embarked on a major arms acquisition and modernization program to increase the QAF’s capabilities and regional standing; the Air Force has benefited the most, growing from an inventory of 12 older combat aircraft and a few fighter trainers in 2017 to a current inventory of about 60 modern multirole fighter aircraft from France, the UK, and the US; it is slated to grow to about 100 such aircraft by the mid-2020s; other aircraft acquisitions have included US attack helicopters; the Land Force has re-equipped its armored brigade and separate mechanized and artillery battalions with modern tanks, armored vehicles, and self-propelled artillery, mostly with purchases from Germany and Turkey; meanwhile, the Navy over the same period has received 4 corvettes and 4 offshore patrol vessels from Italy and Turkey

Qatar hosts the regional headquarters for the US Central Command (CENTCOM; established 1983) and more than 8,000 US military forces at various military facilities, including the large Al Udeid Air Base; it has Major Non-NATO Ally 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; Qatar also hosts thousands of Turkish military forces at two bases established in 2014 and 2019 (2023)" } }, "Terrorism": { diff --git a/middle-east/sa.json b/middle-east/sa.json index e3f4e517..10b3a1ad 100644 --- a/middle-east/sa.json +++ b/middle-east/sa.json @@ -1182,8 +1182,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF): Ministry of Defense: Royal Saudi Land Forces, Royal Saudi Naval Forces (includes marines, special forces, naval aviation), Royal Saudi Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, Royal Saudi Strategic Missiles Force; Ministry of the National Guard (SANG)

Ministry of Interior: police, Border Guard, Facilities Security Force; State Security Presidency: General Directorate of Investigation (Mabahith), Special Security Forces, Special Emergency Forces (2023)", - "note": "note: SANG (also known as the White Army) is a land force separate from the Ministry of Defense that is responsible for internal security, protecting the royal family, and external defense" + "text": "the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF) include forces from two ministries:

Ministry of Defense: Royal Saudi Land Forces, Royal Saudi Naval Forces (includes marines, special forces, naval aviation), Royal Saudi Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, Royal Saudi Strategic Missiles Force; Ministry of the National Guard: Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG)

Ministry of Interior: police, Border Guard, Facilities Security Force

State Security Presidency (SSP): General Directorate of Investigation (Mabahith), Special Security Forces, Special Emergency Forces (2023)", + "note": "note 1: the SANG (also known as the White Army) is a land force comprised off tribal elements loyal to the House of Saud; it is responsible for internal security, protecting the royal family, and external defense

note 2: the SAAF includes the Saudi Royal Guard Command, a unit which provides security and protection to the ruling family and other dignitaries" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1203,19 +1203,19 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "the Saudi Armed Forces have about 250,000 total active troops; approximately 125,000 under the Ministry of Defense (75,000 Land Forces; 15,000 Naval Forces, including about 3,000 marines; 35,000 Air Force/Air Defense/Strategic Missile Forces) and up to 130,000 in the Saudi Arabia National Guard (SANG) (2022)", + "text": "the Saudi Armed Forces have about 250,000 total active troops; approximately 125,000 under the Ministry of Defense (75,000 Land Forces; 15,000 Naval Forces, including about 3,000 marines; 35,000 Air Force/Air Defense/Strategic Missile Forces) and up to 125,000 in the Saudi Arabia National Guard (SANG) (2023)", "note": "note: SANG also has an irregular force (Fowj), primarily Bedouin tribal volunteers, with a total strength of approximately 25,000" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the inventory of the Saudi military forces, including the SANG, includes a mix of mostly modern weapons systems from the US and Europe; in recent years, the US has been the leading supplier of armaments; other major suppliers include France and the UK; Saudi Arabia is one of the world's largest importers of arms (2023)", - "note": "note: as of 2022, the Saudi Navy was in the midst of a multi-year and multi-billion dollar expansion and modernization program to purchase new frigates, corvettes, and other naval craft; in 2022, it received two of an expected five corvettes as part of a joint construction effort with Spain; in 2018, it signed a contract to acquire four US-built multi-purpose littoral mission ships, which will be comparable to frigates in capabilities" + "note": "note: the Saudi Navy is in the midst of a multi-year and multi-billion-dollar expansion and modernization program to purchase new frigates, corvettes, and other naval craft from such suppliers as Spain and the US" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "men (17-40) and women (21-40) may volunteer for military service; no conscription (2022)", + "text": "men (17-40) and women (21-40) may volunteer for military service; no conscription (2023)", "note": "note 1: in 2021, women were allowed to serve in the Army, Air Defense, Navy, Strategic Missile Force, medical services, and internal security forces up to the rank of non-commissioned officer

note 2: the National Guard is restricted to citizens, but the regular Saudi military has hired foreigners on contract for operations associated with its intervention in Yemen" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "estimated 2,500-5,000 Yemen (varies depending on operations) (2022)" + "text": "continues to maintain a military presence in Yemen; has also established and supports several local militias, including the National Shield Forces in Aden and the Amajid Brigade in Abyan (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF) are divided into the regular forces under the Ministry of Defense and the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG); the regular forces are responsible for territorial defense, although they can be called for domestic security duties if needed; they include land, naval, air, air defense, and strategic missile forces; the Land Forces have approximately 15 combat brigades which include a mix of armored, aviation, light infantry, mechanized or motorized infantry, royal guards, and airborne/special forces, plus separate battalions of artillery; the Naval Forces are undergoing a major acquisitions and modernization program; its principal warships are approximately 16 frigates and corvettes, with an additional 4 frigates on order; the Air Force is the largest and one of the most modern in the region, with over 350 combat aircraft from Europe and the US with more on order; the Strategic Missile Force manages Saudi Arabia’s ballistic missile inventory, largely acquired from China

the SANG is responsible for both internal security and external defense; its duties include protecting the royal family, guarding against military coups, defending strategic facilities and resources, and providing security for the cities of Mecca and Medina; the SANG is primarily comprised of tribal elements loyal to the Saud family and has at least 11 brigades of light infantry, mechanized/motorized infantry, and security forces; it is supplemented by combat helicopter units and tribal levies/militias known as Fowj

there are also large numbers of paramilitary forces under the Ministry of Interior, including Border Guards and the Facilities Security Force, as well as the Special Security Forces and Special Emergency Forces under the State Security Presidency

the US is Saudi Arabia’s closest security partner; the SAAF conducts bilateral exercises with the US military and hosts US forces; the US has participated in a cooperative program to equip and train the SANG since 1973; much of the equipment for both the regular forces and the SANG has been acquired from the US; Saudi Arabia also has defense relationships with China, France, India, the UK, and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council members

in 2015, Saudi Arabia led a military intervention into Yemen by a coalition of Arab states in support of the Republic of Yemen Government against the separatist Huthis; Saudi forces from both the Ministry of Defense and the SANG participated in combat operations in Yemen; Saudi Arabia also raised and equipped paramilitary/militia security forces in Yemen--based largely on tribal or regional affiliation--to deploy along the Saudi-Yemen border (2023)" diff --git a/middle-east/sy.json b/middle-east/sy.json index e88598f2..51c89fc3 100644 --- a/middle-east/sy.json +++ b/middle-east/sy.json @@ -1128,8 +1128,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Syrian Armed Forces: Syrian Arab Army (includes Republican Guard), Syrian Naval Forces, Syrian Air Forces, Syrian Air Defense Forces, National Defense Forces (NDF) and Local Defense Forces (LDF) (2022)", - "note": "note: NDF and LDF are pro-government militia and auxiliary forces; some militia and auxiliary forces are Iranian-backed; the Syrian military is also supported by the Russian armed forces, the Iran-affiliated Hizballah terrorist group, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps" + "text": "Syrian Armed Forces: Syrian Arab Army (includes Republican Guard), Syrian Naval Forces, Syrian Air Forces, Syrian Air Defense Forces, National Defense Forces (NDF), and Local Defense Forces (LDF) (2023)", + "note": "note: NDF and LDF are pro-government militia and auxiliary forces; some militia and auxiliary forces are backed by Iran; the Syrian military is also supported by the Russian armed forces, the Iran-affiliated Hizballah terrorist group, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2019": { @@ -1149,11 +1149,11 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "current estimates not available; since the start of the civil war in 2011, the Syrian Armed Forces (SAF) have taken significant losses in personnel due to casualties and desertions; prior to the civil war, the SAF had approximately 300,000 active duty troops, including 200-225,000 Army, plus about 300,000 reserve forces (2022)", + "text": "current estimates not available; the Syrian Armed Forces (SAF) are rebuilding after suffering significant casualties and desertions since the start of the civil war in 2011; prior to the civil war, the SAF had approximately 300,000 troops, including 200-225,000 Army, plus about 300,000 reserve forces (2023)", "note": "note: pro-government militia and auxiliary forces probably number in the tens of thousands" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the SAF's inventory is comprised mostly of Russian and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, Russia has supplied the majority of Syria's weapons systems, although China and Iran have also provided military equipment (2022)" + "text": "the SAF's inventory is comprised mostly of older Russian and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, Russia has supplied the majority of Syria's imported weapons systems (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-42 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve (2022)", @@ -1187,7 +1187,7 @@ "text": "580,000 (Palestinian Refugees) (2022); 11,121 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "6.75 million (ongoing civil war since 2011) (2022)" + "text": "6.865 million (ongoing civil war since 2011) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "160,000 (2022); note - Syria's stateless population consists of Kurds and Palestinians; stateless persons are prevented from voting, owning land, holding certain jobs, receiving food subsidies or public healthcare, enrolling in public schools, or being legally married to Syrian citizens; in 1962, some 120,000 Syrian Kurds were stripped of their Syrian citizenship, rendering them and their descendants stateless; in 2011, the Syrian Government granted citizenship to thousands of Syrian Kurds as a means of appeasement; however, resolving the question of statelessness is not a priority given Syria's ongoing civil war" diff --git a/middle-east/tu.json b/middle-east/tu.json index 3ebe8487..524bb2eb 100644 --- a/middle-east/tu.json +++ b/middle-east/tu.json @@ -1257,18 +1257,18 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 445,000 active duty personnel (350,000 Army; 45,000 Navy; 50,000 Air Force); approximately 150,000 Gendarmerie (2022)" + "text": "approximately 400,000 active-duty personnel (300,000 Army; 50,000 Navy; 50,000 Air Force); approximately 150,000 Gendarmerie (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the military's inventory is mostly comprised of a mix of domestically produced and Western weapons systems, although in recent years, Turkey has also acquired some Chinese, Russian, and South Korean equipment; over the past decade, the US has been the leading provider of armaments to Turkey; other significant suppliers have included Germany, Italy, South Korea, and Spain; Turkey has a robust defense industry capable of producing a range of weapons systems for both export and internal use, including armored vehicles, naval vessels, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), although it is heavily dependent on Western technology; Turkey's defense industry also partners with other countries for defense production (2023)" + "text": "the military's inventory is mostly comprised of a mix of domestically produced and Western weapons systems, although in recent years, Turkey has also acquired some Chinese, Russian, and South Korean equipment; over the past decade, Italy, Spain, and the US have been among the leading providers of armaments to Turkey; Turkey has a robust defense industry capable of producing a range of weapons systems for both export and internal use, including armored vehicles, naval vessels, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), although it is heavily dependent on Western technology; Turkey's defense industry also partners with other countries for defense production (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "mandatory military service for men at age 20; service can be delayed if in university or in certain professions (researchers, professionals, and athletic, or those with artistic talents have the right to postpone military service until the age of 35); 6-12 months service; women may volunteer (2023)", "note": "note 1: in 2019, a new law cut the men’s mandatory military service period in half, as well as making paid military service permanent; with the new system, the period of conscription was reduced from 12 months to 6 months for privates and non-commissioned soldiers (the service term for reserve officers chosen among university or college graduates remained 12 months); after completing 6 months of service, if a conscripted soldier wants to and is suitable for extending his military service, he may do so for an additional 6 months in return for a monthly salary; under the new law, all male Turkish citizens over the age of 20 are required to undergo a 1 month military training period, but they can obtain an exemption from the remaining 5 months of their mandatory service by paying a fee

note 2: as of 2019, women made up about 0.3% of the military's full-time personnel" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "approximately 150 (Azerbaijan; monitoring cease-fire, clearing mines); 250 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR); approximately 30,000 Cyprus; estimated 5,000 Iraq; 780 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); 190 Lebanon (UNIFIL); estimated 500 Libya; up to 5,000 Qatar; approximately 200 Somalia (training mission); estimated 5,000-10,000 Syria (2022)", - "note": "note 1: between 2016 and 2020, Turkey conducted four significant military ground campaigns in northern Syria with the stated purpose of securing its southern border; Turkey also has deployed troops into northern Iraq on numerous occasions to combat the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), including large operations involving thousands of troops in 2007, 2011, and 2018, and smaller-scale operations in 2021 and 2022; Turkey has also conducted numerous air strikes in both Iraq and Syria

note 2: in 2020, Turkey deployed hundreds of Turkish troops and as many as 5,000 Syrian fighters to Libya to support the Libyan Government of National Accord" + "text": "approximately 150 (Azerbaijan; monitoring cease-fire, clearing mines); 250 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR); approximately 30-35,000 Cyprus; up to 10,000 Iraq (numbers depend on military operations); 800 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); 110 Lebanon (UNIFIL); estimated 500 Libya; up to 5,000 Qatar; approximately 200 Somalia (training mission); up to 10,000 Syria (numbers depend on military operations) (2023)", + "note": "note 1: between 2016 and 2020, Turkey conducted four significant military ground campaigns in northern Syria with the stated purpose of securing its southern border; Turkey also has deployed troops into northern Iraq on numerous occasions to combat the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), including large operations involving thousands of troops in 2007, 2011, and 2018, and smaller-scale operations in 2021 and 2022; Turkey has also conducted numerous air strikes in both Iraq and Syria" }, "Military - note": { "text": "Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952 and hosts NATO's Land Forces Command in Izmir, as well as a NATO/US airbase at Incirlik and a NATO missile defense radar system in eastern Turkey

under a long-range (2033) strategic plan, the Turkish Armed Forces continues efforts to modernize its equipment and force structure; Turkish Land Forces are seeking to produce a 20-30% smaller, more highly trained force characterized by greater mobility and firepower and capable of joint and combined operations

the Turkish Navy is a regional naval power that seeks to develop the capability to project power beyond Turkey's coastal waters; it is planning to launch new frigates, submarines, and a light aircraft carrier/amphibious assault ship in the next few years, adding to its current force of about 16 frigates and 12 submarines; the Navy is heavily involved in NATO, multinational, and UN operations; its roles include control of territorial waters and security for sea lines of communications

the Turkish Air Force adopted an \"Aerospace and Missile Defense Concept\" in 2002 and is developing an integrated missile defense system; in a controversial move that complicated its relationship with NATO and the US, it purchased the Russian S-400 air defense system for an estimated $2.5 billion in 2019; Air Force priorities include attaining a modern deployable, survivable, and sustainable force structure, and establishing a sustainable command and control system

in recent years, Turkey has taken on a greater level of international peacekeeping responsibilities, including keeping a substantial force under NATO in Afghanistan until withdrawing in 2021; Turkey also has built expeditionary military bases in Qatar, Somalia, northern Cyprus, and Sudan

the military has a substantial stake in Turkey's economy through a holding company that is involved in the automotive, energy, finance, and logistics sectors, as well as iron and steel production (2023)" @@ -1301,7 +1301,7 @@ "text": "10,244 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022); 3,298,817 (Syria), 43,670 (Ukraine) (as of 24 August 2023) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "1.099 million (displaced from 1984-2005 because of fighting between the Kurdish PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs are Kurds from eastern and southeastern provinces; no information available on persons displaced by development projects) (2021)" + "text": "1.099 million (displaced from 1984-2005 because of fighting between the Kurdish PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs are Kurds from eastern and southeastern provinces; no information available on persons displaced by development projects) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "117 (2018)" diff --git a/middle-east/we.json b/middle-east/we.json index dee20557..fd698398 100644 --- a/middle-east/we.json +++ b/middle-east/we.json @@ -902,14 +902,14 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "per the Oslo Accords, the PA is not permitted a conventional military but maintains security and police forces; PA security personnel have operated almost exclusively in the West Bank since HAMAS seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007; PA forces include National Security Forces, Presidential Guard, Civil Police, Civil Defense, Preventive Security Organization, the General Intelligence Organization, and the Military Intelligence Organization (2022)", + "text": "per the Oslo Accords, the PA is not permitted a conventional military but maintains security and police forces; PA security personnel have operated almost exclusively in the West Bank since HAMAS seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007; PA forces include National Security Forces, Presidential Guard, Civil Police, Civil Defense, Preventive Security Organization, the General Intelligence Organization, and the Military Intelligence Organization (2023)", "note": "note: the National Security Forces conduct gendarmerie-style security operations in circumstances that exceed the capabilities of the Civil Police; it is the largest branch of the PA security services and acts as the Palestinian army; the Presidential Guard protects facilities and provides dignitary protection; the Preventive Security Organization is responsible for internal intelligence gathering and investigations related to internal security cases, including political dissent" }, "Military expenditures": { "text": "not available" }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "the PA Security Forces have approximately 30,000 active personnel (2022)" + "text": "the PA Security Forces have approximately 28,000 active personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the security services are armed mostly with small arms and light weapons, although in recent years, they have received small amounts of heavier equipment from Jordan (armored personnel carriers) and Russia (armored personnel carriers and transport helicopters) (2022)" @@ -936,7 +936,7 @@ "text": "901,000 (Palestinian refugees) (2022)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "131,000 (includes persons displaced within the Gaza strip due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since June 2014 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative data do not go back beyond 2006) (2020); note - data represent Gaza Strip and West Bank" + "text": "12,000 (includes persons displaced within the Gaza strip due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since June 2014 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative data do not go back beyond 2006) (2022); note - data represent Gaza Strip and West Bank" } } } diff --git a/middle-east/ym.json b/middle-east/ym.json index 130edb7d..0a9febe1 100644 --- a/middle-east/ym.json +++ b/middle-east/ym.json @@ -1137,7 +1137,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG) forces; Ministry of Defense: Yemeni National Army, Air Force and Air Defense, Navy and Coastal Defense Forces, Border Guard, Strategic Reserve Forces (includes Special Forces and Presidential Protection Brigades, which are under the Ministry of Defense but responsible to the president), Popular Committee Forces (aka Popular Resistance Forces; government-backed tribal militia); Ministry of Interior: Special Security Forces (paramilitary; formerly known as Central Security Forces), Political Security Organization (state security), National Security Bureau (intelligence), Counterterrorism Unit

Saudi-backed forces: paramilitary/militia border security brigades based largely on tribal or regional affiliation (deployed along the Saudi-Yemen border)

United Arab Emirates-backed forces include tribal and regionally-based militia and paramilitary forces (concentrated in the southern governates): Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces, including the Security Belt Forces, the Shabwani and Hadrami “Elite” Forces, the Support and Backup Forces (aka Logistics and Support Forces), Facilities Protection Forces, and Anti-Terrorism Forces; Republican Forces; Joint Forces

Houthi: ground, aerospace (air, missile), naval/coastal defense, presidential protection, special operations, and militia/tribal auxiliary forces (2023)", + "text": "Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG) forces:

Ministry of Defense: Yemeni National Army, Air Force and Air Defense, Navy and Coastal Defense Forces, Border Guard, Strategic Reserve Forces (includes Special Forces and Presidential Protection Brigades, which are under the Ministry of Defense but responsible to the president), Popular Committee Forces (aka Popular Resistance Forces; government-backed tribal militia)

Ministry of Interior: Special Security Forces (paramilitary; formerly known as Central Security Forces), Political Security Organization (state security), National Security Bureau (intelligence), Counterterrorism Unit

Saudi-backed forces: paramilitary/militia border security brigades based largely on tribal or regional affiliation (deployed along the Saudi-Yemen border)

United Arab Emirates-backed forces include tribal and regionally-based militia and paramilitary forces (concentrated in the southern governates): Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces, including the Security Belt Forces, the Shabwani and Hadrami “Elite” Forces, the Support and Backup Forces (aka Logistics and Support Forces), Facilities Protection Forces, and Anti-Terrorism Forces; Republican Forces; Joint Forces

Houthi forces: ground, aerospace (air, missile), naval/coastal defense, presidential protection, special operations, and militia/tribal auxiliary forces (2023)", "note": "note 1: under the 2019 Riyadh Agreement, the STC forces were to be incorporated into Yemen’s Ministries of Defense and Interior under the authority of the HADI government 

note 2: a considerable portion--up to 70 percent by some estimates--of Yemen’s military and security forces defected in whole or in part to former president SALAH and the Houthi opposition in 2011-2015" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1147,7 +1147,7 @@ "text": "information limited and widely varied; Yemen Government: up to 300,000 estimated military, paramilitary, militia, and other security forces; UAE- and Saudi-backed forces: estimated 150-200,000 trained militia and paramilitary fighters; Houthis: up to 200,000 estimated fighters (2022)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the inventory of the Yemeni Government forces consists primarily of Russian and Soviet-era equipment, although much of it has been lost in the current conflict; since the start of the civil war in 2014, it has received limited amounts of donated equipment from some Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia and UAE

Houthi forces are armed largely with weapons seized from Yemeni Government forces; they are also reported to have received military hardware from Iran (2022)" + "text": "the inventory of the Yemeni Government forces consists primarily of Russian and Soviet-era equipment, although much of it has been lost in the current conflict; since the start of the civil war in 2014, it has received limited amounts of donated equipment from some Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia and UAE, as well as the US

Houthi forces are armed largely with weapons seized from Yemeni Government forces; they are also reported to have received military hardware from Iran (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2001; 2-year service obligation (note - limited information since the start of the civil war in 2014) (2021)" @@ -1174,7 +1174,7 @@ "text": "46,596 (Somalia), 17,812 (Ethiopia) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "4.52 million (conflict in Sa'ada Governorate; clashes between al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula and government forces) (2022)" + "text": "4.523 million (conflict in Sa'ada Governorate; clashes between al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula and government forces) (2022)" } } } diff --git a/north-america/mx.json b/north-america/mx.json index 8b688bb6..9a20ab44 100644 --- a/north-america/mx.json +++ b/north-america/mx.json @@ -1315,7 +1315,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 218,000 armed forces personnel (160,000 Army; 8,000 Air Force; 50,000 Navy, including about 20,000 marines); approximately 110,000 National Guard personnel (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 225,000 armed forces personnel (165,000 Army; 10,000 Air Force; 50,000 Navy, including about 20,000 marines); approximately 110,000 National Guard personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Mexican military inventory includes a mix of domestically produced and imported equipment from a variety of mostly Western suppliers; the US has been the leading supplier of military hardware to Mexico in recent years; Mexico's defense industry produces naval vessels and light armored vehicles, as well as small arms and other miscellaneous equipment (2023)" @@ -1349,7 +1349,7 @@ "text": "35,755 (Honduras), 13,531 (El Salvador) (mid-year 2022); 91,359 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2022)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "379,000 (government's quashing of Zapatista uprising in 1994 in eastern Chiapas Region; drug cartel violence and government's military response since 2007; violence between and within indigenous groups) (2021)" + "text": "386,000 (government's quashing of Zapatista uprising in 1994 in eastern Chiapas Region; drug cartel violence and government's military response since 2007; violence between and within indigenous groups) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "13 (2022)" diff --git a/north-america/us.json b/north-america/us.json index 9f0c8daa..f6d0b2df 100644 --- a/north-america/us.json +++ b/north-america/us.json @@ -1257,7 +1257,7 @@ "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "United States Armed Forces (aka US Military): US Army (USA), US Navy (USN; includes US Marine Corps or USMC), US Air Force (USAF), US Space Force (USSF); US Coast Guard (USCG); National Guard (Army National Guard and Air National Guard) (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the US Coast Guard is administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy

note 2: the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard are reserve components of their services and operate in part under state authority; the US military also maintains reserve forces for each branch (US Army Reserve, US Navy Reserve, US Air Force Reserve, and US Coast Guard Reserve)

note 3: US law enforcement personnel include those of federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice, the 50 states, special jurisdictions, local sheriff’s offices, and municipal, county, regional, and tribal police departments " + "note": "note 1: the US Coast Guard is administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy

note 2: the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard are reserve components of their services and operate in part under state authority; the US military also maintains reserve forces for each branch

note 3: US law enforcement personnel include those of federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice, the 50 states, special jurisdictions, local sheriff’s offices, and municipal, county, regional, and tribal police departments

note 4: the US has state defense forces (SDFs), which are military units that operate under the sole authority of state governments; SDFs are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state; as of 2023, more than 20 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico had SDFs, which typically have emergency management and homeland security missions; most are organized as ground units, but air and naval units also exist " }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { @@ -1277,7 +1277,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 1.39 million active duty personnel (475,000 Army; 345,000 Navy; 335,000 Air Force (includes about 8,000 Space Force); 180,000 Marine Corps; 40,000 Coast Guard); 335,000 Army National Guard; 105,000 Air National Guard (2022)" + "text": "approximately 1.39 million active-duty personnel (475,000 Army; 345,000 Navy; 335,000 Air Force (includes about 8,000 Space Force); 180,000 Marine Corps; 40,000 Coast Guard); 335,000 Army National Guard; 105,000 Air National Guard (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the US military's inventory is comprised almost entirely of domestically produced weapons systems (some assembled with foreign components) along with a smaller mix of imported equipment from a variety of Western countries such as Germany and the UK; the US defense industry is capable of designing, developing, maintaining, and producing the full spectrum of weapons systems; the US is the world's leading arms exporter (2023)" @@ -1287,8 +1287,8 @@ "note": "note 1: the US military has been all-volunteer since 1973, but an act of Congress can reinstate the draft in case of a national emergency

note 2: in 2020, women comprised 17.2 % of the total US military (16.9% of enlisted; 18.9% officers; highest was Air Force with women comprising 21.1% of its total personnel); a small number of American women were involved in combat during the Revolutionary (1775-1783), Mexican (1846-1848), and Civil (1861-1865) Wars, but they had to disguise themselves as men and enlist under aliases; the first official US military organization for women was the US Army Nurse Corps, established in 1901; during World War I, the US Navy and Marine Corps allowed women to enlist; nearly 350,000 women served in the US military during World War II; the 1991 Gulf War was the first war where women served with men in integrated units within a war zone; in 2015, women were allowed to serve in direct combat roles

note 3: non-citizens living permanently and legally in the US may join as enlisted personnel; must have permission to work in the US, a high school diploma, and speak, read, and write English fluently; minimum age of 17 with parental consent or 18 without; maximum age 29-39, depending on the service; under the US Nationality Act, honorable service in the military may qualify individuals to obtain expedited citizenship; under the Compact of Free Association, citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands may volunteer; under the Jay Treaty, signed in 1794 between Great Britain and the US, and corresponding legislation, Native Americans/First Nations born in Canada are entitled to freely enter the US and join the US military" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "5,000 Africa; 1,700 Australia; 250 Diego Garcia; 150 Canada; 650 Cuba (Guantanamo Bay); 290 Egypt (MFO); approximately 100,000 Europe; 150 Greenland; 6,200 Guam; 370 Honduras; 56,000 Japan; approximately 15,000 Middle East; 125 Philippines; 28,000 South Korea; 200 Singapore; 100 Thailand (2022)", - "note": "note: US military rotational policies affect deployment numbers; the US deploys ground and air units to select countries for 6-12 month rotational assignments on a continuous basis; in South Korea, for example, the US continuously rotates combat brigades (approximately 3,000 personnel) for 9 months at a time; contingencies also affect US troop deployments; in 2019-2020, the US deployed more than 15,000 additional military personnel to the Middle East for an extended period of time and has sent more than 30,000 reinforcements to Europe in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine; in addition, some overseas US naval bases, such as the headquarters of US Naval Forces Central Command (USNAVCENT) in Manama, Bahrain, are frequented by the crews of US ships on 6-9 month deployments; a US carrier strike group with an air wing and supporting ships typically includes over 6,000 personnel" + "text": "5,000 Africa; 1,700 Australia; 250 Diego Garcia; 150 Canada; 650 Cuba (Guantanamo Bay); 290 Egypt (MFO); approximately 85-100,000 Europe; 150 Greenland; 6,200 Guam; 370 Honduras; 55,000 Japan; approximately 15,000 Middle East; 125 Philippines; 28,000 South Korea; 200 Singapore; 100 Thailand (2023)", + "note": "note: US military rotational policies affect deployment sizes, and the numbers given may fluctuate; the US deploys ground and air units to select countries for 6-12 month rotational assignments on a continuous basis; in South Korea, for example, the US regularly rotates combat brigades (approximately 3,000 personnel) for 9 months at a time; contingencies also affect US troop deployments; in 2019-2020, the US deployed more than 15,000 additional military personnel to the Middle East for an extended period of time and has sent more than 30,000 reinforcements to Europe in response to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022; in addition, some overseas US naval bases, such as the headquarters of US Naval Forces Central Command (USNAVCENT) in Manama, Bahrain, are frequented by the crews of US ships on 6-9 month deployments; a US carrier strike group with an air wing and supporting ships typically includes over 6,000 personnel" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the US is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949

the US military has 11 regional- or functionally-based joint service \"combatant\" commands: Africa Command; Central Command, Cyber Command, European Command, Indo-Pacific Command, Northern Command, Southern Command, Space Command, Special Operations Command, Strategic Command, and Transportation Command

Congress officially created the US military in September 1789; the US Army was established in June 1775 as the Continental Army; after the declaration of independence in July 1776, the Continental Army and the militia in the service of Congress became known collectively as the Army of the United States; when Congress ordered the Continental Army to disband in 1784, it retained a small number of personnel that would form the nucleus of the 1st American Regiment for national service formed later that year; both the US Navy and the US Marines were also established in 1775, but the Navy fell into disuse after the Revolutionary War, and was reestablished by Congress in 1794; the first US military unit devoted exclusively to aviation began operations in 1913 as part of the US Army; the Army Air Corps (AAC) was the US military service dedicated to aerial warfare between 1926 and 1941; the AAC became the US Army Air Forces in 1941 and remained as a combat arm of the Army until the establishment of the US Air Force in 1947" diff --git a/south-america/ar.json b/south-america/ar.json index 4fa41a42..1ab2cfbf 100644 --- a/south-america/ar.json +++ b/south-america/ar.json @@ -586,10 +586,10 @@ }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of:
Senate or Senado (72 seats; members directly elected on a provincial basis with 2 seats awarded to the party with the most votes and 1 seat to the party with the second highest number of votes; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years)
Chamber of Deputies or Cámara de Diputados (257 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method; members serve 4-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 2 years)" + "text": "bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of:
Senate or Senado (72 seats; members directly elected from 24 provincial districts by closed-list proportional representation vote; 2 seats per district awarded to the party with the most votes and 1 seat per district to the party with the second highest votes; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years)
Chamber of Deputies or Cámara de Diputados (257 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 2 years)" }, "elections": { - "text": "
Senate - last held on 14 November 2021 (next to be held 22 October 2023)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 14 November 2021 (next to be held 22 October 2023)" + "text": "
Senate - last held on 14 November 2021 (next to be held on 22 October 2023)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 14 November 2021 (next to be held on 22 October 2023)" }, "election results": { "text": "


Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - FdT 35, JxC 33, other 4; composition (as of February 2022) men 41, women 31, percent of women 43.1%

Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - FdT 118, JxC 116, FIT-U 4, other: 19; composition (as of February 2022) - men 142, women 115, percent of women 44.7%; note - total National Congress percent of women 44.4%

" @@ -1269,7 +1269,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 82,000 active duty personnel (50,000 Army; 18,000 Navy, including about 3,500 marines); 14,000 Air Force); estimated 20,000 Gendarmerie (2022)" + "text": "approximately 80,000 active-duty personnel (50,000 Army; 17,000 Navy, including about 3,500 marines); 13,000 Air Force); estimated 20,000 Gendarmerie (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the inventory of Argentina's armed forces is a mix of domestically-produced and mostly older imported weapons, largely from Europe and the US; in recent years, France and the US have been the leading suppliers of equipment; Argentina has an indigenous defense industry that produces air, land, and naval systems (2023)" diff --git a/south-america/bl.json b/south-america/bl.json index 265d60c7..aa2679f3 100644 --- a/south-america/bl.json +++ b/south-america/bl.json @@ -1255,7 +1255,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies widely; approximately 40,000 active troops (28,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 7,000 Air Force; note - a considerable portion of the Navy personnel are marines and naval police); approximately 40,000 National Police (2022)" + "text": "estimates range from 40,000 to as many as 70,000 active-duty military personnel; approximately 40,000 National Police (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military is equipped with a mix of mostly older Brazilian, Chinese, European, and US equipment; in recent years, France has been the leading supplier (2023)" diff --git a/south-america/br.json b/south-america/br.json index 02a78392..39a73a0c 100644 --- a/south-america/br.json +++ b/south-america/br.json @@ -1321,7 +1321,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 360,000 active military personnel (220,000 Army; 70,000 Navy; 70,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 360,000 active military personnel (220,000 Army; 70,000 Navy; 70,000 Air Force); approximately 400,000 paramilitary security forces (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Brazilian military's inventory consists of a mix of domestically produced and imported weapons, largely from Europe and the US; in recent years, the US and several European countries have been the leading suppliers of military equipment to Brazil; Brazil's defense industry designs and manufactures equipment for all three military services and for export; it also jointly produces equipment with other countries (2023)" @@ -1364,7 +1364,7 @@ "text": "449,678 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or received alternative legal stay) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "21,000" + "text": "5,600 (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "12 (2022)" diff --git a/south-america/co.json b/south-america/co.json index c766a853..e834732c 100644 --- a/south-america/co.json +++ b/south-america/co.json @@ -1252,7 +1252,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 260,000 total active troops (200,000 Army; 45,000 Navy, including about 20,000 marines; 14,000 Air Force); approximately 180,000 National Police (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 290,000 active troops (225,000 Army; 50,000 Navy, including about 20,000 marines; 15,000 Air Force); approximately 180,000 National Police (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory includes a wide mix of equipment from a variety of suppliers, including Canada, Europe, Israel, South Korea, and the US; the US has been the top provider in recent years; Colombia's defense industry is active in producing air, land, and naval platforms (2023)" @@ -1265,7 +1265,7 @@ "text": "275 Egypt (MFO) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the Colombian military is responsible for defending and maintaining the country’s independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity but also has an internal security role, which includes protecting the civilian population, as well as private and state-owned assets, and ensuring a secure environment; the military’s primary focus is the conduct of counternarcotics, counterterrorism, and counterinsurgency operations against drug traffickers, several factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the insurgent/terrorist group National Liberation Army (ELN); the Colombian Government signed a peace agreement with the FARC in 2016, but some former members (known as dissidents) have returned to fighting (note - these dissident groups include the US-designated foreign terrorist groups Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army or FARC-EP and Segunda Marquetalia; see Appendix T);  in 2017, the Colombian Government initiated formal peace talks with the ELN, but it officially ended the talks shortly after the ELN exploded a car bomb at the National Police Academy in Bogota in January 2019; operations against the FARC dissident groups and the ELN continued into 2023, although the Colombian Government resumed talks with the ELN in November 2022 and began exploratory talks with the FARC-EP and Segunda Marquetalia; a 6-month cease-fire agreement was reached with the ELN in June 2023, which was scheduled to go into effect in August 2023; the military is also focused on the security challenges posed by its neighbor, Venezuela, where instability has attracted narcotics traffickers, and both the ELN and FARC dissidents operate openly; Colombia shares a 1,370-mile (2,200 km) border with Venezuela; ELN and FARC insurgents have also used neighboring Ecuador to rest, resupply, and shelter

the Colombian National Army is one of the largest and most experienced ground forces in the Western Hemisphere, having spent decades conducting operations against insurgents and terrorist groups; it has also kept a small battalion (about 250-300 troops) in the Sinai Peninsula with the Multinational Observer Force since 1980; the Army’s primary focus is ongoing operations against the ELN, FARC dissidents, and other illegal armed groups, which are challenged by difficult topography and long and porous land borders; the Air Force and Navy play a role in the counterinsurgency campaign but their participation is minor in comparison to the Army; the Army is largely configured for flexible and mobile counterinsurgency operations with 1 mechanized and 7 light infantry divisions; the light infantry divisions are not uniformly structured and typically include a mix of conventional infantry and specialized air mobile, counterinsurgency, jungle, mountain, and security brigades; some divisions may also have special task forces for anti-kidnapping, counternarcotics, or urban operations; the Army also has a special forces division, a rapid deployment force (Fuerza de Despliegue Rápido or FUDRA) comprised of special forces and counterinsurgency brigades, and an air assault division with aviation and light infantry/air mobile forces; the National Police works with the Army against illegal armed groups and has a variety of specialized forces, including commandos, quick reaction, counterterrorism, counternarcotics, motorized, and anti-riot (Escuadron Móvil Antidisturbios, or ESMAD) units 

the Navy is responsible for security in Colombia’s waters in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Oceans, the country’s extensive network of rivers, and a few small land areas under its direct jurisdiction; it takes part in multinational naval exercises, and over the past decade has undertaken efforts to modernize; its principal warships are 4 frigates, 6 corvettes, ocean-going, or offshore patrol ships, and 4 attack submarines, which are supplemented by dozens of coastal and riverine patrol craft; the Navy also has a 22,000-man marine force comprised of 5 marine/riverine infantry brigades and a special forces brigade, as well as a small aviation force; the Air Force has an air defense role, but also supports the Army’s counterinsurgency operations; it has a mix of about 50 fighters and ground attack combat aircraft, plus reconnaissance, electronic warfare, logistical, and training fixed-wing aircraft, as well as approximately 100 multirole helicopters 

Colombia has close security ties with the US, including joint training, military assistance, and designation in 2022 as a Major Non-NATO Ally, which provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense, trade, and security cooperation; it also has close ties with some regional neighbors, such as Argentina, Chile, and Peru; Colombian military and security forces have training programs with their counterparts from a variety of countries, mostly those from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean; security ties with Ecuador and Venezuela have been challenged by the presence of narcotics traffickers, ELN, and FARC dissidents in the border regions (2023)" + "text": "the Colombian military is responsible for defending and maintaining the country’s independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity but also has an internal security role, which includes protecting the civilian population, as well as private and state-owned assets, and ensuring a secure environment; the military’s primary focus is the conduct of counternarcotics, counterterrorism, and counterinsurgency operations against drug traffickers, several factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the insurgent/terrorist group National Liberation Army (ELN); the Colombian Government signed a peace agreement with the FARC in 2016, but some former members (known as dissidents) have returned to fighting (note - these dissident groups include the US-designated foreign terrorist groups Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army or FARC-EP and Segunda Marquetalia; see Appendix T);  in 2017, the Colombian Government initiated formal peace talks with the ELN, but it officially ended the talks shortly after the ELN exploded a car bomb at the National Police Academy in Bogota in January 2019; operations against the FARC dissident groups and the ELN continued into 2023, although the Colombian Government resumed talks with the ELN in November 2022 and began exploratory talks with the FARC-EP and Segunda Marquetalia; a 6-month cease-fire agreement was reached with the ELN in June 2023, which was scheduled to go into effect in August 2023; the military is also focused on the security challenges posed by its neighbor, Venezuela, where instability has attracted narcotics traffickers, and both the ELN and FARC dissidents operate openly; Colombia shares a 1,370-mile (2,200 km) border with Venezuela; ELN and FARC insurgents have also used neighboring Ecuador to rest, resupply, and shelter

the Colombian National Army is one of the largest and most experienced ground forces in the Western Hemisphere, having spent decades conducting operations against insurgents and terrorist groups; it has also kept a small battalion (about 250-300 troops) in the Sinai Peninsula with the Multinational Observer Force since 1980; the Army’s primary focus is ongoing operations against the ELN, FARC dissidents, and other illegal armed groups, which are challenged by difficult topography and long and porous land borders; the Air Force and Navy play a role in the counterinsurgency campaign but their participation is minor in comparison to the Army; the Army is largely configured for flexible and mobile counterinsurgency operations with one mechanized and seven light infantry divisions; the light infantry divisions are not uniformly structured and typically include a mix of conventional infantry and specialized air mobile, counterinsurgency, jungle, mountain, and security brigades; some divisions may also have special task forces for anti-kidnapping, counternarcotics, or urban operations; the Army also has a special forces division, a rapid deployment force (Fuerza de Despliegue Rápido or FUDRA) comprised of special forces and counterinsurgency brigades, and an air assault division with aviation and light infantry/air mobile forces; the National Police works with the Army against illegal armed groups and has a variety of specialized forces, including commandos, quick reaction, counterterrorism, counternarcotics, motorized, and anti-riot (Escuadron Móvil Antidisturbios, or ESMAD) units 

the Navy is responsible for security in Colombia’s waters in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Oceans, the country’s extensive network of rivers, and a few small land areas under its direct jurisdiction; it takes part in multinational naval exercises, and over the past decade has undertaken efforts to modernize; its principal warships are a mix of 10 frigates, corvettes, and offshore patrol ships, and four attack submarines, which are supplemented by dozens of coastal and riverine patrol craft; the Navy also has a 22,000-man marine force comprised of five marine/riverine infantry brigades and a special forces brigade, as well as a small aviation force; the Air Force has an air defense role, but also supports the Army’s counterinsurgency operations; it has a mix of about 50 fighters and ground attack combat aircraft, plus reconnaissance, electronic warfare, logistical, and training fixed-wing aircraft, as well as approximately 100 multirole helicopters 

Colombia has close security ties with the US, including joint training, military assistance, and designation in 2022 as a Major Non-NATO Ally, which provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense, trade, and security cooperation; it also has close ties with some regional neighbors, such as Argentina, Chile, and Peru; Colombian military and security forces have training programs with their counterparts from a variety of countries, mostly those from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean; security ties with Ecuador and Venezuela have been challenged by the presence of narcotics traffickers, ELN, and FARC dissidents in the border regions (2023)" }, "Maritime threats": { "text": "the International Maritime Bureau reported no incidents in 2022 in the territorial waters of Colombia; there remains a risk for armed robbery against ships particularly in the main port of Cartagena while ships are berthed or at anchor" diff --git a/south-america/ec.json b/south-america/ec.json index 526c8499..a7b7b078 100644 --- a/south-america/ec.json +++ b/south-america/ec.json @@ -1233,7 +1233,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 40,000 active military personnel (25,000 Army; 9,000 Navy; 6,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 40,000 active military personnel (25,000 Army; 9,000 Navy; 6,000 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory includes a wide mix of mostly older equipment derived from a variety of sources such as Brazil, China, Russia, and the US; in recent years, Ecuador has received limited amounts of more modern material from several countries, including Germany and Spain (2023)" @@ -1243,7 +1243,7 @@ "note": "note: in 2017, women made up an estimated 3% of the military" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the military is responsible for preserving Ecuador’s national sovereignty and defending the integrity of the state; it also has some domestic security responsibilities and may complement police operations in maintaining public order if required; the military shares responsibility for border enforcement with the National Police; it trains regularly, participates in bilateral and multinational training exercises, and sends troops on UN peacekeeping missions; the military has defense ties to regional countries, such as Chile, Colombia, and Peru, and security ties with the US have been revived in recent years

border conflicts with Peru dominated the military’s focus until the late 1990s and border security remains a priority, but in more recent years, security challenges have included counterinsurgency and counternarcotics operations, particularly in the northern border area where violence and other criminal activity related to terrorism, insurgency, and narco-trafficking in Colombia, as well as refugees from Venezuela, have spilled over the border; the military has established a joint service task force for counterinsurgency and counternarcotics operations and boosted troop deployments along those borders; other missions include countering illegal mining, smuggling, and maritime piracy; since 2012, the Ecuadorian Government has expanded the military’s role in general public security and domestic crime operations, in part due to rising violence, police corruption, and police ineffectiveness 

the Joint Command of the Armed Forces (El Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas or CCFFAA) is the military’s highest body for planning, preparation, and strategic conduct of military operations; the chief of the CCFFAA is appointed by the president; the military is deployed throughout the country in 5 joint service operational commands or task forces; it also has a cyber defense command; the Army is organized into 4 regionally based divisions and approximately 12 combat brigades, including armored cavalry, artillery, aviation, infantry (including specialized jungle infantry), and special forces; the Navy is a compact force comprised of 2 frigates, 6 corvettes, 3 missile attack boats, and 2 attack submarines; it also has a small aviation force and a Marine Corps with about 2,000 amphibious infantry and commandos; the Air Force has small numbers of operational jet fighters and light ground attack aircraft, as well as some multirole helicopters  

the military has had a large role in Ecuador’s political history; it ruled the country from 1963-1966 and 1972-1979, and supported a dictatorship in 1970-1972; during the 1980s, the military remained loyal to the civilian government, but civilian-military relations were at times tenuous, and the military had considerable autonomy from civilian oversight; it was involved in coup attempts in 2000 and 2010 (2023)" + "text": "the military is responsible for preserving Ecuador’s national sovereignty and defending the integrity of the state; it also has some domestic security responsibilities and may complement police operations in maintaining public order if required; the military shares responsibility for border enforcement with the National Police; it trains regularly, participates in bilateral and multinational training exercises, and sends troops on UN peacekeeping missions; the military has defense ties to regional countries, such as Chile, Colombia, and Peru, and security ties with the US have been revived in recent years

border conflicts with Peru dominated the military’s focus until the late 1990s and border security remains a priority, but in more recent years, security challenges have included counterinsurgency and counternarcotics operations, particularly in the northern border area where violence and other criminal activity related to terrorism, insurgency, and narco-trafficking in Colombia, as well as refugees from Venezuela, have spilled over the border; the military has established a joint service task force for counterinsurgency and counternarcotics operations and boosted troop deployments along those borders; other missions include countering illegal mining, smuggling, and maritime piracy; since 2012, the Ecuadorian Government has expanded the military’s role in general public security and domestic crime operations, in part due to rising violence, police corruption, and police ineffectiveness 

the Joint Command of the Armed Forces (El Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas or CCFFAA) is the military’s highest body for planning, preparation, and strategic conduct of military operations; the chief of the CCFFAA is appointed by the president; the military is deployed throughout the country in five joint service operational commands or task forces; it also has a cyber defense command; the Army is organized into four regionally based divisions and approximately 12 combat brigades, including armored cavalry, artillery, aviation, infantry (including specialized jungle infantry), and special forces; the Navy is a compact force comprised of two frigates, six corvettes, three missile attack boats, and two attack submarines; it also has a small aviation force and a Marine Corps with about 2,000 amphibious infantry and commandos; the Air Force has small numbers of operational jet fighters and light ground attack aircraft, as well as some multirole helicopters  

the military has had a large role in Ecuador’s political history; it ruled the country from 1963-1966 and 1972-1979, and supported a dictatorship in 1970-1972; during the 1980s, the military remained loyal to the civilian government, but civilian-military relations were at times tenuous, and the military had considerable autonomy from civilian oversight; it was involved in coup attempts in 2000 and 2010 (2023)" }, "Maritime threats": { "text": "the International Maritime Bureau reported no incidents in 2022; the territorial and offshore waters of Ecuador remain at risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen" diff --git a/south-america/pa.json b/south-america/pa.json index 4f0d1028..3764ee9e 100644 --- a/south-america/pa.json +++ b/south-america/pa.json @@ -1184,8 +1184,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of Paraguay (Fuerzas Armadas de Paraguay; aka Armed Forces of the Nation or Fuerzas Armadas de la Nación): Paraguayan Army (Ejército Paraguayo), Paraguayan Navy (Armada Paraguaya; includes marines), Paraguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Paraguaya); Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Police of Paraguay (Policía Nacional del Paraguay, PNP) (2023)", - "note": "note: Paraguay also has a National Counterdrug Bureau (Secretaria Nacional Antidrogas or SENAD) that operates under the presidency " + "text": "Armed Forces of Paraguay (Fuerzas Armadas de Paraguay; aka Armed Forces of the Nation or Fuerzas Armadas de la Nación): Paraguayan Army (Ejército Paraguayo), Paraguayan Navy (Armada Paraguaya; includes marines), Paraguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Paraguaya)

Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Police of Paraguay (Policía Nacional del Paraguay, PNP) (2023)", + "note": "note: Paraguay also has a National Counterdrug Bureau (Secretaria Nacional Antidrogas or SENAD) that operates under the presidency" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1205,7 +1205,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 15,000 active duty personnel (10,000 Army; 3,500 Navy; 1,500 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 20,000 active-duty personnel (13,500 Army; 4,000 Navy; 2,500 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory is comprised of mostly older equipment from a variety of foreign suppliers, particularly Brazil and the US (2023)" diff --git a/south-america/pe.json b/south-america/pe.json index f0e821ae..88dba8c6 100644 --- a/south-america/pe.json +++ b/south-america/pe.json @@ -1248,7 +1248,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of Peru (Fuerzas Armadas del Perú or FAP): Peruvian Army (Ejercito del Peru), Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru, MGP, includes naval infantry and Coast Guard), Air Force of Peru (Fuerza Aerea del Peru, FAP); Ministry of the Interior (Ministerio del Interior): Peruvian National Police (Policía Nacional del Perú, PNP) (2023)" + "text": "Armed Forces of Peru (Fuerzas Armadas del Perú or FAP): Peruvian Army (Ejercito del Peru), Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru, MGP, includes naval infantry and Coast Guard), Air Force of Peru (Fuerza Aerea del Peru, FAP)

Ministry of the Interior (Ministerio del Interior): Peruvian National Police (Policía Nacional del Perú, PNP) (2023)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1268,7 +1268,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 95,000 active-duty personnel (60,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 4,000 naval infantry and 1,000 Coast Guard; 10,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 95,000 active-duty personnel (60,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 4,000 naval infantry and 1,000 Coast Guard; 10,000 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory is a mix of mostly older equipment from a wide variety of suppliers, including Brazil, Europe, Russia/the former Soviet Union, and the US; in recent years, it has received some more modern weapons systems from more than a dozen countries with South Korea as the leading supplier (2023)" @@ -1278,7 +1278,7 @@ "note": "note: as of 2019, women made up about 10% of the active duty military" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "215 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (May 2022)" + "text": "225 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the Peruvian Armed Forces (FAP) are responsible for external security in addition to some domestic security responsibilities in designated emergency areas and in exceptional circumstances; key areas of focus include counterinsurgency, counternarcotics, disaster relief, and maritime security operations; the FAP trains regularly and participates in both bilateral and multinational exercises; it has contributed to UN missions since 1958 and has ties to regional militaries, particularly Colombia, as well as those of numerous other countries such as China, Russia, Spain, and the US; the FAP’s last external conflict was a brief border war with Ecuador in 1995; the FAP supported the police during anti-government protests in early 2023 and was accused of human rights violations 

the Joint Command of the Armed Forces of Peru (Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas del Perú or CCFFAA) has responsibility for the planning, preparation, coordination, and direction of the military’s operations; the CCFFAA has oversight over commands for air, air defense, cyber, maritime, and special operations, as well as five regional commands (Amazonas, central, north, south, and Ucayali) and a Special Command of the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro rivers (CE-VRAEM); CE-VRAEM is responsible for combating the remnants of the Shining Path terrorist group (aka Sendero Luminoso; see Appendix T) and includes several thousand air, ground, naval, police, and special forces personnel; the FAP also provides aircraft, vehicles, and logistical support to the command  

the Army was officially established in 1821 with the formation of the Peruvian Guard Legion; it has five regionally based divisions comprised of about 20 combat brigades, which include a mix of armored, artillery, jungle infantry, light infantry, mechanized cavalry, and special forces; the Army also has an aviation brigade and a multi-purpose support brigade designed in large part to provide assistance during natural disasters; the Navy, also established in 1821, includes the Coast Guard; it has undertaken efforts to modernize since the 2000s; the Navy’s warships include seven frigates, 15 corvettes and patrol ships, and six attack submarines; it also has a flotilla of river gunboats, plus naval aviation and a marine force comprised of amphibious infantry, light infantry, jungle infantry, and commandos; the Air Force, established in the 1920s, has several squadrons of French-, Russian-, and US-made fighters, multirole fighters, and fixed-wing ground attack aircraft, as well as attack helicopters (2023)" @@ -1314,7 +1314,7 @@ "text": "1,518,102 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "60,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions; as of 2011, no new information on the situation of these IDPs) (2021)" + "text": "73,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions; as of 2011, no new information on the situation of these IDPs) (2022)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { diff --git a/south-america/uy.json b/south-america/uy.json index 089c5b36..bf443ec6 100644 --- a/south-america/uy.json +++ b/south-america/uy.json @@ -1195,8 +1195,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of Uruguay (Fuerzas Armadas del Uruguay): National Army (Ejercito Nacional), National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Coast Guard (Prefectura Nacional Naval or PRENA)), Uruguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aerea); Ministry of Interior: National Police (2023)", - "note": "note: the National Police includes the paramilitary National Republican Guard or Guardia Nacional Republicana; the National Police maintains internal security, while the National Directorate for Migration is responsible for migration and border enforcement" + "text": "Armed Forces of Uruguay (Fuerzas Armadas del Uruguay): National Army (Ejercito Nacional), National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Coast Guard (Prefectura Nacional Naval or PRENA)), Uruguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aerea)

Ministry of Interior: National Police (2023)", + "note": "note: the National Police includes the paramilitary National Republican Guard (Guardia Nacional Republicana); the National Police maintains internal security, while the National Directorate for Migration is responsible for migration and border enforcement" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1216,17 +1216,17 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 22,000 active duty personnel (14,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 3,000 Air Force) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 23,000 active-duty personnel (15,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 3,000 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the military's inventory includes a wide variety of older or second-hand equipment; in recent years, it has imported limited amounts of military hardware from a variety of countries with Spain as the leading supplier (2022)" + "text": "the military's inventory includes a wide variety of older or second-hand equipment; in recent years, it has imported limited amounts of military hardware from a variety of countries with Spain as the leading supplier (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-30 years of age (18-22 years of age for Navy) for voluntary military service for men and women; up to 40 years of age for specialists; enlistment is voluntary in peacetime, but the government has the authority to conscript in emergencies (2023)", "note": "note: as of 2023, women comprised nearly 20% of the active military" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "830 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 210 Golan Heights (UNDOF) (May 2022)" + "text": "825 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 210 Golan Heights (UNDOF) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the armed forces are responsible for defense of the country’s independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as protecting strategic resources; it has some domestic responsibilities, including perimeter security for a number of prisons and border security and providing humanitarian/disaster assistance; in 2020, the military deployed more than 1,000 troops to assist the National Police in securing the land border with Brazil and the riverine border with Argentina as part of a border control law passed in 2018; the military trains regularly, including in multinational exercises; it has traditionally held security ties with Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and the US

the Army has 4 regionally based divisions comprised of approximately 8 small brigades of infantry and mechanized cavalry; the Navy includes the Coast Guard, a naval aviation command, and a small naval infantry force; the Navy in recent years has undertaken a modest program to modernize its aging fleet, decommissioning several ships, including its only frigates, and acquiring secondhand patrol vessels from the US Coast Guard; it is also attempting to acquire larger and more modern offshore patrol vessels; the Air Force has a single squadron of light ground attack aircraft (2023)" diff --git a/south-america/ve.json b/south-america/ve.json index 03bfe758..06741d5d 100644 --- a/south-america/ve.json +++ b/south-america/ve.json @@ -1157,8 +1157,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana, FANB): Bolivarian Army (Ejercito Bolivariano, EB), Bolivarian Navy (Armada Bolivariana, AB; includes marines, Coast Guard), Bolivarian Military Aviation (Aviacion Militar Bolivariana, AMB; includes a joint-service Aerospace Defense Command (Comando de Defensa Aeroespacial Integral, CODAI), Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana), Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB); Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace: Bolivarian National Police (Policía Nacional Bolivariana, PNB) (2023)", - "note": "note 1: the Bolivarian Militia was added as a \"special component\" to the FANB in 2020; it is comprised of armed civilians who receive periodic training in exchange for a small stipend

note 2: the National Guard, established in 1937 and made a component of the FANB in 2007, is responsible for maintaining public order, guarding the exterior of key government installations and prisons, conducting counter-narcotics operations, monitoring borders, and providing law enforcement in remote areas; it reports to both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace

note 3: the PNB is a federal force created by Hugo CHAVEZ in 2008 as a “preventative police force,” separate from state and local ones; the PNB largely focuses on policing Caracas’ Libertador municipality; patrolling Caracas-area highways, railways, and metro system, and protecting diplomatic missions; the PNB includes the Special Action Forces (Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales, FAES), a paramilitary unit created by President MADURO to bolster internal security after the 2017 anti-government protests; it has been accused of multiple human rights abuses    " + "text": "Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana, FANB): Bolivarian Army (Ejercito Bolivariano, EB), Bolivarian Navy (Armada Bolivariana, AB; includes marines, Coast Guard), Bolivarian Military Aviation (Aviacion Militar Bolivariana, AMB; includes a joint-service Aerospace Defense Command (Comando de Defensa Aeroespacial Integral, CODAI), Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana), Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB)

Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace: Bolivarian National Police (Policía Nacional Bolivariana, PNB) (2023)", + "note": "note 1: the Bolivarian Militia was added as a \"special component\" to the FANB in 2020; it is comprised of armed civilians who receive periodic training in exchange for a small stipend

note 2: the National Guard, established in 1937 and made a component of the FANB in 2007, is responsible for maintaining public order, guarding the exterior of key government installations and prisons, conducting counter-narcotics operations, monitoring borders, and providing law enforcement in remote areas; it reports to both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace

note 3: the PNB is a federal force created by Hugo CHAVEZ in 2008 as a “preventative police force,” separate from state and local ones; the PNB largely focuses on policing Caracas’ Libertador municipality, patrolling Caracas-area highways, railways, and metro system, and protecting diplomatic missions; the PNB includes the Special Action Forces (Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales, FAES), a paramilitary unit created by President MADURO to bolster internal security after the 2017 anti-government protests; it has been accused of multiple human rights abuses    " }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2019": { @@ -1178,11 +1178,11 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 125-150,000 active personnel, including about 25-30,000 National Guard; approximately 200-225,000 Bolivarian Militia; approximately 45,000 National Police (2022)", - "note": "note: in December 2022, President Nicolas MADURO announced that the National Police would be increased to 100,000 in 2024 " + "text": "information varies; approximately 125-150,000 active military personnel, including about 25-30,000 National Guard; approximately 200-225,000 Bolivarian Militia; approximately 45,000 National Police (2022)", + "note": "note: in December 2022, President Nicolas MADURO announced that the National Police would be increased to 100,000 in 2024" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the FANB inventory is mainly of Chinese and Russian origin with a smaller mix of mostly older equipment from Western countries, including the US; in recent years, Russia has been the top supplier of military hardware to Venezuela (2023)", + "text": "the FANB inventory is mainly of Chinese and Russian origin with a smaller mix of mostly older equipment from Western countries, including the US; in recent years, suppliers have included China, the Netherlands, and Spain (2023)", "note": "note: the US prohibited the sale or transfer of military arms or technology to Venezuela in 2006" }, "Military service age and obligation": { @@ -1190,7 +1190,7 @@ "note": "note: as of 2017, women made up more than 20% of the active duty military" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the armed forces (FANB) are responsible for ensuring Venezuela’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity but also have a domestic role, including assisting with maintaining internal order and law enforcement, contributing to national socio-economic development, and providing disaster/humanitarian assistance; the military conducts security operations in large parts of the country and has been deployed against illegal armed groups operating in the Colombian border region and other areas of the country to combat organized crime gangs involved in narcotics trafficking and illegal mining

the military has a large role in the country’s economy and political sectors; between 2013 and 2017, Venezuela established at least a dozen military-led firms in economic areas, such as agriculture, banking, construction, insurance, the media, mining, oil, and tourism; military officers reportedly lead as many as 60 state-owned companies; as of 2023, 14 of 32 government ministries were controlled by the military, including the ministries of agriculture, food, petroleum, and water

the FANB is deployed throughout the country in 1 maritime and 7 geographical regional commands known as Integral Strategic Defense Regions (Regiones Estrategicas de Defensa Integral or REDI) that are mandated to provide for the defense, security, social, and economic needs of their respective areas of responsibility; the REDIs are further broken down into zones and state commands; the Army has 6 divisional headquarters and approximately 21 combat brigades spread amongst the 7 geographical REDIs; the brigades are a mix of armored, artillery, infantry, military police, motorized cavalry, and special operations forces; some infantry brigades are mechanized or are specialized for airborne, jungle, mountain, or security operations; the Army also has an aviation brigade; the Navy is a coastal defense force and includes commands for operations, aviation, and the coast guard; the operational readiness of the Navy’s ship inventory has been affected by Venezuela’s economic problems; its principal operational warships include 2 frigates and approximately 4 ocean-going patrol ships; it also has 2 attack submarines although they are not assessed to be operational; the Navy has a marine infantry force that includes 7 amphibious or riverine brigades and a special operations brigade; the Air Force has less than 50 US- and Russian-made fighters and multirole fighter aircraft; the National Guard is organized into 9 regional commands which control battalion and regimental size units; the Bolivarian Militia is reportedly divided into a reserve service, a territorial guard component comprised of local battalions and detachments, and a coastal guard force

members of the terrorist organizations National Liberation Army (ELN) and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia dissidents (FARC-People's Army and Segundo Marquetalia - see Appendix T) operate in Venezuela, mostly in the states of Amazonas, Apure, Bolivar, Guarico, Tachira, and Zulia; the ELN is assessed to be present in 12 of Venezuela’s 23 states; the groups are particularly active in Apure state; the Venezuelan military has been deployed to the border region to patrol border crossings and has clashed with both the ELN and the FARC dissident groups (2023)" + "text": "the armed forces (FANB) are responsible for ensuring Venezuela’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity but also have a domestic role, including assisting with maintaining internal order and law enforcement, contributing to national socio-economic development, and providing disaster/humanitarian assistance; the military conducts security operations in large parts of the country and has been deployed against illegal armed groups operating in the Colombian border region and other areas of the country to combat organized crime gangs involved in narcotics trafficking and illegal mining

the military has a large role in the country’s economy and political sectors; between 2013 and 2017, Venezuela established at least a dozen military-led firms in economic areas, such as agriculture, banking, construction, insurance, the media, mining, oil, and tourism; military officers reportedly lead as many as 60 state-owned companies; as of 2023, 14 of 32 government ministries were controlled by the military, including the ministries of agriculture, food, petroleum, and water

the FANB is deployed throughout the country in one maritime and seven geographical regional commands known as Integral Strategic Defense Regions (Regiones Estrategicas de Defensa Integral or REDI) that are mandated to provide for the defense, security, social, and economic needs of their respective areas of responsibility; the REDIs are further broken down into zones and state commands; the Army has six divisional headquarters and approximately 21 combat brigades spread amongst the seven geographical REDIs; the brigades are a mix of armored, artillery, infantry, military police, motorized cavalry, and special operations forces; some infantry brigades are mechanized or are specialized for airborne, jungle, mountain, or security operations; the Army also has an aviation brigade; the Navy is a coastal defense force and includes commands for operations, aviation, and the coast guard; the operational readiness of the Navy’s ship inventory has been affected by Venezuela’s economic problems; its principal operational warships include two frigates and approximately four ocean-going patrol ships; it also has two attack submarines although they are not assessed to be operational; the Navy has a marine infantry force that includes several amphibious or riverine brigades and a special operations brigade; the Air Force has less than 50 US- and Russian-made fighters and multirole fighter aircraft; the National Guard is organized into nine regional commands which control battalion and regimental size units; the Bolivarian Militia is reportedly divided into a reserve service, a territorial guard component comprised of local battalions and detachments, and a coastal guard force

members of the terrorist organizations National Liberation Army (ELN) and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia dissidents (FARC-People's Army and Segundo Marquetalia - see Appendix T) operate in Venezuela, mostly in the states of Amazonas, Apure, Bolivar, Guarico, Tachira, and Zulia; the ELN is assessed to be present in 12 of Venezuela’s 23 states; the groups are particularly active in Apure state; the Venezuelan military has been deployed to the border region to patrol border crossings and has clashed with both the ELN and the FARC dissident groups (2023)" }, "Maritime threats": { "text": "The International Maritime Bureau reported three attacks in 2022 where ships were boarded in the territorial and offshore waters of Venezuela, an increase from no attacks in 2021; ports in Venezuela continue to be affected by the crime of armed robbery; the Caribbean Sea remains at risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen" diff --git a/south-asia/bt.json b/south-asia/bt.json index 4311019a..e1c3ac31 100644 --- a/south-asia/bt.json +++ b/south-asia/bt.json @@ -1067,7 +1067,7 @@ "text": "Royal Bhutan Army (includes Royal Bodyguard and an air wing); National Militia

Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs: Royal Bhutan Police (2023)" }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "the Royal Bhutan Army has an estimated 8,000 personnel (2022)" + "text": "estimated 8,000 active personnel (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "India has provided most of the Royal Bhutan Army's equipment (2023)" diff --git a/south-asia/ce.json b/south-asia/ce.json index 8f87539e..fbcc077e 100644 --- a/south-asia/ce.json +++ b/south-asia/ce.json @@ -1201,8 +1201,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Sri Lanka Armed Forces: Sri Lanka Army (includes National Guard and the Volunteer Force), Sri Lanka Navy (includes Marine Corps), Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Coast Guard; Civil Security Department (Home Guard); Ministry of Public Security: Sri Lanka National Police (2023)", - "note": "note: the Sri Lanka Police includes the Special Task Force, a paramilitary unit responsible for counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations; it coordinates internal security operations with the military" + "text": "Sri Lanka Armed Forces: Sri Lanka Army (includes National Guard and the Volunteer Force), Sri Lanka Navy (includes Marine Corps), Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Coast Guard; Civil Security Department (Home Guard)

Ministry of Public Security: Sri Lanka National Police (2023)", + "note": "note 1: the Civil Security Department, also known as the Civil Defense Force, is an auxiliary force administered by the Ministry of Defense

note 2: the Sri Lanka Police includes the Special Task Force, a paramilitary unit responsible for counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations; it coordinates internal security operations with the military" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { @@ -1222,17 +1222,17 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 260,000 total personnel (200,000 Army; 30,000 Navy; 30,000 Air Force); approximately 11,000 Special Task Force personnel (2023)", + "text": "approximately 250,000 total personnel (190,000 Army; 30,000 Navy; 30,000 Air Force); approximately 11,000 Special Task Force personnel (2023)", "note": "note: in January 2023, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defense announced plans to decrease the size of the Army to 135,000 by 2024 and 100,000 by 2030" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the military's inventory consists mostly of Chinese and Russian-origin equipment with a smaller mix of material from countries such as India and the US (2022)" + "text": "the military's inventory consists mostly of Chinese and Russian-origin equipment with a smaller mix of material from countries such as India and the US (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2022)" + "text": "18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2023)" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "110 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 425 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 240 Mali (MINUSMA) (2022)" + "text": "100 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 125 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 240 Mali (MINUSMA) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the military is responsible for external defense and may be called upon to handle specifically delineated domestic security responsibilities that generally do not include arrest authority; it has sent small numbers of personnel on UN peacekeeping missions; from 1983 to 2009, it fought against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a conflict that involved both guerrilla and conventional warfare, as well as acts of terrorism and human rights abuses, and cost the military nearly 30,000 killed; since the end of the war, a large portion of the Army reportedly remains deployed in the majority Tamil-populated northern and eastern provinces; the military over the past decade also has increased its role in a range of commercial sectors including agriculture, hotels, leisure, and restaurants 

the Army did not downsize following the LTTE war and continues to have about 20 infantry divisions, plus several independent brigades and regiments; however, in 2023 the Sri Lankan Government announced that because of the country’s financial crisis, it would slash the size of the Army 40% by 2024 with deeper cuts planned by 2030; the Navy has a frigate transferred from China in 2019 and several offshore patrol ships acquired from India and the US to patrol its territorial waters; it also has a large force of small in-shore patrol and fast attack boats, largely acquired to combat the LTTE; the Air Force is small and much of its inventory is aging; it has a handful of operational fighter aircraft and a few dozen attack and multi-role helicopters

Sri Lanka traditionally has had close security ties to India; India participated in the LTTE war in 1987-1991 and lost over 1,000 soldiers; the Sri Lankan and Indian militaries continue to conduct exercises together, and India trains over 1,000 Sri Lankan soldiers per year; in recent years, Sri Lanka has increased military ties with China, including acquiring military equipment, hosting naval port calls, and sending personnel to China for training (2023)" @@ -1259,7 +1259,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "IDPs": { - "text": "12,000 (civil war; more than half displaced prior to 2008; many of the more than 480,000 IDPs registered as returnees have not reached durable solutions) (2021)" + "text": "12,000 (civil war; more than half displaced prior to 2008; many of the more than 480,000 IDPs registered as returnees have not reached durable solutions) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "35 (2022)" diff --git a/south-asia/in.json b/south-asia/in.json index c25af2a6..0b471ac3 100644 --- a/south-asia/in.json +++ b/south-asia/in.json @@ -1287,7 +1287,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Indian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard; Frontier Corps; Defense Security Corps; Ministry of Home Affairs: Central Armed Police Forces (includes Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Security Guards, Sashastra Seema Bal) (2023)", + "text": "Indian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard; Defense Security Corps; Ministry of Home Affairs: Central Armed Police Forces (includes Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Security Guards, Sashastra Seema Bal) (2023)", "note": "note 1: the Defense Security Corps provides security for Ministry of Defense sites

note 2: the Border Security Force (BSF) is responsible for the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders; the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB or Armed Border Force) guards the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders

note 3: the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) includes a Rapid Reaction Force (RAF) for riot control and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) for counter-insurgency operations 

note 4: the Assam Rifles are under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs, while operational control falls under the Ministry of Defense (specifically the Indian Army)" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1308,7 +1308,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 1.45 million active personnel (estimated 1.25 million Army; 65,000 Navy; 140,000 Air Force; 12,000 Coast Guard) (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 1.5 million active personnel (approximately 1.25 million Army; 65,000 Navy; 140,000 Air Force; 12,000 Coast Guard) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory consists mostly of Russian- and Soviet-origin equipment along with a smaller mix of Western and domestically produced arms; Russia continues to be the leading provider of arms to India, although in recent years India has increased acquisitions from other suppliers, including France, Israel, and the US; India's defense industry is capable of producing a range of air, land, missile, and naval weapons systems for both domestic use and export; it also produces weapons systems under license (2023)" @@ -1318,10 +1318,10 @@ "note": "note 1: in 2022, the Indian Government announced that it would begin recruiting 46,000 men aged 17.5-21 annually to serve on 4-year contracts under a process called the Agnipath scheme; at the end of their tenure, 25% would be retained for longer terms of service, while the remainder would be forced to leave the military, although some of those leaving would be eligible to serve in the Coast Guard, the Merchant Navy, civilian positions in the Ministry of Defense, and in the paramilitary forces of the Ministry of Home Affairs, such as the Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles

note 2: as of 2022, women made up about .59% of the Army, 1.1% of the Air Force, and 6% of the Navy; women in the Army were not allowed to serve in combat arms; the Air Force has allowed women to serve as fighter pilots since 2016; in 2022, the Navy announced it would allow women to serve in every branch of the service, including submarines and aviation

note 3: the Indian military accepts citizens of Nepal and Bhutan; descendants of refugees from Tibet who arrived before 1962 and have resided permanently in India; peoples of Indian origin from nations such as Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India; eligible candidates from “friendly foreign nations” may apply to the Armed Forces Medical Services 

note 4: the British began to recruit Nepalese citizens (Gurkhas) into the East India Company Army during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816), and the Gurkhas subsequently were brought into the British Indian Army; following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India, and Great Britain allowed for the transfer of the 10 regiments from the British Indian Army to the separate British and Indian armies; six regiments of Gurkhas (aka Gorkhas in India) regiments went to the new Indian Army; a seventh regiment was later added" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "1,900 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 110 Golan Heights (UNDOF); 900 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 2,350 South Sudan (UNMISS); 310 Sudan (UNISFA) (2022)" + "text": "1,800 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 200 Golan Heights (UNDOF); 675 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 2,300 South Sudan (UNMISS); 580 Sudan (UNISFA) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the Indian military is a large, experienced, professional, and well-equipped military that performs a variety of missions; it is primarily focused on China and Pakistan and territorial defense, while secondary missions include regional power projection, UN peacekeeping deployments, humanitarian operations, and support to internal security forces; it has fought in several significant conflicts and counterinsurgency operations since 1947 and regularly conducts large-scale exercises; the military may act internally under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) of 1958, an act of the Indian Parliament that granted special powers to put down separatist movements in \"disturbed areas\"; the AFSPA, 1958 and a virtually identical law, the Armed Forces (Jammu & Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990, have been in force since 1958 in parts of northeast India, and since 1990 in Jammu & Kashmir

the Army is organized into 14 operational corps; the basic field formations under the corps are approximately 40 armored, artillery, infantry, mechanized, or mountain infantry divisions; there are also a number of independent airborne, armored, and artillery brigades, as well as special operations forces; in 2023, the Army announced that it was reorganizing its operational corps and divisions into division-sized “integrated battle groups,” which the Army assessed would be more agile and flexible

the Navy is a blue water force that operates in seas stretching from the western Mediterranean to the Strait of Malacca and the western Pacific; it routinely conducts months-long deployments, exercises with other navies, and conducts a variety of missions such as counter-piracy, humanitarian, and naval diplomacy; its principal ships include 2 aircraft carriers, more than 50 destroyers, frigates, corvettes, and large patrol vessels, 16 attack submarines, and 2 nuclear-powered ballistic missile capable submarines; the Navy also has several combat aircraft and anti-submarine warfare helicopter squadrons, as well as a marine amphibious brigade and a marine commando force

the Air Force is one of the World’s largest with more than 600 British-, French-, Russian/Soviet-, and domestically produced combat aircraft, plus nearly 500 combat helicopters; the tri-service Strategic Forces Command manages all of India’s strategic missile forces 

the short 1962 Sino-India War left in place one of the world’s longest disputed international borders, resulting in occasional standoffs between Indian and Chinese security forces, including lethal clashes in 1975 and 2020; meanwhile, India and Pakistan have fought several conflicts since 1947, including the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistan and Bangladesh War of Independence of 1971, as well as two clashes over the disputed region of Kashmir (the First Kashmir War of 1947 and the 1999 Kargil Conflict); a fragile cease-fire in Kashmir was reached in 2003, revised in 2018, and reaffirmed in 2021, although the Line of Control remains contested, and India has accused Pakistan of backing armed separatists and terrorist organizations in Jammu and Kashmir where Indian forces have conducted counterinsurgency operations since the 1980s; in addition, India and Pakistan have battled over the Siachen Glacier of Kashmir, which was seized by India in 1984 with Pakistan attempting to retake the area at least three times between 1985 and 1995; despite a cease-fire, both sides continue to maintain a permanent military presence there with outposts at altitudes above 20,000 feet (over 6,000 meters) where most casualties are due to extreme weather and the hazards of operating in the high mountain terrain of the world’s highest conflict, including avalanches, exposure, and altitude sickness (2023)" + "text": "the Indian military is a large, experienced, professional, and well-equipped military that performs a variety of missions; it is primarily focused on China and Pakistan and territorial defense, while secondary missions include regional power projection, UN peacekeeping deployments, humanitarian operations, and support to internal security forces; it has fought in several significant conflicts and counterinsurgency operations since 1947 and regularly conducts large-scale exercises; the military may act internally under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) of 1958, an act of the Indian Parliament that granted special powers to put down separatist movements in \"disturbed areas\"; the AFSPA, 1958 and a virtually identical law, the Armed Forces (Jammu & Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990, have been in force since 1958 in parts of northeast India, and since 1990 in Jammu & Kashmir

the Army is organized into 14 operational corps; the basic field formations under the corps are approximately 40 armored, artillery, infantry, mechanized, or mountain infantry divisions; there are also a number of independent airborne, armored, and artillery brigades, as well as special operations forces; in 2023, the Army announced that it was reorganizing its operational corps and divisions into division-sized “integrated battle groups,” which the Army assessed would be more agile and flexible

the Navy is a blue water force that operates in seas stretching from the western Mediterranean to the Strait of Malacca and the western Pacific; it routinely conducts months-long deployments, exercises with other navies, and conducts a variety of missions such as counter-piracy, humanitarian, and naval diplomacy; its principal ships include two aircraft carriers, more than 50 destroyers, frigates, corvettes, and large patrol vessels, 16 attack submarines, and two nuclear-powered ballistic missile capable submarines; the Navy also has several combat aircraft and anti-submarine warfare helicopter squadrons, as well as a marine amphibious brigade and a marine commando force

the Air Force is one of the World’s largest with more than 600 British-, French-, Russian/Soviet-, and domestically produced combat aircraft, plus nearly 500 combat helicopters; the tri-service Strategic Forces Command manages all of India’s strategic missile forces 

the short 1962 Sino-India War left in place one of the World’s longest disputed international borders, resulting in occasional standoffs between Indian and Chinese security forces, including lethal clashes in 1975 and 2020; meanwhile, India and Pakistan have fought several conflicts since 1947, including the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistan and Bangladesh War of Independence of 1971, as well as two clashes over the disputed region of Kashmir (the First Kashmir War of 1947 and the 1999 Kargil Conflict); a fragile cease-fire in Kashmir was reached in 2003, revised in 2018, and reaffirmed in 2021, although the Line of Control remains contested, and India has accused Pakistan of backing armed separatists and terrorist organizations in Jammu and Kashmir where Indian forces have conducted counterinsurgency operations since the 1980s; in addition, India and Pakistan have battled over the Siachen Glacier of Kashmir, which was seized by India in 1984 with Pakistan attempting to retake the area at least three times between 1985 and 1995; despite a cease-fire, both sides continue to maintain a permanent military presence there with outposts at altitudes above 20,000 feet (over 6,000 meters) where most casualties are due to extreme weather and the hazards of operating in the high mountain terrain of the world’s highest conflict, including avalanches, exposure, and altitude sickness (2023)" }, "Maritime threats": { "text": "the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of India are a risk for armed robbery against ships; in 2022, three attacks against commercial vessels were reported, an increase from the two attacks in 2021; all of these occurred in port while ships were berthed or at anchor" @@ -1354,7 +1354,7 @@ "text": "92,131 (Sri Lanka), 72,315 (Tibet/China), 74,607 (Burma) (refugees and asylum seekers), 10,064 (Afghanistan) (mid-year 2022)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "506,000 (armed conflict and intercommunal violence) (2021)" + "text": "631,000 (armed conflict and intercommunal violence) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "20,330 (2022)" diff --git a/south-asia/mv.json b/south-asia/mv.json index 363953ae..3c5d0629 100644 --- a/south-asia/mv.json +++ b/south-asia/mv.json @@ -533,19 +533,19 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Ibrahim \"Ibu\" Mohamed SOLIH (since 17 November 2018); Vice President Faisal NASEEM (since 17 November 2018); the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (since 17 November 2018); Vice President Faisal NASEEM (since 17 November 2018); the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President Ibrahim \"Ibu\" Mohamed SOLIH (since 17 November 2018); Vice President Faisal NASEEM (since 17 November 2018)" + "text": "President Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (since 17 November 2018); Vice President Faisal NASEEM (since 17 November 2018)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by Parliament" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 September 2018 (next to be held on 9 September 2023)" + "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); first round held on 9 September 2023 (runoff to be held on 30 September 2023)" }, "election results": { - "text": "Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH elected president in first round; Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 58.3%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (PPM) 41.7%" + "text": "
2023: first round results - Mohamed MUIZZI 46.1%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH 39.1%, Ilyas LEBEEB 7.1%, other 7.7%

2018: Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH elected president in first round; Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 58.3%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (PPM) 41.7% 
" } }, "Legislative branch": { @@ -1112,8 +1112,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "the Republic of Maldives has no distinct army, navy, or air force but a single security unit called the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) comprised of ground forces, an air element, a coast guard, a presidential security division, and a special protection group (2023)", - "note": "note: the Maldives Police Service is responsible for internal security and reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs; the MNDF is responsible for counterterrorism" + "text": "Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF): Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Fire and Rescue Service, Defense Intelligence Service, Service Corps, Adjutant General's Corps, Special Protection Corps, Special Forces, Training and Education Command, Welfare and Recreation Service (2023)", + "note": "note: the Maldives Police Service is responsible for internal security and reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs" }, "Military expenditures": { "text": "not available" @@ -1128,7 +1128,7 @@ "text": "18-28 years of age for voluntary service; no conscription; 10th grade or equivalent education required; must not be a member of a political party (2022)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the MNDF is primarily tasked to reinforce the Maldives Police Service and ensure security in the country's exclusive economic zone (2023)" + "text": "the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) is responsible for defending and safeguarding the Maldives' territorial integrity, economic exclusion zone, and people; it is also responsible for disaster relief, and if requested, assisting the Maldives Police Service in maintaining internal security and law and order; the MNDF is organized into four area commands and a functional Special Forces command; the head of the MNDF reports to the Minister of Defense (2023)" } }, "Terrorism": { diff --git a/south-asia/np.json b/south-asia/np.json index 7c7b1340..dc80ac2b 100644 --- a/south-asia/np.json +++ b/south-asia/np.json @@ -1160,7 +1160,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Ministry of Defense: Nepali Army (includes Air Wing)

Ministry of Home Affairs: Nepal Police, Nepal Armed Police Force (2023)", + "text": "Nepalese Armed Forces (Ministry of Defense): Nepali Army (includes Air Wing)

Ministry of Home Affairs: Nepal Police, Nepal Armed Police Force (2023)", "note": "note: the Nepal Police are responsible for enforcing law and order across the country; the Armed Police Force is responsible for combating terrorism, providing security during riots and public disturbances, assisting in natural disasters, and protecting vital infrastructure, public officials, and the borders; it also conducts counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations and would assist the Army in the event of an external invasion" }, "Military expenditures": { @@ -1181,17 +1181,17 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 95,000 active troops (including a small air wing of about 500 personnel) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 95,000 active troops (including a small air wing of about 500 personnel) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Army's inventory includes a mix of mostly older equipment largely of British, Chinese, Indian, Russian, and South African origin; in recent years, Nepal has received limited amounts of newer hardware from several countries, including China, Italy, and Russia (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service (including women); no conscription (2022)", - "note": "note: as of 2020, women comprised about 5% of the active duty military" + "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service (including women); no conscription (2023)", + "note": "note: as of 2022, women comprised about 7% of the active duty military" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "790 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 400 Golan Heights (UNDOF); 875 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 235 Liberia (UNSMIL); 175 Mali (MINUSMA); 1,750 (plus about 220 police) South Sudan (UNMISS) (2022)" + "text": "1225 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 400 Golan Heights (UNDOF); 875 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 225 Liberia (UNSMIL); 175 Mali (MINUSMA); 1,750 (plus about 220 police) South Sudan (UNMISS) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the Nepali Army is a lightly equipped and professional force responsible for territorial defense, although it has some domestic duties such as disaster relief/humanitarian assistance and nature conservation efforts; during the 10-year civil war that ended in 2006, it conducted extensive counterinsurgency operations against Maoist guerrillas; the Army also has a long and distinguished history of supporting UN missions, having sent its first UN observers to Lebanon in 1958 and its first troop contingent to Egypt in 1974; as of 2023, nearly 150,000 Nepali military personnel had deployed on over 40 UN missions; the Army conducts training with foreign partners, including China, India, and the US; it has 8 geographically-based divisions, each comprised of light infantry brigades and support units; the Army also has independent special forces and security force (palace guard) brigades; the Air Wing has a small number of multi-role and transport helicopters

the British began to recruit Nepalese citizens (Gurkhas) into the East India Company Army during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816); the Gurkhas subsequently were brought into the British Indian Army and by 1914, there were 10 Gurkha regiments, collectively known as the Gurkha Brigade; following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India, and Great Britain allowed for the transfer of the 10 regiments from the British Indian Army to the separate British and Indian armies; four regiments were transferred to the British Army, where they have since served continuously as the Brigade of Gurkhas; six Gurkha (aka Gorkha in India) regiments went to the new Indian Army; a seventh regiment was later added; Gurkhas are also recruited into the Singaporean Police and a special guard in the Sultanate of Brunei known as the Gurkha Reserve Unit (2023)" diff --git a/south-asia/pk.json b/south-asia/pk.json index ea4b64c5..4145288b 100644 --- a/south-asia/pk.json +++ b/south-asia/pk.json @@ -1291,7 +1291,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "information varies; approximately 630,000 active duty personnel (550,000 Army; 30,000 Navy; 50,000 Air Force); approximately 150,000 Frontier Corps and Pakistan Rangers (2022)" + "text": "information varies; approximately 630,000 active-duty personnel (550,000 Army; 30,000 Navy; 50,000 Air Force); approximately 150,000 Frontier Corps and Pakistan Rangers (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory includes a broad mix of equipment, primarily from China, but also from such suppliers as France, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK, and the US; China has been the leading supplier of arms to Pakistan; Pakistan also has a large domestic defense industry (2023)" @@ -1300,7 +1300,7 @@ "text": "16 (or 17 depending on service) to 23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age 18; women serve in all three armed forces; reserve obligation to age 45 for enlisted men, age 50 for officers (2022)" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "1,300 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,970 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 220 Mali (MINUSMA); 290 South Sudan (UNMISS); 220 Sudan (UNISFA) (May 2022)" + "text": "1,300 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,900 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 225 Mali (MINUSMA); 275 South Sudan (UNMISS); 575 Sudan (UNISFA) (2023)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the Pakistan military operates largely independently and without effective civilian oversight; it has ruled the country for more than 30 years since independence in 1947 and continues to play a significant role in Pakistan's political arena; it also has a large stake in the country’s economic sector and is involved in a diverse array of commercial activities, including banking, construction of public projects, employment services, energy and power generation, fertilizer, food, housing, real estate, and security services

the military is responsible for external defense but also has a large role in domestic security; its chief external focus is on the perceived threat from India; the military is the lead security agency in many areas of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA); it has considerable operational experience, having engaged in several conflicts with India and conducted counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations for decades against various militant groups in the former FATA; it is also one of the longest serving and largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions; China is its closest security partner

the Army is the largest component; it has more than 20 combat divisions, plus about 20 independent combat brigades; the Army also has an inventory of over 5,000 artillery systems organized into divisions and brigades, plus several squadrons of attack helicopters; the Navy operates throughout the Indian Ocean and conducts a variety of missions, including countering piracy, narcotics, and smuggling, protecting Pakistan’s sea lines of communications, multinational security and humanitarian operations, and naval diplomacy; the Navy is in the midst of a large modernization effort; its principal combat ships are a mix of about 15 frigates and corvettes, plus 5 attack submarines; there is also a small marine amphibious force; the Air Force’s combat missions include the air defense of Pakistan and support to the Army and Navy; it has over 400 Chinese-, French-, and US-made combat aircraft 

Pakistan and India have fought several conflicts since 1947, including the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistan and Bangladesh War of Independence of 1971, as well as two clashes over the disputed region of Kashmir (First Kashmir War of 1947 and the Kargil Conflict of 1999); a fragile cease-fire in Kashmir was reached in 2003, revised in 2018, and reaffirmed in 2021, although the Line of Control remains contested, and India has accused Pakistan of backing armed separatists and terrorist organizations in Jammu and Kashmir; in addition, India and Pakistan have battled over the Siachen Glacier of Kashmir, which was seized by India in 1984 with Pakistan attempting to retake the area in 1985, 1987, and 1995; despite a cease-fire, as of 2022 both sides continued to maintain a permanent military presence there with outposts at altitudes above 20,000 feet (over 6,000 meters) where most casualties were due to extreme weather or the hazards of operating in the high mountain terrain of the world’s highest conflict, including avalanches, exposure, and altitude sickness

Pakistan has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation (2023)" @@ -1333,7 +1333,7 @@ "text": "2.62-2.88 million (1.28 million registered, 1.34-1.6  million undocumented or otherwise categorized) (Afghanistan) (2022)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "104,000 (primarily those who remain displaced by counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations and violent conflict between armed non-state groups in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber-Paktunkwa Province; more than 1 million displaced in northern Waziristan in 2014; individuals also have been displaced by repeated monsoon floods) (2021)" + "text": "21,000 (primarily those who remain displaced by counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations and violent conflict between armed non-state groups in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber-Paktunkwa Province; more than 1 million displaced in northern Waziristan in 2014; individuals also have been displaced by repeated monsoon floods) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "48 (2022)" diff --git a/world/xx.json b/world/xx.json index 10943b39..90b4fa66 100644 --- a/world/xx.json +++ b/world/xx.json @@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ "text": "3,242,917 sq km (2012 est.)" }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { - "text": "top ten largest natural lakes: Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan) 374,000 sq km; Lake Superior (Canada, United States) 82,100 sq km; Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) 62,940 sq km; Lake Huron (Canada, United States) 59,600 sq km; Lake Michigan (United States) 57,750 sq km; Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia) 32,000 sq km; Great Bear Lake (Canada) 31,328 sq km; Lake Baikal (Russia) 31,500 sq km; Lake Malawi (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania) 22,490 sq km; Great Slave Lake (Canada) 28,568 sq km

note 1: the areas of the lakes are subject to seasonal variation; only the Caspian Sea is saline, the rest are fresh water

note 2: Lakes Huron and Michigan are technically a single lake because the flow of water between the Straits of Mackinac that connects the two lakes keeps their water levels at near-equilibrium; combined, Lake Huron-Michigan is the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the World" + "text": "top ten largest natural lakes: Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan) 374,000 sq km; Lake Superior (Canada, United States) 82,100 sq km; Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) 62,940 sq km; Lake Huron (Canada, United States) 59,600 sq km; Lake Michigan (United States) 57,750 sq km; Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia) 32,000 sq km; Great Bear Lake (Canada) 31,328 sq km; Lake Baikal (Russia) 31,500 sq km; Lake Malawi (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania) 22,490 sq km; Great Slave Lake (Canada) 28,568 sq km

note 1: the areas of the lakes are subject to seasonal variation; only the Caspian Sea is saline, the rest are fresh water

note 2: Lakes Huron and Michigan are technically a single lake because the flow of water between the Straits of Mackinac that connects the two lakes keeps their water levels at near-equilibrium; combined, Lake Huron-Michigan is the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the World

note 3: if ranked by water volume, the Caspian Sea would still be first, but it would be followed Lakes Baikal, Tanganyika, Superior, and Malawi; Lake Superior contains more water than the other four North American Great Lakes (Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario) combined" }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "top ten longest rivers: Nile (Africa) 6,650 km; Amazon (South America) 6,436 km; Yangtze (Asia) 6,300 km; Mississippi-Missouri (North America) 6,275 km; Yenisey-Angara (Asia) 5,539 km; Huang He/Yellow (Asia) 5,464 km; Ob-Irtysh (Asia) 5,410 km; Congo (Africa) 4,700 km; Amur (Asia) 4,444 km; Lena (Asia) 4,400 km

note: there are 20 countries without rivers: 3 in Africa (Comoros, Djibouti, Libya), 1 in the Americas (Bahamas), 8 in Asia (Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen), 3 in Europe (Malta, Monaco, Holy See), 5 in Oceania (Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Tonga, Tuvalu); these countries also do not have natural lakes" @@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ } }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { - "text": "top ten largest natural lakes: Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan) 374,000 sq km; Lake Superior (Canada, United States) 82,100 sq km; Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) 62,940 sq km; Lake Huron (Canada, United States) 59,600 sq km; Lake Michigan (United States) 57,750 sq km; Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia) 32,000 sq km; Great Bear Lake (Canada) 31,328 sq km; Lake Baikal (Russia) 31,500 sq km; Lake Malawi (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania) 22,490 sq km; Great Slave Lake (Canada) 28,568 sq km

note 1: the areas of the lakes are subject to seasonal variation; only the Caspian Sea is saline, the rest are fresh water

note 2: Lakes Huron and Michigan are technically a single lake because the flow of water between the Straits of Mackinac that connects the two lakes keeps their water levels at near-equilibrium; combined, Lake Huron-Michigan is the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the World" + "text": "top ten largest natural lakes: Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan) 374,000 sq km; Lake Superior (Canada, United States) 82,100 sq km; Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) 62,940 sq km; Lake Huron (Canada, United States) 59,600 sq km; Lake Michigan (United States) 57,750 sq km; Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia) 32,000 sq km; Great Bear Lake (Canada) 31,328 sq km; Lake Baikal (Russia) 31,500 sq km; Lake Malawi (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania) 22,490 sq km; Great Slave Lake (Canada) 28,568 sq km

note 1: the areas of the lakes are subject to seasonal variation; only the Caspian Sea is saline, the rest are fresh water

note 2: Lakes Huron and Michigan are technically a single lake because the flow of water between the Straits of Mackinac that connects the two lakes keeps their water levels at near-equilibrium; combined, Lake Huron-Michigan is the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the World

note 3: if ranked by water volume, the Caspian Sea would still be first, but it would be followed Lakes Baikal, Tanganyika, Superior, and Malawi; Lake Superior contains more water than the other four North American Great Lakes (Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario) combined" }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "top ten longest rivers: Nile (Africa) 6,650 km; Amazon (South America) 6,436 km; Yangtze (Asia) 6,300 km; Mississippi-Missouri (North America) 6,275 km; Yenisey-Angara (Asia) 5,539 km; Huang He/Yellow (Asia) 5,464 km; Ob-Irtysh (Asia) 5,410 km; Congo (Africa) 4,700 km; Amur (Asia) 4,444 km; Lena (Asia) 4,400 km

note: there are 20 countries without rivers: 3 in Africa (Comoros, Djibouti, Libya), 1 in the Americas (Bahamas), 8 in Asia (Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen), 3 in Europe (Malta, Monaco, Holy See), 5 in Oceania (Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Tonga, Tuvalu); these countries also do not have natural lakes"