auto-update week 13

africa/ag.json

@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@
         "text": "Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president"
       },
       "elections/appointments": {
-        "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister nominated by the president after consultation with the majority party in Parliament"
+        "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 December 2019 (next to be held on 7 September 2024); prime minister nominated by the president after consultation with the majority party in Parliament"
       },
       "election results": {
         "text": "<em><br>2019:</em> Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (FLN) 58.1%, Abdelkader BENGRINA (El-Bina) 17.4%, Ali BENFLIS (Talaie El Hurriyet) 10.6%, Azzedine MIHOUBI (RND) 7.3%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 6.7%<br><br><em>2014:</em> Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for a fourth term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (FLN) 81.5%, Ali BENFLIS (FLN) 12.2%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 3.4%, other 2.9%"

africa/by.json

@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Keith GILGES (since June 2022)"
+        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Keith GILGES (since June 2022)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "B.P. 1720, Avenue Des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura"
@@ -1165,11 +1165,11 @@
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {
     "Disputes - international": {
-      "text": "<p>cross-border conflicts persist among Tutsi, Hutu, other ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces in the Great Lakes region<em><br><br>Burundi-Rwanda: </em>Burundi's Ngozi province and Rwanda's Butare province dispute the two-kilometer-square hilly farmed area of Sabanerwa in the Rukurazi Valley where the Akanyaru/Kanyaru River shifted its course southward after heavy rains in 1965 around Kibinga Hill in Rwanda's Butare Province<br><br><br></p>"
+      "text": "<p><em>Burundi-Rwanda: </em>Burundi's Ngozi province and Rwanda's Butare province dispute the two-kilometer-square hilly farmed area of Sabanerwa in the Rukurazi Valley where the Akanyaru/Kanyaru River shifted its course southward after heavy rains in 1965 around Kibinga Hill in Rwanda's Butare Province<br><br><br></p>"
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "refugees (country of origin)": {
-        "text": "86,503 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2024)"
+        "text": "86,701 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2024)"
       },
       "IDPs": {
         "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)"

africa/eg.json

@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador Herro MUSTAFA GARG (since November 2023)"
+        "text": "Ambassador Herro MUSTAFA GARG (since 15 November 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "5 Tawfik Diab St., Garden City, Cairo"

africa/li.json

@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador (vacant) Charges d'Affairs Catherine RODRIGUEZ (since 11 August 2023)"
+        "text": "Ambassador (vacant) Chargé d'Affaires Catherine RODRIGUEZ (since 11 August 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "502 Benson Street, Monrovia"

africa/ly.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>Berbers have inhabited central north Africa since ancient times, but the region has been settled and ruled by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Persians, Egyptians, Romans, and Vandals. In the 7th century, Islam spread through the region; in the mid-16th century, Ottoman rule began. The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when they were defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar al-QADHAFI assumed leadership and began to espouse his political system at home, which was a combination of socialism and Islam. During the 1970s, QADHAFI used oil revenues to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversive and terrorist activities that included the downing of two airliners - one over Scotland, another in Northern Africa - and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically following the attacks; sanctions were lifted in 2003 following Libyan acceptance of responsibility for the bombings and agreement to claimant compensation. QADHAFI also agreed to end Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction, and he made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations.</p> <p>Unrest that began in several Middle Eastern and North African countries in late 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in early 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned an eight-month civil war that saw the emergence of a National Transitional Council (NTC), UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community, and the toppling of the QADHAFI regime. In 2012, the NTC handed power to an elected parliament, the General National Congress (GNC). Voters chose a new parliament to replace the GNC in June 2014 - the House of Representatives (HoR) - which relocated to the eastern city of Tobruk after fighting broke out in Tripoli and Benghazi in July 2014.</p> <p>In December 2015, the UN brokered an agreement among a broad array of Libyan political parties and social groups - known as the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) - establishing an interim executive body, the Government of National Accord (GNA). However, the HoR and defunct-GNC-affiliated political hardliners continued to oppose the GNA and hamper the LPA’s implementation, leaving Libya with eastern and western-based rival governments. In September 2017, UN Special Representative Ghassan SALAME announced a new roadmap for national political reconciliation. In November 2018, the international community supported SALAME’s recalibrated Action Plan for Libya that aimed to break the political deadlock by holding a National Conference in early 2019. These plans, however, were derailed when the eastern-based self-described Libyan National Army (LNA) launched an offensive to seize Tripoli in April 2019. Several countries sent armed personnel and advanced military equipment into Libya. The LNA's offensive collapsed in June 2020, and a subsequent UN-sponsored cease-fire in October 2020 helped formalize the pause in fighting between rival camps, although some foreign forces, fighters, and mercenaries that aided eastern and western factions during the fighting remain in Libya. <br><br>In early 2021, the UN-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum selected a new prime minister for an interim government, the Government of National Unity (GNU), and a new presidential council charged with preparing for presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2021 and uniting the country’s state institutions. The HoR approved the GNU and its cabinet in March 2021, providing Libya with its first unified government since 2014. On 22 December 2021, Libya's parliament postponed the first round of the presidential election to an undetermined date in the future. In March 2022, Libya's HoR voted to replace the GNU's interim Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid DUBAYBAH, with a government led by Fathi BASHAGHA. GNU allegations of an illegitimate HoR vote have allowed Prime Minister DUBAYBAH to remain in office and rebuff BASHAGHA's attempts to seat his government in Tripoli. In late February 2023, Special Representative of the UN Security-General to Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, Abdoulaye BATHILY, announced a plan to enable Libyan presidential and legislative elections by the end of 2023.</p>"
+      "text": "<p>Berbers have inhabited central north Africa since ancient times, but the region has been settled and ruled by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Persians, Egyptians, Romans, and Vandals. In the 7th century, Islam spread through the region; in the mid-16th century, Ottoman rule began. The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when they were defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar al-QADHAFI assumed leadership and began to espouse his political system at home, which was a combination of socialism and Islam. During the 1970s, QADHAFI used oil revenues to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversive and terrorist activities that included the downing of two airliners - one over Scotland, another in Northern Africa - and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically following the attacks; sanctions were lifted in 2003 following Libyan acceptance of responsibility for the bombings and agreement to claimant compensation. QADHAFI also agreed to end Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction, and he made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations.</p> <p>Unrest that began in several Middle Eastern and North African countries in late 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in early 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned an eight-month civil war that saw the emergence of a National Transitional Council (NTC), UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community, and the toppling of the QADHAFI regime. In 2012, the NTC handed power to an elected parliament, the General National Congress (GNC). Voters chose a new parliament to replace the GNC in June 2014 - the House of Representatives (HoR) - which relocated to the eastern city of Tobruk after fighting broke out in Tripoli and Benghazi in July 2014.</p> <p>In December 2015, the UN brokered an agreement among a broad array of Libyan political parties and social groups - known as the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) - establishing an interim executive body, the Government of National Accord (GNA). However, the HoR and defunct-GNC-affiliated political hardliners continued to oppose the GNA and hamper the LPA’s implementation, leaving Libya with eastern and western-based rival governments. In September 2017, UN Special Representative Ghassan SALAME announced a new roadmap for national political reconciliation. In November 2018, the international community supported SALAME’s recalibrated Action Plan for Libya that aimed to break the political deadlock by holding a National Conference in early 2019. These plans, however, were derailed when the eastern-based self-described Libyan National Army (LNA) launched an offensive to seize Tripoli in April 2019. Several countries sent armed personnel and advanced military equipment into Libya. The LNA's offensive collapsed in June 2020, and a subsequent UN-sponsored cease-fire in October 2020 helped formalize the pause in fighting between rival camps, although some foreign forces, fighters, and mercenaries that aided eastern and western factions during the fighting remain in Libya. <br><br>In early 2021, the UN-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum selected a new prime minister for an interim government, the Government of National Unity (GNU), and a new presidential council charged with preparing for presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2021 and uniting the country’s state institutions. The HoR approved the GNU and its cabinet in March 2021, providing Libya with its first unified government since 2014. On 22 December 2021, Libya's parliament postponed the first round of the planned presidential election to an undetermined date in the future. In March 2022, the HoR voted to replace GNU interim Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid DUBAYBAH, with another government led by Fathi BASHAGHA. GNU allegations of an illegitimate HoR vote allowed Prime Minister DUBAYBAH to remain in office and rebuff BASHAGHA's attempts to seat his government in Tripoli. On 16 May 2023, the HoR voted to replace BASHAGHA with Osma HAMAD. Special Representative of the UN Security-General for Libya, Abdoulaye BATHILY, is leading international efforts to persuade key Libyan political actors to resolve the core issues impeding elections. </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Religions": {
-      "text": "Muslim (official; virtually all Sunni) 96.6%, Christian 2.7%, Buddhist &lt;1%, Hindu &lt;1%, Jewish &lt;1%, folk religion &lt;1%, other  &lt;1%, unaffiliated &lt;1% (2020 est.)",
+      "text": "Muslim (official; virtually all Sunni) 96.6%, Christian 2.7%, Buddhist &lt;1%, Hindu &lt;1%, Jewish &lt;1%, folk religion &lt;1%, other &lt;1%, unaffiliated &lt;1% (2020 est.)",
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> non-Sunni Muslims include native Ibadhi Muslims (&lt;1% of the population) and foreign Muslims"
     },
     "Demographic profile": {
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@
         "text": "Libya"
       },
       "local long form": {
-        "text": "Dawiat Libiya"
+        "text": "Dawlat Libiya"
       },
       "local short form": {
         "text": "Libiya"
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@
     },
     "Constitution": {
       "history": {
-        "text": "previous 1951, 1977; in July 2017, the Constitutional Assembly completed and approved a draft of a new permanent constitution; in September 2018, the House of Representatives passed a constitutional referendum law in a session with contested reports of the quorum needed to pass the vote, and submitted it to the High National Elections Commission in December to begin preparations for a constitutional referendum; the referendum is planned in 2022, following the presidential election"
+        "text": "previous 1951, 1977; in July 2017, the Constitutional Assembly completed and approved a draft of a new permanent constitution; in September 2018, the House of Representatives passed a constitutional referendum law in a session with contested reports of the quorum needed to pass the vote and submitted it to the High National Elections Commission in December to begin preparations for a constitutional referendum"
       }
     },
     "Legal system": {
@@ -509,13 +509,13 @@
     },
     "Executive branch": {
       "chief of state": {
-        "text": "Chairman, Presidential Council, Mohammed Al MENFI (since 5 February 2021)"
+        "text": "President, Presidential Council, Mohammed Al MENFI (since 5 February 2021)"
       },
       "head of government": {
-        "text": "Interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid DUBAYBAH (since 5 February 2021)"
+        "text": "GNU Interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid DUBAYBAH (since 5 February 2021)"
       },
       "elections/appointments": {
-        "text": "<p>Libya’s first direct presidential election, scheduled for 24 December 2021, was not held</p>"
+        "text": "<p>Libya’s first direct presidential election, scheduled for 24 December 2021, was not held; no new date has been set for elections</p>"
       }
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
@@ -559,10 +559,10 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charg&eacute; d'Affaires Jeremy BERNDT (since 9 October 2023)"
+        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charg&eacute; d'Affaires Jeremy BERNDT (since 14 October 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
-        "text": "operations suspended"
+        "text": "US Embassy Tripoli operations suspended in 2014"
       },
       "mailing address": {
         "text": "8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC&nbsp; 20521-8850"

africa/ml.json

@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@
       "text": "<p>African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI [Oumar MARIKO]<br>Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP-Maliba [Amadou THIAM]<br>Alliance for Democracy in Mali-Pan-African Party for Liberty, Solidarity, and Justice or ADEMA-PASJ [Tiemoko SANGARE]<br>Alliance for the Solidarity of Mali-Convergence of Patriotic Forces or ASMA-CFP [Amadou CISSE, vice-president, acting]<br>Convergence for the Development of Mali or CODEM [Housseyni Amion GUINDO]<br>Democratic Alliance for Peace or ADP-Maliba [Aliou Boubacar DIALLO]<br>Movement for Mali or MPM [Brahima DIANESSY, deputy]                                                                                           <br>Party for National Renewal (also Rebirth or Renaissance or PARENA) [Tiebile DRAME]<br>Rally for Mali or RPM [Boucary TRETA] <br>Social Democratic Convention or CDS [Mamadou Bakary \"Blaise\" SANGARE]<br>Union for Democracy and Development or UDD [Hassane BARRY]                                             <br>Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Soumaïla CISSE]<br>Yéléma [Moussa MARA]</p> <strong>note 1: </strong>only parties with 2 or more seats in the last National Assembly parliamentary elections (30 March and 19 April 2020) listed<br><strong><br>note 2:</strong>  the National Assembly was dissolved on 18 August 2020 following a military coup and replaced with a National Transition Council; currently 121 members, party affiliations unknown"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
-      "text": "ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), CD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOPS, UN Women, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, World Bank Group, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
+      "text": "ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), CD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOPS, UN Women, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, World Bank Group, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
     },
     "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
       "chief of mission": {

africa/mo.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, a series of Moroccan Muslim dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad al-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. The Alaouite Dynasty, to which the current Moroccan royal family belongs, dates from the 17th century. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half-century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new country that same year. Sultan MOHAMMED V, the current monarch's grandfather, organized the new state as a constitutional monarchy and in 1957 assumed the title of king. Since Spain's 1976 withdrawal from Western Sahara, Morocco has extended its de facto administrative control to roughly 75% of this territory; however, the UN does not recognize Morocco as the administering power for Western Sahara. The UN since 1991 has monitored a cease-fire, which broke down in late 2020, between Morocco and the Polisario Front - an organization advocating the territory’s independence - and restarted negotiations over the status of the territory in December 2018. On 10 December 2020, the US recognized Morocco's sovereignty over all of Western Sahara.</p> <p>King MOHAMMED VI in early 2011 responded to the spread of pro-democracy protests in the North Africa region by implementing a reform program that included a new constitution, passed by popular referendum in July 2011, under which some new powers were extended to parliament and the prime minister, but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch. In November 2011, the Justice and Development Party (PJD) - a moderate Islamist party - won the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections, becoming the first Islamist party to lead the Moroccan Government. In September 2015, Morocco held its first direct elections for regional councils, one of the reforms included in the 2011 constitution. The PJD again won the largest number of seats in nationwide parliamentary elections in October 2016, but it lost its plurality to the probusiness National Rally of Independents (RNI) in September 2021. In December 2020, Morocco signed a normalization agreement with Israel, similar to those that Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan had concluded with Israel earlier in 2020.</p>"
+      "text": "<p>In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, a series of Moroccan Muslim dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad al-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. The Alaouite Dynasty, to which the current Moroccan royal family belongs, dates from the 17th century. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half-century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new country that same year. Sultan MOHAMMED V, the current monarch's grandfather, organized the new state as a constitutional monarchy and in 1957 assumed the title of king. Since Spain's 1976 withdrawal from Western Sahara, Morocco has extended its de facto administrative control to roughly 75% of this territory; however, the UN does not recognize Morocco as the administering power for Western Sahara. The UN since 1991 has monitored a cease-fire, which broke down in late 2020, between Morocco and the Polisario Front - an organization advocating the territory’s independence - and restarted negotiations over the status of the territory in December 2018. On 10 December 2020, the US recognized Morocco's sovereignty over all of Western Sahara.</p> <p>King MOHAMMED VI in early 2011 responded to the spread of pro-democracy protests in the North Africa region by implementing a reform program that included a new constitution, passed by popular referendum in July 2011, under which some new powers were extended to parliament and the prime minister, but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch. In November 2011, the Justice and Development Party (PJD) - a moderate Islamist democratic party - won the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections, becoming the first Islamist party to lead the Moroccan Government. In September 2015, Morocco held its first direct elections for regional councils, one of the reforms included in the 2011 constitution. The PJD again won the largest number of seats in nationwide parliamentary elections in October 2016, but it lost its plurality to the probusiness National Rally of Independents (RNI) in September 2021. In December 2020, Morocco signed a normalization agreement with Israel, similar to those that Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan had concluded with Israel earlier in 2020.</p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -652,7 +652,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador Puneet TALWAR (since 4 November 2022)"
+        "text": "Ambassador Puneet TALWAR (since 4 October 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "Km 5.7 Avenue Mohammed VI, Souissi, Rabat 10170"
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@
         "text": "[212] 0537-637-201"
       },
       "email address and website": {
-        "text": "<br>ACSCasablanca@state.gov (US Consulate General Casablanca)<br><br>https://ma.usembassy.gov/"
+        "text": "<br>https://ma.usembassy.gov/"
       },
       "consulate(s) general": {
         "text": "Casablanca"

africa/mz.json

@@ -632,19 +632,16 @@
         "text": "Ambassador Peter Hendrick VROOMAN (since 3 March 2022)"
       },
       "embassy": {
-        "text": "Avenida Kenneth Kaunda, 193, Caixa Postal, 783, Maputo"
+        "text": "Avenida Marginal 5467, Maputo"
       },
       "mailing address": {
         "text": "2330 Maputo Place, Washington DC  20521-2330"
       },
       "telephone": {
-        "text": "[258] (21) 49-27-97"
-      },
-      "FAX": {
-        "text": "[258] (21) 49-01-14"
+        "text": "[258] (84) 095-8000"
       },
       "email address and website": {
-        "text": "<br>consularmaputos@state.gov<br><br>https://mz.usembassy.gov/"
+        "text": "<br>MaputaConsular@state.gov<br><br>https://mz.usembassy.gov/"
       }
     },
     "Flag description": {

africa/ng.json

@@ -1191,7 +1191,7 @@
       "text": "<strong>note: </strong>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<br><br>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 G5 Sahel Group and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which coordinates the Lake Chad states’ operations against Boko Haram; it conducted counterinsurgency operations against Taureg rebels during the periods of 1990-95 and 2007-09<br><br>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<br><br>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; it seized control of the government again in 2023 (2023)"
+      "text": "while the FAN is responsible for ensuring external security, most of its focus is on internal 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)<br><br>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 G5 Sahel Group and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which coordinates the Lake Chad states’ operations against Boko Haram; it conducted counterinsurgency operations against Taureg rebels during the periods of 1990-95 and 2007-09<br><br>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<br><br>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; it seized control of the government again in 2023 (2023)"
     }
   },
   "Terrorism": {
@@ -1206,7 +1206,7 @@
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "refugees (country of origin)": {
-        "text": "67,191 (Mali) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023); 200,477 (Nigeria) (2024)"
+        "text": "67,191 (Mali) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023); 200,423 (Nigeria) (2024)"
       },
       "IDPs": {
         "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)"

africa/ni.json

@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires ad interim David GREENE (since 31 March 2023)"
+        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires David GREENE (since 31 March 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central District Area, Abuja"

africa/od.json

@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@
       "text": "<p>Democratic Change or DC<br>Democratic Forum or DF<br>Labour Party or LPSS [Federico Awi VUNI]<br>South Sudan Opposition Alliance or SSOA [Hussein ABDELBAGI Ayii]<br>Sudan African National Union or SANU [Toby MADOUT]<br>Sudan People's Liberation Movement or SPLM [Salva KIIR Mayardit]<br>Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition or SPLM-IO [Riek MACHAR Teny Dhurgon]<br>United Democratic Salvation Front or UDSF    <br>United South Sudan African Party or USSAP [Louis Pasquale ALEU, Secretary]<br>United South Sudan Party or USSP [Paulino LUKUDU Obede]     </p> <strong>note:</strong> only parties with seats in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly included"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
-      "text": "AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO"
+      "text": "AU, EAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO"
     },
     "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
@@ -1040,7 +1040,7 @@
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "refugees (country of origin)": {
-        "text": "254,953 (Sudan) (refugees since 15 April 2023), 13,417 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2023)"
+        "text": "564,738 (Sudan) (refugees since 15 April 2023), 12,019 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2024)"
       },
       "IDPs": {
         "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)"

africa/se.json

@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador Henry V. JARDINE (since 22 February 2023); note - Ambassador JARDINE is posted in Mauritius but is accredited to Seychelles"
+        "text": "Ambassador Henry V. JARDINE (since 22 February 2023); Chargé d’Affaires Adham LOUTFI (since 6 October 2023) note - Ambassador JARDINE is posted in Mauritius and is accredited to Seychelles, and Chargé d’Affaires LOUTFI is posted in Victoria, Seychelles to manage the expanding policy interests"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "2nd Floor, Oliaji Trade Center, Victoria Mahe, Seychelles; note - US Embassy in Seychelles reopened on 1 June 2023 after having been closed in 1996"
@@ -1123,7 +1123,7 @@
       "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 close security ties with India (2023)"
+      "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 close security ties with India (2023)"
     }
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {

africa/sf.json

@@ -1197,9 +1197,6 @@
       },
       "narrow gauge": {
         "text": "19,756 km (2014) 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)"
-      },
-      "other": {
-        "text": "(2014) 1,150 km (passenger rail, gauge unspecified, 1,115.5 km electrified)"
       }
     },
     "Roadways": {
@@ -1299,7 +1296,7 @@
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "refugees (country of origin)": {
-        "text": "22,388 (Somalia), 15,240 (Ethiopia) (mid-year 2022); 42,080 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2024)"
+        "text": "22,388 (Somalia), 15,240 (Ethiopia) (mid-year 2022); 42,132 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2024)"
       },
       "IDPs": {
         "text": "5,000 (2020)"

africa/so.json

@@ -1112,7 +1112,7 @@
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {
     "Disputes - international": {
-      "text": "<p><em>Somalia-Djibouti</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Somalia-Ethiopia</em>: Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; the border between the Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia, which is inhabited by ethnic Somalis, and Somalia is only partially demarcated under colonial rule and has been the source of tension for decades</p> <p><em>Somalia-Kenya</em>:<strong> </strong>Kenya works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading south across the border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists; in 2015, the Kenyan Government began building a wall along the border to prevent the crossborder movement of militant groups; the boundary separates ethnic Somalis; in October 2021, the Somalia-Kenya Indian Ocean boundary dispute was decided by the International Court of Justice; the ruling adjusted the boundary slightly north of Somalia’s claim giving Somalia the majority of the contested maritime territory, which is believed to contain rich oil and natural gas deposits; while the decision is legally binding, it has no enforcement mechanism, and Kenya has said it will not abide by it</p>"
+      "text": "<p><em>Somalia-Djibouti</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Somalia-Ethiopia</em>: the border between the Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia, which is inhabited by ethnic Somalis, and Somalia is only partially demarcated under colonial rule and has been the source of tension for decades</p> <p><em>Somalia-Kenya</em>:<strong> </strong>the border area, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists, has been prone to clan fighting and infiltrations by the Somalia-based terrorist group al-Shabaab, which has conducted numerous attacks in Kenya; in 2015, the Kenyan Government began building a wall along the border to prevent the cross-border movement of militant groups; in October 2021, the Somalia-Kenya Indian Ocean boundary dispute was decided by the International Court of Justice; the ruling adjusted the boundary slightly north of Somalia’s claim giving Somalia the majority of the contested maritime territory, which is believed to contain rich oil and natural gas deposits; while the decision is legally binding, it has no enforcement mechanism, and Kenya has said it will not abide by it</p>"
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "refugees (country of origin)": {

africa/su.json

@@ -1226,7 +1226,7 @@
         "text": "696,246 (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), 18,279 (Central African Republic) (2023)"
       },
       "IDPs": {
-        "text": "6.27 million (armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan since 15 April 2023) (2024); note - includes some non-Sudanese nationals"
+        "text": "6.5 million (armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan since 15 April 2023) (2024); note - includes some non-Sudanese nationals"
       }
     }
   }

africa/ug.json

@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@
         "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 14 January 2021 (next to be held in 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<em><br>2021: </em>Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (NRM) 58.6%, Bobi WINE (NUP) 34.8%, Patrick Oboi AMURIAT (FDC) 3.2%, other 3.4%<br><em><br><em>2016: </em></em>Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (NRM) 60.6%, Kizza BESIGYE (FDC) 35.6%, other 3.8%"
+        "text": "<em><br>2021: </em>Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (NRM) 58.6%, Robert Kyagulanyi SSENTAMU (aka Bobi WINE) (NUP) 34.8%, Patrick Oboi AMURIAT (FDC) 3.2%, other 3.4%<br><em><br><em>2016: </em></em>Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (NRM) 60.6%, Kizza BESIGYE (FDC) 35.6%, other 3.8%"
       }
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador Robinah <strong>KAKONGE</strong> (since 12 December 2022)"
+        "text": "Ambassador Robinah&nbsp;KAKONGE (since 12 December 2022)"
       },
       "chancery": {
         "text": "5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011"
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador William W. POPP (since 20 September 2024)"
+        "text": "Ambassador William W. POPP (since 20 September 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "1577 Ggaba Road, Kampala"
@@ -1227,7 +1227,7 @@
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "refugees (country of origin)": {
-        "text": "505,738 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 34,368 (Eritrea), 23,388 (Rwanda), 8,936 (Ethiopia), 5,776 (Sudan) (2023); 926,550 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 41,606 (Somalia), 40,180 (Burundi) (2024)"
+        "text": "34,368 (Eritrea), 23,388 (Rwanda), 8,936 (Ethiopia), 5,776 (Sudan) (2023); 931,666 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 508,495 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 41,593 (Somalia), 40,326 (Burundi) (2024)"
       },
       "stateless persons": {
         "text": "67,000 (2022)"

africa/wz.json

@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador (vacant) Charges d'Affaires Caitlin PIPER (since 27 October 2023)"
+        "text": "Ambassador (vacant) Chargé d’Affaires Caitlin PIPER (since 27 October 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "Corner of MR 103 and Cultural Center Drive, Ezulwini, P.O. Box D202, The Gables, H106"
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@
         "text": "[268] 2416-3344"
       },
       "email address and website": {
-        "text": "MBACONSULAR@state.gov<br><br>https://sz.usembassy.gov/"
+        "text": "MBACONSULAR@state.gov<br><br>Homepage - U.S. Embassy in Eswatini (usembassy.gov)"
       }
     },
     "Flag description": {

antarctica/ay.json

@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@
       "text": "most coastal stations have sparse and intermittent offshore anchorages; a few stations have basic wharf facilities"
     },
     "Transportation - note": {
-      "text": "US coastal stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E) and Palmer (64 43 S, 64 03 W); government use only; all ships are subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states parties to the Antarctic Treaty regulating the Antarctic Treaty area have to be complied with (see \"Legal System\"); The Hydrographic Commission on Antarctica (HCA), a commission of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), is responsible for hydrographic surveying and nautical charting matters in Antarctic Treaty area; it coordinates and facilitates provision of accurate and appropriate charts and other aids to navigation in support of safety of navigation in region; membership of HCA is open to any IHO Member State whose government has acceded to the Antarctic Treaty and which contributes resources or data to IHO Chart coverage of the area"
+      "text": "US coastal stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E) and Palmer (64 43 S, 64 03 W); government use only; all ships are subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7 of the Antarctic Treaty; ships must comply with relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures under the Antarctic Treaty (see \"Legal System\"); The Hydrographic Commission on Antarctica (HCA), a commission of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), coordinates and facilitates provision of accurate and appropriate charts and other aids to navigation; membership in HCA is open to any IHO Member State whose government has acceded to the Antarctic Treaty and which contributes resources or data to IHO Chart coverage of the area"
     }
   },
   "Military and Security": {

australia-oceania/as.json

@@ -1153,7 +1153,7 @@
     },
     "Railways": {
       "total": {
-        "text": "36,064 km (2022) 3,448 km electrified"
+        "text": "32,606 km (2022) 3,448 km electrified"
       },
       "standard gauge": {
         "text": "18,007 km (2022) 1.435 mm"
@@ -1242,7 +1242,7 @@
       "text": "<strong>note: </strong>since the 1990s, Australia has deployed more than 30,000 personnel on nearly 100 UN peacekeeping and coalition military operations, including in Cambodia, Rwanda, the Solomon Islands, Somalia, and East Timor"
     },
     "Military - note": {
-      "text": "Australia has been part of the Australia, New Zealand, and US Security (ANZUS) Treaty since 1951; Australia is also a member of the Five Powers Defense Arrangements (FPDA), a series of mutual assistance agreements reached in 1971 embracing Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK; the FPDA commits the members to consult with one another in the event or threat of an armed attack on any of the members and to mutually decide what measures should be taken, jointly or separately; there is no specific obligation to intervene militarily <br><br>Australia has a long-standing military relationship with the US; Australian and US forces first fought together in France in 1918 at the Battle of Hamel, and have fought together in every major US conflict since; Australia and the US signed an agreement in 2014 that allowed for closer bi-lateral defense and security cooperation, including annual rotations of US Marines and enhanced rotations of US Air Force aircraft to Australia; Australian military forces train often with US forces; Australia has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation <br><br>Australia also has long-standing defense and security ties to the UK, including a Defense and Security Cooperation Treaty signed in 2013; in 2020, Australia and the UK signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the building of a next generation of frigates for their respective navies; the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) is their premier bilateral forum on foreign policy, defense, and security issues <br><br>in 2021, Australia, the UK, and the US announced an enhanced trilateral security partnership called “AUKUS” which would build on existing bilateral ties, including deeper integration of defense and security-related science, technology, industrial bases, and supply chains, as well as deeper cooperation on a range of defense and security capabilities; the first initiative under AUKUS was a commitment to support Australia in acquiring conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy<br><br>the ADF is considered an experienced and professional force equipped with modern weapons; its missions include protecting Australia’s borders and maritime interests, responding to domestic natural disasters, and deploying overseas for humanitarian, peacekeeping, and other security-related missions; it trains regularly and participates in international exercises; the Army’s principal combat forces include a divisional headquarters with three mechanized brigades and a special operations command; the Navy operates over 40 surface craft and submarines, including 11 destroyers and frigates, two landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships, and six attack-type submarines; the RAF has an air combat group with more than 140 modern combat aircraft, as well as transport and surveillance air groups (2023)"
+      "text": "Australia has been part of the Australia, New Zealand, and US Security (ANZUS) Treaty since 1951; Australia is also a member of the Five Powers Defense Arrangements (FPDA), a series of mutual assistance agreements reached in 1971 embracing Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK; the FPDA commits the members to consult with one another in the event or threat of an armed attack on any of the members and to mutually decide what measures should be taken, jointly or separately; there is no specific obligation to intervene militarily <br><br>Australia has a long-standing military relationship with the US; Australian and US forces first fought together in France in 1918 at the Battle of Hamel, and have fought together in every major US conflict since; Australia and the US signed an agreement in 2014 that allowed for closer bi-lateral defense and security cooperation, including annual rotations of US Marines and enhanced rotations of US Air Force aircraft to Australia; Australian military forces train often with US forces; Australia has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation <br><br>Australia also has long-standing defense and security ties to the UK, including defense and security cooperation treaties in 2024 and 2013; in 2020, Australia and the UK signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the building of a next generation of frigates for their respective navies; the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) is their premier bilateral forum on foreign policy, defense, and security issues <br><br>in 2021, Australia, the UK, and the US announced an enhanced trilateral security partnership called “AUKUS” which would build on existing bilateral ties, including deeper integration of defense and security-related science, technology, industrial bases, and supply chains, as well as deeper cooperation on a range of defense and security capabilities; the first initiative under AUKUS was a commitment to support Australia in acquiring conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy<br><br>the ADF's missions include protecting Australia’s borders and maritime interests, responding to domestic natural disasters, and deploying overseas for humanitarian, peacekeeping, and other security-related missions; it trains regularly and participates in international exercises; the Army’s principal combat forces include a divisional headquarters with three mechanized brigades and a special operations command; the Navy operates over 40 surface craft and submarines, including 11 destroyers and frigates, two landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships, and six attack-type submarines; the RAF has an air combat group with more than 140 modern combat aircraft, as well as transport and surveillance air groups (2024)"
     }
   },
   "Space": {

australia-oceania/rm.json

@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lance POSEY (since 18 August 2023)"
+        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Lance POSEY (since 18 August 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "Mejen Weto, Ocean Side, Majuro"

central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json

@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Usha E. PITTS (since 1 January 2021)"
+        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Usha E. PITTS (since 1 January 2021)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "42 Queen Street, Nassau"

central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json

@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@
         "text": "Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president; parliament must ratify the Cabinet and Prime Minister's governing policy"
       },
       "elections/appointments": {
-        "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a single non-consecutive term); last election was 20 November 2016; new elections have been delayed in 2022 and 2023 but have not been scheduled by Acting Prime Minister HENRY"
+        "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a single non-consecutive term); last election was 20 November 2016; new elections were delayed in 2022 and 2023 and have not been scheduled by Acting Prime Minister HENRY"
       },
       "election results": {
         "text": "<br><em>2016:</em> Jovenel MOÏSE elected president in first round; percent of vote - Jovenel MOÏSE (PHTK) 55.6%, Jude CELESTIN (LAPEH) 19.6%, Jean-Charles MOÏSE (PPD) 11%, Maryse NARCISSE (FL) 9%; other 4.8%<br><br><em>2011:</em> Michel MARTELLY elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Michel MARTELLY (Peasant's Response) 68%, Mirlande MANIGAT (RDNP) 32%"

central-asia/kz.json

@@ -502,13 +502,13 @@
         "text": "51 10 N, 71 25 E"
       },
       "time difference": {
-        "text": "UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
+        "text": "UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
       },
       "time zone note": {
-        "text": "Kazakhstan has two time zones"
+        "text": "On 1 March 2024, Kazakhstan moved from two time zones to using one time zone"
       },
       "etymology": {
-        "text": "the name means \"capital city\" in Kazakh<br>"
+        "text": "the name means \"capital city\" in Kazakh"
       },
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> on 17 September 2022, Kazakhstan changed the name of its capital city from Nur-Sultan back to Astana; this was not the first time the city had its name changed; founded in 1830 as Akmoly, it became Akmolinsk in 1832, Tselinograd in 1961, Akmola (Aqmola) in 1992, Astana in 1998, and Nur-Sultan in 2019; the latest name change occurred just three and a half years after the city was renamed to honor a long-serving (28-year) former president, who subsequently fell out of favor"
     },

central-asia/rs.json

@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@
         "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (2020 constitutional amendments allow a second consecutive term); election last held on 15 to 17 March 2024 (next to be held 2030)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br><em>2024</em>: Vladimir PUTIN reelected president; percent of vote - Vladimir PUTIN (independent) 88.5%, Nikolay KHARITONOV (Communist Party) 4.4%, Vladislav DAVANKOV (New People party) 3.9%, Leonid SLUTSKY (Liberal Democrats) 3.2%; turnout 77.4%<br><br><em>2018: V</em>ladimir PUTIN reelected president; percent of vote - Vladimir PUTIN (independent) 77.5%, Pavel GRUDININ (CPRF) 11.9%, Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY (LDPR) 5.7%, other 4.9%; Mikhail MISHUSTIN (independent) approved as premier by Duma; vote - 383 to 0<em><br><br><em>2012: </em></em>Vladimir PUTIN elected president; percent of vote - Vladimir PUTIN (United Russia) 63.6%, Gennadiy ZYUGANOV (CPRF) 17.2%, Mikhail PROKHOROV (CP) 8%, Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY (LDPR) 6.2%, Sergey MIRONOV (A Just Russia) 3.9%, other 1.1%; Dmitriy MEDVEDEV (United Russia) approved as premier by Duma; vote - 299 to 144"
+        "text": "<br><em>2024</em>: Vladimir PUTIN reelected president; percent of vote - Vladimir PUTIN (independent) 88.5%, Nikolay KHARITONOV (Communist Party) 4.4%, Vladislav DAVANKOV (New People party) 3.9%, Leonid SLUTSKY (Liberal Democrats) 3.2%<br><br><em>2018: V</em>ladimir PUTIN reelected president; percent of vote - Vladimir PUTIN (independent) 77.5%, Pavel GRUDININ (CPRF) 11.9%, Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY (LDPR) 5.7%, other 4.9%; Mikhail MISHUSTIN (independent) approved as premier by Duma; vote - 383 to 0<em><br><br><em>2012: </em></em>Vladimir PUTIN elected president; percent of vote - Vladimir PUTIN (United Russia) 63.6%, Gennadiy ZYUGANOV (CPRF) 17.2%, Mikhail PROKHOROV (CP) 8%, Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY (LDPR) 6.2%, Sergey MIRONOV (A Just Russia) 3.9%, other 1.1%; Dmitriy MEDVEDEV (United Russia) approved as premier by Duma; vote - 299 to 144"
       },
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> there is also a Presidential Administration that provides staff and policy support to the president, drafts presidential decrees, and coordinates policy among government agencies; a Security Council also reports directly to the president"
     },
@@ -1270,7 +1270,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Transportation - note": {
-      "text": "Russia operates the largest polar class icebreaker fleet in the World with 52 vessels, including the World's only seven nuclear powered heavy icebreakers; the primary missions of Russia's fleet includes keeping open the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in the Arctic Ocean (see Arctic Ocean map) along with Russia's Arctic ports and terminals, maintaining shipping lanes in the Baltic Sea, and supporting ports, terminals, and shipping in the Russian Far East including the Sea of Okhotsk; Russia operates seven PC 1 or 2 heavy icebreakers, 31 PC 3 or 4 medium icebreakers, and 14 PC 5 or 6 light icebreakers<br>note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 1 - year-round operation in all polar waters (ice thickness &gt;3 m); PC 2 - year-round operation in moderate multi-year ice conditions (ice thickness up to 3 m); PC 3 - year-round operation in second-year ice which may include multi-year ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 2.5 m); PC 4 - year-round operation in thick first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 120 cm); PC 5 - year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 70-120 cm); PC 6 - summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 30-70 cm)"
+      "text": "Russia operates the largest polar-class icebreaker fleet in the world with 52 vessels, seven of which are the world's only nuclear-powered heavy icebreakers; the primary mission includes keeping open ports, terminals, and shipping lanes along the Northern Sea Route (see Arctic Ocean map), in the Baltic Sea, and in the Russian Far East, including the Sea of Okhotsk; Russia operates seven PC 1 or 2 heavy icebreakers, 31 PC 3 or 4 medium icebreakers, and 14 PC 5 or 6 light icebreakers; note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 1 - year-round operation in all polar waters (ice thickness &gt;3 m); PC 2 - year-round operation in moderate multi-year ice conditions (ice thickness up to 3 m); PC 3 - year-round operation in second-year ice which may include multi-year ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 2.5 m); PC 4 - year-round operation in thick first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 120 cm); PC 5 - year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 70-120 cm); PC 6 - summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 30-70 cm)"
     }
   },
   "Military and Security": {
@@ -1311,7 +1311,7 @@
       "note": "<strong>note 1:</strong> in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine with an estimated 150,000 troops, some of which were staged out of Belarus; prior to the invasion, it maintained an estimated 30,000 troops in areas of Ukraine occupied since 2014; in 2023, the Russian Government claimed to have over 650,000 troops in occupied Ukraine<br><br><strong>note 2: </strong>as of 2023, Russia was assessed to have thousands private military contractors conducting military and security operations in Africa and the Middle East, including in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sudan, and Syria"
     },
     "Military - note": {
-      "text": "the Russian military is a mixed force of conscripts and professionals (contract servicemen) that is capable of conducting the full range of air, land, maritime, and strategic missile operations; it is also active in the areas of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and space; in addition to protecting Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the military supports Moscow’s national security objectives, which include maintaining and projecting influence and power outside Russia, particularly in the former Soviet republics, and deterring perceived external threats from the US and NATO; in recent years, the Russian military has conducted combat operations in both Syria and Ukraine; in February 2022, Russia launched an unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the military, particularly the ground forces, continues to be heavily engaged there in what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945; Russia has occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea and backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine since 2014 with arms, equipment, and training, as well as special operations forces and troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022; Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in September 2015 in what was Moscow’s first overseas expeditionary operation since the Soviet era; Russian assistance has included air support, arms and equipment, intelligence, military advisors, private military contractors, special operations forces, and training; it seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008; separately, Russia has provided military personnel and private military contractors to conduct missions in Africa, including in the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, and Sudan <br><br>Russian forces are organized into five military districts and operational/joint strategic commands; the Ground Troops are configured into at least 11 combined arms armies, one tank army, and four army corps, each comprised of a mixture of tank or “motorized rifle” (mechanized or motorized infantry) division and brigade structures supplemented by artillery, tactical missile, and air defense forces; the most capable ground forces are the special forces (Spetsial’noye naznacheniye or Spetsnaz) brigades and Airborne and Air Assault Troops (VDV), which are considered strategic-level assets; prior to the 2022 invasion, the Spetsnaz forces had eight brigades, while the VDV had four airborne and air assault divisions, plus some independent air assault and Spetsnaz brigades<br><br>the Navy conducts operations globally and has four fleets (Baltic, Black Sea, Pacific, and Northern), as well as a flotilla in the Caspian Sea; the principal surface warships are an aircraft carrier (under repair until at least 2024), four battlecruisers or cruisers, and over 20 destroyers and frigates; the backbone of the Navy is its submarine force, which has approximately 50-60 nuclear ballistic missile, nuclear cruise missile, nuclear attack-type, and conventional attack submarines; the ballistic missile submarines are an essential arm of Russia’s nuclear triad; the Navy has an aviation force with fighters, multipurpose fighters, and surface attack aircraft, as well as anti-submarine warfare and attack helicopters; it also has coastal defense forces and a ground force of several naval infantry brigades, which have been used as ground troops in Ukraine<br><br>the Aerospace Forces include as sub-branches the Air Force, the Air and Missile Defense Forces, and Space Forces; the Air and Air/Missile Defense elements are typically organized into armies, commands, bases, brigades, and regiments; the Air Forces are some of the largest in the world, and prior to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine included nearly 1,500 fighters, multirole fighters, and bombers, as well as nearly 1,500 combat helicopters<br><br>the Strategic Rocket Forces have both road-mobile and silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and are organized into three armies with 12 subordinate divisions, each further broken down into regiments<br><br>the paramilitary Russian National Guard is organized into regions or districts with subordinate divisions and brigades, which include a mix of security, special purpose, protective, and motorized units, as well as some artillery and aviation forces (2023)"
+      "text": "the Russian military is a mixed force of conscripts and professionals (contract servicemen) that is capable of conducting the full range of air, land, maritime, and strategic missile operations; it is also active in the areas of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and space; in addition to protecting Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the military supports Moscow’s national security objectives, which include maintaining and projecting influence and power outside Russia, particularly in the former Soviet republics, and deterring perceived external threats from the US and NATO; in recent years, the Russian military has conducted combat operations in both Syria and Ukraine; in February 2022, Russia launched an unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the military, particularly the ground forces, continues to be heavily engaged there in what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945; Russia has occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea and backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine since 2014 with arms, equipment, and training, as well as special operations forces and troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022; Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in September 2015 in what was Moscow’s first overseas expeditionary operation since the Soviet era; Russian assistance has included air support, arms and equipment, intelligence, military advisors, private military contractors, special operations forces, and training; it seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008; separately, Russia has provided military personnel and private military contractors to conduct missions in Africa, including in the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, and Sudan <br><br>Russian forces are organized into military districts and operational/joint strategic commands; prior to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Ground Troops were configured into at least 11 combined arms armies, one tank army, and four army corps, each comprised of a mixture of tank or “motorized rifle” (mechanized or motorized infantry) division and brigade structures supplemented by artillery, tactical missile, and air defense forces; the most capable ground forces are the special forces (Spetsial’noye naznacheniye or Spetsnaz) brigades and Airborne and Air Assault Troops (VDV), which are considered strategic-level assets; as of 2022, the Spetsnaz forces had eight brigades, while the VDV had four airborne and air assault divisions, plus some independent air assault and Spetsnaz brigades<br><br>the Navy conducts operations globally and has four fleets (Baltic, Black Sea, Pacific, and Northern), as well as a flotilla in the Caspian Sea; the principal surface warships are an aircraft carrier (under repair until at least 2024), four battlecruisers or cruisers, and over 20 destroyers and frigates; the backbone of the Navy is its submarine force, which has approximately 50-60 nuclear ballistic missile, nuclear cruise missile, nuclear attack-type, and conventional attack submarines; the ballistic missile submarines are an essential arm of Russia’s nuclear triad; the Navy has an aviation force with fighters, multipurpose fighters, and surface attack aircraft, as well as anti-submarine warfare and attack helicopters; it also has coastal defense forces and a ground force of several naval infantry brigades, which have been used as ground troops in Ukraine<br><br>the Aerospace Forces include as sub-branches the Air Force, the Air and Missile Defense Forces, and Space Forces; the Air and Air/Missile Defense elements are typically organized into armies, commands, bases, brigades, and regiments; the Air Forces are some of the largest in the world, and prior to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine included nearly 1,500 fighters, multirole fighters, and bombers, as well as nearly 1,500 combat helicopters<br><br>the Strategic Rocket Forces have both road-mobile and silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and are organized into three armies with 12 subordinate divisions, each further broken down into regiments<br><br>the paramilitary Russian National Guard is organized into regions or districts with subordinate divisions and brigades, which include a mix of security, special purpose, protective, and motorized units, as well as some artillery and aviation forces (2023)"
     }
   },
   "Space": {

central-asia/ti.json

@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador Manuel P. MICALLER JR (since 9 March 2023)"
+        "text": "Ambassador Manuel P. MICALLER Jr. (since 9 March 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "109-A Ismoili Somoni Avenue (Zarafshon district), Dushanbe 734019"

east-n-southeast-asia/bx.json

@@ -1138,7 +1138,7 @@
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {
     "Disputes - international": {
-      "text": "<p>per Letters of Exchange signed in 2009, Malaysia in 2010 ceded two hydrocarbon concession blocks to Brunei in exchange for Brunei's sultan dropping claims to the Limbang corridor, which divides Brunei; nonetheless, Brunei claims a maritime boundary extending as far as a median with Vietnam, thus asserting an implicit claim to Louisa Reef</p>"
+      "text": "none identified"
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "stateless persons": {

east-n-southeast-asia/hk.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "Seized by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year at the end of the First Opium War; the Kowloon Peninsula was added in 1860 at the end of the Second Opium War, and was further extended when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its \"one country, two systems\" formula, China's socialist economic and strict political system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a \"high degree of autonomy\" in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the subsequent 50 years. <br><br>Since the handover, Hong Kong has continued to enjoy success as an international financial center. However, dissatisfaction with the Hong Kong Government and growing Chinese political influence has been a central issue and led to considerable civil unrest, including large-scale pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019 after the HKSAR attempted to revise a local ordinance to allow extraditions to mainland China. In response, the governments of the HKSAR and China took several actions that reduced the city's autonomy and placed new restrictions on the rights of Hong Kong residents, moves that were widely criticized to be in direct contravention of obligations under the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Chief among these actions was a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong imposed by the Chinese Government in June 2020 that criminalized acts such as those interpreted as secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign or external forces. The law ushered in a widespread crackdown on public protests, criticism of authorities, and freedom of speech, and was used by authorities to target pro-democracy activists, organizations, and media companies. Democratic lawmakers and political figures were arrested, while others fled abroad. At the same time, dozens of civil society groups and several independent media outlets were closed or have disbanded. In March 2021, Beijing imposed a more restrictive electoral system, including restructuring the Legislative Council (LegCo) and allowing only government-approved candidates to run for office, claiming it was to ensure a system of \"patriots\" governed Hong Kong. The changes ensured that virtually all seats in the December 2021 LegCo election were won by pro-establishment candidates and effectively ended political opposition to Beijing in the territory."
+      "text": "Seized by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year at the end of the First Opium War; the Kowloon Peninsula was added in 1860 at the end of the Second Opium War, and was further extended when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its \"one country, two systems\" formula, China's socialist economic and strict political system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a \"high degree of autonomy\" in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the subsequent 50 years. <br><br>Since the handover, Hong Kong has continued to enjoy success as an international financial center. However, dissatisfaction with the Hong Kong Government and growing Chinese political influence has been a central issue and led to considerable civil unrest, including large-scale pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019 after the HKSAR attempted to revise a local ordinance to allow extraditions to mainland China. In response, the governments of the HKSAR and China took several actions that reduced the city's autonomy and placed new restrictions on the rights of Hong Kong residents, moves that were widely criticized to be in direct contravention of obligations under the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Chief among these actions was a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong imposed by the Chinese Government in June 2020 that criminalized acts such as those interpreted as secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign or external forces. The law ushered in a widespread crackdown on public protests, criticism of authorities, and freedom of speech, and was used by authorities to target pro-democracy activists, organizations, and media companies. Democratic lawmakers and political figures were arrested, while others fled abroad. At the same time, dozens of civil society groups and several independent media outlets were closed or have disbanded. In March 2021, Beijing imposed a more restrictive electoral system, including restructuring the Legislative Council (LegCo) and allowing only government-approved candidates to run for office, claiming it was to ensure a system of \"patriots\" governed Hong Kong. The changes ensured that virtually all seats in the December 2021 LegCo election were won by pro-establishment candidates and effectively ended political opposition to Beijing in the territory. In 2024, the LegCo passed a new national security law (Article 23 of the Basic Law) further expanding the Hong Kong Government's power to curb dissent. "
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

east-n-southeast-asia/id.json

@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@
         "text": "president and vice president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 April 2019 (next to be held on 14 February 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<em>2019</em>: Joko WIDODO reelected president; percent of vote - Joko WIDODO (PDI-P) 55.5%, PRABOWO Subianto Djojohadikusumo (GERINDRA) 44.5%<br><br><em>2014</em>: Joko WIDODO elected president; percent of vote - Joko WIDODO (PDI-P) 53.15%, PRABOWO Subianto Djojohadikusumo (GERINDRA) 46.85%"
+        "text": "<em>2024: </em>PRABOWO Subianto elected president; percent of vote - PRABOWO Subianto (GERINDRA) 58.6%, Anies Rasyid BASWEDAN (Independent) 24.9%, GANJAR Pranowo (PDI-P) 16.5%<em><br><br>2019</em>: Joko WIDODO reelected president; percent of vote - Joko WIDODO (PDI-P) 55.5%, PRABOWO Subianto Djojohadikusumo (GERINDRA) 44.5%"
       }
     },
     "Legislative branch": {

east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2300 B.C.  Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms - Kogoryo, Paekche, and Silla - were established on the Peninsula. By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over much of the Peninsula, as well as part of Manchuria (modern-day northeast China). However, Silla allied with the Chinese to create the first unified Korean state in the late 7th century (688). Following the collapse of Silla in the 9th century, Korea was unified under the Koryo (Goryeo; 918-1392) and the Chosen (Joseon; 1392-1910) dynasties. Korea became the object of intense imperialistic rivalry between the Chinese (its traditional benefactor), Japanese, and Russian empires in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries.  Following the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), Korea was occupied by Imperial Japan. In 1910, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. After World War II, Korea was split along the 38th parallel with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored communist control. <br><br>In 1948, North Korea (formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK) was founded under President KIM Il Sung, who consolidated power and cemented autocratic one-party rule under the Korean Worker's Party (KWP). After the Korean War (1950-53), during which North Korea failed to conquer UN-backed South Korea (formally the Republic of Korea or ROK), North Korea demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social system through state-funded propaganda and molded political, economic, and military policies around the core ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. North Korea also declared a central ideology of <em>juche (\"</em>self-reliance\") as an internal check against outside influence while continuing to rely heavily on China and the Soviet Union for economic support. Establishing a policy of hereditary succession in North Korea, KIM Il Sung's son, KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. Under KIM Jong Il's reign, North Korea continued developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. KIM Jong Un was publicly unveiled as his father's successor in 2010. Following KIM Jong Il's death in 2011, KIM Jong Un quickly assumed power and has since occupied the regime's highest political and military posts. </p> <p>After the end of Soviet aid in 1991, North Korea faced serious economic setbacks that exacerbated decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation. Since the mid-1990s, North Korea has faced chronic food shortages and economic stagnation. In recent years, the North's domestic agricultural production has improved, but still falls far short of producing sufficient food to provide for its entire population. Starting in 2002, North Korea began to tolerate semi-private markets but has made few other efforts to meet its goal of improving the overall standard of living. New economic development plans in the 2010s failed to meet government-mandated goals for key industrial sectors, food production, or overall economic performance. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, North Korea instituted a nationwide lockdown that severely restricted its economy and international engagement. Since then, leader KIM Jong Un has repeatedly expressed concerns with the regime's economic failures and food problems, but in 2021 vowed to continue \"self-reliant\" policies and has reinvigorated his pursuit of greater regime control of the economy. As of 2023, despite slowly renewing cross-border trade, North Korea remains one of the World's most isolated and one of Asia's poorest countries.<br><br>North Korea has a history of provocative regional military actions and posturing that are of major concern to the international community and have limited North Korea’s international engagement, particularly economically. These include proliferation of military-related items; ballistic and cruise missile development and testing; WMD programs including tests of nuclear devices in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016, and 2017; and large conventional armed forces. Despite high-level efforts to ease tensions during the 2018-19 timeframe, including summits with the leaders of China, South Korea, and the US, North Korea has continued developing its WMD programs and, in recent years, issued statements condemning the US and vowing to further strengthen its military capabilities, including long range missiles and nuclear weapons. </p>"
+      "text": "<p>The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2300 B.C.  Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms - Kogoryo, Paekche, and Silla - were established on the Peninsula. By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over much of the Peninsula, as well as part of Manchuria (modern-day northeast China). However, Silla allied with the Chinese to create the first unified Korean state in the late 7th century (688). Following the collapse of Silla in the 9th century, Korea was unified under the Koryo (Goryeo; 918-1392) and the Chosen (Joseon; 1392-1910) dynasties. Korea became the object of intense imperialistic rivalry between the Chinese (its traditional benefactor), Japanese, and Russian empires in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries.  Following the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), Korea was occupied by Imperial Japan. In 1910, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. After World War II, Korea was split along the 38th parallel with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored communist control. <br><br>In 1948, North Korea (formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK) was founded under President KIM Il Sung, who consolidated power and cemented autocratic one-party rule under the Korean Worker's Party (KWP). After the Korean War (1950-53), during which North Korea failed to conquer UN-backed South Korea (formally the Republic of Korea or ROK), North Korea demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social system through state-funded propaganda and molded political, economic, and military policies around the core ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. North Korea also declared a central ideology of <em>juche (\"</em>self-reliance\") as an internal check against outside influence while continuing to rely heavily on China and the Soviet Union for economic support. Establishing a policy of hereditary succession in North Korea, KIM Il Sung's son, KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. Under KIM Jong Il's reign, North Korea continued developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. KIM Jong Un was publicly unveiled as his father's successor in 2010. Following KIM Jong Il's death in 2011, KIM Jong Un quickly assumed power and has since occupied the regime's highest political and military posts. </p> <p>After the end of Soviet aid in 1991, North Korea faced serious economic setbacks that exacerbated decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation. Since the mid-1990s, North Korea has faced chronic food shortages and economic stagnation. In recent years, the North's domestic agricultural production has improved, but still falls far short of producing sufficient food to provide for its entire population. Starting in 2002, North Korea began to tolerate semi-private markets but has made few other efforts to meet its goal of improving the overall standard of living. New economic development plans in the 2010s failed to meet government-mandated goals for key industrial sectors, food production, or overall economic performance. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, North Korea instituted a nationwide lockdown that severely restricted its economy and international engagement. Since then, leader KIM Jong Un has repeatedly expressed concerns with the regime's economic failures and food problems, but in 2021 vowed to continue \"self-reliant\" policies and has reinvigorated his pursuit of greater regime control of the economy. <br><br>As of 2024, despite slowly renewing cross-border trade with China, North Korea remained one of the World's most isolated and one of Asia's poorest countries. In 2024, Pyongyang announced it was ending all economic cooperation with South Korea. The move followed earlier proclamations that it was scrapping a military pact signed in 2018 aimed at de-escalating tensions along their militarized border, abandoning the country’s decades-long pursuit of peaceful unification with South Korea, and designating the South as North Korea’s “principal enemy.” </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -1065,7 +1065,8 @@
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {
     "Disputes - international": {
-      "text": "<p><em>North Korea-China</em>: risking arrest, imprisonment, and deportation, tens of thousands of North Koreans have crossed the 1,400-km-long border into China to escape famine, economic privation, and political oppression; the adjacent areas of northeastern China (the provinces of Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning) includes a significant Korean minority population of an estimated 2 million people; in the 2020s, North Korea has built hundreds of kilometers of new or upgraded border fences, walls, and guard posts along the border; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain islands in Yalu and Tumen Rivers </p> <p><em>North Korea-Japan</em>: North Korea supports South Korea in rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)<br><br><em>North Korea-Russia:</em> Russian troops guard the border and immediately return escapees they capture to the North Korean Government; in the 2020s, North Korea has built new or upgraded border fences and guard posts along the border</p> <p><em>North Korea-South Korea</em>: the Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km-wide, 257-km-long Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents in the Yellow Sea with South Korea which claims the Northern Limit Line as a maritime boundary</p>"
+      "text": "<p><em>North Korea-China</em>: risking arrest, imprisonment, and deportation, tens of thousands of North Koreans have crossed the 1,400-km-long border into China to escape famine, economic privation, and political oppression; the adjacent areas of northeastern China (the provinces of Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning) includes a significant Korean minority population of an estimated 2 million people; in the 2020s, North Korea has built hundreds of kilometers of new or upgraded border fences, walls, and guard posts along the border; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain islands in Yalu and Tumen Rivers </p> <p><em>North Korea-Japan</em>: North Korea supports South Korea in rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)<br><br><em>North Korea-Russia:</em> Russian troops guard the border and immediately return escapees they capture to the North Korean Government; in the 2020s, North Korea has built new or upgraded border fences and guard posts along the border</p> <p><em>North Korea-South Korea</em>: the Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km-wide, 257-km-long Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents in the Yellow Sea with South Korea which claims the Northern Limit Line as a maritime boundary</p>",
+      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>North Korea has a history of provocative regional military actions and posturing that are of major concern to the international community. These include proliferation of military-related items; ballistic and cruise missile development and testing; WMD programs including tests of nuclear devices in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016, and 2017; and large conventional armed forces. Despite high-level efforts to ease tensions during the 2018-19 timeframe, including summits with the leaders of China, South Korea, and the US, North Korea has continued developing its WMD programs and, in recent years, issued statements condemning the US and vowing to further strengthen its military capabilities, including long range missiles and nuclear weapons. "
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "IDPs": {

east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2300 B.C. Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms - Kogoryo, Paekche, and Silla - were established on the Peninsula.  By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over much of the Peninsula, as well as part of Manchuria (modern-day northeast China).  However, Silla allied with the Chinese to create the first unified Korean state in the late 7th century (688).  Following the collapse of Silla in the 9th century, Korea was unified under the Koryo (Goryeo; 918-1392) and the Chosen (Joseon; 1392-1910) dynasties.</p> <p>Korea became the object of intense imperialistic rivalry between the Chinese (its traditional benefactor), Japanese, and Russian empires in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Following the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Korea was occupied by Imperial Japan. In 1910, Tokyo formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the US and its allies in 1945. After World War II, a democratic government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a communist-style government was installed in the north (North Korea; aka Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside ROK soldiers to defend South Korea from a North Korean invasion supported by communist China and the Soviet Union. A 1953 armistice split the Peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. <br><br>Syngman RHEE led the country as its first president from 1948-1960. PARK Chung-hee took over leadership of the country in a 1961 coup. During his regime from 1961 to 1979, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea in 1979. PARK was assassinated in 1979, and subsequent years were marked by political turmoil and continued authoritarian rule as the country's pro-democracy movement grew. South Korea held its first free presidential election under a revised democratic constitution in 1987, with former South Korean Army general ROH Tae-woo winning a close race. In 1993, KIM Young-sam (1993-98) became the first civilian president of South Korea's new democratic era. President KIM Dae-jung (1998-2003) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his contributions to South Korean democracy and his \"Sunshine Policy\" of engagement with North Korea. President PARK Geun-hye, daughter of former South Korean President PARK Chung-hee, took office in February 2013 as South Korea's first female leader. In December 2016, the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against President PARK over her alleged involvement in a corruption and influence-peddling scandal, immediately suspending her presidential authorities. The impeachment was upheld in March 2017, triggering an early presidential election in May 2017 won by MOON Jae-in. In March 2022, longtime prosecutor and political newcomer YOON Suk Yeol won the presidency by .73% of the total vote, the slimmest margin in South Korean history.</p> <p>Discord and tensions with North Korea, punctuated by North Korean military provocations, missile launches, and nuclear tests, have permeated inter-Korean relations for much of the past decade. Despite a period of respite in 2018-2019 ushered in by North Korea's participation in the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in South Korea and high-level diplomatic meetings, including historic US-North Korea summits, relations were stagnant as of 2023.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>"
+      "text": "<p>The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2300 B.C. Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms - Kogoryo, Paekche, and Silla - were established on the Peninsula.  By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over much of the Peninsula, as well as part of Manchuria (modern-day northeast China).  However, Silla allied with the Chinese to create the first unified Korean state in the late 7th century (688).  Following the collapse of Silla in the 9th century, Korea was unified under the Koryo (Goryeo; 918-1392) and the Chosen (Joseon; 1392-1910) dynasties.</p> <p>Korea became the object of intense imperialistic rivalry between the Chinese (its traditional benefactor), Japanese, and Russian empires in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Following the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Korea was occupied by Imperial Japan. In 1910, Tokyo formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the US and its allies in 1945. After World War II, a democratic government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a communist-style government was installed in the north (North Korea; aka Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside ROK soldiers to defend South Korea from a North Korean invasion supported by communist China and the Soviet Union. A 1953 armistice split the Peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. <br><br>Syngman RHEE led the country as its first president from 1948-1960. PARK Chung-hee took over leadership of the country in a 1961 coup. During his regime from 1961 to 1979, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea in 1979. PARK was assassinated in 1979, and subsequent years were marked by political turmoil and continued authoritarian rule as the country's pro-democracy movement grew. South Korea held its first free presidential election under a revised democratic constitution in 1987, with former South Korean Army general ROH Tae-woo winning a close race. In 1993, KIM Young-sam (1993-98) became the first civilian president of South Korea's new democratic era. President KIM Dae-jung (1998-2003) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his contributions to South Korean democracy and his \"Sunshine Policy\" of engagement with North Korea. President PARK Geun-hye, daughter of former South Korean President PARK Chung-hee, took office in February 2013 as South Korea's first female leader. In December 2016, the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against President PARK over her alleged involvement in a corruption and influence-peddling scandal, immediately suspending her presidential authorities. The impeachment was upheld in March 2017, triggering an early presidential election in May 2017 won by MOON Jae-in. In March 2022, longtime prosecutor and political newcomer YOON Suk Yeol won the presidency by the slimmest margin in South Korean history.</p> <p>Discord and tensions with North Korea, punctuated by North Korean military provocations, missile launches, and nuclear tests, have permeated inter-Korean relations for years. Despite a period of respite in 2018-2019 ushered in by North Korea's participation in the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in South Korea and high-level diplomatic meetings, including historic US-North Korea summits, relations were strained as of early 2024. In 2024, Pyongyang announced it was ending all economic cooperation with South Korea, a move that followed earlier proclamations that it was scrapping a military pact signed in 2018 aimed at de-escalating tensions along their militarized border, abandoning the country’s decades-long pursuit of peaceful unification with South Korea, and designating the South as North Korea’s “principal enemy.”</p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

east-n-southeast-asia/la.json

@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargée d’Affaires Michelle OUTLAW (since August 2023)"
+        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Michelle OUTLAW (since August 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "Ban Somvang Tai, Thadeua Road, Km 9, Hatsayfong District, Vientiane"

east-n-southeast-asia/my.json

@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador-designate Edgard D. Kagan (since December 19, 2023)"
+        "text": "Ambassador Edgard D. KAGAN (since 20 March 2024)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur"
@@ -1245,7 +1245,7 @@
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {
     "Disputes - international": {
-      "text": "<p><em>Malaysia-Brunei</em>: per Letters of Exchange signed in 2009, Malaysia in 2010 ceded two hydrocarbon concession blocks to Brunei; in 2009, the media reported that Brunei had dropped its claims to the Limbang corridor, but Brunei responded that the subject had never been discussed during recent talks between the two countries</p> <p><em>Malaysia-China-Philippines-Vietnam</em>: the 2002 \"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea\" is not the legally binding \"code of conduct\" sought by some parties, which is currently being negotiated between China and ASEAN member states; Malaysia was not party to the March 2005 joint accord among the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam on conducting marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands</p> <p><em>Malaysia-Indonesia</em>: land and maritime negotiations with Indonesia are ongoing, and disputed areas include the controversial Tanjung Datu and Camar Wulan border area in Borneo and the maritime boundary in the Ambalat oil block in the Celebes Sea</p> <p><em>Malaysia-Philippines</em>: Philippines retains a dormant claim to the eastern part of Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo</p> <p><em>Malaysia-Singapore</em>: disputes continue over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straits; in 2008, the International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh/Horsburgh Island) to Singapore, and Middle Rocks to Malaysia but did not rule on maritime regimes, boundaries, or disposition of South Ledge</p> <p><em>Malaysia-Thailand</em>: in 2008, separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern provinces prompts Malaysia to take measures to close and to monitor the border with Thailand to stem terrorist activities</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>"
+      "text": "<p><em>Malaysia-Brunei</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Malaysia-China-Philippines-Vietnam</em>: the 2002 \"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea\" is not the legally binding \"code of conduct\" sought by some parties, which is currently being negotiated between China and ASEAN member states; Malaysia was not party to the March 2005 joint accord among the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam on conducting marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands</p> <p><em>Malaysia-Indonesia</em>: land and maritime negotiations with Indonesia are ongoing, and disputed areas include the controversial Tanjung Datu and Camar Wulan border area in Borneo and the maritime boundary in the Ambalat oil block in the Celebes Sea</p> <p><em>Malaysia-Philippines</em>: Philippines retains a dormant claim to the eastern part of Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo</p> <p><em>Malaysia-Singapore</em>: disputes continue over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straits; in 2008, the International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh/Horsburgh Island) to Singapore, and Middle Rocks to Malaysia but did not rule on maritime regimes, boundaries, or disposition of South Ledge</p> <p><em>Malaysia-Thailand</em>: in 2008, separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern provinces prompts Malaysia to take measures to close and to monitor the border with Thailand to stem terrorist activities</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>"
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "refugees (country of origin)": {

east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json

@@ -607,10 +607,10 @@
         "text": "Ambassador-designate Ann Marie YASTISHOCK (since 2 February 2024); note - also accredited to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu"
       },
       "embassy": {
-        "text": "Harbour City Road, Port Moresby 121, NCD, Papua New Guinea"
+        "text": "Harbour City Road, Konedobu, Port Moresby, NCD, Papua New Guinea"
       },
       "mailing address": {
-        "text": "Harbour City Road, Port Moresby 121, NCD, Papua New Guinea"
+        "text": "4240 Port Moresby Pl, Washington DC 20521-4240"
       },
       "telephone": {
         "text": "[675] 308-9100"

east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json

@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@
     },
     "Executive branch": {
       "chief of state": {
-        "text": "President Vo Van THUONG (since 2 March 2023)"
+        "text": "Acting President Vo Thi Anh XUAN (since 21 March 2024); note - President Vo Van THUONG resigned on 20 March 2024"
       },
       "head of government": {
         "text": "Prime Minister Pham Minh CHINH (since 26 July 2021)"
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@
         "text": "president indirectly elected by the National Assembly from among its members for a single 5-year term; prime minister recommended by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers confirmed by the National Assembly and appointed by the president"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<em>2023:</em> Vo Van THUONG elected president<br><br><em>2021:</em> Nguyen Xuan PHUC (CPV) elected president; Pham Minh CHINH (CPV) confirmed as prime minister<br><br><em>2018</em>: NGUYEN Phu TRONG (CPV) elected president<br><br><em>2016</em>: NGUYEN Xuan PHUC (CPV) confirmed as prime minister"
+        "text": "<em>2023:</em> Vo Van THUONG elected president<br><br><em>2021:</em> Nguyen Xuan PHUC (CPV) elected president; Pham Minh CHINH (CPV) confirmed as prime minister<br><br><em>2016</em>: NGUYEN Xuan PHUC (CPV) confirmed as prime minister"
       },
       "note": "<strong>note: </strong>Nguyen Phu TRONG is the General Secretary of the Vietnam Communist Party"
     },

europe/al.json

@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David WISNER (since August 2023)"
+        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires David WISNER (since August 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "Rruga Stavro Vinjau, No. 14, Tirana"

europe/bu.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks overran the country. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878, and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007."
+      "text": "The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks overran the country. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878, and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, and the Schengen Area for air and sea travel in 2024."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@
         "text": "President Rumen RADEV (since 22 January 2017); Vice President Iliana IOTOVA (since 22 January 2017)"
       },
       "head of government": {
-        "text": "Prime Minister Nikolay DENKOV (since 6 June 2023)"
+        "text": "Vacant (since 6 March 2024)"
       },
       "cabinet": {
         "text": "Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly"

europe/ei.json

@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@
         "text": "President Michael D. HIGGINS (since 11 November 2011)"
       },
       "head of government": {
-        "text": "Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo VARADKAR (since 16 December 2022)"
+        "text": "Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo VARADKAR (since 16 December 2022); note - VARADKAR resigned on 20 March 2024 but remains in caretaker status until a successor is appointed"
       },
       "cabinet": {
         "text": "Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president, approved by the Dali Eireann (lower house of Parliament)"
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Political parties and leaders": {
-      "text": "Aontu [Peadar TOIBIN]<br>Solidarity-People Before Profit or PBPS [collective leadership]<br>Fianna Fail [Micheal MARTIN]<br>Fine Gael [Leo VARADKAR]<br>Green Party [Eamon RYAN]<br>Human Dignity Alliance [Ronan MULLEN]<br>Labor (Labour) Party Ivana BACIK]<br>Right to Change or RTC [Joan COLLINS]<br>Sinn Fein [Mary Lou McDONALD]<br>Social Democrats [Holly CAIRNS]<br>Socialist Party [collective leadership]<br>The Workers' Party [collective leadership]"
+      "text": "Aontu [Peadar TOIBIN]<br>Solidarity-People Before Profit or PBPS [collective leadership]<br>Fianna Fail [Micheal MARTIN]<br>Fine Gael [Simon HARRIS]<br>Green Party [Eamon RYAN]<br>Human Dignity Alliance [Ronan MULLEN]<br>Labor (Labour) Party Ivana BACIK]<br>Right to Change or RTC [Joan COLLINS]<br>Sinn Fein [Mary Lou McDONALD]<br>Social Democrats [Holly CAIRNS]<br>Socialist Party [collective leadership]<br>The Workers' Party [collective leadership]"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
       "text": "ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC"

europe/fr.json

@@ -1200,8 +1200,7 @@
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> Includes 27 airports in French overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Reunion)"
     },
     "Heliports": {
-      "text": "290 (2024)",
-      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> Includes 11 heliports in French overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion)"
+      "text": "290 (2024)"
     },
     "Pipelines": {
       "text": "15,322 km gas, 2,939 km oil, 5,084 km refined products (2013)"

europe/gk.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. The Bailiwick of Guernsey consists of the main island of Guernsey and a number of smaller islands including Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, and Lihou. The Bailiwick is a self-governing British Crown dependency that is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation. "
+      "text": "Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. The Bailiwick of Guernsey consists of the main island of Guernsey and a number of smaller islands including Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, and Lihou. The Bailiwick is a self-governing British Crown dependency that is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

europe/hr.json

@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the French designation of \"Croate\" to Croatian mercenaries in the 17th century eventually became \"Cravate\" and later came to be applied to the soldiers' scarves - the cravat; Croatia celebrates Cravat Day every 18 October"
     },
     "Ethnic groups": {
-      "text": "Croat 90.4%, Serb 4.4%, other 4.4% (including Bosniak, Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, and Romani), unspecified 0.8% (2011 est.)"
+      "text": "Croat 91.6%, Serb 3.2%, other 3.9% (including Bosniak, Romani, Albanian, Italian, and Hungarian), unspecified 1.3% (2021 est.)"
     },
     "Languages": {
       "Languages": {

europe/hu.json

@@ -1255,7 +1255,7 @@
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "refugees (country of origin)": {
-        "text": "66,135 (Ukraine) (as of 5 March 2024)"
+        "text": "66,135 (Ukraine) (as of 17 March 2024)"
       },
       "stateless persons": {
         "text": "130 (2022)"

europe/lo.json

@@ -545,10 +545,10 @@
         "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister"
       },
       "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 16 March and 30 March 2019 (next to be held on 23 March 2024); following National Council elections (every 4 years), the president designates a prime minister candidate, usually the leader of the party or coalition that wins the most votes, who must win a vote of confidence in the National Council"
+        "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 first round 23 March 2024 (runoff to be held on 6 April 2024); following National Council elections (every 4 years), the president designates a prime minister candidate, usually the leader of the party or coalition that wins the most votes, who must win a vote of confidence in the National Council"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<em><br>2019:</em> Zuzana CAPUTOVA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Zuzana CAPUTOVA (PS) 58.4%, Maros SEFCOVIC (independent) 41.6%<br><br><em>2014:</em> Andrej KISKA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Andrej KISKA (independent) 59.4%, Robert FICO (Smer-SD) 40.6%"
+        "text": "<em><br>2024: </em>percent of vote in first round - Ivan KORCOK (independent) 42.5%; Peter PELLEGRINI (Voice-Social Democracy) 37%; Stefan HARABIN (independent) 11.7%, other 8.8%; runoff to be held on 6 April 2024<em><br><br>2019:</em> Zuzana CAPUTOVA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Zuzana CAPUTOVA (PS) 58.4%, Maros SEFCOVIC (independent) 41.6%<br><br><em>2014:</em> Andrej KISKA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Andrej KISKA (independent) 59.4%, Robert FICO (Smer-SD) 40.6%"
       }
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
@@ -1218,7 +1218,7 @@
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "refugees (country of origin)": {
-        "text": "117,265 (Ukraine) (as of 3 March 2024)"
+        "text": "117,265 (Ukraine) (as of 24 March 2024)"
       },
       "stateless persons": {
         "text": "2,940 (2022)"

europe/po.json

@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@
         "text": "last held on 10 March 2024 (next to be held on 30 September 2028); note - early elections were called after Prime Minister Antonio Luis Santos da COSTA resigned on 7 November 2023"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by party -; seats by party - PSD 79, PS 77, Enough 48, other 26; composition - men, women%"
+        "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PSD 79, PS 77, Enough 48, other 26; composition - men NA, women NA, percent of women NA%"
       }
     },
     "Judicial branch": {

europe/ro.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia -- for centuries under the control of the Turkish Ottoman Empire -- secured their autonomy through the Treaty of Paris in 1856. They were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country joined the Allied Powers in World War I and subsequently acquired new territories -- most notably Transylvania -- that more than doubled its size. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist \"people's republic\" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007."
+      "text": "The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia -- for centuries under the control of the Turkish Ottoman Empire -- secured their autonomy through the Treaty of Paris in 1856. They were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country joined the Allied Powers in World War I and subsequently acquired new territories -- most notably Transylvania -- that more than doubled its size. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist \"people's republic\" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, and the Schengen Area for air and sea travel in 2024."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -1258,7 +1258,7 @@
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "refugees (country of origin)": {
-        "text": "77,250 (Ukraine) (as of 10 March 2024)"
+        "text": "77,250 (Ukraine) (as of 24 March 2024)"
       },
       "stateless persons": {
         "text": "297 (2022)"

europe/up.json

@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@
       },
       "water": {
         "text": "24,220 sq km"
-      }
+      },
+      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, an area of approximately 27,000 sq km (10,400 sq miles)"
     },
     "Area - comparative": {
       "text": "almost four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas"

middle-east/aj.json

@@ -1195,7 +1195,7 @@
       "text": "Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency (NASA; Azərbaycan Milli Aerokosmik Agentliyi, MAKA; established in 1992 from the Kaspiy Scientific Center, established 1974); Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azercosmos; established 2010 as a state-owned satellite operating company)  (2023)"
     },
     "Space program overview": {
-      "text": "national space program largely focused on the acquisition and operation of satellites; operates foreign-built communications and remote sensing (RS) satellites; has two satellite ground control stations; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of China, the European Space Agency (and individual member states such as France), Russia, and the US; Azercosmos is the largest satellite operator in the Caucasus region (2023)",
+      "text": "national space program largely focused on the acquisition and operation of satellites; operates foreign-built communications and remote sensing (RS) satellites; has two satellite ground control stations; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of China, the European Space Agency (and individual member states such as France), Israel, Russia, Turkey, and the US; Azercosmos is the largest satellite operator in the Caucasus region (2024)",
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> 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"
     }
   },
@@ -1207,7 +1207,7 @@
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {
     "Disputes - international": {
-      "text": "<p><em>Armenia-Azerbaijan:</em> tensions existed for years over Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands in Azerbaijan; Azerbaijan seized part of the enclave during six weeks of fighting in 2020 and the remainder in a short conflict in September 2023; Baku and Yerevan have since had discussions on a peace treaty, the demarcation of borders, and full normalization of relations, although bi-lateral tensions remain<br><br><em>Azerbaijan-Georgia:</em> a joint boundary commission agrees on most of the alignment, leaving only small areas at certain crossing points in dispute; consequently, the two states have yet to agree on a delimitation or demarcation of their common boundary; one area of contention is where the international boundary should run through the 6th-13th Century David-Gareja monastery complex<br><br><em>Azerbaijan-Iran:</em> in recent years, tensions between Azerbajian and Iran have sometimes been high in part because of ties between Azerbaijan and Israel, and Baku's claims that Tehran has backed Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh<br><br><em>Azerbaijan-Turkey:</em> none identified; as of 2023, Turkey and Armenia were discussing normalizing relations<br><br><em>Caspian Sea (Maritime Boundary):</em> Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified the Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea; bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian<br><br>local border forces struggle to control the illegal transit of goods and people across the porous, undemarcated Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian borders</p>"
+      "text": "<p><em>Armenia-Azerbaijan:</em> tensions existed for years over Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands in Azerbaijan; Azerbaijan seized part of the enclave during six weeks of fighting in 2020 and the remainder in a short conflict in September 2023; Baku and Yerevan have since had discussions on a peace treaty, the demarcation of borders, and full normalization of relations, although bi-lateral tensions remain<br><br><em>Azerbaijan-Georgia:</em> a joint boundary commission agrees on most of the alignment, leaving only small areas at certain crossing points in dispute; consequently, the two states have yet to agree on a delimitation or demarcation of their common boundary; one area of contention is where the international boundary should run through the 6th-13th Century David-Gareja monastery complex<br><br><em>Azerbaijan-Iran:</em> in recent years, tensions between Azerbajian and Iran have sometimes been high in part because of ties between Azerbaijan and Israel, and Baku's claims that Tehran has backed Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh<br><br><em>Azerbaijan-Turkey:</em> none identified<br><br><em>Caspian Sea (Maritime Boundary):</em> Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified the Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea; bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian<br><br></p>"
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "IDPs": {

middle-east/ir.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces led by Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a learned religious scholar referred to commonly as the Supreme Leader who, according to the constitution, is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts - a popularly elected 88-member body of clerics. US-Iranian relations became strained when a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and held embassy personnel hostage until mid-January 1981. The US cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in April 1980. During the period 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism and was subject to US, UN, and EU economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement in terrorism and concerns over possible military dimensions of its nuclear program until Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Implementation Day in 2016. The US began gradually re-imposing sanctions on Iran after the US withdrawal from JCPOA in May 2018.</p> <p>Following the election of reformer Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and a reformist Majles (legislature) in 2000, a campaign to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction was initiated. The movement floundered as conservative politicians, supported by the Supreme Leader, unelected institutions of authority like the Guardians Council, and the security services reversed and blocked reform measures while increasing security repression. Starting with nationwide municipal elections in 2003 and continuing through Majles elections in 2004, conservatives reestablished control over Iran's elected government institutions, which culminated with the August 2005 inauguration of hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president. His controversial reelection in June 2009 sparked nationwide protests over allegations of electoral fraud, which persisted until early 2011. President AHMADI-NEJAD's independent streak angered regime establishment figures, including the Supreme Leader, leading to conservative opposition to his agenda for the last year of his presidency, and an alienation of his political supporters. In June 2013, Iranians elected a centrist cleric Dr. Hasan Fereidun RUHANI to the presidency. A longtime senior member in the regime, he made promises of reforming society and Iran's foreign policy. In July 2015, Iran and the five UNSC permanent members, plus Germany (P5+1) finalized the JCPOA under which Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief; however, the US reimposed sanctions in 2018 dealing a blow to RUHANI's legacy and the Iranian economy. In November 2019, Tehran's decision to increase the price of gasoline overnight sparked nationwide protests, which the regime violently suppressed within a week. Conservatives won the majority of seats in Iranian Majles elections in elections in February 2020 and hardline cleric Ebrahim RAISI - who had a decades-long career in Iran's judiciary - was elected president in June 2021, resulting in a hardline and conservative monopoly across the regime's elected and unelected institutions. <br><br>As president, RAISI has concentrated on deepening Iran's foreign relations with anti-US states - particularly China and Russia - to weather US sanctions and diplomatic pressure, while supporting negotiations to restore a nuclear deal that began in 2021. RAISI contended with nationwide protests that began in September 2022 and persisted for over three months following the death of a Kurdish Iranian woman, Mahsa AMINI, in morality police custody. Young people and women led the protests and in contrast to previous periods of unrest, this latest bout focused on demands for regime change rather than reform within the system or the redressal of economic grievances.</p>"
+      "text": "<p>Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces led by Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a religious scholar referred to commonly as the Supreme Leader who, according to the constitution, is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts - a popularly elected 88-member body of clerics. US-Iran relations became strained when a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and held embassy personnel hostage until mid-January 1981. The US cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in April 1980. During the period 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984. Iran continues to be subject to a range of international sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement in terrorism, weapons proliferation, human rights abuses, and concerns over the nature of its nuclear program. Iran received nuclear-related sanctions relief in exchange for its nuclear concessions under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action's (JCPOA) Implementation Day beginning in January 2016. However, the US re-imposed nuclear-related sanctions on Iran after it unilaterally terminated its participation in the JCPOA in May 2018. In October 2023, the EU and the UK also decided to maintain nuclear proliferation-related measures on Iran, as well as arms and missile embargoes, in direct response to Iran's non-compliance with its JCPOA commitments following the US decision to terminate its participation in the accord.</p> <p>Following the election of reformer Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and a reformist Majles (legislature) in 2000, a campaign to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction was initiated. The movement floundered as conservative politicians, supported by the Supreme Leader, unelected institutions of authority like the Guardians Council, and the security services reversed and blocked reform measures while increasing repression. Starting with nationwide municipal elections in 2003 and continuing through Majles elections in 2004, conservatives reestablished control over Iran's elected government institutions, which culminated with the August 2005 inauguration of hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president. His controversial reelection in June 2009 sparked nationwide protests over allegations of electoral fraud, which persisted until early 2011. President AHMADI-NEJAD's independent streak angered regime establishment figures, including the Supreme Leader, leading to conservative opposition to his agenda for the last year of his presidency, and an alienation of his political supporters. In June 2013, Iranians elected a centrist cleric Dr. Hasan Fereidun RUHANI to the presidency. A longtime senior member in the regime, he made promises of reforming society and Iran's foreign policy. In July 2015, Iran and the five UNSC permanent members, plus Germany (P5+1) finalized the JCPOA under which Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for nuclear-related sanctions relief; however, the US reimposed nuclear-related sanctions in 2018 dealing a blow to RUHANI's legacy and the Iranian economy. In November 2019, Tehran's decision to increase the price of gasoline overnight sparked nationwide protests, which the regime violently suppressed within a week. Conservatives won the majority of seats in Iranian Majles elections in elections in February 2020 and hardline cleric Ebrahim RAISI - who had a decades-long career in Iran's judiciary - was elected president in June 2021, resulting in a hardline and conservative monopoly across the regime's elected and unelected institutions. <br><br>As president, RAISI has concentrated on deepening Iran's foreign relations with anti-US states - particularly China and Russia - to weather US sanctions and diplomatic pressure, while supporting negotiations to restore a nuclear deal that began in 2021. RAISI contended with nationwide protests that began in September 2022 and persisted for over three months following the death of a Kurdish Iranian woman, Mahsa AMINI, while she was in morality police custody. Young people and women led the protests and demands focused on regime change rather than reform within the system or the redressal of economic grievances.</p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@
         "text": "unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e Shura-ye Eslami or Majles (290 seats; 285 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by multiple non-transferable vote&nbsp;in 2 rounds, 1 seat each for Zoroastrians, Jews, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians, Armenians in the north of the country and Armenians in the south; members serve 4-year terms); note - all candidates to the Majles must be approved by the Council of Guardians, a 12-member group of which 6 are appointed by the supreme leader and 6 are jurists nominated by the judiciary and elected by the Majles"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "first round held on 1 March 2024 for 245 seats; second round for 45 remaining seats to be held in May (next full Majles election to be held in 2028)"
+        "text": "first round held on 1 March 2024 for 245 seats; second round for 45 remaining seats to be held on 10 May 2024 (next full Majles election to be held in 2028)"
       },
       "election results": {
         "text": "percent of vote by coalition in first round - NA; seats by coalition in first round - conservatives and hardliners 200, other 45; composition - NA"
@@ -1200,7 +1200,7 @@
       "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)"
     },
     "Military service age and obligation": {
-      "text": "military service is compulsory for all Iranian men 18/19 to approximately age 40; 16 for voluntary military service (may be as low as 15 for the Basij); conscript military service obligation is 18-24 months, depending on the location of service (soldiers serving in places of high security risk and deprived areas serve shorter terms); women exempted from military service (2023)",
+      "text": "military service is compulsory for all Iranian men 18/19 to approximately age 40; 16 for voluntary military service (may be as low as 15 for the Basij); conscript military service obligation is up to 24 months, depending on the location of service (soldiers serving in places of high security risk and deprived areas serve shorter terms); women exempted from military service (2023)",
       "note": "<strong>note: </strong>conscripts serve in the Artesh, IRGC, and Law Enforcement; approximately 80% of Artesh ground forces personnel are conscripts, while Navy and Air/Air Defense Force personnel are primarily volunteers; conscripts reportedly comprise a significant portion of the IRGC"
     },
     "Military deployments": {

middle-east/iz.json

@@ -1197,7 +1197,7 @@
       }
     },
     "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; estimated 100-160,000 Popular Mobilization Forces<br><br>Ministry of Peshmerga: approximately 150,000 (45-50,000 Regional Guard Brigades; 40-45,000 Unit 70 Forces; 65-70,000 Unit 80 Forces) (2023)"
+      "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; estimated 125,000 Popular Mobilization Forces<br><br>Ministry of Peshmerga: approximately 150,000 (45-50,000 Regional Guard Brigades; 40-45,000 Unit 70 Forces; 65-70,000 Unit 80 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)"

middle-east/jo.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in 1921 and recognized ABDALLAH I from the Hashemite family as the country's first leader. The Hashemites also controlled the Hijaz, or the western coastal area of modern-day Saudi Arabia until 1925, when they were pushed out by IBN SAUD and Wahhabi tribes. The country gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.</p> The country has had four kings. Jordan's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (r. 1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and Palestinian militants, the latter of which led to a brief civil war in 1970 referred to as \"Black September\" and ended in King HUSSEIN's ouster of the militants from Jordan. <br><br>Jordan's borders also have changed since it gained independence. In 1948, Jordan took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the first Arab-Israeli War, eventually annexing those territories in 1950 and granting its new Palestinian residents with Jordanian citizenship. In 1967, Jordan lost the West Bank and East Jerusalem to Israel in the Six-Day War but retained administrative claims to the West Bank until 1988 when King HUSSEIN permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank in favor of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). King HUSSEIN signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, after Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo Accords in 1993.<br><br>Jordanian kings continue to claim custodianship of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem by virtue of their Hashemite heritage as descendants of the Prophet Mohammad and agreements with Israel and Jerusalem-based religious and Palestinian leaders. After Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 War, it authorized the Jordanian-controlled Islamic Trust, or Waqf, to continue administering affairs at the Al Haram ash Sharif/Temple Mount holy compound, and the Jordan-Israel peace treaty reaffirmed Jordan's \"special role\" in administering the Muslim holy shrines in Jerusalem. Jordanian kings claim custodianship of the Christian sites in Jerusalem on the basis of the 7th-century Pact of Omar, when the Muslim leader, after conquering Jerusalem, agreed to permit Christian worship.<br><br>King HUSSEIN died in 1999 and was succeeded by his eldest son, ABDALLAH II, who remains the current king. In 2009, King ABDALLAH II designated his son HUSSEIN as the Crown Prince. During his reign, ABDALLAH II has contended with a series of challenges, including the Arab Spring influx of refugees from neighboring states, the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of the war in Ukraine, and a perennially weak economy. <p> </p>"
+      "text": "<p>Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in 1921 and recognized ABDALLAH I from the Hashemite family as the country's first leader. The Hashemites also controlled the Hijaz, or the western coastal area of modern-day Saudi Arabia until 1925, when they were pushed out by IBN SAUD and Wahhabi tribes. The country gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.</p> The country has had four kings. Jordan's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (r. 1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and Palestinian militants, the latter of which led to a brief civil war in 1970 referred to as \"Black September\" and ended in King HUSSEIN's ouster of the militants from Jordan. <br><br>Jordan's borders also have changed since it gained independence. In 1948, Jordan took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the first Arab-Israeli War, eventually annexing those territories in 1950 and granting its new Palestinian residents with Jordanian citizenship. In 1967, Jordan lost the West Bank and East Jerusalem to Israel in the Six-Day War but retained administrative claims to the West Bank until 1988 when King HUSSEIN permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank in favor of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). King HUSSEIN signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, after Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo Accords in 1993.<br><br>Jordanian kings continue to claim custodianship of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem by virtue of their Hashemite heritage as descendants of the Prophet Mohammad and agreements with Israel and Jerusalem-based religious and Palestinian leaders. After Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 War, it authorized the Jordanian-controlled Islamic Trust, or Waqf, to continue administering affairs at the Al Haram ash Sharif/Temple Mount holy compound, and the Jordan-Israel peace treaty reaffirmed Jordan's \"special role\" in administering the Muslim holy shrines in Jerusalem. Jordanian kings claim custodianship of the Christian sites in Jerusalem on the basis of the 7th-century Pact of Omar, when the Muslim leader, after conquering Jerusalem, agreed to permit Christian worship.<br><br>King HUSSEIN died in 1999 and was succeeded by his eldest son, ABDALLAH II, who remains the current king. In 2009, King ABDALLAH II designated his son HUSSEIN as the Crown Prince. During his reign, ABDALLAH II has contended with a series of challenges, including the Arab Spring influx of refugees from neighboring states, the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of the war in Ukraine, a perennially weak economy, and the Israel-HAMAS conflict that began in October 2023. <p> </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -573,10 +573,10 @@
         "text": "bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of:<br>Senate or the House of Notables or Majlis al-Ayan (65 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms)<br>Chamber of Deputies or House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwaab (130 seats; 115 members directly elected in 23 multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote and 15 seats for women; 12 of the 115 seats reserved for Christian, Chechen, and Circassian candidates; members serve 4-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "Senate - last appointments on 27 Sep 2020 (next to be held in 2024)<br>Chamber of Deputies - last held on 10 November 2020 (next anticipated in November 2024)"
+        "text": "<br>Senate - last appointments on 27 Sep 2020 (next to be held in 2024)<br>Chamber of Deputies - last held on 10 November 2020 (next anticipated in November 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<em><br>2020:</em><br>Senate - composition men 58, women 7, percent of women 10.8%<br><em>2020:<br></em>Chamber of Deputies; note - tribal, centrist, and pro-government candidates dominated the  election; the Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, garnered only 10 seats, down from 15 in the previous election; women, who are guaranteed 15 seats by Jordan’s legislative quota system, won 16 seats, down from 20 seats won in the previous election; composition - men 114, women 16, percent of women 12.3%; note - total National Assembly percent of women 11.8%<br> <p> </p>"
+        "text": "<em><br>2020: </em>Senate - composition men 58, women 7, percent of women 10.8%<br><em>2020: </em>Chamber of Deputies; note - tribal, centrist, and pro-government candidates dominated the election; the Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, garnered only 10 seats, down from 15 in the previous election; women, who are guaranteed 15 seats by Jordan’s legislative quota system, won 16 seats, down from 20 seats won in the previous election; composition - men 114, women 16, percent of women 12.3%; note - total National Assembly percent of women 11.8%<br> <p> </p>"
       },
       "note": "note: in 2022, a new electoral law - effective for the anticipated 2024 election - will increase the total number of Chamber of Deputies' seats to 138 from 130; 97 members to be directly elected from multi-seat geographic districts by open list proportional representation vote, with over 7 percent of total votes needed to gain a seat, and 41 members to be directly elected from a single national district by closed party-list proportional representation vote, with over a 2.5 percent of total votes needed to gain a seat"
     },
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Political parties and leaders": {
-      "text": "political reforms enacted in 2020 require all existing parties to re-register by May 2023, which will result in changes to the number of registered parties and the number of seats held by those parties for the anticipated 2024 election"
+      "text": "political reforms required all existing parties to re-register by May 2023, which resulted in changes to the number of registered parties and the number of seats held by those parties for the anticipated 2024 election"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
       "text": "ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, NATO (partner), OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"

middle-east/ku.json

@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Alzain Sabah Naser Saud ALSABAH (since 19 April 2023)"
+        "text": "Ambassador Alzain Sabah Naser Saud ALSABAH (since 19 April 2023)"
       },
       "chancery": {
         "text": "2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 (po)"

middle-east/le.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "As a result of its location at the crossroads of three continents, the area that is modern-day Lebanon is rich in cultural and religious diversity. This region was subject to various foreign conquests for much of its history, including by the Romans, Arabs, and Ottomans. Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. From it the French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920, and it gained independence in 1943. Since then, Lebanon has experienced periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its historical position as a regional center for finance and trade, although that status has significantly diminished since the beginning of Lebanon’s economic crisis in 2019, which includes simultaneous currency, debt, and banking crises. The country's 1975-90 civil war, which resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese political life. Neighboring Syria has historically influenced Lebanon's foreign and domestic policies, and its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. Hizballah - a major Lebanese political party, militia, and US-designated foreign terrorist organization - and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal and fought a brief war in 2006. Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.<br><br>Since 2019, Lebanon has experienced a severe economic crisis that has crippled its economy, shut down its previously lucrative banking sector, reduced the value of its currency, and caused many Lebanese to emigrate in search of better prospects."
+      "text": "As a result of its location at the crossroads of three continents, the area that is modern-day Lebanon is rich in cultural and religious diversity. This region was subject to various foreign conquests for much of its history, including by the Romans, Arabs, and Ottomans. Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. From it the French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920, and it gained independence in 1943. Since then, Lebanon has experienced periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its position as a regional center for finance and trade, although that status has significantly diminished since the beginning of Lebanon’s economic crisis in 2019, which includes simultaneous currency, debt, and banking crises. The country's 1975-90 civil war, which resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability, and sectarianism remains a key element of Lebanese political life. The Israeli defense forces, which occupied parts of Lebanon during the civil war, did not completely withdraw until 2000. Neighboring Syria influenced Lebanon's foreign and domestic policies, while its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005; however, its influence diminished significantly after 2005. Over 1.5 million Syrian refugees have fled to Lebanon since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. Hizballah - a major Lebanese political party, militia, and US-designated foreign terrorist organization - and Israel have continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal and fought a brief war in 2006. After HAMAS attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, the intensity and frequency of these cross-border attacks increased substantially into a cycle of hostilities, mostly limited to the border areas as of January 2024. Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.<br><br>Since 2019, Lebanon has experienced a severe economic crisis that has crippled its economy, shut down its previously lucrative banking sector, reduced the value of its currency, and caused many Lebanese to emigrate in search of better prospects."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -544,10 +544,10 @@
         "text": "Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and Parliament"
       },
       "elections/appointments": {
-        "text": "president indirectly elected by Parliament with two-thirds majority vote in the first round and if needed absolute majority vote in a second round for a 6-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms); last held on 31 October 2016 (presidential election ongoing as of mid-June 2023); prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with Parliament; deputy prime minister determined during cabinet formation"
+        "text": "president indirectly elected by Parliament with two-thirds majority vote in the first round and if needed absolute majority vote in a second round for a 6-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms); last held on 31 October 2016; prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with Parliament; deputy prime minister determined during cabinet formation"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<br><em>2023:</em> on 14 June 2023, Parliament failed in its twelfth attempt to elect a president; Parliament vote in the first round - Sulayman FRANJIEH (Marada Movement) 59, Jihad AZOUR (independent) 51; note - the Hezbollah bloc withdrew following the first round of voting and a second round was not possible since Parliament lacked the required 86-member quorum for a second round of voting<br><em><br>2016:</em> Michel AWN elected president in second round; Parliament vote - Michel AWN (FPM) 83; note - in the initial election held on 23 April 2014, no candidate received the required two-thirds vote, and subsequent attempts failed because Parliament lacked the necessary quorum of 86 members to hold a vote; the president was finally elected in its 46th attempt on 31 October 2016"
+        "text": "<br><em>2023:</em> on 14 June 2023, Parliament failed in its twelfth attempt to elect a president; note - the Hezbollah bloc withdrew following the first round of voting and a second round was not possible since Parliament lacked the required 86-member quorum for a second round of voting<br><em><br>2016:</em> Michel AWN elected president in second round; Parliament vote - Michel AWN (FPM) 83; the president was finally elected in its 46th attempt on 31 October 2016"
       }
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@
         "text": "last held on 15 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2026)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "percent of vote by coalition/party &ndash; NA; seats by party/coalition &ndash; FPM 16, LF 14, Amal Movement 13, Hezbollah 13, PSP 9, FM (candidates did not run in 2022; members ran as independents) 8, Kata&rsquo;ib Party 4, other 30, independent 21; composition - men 120, women 8, percent of women 6.3%; note -a dozen of the elected deputies are from groups pushing for reform with origins in the recent protest movements against the established elite and have formed a group called the \"Forces of Change\""
+        "text": "percent of vote by coalition/party &ndash; NA; seats by party/coalition &ndash; FPM 16, LF 14, Amal Movement 13, Hezbollah 13, PSP 9, Kata&rsquo;ib Party 4, other 30, independent 29; composition - men 120, women 8, percent of women 6.3%; note -a dozen of the elected deputies are from groups pushing for reform with origins in the recent protest movements against the established elite and have formed a group called the \"Forces of Change\""
       },
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> Lebanon’s constitution states the Lebanese Parliament cannot conduct regular business until it elects a president when the position is vacant"
     },
@@ -601,10 +601,10 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador Dorothy C. SHEA (since 11 March 2020)"
+        "text": "Ambassador-designate Lisa A. JOHNSON (since 11 January 2024)"
       },
       "embassy": {
-        "text": "Awkar-Facing the Municipality, Main Street, Beirut"
+        "text": "Awkar facing the Municipality<br>P.O. Box 70-840 Antelias, Beirut"
       },
       "mailing address": {
         "text": "6070 Beirut Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-6070"

middle-east/mu.json

@@ -525,10 +525,10 @@
     },
     "Executive branch": {
       "chief of state": {
-        "text": "Sultan and Prime Minister HAYTHAM bin Tariq Al Said (since 11 January 2020); note - the monarch is both chief of state and head of government"
+        "text": "Sultan and Prime Minister HAITHAM bin Tarik Al Said (since 11 January 2020); note - the monarch is both chief of state and head of government"
       },
       "head of government": {
-        "text": "Sultan and Prime Minister HAYTHAM bin Tariq Al Said (since 11 January 2020)"
+        "text": "Sultan and Prime HAITHAM bin Tarik Al Said (since 11 January 2020)"
       },
       "cabinet": {
         "text": "Cabinet appointed by the monarch"
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charge D'Affaires Leslie ORDEMAN (since August 2023)"
+        "text": "Ambassador Ana ESCROGIMA (since 4 December 2023)"
       },
       "embassy": {
         "text": "P.C. 115, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Muscat"

middle-east/qa.json

@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@
     },
     "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
       "chief of mission": {
-        "text": "<p>Ambassador MISHAL bin Hamad bin Muhammad Al Thani (since 24 April 2017)</p>"
+        "text": "Ambassador MISHAL bin Hamad bin Muhammad Al Thani (since 24 April 2017)"
       },
       "chancery": {
         "text": "2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037"
@@ -1162,7 +1162,7 @@
       "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)"
+      "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; Qatar is one of the world's largest arms importers (2023)"
     },
     "Military service age and obligation": {
       "text": "conscription for men aged 18-35 introduced in 2013; compulsory service times range from 4-12 months, depending on educational and professional circumstances; since 2018, women have been permitted to serve as volunteers in the armed forces, including as uniformed officers and pilots (2023)",

middle-east/tu.json

@@ -1285,7 +1285,7 @@
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {
     "Disputes - international": {
-      "text": "<p><em>Turkey-Armenia</em>: in 2009, Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey, but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has faltered;  in early 2022, the two countries held talks twice aimed at normalizing relations, which could lead to the opening of their land border, shut since 1993; in 2000, Turkish authorities complained to UNESCO that blasting from quarries in Armenia was damaging the medieval ruins of Ani, on the other side of the Arpacay valley</p> <p><em>Turkey-Azerbaijan</em>: none identified; as of 2023, Turkey and Armenia were discussing normalizing relations</p> <p><em>Turkey-Bulgaria</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Turkey-Cyprus</em>: status of northern Cyprus question remains</p> <p><em>Turkey-Georgia</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Turkey-Greece</em>: complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea, including rights to explore oil and gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean and illegal migrants transiting from Turkey into Greece; the Aegean Maritime Boundary is complicated by the close proximity of Greek islands to the western shores of the Turkish Anatolian peninsula, representing the primary source of conflict between the two countries</p> <p><em>Turkey-Iran</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Turkey-Iraq</em>: Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq</p> <p><em>Turkey-Syria</em>: Turkey completed building a wall along its border with Syria in 2018 to prevent illegal border crossings and smuggling</p>"
+      "text": "<p><em>Turkey-Armenia</em>: as of 2023, Turkey and Armenia were discussing normalizing relations</p> <p><em>Turkey-Azerbaijan</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Turkey-Bulgaria</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Turkey-Cyprus</em>: status of northern Cyprus question remains</p> <p><em>Turkey-Georgia</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Turkey-Greece</em>: complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea, including rights to explore oil and gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean and illegal migrants transiting from Turkey into Greece; the Aegean Maritime Boundary is complicated by the close proximity of Greek islands to the western shores of the Turkish Anatolian peninsula, representing the primary source of conflict between the two countries</p> <p><em>Turkey-Iran</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Turkey-Iraq</em>: Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq</p> <p><em>Turkey-Syria</em>: Turkey completed building a wall along its border with Syria in 2018 to prevent illegal border crossings and smuggling</p>"
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "refugees (country of origin)": {

north-america/gl.json

@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@
         "text": "(+299) 384100"
       },
       "email address and website": {
-        "text": "<br>USConsulateNuuk@state.gov<br><br>https://dk.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulate/nuuk/"
+        "text": "<br>USConsulateNuuk@state.gov<br><br>Homepage - U.S. Embassy &amp; Consulate in the Kingdom of Denmark (usembassy.gov)"
       }
     },
     "Flag description": {

north-america/us.json

@@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@
     },
     "Ports and terminals": {
       "major seaport(s)": {
-        "text": "<em><br>Atlantic Ocean:</em> Charleston, Hampton Roads, New York/New Jersey, Savannah<br><em>Pacific Ocean:</em> Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle/Tacoma<br><em>Gulf of Mexico:</em> Houston"
+        "text": "<em><br>Atlantic Ocean:</em> Baltimore, Charleston, Hampton Roads, New York/New Jersey, Savannah<br><em>Pacific Ocean:</em> Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle/Tacoma<br><em>Gulf of Mexico:</em> Houston"
       },
       "oil terminal(s)": {
         "text": "LOOP terminal, Haymark terminal"
@@ -1202,10 +1202,10 @@
         "text": "Baton Rouge, Plaquemines, New Orleans (Mississippi River)"
       },
       "cargo ports": {
-        "text": "Baton Rouge, Corpus Christi, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Plaquemines (LA), Tampa, Texas City"
+        "text": "Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Corpus Christi, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Plaquemines (LA), Tampa, Texas City"
       },
       "cruise departure ports (passengers)": {
-        "text": "Miami, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral, Seattle, Long Beach"
+        "text": "Baltimore, Long Beach, Miami, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral, Seattle"
       }
     },
     "Transportation - note": {

oceans/oo.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "A large body of recent oceanographic research has shown that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), an ocean current that flows from west to east around Antarctica, plays a crucial role in global ocean circulation. The region where the cold waters of the ACC meet and mingle with the warmer waters of the north defines a distinct border - the Antarctic Convergence - which fluctuates with the seasons, but which encompasses a discrete body of water and a unique ecologic region. The Convergence concentrates nutrients, which promotes marine plant life, and which, in turn, allows for a greater abundance of animal life. In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization delimited the waters within the Convergence as a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean - by combining the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty region and which approximates the extent of the Antarctic Convergence. As such, the Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean). It should be noted that inclusion of the Southern Ocean does not imply recognition of this feature as one of the world's primary oceans by the US Government."
+      "text": "A large body of recent oceanographic research has shown that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), an ocean current that flows from west to east around Antarctica, plays a crucial role in global ocean circulation. The region where the cold waters of the ACC meet and mingle with the warmer waters of the north defines a distinct border - the Antarctic Convergence - which fluctuates with the seasons, but which encompasses a discrete body of water and a unique ecologic region. The Convergence concentrates nutrients, which promotes marine plant life, and which, in turn, allows for a greater abundance of animal life. In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization delimited the waters within the Convergence as a fifth world ocean basin - the Southern Ocean - by combining the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty region and which approximates the extent of the Antarctic Convergence. As such, the Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world's five ocean basins (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean). It should be noted that inclusion of the Southern Ocean does not imply recognition of this feature as one of the world's primary ocean basins by the US Government."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Major ocean currents": {
-      "text": "<p>the cold, clockwise-flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current (West Wind Drift; 21,000 km long) moves perpetually eastward around the continent and is the world's largest and strongest ocean current, transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100 times the flow of all the world's rivers; it is also the only current that flows all the way around the planet and connects the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans; the cold Antarctic Coastal Current (East Wind Drift) is the southernmost current in the world, flowing westward and parallel to the Antarctic coastline</p>"
+      "text": "<p>the cold, clockwise-flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current (West Wind Drift; 21,000 km long) moves perpetually eastward around the continent and is the world's largest and strongest ocean current, transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100 times the flow of all the world's rivers; it is also the only current that flows all the way around the planet and connects the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean basins; the cold Antarctic Coastal Current (East Wind Drift) is the southernmost current in the world, flowing westward and parallel to the Antarctic coastline</p>"
     },
     "Bathymetry": {
       "continental shelf": {
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@
       "mid-ocean ridge": {
         "text": "The <em>mid-ocean ridge </em>(see Figure 1), rising up from the abyssal plain, is an underwater mountain range, over 64,000 km (40,000 mi) long, rising to an average depth of 2,400 m (8,000 ft). <em>Mid-ocean ridges</em> form at divergent plate boundaries where two tectonic plates are moving apart and new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle. Tracing their way around the global ocean, this system of underwater volcanoes forms the longest mountain range on Earth. Fracture Zones are linear transform faults that develop perpendicular to the line of the mid-ocean ridge which can offset the ridge line and divide it into segments. The following are examples of <em>mid-ocean ridges</em> found on the floor of the Southern Ocean (see Figure 2).<br>Pacific-Antarctic Ridge (see also Figure 3)"
       },
-      "seamounts": {
-        "text": "<em>Seamounts</em> (see Figure 1) are submarine mountains at least 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high formed from individual volcanoes on the ocean floor. They are distinct from the plate-boundary volcanic system of the mid-ocean ridges, because <em>seamounts</em> tend to be circular or conical. A circular collapse caldera is often centered at the summit, evidence of a magma chamber within the volcano. Flat topped <em>seamounts</em> are known as <em>guyots</em>. Long chains of <em>seamounts</em> are often fed by \"hot spots\" in the deep mantle. These hot spots are associated with stationary plumes of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth's mantle. These hot spot plumes melt through the overlying tectonic plate as it moves and supplies magma to the active volcanic island at the end of the chain of volcanic islands and <em>seamounts</em>. The following are examples of <em>seamounts</em> found on the floor of the Southern Ocean (see Figure 2).<br>Akopov Seamounts (Figure 3)<br>De Gerlache Seamounts (see also Figure 3, 4)<br>Endurance Ridge (Figure 4)<br>Marie Byrd Seamount (see also Figure 3)<br>Maud Rise (see also Figure 4)<br>Scott Seamounts (see also Figure 3)"
+      "undersea terrain features": {
+        "text": "The Abyssal Plain is commonly interrupted by a variety of commonly named undersea terrain features including <em>seamounts</em>, <em>guyots</em>, <em>ridges</em>, and <em>plateaus</em>. <em>Seamounts</em> (see Figure 1) are submarine mountains at least 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high formed from individual volcanoes on the ocean floor. They are distinct from the plate-boundary volcanic system of the mid-ocean ridges, because <em>seamounts</em> tend to be circular or conical. A circular collapse caldera is often centered at the summit, evidence of a magma chamber within the volcano. Flat topped <em>seamounts</em> are known as <em>guyots</em>. Long chains of <em>seamounts</em> are often fed by \"hot spots\" in the deep mantle. These hot spots are associated with stationary plumes of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth's mantle. These hot spot plumes melt through the overlying tectonic plate as it moves and supplies magma to the active volcanic island at the end of the chain of volcanic islands and <em>seamounts</em>. An undersea <em>ridge</em> is an elongated elevation of varying complexity and size, generally having steep sides. An undersea <em>plateau</em> is a large, relatively flat elevation that is higher than the surrounding relief with one or more relatively steep sides. Although submerged, these features can reach close to sea level. The following are examples of <em>undersea terrain features</em> found on the floor of the Southern Ocean (see Figure 2).<br><br>Akopov Seamounts (Figure 3)<br>De Gerlache Seamounts (see also Figure 3, 4)<br>Endurance Ridge (Figure 4)<br>Marie Byrd Seamount (see also Figure 3)<br>Maud Rise (see also Figure 4)<br>Scott Seamounts (see also Figure 3)"
       },
       "ocean trenches": {
         "text": "<em>Ocean trenches</em> (see Figure 1) are the deepest parts of the ocean floor and are created by the process of subduction. Trenches form along convergent boundaries where tectonic plates are moving toward each other, and one plate sinks (is subducted) under another. The location where the sinking of a plate occurs is called a subduction zone. Subduction can occur when oceanic crust collides with and sinks under (subducts) continental crust resulting in volcanic, seismic, and mountain-building processes. Subduction can also occur in the convergence of two oceanic plates where one will sink under the other and in the process create a deep ocean trench. Subduction processes in oceanic-oceanic plate convergence also result in the formation of volcanoes. Over millions of years, the erupted lava and volcanic debris pile up on the ocean floor until a submarine volcano rises above sea level to form a volcanic island. Such volcanoes are typically strung out in chains called island arcs. As the name implies, volcanic island arcs, which closely parallel the trenches, are generally curved. The following are examples of <em>ocean trenches</em> found on the floor of the Southern Ocean (see Figure 2).<br>South Sandwich Trench (also see Figure 4); note - the deepest location in the Southern Ocean"
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
         "text": "-3,270 m"
       },
       "ocean zones": {
-        "text": "Composed of water and in a fluid state, the oceans are delimited differently than the solid continents. Oceans are divided into three zones based on depth and light level. Although some sea creatures depend on light to live, others can do without it. Sunlight entering the water may travel about 1,000 m into the oceans under the right conditions, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 m.<br><br>The upper 200 m (656 ft) of oceans is called the euphotic, or \"sunlight,\" zone. This zone contains the vast majority of commercial fisheries and is home to many protected marine mammals and sea turtles. Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth. <br><br>The zone between 200 m (656 ft) and 1,000 m (3,280 ft) is usually referred to as the \"twilight\" zone, but is officially the dysphotic zone. In this zone, the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases. Such a minuscule amount of light penetrates beyond a depth of 200 m that photosynthesis is no longer possible.<br><br>The aphotic, or \"midnight,\" zone exists in depths below 1,000 m (3,280 ft). Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths and the zone is bathed in darkness."
+        "text": "Composed of water and in a fluid state, the ocean is delimited differently than the solid continents. The ocean is divided into three zones based on depth and light level. Although some sea creatures depend on light to live, others can do without it. Sunlight entering the water may travel about 1,000 m into the oceans under the right conditions, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 m.<br><br>The upper 200 m (656 ft) of the ocean is called the euphotic, or \"sunlight,\" zone. This zone contains the vast majority of commercial fisheries and is home to many protected marine mammals and sea turtles. Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth. <br><br>The zone between 200 m (656 ft) and 1,000 m (3,280 ft) is usually referred to as the \"twilight\" zone, but is officially the dysphotic zone. In this zone, the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases. Such a minuscule amount of light penetrates beyond a depth of 200 m that photosynthesis is no longer possible.<br><br>The aphotic, or \"midnight,\" zone exists in depths below 1,000 m (3,280 ft). Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths and the zone is bathed in darkness."
       }
     },
     "Natural resources": {
@@ -98,13 +98,13 @@
       "text": "sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees Celsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees Celsius; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter"
     },
     "Marine fisheries": {
-      "text": "the Southern Ocean fishery is relatively small with a total catch of 388,901 mt in 2021; the Food and Agriculture Organization has delineated three regions in the Southern Ocean (Regions 48, 58, 88) that generally encompass the waters south of 40° to 60° South latitude; the most important producers in these regions include Norway (241,408 mt), China (47,605 mt), and South Korea (39,487 mt); Antarctic Krill made up 95.5% of the total catch in 2021, while other important species include Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish<br><br><strong>Regional fisheries bodies:</strong> Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources"
+      "text": "the Southern Ocean fishery is relatively small with a total catch of 388,901 mt in 2021; the Food and Agriculture Organization has delineated three regions in the Southern Ocean (Regions 48, 58, 88) that generally encompass the waters south of 40° to 60° South latitude; the most important producers in these regions include Norway (241,408 mt), China (47,605 mt), and South Korea (39,487 mt); Antarctic Krill made up 95.5% of the total catch in 2021, while other important species include Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish<br><br><strong>Regional fisheries bodies:</strong> Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources"
     }
   },
   "Government": {
     "Country name": {
       "etymology": {
-        "text": "the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) included the ocean and its definition as the waters south of 60 degrees south in its year 2000 revision, but this has not formally been adopted; the 2000 IHO definition, however, was circulated in a draft edition in 2002 and has acquired de facto usage by many nations and organizations, including the CIA"
+        "text": "the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) included the ocean and its definition as the waters south of 60 degrees south in its year 2000 revision, but this has not formally been adopted; the 2000 IHO definition, however, was circulated in a draft edition of the IHO's <em>Names and Limits of Oceans and Seas</em> in 2002 and has acquired de facto usage by many nations and organizations, including the CIA"
       }
     }
   },

oceans/xo.json

@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@
       "mid-ocean ridge": {
         "text": "<p>The <em>mid-ocean ridge </em>(see Figure 1), rising up from the abyssal plain, is an underwater mountain range, over 64,000 km (40,000 mi) long, rising to an average depth of 2,400 m (8,000 ft). <em>Mid-ocean ridges</em> form at divergent plate boundaries where two tectonic plates are moving apart and new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle. Tracing their way around the global ocean, this system of underwater volcanoes forms the longest mountain range on Earth. Fracture Zones are linear transform faults that develop perpendicular to the line of the mid-ocean ridge which can offset the ridge line and divide it into segments. The following are examples of <em>mid-ocean ridges</em> found on the floor of the Indian Ocean (see Figure 2).</p> <p>Central Indian Ridge<br>Davie Ridge<br>Southeast Indian Ridge<br>Southwest Indian Ridge</p>"
       },
-      "seamounts": {
-        "text": "<p><em>Seamounts</em> (see Figure 1) are submarine mountains at least 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high formed from individual volcanoes on the ocean floor. They are distinct from the plate-boundary volcanic system of the mid-ocean ridges, because <em>seamounts</em> tend to be circular or conical. A circular collapse caldera is often centered at the summit, evidence of a magma chamber within the volcano. Flat topped <em>seamounts</em> are known as <em>guyots</em>. Long chains of <em>seamounts</em> are often fed by \"hot spots\" in the deep mantle. These hot spots are associated with stationary plumes of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth's mantle. These hot spot plumes melt through the overlying tectonic plate as it moves and supplies magma to the active volcanic island at the end of the chain of volcanic islands and <em>seamounts</em>. The following are examples of <em>seamounts</em> found on the floor of the Indian Ocean (see Figure 2).</p> <p>Andaman-Nicobar Ridge<br>Chagos-Laccadive Ridge<br>Kerguelen Plateau<br>Madagascar Plateau<br>Mascarene Plateau<br>Mozambique Plateau<br>Ninetyeast Ridge<br><br></p>"
+      "undersea terrain features": {
+        "text": "<p>The Abyssal Plain is commonly interrupted by a variety of commonly named undersea terrain features including <em>seamounts</em>, <em>guyots</em>, <em>ridges</em>, and <em>plateaus</em>. <em>Seamounts</em> (see Figure 1) are submarine mountains at least 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high formed from individual volcanoes on the ocean floor. They are distinct from the plate-boundary volcanic system of the mid-ocean ridges, because <em>seamounts</em> tend to be circular or conical. A circular collapse caldera is often centered at the summit, evidence of a magma chamber within the volcano. Flat topped <em>seamounts</em> are known as <em>guyots</em>. Long chains of <em>seamounts</em> are often fed by \"hot spots\" in the deep mantle. These hot spots are associated with stationary plumes of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth's mantle. These hot spot plumes melt through the overlying tectonic plate as it moves and supplies magma to the active volcanic island at the end of the chain of volcanic islands and <em>seamounts</em>. An undersea <em>ridge</em> is an elongated elevation of varying complexity and size, generally having steep sides. An undersea <em>plateau</em> is a large, relatively flat elevation that is higher than the surrounding relief with one or more relatively steep sides. Although submerged, these features can reach close to sea level. The following are examples of <em>undersea terrain features</em> found on the floor of the Indian Ocean (see Figure 2).</p> <p>Andaman-Nicobar Ridge<br>Chagos-Laccadive Ridge<br>Kerguelen Plateau<br>Madagascar Plateau<br>Mascarene Plateau<br>Mozambique Plateau<br>Ninetyeast Ridge</p>"
       },
       "ocean trenches": {
         "text": "<p><em>Ocean trenches</em> (see Figure 1) are the deepest parts of the ocean floor and are created by the process of subduction. Trenches form along convergent boundaries where tectonic plates are moving toward each other, and one plate sinks (is subducted) under another. The location where the sinking of a plate occurs is called a subduction zone. Subduction can occur when oceanic crust collides with and sinks under (subducts) continental crust resulting in volcanic, seismic, and mountain-building processes. Subduction can also occur in the convergence of two oceanic plates where one will sink under the other and in the process create a deep ocean trench. Subduction processes in oceanic-oceanic plate convergence also result in the formation of volcanoes. Over millions of years, the erupted lava and volcanic debris pile up on the ocean floor until a submarine volcano rises above sea level to form a volcanic island. Such volcanoes are typically strung out in chains called island arcs. As the name implies, volcanic island arcs, which closely parallel the trenches, are generally curved. The following are examples of <em>ocean trenches</em> found on the floor of the Indian Ocean (see Figure 2).</p> <p>Java/Sunda Trench; note - deepest point in the Indian Ocean</p>"

oceans/xq.json

@@ -42,19 +42,19 @@
     },
     "Bathymetry": {
       "continental shelf": {
-        "text": "The <em>continental shelf </em>(see Figure 1), a rather flat area of the sea floor adjacent to the coast that gradually slopes down from the shore to water depths that are typically less than 200 m (660 ft). Dimensions can vary: they may be narrow or nearly nonexistent in some places or extend for hundreds of miles in others. The waters above the continental shelf are usually productive in both plant and animal life, both from sunlight and nutrients from ocean upwelling and terrestrial runoff. More than one quarter of the Arctic sea floor is <em>continental shelf</em>. The Eurasian shelf is very wide extending out 1,500 km (930 mi) and is the largest <em>continental shelf</em> in the World. The following are examples of features found on the <em>continental shelf</em> of the Arctic Ocean (see Figure 2).<br>Barents Shelf<br>Beaufort Shelf<br>Davis Sill<br>Chukchi Shelf<br>East Siberian Shelf<br>Kara Shelf<br>Laptev Shelf<br>Lincoln Shelf"
+        "text": "The <em>continental shelf </em>(see Figure 1), a rather flat area of the sea floor adjacent to the coast that gradually slopes down from the shore to water depths that are typically less than 200 m (660 ft). Dimensions can vary: they may be narrow or nearly nonexistent in some places or extend for hundreds of miles in others. The waters above the continental shelf are usually productive in both plant and animal life, both from sunlight and nutrients from ocean upwelling and terrestrial runoff. More than one quarter of the Arctic sea floor is <em>continental shelf</em>. The Eurasian shelf is very wide extending out 1,500 km (930 mi) and is the largest <em>continental shelf</em> in the World. The following are examples of features found on the <em>continental shelf</em> of the Arctic Ocean (see Figure 2).<br><br>Barents Shelf<br>Beaufort Shelf<br>Davis Sill<br>Chukchi Shelf<br>East Siberian Shelf<br>Kara Shelf<br>Laptev Shelf<br>Lincoln Shelf"
       },
       "continental slope": {
-        "text": "The <em>continental slope</em> (see Figure 1) is where the ocean bottom drops off more rapidly until it meets the deep-sea floor (abyssal plain) at depths exceeding 3,000 m (9,850 ft) water depth. The deep waters of the continental slope are characterized by cold temperatures, low light conditions, and very high pressures. Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths, having been absorbed or reflected in the water above. The <em>continental slope</em> can be indented by submarine canyons, often associated with the outflow of major rivers. Another feature of the continental slope are alluvial fans or cones of sediments carried downstream to the ocean by major rivers and deposited down the slope. The following are examples of features found on the <em>continental slope</em> of the Arctic Ocean (see Figure 2).<br>Litke Trough<br>Novaya Zemlya Trough<br>Svyataya Anna Trough (Saint Anna Trough)<br>Voronin Trough"
+        "text": "The <em>continental slope</em> (see Figure 1) is where the ocean bottom drops off more rapidly until it meets the deep-sea floor (abyssal plain) at depths exceeding 3,000 m (9,850 ft) water depth. The deep waters of the continental slope are characterized by cold temperatures, low light conditions, and very high pressures. Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths, having been absorbed or reflected in the water above. The <em>continental slope</em> can be indented by submarine canyons, often associated with the outflow of major rivers. Another feature of the continental slope are alluvial fans or cones of sediments carried downstream to the ocean by major rivers and deposited down the slope. The following are examples of features found on the <em>continental slope</em> of the Arctic Ocean (see Figure 2).<br><br>Litke Trough<br>Novaya Zemlya Trough<br>Svyataya Anna Trough (Saint Anna Trough)<br>Voronin Trough"
       },
       "abyssal plains": {
-        "text": "The <em>abyssal plains </em>(see Figure 1), at depths of over 3,000 m (10,000 ft) and covering 70% of the ocean floor, are the largest habitat on earth. Sunlight does not penetrate to the sea floor, making these deep, dark ecosystems less productive than those along the continental shelf. Despite their name, these “plains” are not uniformly flat; they are interrupted by features like hills, valleys, and seamounts. The following are examples of features found on the <em>abyssal plains</em> of the Arctic Ocean (see Figure 2).<br>Baffin Basin<br>Canada Basin<br>Fram/Amundsen Basin<br>Greenland Abyssal Plain<br>Iceland Basin<br>Makarov Basin<br>Molloy Deep; note - deepest point in the Arctic Ocean<br>Nansen Basin<br>Norwegian Basin"
+        "text": "The <em>abyssal plains </em>(see Figure 1), at depths of over 3,000 m (10,000 ft) and covering 70% of the ocean floor, are the largest habitat on earth. Sunlight does not penetrate to the sea floor, making these deep, dark ecosystems less productive than those along the continental shelf. Despite their name, these “plains” are not uniformly flat; they are interrupted by features like hills, valleys, and seamounts. The following are examples of features found on the <em>abyssal plains</em> of the Arctic Ocean (see Figure 2).<br><br>Baffin Basin<br>Canada Basin<br>Fram/Amundsen Basin<br>Greenland Abyssal Plain<br>Iceland Basin<br>Makarov Basin<br>Molloy Deep; note - deepest point in the Arctic Ocean<br>Nansen Basin<br>Norwegian Basin"
       },
       "mid-ocean ridge": {
-        "text": "The <em>mid-ocean ridge </em>(see Figure 1), rising up from the abyssal plain, is an underwater mountain range, over 64,000 km (40,000 mi) long, rising to an average depth of 2,400 m (8,000 ft). <em>Mid-ocean ridges</em> form at divergent plate boundaries where two tectonic plates are moving apart and new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle. Tracing their way around the global ocean, this system of underwater volcanoes forms the longest mountain range on Earth. Fracture Zones are linear transform faults that develop perpendicular to the line of the mid-ocean ridge which can offset the ridge line and divide it into segments. The following are examples of <em>mid-ocean ridges</em> found in the Arctic Ocean (see Figure 2).<br>Gakkel Ridge<br>Mohns Ridge"
+        "text": "The <em>mid-ocean ridge </em>(see Figure 1), rising up from the abyssal plain, is an underwater mountain range, over 64,000 km (40,000 mi) long, rising to an average depth of 2,400 m (8,000 ft). <em>Mid-ocean ridges</em> form at divergent plate boundaries where two tectonic plates are moving apart and new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle. Tracing their way around the global ocean, this system of underwater volcanoes forms the longest mountain range on Earth. Fracture Zones are linear transform faults that develop perpendicular to the line of the mid-ocean ridge which can offset the ridge line and divide it into segments. The following are examples of <em>mid-ocean ridges</em> found in the Arctic Ocean (see Figure 2).<br><br>Gakkel Ridge<br>Mohns Ridge"
       },
-      "seamounts": {
-        "text": "<em>Seamounts</em> (see Figure 1) are submarine mountains at least 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high formed from individual volcanoes on the ocean floor. They are distinct from the plate-boundary volcanic system of the mid-ocean ridges, because <em>seamounts</em> tend to be circular or conical. A circular collapse caldera is often centered at the summit, evidence of a magma chamber within the volcano. Flat topped <em>seamounts</em> are known as <em>guyots</em>. Long chains of <em>seamounts</em> are often fed by \"hot spots\" in the deep mantle. These hot spots are associated with stationary plumes of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth's mantle. These hot spot plumes melt through the overlying tectonic plate as it moves and supplies magma to the active volcanic island at the end of the chain of volcanic islands and <em>seamounts</em>. The following are examples of <em>seamounts</em> found on the floor of the Arctic Ocean (see Figure 2).<br>Boyd Seamount<br>Hawkbill Seamount<br>Healy Seamount<br>Koldewey Seamount<br>Litvin Seamount<br>Makorta Seamount<br>Pogrebitsky Seamount<br>R.K. Perry Seamount<br>Savaqatigiik Seamount<br>Vesteris Bank"
+      "undersea terrain features": {
+        "text": "<p>The Abyssal Plain is commonly interrupted by a variety of commonly named undersea terrain features including <em>seamounts</em>, <em>guyots</em>, <em>ridges</em>, and <em>plateaus</em>. <em>Seamounts</em> (see Figure 1) are submarine mountains at least 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high formed from individual volcanoes on the ocean floor. They are distinct from the plate-boundary volcanic system of the mid-ocean ridges, because <em>seamounts</em> tend to be circular or conical. A circular collapse caldera is often centered at the summit, evidence of a magma chamber within the volcano. Flat topped <em>seamounts</em> are known as <em>guyots</em>. Long chains of <em>seamounts</em> are often fed by \"hot spots\" in the deep mantle. These hot spots are associated with stationary plumes of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth's mantle. These hot spot plumes melt through the overlying tectonic plate as it moves and supplies magma to the active volcanic island at the end of the chain of volcanic islands and <em>seamounts</em>. An undersea <em>ridge</em> is an elongated elevation of varying complexity and size, generally having steep sides. An undersea <em>plateau</em> is a large, relatively flat elevation that is higher than the surrounding relief with one or more relatively steep sides. Although submerged, these features can reach close to sea level. The following are examples of <em>undersea terrain features</em> found on the floor of the Arctic Ocean (see Figure 2).</p> <p>Lomonosov Ridge<br>Gakkel Ridge<br>Alpha Ridge<br>Mendeleev Rise<br>Chukchi Plateau</p>"
       },
       "ocean trenches": {
         "text": "note - there are no oceanic trenches on the Arctic sea floor"
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
         "text": "-1,205 m"
       },
       "ocean zones": {
-        "text": "Composed of water and in a fluid state, the oceans are delimited differently than the solid continents. Oceans are divided into three zones based on depth and light level. Although some sea creatures depend on light to live, others can do without it. Sunlight entering the water may travel about 1,000 m into the oceans under the right conditions, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 m.<br><br>The upper 200 m (656 ft) of oceans is called the euphotic, or \"sunlight,\" zone. This zone contains the vast majority of commercial fisheries and is home to many protected marine mammals and sea turtles. Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth. <br><br>The zone between 200 m (656 ft) and 1,000 m (3,280 ft) is usually referred to as the \"twilight\" zone, but is officially the dysphotic zone. In this zone, the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases. Such a minuscule amount of light penetrates beyond a depth of 200 m that photosynthesis is no longer possible.<br><br>The aphotic, or \"midnight,\" zone exists in depths below 1,000 m (3,280 ft). Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths and the zone is bathed in darkness."
+        "text": "Composed of water and in a fluid state, the ocean is delimited differently than the solid continents. The Ocean is divided into three zones based on depth and light level. Although some sea creatures depend on light to live, others can do without it. Sunlight entering the water may travel about 1,000 m into the oceans under the right conditions, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 m.<br><br>The upper 200 m (656 ft) of the ocean is called the euphotic, or \"sunlight,\" zone. This zone contains the vast majority of commercial fisheries and is home to many protected marine mammals and sea turtles. Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth. <br><br>The zone between 200 m (656 ft) and 1,000 m (3,280 ft) is usually referred to as the \"twilight\" zone, but is officially the dysphotic zone. In this zone, the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases. Such a minuscule amount of light penetrates beyond a depth of 200 m that photosynthesis is no longer possible.<br><br>The aphotic, or \"midnight,\" zone exists in depths below 1,000 m (3,280 ft). Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths and the zone is bathed in darkness."
       }
     },
     "Natural resources": {

oceans/zh.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude. For convenience and because of its immense size, the Atlantic Ocean is often divided at the Equator and designated as the North Atlantic Ocean and the South Atlantic Ocean."
+      "text": "The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five ocean basins (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean basin, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude. For convenience and because of its immense size, the Atlantic Ocean is often divided at the Equator and designated as the North Atlantic Ocean and the South Atlantic Ocean."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
     },
     "Bathymetry": {
       "continental shelf": {
-        "text": "The <em>continental shelf</em> (see Figure 1), a rather flat area of the sea floor adjacent to the coast that gradually slopes down from the shore to water depths of about 200 m (660 ft). Dimensions can vary: they may be narrow or nearly nonexistent in some places or extend for hundreds of miles in others. The waters along the <em>continental shelf</em> are usually productive in both plant and animal life, both from sunlight and nutrients from ocean upwelling and terrestrial runoff. The passive margins of the Atlantic Ocean provide for wide continental shelves in North America, Northwest Europe, and the southern coast of South America. The following are examples of features found on the <em>continental shelf</em> of the Atlantic Ocean.<br> <p>Blake Plateau (Figure 5)<br>Celtic Shelf (Figure 2)<br>Dogger Bank (Figure 2) <br>Flemish Cap (Figure 2) <br>Falkland Plateau (Figure 3) <br>Grand Banks of Newfoundland (Figure 2) <br>Great Bahama Bank (Figure 5)<br>Little Bahama Bank (Figure 5)<br>Tunisian Plateau (Figure 4)<br>Yacatan Shelf (Figure 5)</p>"
+        "text": "The <em>continental shelf</em> (see Figure 1), a rather flat area of the sea floor adjacent to the coast that gradually slopes down from the shore to water depths of about 200 m (660 ft). Dimensions can vary: they may be narrow or nearly nonexistent in some places or extend for hundreds of miles in others. The waters along the <em>continental shelf</em> are usually productive in both plant and animal life, both from sunlight and nutrients from ocean upwelling and terrestrial runoff. The passive margins of the Atlantic Ocean provide for wide continental shelves in North America, Northwest Europe, and the southern coast of South America. The following are examples of features found on the <em>continental shelf</em> of the Atlantic Ocean.<br> <p>Blake Plateau (Figure 5)<br>Celtic Shelf (Figure 2)<br>Dogger Bank (Figure 2) <br>Flemish Cap (Figure 2) <br>Falkland Plateau (Figure 3) <br>Grand Banks of Newfoundland (Figure 2) <br>Great Bahama Bank (Figure 5)<br>Little Bahama Bank (Figure 5)<br>Tunisian Plateau (Figure 4)<br>Yucatán Shelf (Figure 5)</p>"
       },
       "continental slope": {
         "text": "The c<em>ontinental slope</em> (see Figure 1) is where the ocean bottom drops off more rapidly until it meets the deep-sea floor (<em>abyssal plain</em>) at about 3,200 m (10,500 ft) water depth. The deep waters of the <em>continental slope</em> are characterized by cold temperatures, low light conditions, and very high pressures. Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths, having been absorbed or reflected in the water above. The <em>continental slope</em> can be indented by submarine canyons, often associated with the outflow of major rivers. Another feature of the <em>continental slope</em> are alluvial fans or cones of sediments carried downstream to the ocean by major rivers and deposited down the slope. The following are examples of features found on the <em>continental slope</em> of the Atlantic Ocean.<br> <p>Amazon Cone (Figure 3)<br>Congo Fan (Figure 3)<br>Hudson Canyon (Figure 5)<br>Mississippi Fan (Figure 5)</p>"
@@ -51,10 +51,10 @@
         "text": "The a<em>byssal plains</em> (see Figure 1), at depths of over 3,000 m (10,000 ft) and covering 70% of the ocean floor, are the largest habitat on earth. Sunlight does not penetrate to the sea floor, making these deep, dark ecosystems less productive than those along the continental shelf. Despite their name, these “plains” are not uniformly flat; they are interrupted by features like hills, valleys, and seamounts. The following are examples of features found on the <em>abyssal plains</em> of the Atlantic Ocean.<br> <p>Angola Basin (Figure 3)<br>Agulhas Basin (Figure 3) <br>Argentine Basin (Figure 3) <br>Brazil Basin (Figure 3)<br>Canary Basin (Figure 2) <br>Cape Basin (Figure 3)<br>Colombia Basin (Figure 2) <br>Labrador Basin (Figure 2) <br>Mexico Basin (Figure 2)<br>Newfoundland Basin (Figure 2) <br>North American Basin (Figure 2) <br>Venezuela Basin (Figure 2)<br>West European Basin (Figure 2)</p>"
       },
       "mid-ocean ridge": {
-        "text": "The <em>mid-ocean ridge </em>(see Figure 1), rising up from the <em>abyssal plain</em>, is an underwater mountain range, over 64,000 km (40,000 mi) long, rising to an average depth of 2,400 m (8,000 ft). <em>Mid-ocean ridges</em> form at divergent plate boundaries where two tectonic plates are moving apart and new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle. Tracing their way around the global ocean, this system of underwater volcanoes forms the longest mountain range on Earth. Fracture Zones are linear transform faults that develop perpendicular to the line of the mid-ocean ridge which can offset the ridge line and divide it into segments.The Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone displaces the mid-ocean ridge 350 km to the west separating the Mid-Atlantic Ridge from the Reykjanes Ridge. The Romanche Fracture Zone, located near the Equator, offsets the Mid-Atlantic Ridge 900 km and is considered the dividing line between the North and South Atlantic Oceans. The following are examples of <em>mid-ocean ridges</em> found on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.<br> <p>East Mediterranean Ridge (Figure 4)<br>Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Figures 2, 3)<br>Reykjanes Ridge (Figure 2)</p>"
+        "text": "The <em>mid-ocean ridge </em>(see Figure 1), rising up from the <em>abyssal plain</em>, is an underwater mountain range, over 64,000 km (40,000 mi) long, rising to an average depth of 2,400 m (8,000 ft). <em>Mid-ocean ridges</em> form at divergent plate boundaries where two tectonic plates are moving apart and new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle. Tracing their way around the global ocean, this system of underwater volcanoes forms the longest mountain range on Earth. Fracture Zones are linear transform faults that develop perpendicular to the line of the mid-ocean ridge which can offset the ridge line and divide it into segments. The Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone displaces the mid-ocean ridge 350 km to the west separating the Mid-Atlantic Ridge from the Reykjanes Ridge. The Romanche Fracture Zone, located near the Equator, offsets the Mid-Atlantic Ridge 900 km and is considered the dividing line between the North and South Atlantic Oceans. The following are examples of <em>mid-ocean ridges</em> found on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.<br> <p>East Mediterranean Ridge (Figure 4)<br>Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Figures 2, 3)<br>Reykjanes Ridge (Figure 2)</p>"
       },
-      "seamounts": {
-        "text": "<em>Seamounts</em> (see Figure 1) are submarine mountains at least 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high formed from individual volcanoes on the ocean floor. They are distinct from the plate-boundary volcanic system of the <em>mid-ocean ridges</em>, because <em>seamounts</em> tend to be circular or conical. A circular collapse caldera is often centered at the summit, evidence of a magma chamber within the volcano. Flat topped <em>seamounts</em> are known as <em>guyots</em>. Long chains of <em>seamounts</em> are often fed by \"hot spots\" in the deep mantle. These hot spots are associated with stationary plumes of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth's mantle. These hot spot plumes melt through the overlying tectonic plate as it moves and supplies magma to the active volcanic island at the end of the chain of volcanic islands and <em>seamounts</em>. The following are examples of <em>seamounts</em> found on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.<br> <p>Bermuda Rise (Figure 2)<br>Cape Verde Plateau (Figure 2)<br>New England Seamounts (Figure 2)<br>Rio Grande Plateau (Figure 3)<br>Rockall Plateau (Figure 2)</p>"
+      "undersea terrain features": {
+        "text": "The Abyssal Plain is commonly interrupted by a variety of commonly named undersea terrain features including <em>seamounts</em>, <em>guyots</em>, <em>ridges</em>, and <em>plateaus</em>. <em>Seamounts</em> (see Figure 1) are submarine mountains at least 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high formed from individual volcanoes on the ocean floor. They are distinct from the plate-boundary volcanic system of the mid-ocean ridges, because <em>seamounts</em> tend to be circular or conical. A circular collapse caldera is often centered at the summit, evidence of a magma chamber within the volcano. Flat topped <em>seamounts</em> are known as <em>guyots</em>. Long chains of <em>seamounts</em> are often fed by \"hot spots\" in the deep mantle. These hot spots are associated with stationary plumes of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth's mantle. These hot spot plumes melt through the overlying tectonic plate as it moves and supplies magma to the active volcanic island at the end of the chain of volcanic islands and <em>seamounts</em>. An undersea <em>ridge</em> is an elongated elevation of varying complexity and size, generally having steep sides. An undersea <em>plateau</em> is a large, relatively flat elevation that is higher than the surrounding relief with one or more relatively steep sides. Although submerged, these features can reach close to sea level. The following are examples of <em>undersea terrain features</em> found on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.<br> <p>Bermuda Rise (Figure 2)<br>Cape Verde Plateau (Figure 2)<br>New England Seamounts (Figure 2)<br>Rio Grande Plateau (Figure 3)<br>Rockall Plateau (Figure 2)</p>"
       },
       "ocean trenches": {
         "text": "<em>Ocean trenches</em> (see Figure 1) are the deepest parts of the ocean floor and are created by the process of subduction. <em>Trenches</em> form along convergent boundaries where tectonic plates are moving toward each other, and one plate sinks (is subducted) under another. The location where the sinking of a plate occurs is called a subduction zone. Subduction can occur when oceanic crust collides with and sinks under (subducts) continental crust resulting in volcanic, seismic, and mountain-building processes. Subduction can also occur in the convergence of two oceanic plates where one will sink under the other and in the process create a deep <em>ocean trench</em>. Subduction processes in oceanic-oceanic plate convergence also result in the formation of volcanoes. Over millions of years, the erupted lava and volcanic debris pile up on the ocean floor until a submarine volcano rises above sea level to form a <em>volcanic island</em>. Such volcanoes are typically strung out in chains called island arcs. As the name implies, volcanic island arcs, which closely parallel the <em>trenches</em>, are generally curved. The following are examples of <em>ocean trenches</em> found on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.<br> <p>Cayman Trench (Caribbean Sea) (Figure 2)<br>Hellenic Trench (Mediterranean Sea) (Figure 4)<br>Puerto Rico Trench (Figure 2); note - deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean <br>South Sandwich Trench (South Atlantic) (Figure 3)</p>"
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
         "text": "-3,646 m"
       },
       "ocean zones": {
-        "text": "Composed of water and in a fluid state, the oceans are delimited differently than the solid continents. Oceans are divided into three zones based on depth and light level. Although some sea creatures depend on light to live, others can do without it. Sunlight entering the water may travel about 1,000 m into the oceans under the right conditions, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 m.<br><br>The upper 200 m (656 ft) of oceans is called the euphotic, or \"sunlight,\" zone. This zone contains the vast majority of commercial fisheries and is home to many protected marine mammals and sea turtles. Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth. <br><br>The zone between 200 m (656 ft) and 1,000 m (3,280 ft) is usually referred to as the \"twilight\" zone, but is officially the dysphotic zone. In this zone, the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases. Such a minuscule amount of light penetrates beyond a depth of 200 m that photosynthesis is no longer possible.<br><br>The aphotic, or \"midnight,\" zone exists in depths below 1,000 m (3,280 ft). Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths and the zone is bathed in darkness."
+        "text": "Composed of water and in a fluid state, the ocean is delimited differently than the solid continents. The Ocean is divided into three zones based on depth and light level. Although some sea creatures depend on light to live, others can do without it. Sunlight entering the water may travel about 1,000 m into the ocean under the right conditions, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 m.<br><br>The upper 200 m (656 ft) of the ocean is called the euphotic, or \"sunlight,\" zone. This zone contains the vast majority of commercial fisheries and is home to many protected marine mammals and sea turtles. Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth. <br><br>The zone between 200 m (656 ft) and 1,000 m (3,280 ft) is usually referred to as the \"twilight\" zone, but is officially the dysphotic zone. In this zone, the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases. Such a minuscule amount of light penetrates beyond a depth of 200 m that photosynthesis is no longer possible.<br><br>The aphotic, or \"midnight,\" zone exists in depths below 1,000 m (3,280 ft). Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths and the zone is bathed in darkness."
       }
     },
     "Natural resources": {
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
   },
   "Environment": {
     "Environment - current issues": {
-      "text": "endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; unsustainable exploitation of fisheries (over fishing, bottom trawling, drift net fishing, discards, catch of non-target species); pollution (maritime transport, discharges, offshore drilling, oil spills); municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea"
+      "text": "endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; unsustainable exploitation of fisheries (over fishing, unregulated bottom trawling, drift net fishing, discards, catch of non-target species); pollution (maritime transport, discharges, offshore drilling, oil spills, plastics from improperly disposed waste); municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea"
     },
     "Climate": {
       "text": "tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cabo Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December but are most frequent from August to November"

oceans/zn.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60 degrees south. For convenience and because of its immense size, the Pacific Ocean is often divided at the Equator and designated as the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean. "
+      "text": "The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five ocean basins (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean basin, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60 degrees south. For convenience and because of its immense size, the Pacific Ocean is often divided at the Equator and designated as the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean."
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
     },
     "Bathymetry": {
       "continental shelf": {
-        "text": "The <em>continental shelf</em> (see Figure 1), a rather flat area of the sea floor adjacent to the coast that gradually slopes down from the shore to water depths of about 200 m (660 ft). Dimensions can vary: they may be narrow or nearly nonexistent in some places or extend for hundreds of miles in others. The waters along the <em>continental shelf</em> are usually productive in both plant and animal life, both from sunlight and nutrients from ocean upwelling and terrestrial runoff. The following are examples of features found on the <em>continental shelf</em> of the Pacific Ocean.<br> <p>Arafura Shelf (Figure 5)<br>Sahul Shelf (Figure 5)<br>Sunda Shelf (Figure 5)<br>Taiwan Banks (Figure 5)<br><br></p>"
+        "text": "The <em>continental shelf</em> (see Figure 1), a rather flat area of the sea floor adjacent to the coast that gradually slopes down from the shore to water depths of about 200 m (660 ft). Dimensions can vary: they may be narrow or nearly nonexistent in some places or extend for hundreds of miles in others. The waters along the <em>continental shelf</em> are usually productive in both plant and animal life, both from sunlight and nutrients from ocean upwelling and terrestrial runoff. The following are examples of features found on the <em>continental shelf</em> of the Pacific Ocean.<br> <p>Arafura Shelf (Figure 5)<br>Sahul Shelf (Figure 5)<br>Sunda Shelf (Figure 5)<br>Taiwan Banks (Figure 5)</p>"
       },
       "continental slope": {
         "text": "The c<em>ontinental slope</em> (see Figure 1) is where the ocean bottom drops off more rapidly until it meets the deep-sea floor (<em>abyssal plain</em>) at about 3,200 m (10,500 ft) water depth. The deep waters of the <em>continental slope</em> are characterized by cold temperatures, low light conditions, and very high pressures. Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths, having been absorbed or reflected in the water above. The <em>continental slope</em> can be indented by submarine canyons, often associated with the outflow of major rivers. Another feature of the <em>continental slope</em> are alluvial fans or cones of sediments carried downstream to the ocean by major rivers and deposited down the slope. The following are examples of features found on the <em>continental slope</em> of the Pacific Ocean.<br> <p>Pribilof Canyon (Figure 2)<br>Zhemchug Canyon (Figure 2); note - deepest submarine canyon</p>"
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@
       "mid-ocean ridge": {
         "text": "The <em>mid-ocean ridge </em>(see Figure 1), rising up from the <em>abyssal plain</em>, is an underwater mountain range, over 64,000 km (40,000 mi) long, rising to an average depth of 2,400 m (8,000 ft). <em>Mid-ocean ridges</em> form at divergent plate boundaries where two tectonic plates are moving apart and new crust is created by magma pushing up from the mantle. Tracing their way around the global ocean, this system of underwater volcanoes forms the longest mountain range on Earth. Fracture Zones are linear transform faults that develop perpendicular to the line of the mid-ocean ridge which can offset the ridge line and divide it into segments. The following are examples of <em>mid-ocean ridges</em> found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.<br> <p>East Pacific Rise (Figure 3)<br>Pacific-Antarctic Ridge (Figure 3)</p>"
       },
-      "seamounts": {
-        "text": "<em>Seamounts</em> (see Figure 1) are submarine mountains at least 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high formed from individual volcanoes on the ocean floor. They are distinct from the plate-boundary volcanic system of the <em>mid-ocean ridges</em>, because <em>seamounts</em> tend to be circular or conical. A circular collapse caldera is often centered at the summit, evidence of a magma chamber within the volcano. Flat topped <em>seamounts</em> are known as <em>guyots</em>. Long chains of <em>seamounts</em> are often fed by \"hot spots\" in the deep mantle. These hot spots are associated with stationary plumes of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth's mantle. These hot spot plumes melt through the overlying tectonic plate as it moves and supplies magma to the active volcanic island at the end of the chain of volcanic islands and <em>seamounts</em>. The following are examples of <em>seamounts</em> found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.<br> <p>Caroline Seamounts (Figure 5)<br>East Mariana Ridge (Figure 4)<br>Emperor Seamount Chain (Figure 2)<br>Hawaiian Ridge (Figure 2)<br>Lord Howe Seamount Chain (Figure 4)<br>Louisville Ridge (Figure 4)<br>Kapingamarangi (Ontong-Java) Rise (Figure 5); note - largest submarine plateau<br>Macclesfield Bank (Figure 5)<br>Marshall Seamounts (Figure 2)<br>Magellan Seamounts (Figure 2)<br>Mid-Pacific Seamounts (Figure 2)<br>Reed Tablemount (Figure 5)<br>Shatsky Rise (Figure 2); note - third largest submarine plateau<br>Tonga-Kermadec Ridge (Figure 4)</p>"
+      "undersea terrain features": {
+        "text": "The Abyssal Plain is commonly interrupted by a variety of commonly named undersea terrain features including <em>seamounts</em>, <em>guyots</em>, <em>ridges</em>, and <em>plateaus</em>. <em>Seamounts</em> (see Figure 1) are submarine mountains at least 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high formed from individual volcanoes on the ocean floor. They are distinct from the plate-boundary volcanic system of the mid-ocean ridges, because <em>seamounts</em> tend to be circular or conical. A circular collapse caldera is often centered at the summit, evidence of a magma chamber within the volcano. Flat topped <em>seamounts</em> are known as <em>guyots</em>. Long chains of <em>seamounts</em> are often fed by \"hot spots\" in the deep mantle. These hot spots are associated with stationary plumes of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth's mantle. These hot spot plumes melt through the overlying tectonic plate as it moves and supplies magma to the active volcanic island at the end of the chain of volcanic islands and <em>seamounts</em>. An undersea <em>ridge</em> is an elongated elevation of varying complexity and size, generally having steep sides. An undersea <em>plateau</em> is a large, relatively flat elevation that is higher than the surrounding relief with one or more relatively steep sides. Although submerged, these features can reach close to sea level. The following are examples of <em>undersea terrain features</em> found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.<br> <p>Caroline Seamounts (Figure 5)<br>East Mariana Ridge (Figure 4)<br>Emperor Seamount Chain (Figure 2)<br>Hawaiian Ridge (Figure 2)<br>Lord Howe Seamount Chain (Figure 4)<br>Louisville Ridge (Figure 4)<br>Kapingamarangi (Ontong-Java) Rise (Figure 5); note - largest submarine plateau<br>Macclesfield Bank (Figure 5)<br>Marshall Seamounts (Figure 2)<br>Magellan Seamounts (Figure 2)<br>Mid-Pacific Seamounts (Figure 2)<br>Reed Tablemount (Figure 5)<br>Shatsky Rise (Figure 2); note - third largest submarine plateau<br>Tonga-Kermadec Ridge (Figure 4)</p>"
       },
       "ocean trenches": {
         "text": "<em>Ocean trenches</em> (see Figure 1) are the deepest parts of the ocean floor and are created by the process of subduction. <em>Trenches</em> form along convergent boundaries where tectonic plates are moving toward each other, and one plate sinks (is subducted) under another. The location where the sinking of a plate occurs is called a subduction zone. Subduction can occur when oceanic crust collides with and sinks under (subducts) continental crust resulting in volcanic, seismic, and mountain-building processes. Subduction can also occur in the convergence of two oceanic plates where one will sink under the other and in the process create a deep <em>ocean trench</em>. Subduction processes in oceanic-oceanic plate convergence also result in the formation of volcanoes. Over millions of years, the erupted lava and volcanic debris pile up on the ocean floor until a submarine volcano rises above sea level to form a <em>volcanic island</em>. Such volcanoes are typically strung out in chains called island arcs. As the name implies, volcanic island arcs, which closely parallel the <em>trenches</em>, are generally curved. The following are examples of <em>ocean trenches</em> found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.<br> <p>Aleutian Trench (Figure 2)<br>Chile Trench (Figure 3)<br>Izu-Ogasawara Trench (Figure 2)<br>Japan Trench (Figure 2)<br>Kermadec Trench (Figure 3, 4)<br>Kuril-Kamchatka Trench (Figure 2)<br>Manus Trench (Figure 4)<br>Mariana Trench (Figure 2, 4); note - deepest ocean trench<br>Middle America Trench (Figure 3)<br>Nansei-Shoto Trench (Figure 5)<br>Palau Trench (Figure 2, 4)<br>Philippine Trench (Figure 4)<br>Peru-Chile Trench (Figure 3)<br>South New Hebrides Trench (Figure 4)<br>Tonga Trench (Figure 3, 4)<br>Yap Trench (Figure 2, 4)</p>"
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
         "text": "-4,080 m"
       },
       "ocean zones": {
-        "text": "Composed of water and in a fluid state, the oceans are delimited differently than the solid continents. Oceans are divided into three zones based on depth and light level. Although some sea creatures depend on light to live, others can do without it. Sunlight entering the water may travel about 1,000 m into the oceans under the right conditions, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 m.<br><br>The upper 200 m (656 ft) of oceans is called the euphotic, or \"sunlight,\" zone. This zone contains the vast majority of commercial fisheries and is home to many protected marine mammals and sea turtles. Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth. <br><br>The zone between 200 m (656 ft) and 1,000 m (3,280 ft) is usually referred to as the \"twilight\" zone, but is officially the dysphotic zone. In this zone, the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases. Such a minuscule amount of light penetrates beyond a depth of 200 m that photosynthesis is no longer possible.<br><br>The aphotic, or \"midnight,\" zone exists in depths below 1,000 m (3,280 ft). Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths and the zone is bathed in darkness."
+        "text": "Composed of water and in a fluid state, the ocean is delimited differently than the solid continents. The Ocean is divided into three zones based on depth and light level. Although some sea creatures depend on light to live, others can do without it. Sunlight entering the water may travel about 1,000 m into the oceans under the right conditions, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 m.<br><br>The upper 200 m (656 ft) of the ocean is called the euphotic, or \"sunlight,\" zone. This zone contains the vast majority of commercial fisheries and is home to many protected marine mammals and sea turtles. Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth. <br><br>The zone between 200 m (656 ft) and 1,000 m (3,280 ft) is usually referred to as the \"twilight\" zone, but is officially the dysphotic zone. In this zone, the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases. Such a minuscule amount of light penetrates beyond a depth of 200 m that photosynthesis is no longer possible.<br><br>The aphotic, or \"midnight,\" zone exists in depths below 1,000 m (3,280 ft). Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths and the zone is bathed in darkness."
       }
     },
     "Natural resources": {
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
   },
   "Environment": {
     "Environment - current issues": {
-      "text": "pollution (such as sewage, runoff from land and toxic waste); habitat destruction; over-fishing; climate change leading to sea level rise, ocean acidification, and warming; endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea"
+      "text": "pollution from land- and sea-based sources (such as sewage, nutrient runoff from agriculture, plastic pollution, and toxic waste); habitat destruction; over-fishing; climate change leading to sea level rise, ocean acidification, and warming; endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea"
     },
     "Climate": {
       "text": "planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America; continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and east Asia from May to December"
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@
     },
     "Ports and terminals": {
       "major seaport(s)": {
-        "text": "Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong (China), Kao-hsiung (Taiwan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)"
+        "text": "Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong (China), Kao-hsiung (Taiwan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Busan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)"
       }
     }
   },

south-america/ve.json

@@ -1159,7 +1159,7 @@
       "text": "18-30 (25 for women) for voluntary service; the minimum service obligation is 24-30 months; all citizens of military service age (18-50) are obligated to register for military service and subject to military training, although “forcible recruitment” is forbidden (2023)"
     },
     "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 internal 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 to combat organized crime gangs involved in narcotics trafficking and illegal mining<br><br>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<br><br>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<br><br>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<br><br>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 internal 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 to combat organized crime gangs involved in narcotics trafficking and illegal mining<br><br>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<br><br>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 20 combat brigades spread amongst the seven 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<br><br>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<br><br>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)"
     }
   },
   "Space": {

south-asia/af.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in increased democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 communist countercoup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-communist mujahidin rebels. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Usama BIN LADIN.</p> <p>A UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. In December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan and was reelected in August 2009. He was succeeded as president by Ashraf Ghani AHMADZAI in 2014 following a disputed election. The Taliban conducted an insurgency for two decades against the Afghan Government and international forces from the United States and other countries. In February 2020, the US and the Taliban signed an agreement that led to the withdrawal from Afghanistan of international forces in exchange for commitments on counterterrorism and other assurances. The Taliban took over Afghanistan on 15 August 2021.<br><br>The Taliban established an all-male interim leadership structure dominated by Pashtun clerics under the leadership of so-called Amir, Haivatrullah AKHUNDZADA. The Taliban issued numerous edicts that constrained women's mobility, ability to study and work, and severely restricted women and girls' access to education beyond primary school. To date, no country has recognized the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>"
+      "text": "<p>Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in increased democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 communist countercoup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. Internationally supported anti-communist mujahidin rebels forced the USSR to withdraw in 1989. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US and Allied military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Usama BIN LADIN.</p> <p>A UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. In 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan, and he was reelected in 2009. Ashraf Ghani AHMADZAI succeeded him as president in 2014 following a disputed election. The Taliban conducted an insurgency for two decades against the Afghan Government and forces from the United States and other countries. In February 2020, the US and the Taliban signed an agreement that led to the withdrawal of international forces in exchange for commitments on counterterrorism and other assurances. The Taliban took over Afghanistan on 15 August 2021.<br><br>The Taliban established an all-male interim leadership structure dominated by Pashtun clerics under the leadership of Haivatrullah AKHUNDZADA. The Taliban issued numerous edicts that constrained women's mobility, ability to study and work, and access to education beyond primary school. To date, no country has recognized the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {

south-asia/bg.json

@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@
       "text": "<p>Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]<br>Bangladesh Jamaat-i-Islami or JIB [Shafiqur RAHMAN]]<br>Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Tarique RAHMAN, acting chairperson; Khaleda ZIA]<br>Islami Andolan Bangladesh [Syed Rezaul KARIM]<br>Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Ghulam Muhammed QUADER]<br>Jatiya Party or JP (Manju faction) [Anwar Hossain MANJU]<br>National Socialist Party (Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal) or JSD [Hasanul Haque INU]<br>Workers Party or WP [Rashed Khan MENON]</p> <p> </p>"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
-      "text": "ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
+      "text": "ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
     },
     "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
       "chief of mission": {

south-asia/in.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty, which ruled India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century.</p> <p>By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent and India was seen as the \"Jewel in the Crown\" of the British Empire. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Years of nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually resulted in Indian independence in 1947. Large-scale communal violence took place before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states - India and Pakistan. The neighboring countries have fought three wars since independence, the last of which was in 1971 and resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 emboldened Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In November 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. India's economic growth following the launch of economic reforms in 1991, a massive youthful population, and a strategic geographic location have contributed to India's emergence as a regional and global power. However, India still faces pressing problems such as environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, and its restrictive business climate challenges economic growth expectations.</p>"
+      "text": "<p>The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty, which ruled  large sections of India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century.</p> <p>By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent and India was seen as the \"Jewel in the Crown\" of the British Empire. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Years of nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually resulted in Indian independence in 1947. Large-scale communal violence took place before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states - India and Pakistan. The neighboring countries have fought three wars since independence, the last of which was in 1971 and resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 emboldened Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In November 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. India's economic growth following the launch of economic reforms in 1991, a massive youthful population, and a strategic geographic location have contributed to India's emergence as a regional and global power. However, India still faces pressing problems such as environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, and its restrictive business climate challenges economic growth expectations.</p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -609,7 +609,7 @@
       "election results": {
         "text": "Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BJP 97, INC 34, AITC 13, DMK 10, other 2, independent 2; composition - men 209, women 29, percent of women 13.8%<br><br>House of the People - percent of vote by party - BJP 55.8%, INC 9.6%, AITC 4.4%, YSRCP 4.4%, DMK 4.2%, SS 3.3%, JDU 2.9%, BJD 2.2%, BSP 1.8%, TRS 1.7%, LJP 1.1%, NCP 0.9%, SP 0.9%, other 21.2%, independent 0.7%; seats by party - BJP 303, INC 52, DMK 24, AITC 22, YSRCP 22, SS 18, JDU 16, BJD 12, BSP 10, TRS 9, LJP 6, NCP 5, SP 5, other 35, independent 4, vacant 2; composition - men 465, women 78, percent of women 14.3%; note - total Parliament percent of women 11.3%"
       },
-      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>in late September 2023, both the Council of States and the House of the People passed a bill that reserves one-third of the House seats for women; implementation could begin for the House election in 2029"
+      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>in late September 2023, both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha passed a bill that reserves one-third of the House seats for women; implementation could begin for the House election in 2029"
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
       "highest court(s)": {
@@ -620,8 +620,7 @@
       },
       "subordinate courts": {
         "text": "High Courts; District Courts; Labour Court"
-      },
-      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> in mid-2011, India’s Cabinet approved the \"National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reform\" to eliminate judicial corruption and reduce the backlog of cases"
+      }
     },
     "Political parties and leaders": {
       "text": "Aam Aadmi Party or AAP [Arvind KEJRIWAL]<br>All India Trinamool Congress or AITC [Mamata BANERJEE]<br>Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]<br>Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Jagat Prakash NADDA]<br>Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]<br>Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPI(M) [Sitaram YECHURY]<br>Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam [Muthuvel Karunanidhi STALIN]<br>Indian National Congress or INC [Mallikarjun KHARGE]<br>Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]<br>Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Lalu Prasad YADAV]<br>Samajwadi Party or SP [Akhilesh YADAV]<br>Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [Sukhbir Singh BADAL]<br>Shiv Sena or SS [Uddhav THACKERAY]<br>Telegana Rashtra Samithi or TRS [K. Chandrashekar RAO]<br>Telugu Desam Party or TDP [N. Chandrababu NAIDU]<br>YSR Congress or YSRCP or YCP [Y.S. Jaganmohan REDDY]",
@@ -1279,7 +1278,7 @@
       "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 majority of the military's inventory consists of Russian- and Soviet-origin equipment; there is a smaller, but growing 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)"
+      "text": "the majority of the military's inventory consists of Russian- and Soviet-origin equipment; there is a smaller, but growing 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; it is one of the world's largest importers of arms; 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)"
     },
     "Military service age and obligation": {
       "text": "ages vary by service, but generally 16.5-27 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2023)",

south-asia/mv.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "Introduction": {
     "Background": {
-      "text": "<p>A sultanate since the 12th century, the Maldives became a British protectorate in 1887. The islands became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM dominated Maldives' political scene for 30 years, elected to six successive terms by single-party referendums. Following political demonstrations in the capital Male in August 2003, GAYOOM and his government pledged to embark upon a process of liberalization and democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Political parties were legalized in 2005.</p> <p>In June 2008, a constituent assembly - termed the \"Special Majlis\" - finalized a new constitution ratified by GAYOOM in August 2008. The first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system were held in October 2008. GAYOOM was defeated in a runoff poll by Mohamed NASHEED, a political activist who had been jailed several years earlier by the GAYOOM regime. In early February 2012, after several weeks of street protests in response to his ordering the arrest of a top judge, NASHEED purportedly resigned the presidency and handed over power to Vice President Mohammed WAHEED Hassan Maniku. A government-appointed Commission of National Inquiry concluded there was no evidence of a coup, but NASHEED contends that police and military personnel forced him to resign. NASHEED, WAHEED, and Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom ran in the 2013 elections with YAMEEN ultimately winning the presidency after three rounds of voting. As president, YAMEEN weakened democratic institutions, curtailed civil liberties, jailed his political opponents, restricted the press, and exerted control over the judiciary to strengthen his hold on power and limit dissent. In September 2018, YAMEEN lost his reelection bid to Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH, a parliamentarian of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), who had the support of a coalition of four parties that came together to defeat YAMEEN and restore democratic norms to Maldives. In April 2019, SOLIH's MDP won 65 of 87 seats in parliament. YAMEEN was arrested and jailed in December 2022 on corruption charges; however, he remains his party's candidate to challenge SOLIH in the presidential election, scheduled for 9 September 2023. </p>"
+      "text": "<p>A sultanate since the 12th century, the Maldives became a British protectorate in 1887. The islands became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM dominated Maldives' political scene for 30 years, elected to six successive terms by single-party referendums. Following political demonstrations in the capital Male in August 2003, GAYOOM and his government pledged to embark upon a process of liberalization and democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Political parties were legalized in 2005.</p> <p>In June 2008, a constituent assembly - termed the \"Special Majlis\" - finalized a new constitution ratified by GAYOOM in August 2008. The first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system were held in October 2008. GAYOOM was defeated in a runoff poll by Mohamed NASHEED, a political activist who had been jailed several years earlier by the GAYOOM regime. In early February 2012, after several weeks of street protests in response to his ordering the arrest of a top judge, NASHEED purportedly resigned the presidency and handed over power to Vice President Mohammed WAHEED Hassan Maniku. A government-appointed Commission of National Inquiry concluded there was no evidence of a coup, but NASHEED contends that police and military personnel forced him to resign. NASHEED, WAHEED, and Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom ran in the 2013 elections with YAMEEN ultimately winning the presidency after three rounds of voting. In September 2018, YAMEEN lost his reelection bid to Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH, a parliamentarian of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), who had the support of a coalition of four parties that came together to defeat YAMEEN. In April 2019, SOLIH's MDP won 65 of 87 seats in parliament. YAMEEN was arrested and jailed in December 2022 on corruption charges. Maldives fourth democratic election was held in September 2023. The winner, Male City Mayor Dr. Mohamed MUIZZU, campaigned on a platform of Maldivian sovereignty, vowing to remove Indian military personnel from the country. MUIZZU represents a joint Progressive Pary of Maldives and People's National Congress (PPM/PNC) coalition.  </p>"
     }
   },
   "Geography": {
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
       "text": "homogeneous mixture of Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, Australasian, and African resulting from historical changes in regional hegemony over marine trade routes"
     },
     "Languages": {
-      "text": "Dhivehi (official, dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English (spoken by most government officials)"
+      "text": "Dhivehi (official, closely related to Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English (spoken by most government officials)"
     },
     "Religions": {
       "text": "Sunni Muslim (official)"
@@ -519,10 +519,10 @@
     },
     "Executive branch": {
       "chief of state": {
-        "text": "President Mohamed MUIZZI (since 17 November 2023); Vice President-elect Hussain Mohamed LATHEEF (since 30 September 2023); the president is both chief of state and head of government"
+        "text": "President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023); Vice President-elect Hussain Mohamed LATHEEF (since 30 September 2023); the president is both chief of state and head of government"
       },
       "head of government": {
-        "text": "President Mohamed MUIZZI (since 17 November 2023); Vice President-elect Hussain Mohamed LATHEEF (since 30 September 2023)"
+        "text": "President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023); Vice President-elect Hussain Mohamed LATHEEF (since 30 September 2023)"
       },
       "cabinet": {
         "text": "Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by Parliament"
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@
         "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 and runoff held on 30 September 2023 (next to be held in 2028)"
       },
       "election results": {
-        "text": "<em><br>2023:</em> Mohamed MUIZZI elected president in the second round; percent of vote in first round - Mohamed MUIZZI (PNC) 46.1%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 39.1%, Ilyas LABEEB (DEMS) 7.1%, other 7.7%; percent of vote in the second round - Mohamed MUZZI 54%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH 46%<br><br><em>2018</em>: Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH elected president in first round; Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 58.3%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (PPM) 41.7%"
+        "text": "<em><br>2023:</em> Mohamed MUIZZU elected president in the second round; percent of vote in first round - Mohamed MUIZZU (PNC) 46.1%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 39.1%, Ilyas LABEEB (DEMS) 7.1%, other 7.7%; percent of vote in the second round - Mohamed MUIZZU 54%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH 46%<br><br><em>2018</em>: Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH elected president in first round; Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 58.3%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (PPM) 41.7%"
       }
     },
     "Legislative branch": {
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@
         "text": "unicameral Parliament or People's Majlis (87 seats - includes 2 seats added by the Elections Commission in late 2018; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)"
       },
       "elections": {
-        "text": "last held on 6 April 2019 (next to be held on 19 April 2024)"
+        "text": "last held on 6 April 2019 (next to be held on 21 April 2024)"
       },
       "election results": {
         "text": "percent of vote - MDP 44.7%, JP 10.8%, PPM 8.7%, PNC 6.4%, MDA 2.8%, other 5.6%, independent 21%; seats by party - MDP 65, JP 5, PPM 5, PNC 3, MDA 2, independent 7; composition - men 83, women 4, percent of women 4.6%"
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Political parties and leaders": {
-      "text": "<p>Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP [Sheikh Imran ABDULLA]<br>Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party or DRP [Abdulla JABIR]<br>Maldives Development Alliance or MDA [Ahmed Shiyam MOHAMED]<br>Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP [Mohamed NASHEED]<br>Maldives Labor and Social Democratic Party or MLSDP [Ahmed SHIHAM]<br>Maldives Third Way Democrats or MTD [Ahmed ADEEB]<br>Maumoon/Maldives Reform Movement or MRM [Ahmed Faris MAUMOON]<br>National Democratic Congress [Yousuf MAANIU]<br>People's National Congress or PNC [Abdul Raheem ABDULLA]<br>Progressive Party of Maldives or PPM [Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom, founder]<br>Republican (Jumhooree) Party or JP [Qasim IBRAHIM]</p> (2020)"
+      "text": "<p>Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP [Sheikh Imran ABDULLA]<br>Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party or DRP [Ibrahim Mohamed SOLITH]<br>Maldives Development Alliance or MDA [Ahmed Shiyam MOHAMED]<br>Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP [Mohamed NASHEED]<br>Maldives Third Way Democrats or MTD [Ahmed ADEEB]<br>People's National Congress or PNC [Abdul Raheem ABDULLA]<br>People's National Front [Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom]<br>Republican (Jumhooree) Party or JP [Qasim IBRAHIM]</p> (2020)"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
       "text": "ADB, AOSIS, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"

south-asia/np.json

@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@
         "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; cabinet split between Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre, and various coalition partners"
       },
       "elections/appointments": {
-        "text": "president indirectly elected by an electoral college of the Federal Parliament and of the state assemblies for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 9 March 2023 (next to be held in 2028); prime minister indirectly elected by the Federal Parliament"
+        "text": "president indirectly elected by an electoral college of the Federal Parliament and of the state assemblies for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 9 March 2023 (next to be held in 2028)"
       },
       "election results": {
         "text": "<em>2023:</em> Ram Chandra POUDEL elected president; electoral college vote - Ram Chandra POUDEL (NC) 33,802, Subash Chandra NEMBANG (CPN-UML) 15,518"
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@
       }
     },
     "Political parties and leaders": {
-      "text": "<p>Federal Socialist Forum, Nepal or FSFN [Upendra YADAV]<br>Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) or CPN-MC [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL]<br>Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) or CPN-UML [Khadga Prasad OLI]<br>Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) or CPN-US [Madhav Kumar NEPAL]<br>Janamat Party [Chandra Kant RAUT]<br>Loktantrik Samajwadi Party [Mahantha THAKUR]<br>Naya Shakti Party, Nepal [Baburam BHATTARAI]<br>Nepali Congress or NC [Sher Bahadur DEUBA]<br>Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party (Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party) or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE]<br>People's Socialist Party [Upendra YAKAV]<br>Rastriya Janamorcha (National People's Front) [Chitra Bahadur K.C.]<br>Rastriya Janata Party (National People's Party, Nepal) or RJPN [Mahanta THAKUR]<br>Rastriya Prajatantra Party (National Democratic Party) or RPP [Rajendra Prasad LINGDEN]<br>Rastriya Swatantra Party or RSP [Rabi LAMICHHANE]</p>"
+      "text": "<p>Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) or CPN-MC [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL]<br>Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) or CPN-UML [Khadga Prasad OLI]<br>Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) or CPN-US [Madhav Kumar NEPAL]<br>Janamat Party [Chandra Kant RAUT]<br>Janata Samajbaadi Party or JSP [Upendra YADAV]<br>Loktantrik Samajwadi Party or LSP [Mahantha THAKUR]<br>Naya Shakti Party, Nepal [Baburam BHATTARAI]<br>Nepali Congress or NC [Sher Bahadur DEUBA]<br>Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party (Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party) or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE]<br>Rastriya Janamorcha (National People's Front) [Chitra Bahadur K.C.]<br>Rastriya Prajatantra Party (National Democratic Party) or RPP [Rajendra Prasad LINGDEN]<br>Rastriya Swatantra Party or RSP [Rabi LAMICHHANE]</p>"
     },
     "International organization participation": {
       "text": "ADB, BIMSTEC, CD, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSOM, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@
         "text": "<br>info@nepalembassyusa.org<br><br>https://us.nepalembassy.gov.np/"
       },
       "consulate(s) general": {
-        "text": "Chicago, New York"
+        "text": "New York"
       }
     },
     "Diplomatic representation from the US": {

world/xx.json

@@ -832,7 +832,7 @@
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the largest militaries in the world based on personnel numbers belong to China, India, the US, North Korea, and Russia"
     },
     "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
-      "text": "the US is the world's leading arms exporter, followed by Russia (2022)"
+      "text": "the US is the world's leading arms exporter (2023)"
     },
     "Military deployments": {
       "text": "there are over 85,000 personnel, including military, police, and civilians from 121 countries deployed on UN peacekeeping missions worldwide (2023)"
@@ -852,7 +852,7 @@
   },
   "Transnational Issues": {
     "Disputes - international": {
-      "text": "<p>stretching over some 280,000 km, the world's 325 international land boundaries separate 197 independent states and 68 dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, and other miscellaneous entities; ethnicity, culture, race, religion, and language have divided states into separate political entities as much as history, physical terrain, political fiat, or conquest, resulting in sometimes arbitrary and imposed boundaries; most maritime states have claimed limits that include territorial seas and exclusive economic zones; overlapping limits due to adjacent or opposite coasts create the potential for 430 bilateral maritime boundaries of which 209 have agreements that include contiguous and non-contiguous segments; boundary, borderland/resource, and territorial disputes vary in intensity from managed or dormant to violent or militarized; undemarcated, indefinite, porous, and unmanaged boundaries tend to encourage illegal cross-border activities, uncontrolled migration, and confrontation; territorial disputes may evolve from historical and/or cultural claims, or they may be brought on by resource competition; ethnic and cultural clashes continue to be responsible for much of the territorial fragmentation and internal displacement of the estimated 62.5 million people and cross-border displacements of approximately 42.5 million refugees and asylum seekers around the world as of mid-year 2023; approximately 404,000 refugees were repatriated during the first half of 2023; other sources of contention include access to water and mineral (especially hydrocarbon) resources, fisheries, and arable land; armed conflict prevails not so much between the uniformed armed forces of independent states as between stateless armed entities that detract from the sustenance and welfare of local populations, leaving the community of nations to cope with resultant refugees, hunger, disease, impoverishment, and environmental degradation</p>"
+      "text": "see individual country entries"
     },
     "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
       "text": "<p>the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that as of mid-year 2023 there were 110 million people forcibly displaced worldwide; this includes 62.5 million IDPs, 36.4 million refugees, 6.1 million asylum seekers, 5.3 million others in need of international protection; the UNHCR estimates there are currently more than 4.4 million stateless persons as of year-end 2022 (the true number is estimated to be significantly higher)</p>"