diff --git a/africa/gv.json b/africa/gv.json index cc7360d3..e3cdc721 100644 --- a/africa/gv.json +++ b/africa/gv.json @@ -1102,7 +1102,7 @@ "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Guinean (or National) Armed Forces (Forces Armées Guinéennes): Army (Armée de terre), Air Force (Armée de l'air), Navy (Armée de mer), Presidential Security Battalion (Battailon Autonome de la Sécurité Presidentielle, BASP), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale) (2024)", - "note": "note: the National Gendarmerie is overseen by the Ministry of Defense, while the National Police is under the Ministry of Security; the Gendarmerie and National Police share responsibility for internal security, but only the Gendarmerie can arrest police or military officials" + "note": "note: the National Gendarmerie is overseen by the Ministry of Defense, while the National Police is under the Ministry of Security; the Gendarmerie and National Police share responsibility for internal security, but only the Gendarmerie can arrest police or military officials; Guinea's military and security forces are sometimes collectively referred to as the Defense and Security Forces" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { @@ -1122,7 +1122,7 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 12,000 active personnel, including about 1,500 Gendarmerie (2023)" + "text": "estimated 10-15,000 Armed Forces personnel (2024)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Guinean military's inventory consists almost entirely of Soviet-era weapons and equipment along with small amounts of secondhand material from China, France, Russia, and South Africa  (2024)" diff --git a/africa/pu.json b/africa/pu.json index e2605454..b2613aef 100644 --- a/africa/pu.json +++ b/africa/pu.json @@ -1058,7 +1058,7 @@ "text": "18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service for men and women (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or younger, with parental consent, for voluntary service (2023)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the FARP is focused on external security, but also has some internal security duties, and it has been influential in the country’s politics since independence was gained in 1974, having staged at least nine coup attempts as well as several mutinies; FARP members were suspected of coup plotting as recently as 2021, and it put down an attempted coup in 2022, while the National Guard attempted a coup in December 2023; since the 2000s, the FARP has undergone various attempts at defense and security sector reforms with limited success under the auspices of the African Union, the EU, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), and the UN 

from 2012-2020, ECOWAS deployed a security force to Guinea-Bissau to manage the post-coup transition, including protecting key political figures and public buildings, restoring civil institutions, and re-establishing the rule of law; at the height of the deployment, the force, known as the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB), deployed nearly 700 military and police personnel from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegal; as of 2024, ECOMIB remained in Guinea-Bissau (2024)" + "text": "the FARP is focused on external security, but also has some internal security duties, and it has been influential in the country’s politics since independence was gained in 1974, having staged at least nine coup attempts as well as several mutinies; FARP members were suspected of coup plotting as recently as 2021, and it put down an attempted coup in 2022, while the National Guard attempted a coup in December 2023; since the 2000s, the FARP has undergone various attempts at defense and security sector reforms under the auspices of the African Union, the EU, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), and the UN 

from 2012-2020, ECOWAS deployed a security force to Guinea-Bissau to manage the post-coup transition, including protecting key political figures and public buildings, restoring civil institutions, and re-establishing the rule of law; at the height of the deployment, the force, known as the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB), deployed nearly 700 military and police personnel from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegal; as of 2024, ECOMIB remained in Guinea-Bissau (2024)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/fp.json b/australia-oceania/fp.json index df29d484..2b03a8aa 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/fp.json +++ b/australia-oceania/fp.json @@ -493,10 +493,10 @@ }, "National heritage": { "total World Heritage Sites": { - "text": "1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the France entry" + "text": "2 (1 cultural, 1 mixed); note - excerpted from the France entry" }, "selected World Heritage Site locales": { - "text": "Taputapuātea" + "text": "Taputapuātea (c); Te Henua Enata – The Marquesas Islands (m)" } }, "Government - note": { diff --git a/central-asia/rs.json b/central-asia/rs.json index 1bfde8e6..b4848b6e 100644 --- a/central-asia/rs.json +++ b/central-asia/rs.json @@ -1272,8 +1272,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: Ground Troops (Sukhoputnyye Voyskia, SV), Navy (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot, VMF), Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye Sily, VKS); Airborne Troops (Vozdushno-Desantnyye Voyska, VDV), and Missile Troops of Strategic Purpose (Raketnyye Voyska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya, RVSN) referred to commonly as Strategic Rocket Forces, are independent \"combat arms,\" not subordinate to any of the three branches

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

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

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

note 3: the National Guard was created in 2016 as an independent agency for internal/regime security, combating terrorism and narcotics trafficking, protecting important state facilities and government personnel, and supporting border security; it also participates in armed defense of the country’s territory in coordination with the Armed Forces; forces under the National Guard include the Special Purpose Mobile Units (OMON), Special Rapid Response Detachment (SOBR), and Interior Troops (VV); these troops were originally under the command of the Interior Ministry (MVD)" + "text": "Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: Ground Troops (Sukhoputnyye Voyskia, SV), Navy (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot, VMF), Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye Sily, VKS); Airborne Troops (Vozdushno-Desantnyye Voyska, VDV), and Missile Troops of Strategic Purpose (Raketnyye Voyska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya, RVSN) referred to commonly as Strategic Rocket Forces, are independent \"combat arms,\" not subordinate to any of the three branches

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

Federal Security Services (FSB): Federal Border Guard Service (includes land and maritime forces) (2024)", + "note": "note 1: the Air Force and Aerospace Defense Forces were merged into the VKS in 2015; VKS responsibilities also include launching military and dual‐use satellites, maintaining military satellites, and monitoring and defending against space threats; in 2024, the Russian Government announced plans to create an Unmanned Systems Force branch in 2025

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

note 3: the National Guard was created in 2016 as an independent agency for internal/regime security, combating terrorism and narcotics trafficking, protecting important state facilities and government personnel, and supporting border security; it also participates in armed defense of the country’s territory in coordination with the Armed Forces; forces under the National Guard include the Special Purpose Mobile Units (OMON), Special Rapid Response Detachment (SOBR), and Interior Troops (VV); these troops were originally under the command of the Interior Ministry (MVD)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json index ccae0f46..6a56a509 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/ks.json @@ -544,10 +544,10 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President YOON Suk Yeol (since 10 May 2022); note - Prime Minister HAN Duck-soo became Acting President on 14 December 2024, after the National Assembly impeached and suspended YOON from office; South Korea's Constitutional Court has 180 days to rule on YOON's removal" + "text": "President YOON Suk Yeol (since 10 May 2022); note - Prime Minister HAN Duck-soo became Acting President on 14 December 2024 after the National Assembly impeached and suspended YOON from office (South Korea's Constitutional Court has 180 days to rule on YOON's removal); Deputy Prime Minister CHOI Sang-mok became Acting President on 27 December 2024 after the National Assembly impeached and suspended HAN from office" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President YOON Suk Yeol (since 10 May 2022); note - Prime Minister HAN Duck-soo became Acting President on 14 December 2024, after the National Assembly impeached and suspended YOON from office; South Korea's Constitutional Court has 180 days to rule on YOON's removal" + "text": "President YOON Suk Yeol (since 10 May 2022); note - Prime Minister HAN Duck-soo became Acting President on 14 December 2024 after the National Assembly impeached and suspended YOON from office (South Korea's Constitutional Court has 180 days to rule on YOON's removal); Deputy Prime Minister CHOI Sang-mok became Acting President on 27 December 2024 after the National Assembly impeached and suspended HAN from office" }, "cabinet": { "text": "State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation" @@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ "election results": { "text": "
2022: YOON Suk-yeol elected president; YOON Suk-yeol (PPP) 48.6%, LEE Jae-myung (DP) 47.8%; other 3.6%

2017: MOON Jae-in elected president; MOON Jae-in (DP) 41.1%, HONG Joon-pyo (Liberty Korea Party) 24%, AHN Cheol-soo (PP) 21.4%, YOO Seung-min (Bareun Party) 6.8%, SIM Sang-jung (Justice Party) 6.2%" }, - "note": "note: the president is both chief of state and head of government; the prime minister (HAN Duck-soo since 21 May 2022) serves as the principal executive assistant to the president, similar to the role of a vice president" + "note": "note: the president is both chief of state and head of government; the prime minister serves as the principal executive assistant to the president, similar to the role of a vice president" }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { diff --git a/europe/gi.json b/europe/gi.json index aacb6b9c..9ae42582 100644 --- a/europe/gi.json +++ b/europe/gi.json @@ -671,9 +671,6 @@ "Military and security forces": { "text": "Royal Gibraltar Regiment (2024)" }, - "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "the Royal Gibraltar Regiment has more than 400 personnel (2023)" - }, "Military - note": { "text": "defense is the responsibility of the UK" } diff --git a/europe/gr.json b/europe/gr.json index 25936c1d..7902930d 100644 --- a/europe/gr.json +++ b/europe/gr.json @@ -1196,7 +1196,7 @@ "text": "approximately 115,000 active-duty personnel (80,000 Army; 15,000 Navy; 20,000 Air Force); approximately 35,000 National Guard (2024)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the military's inventory consists of a mix of imported weapons from Europe and the US, as well as a limited number of domestically produced systems; in recent years, France, Germany, and the US have been major suppliers; Greece's defense industry is capable of producing a range of military hardware, including naval vessels and associated subsystems (2024)", + "text": "the military's inventory consists of a mix of domestically produced and imported weapons and equipment from Europe and the US; in recent years, France, Germany, and the US have been major suppliers; Greece's defense industry is capable of producing a range of military hardware, including naval vessels and associated subsystems (2024)", "note": "note: Greece is in the midst of a military modernization program which includes acquisitions of fighter aircraft and naval ships from France and armored vehicles and tanks from Germany; it has also boosted purchases of US equipment, including fighter aircraft upgrades, helicopters, and naval patrol craft" }, "Military service age and obligation": { diff --git a/europe/uk.json b/europe/uk.json index 96ff4553..b6b006ff 100644 --- a/europe/uk.json +++ b/europe/uk.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was created when the Kingdoms of England and Scotland -- which previously had been distinct states under a single monarchy -- were joined under the 1701 Acts of Union. The island of Ireland was incorporated under the 1800 Acts of Union, while Wales had been part of the Kingdom of England since the 16th century. The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. The 18th and 19th centuries saw the rapid expansion of the British Empire despite the loss of the Thirteen Colonies, and at its zenith in the early 20th century, the British Empire stretched over one fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw two World Wars seriously deplete the UK's strength and the Irish Republic withdraw from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth of Nations, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The devolved Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1998.

The UK was an active member of the EU after its accession in 1973, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. However, motivated in part by frustration at a remote bureaucracy in Brussels and massive migration into the country, UK citizens in 2016 voted by 52 to 48 percent to leave the EU. On 31 January 2020, the UK became the only country to depart the EU -- a move known as \"Brexit\" -- after prolonged negotiations on EU-UK economic and security relationships.

" + "text": "

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was created when the Kingdoms of England and Scotland -- which previously had been distinct states under a single monarchy -- were joined under the 1707 Acts of Union. The island of Ireland was incorporated under the 1800 Acts of Union, while Wales had been part of the Kingdom of England since the 16th century. The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. The 18th and 19th centuries saw the rapid expansion of the British Empire despite the loss of the Thirteen Colonies, and at its zenith in the early 20th century, the British Empire stretched over one fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw two World Wars seriously deplete the UK's strength and the Irish Republic withdraw from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth of Nations, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The devolved Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1998.

The UK was an active member of the EU after its accession in 1973, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. However, motivated in part by frustration at a remote bureaucracy in Brussels and massive migration into the country, UK citizens in 2016 voted by 52 to 48 percent to leave the EU. On 31 January 2020, the UK became the only country to depart the EU -- a move known as \"Brexit\" -- after prolonged negotiations on EU-UK economic and security relationships.

" } }, "Geography": { @@ -1234,7 +1234,7 @@ "note": "note 1: women made up 11.7% of the military's full-time personnel in 2024

note 2: the British military allows Commonwealth nationals who are current UK residents and have been in the country for at least 5 years to apply; it also accepts Irish citizens

note 3: the British Army has continued the historic practice of recruiting Gurkhas from Nepal to serve in the Brigade of Gurkhas; the British began to recruit Nepalese citizens (Gurkhas) into the East India Company Army during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816); the Gurkhas subsequently were brought into the British Indian Army and by 1914, there were 10 Gurkha regiments, collectively known as the Gurkha Brigade; following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India, and Great Britain allowed for the transfer of the 10 regiments from the British Indian Army to the separate British and Indian armies; four of the regiments were transferred to the British Army, where they have since served continuously as the Brigade of Gurkhas" }, "Military deployments": { - "text": "the British military has more than 8,000 personnel on permanent or long-term rotational deployments around the globe in support of NATO, UN, or other commitments and agreements; key deployments include approximately 1,000 in Brunei, approximately 2,500 in Cyprus (includes 250 for UNFICYP), approximately 1,000 in Estonia (NATO), over 1,000 in the Falkland Islands, almost 600 in Gibraltar, and more than 1,000 in the Middle East; its air and naval forces conduct missions on a global basis; the British military also participates in large scale NATO exercises, including providing some 16,000 personnel for the 6-month 2024 Steadfast Defender exercise (2024)" + "text": "the British military has more than 8,000 personnel on permanent or long-term rotational deployments around the globe in support of NATO, UN, or other commitments and agreements; key deployments include approximately 1,000 in Brunei, approximately 2,500 in Cyprus (includes 250 for UNFICYP), approximately 900-1,000 in Estonia (NATO), over 1,000 in the Falkland Islands, 500-600 in Gibraltar, and more than 1,000 in the Middle East; its air and naval forces conduct missions on a global basis; the British military also participates in large scale NATO exercises, including providing some 16,000 personnel for the 6-month 2024 Steadfast Defender exercise (2024)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the British military has a long history, a global presence, and a wide range of missions and responsibilities; these responsibilities include protecting the UK, its territories, national interests, and values, preventing conflict, providing humanitarian assistance, participating in international peacekeeping, building relationships, and fulfilling the UK’s alliance and treaty commitments; in addition to its role in the UN, the UK is a leading member of NATO and has made considerable military contributions to NATO missions in such places as Afghanistan, the Baltics, and Iraq, as well the Baltic and Mediterranean seas and the waters of the North Atlantic

the UK is a member of the Five Power Defense Arrangements (FPDA), a series of mutual assistance agreements reached in 1971 embracing Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK; in 2014, the UK led the formation of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a pool of high-readiness military forces from the Baltic and Scandinavian countries intended to respond to a wide range of contingencies both in peacetime and in times of crisis or conflict; the UK military also has strong bilateral ties with a variety of foreign militaries, particularly the US, with which it has a mutual defense treaty; British and US military forces have routinely operated side-by-side across a wide range of operations; other close military relationships include Australia, France, Germany, and the Netherlands; in 2010, for example, France and the UK signed a declaration on defense and security cooperation that included greater military interoperability and a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), a deployable, combined Anglo-French military force for use in a wide range of crisis scenarios, up to and including high intensity combat operations

the British Armed Forces were formed in 1707 as the armed forces of the Kingdom of Great Britain when England and Scotland merged under the terms of the Treaty of Union; while the origins of the armed forces of England and Scotland stretch back to the Middle Ages, the first standing armies for England and Scotland were organized in the 1600s while the navies were formed in the 1500s; the Royal Marines were established in 1755; the Royal Air Force was created in April 1918 by the merger of the British Army's Royal Flying Corps and the Admiralty's Royal Naval Air Service (2024)" diff --git a/north-america/us.json b/north-america/us.json index bc9c859e..f30389c6 100644 --- a/north-america/us.json +++ b/north-america/us.json @@ -639,10 +639,10 @@ }, "National heritage": { "total World Heritage Sites": { - "text": "25 (12 cultural, 12 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in Puerto Rico" + "text": "26 (13 cultural, 12 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in Puerto Rico" }, "selected World Heritage Site locales": { - "text": "Yellowstone National Park (n); Grand Canyon National Park (n); Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (c); Independence Hall (c); Statue of Liberty (c); Yosemite National Park (n); Papahānaumokuākea (m); Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point (c); The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright (c); Mesa Verde National Park (c); Mammoth Cave National Park (n); Monticello (c); Olympic National Park (n)" + "text": "

Yellowstone National Park (n); Grand Canyon National Park (n); Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (c); Independence Hall (c); Statue of Liberty (c); Yosemite National Park (n); Papahānaumokuākea (m); Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point (c); The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright (c); Mesa Verde National Park (c); Mammoth Cave National Park (n); Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville (c); Olympic National Park (n); Everglades National Park (n); Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek (n); Redwood National and State Parks (n); Great Smoky Mountains National Park (n); La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico (c); Chaco Culture (c); Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (n); Taos Pueblo (c); Carlsbad Caverns National Park (n); Waterton Glacier International Peace Park (n);  Moravian Church Settlements (c); San Antonio Missions (c);Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks (c)

" } } }, diff --git a/south-america/gy.json b/south-america/gy.json index 9d851c83..4e54f484 100644 --- a/south-america/gy.json +++ b/south-america/gy.json @@ -1084,7 +1084,7 @@ "text": "18-25 years of age or older for voluntary military service; no conscription (2024)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) was established in 1965; its primary missions are defense of the country, including border security, assisting civil authorities with law and order as needed, and contributing to Guyana’s economic development; key areas of concern include disaster response, illegal fishing, narcotics trafficking, piracy, porous borders, and threats from Venezuela over disputed territory; the GDF participates in both bilateral and multinational exercises and has relationships with Brazil, China, France, the UK, and the US; the GDF’s ground force officers are trained at the British Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, while coast guard officers receive training at the British Royal Naval College

Guyana joined the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) in 2022; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2024)" + "text": "the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) was established in 1965; its primary missions are defense of the country, including border security, assisting civil authorities with law and order as needed, and contributing to Guyana’s economic development; key areas of concern include disaster response, illegal fishing, narcotics trafficking, piracy, porous borders, and threats from Venezuela over disputed territory; the GDF participates in both bilateral and multinational exercises and has relationships with Brazil, China, France, the UK, and the US

Guyana joined the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) in 2022; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2024)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { diff --git a/south-asia/bg.json b/south-asia/bg.json index 28da2c7a..4b546d73 100644 --- a/south-asia/bg.json +++ b/south-asia/bg.json @@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Helen LAFAVE (since July 2024)" + "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Megan BOULDIN (since August 2024)" }, "embassy": { "text": "Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka - 1212"