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As it turns out, stereotypical thinking is actually an adaptation of the human brain that allows us to classify different aspects of the environment faster and easier. Although it is extremely useful, stereotypes also perpetuate different misconceptions about people based on very few actually confirmed facts.

The same rule applies about the citizens of certain countries, who have earned a rather erroneous reputation due to popular anecdotes or ancient historical events. For example, thanks to the Transylvanian ruler Vlad the Impaler, Romanians who live in that part of the country are now viewed as bloodthirsty vampires. Or, because of the high precision of watches manufactured in Switzerland, all Swiss are portrayed as timepiece enthusiasts. Let’s try to debunk 10 of the widespread stereotypes we still believe to be true today.

1. Italy’s citizens are great in the sack, but lousy at work

The exquisite lover reputation of the Italian is most likely associated with the romantic poetry and the charm of the popular actors, but you cannot really say that all men and women in this country are so refined and charming conquerors. Their notoriety as unorganized and inefficient is also a misconception, if you take into account the prolific engineering, chemical and textile industry in Italy, not to mention the quality of their cuisine, the architectural marvels they have erected – no pun intended – and the extensive artistic achievements of the Italians.

2. Canada is the most uneventful place in the world

You have most likely seen the joke about the largest protest in the history of Canada, which comprised of a single man holding a sign that said “I’m a little upset”. Canada represents far more than Celine Dion, maple syrup and igloos. In fact, they have a plethora of extreme snow and water sports thanks to the “cool” climate of the country, numerous highly acclaimed Hollywood comedians – Jim Carrey for instance – and almost as many deadly animals as Australia.

3. The Philippines’s education system is practically non-existent

Poverty might be an issue in certain parts of the country, but Filipinos are definitely not what you could call uneducated. The stereotype is perpetuated by analyzing only the rural part of the Philippines that do not have access to the latest technology, forgetting that this country is the world’s leading texting region and the number of Filipino bloggers is the highest one in Asia.

4. India is the most conservative, bigoted country

In spite of the fact that India was just another British colony for an extended period of its history, they have managed to recover and eradicate banes like slavery and bigotry. Nowadays, India has the potential to become a superpower country alongside with China and the US, as their infrastructure and industry are quickly picking up the pace with the rest of the world’s developed countries. If you count the fact that they live in democracy, your religion – whether you are a Buddhist, Christian, Hindu or Islamist – is tolerated and accepted, not to mention the prolific movie industry, then you can safely say this stereotype is outdated.

5. Great Britain is the home of fanatical and violent soccer fans

There is no doubt about the love that Great Britain’s citizens have for soccer and some say that in this country during the football season, your favorite team’s match is more important than your marriage. However, the number of soccer-related violent incidents in Britain is not the highest in the world, as you may have originally though. In fact, judging by statistics, Sweden earns the title of the country with the most violent soccer fans. On other hand, Britain is the country with the most fanatical and overzealous businessmen.

Last year we posted an article titled Top 10 Failed States (2011). The article highlighted  Top 10 countries that were identified by Foreign Policy Magazine’s Fund for Peace index as failed states on the alert or worsening failed states. The list combined the two and examined countries that were in need of our attention.

This year, we compare and contrast the list and see where there has been improvement. In many cases there were slight improvements. In others, things look bleak.

Six African nations are still occupying the top 10 of an annual failed-state index, including Somalia, which heads the list for the fifth straight year after continued struggles with lawlessness and piracy. On this list, we have 7 countries from Africa, including Libya which worsened since 2011 reports.

Let’s hope next year’s report will be better for each of these top 10 failed states.

1. Somalia

Somalia has once again topped the Failed States Index for the 5^th year in a row. Widespread lawlessness, ineffective government, terrorism, insurgencies and crime are big determining factors of why it’s number one on this top 10 list.

Somalia did not top this Top 10 List’s list of failed nations of 2011; however, I feel that this year it deserves this status. For 5 years, nothing has been done to correct the issues inside the country. The chaos is constant.

2. Syria

I disagree with Foreign Policy Fund for Peace’s assessment here. I believe that the civil war in Syria is leading the country in the opposite direction. For the past two years, there’s been nothing but brutality, chaos, political instability as well as widespread slaughter.

Syria’s many denominational groups lived together under the repression and human rights abuses that can characterize the rule of Bashar Al Asasd.

The situation remains quite hostile and this much is for certain: the regime’s once daunting aura has crumbled before the people’s eyes. Al Assad cannot even assure control over his country, never the capital, Damascus. The fuming cities of Homs, Hama and Idib are in worse condition than ever before.

Looking ahead, I agree with the Washington Post that the United States and its Western allies need to encourage a more stable transition of power and wherever possible, maintain national institutions, such as state services and the army, before shifting control of them to a new, elected democratic leadership. That’s what happened in the mostly bloodless revolutions of Egypt and Yemen, where the United States pushed the resistance movements to overthrow the dictators.

The United States made a half-hearted attempt to deal with this problem, by reassuring and supporting “military councils” in Aleppo, Idlib and other areas. The idea was that these groups would foster disciplined command and control among the rebels — helping them overthrow Assad and also providing some structure for orderly transition and governance. There is one problem with this: the military councils have largely dissolved.

Why number 2 on the top 10 list? It moved 8 spots in the wrong direction between 2011 and 2012.

3. Democratic Republic of Congo

People in the Democratic Republic of Congo expect very little from the state, government or civil servants. In fact, ordinary Congolese citizens frequently repeat expressions like “the state is dying but not yet dead” or “the state is ever present but completely useless”.  It seems there can be little argument that DR Congo is indeed a failed state. It’s been on the Foreign Policy The Fund for Peace list at #3 for 2 years in a row.

The average person living in the country is poor, hungry and under-informed. The government is unable to provide decent education or health services. The country – two-thirds of the size of Western Europe – is a battleground. The citizens of DR Congo live in fear from the brutal militias that still control parts of the eastern provinces, where rape has become almost normal. In fact, UN has called DRC the Rape Capital of the World.

It moved up 2 spots to #3 since 2011.

4. Sudan/South Sudan

Foreign Policy’s The Fund for Peace assessed South Sudan this year for the first time following the declaration of independence in the second half of 2011.  Although the FSI did not formally rank South Sudan because it was an incomplete year of data, the young nation has a place on this list, immediately behind its northern neighbor, Sudan. South Sudan’s brittle infrastructure, severe poverty, weak government and tense relations with Sudan continue to be a major concern.

During the recent Second Civil War (1999-2005), roughly two million people have died as a result of war, famine and disease, caused by internal conflicts. Four million people in southern Sudan have been banished and exiled at least once during the war. The civilian death toll is one of the highest of any war since World War II. The conflict officially ended with the signing of a peace agreement in January 2005, but things did not get better.

Darfur Genocide: In 2003, two rebel movements in Darfuri – the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) instigated an armed resistance movement against the Sudanese government, sighting concerns about the ostracism and the failure of the government to protect the people from attacks by nomads.

The Sudanese government, under the leadership of Omar al Bashir, retorted by unleashing Arab militias known as Janjaweed.  Sudanese forces and Janjaweed militia attacked hundreds of villages throughout Darfur; over 400 villages were completely destroyed and millions of people were forced to leave their homes.

Through the conflict, which was determined to be a genocide, African farmers and others in Darfur were being systematically displaced and murdered by the Janjaweed. The genocide in Darfur has taken the lives of 400,000 and displaced over 2,500,000 people. Over one hundred people continue to die each day; that is roughly five thousand every month. The Sudanese government begs to differ with these estimates and denies any linkage to the Janjaweed.

5. Chad

Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Chadian politics have been pigeonholed by uncertainty, volatility and coups d’état. The consolidation of power under Francois Tombalbaye led to an exacerbated religious and ethnic divide, which ultimately led to civil war. Political infighting led to periodic eruptions of violence, culminating in the ascendancy of Idriss Deby to the presidency in 1991.

Though Deby has seemingly supported augmented democratization, the results of the various multi-party elections held since 1996 have widely been viewed as defective. Following the 2010 Chad-Sudan peace accord, relations between the two countries improved dramatically, ending the long-standing proxy war between them.

Since 2011, Chad’s political and economic situation has gotten better significantly. The improvement in Chadian-Sudanese relations has led to a fall in the number of refugees and displaced persons. However, though oil extraction has granted the government more than US$754 billion in additional revenues, poverty-alleviation projects still continue to be quite low. Rising aggressiveness and volatility in nearby countries such as Nigeria and Mali could still spill over into Chad, threatening its current improving stability.

It moved down 2 spots from #3 to #5.

Corruption in this case can be defined as the use of power by the government administration for the purpose of gaining illegitimate private gains and it can take on many forms. Irrespective of the legislation and jurisdiction, some forms of corruptions, such as nepotism, trading in influence, bribery, extortion, patronage, so on and so forth remain the same in all countries.

In parts of Asia, Europe and North America, political and institutional corruption are frowned upon and punished by the law, as they are perceived as means to impede the development of a country in all areas of activity (economic, social, health, public safety, education, trade unions, civil rights, etc). Now that we understand the impact of corruption over a country, let’s review the top 10 list of corrupt countries across the world.

1. Somalia

Grinded by civil war and overwhelmed with famine due to draughts for years in a row, the corruption of Somalia exceeds all expectations. In fact, as one UN reporter stated the best phrase to characterize Somalia’s officials is: “So, what’s in for me?”. From pirates who attack ships and take hostages to the rampant thefts from the public funds and international donations, the current government of Somalia practically left one third of its population dependant on aids for food.

2. Myanmar

The decades of military dictatorship, the systematic repression of the democratic opposition and unimaginable political violence have all overshadow any shroud of potential that Myanmar had to function as an independent country. The nation is rich in natural resources and has the capacity to compete economically; however, it is the same natural resources that held are responsible for the administrative and governmental corruption Myanmar experiences these days. Not to mention the fact that the constant violation of the human rights threw the country in political isolation.

3. Haiti

There is nothing like a devastating natural disaster to reveal the corruption of a country. Following the regretful earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010, several disturbing truths have made their way to the surface and showed that the administration only cares about its own interest. The improperly constructed buildings are one thing, but the thefts of the post-earthquake aids performed by the government have shocked the entire globe.

4. Afghanistan

Considering that poverty goes hand in hand with corruption, it is no surprise that Afghanistan – the poorest country in the world – is currently facing this issue. The oppressive and authoritarian Taliban regime and constant civil revolts in the past decades have severely impacted the agriculture and naturally, paved the way for corruption. Now that the US has decided to pull out the troops from Afghanistan over the next years, one can only imagine what will happen to the people who will be left at the mercy of such a corrupt government.

5. Iraq

The overthrowing and execution of former dictator Saddam Hussein represented a great chance for Iraq to get back on its feet and develop into a true competitor in the world’s economy. However, even though the reins of the country were transferred to a democratic Iraqi government, nothing has really changed there. The current “democratic” government is so entrenched in corruption that they threaten and intimidate anyone who does not agree with them. As a side note, rumor has it that the new government did not even bother to rebuild the country’s infrastructure, which was destroyed during the war for capturing Saddam Hussein.

The scarcity of resources as well as the constantly growing global population has determined scientists to find a long-term solution for people’s increasing needs. While there is still much work to be done in resolving the issue of world hunger for instance, at this point it can be affirmed that science discovered an answer for environmentally friendly energy generation: nuclear power.

Compared to other energy sources, nuclear power is able to generate electricity at a fraction of the cost, while emitting an insignificant amount of greenhouse gases. Considering that generating energy via nuclear facilities entails major risks (think of Fukushima and Chernobyl for example), the debate of whether nations should switch to nuclear is rather sensible. Nonetheless, several countries have already implemented and are currently dependant on energy derived from nuclear power.

1. France

France has been always looking for a good way to gain its energetic independence and nuclear power was just the thing the country needed. Having 76% nuclear energy, France is not only the nation most dependent on nuclear power, but it is also the state that is least affected by the crashes of the oil market. What is impressive is that the rest of the energy is generated via hydropower, two facts that make France one of the most socially responsible countries in the world, at least in terms of greenhouse gases emissions.

2. Belgium

Nuclear power is Belgium represents a true reason for concern: while the country’s electricity is a little of 54% nuclear, in the past few years they have been experiencing some problems with seven of their reactors. So far, there have been several discussions about a 40 year plan to shut the reactors down and upgrade their security levels. However, if these measures were to be implemented, then they could have a significant negative impact on the economy, starting with the fact that the utility bills would double.

3. Lithuania

If you are a supporter of nuclear power, then it is very likely that you heard about the Ignalina, which was the biggest reactor in the world at some point and once used to account for 72% of Lithuania’s energy. Despite Lithuania’s high dependency on the reactor, Ignalina had to be shut-down because it presented way too many similarities with the reactor from Chernobyl. Even though their electricity bill has been a pain since 2009, Lithuanian officials have planned to build two new reactors until 2018.

4. Ukraine

In spite of the devastating effects of the nuclear incident of Chernobyl, Ukraine continued to invest in nuclear energy, which these days accounts for almost half of the country’s energy. While a certain percentage of the population is still deeply troubled by the idea that a nuclear accident can happen any minute, in reality Ukraine has no other choice. Its geographical position, the tense relationships with the Russian officials who threaten to stop supplying natural gas almost every winter as well as the cold climate are the main elements that keep Ukraine reliant on nuclear power.

5. Slovakia

Slovakia is among the top countries that have decided to take advantage of the cheap nuclear power and is even thinking of constructing two more reactors in the near future. However, Slovakia is faced with a major problem: considering the small size of the country, site selection for the new reactors is actually very difficult. Still there is a viable solution: they could try to reopen the two reactors that the EU has forced them to close in the 1990s due to safety reasons.

Given the aggravated oil crisis and economic volatility of today, you can easily state that this worldly chaos was inevitable. Even though the UN and other organizations are going to great lengths to make the world the serene and quiet place everyone dreams of, certain countries are having serious and grave issues with religious and military extremists, terrorism, crime rates and several other types of peace threatening activities.

As the people in those countries live in constant fear and are highly concerned about their safety, travelers are strongly advised not to travel there for the time being. Let’s review the most dangerous countries you definitely don’t want to be visiting in 2013.

1. Syria

The deteriorating economic situation in Syria has made it impossible for anyone to watch the news without hearing about a bombing, murder or abuse in this country. However, what is truly worrisome is the fact that in the past months, the criminal offenses have even extended to innocent tourists. Most political leaders agree that the Syrian government is to blame for this and severe restrictions are already in place against the abusive regime. Until the civil war and political chaos there are over, it is best to avoid traveling to Syria.

2. Yemen

Currently all British nationals are asked to leave Yemen by any commercial means possible. The Foreign Office advices against all travel to the whole of Yemen due to the recent rise in political instability and the rapid deterioration of security. Yemen has been torn apart by civil wars for years. The most common crimes against travellers are the change of kidnapping and car-jacking. Getting your wallet pinched is the least of your worries. Yemen, although extremely dangerous, is beautiful. In Biblical times it was Noah’s land of milk and honey. The capital, San’a is ancient, its architecture poetic.

3. Somalia

Ever since the civil war started in Somalia in 1990, visitors have been avoiding this country in spite of the fact that it has been among the top tourist destinations of all times up to that point. In addition to the civil war, the chaos in Somalia is also linked to the violence between various drug warlords. In fact, their actions are what made Somalia one of the most dangerous places on Earth. If you ever have to go to Somalia, then it is for the best to hire your own bodyguards.

4. South Africa

When they think of South Africa, most people associate it with Nelson Mandela and the last soccer World Cup. And, the truth is that if you are careful while visiting this amazing country, you will surely have a memorable trip. The main issues with South Africa are related to the elevated crime rates and it has even been proclaimed the rape capital of the world. Nonetheless, if you do not wander around on dark alleys during evenings, you will be just fine.

5. Afghanistan

Although the war in Afghanistan has been over for a while, there are still numerous travel warnings that tourists should not ignore. The country is filled with various extremist organizations and extreme violence acts are frequently reported even today. It is necessary to mention the fact that Afghanistan is home to the infamous Al-Qa’ida terrorist organization and that the members of this radical group will not hesitate to kidnap or suppress European and American citizens.

Religion is one of the most significant aspects of a human’s behavior. In fact, it affects our attitude and the way we think about specific issues, ideas and principles. The majority of the population is focused on their belief about God and its existence. There are numerous denominations that teach different things about His role to human’s life, but it points towards one thing and that is spirituality.

Christianity has changed and has somewhat grown throughout history, and so has every religion in the world. However, there are places which are not safe and restrict anyone to freely express their affirmation on what they believe to be true and right.

Top-10-list.org has compiled a list of Top 10 Countries Unsafe for Christians and explains why they are unsafe to enter.

1. Saudi Arabia:

There is no religious freedom in Saudi Arabia whatsoever. Non-Muslim worship is forbidden and conversion to Christianity can be punishable by death. In October of 2010, 12 Pilipino Christians and a priest were arrested for holding a service in a home. They were all charged for blaspheming against Islam and banned from entering the country.

2. Somalia:

Somali Christians practice their faith in secret and are constantly in fear of being found. In recent years, at least ten people have been killed for practicing Christianity. Some women have also been raped and other people have been kidnapped with no signs of return. Islam is the official religion; there is no legal provision for freedom of religion.

3. Maldives:

The Maldives is a chain of small 1,200 lands located in the Indian ocean, just southwest of Sri Lanka. Adherence to Islam, the state religion since the 12th century, is mandatory in order to become a citizen and almost all of the country’s 300,000 people are Muslims. The president of the Maldives has even declared that the island nation has no room for any religion other than Islam. Any Christians found to be practicing their faith are held captive by the government and imprisoned for an undisclosed period of time.

4. Syria:

In the past, Christians, like many other minorities in the region, have lent their support to those regimes that have guaranteed their security and religious freedom.

After decades of protection by a secular dictatorship, the Qusayr ultimatum warned of a darker dawn for Syria’s Christian community. As the 15-month conflict rages with no end in sight, Syria’s many Christian minorities have come face to face with the emerging threat posed by radical Sunni Islamists. These elements have established themselves as a key factor in Syria’s future, backed by immense political and economic support from the Arab world and indifference from the West.

5. Yemen:

Islam is the state religion for Yemen. Foreigners do have some religious freedoms, but evangelism is sternly prohibited.

Muslim Yemenis are not allowed to convert and if they attempt to convert they face persecution and worse death. Christians are constantly abducted and held against their will and occasionally murdered. Christian worker Johannes Hentschel and his wife and 3 children were all abducted in the Yemeni province of Saada. Three other abducted Christians, bible students, were found dead by the Saudis.

With Foreign Policy’s endorsement, the Fund for Peace prepares ranking of failed and failing states every year. The study examines at 12 indicators of instability, including demographic pressures. My list borrows information provided by Fund for Peace and uses research to assess current situations.

Background Info: Since the notion of ‘failed states’ entered the dictionary in the early 1990s, it has come to occupy an important place in international peace and security. The attacks of September 11, 2001 focused much of the world’s attention on the failure of the Afghan state to prevent the rise of al-Qaeda extremism on its territory. The situation in that country, and subsequent growing concern about other similar states only intensified our concern about the role of ‘failed states’ in aiding and abetting  terrorism and terrorist organizations.

Yet the ‘failed states’ concept—and the interrelated terms like ‘failing’, ‘fragile’, ‘stressed’ and ‘troubled’ states—have become more of a burden and danger than an asset. Foundations and think-tanks have rushed to work on assisting ‘failing’ states, resulting in a proliferation of divergent and poorly defined usages of the key term. Not only does the term ‘failing state refer to the linear index defined by a uni-vocal Weberian end state, but it has also grown to encompass states as diverse as Colombia, East Timor, Indonesia, North Korea, Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti, Iraq, and the Sudan.

About The Failed States Index: The Failed State Index is an annual ranking of 177 nations based on their levels of stability and capacity. The list was first created in 2005 and continues to be a globally recognized, frequently cited and widely praised as an independent non-governmental organization that addresses key 21st century international security issues.

This Top 10 list is original and includes the following failing states that are in danger of being fragile, stressed and troubled. In other words, these states are on the brink of becoming a burden and a danger to the world order.

1. Syria:

Syria has been through an internal struggle since January of 2011. The situation became worse as protestors demanded the resignation of the President, Bashar al-Assad. Assad has not been co-operative and has resisted protests and their calls for democracy. He has resorted to violence, murdering protestors and children using security forces.

Arab springs have not been kind to opposing and militaristic leaders. In Libya, Quadaffi met an untimely fate when he refused to step down. The Egyptian President had no other choice but to step down before further violence ensued. It is thus a matter of time until Assad is overthrown, the easy way or the hard way.

2. Somalia:

Somalia has topped the list of Failed States for 4 years now. The crisis is a failure in the international community. It is also a disgrace in the eyes of Americans who saw the 1990s intervention as a complete disaster.

There are other reasons why Somalia is a failing and is frequently described as failed state. The root cause of this is the widespread lawlessness, an unstable government, terrorism and high crime rates.

3. Chad:

This country is second to Somalia on the list provided by Fund for Peace. They continuously are threatened by regional and domestic instabilities. Cross border attacks between Sudanese and Chadian forces have contributed to the destabilization of the state.

4. Sudan:

Sudan topped the charts of Failed Nations categorized by Fund for Peace at # 3. It is vulnerable to high fertility rates, malnutrition and food and water scarcity. Population Institute reports that 49% of births are attended by a physician, increasing mortality rates significantly. The institute also report that 6% of women use contraceptives. The state has done nothing to address these issues.

5. Democratic Republic of Congo:

This country was ranked as #4 on the 2011 list of Failed States prepared by Fund for Peace. The state has a role of protecting its citizens, except in this case. World Dialogue reported that when the Lord’s Resistance Army invaded an eastern province in D.R.C in 2008, the latter government was absent. It failed to carry-out three elementary and important functions of a modern state. World Dialogue reports that these functions include: “1) ensuring the security of the national territory, its inhabitants and their property; 2) providing economic, social and cultural services to the population as a whole (service delivery); and 3) mobilizing the resources needed to fulfill all state functions (revenue collection)”. With failed elections in November of 2011, things are not looking any better for the people of D.R.C.

Politics is not the only source of divide. The Democratic Republic of Congo is famously plagued by a rape epidemic. About 48 women are raped per hour and on the east front armed militias terrorize villages. Formerly known as Zaire, the DRC is the world richest nation- full of natural resources. Instead, it is now termed as one of the poorest, most underdeveloped countries on earth. With insecurity, impunity and existence on the edge, you can blame, Mobutu, former dictator of Zaire and Belgium the former colonizers for the DRC being one of the worst places to live.

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Almost 2 centuries have passed since Latin American countries gained their independence from Spain and Portugal. Oscar Arias in “Culture Matters: the Real Obstacles to Latin American Development” of Foreign Affairs 90.1 (July 2011) examines the real reasons why Latin American countries are not developed, despite starting off equal and even better off than us. This article builds on the 4 reasons Arias gives, by including Latin American countries’ arguments as well as other research.

1. Resistance to Change:

Arias argues that Latin American countries glorify the past, which is hard if not impossible to change. Moreover, they are interested in preserving their status-quo which does not fit room for culture of improvement. Arias lastly cites a weak leader as the reason for this resistance to the change.

2. Fragile Democracy:

Arias believes that the democracy in Latin American countries in unstable. They reached their independence hoping to leave the clutches of a tyrant. However, in the 20th and 21st century, countries faced tyrants. These tyrants were elected through democratic means, but when in power did whatever they wanted.

3. No Confidence:

Arias also believes that there is no confidence amongst the countries. They are increasingly suspicious, wary of creativity and doubt their politicians and their abilities.

4. Militarism-Soft Spot:

Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Guatemala all had military leaders who were tyrants. This has prevented the countries from developing, sometimes putting them in a backward motion. This was especially the case with Agustus Pinochet.

5. Debt:

Almost all Latin American countries are in immense debt. Arias argues that there is no ongoing conflicts in the region, except in Colombia. However, the region still spends $60 billion on arms and soldiers. Costa Rica took the first initiative to declare peace by not spending any money on arms and soldiers.

Islands are at times divided between countries and nations. Some live peacefully, others have fought bloodily to get what is theirs. Here is just 1 list of Top 10 largest islands divided between 2 or more nation-states.

1. New Guinea

Sharing Countries: Indonesia/Papua New Guinea

Area: 785, 753 Km2

Description: This is the second largest island and is located in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Anthropologically New Guinea is a part of Melanesia. Politically, the western half of this island is divided into 2 provinces: Papua and West Papua (both Indonesian territories). The eastern half is its own country, Papua New Guinea.

2. Borneo:

Sharing Countries: Indonesia/Malaysia/Brunei

Area: 748, 168 km2

Description: This is the third largest island in the world and is near Java Island, Indonesia. 3 countries currently have a claim to the island. Here one can find the oldest rainforests in the world.

Malaysia-26%

Brunei: 1%

Indonesia: 73%

3. Cuba:

Sharing Countries: Cuba, USA

Area: 110, 861 km2

Description: The Island consists of one main island and several smaller islands. During the Spanish-American War, Spain relinquished its territories to the latter. Then territories included

Puerto Rico, Cuba Philippines and Guam in the Treaty of Paris in 1898. When taking office, Theodore Roosevelt abandoned the treaty and gave Cuba its independence in 1902. The loophole allowed US to retain rights to intervene in Cuban Affairs and allowed US to lease Guantanamo Bay from Cuba (Platt Agreement).

4. Ireland:

Sharing Countries: Ireland/UK

Area: 81,638.1 km2

Description: This is the third largest island in Europe and 20th largest in the world. The Island is split politically between Great Britain (North Ireland) and the Republic of Ireland.

5. Hispaniola

Sharing Countries: Dominican Republic/Haiti

Area: 81, 638 km2

Description: This is a major island in the Caribbean. It recently made news in January of 2010 with a deadly earthquake in Haiti. The Dominican Republic side was unaffected. Both countries are different as Dominicans speak Spanish and Haitians speak French and Creole.

Many countries around the world experience record highs in temperature all year round. In contrast, most the countries on the list are near the equator which make them even hotter. As the earth spins, each of the countries get their spot nearest to the sun.

1. Libya:

This 4th largest state in Africa is located close to the equator and is considered to be the hottest country in the world. The land is covered mostly of arid and hot desert. In its capital, Tripoli, average high temperatures are around 30◦C in the summer. A wind called ghibli is able to change temperatures to around 40◦C to 50◦C.

2. Algeria:

Algeria experiences very hot temperatures. Even during the winter, the temperatures are hot and humid. Temperatures are known to exceed 50◦C in the country.

3. Ethiopia:

The country is considered one of the hottest in the world. The Danakil Depression is a desert with areas more than 100 metres below sea level. The area is marked by heat waves and also earth tremors. Temperatures have risen here up to 63◦C.

4. Iraq

Iraq experienced a hot year in 2010. The mercury reached 520◦C in Basra on June 14th. The country usually experiences dry and hot summers and wet winters. Most of the country experiences 10 inches of precipitation per year.

5. USA:

Some parts of the USA are hot, especially Death Valley, California. Temperatures average 48◦C during the summer days. The area is a harsh desert which has an average of 5 cm of rain per year.