THE ANNUAL REGISTER Vol. 245 -- THE ANNUAL REGISTER ADVISORY BOARD -- THE ANNUAL REGISTER -- CONTENTS -- CONTRIBUTORS -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- ABBREVIATIONS OF NON-UN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS -- PREFACE -- EXTRACTS FROM PAST VOLUMES -- THE ANNUAL REGISTER FOR THE YEAR 2003 -- I OVERVIEWS OF THE YEAR -- 1. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW -- 1.2. THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY -- II WESTERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPE -- 1. UNITED KINGDOM-SCOTLAND-WALES-NORTHERN IRELAND -- i. UNITED KINGDOM -- ii. SCOTLAND -- iii. WALES -- iv. NORTHERN IRELAND -- 2. REPUBLIC OF IRELAND-GERMANY-FRANCE-ITALY-BELGIUM-THE NETHERLANDS-LUXEMBOURG -- i. REPUBLIC OF IRELAND -- ii. GERMANY -- iii. FRANCE -- iv. ITALY -- v. BELGIUM -- vi. THE NETHERLANDS -- vii. LUXEMBOURG -- 3. DENMARK-ICELAND-NORWAY-SWEDEN-FINLAND-AUSTRIA-SWITZERLAND-EUROPEAN MINI-STATES -- i. DENMARK -- ii. ICELAND -- iii. NORWAY -- iv. SWEDEN -- v. FINLAND -- vi. AUSTRIA -- vii. SWITZERLAND -- viii. EUROPEAN MINI-STATES -- 4. SPAIN-GIBRAL TAR-PORTUGAL-MALTA-GREECE-CYPRUS-TURKEY -- i. SPAIN -- ii. GIBRALTAR -- iii. PORTUGAL -- iv. MALTA -- v. GREECE -- vi. CYPRUS -- vii. TURKEY -- III CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE -- 1. POLAND-BALTIC STATES-CZECH REPUBLIC-SLOVAKIA-HUNGARY-ROMANIA-BULGARIA -- i. POLAND -- ii. ESTONIA-LATVIA-LITHUANIA -- iii. CZECH REPUBLIC -- iv SLOVAKIA -- v. HUNGARY -- vi. ROMANIA -- vii. BULGARIA -- 2. ALBANIA-BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA-CROATIA-MACEDONIA-SLOVENIA-SERBIA & MONTENEGRO -- i. ALBANIA -- ii. BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA -- iii. CROATIA -- iv. MACEDONIA -- v. SLOVENIA -- vi. SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO -- 3. RUSSIA, EASTERN EUROPE AND THE CAUCASUS -- i. RUSSIA -- ii. BELARUS-UKRAINE-MOLDOVA -- iii. ARMENIA-GEORGIA-AZERBAIJAN -- IV THE AMERICAS AND THE CARIBBEAN -- 1. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA -- 2. CANADA -- 3. MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA -- i. MEXICO -- ii. GUATEMALA -- iii. EL SALVADOR -- iv. HONDURAS -- v. NICARAGUA.

vi. COSTA RICA -- vii. PANAMA -- 4. THE CARIBBEAN -- i. CUBA -- ii. JAMAICA -- iii. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND HAITI -- iv. WINDWARD AND LEEWARD ISLANDS -- v. BARBADOS -- vi. GRENADA -- vii. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO -- viii. THE BAHAMAS -- ix. GUYANA, BELIZE AND SURINAME -- x. UK DEPENDENCIES -- xi. NETHERLANDS ANTILLES AND ARUBA -- xii. US DEPENDENCIES -- 5. SOUTH AMERICA -- i. BRAZIL -- ii. ARGENTINA -- iii. PARAGUAY -- iv URUGUAY -- v. CHILE -- vi. PERU -- vii. BOLIVIA -- viii. ECUADOR -- ix. COLOMBIA -- x. VENEZUELA -- V MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA -- 1. ISRAEL -- 2. PALESTINE AND THE ARAB WORLD-EGYPT-JORDAN-SYRIA-LEBANON-IRAQ -- i. PALESTINE AND THE ARAB WORLD -- ii. EGYPT -- iii. JORDAN -- iv. SYRIA -- v. LEBANON -- vi. IRAQ -- 3. SAUDI ARABIA-YEMEN-ARAB STATES OF THE GULF -- i. SAUDI ARABIA -- ii. YEMEN -- iii. ARAB STATES OF THE GULF -- 4. SUDAN-LIBYA-TUNISIA-ALGERIA-MOROCCO-WESTERN SAHARA -- i. SUDAN -- ii. LIBYA -- iii. TUNISIA -- iv. ALGERIA -- v. MOROCCO -- vi. WESTERN SAHARA -- VI EQUATORIAL AFRICA -- 1. HORN OF AFRICA-KENYA-TANZANIA-UGANDA -- i. ETHIOPIA-ERITREA-SOMALIA-DJIBOUTI -- ii. KENYA -- iii. TANZANIA -- iv. UGANDA -- 2. GHANA-NIGERIA-SIERRA LEONE-THE GAMBIA-LIBERIA -- i. GHANA -- ii. NIGERIA -- iii. SIERRA LEONE -- v. LIBERIA -- 3. WEST AFRICAN FRANCOPHONE STATES-CENTRAL AFRICAN FRANC ZONE STATES -- i. SENEGAL-MAURITANIA-MALI-GUINEA-COTE DWOIRE- BURKINA FASO-TOGO-BENIN-NIGER -- ii. CHAD-CAMEROON-GABON-CONGO-CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC-EQUATORIAL GUINEA -- VII CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA -- 1. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO-BURUNDI AND RWANDA-GUINEA-BISSAU, CAPE VERDE AND SÃO TOMÉ AND PRINCIPE-MOZAMBIQUE-ANGOLA -- i. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO -- ii. BURUNDI AND RWANDA -- iii. GUINEA-BISSAU-CAPE VERDE-SAO TOME & PRINCIPE -- iv MOZAMBIQUE -- v. ANGOLA -- 2. ZAMBIA-MALAWI-ZIMBABWE-BLNS STATES -- i. ZAMBIA -- ii. MALAWI -- iii. ZIMBABWE.

iv BOTSWANA-LESOTHO-NAMBIA-SWAZILAND -- 3. SOUTH AFRICA -- VIII SOUTH ASIA AND INDIAN OCEAN -- 1. IRAN-AFGHANISTAN-CENTRAL ASIAN STATES -- i. IRAN -- ii. AFGHANISTAN -- KAZAKHSTAN-TURKMENISTAN-UZBEKISTAN- KYRGYZSTAN-TAJIKISTAN -- 2. INDIA-PAKISTAN-BANGLADESH-NEPAL-BHUTAN-SRI LANKA -- i. INDIA -- ii. PAKISTAN -- iii. BANGLADESH -- iv. NEPAL -- v. BHUTAN -- vi. SRI LANKA -- 3. INDIAN OCEAN STATES -- i. MAURITIUS -- ii. SEYCHELLES, COMOROS AND MALDIVES -- iii. MADAGASCAR -- IX SOUTH-EAST AND EAST ASIA -- 1. BURMA (MYANMAR)-THAILAND-MALAYSIA-BRUNEI-SINGAPORE-INDONESIA- EAST TIMOR-PHILIPPINES-VIETNAM-CAMBODIA-LAOS -- i. BURMA (MYANMAR) -- ii. THAILAND -- iii. MALAYSIA -- iv. BRUNEI -- v. SINGAPORE -- vi. INDONESIA -- vii. EAST TIMOR -- viii. PHILIPPINES -- ix. VIETNAM -- x. CAMBODIA -- xi. LAOS -- 2. CHINA-HONG KONG-TAIWAN-JAPAN-SOUTH KOREA-NORTH KOREA-MONGOLIA -- i. PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA -- ii. HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION -- iii. TAIWAN -- iv. JAPAN -- v. SOUTH KOREA -- vi. NORTH KOREA -- vii. MONGOLIA -- X AUSTRALASIA AND THE PACIFIC -- 1. AUSTRALIA-PAPUA NEW GUINEA -- i. AUSTRALIA -- ii. PAPUA NEW GUINEA -- 2. NEW ZEALAND-PACIFIC ISLAND STATES -- i. NEW ZEALAND -- ii. PACIFIC ISLAND STATES -- INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS -- 1. UNITED NATIONS AND ITS AGENCIES -- UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS -- UNITED NATIONS POLITICAL AND PEACE-BUILDING MISSIONS 2003 -- 2. DEFENCE AND ECONOMIC ORGANISATIONS -- i. DEFENCE ORGANISATIONS -- ii. ECONOMIC ORGANISATIONS -- 3. OTHER WORLD ORGANISATIONS -- i. THE COMMONWEALTH -- ii. FRANCOPHONE AND PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING COMMUNITIES -- iii. NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES -- iv. ORGANISATION OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE (OIC) -- 4. EUROPEAN UNION -- 5. EUROPEAN ORGANISATIONS -- i. THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE -- ii. ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND CO-OPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE).

iii. EUROPEAN BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT (EBRD) -- iv. NORDIC, BALTIC, AND ARCTIC ORGANISATIONS -- v. OTHER EUROPEAN ORGANISATIONS -- 6. ARAB, AFRICAN, ASIA-PACIFIC, AND AMERICAN ORGANISATIONS -- i. ARAB ORGANISATIONS -- ii. AFRICAN ORGANISATIONS -- iii. ASIA-PACIFIC ORGANISATIONS -- iv. AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN ORGANISATIONS -- XII RELIGION -- XIII THE SCIENCES -- 1. SCIENTIFIC, INDUSTRIAL AND MEDICAL RESEARCH -- 2. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY -- 3. THE ENVIRONMENT -- XIV THE LAW -- 1. INTERNATIONAL LAW-EU LAW -- i. INTERNATIONAL LAW -- ii. EUROPEAN UNION LAW -- 2. LAW IN THE UNITED KINGDOM -- 3. LAW IN THE USA -- XV THE ARTS -- 1. OPERA-MUSIC-BALLET & DANCE-THEATRE-CINEMA-TELEVISION & RADIO -- i. OPERA -- ii. MUSIC -- iii. BALLET & DANCE -- iv THEATRE -- v. CINEMA -- XV.l.vi. TELEVISION AND RADIO -- 2. VISUAL ARTS-ARCHITECTURE -- i. VISUAL ARTS -- ii. ARCHITECTURE -- 3. LITERATURE -- XVI SPORT -- XVII DOCUMENTS AND REFERENCE -- 1. POWELL'S SPEECH TO UN SECURITY COUNCIL -- 2. US PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH VICTORY SPEECH -- 3. UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1483 -- 4. ROADMAP FOR PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI AND ARAB PEACE -- PHASE I -- PHASE II -- PHASE III -- 5. UNITED KINGDOM LABOUR GOVERNMENT -- 6. UNITED STATES REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION -- 7. INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS: POPULATION, GDP AND GROWTH -- XVIII OBITUARY -- XIX CHRONICLE OF PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN 2003 -- JANUARY -- FEBRUARY -- MARCH -- APRIL -- MAY -- JUNE -- JULY -- AUGUST -- SEPTEMBER -- OCTOBER -- NOVEMBER -- DECEMBER -- INDEX.