Social progress and sustainability
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The middle, western, and southern regions of Africa have experienced more than their share of turmoil, civil wars, corruption, and disease. Each country has a rich and interesting history that has contributed to its current human rights status. Governments and economies contribute the most to each country's social progress. Civil wars have led to thousands of displaced people, making it hard to gather the monetary and human resources needed to build...
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The countries of northern and eastern Africa have fought hard over the years to become independent countries. Because of this struggle, individual rights and freedoms as well as standards of living have suffered in many of these countries. The economies of these countries often dictate the social progress they have made. In some counties where urbanization has increased, access to safe drinking water and medical care have also increased, for example....
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Central America and the Caribbean may be best known as world-class tourist destinations, but in spite of being top vacation spots, the countries of these tropical regions still suffer the lingering effects of Europe's plantation-style colonization including income inequality, corrupt leadership, and discrimination against native peoples and the descendants of slaves. The regions are home to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of...
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The societies of East Asia and the Pacific include some of the world's most technologically advanced as well as the least developed. Nations in the region have withstood colonialism and its legacies as well as many modern wars. Measures of social progress range from the very high to the very low. On measures of physical health, people in the region generally fare well, but personal rights and freedoms vary greatly from place to place. From China to...
5. Eurasia
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In Eurasia, two countries have dominated the political, economic, and social landscape for centuries-Russia and Turkey. By sheer landmass, Russia is the largest country in the world and for decades after World War I, it was even bigger as the leader of the Soviet Union. This dictatorial, predominantly Christian empire included Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine. Other areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina,...
6. Europe
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The countries of Europe are as diverse as they are prosperous. Of the top 15 countries in the Social Progress Index, 11 are in Europe. The people generally enjoy the benefits of democracy and free market economies and some of the highest standards of living in the world. Europe has a long history of conflict and war, and lay in ruins by the mid-20th century after two world wars. In rebuilding the devastated continent, the leaders tried to end the...
7. Near East
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When it comes to social progress and sustainability, the Near East faces many challenges. In this region where three major religions-Christianity, Judaism, and Islam-originated, Islam is the mostly widely followed. Religious differences have caused tensions throughout the region's history-even among those of the Islamic faith. Religion is a driving force in the governments, and some leaders have used religion to justify authoritative control-limiting...
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North America is vast in area, rich in natural resources, and diverse in culture. It is divided into three of the world's largest countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico. All former European colonies, today the three countries have democratic governments and enjoy many personal freedoms and constitutional rights. Economically interdependent, they form a major trading bloc where each relies on imports and exports from the other two. Canada...
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South America is a continent of great diversity, rich natural resources, and stunning beauty. South Americans share a dramatic history of rich civilizations lost to European conquest in the 1500s. Today, the region enjoys relative political stability and economic growth, but some areas suffer from uncontrolled crime, violence, and corruption. In general, South American countries score above the world average on the Social Progress Index. Two of the...
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The nations of South and Central Asia are as fascinating as they are diverse. Ranging from the former Soviet Republics of Central Asia to war-torn Afghanistan to the tiny mountain nation of Bhutan to the world's second-most populous country, India, the region has been shaped by millennia of conquest, population migration, and, most recently, global geopolitics. The challenges currently facing South and Central Asia, which include overpopulation, food...