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Rank code: 2118
Country Comparison :: Political parties and leaders
This entry includes a listing of significant political organizations and their leaders.
Rank country Political parties and leaders Date of Information
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Rank code: 2119
Country Comparison :: Population
This entry gives an estimate from the US Bureau of the Census based on statistics from population censuses, vital statistics registration systems, or sample surveys pertaining to the recent past and on assumptions about future trends. The total population presents one overall measure of the potential impact of the country on the world and within its region. Note: Starting with the 1993 Factbook, demographic estimates for some countries (mostly African) have explicitly taken into account the effects of the growing impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These countries are currently: The Bahamas, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Rank country Population Date of Information
1 China 1,338,612,968 July 2009 est. 2 India 1,166,079,217 July 2009 est. 3 United States 307,212,123 July 2009 est. 4 Indonesia 240,271,522 July 2009 est. 5 Brazil 198,739,269 July 2009 est. 6 Pakistan 176,242,949 July 2009 est. 7 Bangladesh 156,050,883 July 2009 est. 8 Nigeria 149,229,090 July 2009 est. 9 Russia 140,041,247 July 2009 est. 10 Japan 127,078,679 July 2009 est. 11 Mexico 111,211,789 July 2009 est. 12 Philippines 97,976,603 July 2009 est. 13 Vietnam 86,967,524 July 2009 est. 14 Ethiopia 85,237,338 July 2009 est. 15 Egypt 83,082,869 July 2009 est. 16 Germany 82,329,758 July 2009 est. 17 Turkey 76,805,524 July 2009 est. 18 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 68,692,542 July 2009 est. 19 Iran 66,429,284 July 2009 est. 20 Thailand 65,905,410 July 2009 est. 21 France 64,057,792 July 2009 est. 22 United Kingdom 61,113,205 July 2009 est. 23 Italy 58,126,212 July 2009 est. 24 South Africa 49,052,489 July 2009 est. 25 Korea, South 48,508,972 July 2009 est. 26 Burma 48,137,741 July 2009 est. 27 Ukraine 45,700,395 July 2009 est. 28 Colombia 45,644,023 July 2009 est. 29 Sudan 41,087,825 July 2009 est. 30 Tanzania 41,048,532 July 2009 est. 31 Argentina 40,913,584 July 2009 est. 32 Spain 40,525,002 July 2009 est. 33 Kenya 39,002,772 July 2009 est. 34 Poland 38,482,919 July 2009 est. 35 Morocco 34,859,364 July 2009 est. 36 Algeria 34,178,188 July 2009 est. 37 Canada 33,487,208 July 2009 est. 38 Uganda 32,369,558 July 2009 est. 39 Peru 29,546,963 July 2009 est. 40 Iraq 28,945,657 July 2009 est. 41 Saudi Arabia 28,686,633 July 2009 est. 42 Nepal 28,563,377 July 2009 est. 43 Afghanistan 28,396,000 NA 44 Uzbekistan 27,606,007 July 2009 est. 45 Venezuela 26,814,843 July 2009 est. 46 Malaysia 25,715,819 July 2009 est. 47 Ghana 23,832,495 July 2009 est. 48 Yemen 23,822,783 July 2009 est. 49 Taiwan 22,974,347 July 2009 est. 50 Korea, North 22,665,345 July 2009 est. 51 Romania 22,215,421 July 2009 est. 52 Mozambique 21,669,278 July 2009 est. 53 Sri Lanka 21,324,791 July 2009 est. 54 Australia 21,262,641 July 2009 est. 55 Madagascar 20,653,556 July 2009 est. 56 Cote d'Ivoire 20,617,068 July 2009 est. 57 Syria 20,178,485 July 2009 est. 58 Cameroon 18,879,301 July 2009 est. 59 Netherlands 16,715,999 July 2009 est. 60 Chile 16,601,707 July 2009 est. 61 Burkina Faso 15,746,232 July 2009 est. 62 Kazakhstan 15,399,437 July 2009 est. 63 Niger 15,306,252 July 2009 est. 64 Ecuador 14,573,101 July 2009 est. 65 Cambodia 14,494,293 July 2009 est. 66 Malawi 14,268,711 July 2009 est. 67 Senegal 13,711,597 July 2009 est. 68 Guatemala 13,276,517 July 2009 est. 69 Angola 12,799,293 July 2009 est. 70 Mali 12,666,987 July 2009 est. 71 Zambia 11,862,740 July 2009 est. 72 Cuba 11,451,652 July 2009 est. 73 Zimbabwe 11,392,629 July 2009 est. 74 Greece 10,737,428 July 2009 est. 75 Portugal 10,707,924 July 2009 est. 76 Tunisia 10,486,339 July 2009 est. 77 Rwanda 10,473,282 July 2009 est. 78 Belgium 10,414,336 July 2009 est. 79 Chad 10,329,208 July 2009 est. 80 Czech Republic 10,211,904 July 2009 est. 81 Guinea 10,057,975 July 2009 est. 82 Hungary 9,905,596 July 2009 est. 83 Somalia 9,832,017 July 2009 est. 84 Bolivia 9,775,246 July 2009 est. 85 Dominican Republic 9,650,054 July 2009 est. 86 Belarus 9,648,533 July 2009 est. 87 Sweden 9,059,651 July 2009 est. 88 Haiti 9,035,536 July 2009 est. 89 Burundi 8,988,091 July 2009 est. 90 Benin 8,791,832 July 2009 est. 91 Azerbaijan 8,238,672 July 2009 est. 92 Austria 8,210,281 July 2009 est. 93 Honduras 7,792,854 July 2009 est. 94 Switzerland 7,604,467 July 2009 est. 95 Serbia 7,379,339 July 2009 est. 96 Tajikistan 7,349,145 July 2009 est. 97 Israel 7,233,701 July 2009 est. 98 Bulgaria 7,204,687 July 2009 est. 99 El Salvador 7,185,218 July 2009 est. 100 Hong Kong 7,055,071 July 2009 est. 101 Paraguay 6,995,655 July 2009 est. 102 Laos 6,834,942 July 2009 est. 103 Sierra Leone 6,440,053 July 2009 est. 104 Jordan 6,342,948 July 2009 est. 105 Libya 6,310,434 July 2009 est. 106 Papua New Guinea 6,057,263 July 2009 est. 107 Togo 6,019,877 July 2009 est. 108 Nicaragua 5,891,199 July 2009 est. 109 Eritrea 5,647,168 July 2009 est. 110 Denmark 5,500,510 July 2009 est. 111 Slovakia 5,463,046 July 2009 est. 112 Kyrgyzstan 5,431,747 July 2009 est. 113 Finland 5,250,275 July 2009 est. 114 Turkmenistan 4,884,887 July 2009 est. 115 United Arab Emirates 4,798,491 July 2009 est. 116 Norway 4,660,539 July 2009 est. 117 Singapore 4,657,542 July 2009 est. 118 Georgia 4,615,807 July 2009 est. 119 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4,613,414 July 2009 est. 120 Central African Republic 4,511,488 July 2009 est. 121 Croatia 4,489,409 July 2009 est. 122 Moldova 4,320,748 July 2009 est. 123 Costa Rica 4,253,877 July 2009 est. 124 New Zealand 4,213,418 July 2009 est. 125 Ireland 4,203,200 July 2009 est. 126 Lebanon 4,017,095 July 2009 est. 127 Congo, Republic of the 4,012,809 July 2009 est. 128 Puerto Rico 3,971,020 July 2009 est. 129 Albania 3,639,453 July 2009 est. 130 Lithuania 3,555,179 July 2009 est. 131 Uruguay 3,494,382 July 2009 est. 132 Liberia 3,441,790 July 2009 est. 133 Oman 3,418,085 July 2009 est. 134 Panama 3,360,474 July 2009 est. 135 Mauritania 3,129,486 July 2009 est. 136 Mongolia 3,041,142 July 2009 est. 137 Armenia 2,967,004 July 2009 est. 138 Jamaica 2,825,928 July 2009 est. 139 Kuwait 2,691,158 July 2009 est. 140 West Bank 2,461,267 July 2009 est. 141 Latvia 2,231,503 July 2009 est. 142 Lesotho 2,130,819 July 2009 est. 143 Namibia 2,108,665 July 2009 est. 144 Macedonia 2,066,718 July 2009 est. 145 Slovenia 2,005,692 July 2009 est. 146 Botswana 1,990,876 July 2009 est. 147 Kosovo 1,804,838 July 2009 est. 148 Gambia, The 1,782,893 July 2009 est. 149 Gaza Strip 1,551,859 July 2009 est. 150 Guinea-Bissau 1,533,964 July 2009 est. 151 Gabon 1,514,993 July 2009 est. 152 Estonia 1,299,371 July 2009 est. 153 Mauritius 1,284,264 July 2009 est. 154 Trinidad and Tobago 1,229,953 July 2009 est. 155 Timor-Leste 1,131,612 July 2009 est. 156 Swaziland 1,123,913 July 2009 est. 157 Fiji 944,720 July 2009 est. 158 Qatar 833,285 July 2009 est. 159 Cyprus 796,740 July 2009 est. 160 Guyana 772,298 July 2009 est. 161 Comoros 752,438 July 2009 est. 162 Bahrain 727,785 July 2009 est. 163 Bhutan 691,141 July 2009 est. 164 Montenegro 672,180 July 2009 est. 165 Equatorial Guinea 633,441 July 2009 est. 166 Solomon Islands 595,613 July 2009 est. 167 Macau 559,846 July 2009 est. 168 Djibouti 516,055 July 2009 est. 169 Luxembourg 491,775 July 2009 est. 170 Suriname 481,267 July 2009 est. 171 Cape Verde 429,474 July 2009 est. 172 Western Sahara 405,210 July 2009 est. 173 Malta 405,165 July 2009 est. 174 Maldives 396,334 July 2009 est. 175 Brunei 388,190 July 2009 est. 176 Bahamas, The 309,156 July 2009 est. 177 Belize 307,899 July 2009 est. 178 Iceland 306,694 July 2009 est. 179 French Polynesia 287,032 July 2009 est. 180 Barbados 284,589 July 2009 est. 181 New Caledonia 227,436 July 2009 est. 182 Netherlands Antilles 227,049 July 2009 est. 183 Mayotte 223,765 July 2009 est. 184 Samoa 219,998 July 2009 est. 185 Vanuatu 218,519 July 2009 est. 186 Sao Tome and Principe 212,679 July 2009 est. 187 Saint Lucia 160,267 July 2009 est. 188 Tonga 120,898 July 2009 est. 189 Kiribati 112,850 July 2009 est. 190 Virgin Islands 109,825 July 2009 est. 191 Micronesia, Federated States of 107,434 July 2009 est. 192 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 104,574 July 2009 est. 193 Aruba 103,065 July 2009 est. 194 Jersey 91,626 July 2009 est. 195 Grenada 90,739 July 2009 est. 196 Northern Mariana Islands 88,662 July 2009 est. 197 Seychelles 87,476 July 2009 est. 198 Antigua and Barbuda 85,632 July 2009 est. 199 Andorra 83,888 July 2009 est. 200 Isle of Man 76,512 July 2009 est. 201 Dominica 72,660 July 2009 est. 202 Bermuda 67,837 July 2009 est. 203 Guernsey 65,870 July 2009 est. 204 American Samoa 65,628 July 2009 est. 205 Marshall Islands 64,522 July 2009 est. 206 Greenland 57,600 July 2009 est. 207 Cayman Islands 49,035 July 2009 est. 208 Faroe Islands 48,856 July 2009 est. 209 Saint Kitts and Nevis 40,131 July 2009 est. 210 Liechtenstein 34,761 July 2009 est. 211 Monaco 32,965 July 2009 est. 212 San Marino 30,324 July 2009 est. 213 Saint Martin 29,820 July 2009 est. 214 Gibraltar 28,034 July 2009 est. 215 British Virgin Islands 24,491 July 2009 est. 216 Turks and Caicos Islands 22,942 July 2009 est. 217 Palau 20,796 July 2009 est. 218 Akrotiri 15,700 NA 219 Dhekelia 15,700 NA 220 Wallis and Futuna 15,289 July 2009 est. 221 Anguilla 14,436 July 2009 est. 222 Nauru 14,019 July 2009 est. 223 Tuvalu 12,373 July 2009 est. 224 Cook Islands 11,870 July 2009 est. 225 Saint Helena 7,637 July 2009 est. 226 Saint Barthelemy 7,448 July 2009 est. 227 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 7,051 July 2009 est. 228 Montserrat 5,097 July 2009 est. 229 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 3,140 July 2008 est. 230 Norfolk Island 2,141 July 2009 est. 231 Svalbard 2,116 July 2009 est. 232 Tokelau 1,416 July 2009 est. 233 Christmas Island 1,402 July 2009 est. 234 Niue 1,398 July 2009 est. 235 Holy See (Vatican City) 826 July 2009 est. 236 Cocos (Keeling) Islands 596 July 2009 est. 237 Pitcairn Islands 48 July 2009 est.
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Rank code: 2120
Country Comparison :: Ports and terminals
This entry lists major ports and terminals primarily on the basis of the amount of cargo tonnage shipped through the facilities on an annual basis. In some instances, the number of containers handled or ship visits were also considered.
Rank country Ports and terminals Date of Information
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Rank code: 2121
Country Comparison :: Railways
This entry states the total route length of the railway network and of its component parts by gauge: broad, standard, narrow, and dual. Other gauges are listed under note.
Rank country (km) Date of Information
1 United States 226,427 2007 2 Russia 87,157 2006 3 China 77,834 2008 4 India 63,327 2007 5 Canada 46,688 2008 6 Germany 41,896 2008 7 Australia 37,855 2008 8 Argentina 31,409 2008 9 France 29,213 2008 10 Brazil 28,857 2008 11 Japan 23,506 2008 12 Poland 22,314 2007 13 Ukraine 21,655 2008 14 South Africa 20,872 2008 15 Italy 19,729 2008 16 Mexico 17,516 2008 17 United Kingdom 16,454 2008 18 Spain 15,288 2008 19 Kazakhstan 13,700 2008 20 Sweden 11,633 2008 21 Romania 10,788 2008 22 Czech Republic 9,620 2008 23 Turkey 8,697 2008 24 Cuba 8,598 2006 25 Indonesia 8,529 2008 26 Iran 8,442 2008 27 Hungary 8,057 2008 28 Pakistan 7,791 2007 29 Austria 6,399 2008 30 Sudan 5,978 2008 31 Finland 5,794 2008 32 Belarus 5,538 2008 33 Chile 5,481 2008 34 Korea, North 5,235 2006 35 Egypt 5,063 2008 36 Switzerland 4,888 2008 37 Mozambique 4,787 2008 38 Bulgaria 4,294 2008 39 New Zealand 4,128 2008 40 Norway 4,114 2009 41 Thailand 4,071 2008 42 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 4,007 2008 43 Algeria 3,973 2008 44 Burma 3,955 2008 45 Colombia 3,802 2008 46 Tanzania 3,689 2008 47 Uzbekistan 3,645 2008 48 Slovakia 3,622 2008 49 Nigeria 3,505 2008 50 Bolivia 3,504 2008 51 Korea, South 3,381 2008 52 Serbia 3,379 2006 53 Ireland 3,237 2008 54 Belgium 3,233 2008 55 Zimbabwe 3,077 2008 56 Turkmenistan 2,980 2008 57 Netherlands 2,811 2008 58 Portugal 2,786 2008 59 Kenya 2,778 2008 60 Bangladesh 2,768 2008 61 Angola 2,764 2008 62 Croatia 2,722 2008 63 Denmark 2,667 2008 64 Namibia 2,629 2008 65 Greece 2,548 2008 66 Vietnam 2,347 2008 67 Latvia 2,298 2008 68 Iraq 2,272 2008 69 Tunisia 2,159 2008 70 Zambia 2,157 2008 71 Azerbaijan 2,122 2008 72 Syria 2,052 2008 73 Peru 1,989 2008 74 Morocco 1,907 2008 75 Malaysia 1,849 2008 76 Mongolia 1,810 2008 77 Dominican Republic 1,784 2008 78 Lithuania 1,765 2008 79 Uruguay 1,641 2008 80 Georgia 1,612 2008 81 Taiwan 1,588 2007 82 Sri Lanka 1,449 2007 83 Saudi Arabia 1,392 2008 84 Uganda 1,244 2008 85 Slovenia 1,228 2007 86 Guinea 1,185 2008 87 Moldova 1,138 2008 88 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,000 2008 89 Cameroon 987 2008 90 Ecuador 965 2008 91 Ghana 947 2008 92 Estonia 919 2008 93 Israel 913 2008 94 Senegal 906 2008 95 Philippines 897 2008 96 Albania 896 2008 97 Botswana 888 2008 98 Madagascar 854 2008 99 Armenia 845 2008 100 Gabon 814 2008 101 Venezuela 806 2008 102 Malawi 797 2008 103 Congo, Republic of the 795 2008 104 Honduras 699 2008 105 Macedonia 699 2008 106 Ethiopia 681 2008 107 Tajikistan 680 2008 108 Cote d'Ivoire 660 2008 109 Burkina Faso 622 2008 110 Cambodia 602 2008 111 Fiji 597 2008 112 Mali 593 2008 113 Benin 578 2008 114 Togo 532 2008 115 Jordan 507 2008 116 Kyrgyzstan 470 2008 117 Kosovo 430 2007 118 Liberia 429 2008 119 Lebanon 401 2008 120 Guatemala 332 2008 121 Eritrea 306 2008 122 Swaziland 301 2008 123 El Salvador 283 2008 124 Costa Rica 278 2008 125 Luxembourg 275 2008 126 Montenegro 250 2007 127 Djibouti 100 2008 128 Panama 76 2008 129 Isle of Man 63 2008 130 Nepal 59 2008 131 Saint Kitts and Nevis 50 2008 132 Paraguay 36 2008
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Rank code: 2122
Country Comparison :: Religions
This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. The core characteristics and beliefs of the world's major religions are described below. Baha'i - Founded by Mirza Husayn-Ali (known as Baha'u'llah) in Iran in 1852, Baha'i faith emphasizes monotheism and believes in one eternal transcendent God. Its guiding focus is to encourage the unity of all peoples on the earth so that justice and peace may be achieved on earth. Baha'i revelation contends the prophets of major world religions reflect some truth or element of the divine, believes all were manifestations of God given to specific communities in specific times, and that Baha'u'llah is an additional prophet meant to call all humankind. Bahais are an open community, located worldwide, with the greatest concentration of believers in South Asia. Buddhism - Religion or philosophy inspired by the 5th century B.C. teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (also known as Gautama Buddha "the enlightened one"). Buddhism focuses on the goal of spiritual enlightenment centered on an understanding of Gautama Buddha's Four Noble Truths on the nature of suffering, and on the Eightfold Path of spiritual and moral practice, to break the cycle of suffering of which we are a part. Buddhism ascribes to a karmic system of rebirth. Several schools and sects of Buddhism exist, differing often on the nature of the Buddha, the extent to which enlightenment can be achieved - for one or for all, and by whom - religious orders or laity. Basic Groupings Theravada Buddhism: The oldest Buddhist school, Theravada is practiced mostly in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, and Thailand, with minority representation elsewhere in Asia and the West. Theravadans follow the Pali Canon of Buddha's teachings, and believe that one may escape the cycle of rebirth, worldly attachment, and suffering for oneself; this process may take one or several lifetimes. Mahayana Buddhism, including subsets Zen and Tibetan Buddhism: Forms of Mahayana Buddhism are common in East Asia and Tibet, and parts of the West. Mahayanas have additional scriptures beyond the Pali Canon and believe the Buddha is eternal and still teaching. Unlike Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana schools maintain the Buddha-nature is present in all beings and all will ultimately achieve enlightenment. Christianity - Descending from Judaism, Christianity's central belief maintains Jesus of Nazareth is the promised messiah of the Hebrew Scriptures, and that his life, death, and resurrection are salvific for the world. Christianity is one of the three monotheistic Abrahamic faiths, along with Islam and Judaism, which traces its spiritual lineage to Abraham of the Hebrew Scriptures. Its sacred texts include the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament (or the Christian Gospels). Basic Groupings Catholicism (or Roman Catholicism): This is the oldest established western Christian church and the world's largest single religious body. It is supranational, and recognizes a hierarchical structure with the Pope, or Bishop of Rome, as its head, located at the Vatican. Catholics believe the Pope is the divinely ordered head of the Church from a direct spiritual legacy of Jesus' apostle Peter. Catholicism is comprised of 23 particular Churches, or Rites - one Western (Latin-Rite) and 22 Eastern. The Latin Rite is by far the largest, making up about 98% of Catholic membership. Eastern-Rite Churches, such as the Maronite Church and the Ukrainian Catholic Church, are in communion with Rome although they preserve their own worship traditions and their immediate hierarchy consists of clergy within their own rite. The Catholic Church has a comprehensive theological and moral doctrine specified for believers in its catechism, which makes it unique among most forms of Christianity. Mormonism (including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints): Originating in 1830 in the United States under Joseph Smith, Mormonism is not characterized as a form of Protestant Christianity because it claims additional revealed Christian scriptures after the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. The Book of Mormon maintains there was an appearance of Jesus in the New World following the Christian account of his resurrection, and that the Americas are uniquely blessed continents. Mormonism believes earlier Christian traditions, such as the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant reform faiths, are apostasies and that Joseph Smith's revelation of the Book of Mormon is a restoration of true Christianity. Mormons have a hierarchical religious leadership structure, and actively proselytize their faith; they are located primarily in the Americas and in a number of other Western countries. Orthodox Christianity: The oldest established eastern form of Christianity, the Holy Orthodox Church, has a ceremonial head in the Bishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), also known as a Patriarch, but its various regional forms (e.g., Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox) are autocephalous (independent of Constantinople's authority, and have their own Patriarchs). Orthodox churches are highly nationalist and ethnic. The Orthodox Christian faith shares many theological tenets with the Roman Catholic Church, but diverges on some key premises and does not recognize the governing authority of the Pope. Protestant Christianity: Protestant Christianity originated in the 16th century as an attempt to reform Roman Catholicism's practices, dogma, and theology. It encompasses several forms or denominations which are extremely varied in structure, beliefs, relationship to state, clergy, and governance. Many protestant theologies emphasize the primary role of scripture in their faith, advocating individual interpretation of Christian texts without the mediation of a final religious authority such as the Roman Pope. The oldest Protestant Christianities include Lutheranism, Calvinism (Presbyterians), and Anglican Christianity (Episcopalians), which have established liturgies, governing structure, and formal clergy. Other variants on Protestant Christianity, including Pentecostal movements and independent churches, may lack one or more of these elements, and their leadership and beliefs are individualized and dynamic. Hinduism - Originating in the Vedic civilization of India (second and first millennium B.C.), Hinduism is an extremely diverse set of beliefs and practices with no single founder or religious authority. Hinduism has many scriptures; the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita are among some of the most important. Hindus may worship one or many deities, usually with prayer rituals within their own home. The most common figures of devotion are the gods Vishnu, Shiva, and a mother goddess, Devi. Most Hindus believe the soul, or atman, is eternal, and goes through a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara) determined by one's positive or negative karma, or the consequences of one's actions. The goal of religious life is to learn to act so as to finally achieve liberation (moksha) of one's soul, escaping the rebirth cycle. Islam - The third of the monotheistic Abrahamic faiths, Islam originated with the teachings of Muhammad in the 7th century. Muslims believe Muhammad is the final of all religious prophets (beginning with Abraham) and that the Qu'ran, which is the Islamic scripture, was revealed to him by God. Islam derives from the word submission, and obedience to God is a primary theme in this religion. In order to live an Islamic life, believers must follow the five pillars, or tenets, of Islam, which are the testimony of faith (shahada), daily prayer (salah), giving alms (zakah), fasting during Ramadan (sawm), and the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). Basic Groupings The two primary branches of Islam are Sunni and Shia, which split from each other over a religio-political leadership dispute about the rightful successor to Muhammad. The Shia believe Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, was the only divinely ordained Imam (religious leader), while the Sunni maintain the first three caliphs after Muhammad were also legitimate authorities. In modern Islam, Sunnis and Shia continue to have different views of acceptable schools of Islamic jurisprudence, and who is a proper Islamic religious authority. Islam also has an active mystical branch, Sufism, with various Sunni and Shia subsets. Sunni Islam accounts for over 75% of the world's Muslim population. It recognizes the Abu Bakr as the first caliph after Muhammad. Sunni has four schools of Islamic doctrine and law - Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali - which uniquely interpret the Hadith, or recorded oral traditions of Muhammad. A Sunni Muslim may elect to follow any one of these schools, as all are considered equally valid. Shia Islam represents 10-20% of Muslims worldwide, and its distinguishing feature is its reverence for Ali as an infallible, divinely inspired leader, and as the first Imam of the Muslim community after Muhammad. A majority of Shia are known as "Twelvers," because they believe that the 11 familial successor imams after Muhammad culminate in a 12th Imam (al-Mahdi) who is hidden in the world and will reappear at its end to redeem the righteous. Variants Ismaili faith: A sect of Shia Islam, its adherents are also known as "Seveners," because they believe that the rightful seventh Imam in Islamic leadership was Isma'il, the elder son of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq. Ismaili tradition awaits the return of the seventh Imam as the Mahdi, or Islamic messianic figure. Ismailis are located in various parts of the world, particularly South Asia and the Levant. Alawi faith: Another Shia sect of Islam, the name reflects followers' devotion to the religious authority of Ali. Alawites are a closed, secretive religious group who assert they are Shia Muslims, although outside scholars speculate their beliefs may have a syncretic mix with other faiths originating in the Middle East. Alawis live mostly in Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. Druze faith: A highly secretive tradition and a closed community that derives from the Ismaili sect of Islam; its core beliefs are thought to emphasize a combination of Gnostic principles believing that the Fatimid caliph, al-Hakin, is the one who embodies the key aspects of goodness of the universe, which are, the intellect, the word, the soul, the preceder, and the follower. The Druze have a key presence in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Jainism - Originating in India, Jain spiritual philosophy believes in an eternal human soul, the eternal universe, and a principle of "the own nature of things." It emphasizes compassion for all living things, seeks liberation of the human soul from reincarnation through enlightenment, and values personal responsibility due to the belief in the immediate consequences of one's behavior. Jain philosophy teaches non-violence and prescribes vegetarianism for monks and laity alike; its adherents are a highly influential religious minority in Indian society. Judaism - One of the first known monotheistic religions, likely dating to between 2000-1500 B.C., Judaism is the native faith of the Jewish people, based upon the belief in a covenant of responsibility between a sole omnipotent creator God and Abraham, the patriarch of Judaism's Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh. Divine revelation of principles and prohibitions in the Hebrew Scriptures form the basis of Jewish law, or halakhah, which is a key component of the faith. While there are extensive traditions of Jewish halakhic and theological discourse, there is no final dogmatic authority in the tradition. Local communities have their own religious leadership. Modern Judaism has three basic categories of faith: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform/Liberal. These differ in their views and observance of Jewish law, with the Orthodox representing the most traditional practice, and Reform/Liberal communities the most accommodating of individualized interpretations of Jewish identity and faith. Shintoism - A native animist tradition of Japan, Shinto practice is based upon the premise that every being and object has its own spirit or kami. Shinto practitioners worship several particular kamis, including the kamis of nature, and families often have shrines to their ancestors' kamis. Shintoism has no fixed tradition of prayers or prescribed dogma, but is characterized by individual ritual. Respect for the kamis in nature is a key Shinto value. Prior to the end of World War II, Shinto was the state religion of Japan, and bolstered the cult of the Japanese emperor. Sikhism - Founded by the Guru Nanak (born 1469), Sikhism believes in a non-anthropomorphic, supreme, eternal, creator God; centering one's devotion to God is seen as a means of escaping the cycle of rebirth. Sikhs follow the teachings of Nanak and nine subsequent gurus. Their scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib - also known as the Adi Granth - is considered the living Guru, or final authority of Sikh faith and theology. Sikhism emphasizes equality of humankind and disavows caste, class, or gender discrimination. Taoism - Chinese philosophy or religion based upon Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, which centers on belief in the Tao, or the way, as the flow of the universe and the nature of things. Taoism encourages a principle of non-force, or wu-wei, as the means to live harmoniously with the Tao. Taoists believe the esoteric world is made up of a perfect harmonious balance and nature, while in the manifest world - particularly in the body - balance is distorted. The Three Jewels of the Tao - compassion, simplicity, and humility - serve as the basis for Taoist ethics. Zoroastrianism - Originating from the teachings of Zoroaster in about the 9th or 10th century B.C., Zoroastrianism may be the oldest continuing creedal religion. Its key beliefs center on a transcendent creator God, Ahura Mazda, and the concept of free will. The key ethical tenets of Zoroastrianism expressed in its scripture, the Avesta, are based on a dualistic worldview where one may prevent chaos if one chooses to serve God and exercises good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. Zoroastrianism is generally a closed religion and members are almost always born to Zoroastrian parents. Prior to the spread of Islam, Zoroastrianism dominated greater Iran. Today, though a minority, Zoroastrians remain primarily in Iran, India, and Pakistan.
Rank country (%) Date of Information