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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 1,330,141,295 July 2010 est. 2 India 1,173,108,018 July 2010 est. 3 United States 310,232,863 July 2010 est. 4 Indonesia 242,968,342 July 2010 est. 5 Brazil 201,103,330 July 2010 est. 6 Pakistan 184,404,791 July 2010 est. 7 Bangladesh 156,118,464 July 2010 est. 8 Nigeria 152,217,341 July 2010 est. 9 Russia 139,390,205 July 2010 est. 10 Japan 126,804,433 July 2010 est. 11 Mexico 112,468,855 July 2010 est. 12 Philippines 99,900,177 July 2010 est. 13 Vietnam 89,571,130 July 2010 est. 14 Ethiopia 88,013,491 July 2010 est. 15 Germany 82,282,988 July 2010 est. 16 Egypt 80,471,869 July 2010 est. 17 Turkey 77,804,122 July 2010 est. 18 Iran 76,923,300 July 2010 est. 19 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 70,916,439 July 2010 est. 20 Thailand 67,089,500 July 2010 est. 21 France 64,768,389 July 2010 est. 22 United Kingdom 62,348,447 July 2010 est. 23 Italy 58,090,681 July 2010 est. 24 Burma 53,414,374 July 2010 est. 25 South Africa 49,109,107 July 2010 est. 26 Korea, South 48,636,068 July 2010 est. 27 Spain 46,505,963 July 2010 est. 28 Ukraine 45,415,596 July 2010 est. 29 Colombia 44,205,293 July 2010 est. 30 Sudan 43,939,598 July 2010 est. 31 Tanzania 41,892,895 July 2010 est. 32 Argentina 41,343,201 July 2010 est. 33 Kenya 40,046,566 July 2010 est. 34 Poland 38,463,689 July 2010 est. 35 Algeria 34,586,184 July 2010 est. 36 Canada 33,759,742 July 2010 est. 37 Uganda 33,398,682 July 2010 est. 38 Morocco 31,627,428 July 2010 est. 39 Peru 29,907,003 July 2010 est. 40 Iraq 29,671,605 July 2010 est. 41 Afghanistan 29,121,286 July 2010 est. 42 Nepal 28,951,852 July 2010 est. 43 Malaysia 28,274,729 July 2010 est. 44 Uzbekistan 27,865,738 July 2010 est. 45 Venezuela 27,223,228 July 2010 est. 46 Saudi Arabia 25,731,776 July 2010 est. 47 Ghana 24,339,838 July 2010 est. 48 Yemen 23,495,361 July 2010 est. 49 Taiwan 23,024,956 July 2010 est. 50 Korea, North 22,757,275 July 2010 est. 51 Syria 22,198,110 NA 52 Mozambique 22,061,451 July 2010 est. 53 Romania 21,959,278 July 2010 est. 54 Australia 21,515,754 July 2010 est. 55 Sri Lanka 21,513,990 July 2010 est. 56 Madagascar 21,281,844 July 2010 est. 57 Cote d'Ivoire 21,058,798 July 2010 est. 58 Cameroon 19,294,149 July 2010 est. 59 Netherlands 16,783,092 July 2010 est. 60 Chile 16,746,491 July 2010 est. 61 Burkina Faso 16,241,811 July 2010 est. 62 Niger 15,878,271 July 2010 est. 63 Kazakhstan 15,460,484 July 2010 est. 64 Malawi 15,447,500 July 2010 est. 65 Ecuador 14,790,608 July 2010 est. 66 Cambodia 14,453,680 July 2010 est. 67 Mali 13,796,354 July 2010 est. 68 Guatemala 13,550,440 July 2010 est. 69 Zambia 13,460,305 July 2010 est. 70 Angola 13,068,161 July 2010 est. 71 Senegal 12,323,252 July 2010 est. 72 Zimbabwe 11,651,858 July 2010 est. 73 Cuba 11,477,459 July 2010 est. 74 Rwanda 11,055,976 July 2010 est. 75 Greece 10,749,943 July 2010 est. 76 Portugal 10,735,765 July 2010 est. 77 Tunisia 10,589,025 July 2010 est. 78 Chad 10,543,464 July 2010 est. 79 Belgium 10,423,493 July 2010 est. 80 Guinea 10,324,025 July 2010 est. 81 Czech Republic 10,201,707 July 2010 est. 82 Somalia 10,112,453 July 2010 est. 83 Hungary 9,992,339 July 2010 est. 84 Bolivia 9,947,418 July 2010 est. 85 Burundi 9,863,117 July 2010 est. 86 Dominican Republic 9,823,821 July 2010 est. 87 Haiti 9,719,932 2011 est. 88 Belarus 9,612,632 July 2010 est. 89 Sweden 9,074,055 July 2010 est. 90 Benin 9,056,010 July 2010 est. 91 Azerbaijan 8,303,512 July 2010 est. 92 Austria 8,214,160 July 2010 est. 93 Honduras 7,989,415 July 2010 est. 94 Switzerland 7,623,438 July 2010 est. 95 Tajikistan 7,487,489 July 2010 est. 96 Israel 7,353,985 NA 97 Serbia 7,344,847 July 2010 est. 98 Bulgaria 7,148,785 July 2010 est. 99 Hong Kong 7,089,705 July 2010 est. 100 Togo 6,587,239 July 2010 est. 101 Libya 6,461,454 July 2010 est. 102 Jordan 6,407,085 July 2010 est. 103 Paraguay 6,375,830 July 2010 est. 104 Laos 6,368,162 July 2010 est. 105 Papua New Guinea 6,064,515 July 2010 est. 106 El Salvador 6,052,064 July 2010 est. 107 Nicaragua 5,995,928 July 2010 est. 108 Eritrea 5,792,984 July 2010 est. 109 Denmark 5,515,575 July 2010 est. 110 Kyrgyzstan 5,508,626 July 2010 est. 111 Slovakia 5,470,306 July 2010 est. 112 Finland 5,255,068 July 2010 est. 113 Sierra Leone 5,245,695 July 2010 est. 114 United Arab Emirates 4,975,593 July 2010 est. 115 Turkmenistan 4,940,916 July 2010 est. 116 Central African Republic 4,844,927 July 2010 est. 117 Singapore 4,701,069 July 2010 est. 118 Norway 4,676,305 July 2010 est. 119 Ireland 4,622,917 July 2010 est. 120 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4,621,598 July 2010 est. 121 Georgia 4,600,825 July 2010 est. 122 Costa Rica 4,516,220 July 2010 est. 123 Croatia 4,486,881 July 2010 est. 124 Moldova 4,317,483 July 2010 est. 125 New Zealand 4,252,277 July 2010 est. 126 Congo, Republic of the 4,125,916 July 2010 est. 127 Lebanon 4,125,247 July 2010 est. 128 Puerto Rico 3,978,702 July 2010 est. 129 Liberia 3,685,076 July 2010 est. 130 Lithuania 3,545,319 July 2010 est. 131 Uruguay 3,510,386 July 2010 est. 132 Panama 3,410,676 July 2010 est. 133 Mauritania 3,205,060 July 2010 est. 134 Mongolia 3,086,918 July 2010 est. 135 Albania 2,986,952 July 2010 est. 136 Oman 2,967,717 July 2010 est. 137 Armenia 2,966,802 July 2010 est. 138 Jamaica 2,847,232 July 2010 est. 139 Kuwait 2,789,132 July 2010 est. 140 West Bank 2,514,845 NA 141 Latvia 2,217,969 July 2010 est. 142 Namibia 2,128,471 July 2010 est. 143 Macedonia 2,072,086 July 2010 est. 144 Botswana 2,029,307 July 2010 est. 145 Slovenia 2,003,136 July 2010 est. 146 Lesotho 1,919,552 July 2010 est. 147 Gambia, The 1,824,158 July 2010 est. 148 Kosovo 1,815,048 July 2010 est. 149 Gaza Strip 1,604,238 July 2010 est. 150 Guinea-Bissau 1,565,126 July 2010 est. 151 Gabon 1,545,255 July 2010 est. 152 Swaziland 1,354,051 July 2010 est. 153 Mauritius 1,294,104 July 2010 est. 154 Estonia 1,291,170 July 2010 est. 155 Trinidad and Tobago 1,228,691 July 2010 est. 156 Timor-Leste 1,154,625 July 2010 est. 157 Cyprus 1,102,677 July 2010 est. 158 Fiji 875,983 July 2010 est. 159 Qatar 840,926 July 2010 est. 160 Comoros 773,407 July 2010 est. 161 Guyana 748,486 July 2010 est. 162 Djibouti 740,528 July 2010 est. 163 Bahrain 738,004 July 2010 est. 164 Bhutan 699,847 July 2010 est. 165 Montenegro 666,730 July 2010 est. 166 Equatorial Guinea 650,702 July 2010 est. 167 Macau 567,957 July 2010 est. 168 Solomon Islands 559,198 July 2010 est. 169 Cape Verde 508,659 July 2010 est. 170 Luxembourg 497,538 July 2010 est. 171 Western Sahara 491,519 July 2010 est. 172 Suriname 486,618 July 2010 est. 173 Malta 406,771 July 2010 est. 174 Maldives 395,650 July 2010 est. 175 Brunei 395,027 July 2010 est. 176 Belize 314,522 July 2010 est. 177 Bahamas, The 310,426 July 2010 est. 178 Iceland 308,910 July 2010 est. 179 French Polynesia 291,000 July 2010 est. 180 Barbados 285,653 July 2010 est. 181 New Caledonia 252,352 July 2010 est. 182 Mayotte 231,139 July 2010 est. 183 Vanuatu 221,552 July 2010 est. 184 Samoa 192,001 July 2010 est. 185 Sao Tome and Principe 175,808 July 2010 est. 186 Saint Lucia 160,922 July 2010 est. 187 Curacao 142,180 est. January 2010 188 Tonga 122,580 July 2010 est. 189 Virgin Islands 109,750 July 2010 est. 190 Grenada 107,818 July 2010 est. 191 Micronesia, Federated States of 107,154 July 2010 est. 192 Aruba 104,589 July 2010 est. 193 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 104,217 July 2010 est. 194 Kiribati 99,482 July 2010 est. 195 Jersey 93,363 July 2010 est. 196 Seychelles 88,340 July 2010 est. 197 Antigua and Barbuda 86,754 July 2010 est. 198 Andorra 84,525 July 2010 est. 199 Isle of Man 83,859 July 2010 est. 200 Dominica 72,813 July 2010 est. 201 Bermuda 68,265 July 2010 est. 202 American Samoa 66,432 July 2010 est. 203 Marshall Islands 65,859 July 2010 est. 204 Guernsey 64,775 July 2010 est. 205 Greenland 57,637 July 2010 est. 206 Cayman Islands 50,209 July 2010 est. 207 Saint Kitts and Nevis 49,898 July 2010 est. 208 Faroe Islands 49,057 July 2010 est. 209 Northern Mariana Islands 48,317 July 2010 est. 210 Sint Maarten 37,429 January 2010 est. 211 Liechtenstein 35,002 July 2010 est. 212 San Marino 31,477 July 2010 est. 213 Monaco 30,586 July 2010 est. 214 Saint Martin 30,235 July 2010 est. 215 Gibraltar 28,877 July 2010 est. 216 British Virgin Islands 24,939 July 2010 est. 217 Turks and Caicos Islands 23,528 July 2010 est. 218 Palau 20,879 July 2010 est. 219 Akrotiri 15,700 NA 220 Dhekelia 15,700 NA 221 Wallis and Futuna 15,343 July 2010 est. 222 Anguilla 14,766 July 2010 est. 223 Cook Islands 11,488 July 2010 est. 224 Tuvalu 10,472 July 2010 est. 225 Nauru 9,267 July 2010 est. 226 Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha7,670 July 2010 est. 227 Saint Barthelemy 7,406 July 2010 est. 228 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 5,943 July 2010 est. 229 Montserrat 5,118 July 2010 est. 230 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 3,140 July 2008 est. 231 Norfolk Island 2,155 July 2010 est. 232 Svalbard 2,067 July 2010 est. 233 Christmas Island 1,402 July 2010 est. 234 Tokelau 1,400 July 2010 est. 235 Niue 1,354 July 2010 est. 236 Holy See (Vatican City) 829 July 2010 est. 237 Cocos (Keeling) Islands 596 July 2010 est. 238 Pitcairn Islands 48 July 2010 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 64,015 2009 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 26,435 2009 12 Poland 22,314 2007 13 Ukraine 21,658 2009 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 15,082 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 5,537 2008 33 Egypt 5,500 2009 34 Chile 5,483 2008 35 Korea, North 5,242 2009 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 Azerbaijan 2,918 2009 58 Netherlands 2,896 2009 59 Portugal 2,786 2008 60 Kenya 2,778 2008 61 Bangladesh 2,768 2008 62 Angola 2,764 2008 63 Croatia 2,722 2009 64 Denmark 2,667 2008 65 Namibia 2,629 2008 66 Greece 2,548 2008 67 Vietnam 2,347 2008 68 Latvia 2,298 2008 69 Iraq 2,272 2008 70 Tunisia 2,167 2008 71 Zambia 2,157 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 1,768 2009 79 Uruguay 1,641 2010 80 Georgia 1,612 2008 81 Taiwan 1,582 2008 82 Sri Lanka 1,449 2007 83 Saudi Arabia 1,392 2008 84 Uganda 1,244 2008 85 Slovenia 1,228 2007 86 Estonia 1,196 2008 87 Guinea 1,185 2008 88 Moldova 1,138 2008 89 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,000 2008 90 Cameroon 987 2008 91 Ecuador 965 2008 92 Israel 949 2008 93 Ghana 947 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 Macedonia 699 2009 105 Cambodia 690 2010 106 Ethiopia 681 2008 107 Tajikistan 680 2008 108 Cote d'Ivoire 660 2008 109 Burkina Faso 622 2008 110 Fiji 597 2008 111 Mali 593 2008 112 Benin 578 2008 113 Togo 532 2008 114 Jordan 507 2008 115 Kyrgyzstan 470 2008 116 Kosovo 430 2007 117 Liberia 429 2008 118 Lebanon 401 2008 119 Guatemala 332 2008 120 Eritrea 306 2008 121 Swaziland 301 2008 122 El Salvador 283 2008 123 Costa Rica 278 2008 124 Luxembourg 275 2008 125 Montenegro 250 2007 126 Djibouti 100 2008 127 Panama 76 2008 128 Honduras 75 2009 129 Isle of Man 63 2008 130 Nepal 59 2008 131 Saint Kitts and Nevis 50 2008 132 Paraguay 36 2008 133 Christmas Island 18 2010
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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 (Roman or 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