Bücher der Reihe Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East

In spite of Singapores small size, it has long had a major impact on the world because of its geographical location and its wealth. The British initially made the island a major port for the shipping of goods and later as an airline hub for the region. These factors, along with a steady government, have helped to contribute to the countrys affluence. This multicultural, multiracial, and multi-religious island-nation is the envy of many countries in the world, which have tried to emulate the economic success of Singapore.The new edition of the Historical Dictionary of Singapore has been completely rewritten since the first edition was released 20 years ago. It relates the history of this country through a chronology, an introductory essay, an expansive bibliography, and over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, events, places, organizations, and other aspects of Singapore history from the earliest times to the present.

This fourth edition of the Historical Dictionary of Syria covers the recent events in Syria as well as the history that led up to these events. The cross-referenced dictionary section has over 500 entries on significant persons, places and events, political parties and institutions, literature, music and the arts. .

This third edition of Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

Papua New Guinea has experienced a remarkably rapid transition from scattered primitive societies to a modern unified nation. The dictionary covers major economic, social, political, and cultural developments, basic geographic information and biographies. With maps.

The term Polynesia refers to a cultural and geographical area in the Pacific Ocean, bound by what is commonly referred to as the Polynesian Triangle, which consists of Hawai'i in the north, New Zealand in the southwest, and Easter Island in the southeast. Thousands of islands are scattered throughout this area, most of which are currently included in one of the modern island states of American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Hawai'i, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu, and Wallis and Futuna.The third edition of the Historical Dictionary of Polynesia greatly expands on the previous editions through a chronology, an introductory essay, an expansive bibliography, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, events, places, organizations, and other aspects of Polynesian history from the earliest times to the present. Appendixes of the major islands and atolls within Polynesia, the rulers and administrators of the 13 major island states, and basic demographic information of those states are also included.

Kazakhstan is in some ways a very old nation dating back to the Kazakh Khanate of 1458, but it dramatically transformed within the Russian Empire and even more so during the period when it was part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Since 1991 it has been independent and has had to forge its own policy in all fields. Kazakhstan is in an enviable position in terms of exportable natural resources, but at the same time it is faced with many domestic problems, such as an inadequate infrastructure. Along with solving a multitude of social problems, Kazakhstan has had to simultaneously create a normal functioning state, which added to its political difficulties. The situation at present is a state run by a strong ruler, which solves some problems but creates others.The Historical Dictionary of Kazakhstan covers the history of Kazakhstan through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and a bibliography. The dictionary section has over 400 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Kazakhstan.

Afghanistan has long been a coveted land of great strategic importance. Early in its history it served as a gateway to India, impinging on the ancient Silk Road, which carried trade from the Mediterranean to China. In the 16th century the Persian Safavid Empire in the west, the Turkic Uzbek state to the north, and the Moghul Empire of India disputed control of the area, and soon after the founding of the state of Afghanistan in 1747, Russia and Great Britain left the country as a buffer between the two empires. During the second half of the 20th century, it became an arena of conflict in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union and in the 1990s, the establishment of a radical Islamist regime in Kabul threatened to make the country the base of an Islamist world revolution. Most recently, spurred on by the attacks of September 11th, American intervention brought an end to the radical Taliban regime and led to the election of President Hamid Karzai in 2004 and his reelection in 2009.The fourth edition of the Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan contains substantial new material to reflect the rapid changes in the region. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, an expansive bibliography, and over 1,000 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, events, places, organizations, and other aspects of Afghanistan history from the earliest times to the present. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Afghanistan.

East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, located at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago. East Timor was among the last of colonial territories to become independent, and it actually had to be liberated twice. First, after more than four centuries of Portuguese colonial rule, it achieved independence in 1975 only to be invaded and occupied by Indonesia. After a blood-soaked occupation of 24 years and following intense international pressure, the Jakarta-regime only grudgingly allowed East Timor to form a nation of its own in 1999. Since then, the new state has faced further armed clashes and is only now able to seriously engage in nation-building. Historical Dictionary of East Timor relates the turbulent history of this country through a chronology, an introductory essay, an expansive bibliography, and over 200 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, events, places, organizations, and other aspects of East Timor history from the earliest times to the present.

Bangladesh (literally, the land of the Bengalis) is the most recent addition (in 1971) to the independent nations of South Asia. It had previously been known as East Pakistan, and prior to that it was part of British India. It has been inhabited by people of different races and religions and ruled over by different leaders who imposed different regimes. It is overpopulated and underdeveloped, but there is much more to it than that. Bangladesh has a long and oftentimes proud tradition: it has produced writers and artists of genius, and it is an important outpost of Islam. And, with a population of some 130 million, it is one of the larger countries in the world. The fourth edition of the Historical Dictionary of Bangladesh greatly expands on the previous edition through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 700 cross-referenced dictionary entries on important people, places, events, and institutions, as well as significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects.

Thailand has experienced extremely rapid economic growth, and with that growth the increased social mobility and political democracy that comes with it. As the only Southeast Asian country to have avoided colonization, it still boasts a functioning monarchy, remains close to its religious roots, and clings to its cultural heritage. The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Thailand first provides an overview of the country in the introduction, traces the long and complicated history in the chronology, and goes into much greater detail in the dictionary. Offering 64 new entries, as well as updates and revisions to older ones, the dictionary presents important persons, places, institutions, and more in an easily accessible resource. Significant recent events are discussed including the 1997-98 Thai economic crisis and its effects, reforms of the national government, and the growth in political roles of both businessman and other middle class members. In addition, the book updates basic information relative to population growth, urbanization, and industrialization of the economy. All this is topped off by nearly 20 Appendixes and a solid bibliography, making this an essential reference tool.

This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Saudi Arabia contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1,000 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

Historical Dictionary of the Chinese Environment contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 200 cross-referenced entries on environmental degradation including air and water pollution, deforestation, desertification, and resource depletion.

This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Democratic People's Republic of Korea contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 400 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

Historical Dictionary of Postwar Japan, Second Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has several hundred cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

Historical Dictionary of Chinese Foreign Affairs contains a chronology, an introduction, a glossary, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on major events, national institutions, foreign nations, and personages impacting Chinese foreign affairs.

This new edition of Historical Dictionary of Azerbaijan contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Malaysia contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Israel contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1100 cross-referenced entries on significant persons, places, events, government institutions, political parties, and battles, as well as entries on Israel's economy, society, and culture.

This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Yemen contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1000 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

The Historical Dictionary of the Chinese Economy contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 400 cross-referenced entries on critical sectors of the economy including automobiles, banking and finance, national currency, economic regulation, trade and investment.

This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Burma (Myanmar) contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Nepal contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Nepal.

This third edition of Historical Dictionary of New Zealand contains a chronology, an introduction, appendix, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 800 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Brunei Darussalam contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

This third edition of Historical Dictionary of the People's Republic of China contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

The Historical Dictionary of Fiji contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Fiji.

This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Indonesia contains a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 900 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Indonesia.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People''s Republic of China is located on the southeastern coast of China, and the Macao SAR can be found off of China''s southern coast. Both regions have recently been released from European colonial rule: Hong Kong from British control in 1997 and Macao from Portugal in 1999. As SARs, Hong Kong and Macao retain a high degree of autonomy, and they control all issues except those of state (e.g. diplomatic relations and national defense). As with other volumes in the Historical Dictionaries series, the Historical Dictionary of the Hong Kong SAR and the Macao SAR includes maps, photographs, a list of acronyms, a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, and events as well as political, economic and social background. However, unlike the rest of the series, all these sections are presented in duplicate: one for Hong Kong and one for Macao. The authoritative analysis and informative data presented clearly elucidate the unique situation of these two territories.

The history of Azerbaijan is a chronology of its domination, most recently within the bounds of the USSR . This historical dictionary provides entries on persons, in stitutions and events and society, religion and culture.