Country profile: Bahrain

Bahrain - whose name means "two seas" - was once viewed by the ancient Sumerians as an island paradise to which the wise and the brave were taken to enjoy eternal life.

It was one of the first states in the Gulf to discover oil and to build a refinery; as such, it benefited from oil wealth before most of its neighbours.


But Bahrain never reached the levels of production enjoyed by Kuwait or Saudi Arabia and has been forced to diversify its economy.

AT-A-GLANCE
Politics: The al-Khalifah family has ruled since 1783; Bahrain is now a constitutional monarchy with an elected legislative assembly; majority Shiites are demanding more power from Sunni-led government
Economy: Bahrain is a banking and financial services centre; its small and reasonably prosperous economy is less dependent on oil than most Gulf states
International: Bahrain is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet


The country has been headed since 1783 by the al-Khalifah family, members of the Bani Utbah tribe, who expelled the Persians. From 1861, when a treaty was signed with Britain, until independence in 1971, Bahrain was virtually a British protectorate.

The king is the supreme authority and members of the Sunni Muslim ruling family hold the main political and military posts. There are long-running tensions between Bahrain's Sunnis and the Shia Muslim majority. On occasion, these have spilled over into civil unrest.

In 2001 Bahrainis strongly backed proposals put by the emir - now the king - to turn the country into a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament and an independent judiciary.

Elections were duly held in 2002 for a 40-member parliament, the Council of Deputies. It was the first such poll in nearly 30 years. The new body included a dozen Shia MPs.


The country has enjoyed increasing freedom of expression, and monitors say the human rights situation has improved. However, opposition groups and campaigners continue to press for political reforms, including greater powers for the elected assembly.

Bahrain - a chain of around 30 islands - is a haven for tourists from the region, who take advantage of its relaxed social environment. A close ally of the US, it is home to the American navy's Fifth Fleet.


Full name: Kingdom of Bahrain
Population: 753,000 (UN, 2007)
Capital: Manama
Area: 717 sq km (277 sq miles)
Major language: Arabic
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 74 years (men), 77 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Bahraini dinar = 1,000 fils
Main exports: Petroleum and petroleum products, aluminium
GNI per capita: US $14,370 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .bh
International dialling code: +973



King: Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifah

Sheikh Hamad's title changed to king when Bahrain switched from being an emirate to a monarchy in February 2002.

He had been crown prince since 1964, when, on the death of his father Sheikh Isa in March 1999, he became emir.

Born in 1950, he was educated at a public school in Cambridge, England, and went on to study at Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England, and at the US Army Command and Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

In 1968, he founded and became commander-in-chief of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF). He served as minister of defence from 1971 to 1988.


Bahrain is keen to promote itself as a regional media hub; the London-based pan-Arab satellite broadcaster MBC chose it as the base for its MBC-2 channel.

Most radio and TV stations are state-run. The country's first private radio station - Sawt al-Ghad - launched in 2005, but the authorities shut it down in 2006, alleging irregularities.

A press law guarantees the right of journalists to operate independently and to publish information. But they are liable to jail terms for offences which include insulting the king, and self-censorship is practised.

The press
Akhbar al-Khaleej - private,daily
Al-Ayam - private, daily
Al-Wasat - private, daily
Bahrain Tribune - English-language
Gulf Daily News - English-language

Television
Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC) - state-run; operates five terrestrial TV networks
Radio
Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC) - state-run; operates General Programme in Arabic, Second Programme featuring cultural and local programmes, Holy Koran Programme, Sports Service, English-language Radio Bahrain
Voice FM - private, for Indian listeners

News agency
Bahrain News Agency (BNA) - English-language pages

Country profile: Algeria

Algeria, a gateway between Africa and Europe, has been battered by violence over the past half-century.

More than a million Algerians were killed in the fight for independence from France in 1962, and the country has recently emerged from a brutal internal conflict that followed scrapped elections in 1992.



The Sahara desert covers more than four-fifths of the land. Oil and gas reserves were discovered here in the 1950s, but most Algerians live along the northern coast. The country supplies large amounts of natural gas to Europe and energy exports are the backbone of the economy.
AT-A-GLANCE
Politics: President Bouteflika led his country out of the civil war that broke out when Islamists were denied an election victory; rebel activity surged again at the end of 2006
Economy: Algeria is a key oil and gas supplier
International: Tension persists between Algeria and Morocco over the Western Sahara, where nomadic Saharans are seeking self-determination


Algeria was originally inhabited by Berbers until the Arabs conquered North Africa in the 7th century. Staying mainly in the mountainous regions, the Berbers resisted the spreading Arab influence, managing to preserve much of their language and culture. They make up some 30% of the population.

Part of the Turkish Ottoman empire from the 16th century, Algeria was conquered by the French in 1830 and was given the status of a "departement". The struggle for independence began in 1954 headed by the National Liberation Front, which came to power on independence in 1962.

In the 1990s Algerian politics was dominated by the struggle involving the military and Islamist militants. In 1992 a general election won by an Islamist party was annulled, heralding a bloody civil war in which more than 150,000 people were slaughtered.

An amnesty in 1999 led many rebels to lay down their arms.

Although political violence in Algeria has declined since the 1990s, the country has been shaken by by a campaign of bombings carried out by a group calling itself Al-Qaeda in the Land of Islamic Maghreb (AQLIM).

Although experts doubt that the group has direct operational links with Osama Bin-Laden, its methods - which include suicide bombings - and its choice of targets, such as foreign workers and the UN headquarters in Algiers, are thought to be inspired by Al-Qaeda. North African governments fear that local Islamist groups in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia may be linking up under the umbrella of the new movement.

In 2001 the government agreed to a series of demands by the minority Berbers, including official recognition of their language, after months of unrest involving Berber youths demanding greater cultural and political recognition.


Full name: The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Population: 33.9 million (UN, 2007)
Capital: Algiers
Area: 2.4 million sq km (919,595 sq miles)
Major languages: Arabic, French, Berber
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 71 years (men), 74 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 dinar = 100 centimes
Main exports: Oil, gas
GNI per capita: US $2,730 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .dz
International dialling code: +213


President: Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Abdelaziz Bouteflika secured a landslide election victory in April 2004. He promised to seek "true national reconciliation" during his second term. The military - traditionally a key player in Algerian politics - pledged neutrality during the poll.

On first taking office in 1999 he promised to restore national harmony and to end years of bloodshed.

He released thousands of Muslim militants and won backing for a civil concord in 1999 which offered an amnesty to armed militants.

Many of the rebels accepted and the violence declined. Voters backed a second amnesty for the remaining militants, laid out in the president's "charter for peace and reconciliation", in a 2005 referendum.

Algeria under President Bouteflika has won praise from the West for backing the US-led "war on terror". At home, many credit him with the return of security. But some campaigners say abuses by the security forces go on and rights group Amnesty International says allegations about the torture of detainees continue to be reported.

Mr Bouteflika says he wants to tackle Algeria's economic ills, including high unemployment and a dependency on energy exports.

A veteran of the war for independence from France, Mr Bouteflika was Algeria's foreign minister for 16 years until 1979. He went into self-imposed exile for several years in the 1980s to escape corruption charges that were later dropped.

Power is concentrated in the presidency, with parliament considered as a rubber-stamping body.



Algeria's television and radio stations are state-controlled, but there is a lively private press which often criticises the authorities.

There is no direct censorship, but laws set out prison terms and fines for insulting or defaming the president, MPs, judges and the army.

Media rights bodies have accused the government of using the laws to control the private press.

Algerian dailies mark the anniversary of the introduction of the defamation laws by suspending publication in a protest known as a "day without newspapers".

Satellite TV is popular; stations based in France target viewers in Algeria and European channels are widely-watched.

Algeria can be a dangerous environment for media workers; 57 journalists were murdered between 1993-97. Most of the killings were blamed on armed Islamist groups.

Most internet users rely on dial-up connections and cybercafes for access. Access is not restricted, but users and ISPs can face prosecution over material deemed to be offensive or harmful to public order.

The press:
El Khabar - private, Arabic daily; website has pages in Arabic, French and English
Ech Chourouk - private, Arabic daily
Le Quotidien d'Oran - private, French-language daily
El Moudjahid - state-run, French-language daily
Ech Chaab - state-run, Arabic daily
El Watan - private, French language daily
Le Soir d'Algeria - private, French-language daily
Liberte - private, French-language
La Tribune - private, French-language
Algerian Press Portal - press directory

Television:
Enterprise Nationale de Television (ENTV) - state-run
BRTV - Berber station, via satellite from France

Radio:
Algerian Radio - operated by state-run Radio-Television Algerienne, runs national Arabic, Berber and French networks and several local stations

News agencies:
Algerian Press Service (APS) - state-run
Agence Algerienne d'Information (AAI) - private

Country profile: Sri Lanka

Nestling off the southern tip of India, the tropical island of Sri Lanka has beguiled travellers for centuries with its palm-fringed beaches, diverse landscapes and historical monuments.

But for nearly two decades, the island was scarred by a bitter civil war arising out of ethnic tensions. A ceasefire was signed in 2002, but it was undermined by regular clashes between government troops and Tamil rebels, and in January 2008 it expired.


Known as "Serendip" to Arab geographers, the island fell under Portuguese and Dutch influence and finally came under British rule when it was called Ceylon. NATION AT WAR
Army and Tamil separatists are engaged in conflict involving air raids, roadside blasts, suicide bombings, land and sea battles
More than 50,000 killed
1983 - start of war
2002 - ceasefire is signed but violence escalates in 2006



There is a long-established Tamil minority in the north and east. The British also brought in Tamil labourers to work the coffee and tea plantations in the central highlands, making the island a major tea producer.

But the majority Buddhist Sinhalese community resented what they saw as favouritism towards the mainly-Hindu Tamils under British administration.

The growth of a more assertive Sinhala nationalism after independence fanned the flames of ethnic division until civil war erupted in the 1980s between Tamils pressing for self-rule and the government.

Most of the fighting took place in the north. But the conflict also penetrated the heart of Sri Lankan society with Tamil Tiger rebels carrying out devastating suicide bombings in Colombo in the 1990s.

The violence killed more than 60,000 people, damaged the economy and harmed tourism in one of South Asia's potentially prosperous societies.

A ceasefire and a political agreement reached between the government and rebels in late 2002 raised hopes for a lasting settlement. But Norwegian-brokered peace talks have stalled and monitors reported open violations of the truce by the government and Tamil Tiger rebels.

Escalating violence between the two sides in 2006 killed hundreds of people and raised fears of a return to all-out war. In January 2008, the government said it was withdrawing from the 2002 ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire expired a fortnight later.

Sri Lanka suffered its worst disaster in late 2004 when giant waves generated by an undersea earthquake off Indonesia swept ashore, killing more than 30,000 people and devasting swathes of the coast.


Full name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Population: 19.3 million (UN, 2007)
Capital: Colombo (commercial), Sri Jayawardenepura (administrative)
Largest city: Colombo
Area: 65,610 sq km (25,332 sq miles)
Major languages: Sinhala, Tamil, English
Major religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity
Life expectancy: 69 years (men), 76 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: Sri Lankan rupee
Main exports: Clothing and textiles, tea, gems, rubber, coconuts
GNI per capita: US $1,160 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .lk
International dialling code: +94



President: Mahinda Rajapakse

Mahinda Rajapakse, prime minister at the time of his election, won the November 2005 presidential poll by a narrow margin. His main rival was the opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Mr Rajapakse was backed by Marxist and Buddhist parties in the government. He also benefited from an extremely low turnout by Tamils in the north and east.

But he inherited a troubled economy and a faltering peace process. During campaigning he promised to take a hard line in any peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels and said he would seek direct talks with the group's leader.

He says the solution to the conflict lies in a unitary state.

Mr Rajapakse, a Buddhist lawyer, became prime minister in 2004, heading a heavily-polarised parliament.

He served under Chandrika Bandaranaike-Kumaratunga, president since 1994. She had backed economic liberalisation while in office but government rifts slowed the pace of change.


Her coalition was also divided over the Tamil peace process. The former president pursued a twin-track approach during the civil war, trying to offer the Tamil rebels some form of autonomy while seeking the upper hand on the battlefield.

However, she accused the government of making too many concessions to the rebels and tensions over the peace process led to a bitter power struggle with the then prime minister, Ranil Wickramasinghe, in 2003.

The Sri Lankan president can appoint and dismiss the prime minister, and can dissolve parliament.



Media outlets are divided along linguistic and ethnic lines, with state-run and private operators offering services in the main languages.

Many of the main broadcasters and publications are state-owned, including two major TV stations, radio networks operated by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), and newspapers in Sinhala, Tamil and English.

There are more than a dozen private radio stations, and eight privately-run TV stations. Sri Lanka's privately-owned press and broadcasters often engage in political debate, and criticise government policies.

In 2002, against the background of the peace process, the government allowed Tamil Tiger rebels to begin FM broadcasts of their Voice of Tigers radio station in the north. Broadcasts had previously operated on a clandestine basis. The station was targeted in a bombing raid by the Sri Lankan air force in late 2007.

Media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders says the press come under pressure from the authorities, while the Tamil Tigers "allow no dissident voices" in the areas they control.

The internet is a growing medium for news; many papers have online editions. There were 428,000 internet users by August 2007 according to world telecoms body, the ITU.

Press
Daily News - state-owned, English-language daily
The Island - private, English-language daily
Daily Mirror - private, English-language daily
Dinamina - state-owned, Sinhala daily
Lankadeepa - private, Sinhala daily
Lakbima - private, Sinhala daily
Uthayan - private, Tamil daily
Virakesari - private, Tamil daily

Television
Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) - state-owned, operates two channels: Rupavahini and Channel Eye
Independent Television Network (ITN) - state-run, Sri Lanka's first TV station
Sirasa TV - private, Sinhala
MTV (Maharaj TV) - private, English-language
TNL - private, English-language
ART TV - private
ETV - private
Swarnavahini - private, Sinhala
Shakthi TV - private, Tamil

Radio
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) - state-owned, operates domestic services in Sinhala, Tamil and English, including widely-listened-to Commercial Service
TNL Rocks - private, English-language
Sun FM - private, English-language
Yes FM - private, English-language
Sirasa FM - private, Sinhala
Shree FM - private, Sinhala
Sooriyan FM - private, Tamil
Shakthi FM - private, Tamil

News agencies
Lankapuvath - state-owned
TamilNet - Tamil news service

Country profile: Pakistan

The Muslim-majority state of Pakistan occupies an area which was home to some of the earliest human settlements and where two of the world's major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, were practiced.

The modern state was born out of the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947 and has faced both domestic political upheavals and regional confrontations.



Created to meet the demands of Indian Muslims for their own homeland, Pakistan was originally in two parts.

The east wing - present-day Bangladesh - is on the Bay of Bengal bordering India and Burma and the west wing - present-day Pakistan - stretches from the Himalayas down to the Arabian Sea.

War with India over the disputed northern territory of Kashmir came shortly after independence - the two countries fought again in 1965.

The break-up of the two wings came in 1971 when the mainly Bengali-speaking east wing seceded with help from India.

Civilian politics in Pakistan in the last few decades has been tarnished by corruption, inefficiency and confrontations between various institutions. Alternating periods of civilian and military rule have not helped to establish stability.

Pakistan came under military rule again in October 1999 after the ousting of a civilian government that had lost a great deal of public support.

The coup leader, General Musharraf, pledged to revive the country's fortunes, but faced economic challenges as well as an increasing polarisation between Islamist militancy and the modernising secular wing of Pakistani politics.

At parliamentary elections in February 2008, President Musharraf's supporters were defeated by the opposition Pakistan People's Party and Muslim League. The president appointed People's Party nominee Yusuf Raza Gillani prime minister on 25 March.

Pakistan's place on the world stage shifted after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US. It dropped its support for the Taleban regime in Afghanistan and was propelled into the frontline in the fight against terrorism, becoming a key ally of Washington.

Pakistani forces say they have arrested hundreds of suspected al-Qaeda and Taleban-linked militants in the rugged, restive tribal regions along the Pakistani-Afghan border. Tens of thousands of troops are deployed in the area, which has been the scene of fierce fighting between security forces and suspected militants.

Tensions with India over Kashmir remain and have fuelled fears of a regional arms race. However, an ongoing peace process has brought the two nuclear-armed powers back from the brink of renewed conflict.



Full name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Population: 163.9 million (UN, 2007)
Capital: Islamabad
Largest city: Karachi
Area: 796,095 sq km (307,374 sq miles), excluding Pakistani-administered Kashmir (83,716 sq km/32,323 sq miles)
Major languages: English, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 65 years (men), 66 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Pakistani Rupee = 100 paisa
Main exports: Textile products, rice, cotton, leather goods
GNI per capita: US $690 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .pk
International dialling code: +92




President: Pervez Musharraf

Prime Minister: Yusuf Raza Gillani

General Pervez Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999 which was widely condemned and which led to Pakistan's suspension from the Commonwealth until 2004.

But he shook off his pariah status and gained foreign acceptance after he backed the US-led campaign against terror following the attacks on America on 11 September 2001.

The president has waged a campaign against Islamic extremists, banning several groups. But his stance against militancy has not been well received in some quarters; the general has survived a number of assassination attempts.

In 2002 General Musharraf awarded himself another five years as president, together with the power to dismiss an elected parliament. The handover from military to civilian rule came with parliamentary elections in November 2002, and the appointment of a civilian prime minister.

He held onto his military role, reneging on a promise to give up his army post and to become a civilian president.

In October 2007 he won the support of most parliamentarians in controversial presidential elections. However, the Supreme Court had earlier ruled that the winner could not be formally announced before it had ruled on whether General Musharraf was eligible to stand.

In early November, the general pre-empted the Supreme Court's ruling on his eligibility by imposing emergency rule and dismissing judges opposed to his candidacy, a move that received widespread condemnation in the international community.

The new Supreme Court confirmed President Musharraf's right to stand, clearing the way for him to become a civilian leader. He quit his army post soon afterwards and in mid-December lifted the state of emergency.

Parliamentary elections were scheduled to take place on 8 January 2008, but were postponed until 18 February on account of the unrest caused by the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.

The party which backed Mr Musharraf conceded defeat in the polls.

President Musharraf was born in Delhi in 1943 and his family emigrated to Pakistan after the partition of the Indian sub-continent.

His military career began in 1964 and included spells of training in the UK. He became head of military operations when Ms Bhutto was prime minister, and then head of the army in 1998.




President Pervez Musharraf's rule ushered in increased freedom for the print media and a liberalisation of broadcasting policies.

However, media rules were tightened in 2007 in the midst of an opposition campaign against the president. The legislation gave the broadcasting regulator more power to shut down TV stations.

Months later, under emergency rule, broadcasts of private TV stations via cable were disrupted.

The expansion of private radio and television stations brought to an end more than five decades of the state's virtual monopoly of broadcasting. Journalists protested against media curbs in 2007


Television is the dominant medium, and licences for more than 40 private satellite TV stations have been awarded, bringing increasing competition for the state-run Pakistan Television Corporation. But there are no private, terrestrial TV stations.

Many Pakistanis watch international satellite TV channels, via a dish or an often-unlicensed cable TV operator.

Indian channels such as Zee TV and STAR TV are popular with those who can receive them. The channels circumvent censorship in Pakistan that is far more restrictive than in India.

Around 100 licences have been issued for private FM radio stations, although not all of them have been taken up. Pakistan's media regulator has estimated that the country can support more than 800 private radio stations. Private stations are not allowed to broadcast news.

There are regular reports of private FM stations operating illegally, particularly in the tribal areas of North-West Frontier Province. Some of the stations have been accused of fanning sectarian divisions.

Pakistan and India regularly engage in a war of words via their respective media, occasionally banning broadcasts from the other country.

The government uses a range of legal and constitutional powers to curb press freedom. The shutting down of private TV news channels accompanied the declaration of a state of emergency in late 2007, and the law on blasphemy has been used against journalists.

Nevertheless, Pakistan's print media are among the most outspoken in South Asia.

The Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan estimated in March 2007 that there were between three and five million internet users. The authorities filter some websites. A small but growing number of bloggers write about political topics.

The press
Daily Jang - Karachi-based, Urdu-language; largest-circulation daily
Dawn - Karachi-based, largest-circulation English-language daily
The Nation - Lahore-based, English-language daily
The Frontier Post - Peshawar-based, English-language
The News - English-language daily, published by Jang group
Daily Ausaf - Islamabad-based, Urdu-language
Daily Times - English-language, publishes in Lahore and Karachi
Pakistan Observer - Islamabad-based daily
Business Recorder - financial daily
Pakistan and Gulf Economist - business weekly
The Friday Times - Lahore-based weekly, English-language

Television
Pakistan Television Corporation Ltd - state TV, operates PTV 1, PTV National, PTV Bolan, PTV World
ATV - semi-private, terrestrial network
Geo TV - leading private satellite broadcaster, owned by Jang publishing group; based in Dubai; services include Urdu-language Geo News
Dawn News - private satellite broadcaster, owned by Herald group; first English-language news channel
Aaj TV - private satellite broadcaster, owned by Business Recorder group
Indus TV - private, via satellite; services include Indus Vision, Indus News and entertainment channels
ARY Digital - private, via satellite; services include news channel ARY One World and entertainment channels

Radio
Radio Pakistan - state-run, operates 25 stations nationwide, an external service and the entertainment-based FM 101 network, aimed at younger listeners
Azad Kashmir Radio - state-run
Mast FM 103 - private, music-based
FM 100 - private, music-based

News agency
Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) - state-funded

Country profile: Nepal

With its ancient culture and the Himalayas as a backdrop, landlocked Nepal has long been the destination of choice for travellers in search of adventure.

One of the world's poorest countries, it is striving to overcome the legacy of deadly 10-year Maoist rebellion.


Nepal has been under the sway of an hereditary monarchy or ruling family for most of its known history, largely isolated from the rest of the world. AT-A-GLANCE
Politics: Parliament reinstated in May 2006 after uprising against king; Maoists entered transitional government in January 2007; Nepal declared a republic in 2008
Economy: Civil strife wrecked the economy and Nepal is dependent on aid; tourism is a key foreign exchange earner



A brief experiment with multi-party politics in 1959 ended with King Mahendra suspending parliament and taking sole charge.

Democratic politics was introduced in 1991 after popular protests, but it was extremely factionalised with frequent changes of government. The current monarch twice assumed executive powers - in 2002 and 2005.

Meanwhile, Maoist rebels intent on setting up a communist republic waged a decade-long campaign against the constitutional monarchy.

The rebellion left more than 12,000 people dead. The UN said 100,000 people were displaced. Its envoy said the use of torture by government forces and rebels was routine.

When King Gyanendra's direct rule ended in April 2006 the rebels entered talks on how to end the civil war. A landmark peace deal was agreed in November and in early 2007 the Maoists joined an interim government.

The Maoists withdrew from the government in September, demanding abolition of the monarchy. Parliament agreed to this condition in December, and the rebels rejoined the government. The monarchy was abolished in 2008.

Nepal has been at odds with neighbouring Bhutan over the repatriation of thousands of refugees living in camps in Nepal. The refugees - Bhutanese of Nepalese descent - fled violence in their homeland in the early 1990s.

With the world's highest mountain, Everest, and spectacular scenery and wildlife, the country has great potential as a tourist destination.

It also boasts a distinctive Hindu and Buddhist culture. But its environmental challenges include deforestation, encroachment on animal habitats and vehicle pollution in the capital, Kathmandu.

Most of the population depend on agriculture, and around 40% of Nepalis are estimated to live in poverty.

Foreign aid is vital to the economy and Nepal is also dependent on trade with neighbouring India.


Population: 28.2 million (UN, 2007)
Capital: Kathmandu
Area: 147,181 sq km (56,827 sq miles)
Major language: Nepali
Major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism
Life expectancy: 63 years (men), 64 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Nepalese rupee = 100 paisa
Main exports: Carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
GNI per capita: US $290 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .np
International dialling code: +977


Prime minister: Girija Prasad Koirala (resigned)

Mr Koirala stepped down from the premiership in June 2008, after a political crisis erupted over who should be the next head of state.

Maoist ministers had quit the interim government several days earlier, accusing Mr Koirala of being unfit for office and clinging to his post despite the poor showing of his party, the Nepali Congress, in April's parliamentary elections.

The political instability in Nepal had been exacerbated by constitutional changes pushed through in December 2007 that did not clarify how power was to be divided between the president and prime minister after the monarchy was abolished and the country became a republic.

This meant that after the departure of the former king, Nepal was left without a head of state.

Mr Koirala was a veteran of Nepali politics. He first became prime minister in 1991 and went on to serve another four terms of office in that role.


Nepal's long-running civil conflict, and the efforts to suppress it, had a profound impact on the media.

Rights groups say attacks on media workers were perpetrated by both sides during the 10-year Maoist rebellion.

More recently, media freedom body Reporters Without Borders has raised concerns about communal violence in the south, which it says has forced some reporters to flee. In spite of the 2006 peace deal, Maoists "blow hot and cold" towards the media, it says.

Private TV and radio stations have flourished. The government operates radio and TV services and publishes a Nepali-language daily and an English-language newspaper.

There is a small film industry, nicknamed "Kollywood". But Indian films are staple fare in cinemas.

BBC World Service broadcasts on FM in Kathmandu.

The Press
The Kathmandu Post - private, English-language daily
The Rising Nepal - semi-official English-language daily
Gorkhapatra - semi-official daily, Nepal's oldest newspaper
Kantipur - daily, one of the first private newspapers
Annapurna Post - daily
The Himalayan Times - English-language
The Nepali Times - English-language weekly

Television
Nepal Television Corporation (NTV) - state-run, operates NTV and NTV Metro channels
Kantipur TV - private
Image Channel TV - private
Channel Nepal - private
Avenues TV - private

Radio
Radio Nepal - state-run, operates national and regional services
Hits FM - commercial, music-based
HBC 94 FM - operated by Himalayan Broadcasting Company
Radio Sagarmatha - FM, public, community station
Kantipur FM - commercial
Image FM - commercial

News agency/internet
National News Agency (RSS) - state-run
nepalnews.com - private, online news

Country profile: The Maldives

The Maldives is made up of a chain of nearly 1,200 islands, most of them uninhabited, which lie off the Indian sub-continent.

None of the coral islands measures more than 1.8 metres (six feet) above sea level, making the country vulnerable to a rise in sea levels associated with global warming.


With its abundant sealife and sandy beaches, The Maldives is portrayed by travel companies as a tropical paradise.

The economy revolves around tourism, and scores of islands have been developed for the top end of the tourist market.


Aside from the island capital Male, outsiders are only permitted onto inhabited islands for brief visits, thereby limiting their impact on traditional Muslim communities.


Many Maldivians live in poverty. However, the country has developed its infrastructure and industries, including the fisheries sector, and has boosted health care, education and literacy.

The Maldives was hit by the December 2004 Asian tsunami. Homes and resorts were devastated by the waves, precipitating a major rebuilding programme.

There is a fear that as sea levels rise, island countries such as the Maldives, and some Pacific territories, will simply be swamped and disappear.




Full name: Republic of Maldives
Population: 306,000 (UN, 2007)
Capital: Male
Area: 298 sq km (115 sq miles)
Major language: Divehi
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 68 years (men), 69 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 rufiyaa = 100 laari
Main exports: Fish, clothing
GNI per capita: US $2,390 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .mv
International dialling code: +960



President: Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

President Gayoom is Asia's longest-serving leader. He was re-elected for a record sixth five-year term in 2003, having first taken office in 1978.

The Maldives has been relatively stable under his rule, despite attempted coups in the 1980s. He was saved from a would-be assassin wielding a kitchen knife by 15-year-old boy scout Mohamed Jaisham in January 2008.


The country aims to hold its first multi-party elections by the end of 2008. Parliament voted to introduce a multi-party democracy in 2005; previously, political parties had been banned, although there had been no official ban on political activity.

In 2006 President Gayoom presented a "roadmap" for the democratic reforms, which he said were meant to enhance, among other things, human rights, independence of the judiciary and multi-party politics.

President Gayoom had come under growing pressure, with human rights groups accusing him of running an autocratic state and unprecedented anti-government violence flaring in the streets.

Maldivian presidents are chosen in a yes-no referendum; voters are presented with a single candidate chosen by the Majlis, or parliament.


Under the current system, the president has great influence and appoints members of the cabinet and the judiciary. The president also appoints eight of the 50 Majlis members.


Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was born in Male in 1937 and was educated in Sri Lanka and Egypt. He served as transport minister under President Ibrahim Nasir.



The government operates Voice of Maldives radio and Television Maldives. The country's first private radio station opened in 2007 and a handful of private TV stations have been licensed.

Media rights group Reporters Without Borders describes radio licence charges as exorbitant. Minivan Radio, an opposition station, operates via the internet.

Divehi-language dailies tend to include some English-language pages. They concentrate on local and regional stories.

Broadcasters and newspapers carry criticism of the state, but officials have powers to close media outlets. Self-regulation means that little official action is taken against journalists.

The press
Haveeru Daily Online
Aafathis News
Miadhu News
Minivan Daily

Television
Television Maldives (TVM) - state-owned, operates two channels

Radio
Voice of Maldives - state-owned
Radio Eke - state-owned
Capital Radio 95.6 - private, carries some BBC World Service programmes
HFM 92.6 - private
DhiFM 95.2 - private

Internet
Minivan News - private

Country profile: India

The world's largest democracy and second most populous country has emerged as a major power after a period of foreign rule and several decades during which its economy was virtually closed.


A nuclear weapons state, it carried out tests in the 1970s and again in the 1990s in defiance of world opinion. However, India is still tackling huge social, economic and environmental problems.




The vast and diverse Indian sub-continent - from the mountainous Afghan frontier to the jungles of Burma - was under foreign rule from the early 1800s until the demise of the British Raj in 1947.
AT-A-GLANCE
Economy: Fast-growing economy; large, skilled workforce but widespread poverty
Politics: 380m people voted in 2004 election; winning Congress party led by Sonia Gandhi
International: Ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir region; nuclear weapons state; world's most prolific film industry - Bollywood



But the subsequent partition of the sub-continent sowed the seeds for future conflict. There have been three wars between India and its arch-rival Pakistan since 1947, two of them over the disputed territory of Kashmir.

A peace process, which started in 2004, has stayed on track despite tension over Kashmir and several high-profile bombings, such as the attack on Mumbai's train network in July 2006 which police blamed on Pakistani militants and a banned Indian group.

Communal, caste and regional tensions continue to haunt Indian politics, sometimes threatening its long-standing democratic and secular ethos.


In 1984 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was gunned down by her Sikh bodyguards after ordering troops to flush out Sikh militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.


And in 1992, widespread Hindu-Muslim violence erupted after Hindu extremists demolished the Babri mosque at Ayodhya.


Independent India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, dreamed of a socialist society and created a vast public infrastructure, much of which became a burden on the state.


From the late 1980s India began to open up to the outside world, encouraging economic reform and foreign investment. It is now courted by the world's leading economic and political powers, including its one-time foe China.


The country has a burgeoning urban middle class and has made great strides in fields such as information technology. Its large, skilled workforce makes it a popular choice for international companies seeking to outsource work.

Nuclear tests carried out by India in May 1998 and similar tests by Pakistan just weeks later provoked international condemnation and concern over the stability of the region.

The US quickly imposed sanctions on India, but more recently the two countries have improved their ties, and even agreed to share nuclear technology.

India launches its own satellites and plans to send a spacecraft to the moon. It also boasts a massive cinema industry, the products of which are among the most widely-watched films in the world.

But the vast mass of the rural population remains illiterate and impoverished.

Their lives continue to be dominated by the ancient Hindu caste system, which assigns each person a fixed place in the social hierarchy.



Full name: Republic of India
Population: 1.1 billion (UN, 2007)
Capital: New Delhi
Most-populated city: Mumbai (Bombay)
Area: 3.1 million sq km (1.2 million sq miles), excluding Indian-administered Kashmir (100,569 sq km/38,830 sq miles)
Major languages: Hindi, English and at least 16 other official languages
Major religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism
Life expectancy: 63 years (men), 66 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Indian Rupee = 100 paise
Main exports: Agricultural products, textile goods, gems and jewellery, software services and technology, engineering goods, chemicals, leather products
GNI per capita: US $720 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .in
International dialling code: +91



President: Pratibha Patil

Pratibha Patil became India's first female president in July 2007, after being voted into office by members of state assemblies and the national parliament.

Mrs Patil, the candidate of the ruling Congress Party, was previously the little-known governor of the northwestern desert state of Rajasthan. She drew criticism during the campaign over scandals involving family members, and over controversial remarks.

Supporters hailed her election as a victory for women, but critics wondered how much influence she would have.

India has had several women in powerful positions - most notably Indira Gandhi, one of the world's first female prime ministers in 1966 - but activists complain that women still face widespread discrimination.

Mrs Patil succeeds APJ Abdul Kalam, a scientist and the architect of the country's missile programme.


Indian presidents have few actual powers, but they can decide which party or individual should form the central government after general elections.


Prime minister: Manmohan Singh

Manmohan Singh became prime minister in May 2004 after the Congress Party's unexpected success in general elections.

The party's president, Sonia Gandhi, the widow of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, shocked her supporters by declining the top post, apparently to protect the party from damaging attacks over her Italian origin.
PM Singh took office after Sonia Gandhi turned down the job

Mr Singh said his priorities were to reduce poverty and to plough on with economic reforms. He stated a desire for friendly relations with India's neighbours, especially Pakistan.

During his first year in office he held together a coalition which included communist allies and ministers accused of corruption. He continued to pursue market-friendly economic policies and oversaw the introduction of nuclear non-proliferation legislation.


But his promised "New Deal" for rural India - an attempt to raise the poorest citizens out of poverty - has still to bear fruit.


Mr Singh made his reputation as a finance minister in the early 1990s, under the Narasimha Rao government, when he was the driving force behind economic liberalisation.


When the Congress Party was voted out of office, Mr Singh became opposition leader in the upper house.

A Sikh born in West Punjab, Mr Singh is a former International Monetary Fund official and governor of India's Central Bank. He was educated at Oxford and Cambridge.





Broadcasting in India has flourished since state TV's monopoly was broken in 1992. The array of channels is still growing.
Billion-dollar film industry produces hundreds of movies each year

Privately-owned cable and satellite stations command large audiences. Star Plus - run by the global media giant News Corporation - is one of the most popular. Its version of the game show "Who Wants to be a Millionnaire?" proved to be one of the channel's biggest draws.


News broadcasts are also popular, often outperforming entertainment shows. Many 24-hour news channels are up and running and more are planned.

Doordarshan, the public TV service, operates 21 services including its flagship DD1 channel, which reaches some 400 million viewers.

Two multichannel, direct-to-home (DTH) TV operations - the Zee Group's subscription-based Dish TV and a free-to-air offering from Doordarshan - are recent arrivals on the satellite scene. A third DTH venture, Tata-Sky, launched in August 2006.

India's cable TV market is one of the world's largest, with more than 60 million subscribers.

Private radio is a relative newcomer. Since they were sanctioned in 2000, music-based FM stations have proliferated in the cities and hundreds more licences are up for grabs. But only public All India Radio (AIR) can broadcast news.

India's press is lively. Driven by a growing middle class, newspaper circulation has risen and new titles compete with established dailies.


India and neighbouring Pakistan sometimes engage in a war of words via their respective media, occasionally banning relays of broadcasts from the other country.

Internet use has soared; around 42 million Indians were online by 2007 (Internetworldstats.com).


The press
Deccan Herald - Bangalore-based daily
The Hindu - Madras-based daily
The Hindustan Times - New Delhi-based daily
The Pioneer - New Delhi-based daily
The Indian Express - New Delhi-based daily
The Statesman - Calcutta-based daily
The Times of India - Mumbai-based daily
The Asian Age - New Delhi-based daily
India Today - New Delhi-based news magazine
Outlook - New Delhi-based news magazine

Television
Doordarshan Television - public TV; operates some 21 national, regional or local services
Zee TV - satellite, cable TV services operated by Zee Group
STAR TV - operates satellite, cable TV services including STAR News, owned by News Corporation
Sony Entertainment TV - commercial channel
Aaj Tak - 24-hour news
New Delhi TV (NDTV) - operates NDTV-India and NDTV 24x7 news channels
Sun Network - commercial multi-channel broadcaster

Radio
All India Radio - public, operates domestic and external networks
Radio Mirchi - commercial network, stations in Mumbai, Delhi and other cities, mainly music, operated by The Times Group
Radio City - commercial, FM stations in Delhi, Mumbai and other cities, owned by News Corporation
Red FM - commercial, operated by India Today Group

News agency
Press Trust of India - non-profit, owned by newspaper titles