Adult Literacy Rate (% aged 15 and above)(2006)
The proportion of the adult population aged 15 years and over which is literate. Unit of Measurement: %. In the absence of recent data, estimates from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2003) and the CIA World Factbook (2009) were used: Bahamas 95.8, Barbados 99.7, Comoros 56.8, Djibouti 70.3, Eritrea 60.5, Fiji 94.4, Gambia 42.5, Greenland 99, Guyana 99.0, Liechtenstein 100, Monaco 99, Montserrat 97, Netherlands Antilles 96.7, Palau 92, Somalia 37.8, South Korea 97.9, Taiwan 96.1,
Adapted from: http://www.uis.unesco.org

Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)
The annual Corruption Perceptions Index (2008) ranks 180 countries by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys.
http://www.transparency.org

Development Aid as Percentage of Government Expenditure (2006)
Aid as a percent of government expenditure is the amount of official development assistance (ODA) received by a country as a percentage of its central government expenditure. This indicator provides a measure of the recipient country's dependency on aid. Source: Development Data Group, The World Bank. 2008. 2008 World Development Indicators Online. Washington, DC: The World Bank. Available at: http://www.worldbank.org

Freedom of Information and Access to Government Records Around the World (2004)
Global Survey of Access to Government Information Laws on 20 September 2006. The Survey provides a comprehensive review of Freedom of Information Laws and practices in nearly 70 countries around the world. The survey draws attention to the growing movement around the world to adopt FOI laws. These laws are being used to fight corruption, make government bodies accountable and promote social and human rights. Sources:
Earth Trends, World Resources Institute (WRI): http://earthtrends.wri.org
Privacy International: http://www.privacyinternational.org

Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM)
The Gender Empowerment Measure (2006) evaluates progress in advancing women's standing in political and economic forums. It examines the extent to which women and men are able to actively participate in economic and political life and take part in decision-making.
http://hdrstats.undp.org

Government Effectiveness Index (GEI)
The Government Effectiveness Index (2007) is a measure of "the quality of public service provision, the quality of the bureaucracy, the competence of public servants, and the independence of the civil service from political pressures." This index describes the ability of governments to effectively deliver public services and make policy. Units: Index: -2.5 worst governance, 0 average, 2.5 best governance. Source:
Earth Trends, World Resources Institute (WRI): http://earthtrends.wri.org
Governance Matters VII: Aggregate and Individual Governance Indicators, 1996-2007. D. Kaufmann, A. Kraay, and M. Mastruzzi (2008). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 4654. Available online at: http://go.worldbank.org/2E0SXCR850.

Gross Domestic Product Index (GDP Index)
Adapted from the Human Development Report 2007/2008
http://hdr.undp.org

Human Development Index (HDI)
The Human Development Index (2006) combines normalized measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and GDP per capita for countries worldwide. The HDI is used as a standard means of measuring human development—a concept that, according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), refers to the process of widening the options of persons, giving them greater opportunities for education, health care, income, employment, etc.
http://hdr.undp.org

Human Poverty Index (HPI)
The Human Poverty Index is an attempt to bring together in a composite index the different features of deprivation in the quality of life to arrive at an aggregate judgment on the extent of poverty in a community. The HPI is an indication of the standard of living in a country, developed by the United Nations (UN).
http://hdr.undp.org

Political Stability and Absence of Violence Index (2008)
The Political Stability and Absence of Violence Index is a measure of "perceptions of the likelihood that the government will be destabilized or overthrown by possibly unconstitutional and/or violent means, including domestic violence and terrorism." Low scores in this variable indicate that citizens cannot count upon continuity of government policy or the ability to peacefully select and replace those in power.
Units: Index: -2.5 worst governance, 0 average, 2.5 best governance.
Sources: Earth Trends, World Resources Institute (WRI): http://earthtrends.wri.org
Governance Matters VII: Aggregate and Individual Governance Indicators, 1996-2007. D. Kaufmann, A. Kraay, and M. Mastruzzi (2008). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 4654. Available online at: http://www.worldbank.org

Press Freedom World Ranking
The Freedom of the Press Index (2008) an annual survey of media independence in 195 countries and territories, is at the core of Freedom House's press freedom project. The annual index contains the most comprehensive data set available on global media freedom and is a key resource for scholars, policymakers, and international institutions. The index assesses the degree of print, broadcast, and internet freedom in every country in the world, analyzing the events of each calendar year. It provides numerical rankings and rates each country's media as "Free," "Partly Free," or "Not Free." Source: Freedom House, Freedom of the Press, http://www.freedomhouse.org

Prison Population Total and Prison Population Rate
The World Prison Population List (2008) gives details of the number and rate (per 100,000 of national population) of prisoners held in 218 independent countries and dependent territories. It shows the differences in the level of imprisonment across the world and makes possible an estimate of the world prison population total. In almost all cases the original source is the national prison administration of the country concerned, or else the Ministry responsible for the prison administration. Most figures relate to dates between the beginning of 2006 and the end of November 2008.
Source: International Centre for Prison Studies (http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/law/research/icps)

Religious Freedom Index
Religious Freedom is defined by the Center for Religious Freedom as freedom from "persecution where the focus or the grounds are themselves religious - where a person's religion is a component of the persecution or discrimination they suffer”. Countries are rated on a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 to 3 indicates freedom, 4 to 5 is partly free, and 6 to 7 is not free. The numbers are ratings of the situation in countries, not of the conduct of their governments. Source:
EarthTrends (http://earthtrends.wri.org)
Freedom House, Center for Religious Freedom. 2000. Religious Freedom in the World: A Global Survey of Religious Freedom and Persecution. Available on-line at: http://www.freedomhouse.org.

Sustainable Society Index (SSI)
The newly developed Sustainable Society Index (2008) integrates for the first time sustainability and quality of life in an understandable way. The SSI is based on public data from scientific research institutes and international organizations. The 22 indicators cover the main aspects of Quality of Life and of Sustainability.
http://www.sustainablesocietyindex.com

World Country Borders Dataset
Simplified world country borders dataset, adapted from the FAO coastal and country boundaries of the world. Please note that political boundaries are not accurate but optimized for fast display through web mapping applications.

World Population
World Population numbers are based on the most recent estimate or projection by the national census authority where available. Where national data is unavailable, figures are based on the 2009 July 1 estimate by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs – Population Division World Population Prospects, Table A.1. 2008 revision. http://www.un.org/esa/population/unpop.htm