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Japan

Population (2000): 126.6 million
Gross Domestic Product (1999): $2.95 trillion
GDP per capita (1999): $23,400
Life expectancy (2000): 77.5 years (males); 84.1 years (females)

Sources: World Almanac, CIA World Factbook, Encyclopedia Britannica, individual countries. All figures are estimates; monetary figures are in U.S. dollars.

 
AUSTRALIA
Australia's quandary

Australia's good life means a depletion of natural resources -- an example of what is happening in the developing nations. Several environmentalists offer alternatives to wasteful and polluting practices.
COOK ISLANDS
Keeping their heads above water

Small Pacific nations, fearing global warming and the disappearance of their island countries, form an alliance called the Association of Small Island States.
PHILIPPINES
Real survivors help one another

Over fishing of regional waters by corporate factory ships and overpopulation on land is threatening the existence of once-thriving fishing villages. Local political efforts are helping villagers come up with new ways to improve their lives.
SEATTLE
The people vs. WTO

Were the scuffles outside the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle just the opening shot in an international campaign against globalization?
TAHITI
Fighting for their identity

After decades of French colonial rule, Polynesian natives of Tahiti attempt to keep their culture alive and rediscover their identities even as they stay part of the global village.