Asia Click on a country to learn more Afghanistan Afghanistan’s turbulent modern history has been shaped by decades of regional and internal conflict and extreme natural disasters, especially drought. With an estimated population of over 30 million, this landlocked country at the historical crossroads of Central Asia is extremely poor and highly dependent on foreign aid as it struggles to rebuild. While agriculture, carpet weaving and trade with neighboring countries are Afghanistan’s main legal economic activities, illicit poppy cultivation is both a key concern and a major source of income for many families. Read More Bangladesh Surrounded by India except for a small border with Myanmar in the southeast, Bangladesh is a low-lying land traversed by the many branches and tributaries of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. Tropical monsoons and frequent floods and cyclones inflict heavy damage annually in this impoverished and heavily populated nation. While Bangladesh has made significant progress in addressing national health and education challenges over the past three decades of its independence, the country remains one of the world’s poorest, with indicators that place it among the least developed. Read More Bhutan The landlocked Kingdom of Bhutan has an economy based on agriculture and forestry in its fertile valleys and on its mountain slopes. This small Buddhist nation – about half the size of the state of Indiana – has seen 100 years of rule by the Wangchuck Dynasty, but is preparing for profound political changes. Bhutan is slated to become a constitutional monarchy in 2008 with a formal constitution and a bi-cameral form of government. Since the 1960s, development has taken place particularly in the fields of education and health, hydropower and tourism, basic infrastructure and communications. Some 79 percent of the population still consists of rural farming families.   Read More Indonesia Indonesia has been a hotbed of internal strife for more than 50 years. In Aceh where Save the Children operates, more than 12,000 people have been killed in the past 10 years. A peace accord was signed in November 2002 between the government and rebels, but it is a fragile pace. Read More Myanmar Myanmar possesses rich natural and human resources but is considered a least developed country. With a population of approximately 50 million, Myanmar faces the challenges of an ever deteriorating economy, an escalating HIV/AIDS epidemic, and health and education systems that are strained due to limited resources. Children’s access to quality education, adequate healthcare, and economic security is increasingly threatened. Read More Nepal Nepal’s population of 26 million includes ethnic and caste groups with distinct cultures and languages, giving this small country a cultural and linguistic diversity that is remarkably complex. Nepal boasts eight of the world’s 10 highest mountains, including Mount Everest, yet also has a flat river plain of the Ganges on its southern border with India.  Entrenched poverty and a decade of violent political instability have taken a toll on the Nepalese people, although a lasting peace is gaining momentum and there is real hope for long-term political reconciliation.   Read More Pakistan Pakistan was created by the 1947 partitioning of British India, and since then has fought three wars with neighboring India over the disputed Kashmir territory. While tensions have recently eased, Kashmir is the world’s most militarized territorial dispute. To the west, years of unrest and hardship in Afghanistan have required Pakistan to host refugees from that nation; many have yet to return. Earthquake-prone Pakistan also has seen disasters, among them the massive October 2005 earthquake that was the worst in its modern history.  These events have overshadowed a rise in foreign assistance and Pakistan’s renewed access to global markets, which have helped lift the economic status of some families, but leaves others far behind.   Read More The Philippines A prime target of natural disasters, the Philippines experiences an average of 20 tropical storms a year and is located in a major earthquake zone with a number of active volcanoes. Illegal logging and deforestation contribute to the occurrence and increasing severity of floods, landslides and mudslides in areas where large numbers of people live. In February 2006, a major landslide occurred in the province of Southern Leyte, burying an entire village and killing almost 1,500 people including 206 children. Read More Vietnam Vietnam is a densely populated and rapidly developing country that has moved beyond the ravages of war to become one of the most dynamic countries in Asia. While substantial progress has been achieved and socio-economic change has led to improved living standards for many families, there is a widening gap between the urban rich and the rural and ethnic poor.   Read More