2006


2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.

Population

The world population on January 1, 2006, was estimated to be 6.629 billion people and increased to 6.714 billion people by January 1, 2007. An estimated 138.5 million births and 53.3 million deaths took place in 2006. The average global life expectancy was 68.6 years, an increase of 0.5 years from 2005.
The estimated number of global refugees increased from 8.65 million to 9.88 million by the end of the year, marking an end to several years of declining rates. The number of refugees from Iraq increased by about 1.2 million, and the global number also increased by 464,000 after a change to how the United Nations counted refugees that resided in the United States. Afghanistan remained the largest source of refugees with 2.1 million people.

Conflicts

There were 32 conflicts in 2006 that resulted in at least 25 fatalities, all of which were intrastate conflicts fought by violent non-state actors. Five resulted in at least 1,000 fatalities: the Iraqi insurgency, Eelam War IV in Sri Lanka, the Chadian Civil War, and the Sudanese War in Darfur. Peace agreements were made with at least one faction in conflicts in Angola, Burundi, Chad, Nepal, and Sudan.
The 2006 Lebanon War began when Hezbollah launched an attack against Israel on July 12 and continued until August 14 when the United Nations sent additional peacekeepers to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. Israel also remained in conflict with Palestine as Hamas rose to power in the latter nation. The Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan intensified to its highest point since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, and the National Liberation Front of Tripura escalated conflict in India after a brief period of relative peace the previous year. Two major rebel groups entered into conflicts in 2006: the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity in the Central African Bush War and the Islamic Courts Union in the Somali Civil War. The latter prompted the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia as Ethiopia sought to prevent the creation of an Islamic state in Somalia.

Culture

The highest-grossing film globally in 2006 was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, followed by The Da Vinci Code and Ice Age 2: The Meltdown. Critically acclaimed films from 2006 include Children of Men, The Departed, The Lives of Others, Pan's Labyrinth, and United 93.
Total unit sales in music increased by 19.4 percent from the previous year. The best-selling album globally in 2006 was the High School Musical soundtrack, followed by Me and My Gang by Rascal Flatts and Some Hearts by Carrie Underwood.
Critically acclaimed video games from 2006 include The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Guitar Hero II, and Wii Sports.

Economy

The gross world product increased by 3.8% in 2006. The largest growth took place in transition economies and developing countries. International trade grew by over 10%, improving on the 7.3% growth in 2005. Unemployment rates lowered in developed countries, while transition economies and developing countries saw only minimal reduction in unemployment. Inflation occurred in many parts of the world but was mostly limited to oil prices, which rose to an all-time high before sharply declining.

Environment and weather

The year 2006 was the fifth hottest year on record. Temperatures were cooled by La Niña in the beginning of the year, but El Niño began in September. Heat waves occurred in July in Europe and the United States, while cold waves occurred in January in India and Russia, and in June in Australia. Frost appeared in New Delhi for the first time in 70 years on January 9. The year 2006 had the highest precipitation in five years, although droughts continued in the Horn of Africa, triggering a food crisis. China also faced a severe drought in May. Major flooding occurred in southern China and the Philippine island Leyte A magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurred on May 26 in Java, killing approximately 5,700 people.
The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season had five tropical storms, including five hurricanes. The year was closer to average following years of more active seasons. The two most intense hurricanes were Hurricane Gordon and Hurricane Helene. The 2006 Pacific typhoon season had average activity with 24 tropical storms, including 15 typhoons. The most intense typhoons were Typhoon Saomai, Typhoon Ioke, Typhoon Yagi, and Typhoon Cimaron. Six typhoons made landfall in the Philippines, breaking a 32-year record, and Typhoon Saomai was the most intense typhoon to make landfall in China in over 50 years.

Health

Drug-resistant tuberculosis became a major concern in South Africa in 2006. Hundreds of cases of polio occurred in India, threatening global eradication efforts. Polio also returned to Namibia after being eradicated ten years before.

Politics

Tension between Russia and the Western world grew throughout 2006, especially when Russia cut off energy to Ukraine for two days in January. The 2006 United States elections removed the Republican Party from power, leaving President George W. Bush with limited influence, and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld resigned the next day.

Events

January