United Nations Daily Briefing (6 August 2020)

In This Story: Bhutan

Bhutan, officially known as the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in the Eastern Himalayas in South Asia. It is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north, the Chumbi Valley of Tibet and is barely separated from Nepal, from the Indian state of Sikkim in the west and the Indian states of Assam, West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh in the south, east and southwest.

Bhutan is geopolitically in South Asia and is the region’s second-least-populous nation after the Maldives. Thimphu is its capital and the largest city, while Phuntsholing is its financial center.

The government is a parliamentary democracy; the head of state is the King of Bhutan, known as the “Dragon King.” The Royal Bhutan Army maintains a close relationship with the Indian Armed Forces.

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In This Story: Lebanon

Lebanon, officially known as the Lebanese Republic, is a country in the Levant region of Western Asia, and the transcontinental region of the Middle East.

The official language, Arabic, is the most common language spoken by the citizens of Lebanon. Its capital is Beirut.

Lebanon was a founding member of the United Nations in 1945 and is a member of the Arab League (1945), the Non-Aligned Movement (1961), Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (1969), and the Organisation internationale de la francophonie (1973).

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In This Story: Sudan

The Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southeast, Eritrea to the east, and the Red Sea to the northeast.

Sudan’s history goes back to the Pharaonic period. Independence from the British was proclaimed on 1 January 1956.

Islam was Sudan’s state religion and Islamic laws applied from 1983 until 2020 when the country became a secular state. The economy has been described as lower-middle income and relies on oil production. Sudan is a member of the United Nations, the Arab League, African Union, COMESA, Non-Aligned Movement and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation.

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In This Story: United Nations

The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security.

At its founding, the UN had 51 member states; with the addition of South Sudan in 2011, membership is now 193, representing almost all of the world’s sovereign states.

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