WORLD AFFAIRS ANNUAL 1999-2000.

If, a month ago, someone had asked you to locate East Timor on a map, could you have found it? Probably not. Yet today, U.S. troops are risking their lives there to help keep the peace in this tiny island territory in the Pacific.

In the age of the Internet, supersonic Jets, global trade, and satellite communications, far-flung parts of the world are becoming ever more linked. Today, there's hardly an event occurring anywhere on the planet that doesn't have an impact on our lives in the U.S. The earth has become such a small, communal place that we can no longer afford to ignore any region's problems or write off any country.

That's where The New York Times Upfront World Affairs Annual comes in. Here you'll find the latest available information on the globe, with updated maps and vital statistics on every country. Each map is accompanied by a news dispatch highlighting a major event from that part of the world. We hope you'll save this issue for year-round reference, and that it inspires your curiosity to find out more about the people and cultures that share your planet.