After the
September 11 attacks of the previous year, foreign policy and international relations were generally united in combating
al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. The United States especially was a leading force in combating terrorist groups. 2002 also saw the signing and establishment of many international agreements and institutions, most notably the
International Criminal Court, the
African Union, the Russian-American
Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, and the
Eurozone.
The global economy, partly due to the September 11 attacks, generally stagnated or declined. Stock indices, such as the American
Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Japanese
Nikkei 225 both ended the year lower than they had started. In the later parts of 2002, the world saw the beginning of a
SARS epidemic, which would go on to affect mostly China, Europe, and North America.[1][2]
Population
The
world population on January 1, 2002, was estimated to be 6.272 billion people, and it increased to 6.353 billion people by January 1, 2003.[3] An estimated 134.0 million births and 52.5 million deaths took place in 2002.[3] The average global
life expectancy was 67.1 years, an increase of 0.3 years from 2001.[3] The rate of
child mortality was 7.05%, a decrease of 0.27
pp from 2001.[4] 26.85% of people were living in
extreme poverty, a decrease of 1.40pp from 2000.[5]
The number of global refugees was approximately 12 million at the beginning of 2002, but it declined to 10.3 million by the end of the year. Approximately 2.4 million refugees were repatriated in 2002, of which 2 million were Afghan. 293,000 additional refugees were displaced in 2002, primarily from Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Somalia, Ivory Coast, and the Central African Republic.[6]
There were 31 recognised armed conflicts in 2002, a net decrease from the previous year: seven conflicts ended in 2001, while conflicts in Angola, Congo, and Ivory Coast began or resumed in 2002.[7] The deadliest conflicts in 2002 were those in Burundi, Colombia, Kashmir, Nepal, and Sudan.[7] Among developed nations in 2002, national defense shifted toward
counterterrorism after the
September 11 attacks and the
invasion of Afghanistan the previous year. Conflicts in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Israel, and the Philippines were directly related to countering
Islamic terrorism.[8]: 87
Internal conflicts
The
Colombian conflict escalated after far-left insurgents occupied
demilitarized zones and kidnapped
Íngrid Betancourt, effectively ending peace talks. The insurgents began bombing cities, and over 200,000 Colombians were displaced by the conflict in 2002.[8]: 91–92
The
Nepalese Civil War escalated in 2002, with casualties approximately equaling the combined totals from 1996 to 2001; half of this increase was civilian casualties, as civilians were targeted by both the Nepali government and the communist insurgents.[8]: 88–89 Chechen insurgents in Russia escalated their attacks during the
Second Chechen War,
destroying a Russian
Mil Mi-26 in August and causing a
hostage crisis in Moscow.[8]: 93–94 The
Second Liberian Civil War also escalated, causing widespread displacement of civilians.[9]: 90
Conflicts that saw some form of resolution in 2002 include the
Eelam War III in Sri Lanka, which was halted with a ceasefire agreement on February 24,[8]: 98 and the
Angolan Civil War, which was resolved in April with a ceasefire between the Angolan government and
UNITA.[9]: 89 Internationally brokered peace talks advanced in the
Second Sudanese Civil War,[8]: 102 some factions of the
Somali Civil War,[8]: 106 and the
Second Congo War, with the latter producing an agreement on December 17 to create
a Congolese transitional government.[8]: 100–101 Afghanistan underwent its first year without direct military conflict in over two decades, though sporadic attacks were carried out by the
Taliban insurgency and
Al-Qaeda.[9]: 256 An agreement was reached with the government of Burundi and the
CNDD-FDD on December 3, but the other major faction in Burundi, the
Palipehutu-FNL, did not participate in peace talks.[7]
International conflicts
The only direct conflict between nations in 2002 was the
India–Pakistan standoff in Kashmir,[7] beginning in late 2001. This conflict was primarily one of
brinkmanship, with the threat of
nuclear warfare.[8]: 88 Riots in Gujarat and suicide bombings in
Jammu further escalated tensions.[10]: 87 The two countries stood down in May.[8]: 88
The
Second Intifada continued in 2002 between the
Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian paramilitary groups with an escalation in violence. Palestinian suicide bombings became coordinated to maximize the number of civilian casualties, while the Israeli military killed approximately twice as many Palestinians in retaliation.[10]: 73 In response to the suicide bombings, Israel carried out
Operation Defensive Shield in March.[9]: 413 Under this operation, Israel occupied much of
West Bank,[9]: 413 and it and briefly held Palestinian president
Yasser Arafat under house arrest.[8]: 95 The
Battle of Jenin was particularly destructive, with the
United Nations finding both parties to be irresponsible regarding
collateral damage.[8]: 96
Economic downturn and aftermath the September 11 attacks limited the art industry in 2002. Organizations were less willing to give
patronage, and tourists were less willing to visit art exhibitions and museums, particularly in New York and the Middle East.[11]: 502 The
Documenta11 exhibition took place in
Kassel, Germany, contributing to the early movement of art globalization with its focus on experimental and documentary works from developing nations. Traditional visual art was mostly replaced by film and photography at the exhibition.[11]: 503 [12] Critically acclaimed paintings in 2002 include
The Upper Room, a collection of paintings by
Chris Ofili based on a drawing of a monkey by
Andy Warhol,[13] and Dispersion, an abstract work by
Julie Mehretu.[14]
The
2002 FIFA World Cup was held in Japan and South Korea, and it ended with a 2–0 victory by Brazil over Germany. The traditionally well-performing teams of Argentina, France, and Italy did not meet expectations, while Senegal, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States performed better than they had historically.[11]: 513
International trade increased by 1.9% in 2002, correcting from a decrease in 2001.[31]: 11 Most countries experienced only limited growth of output and employment in the year, and economic policy within the largest economies focused primarily on combating
inflation.[31]: 1 The
gross world product increased by 1.7%, the second lowest growth in a decade after that of 2001.[31]: 2 Most developed nations began 2002 in a
budget surplus and ended in a deficit.[31]: 8 The
Euro, a single official currency for the nations of the
European Union, was introduced on January 1.[11]: 6
The
early 2000s recession began to stabilize in the final months of the year.[31]: 1 Growth was focused in the first half of the year before tapering in the second half[31]: 35 as stock markets entered into a
downturn.[32] Particularly affected was
AOL-Time Warner, with its stocks losing 65% of their value by the fall.[10]: 100 The information technology industry in particular saw major decline in 2002[15]: 170 before it began its recovery from the
dot-com crash that had previously affected it.[11]: 458 The telecommunications industry was affected even more severely.[15]: 176
The price drops associated with the September 11 attacks persisted for several months into 2002.[31]: 7 Latin American economies with large deficits were
severely affected by lower prices, limiting export growth and preventing capital from entering the region, requiring further increases to the deficit.[31]: 3 The region overall saw a negative GDP in 2002.[31]: 4 Imports grew significantly in East Asia, with China competing with the United States as one of the largest export markets for other countries in the region.[31]: 12 Imports in Latin America and Africa decreased compared to the previous year.[31]: 13
The United States recovered in part from the recession that had affected the Western world, while Europe's recovery was more limited.[11]: 10 South America saw significant economic challenges:
Argentina's economic crisis continued from 2001, Brazil had low confidence in its economy, and Venezuela's economy suffered amid political upheaval.[11]: 13 Unlike the Western world, Eastern Europe and Asia showed strong growth in 2002.[11]: 11 Africa did not share this growth, as it also experienced a weak economy during the year.[11]: 14
Several companies in the United States underwent major scandals in 2002, including the
WorldCom scandal that led to what was then the largest bankruptcy in American history, and accounting scandals emerging from the previous year's
Enron scandal.[32] Others included the
ImClone stock trading case and fraud cases at
Adelphia and
Tyco. These scandals brought the arrests of several high-profile executives.[10]: 92–93
2002 was the second hottest year on record, exceeded only by
1998.[33] There was below average precipitation in 2002, with droughts in Australia, northern China,
India, and
western United States.[33] Heavy rains in late 2002 caused significant flooding in eastern Asia[33] and central Europe.[10]: 77
The
2002 Atlantic hurricane season saw 12
named storms, a near-average number. Most of them were relatively minor, with only 4 four becoming hurricanes, of which two attained major hurricane status. The season's activity was limited to between July and October, a rare occurrence caused partly by El Niño conditions. The two major hurricanes,
Hurricane Isidore and
Hurricane Lili, both made landfall in Cuba and the United States, and combined were responsible for most of the season's damages and deaths.[35] The
2002 Pacific typhoon season entailed a typical number of typhoons, but they were above average in intensity with 46% of typhoons reaching "intense strength".
Typhoon Rusa was the deadliest typhoon in 2002, killing at least 113 people in South Korea.[36]
Global food supplies reduced in 2002 amid droughts and drops in harvest yields.[15]: 146 Famines occurred in Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.[11]: 6 Eritrea, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Swaziland were also heavily affected by insufficient food.[15]: 146 The fishing industry was not affected, increasing slightly from previous years.[15]: 149
2002 saw the creation of a new sovereign nation in
East Timor.[11]: 1 Brazil, Lesotho, and Senegal established democracy in 2002 through the acceptance of fair elections, while Bahrain and Kenya moved toward democracy through the strengthening of political institutions. Democracy was disestablished in Ivory Coast and Togo following mass political violence and unfair elections, respectively.[38]: 14 Afghanistan underwent significant
liberalization under a
transitional government following end of major fighting in the
War in Afghanistan, particularly in the capital of
Kabul, though distant regions of the country remained oppressed by warlords.[38]: 15 Civil rights also increased following the end of conflicts in Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia.[38]: 15–16 Turkey lessened its restrictions on the country's
Kurdish population in 2002.[38]: 16
Terrorism dominated politics internationally in 2002, with both terrorist acts and attempts to declare groups as terrorist organizations being prevalent throughout the year.
Islamic terrorism was widely seen as responsible for terrorist attacks throughout the year. In response, the United States began providing military assistance against terrorists in several countries as part of
Operation Enduring Freedom.[11]: 2 International law regarding these actions had yet to be settled, and international organizations spent the year debating how action against terrorist groups should be carried out.[11]: 469
The
Rome Statute entered into force in July, establishing the
International Criminal Court.[11]: 469 The
International Court of Justice ruled in three cases: it ruled that
diplomatic immunity applied to all crimes, including
crimes against humanity, and it settled two territorial disputes, ruling in favor of Cameroon over Nigeria and in favor of Malaysia over Indonesia.[11]: 471–472 A lesser court was established by the United Nations in Sierra Leone prosecute figures associated with the nation's civil war.[40]: 470 The prosecution of former Yugoslavian
Slobodan Milošević was delayed, and the genocide portion of the charges against him was dropped.[10]: 86
The
Church of England determined in July that divorcees could marry in the church. Then in December, the church saw its first leader in centuries from outside its own membership when the Welsh
Rowan Williams was confirmed as
Archbishop of Canterbury.[11]: 447 The
Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal continued from 2001. The church adopted rules on how to address sexual abuse allegations on January 8, and
Pope John Paul II made his second papal statement on the matter on March 22.[11]: 448 Belarus made the
Russian Orthodox Church in Belarus into the state's legally recognized religion, curtailing practice of other religions.[11]: 449 Islam grappled with the aftermath of the
September 11 attacks in 2002, facing both the expansion of
Islamic terrorism and of United States military action in combating it.[11]: 450
The
open-source-software movement saw growth throughout the year, in part because of Microsoft's success in avoiding tighter regulations in court.[11]: 458 Action by the Chinese government to block
Google in China provoked a
hacktivist movement in the United States that worked to circumvent such restrictions in authoritarian nations.[15]: 175 New developments in
peer-to-peer sharing allowed decentralized
file sharing between computers, causing a proliferation of
online piracy.
Blogging also became a common practice in 2002.[11]: 460 Klez was a
computer worm that spread extensively in 2002 before public awareness limited its effectiveness.[15]: 175
The
Euro is the official currency introduced in the
Eurozone countries.[45] The former currencies of all the countries that use the Euro ceased to be legal tender on February 28.[46]
The government of Sri Lanka and the
Tamil Tigers agree to a ceasefire, temporarily ending the
Sri Lankan Civil War.[59] It would last until the resumption of hostilities in 2008.[60]
March 11 – A fire at a girls' school in
Mecca, Saudi Arabia kills 15 students. The deaths are attributed to
Islamic religious police that prevented the girls from leaving because their dress did not comply with Islamic standards of modesty.[67]
Solar eclipse of June 10, 2002: A large annular solar eclipse covers over 99% of the Sun, creating a dramatic spectacle for observers in a narrow path at most 13 km wide; it lasts just 23 seconds at the point of maximum eclipse. It is seen from Australasia, across the Pacific and the Mexico coast, and is the 35th solar eclipse of
Solar Saros 137.
British scientist
Kevin Warwick carries out first direct electronic communication experiment between the nervous systems of two humans.[100]
June 30 –
2002 FIFA World Cup: Brazil beats Germany 2–0 in the
2002 FIFA World Cup Final with
Ronaldo scoring the two goals; Brazil's captain
Cafu, who becomes the first player to appear in three successive World Cup finals, accepts the trophy on behalf of the team.[106]
The first synthetic virus is announced after being successfully created and tested at
Stony Brook University.[110]
Perejil Island crisis: Moroccan occupy the uninhabited Spanish-controlled
Perejil Island, leading to a week-long standoff before Spanish forces reclaim the island.[111]
July 13 – Militants attack in Qasim Nagar, Jammu and Kashmir, killing 29 people.[112]
July 14 – The only captive
baiji dolphin dies as the species approaches extinction.[113]
July 27 –
Sknyliv air show disaster: 77 people are killed and 543 injured when a
Ukrainian Air ForceSu-27 fighter jet crashes into spectators during an aerobatics presentation at Sknyliv airfield near Lviv, Ukraine. It is the deadliest air show accident in history.[114]
August
August 19 –
2002 Khankala Mi-26 crash: Chechen separatists shoot down a Russian
Mil Mi-26, killing 127 soldiers. It was the worst aviation disaster in the history of the Russian military.[115]
September 27 –
East Timor is admitted to the
United Nations as the 191st member state;[125] it also changes its official longform name from "Democratic Republic of East Timor" to "Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste".
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