The Big World Events You Missed in 2011

Foreign Policy lists 10 quiet but essential world events
By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 11, 2011 3:30 PM CST
Major World Events You Missed in 2011
A Bedouin Arab youth rides a donkey next to his camels in the Jordan Valley near the border between the Israeli-controlled Palestinian West Bank and Jordan (background) on November 25, 2011.   (Getty Images)

What events and trends flew under the radar in 2011 but could erupt into massive headline-grabbers in 2012? Foreign Policy rounds up the top 10 "stories you missed" this year.

  1. India grows its military: India is now the globe's leading weapons importer, accounting for nearly 1 in 10 international arms transfers.
  2. The euro's allure fades: Eastern European countries once excited to join the euro zone are balking. Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, and Latvia have all postponed. So much for the euro fixing their economic problems.

  1. Mexico's drug war intensifies: The drug gangs are spreading to Central America. With El Salvador and Belize on the White House list of major drug-trafficking states, all seven Central American countries are considered drug havens.
  2. Camel shortage? The Asian camel population is in decline. Numbers have dropped in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Somalia. The big winner? Australia, which has the world's largest wild camel population.
  3. US cracks down on illegals: The Obama administration is deporting record numbers of undocumented immigrants. A record 392,000 were kicked out in 2010.
Peruse the rest of the list here. (More 2011 stories.)

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