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This just {{Infobox_Contents | topic_name = The World[[Image:World.jpg|thumb|center|A map of the world.]] | subtopics = Regions: [[Africa]], [[Americas]], [[Asia]], [[Europe]], [[Pacific]]* [[Biblical Places Index]]* [[Church History Places]]* The [[Persecuted Church]]: {{world_watch_list}}* [[Denominations]]* [[World-wide church directory]]* The [[World]] * [[Languages Index]] | opinion_pieces = {{short_opinions}} |}} The world's 5 inhabited continents contain almost 7 billion people. The population is increasing rapidly, and it doubled between 1960 and 2000. There are 237 independent states. 66 of these have significant restrictions on religious belief. About 30% of the world's population call themselves [[Christian]] (2 billion people), 20% call themselves [[Muslim]] (1.3 billion people), 15% are [[non-religious]] (1 billion) and 13% call themselves [[Hindu]]. Although [[Europe]] is rapidly becoming secular and non-religious, the majority of Christians live in areas where European settlement or missionary work has been significant. [[Asia]] is the least evangelised continent. Of Christians, there are about 1 billion [[Roman Catholic]], 700 million [[Protestant]] and 550 million [[Eastern Orthodox]] Christians. ===[[Africa]]=== Almost 1 billion people of 3,500 different ethnic groups live inAfrica, which has had huge population growth in recent years. However this is slowing because of the devastating effects of [[AIDS]] which is at epidemic proportions in sub-Saharan Africa. Africa also is the poorest contintent with many countries with huge debts involved in terrible (usually civil) wars. Religious freedom is typical of most of the southern countries where [[Christianity]] is the predominant religion and experiencing great growth. Indeed, the focus of evangelical Christianity is moving from the Western World to Africa. However in the northern countries where [[Islam]] is the majority religion there is sigificant persecution of Christians. ===[[Americas]]=== The Americas cover 2 continents and about 50 countries with about a billion inhabitants. [[North America]] includes the wealthy and English speaking predominantly [[Protestant]] countries of the [[United States of America]] and [[Canada]] and the poorer, predominant countries from [[Mexico]] to [[Panama]]. [[South America]] countains the developing [[Spanish]]-speaking predominantly [[Roman Catholic]] countries like [[Argentina]] and [[Chile]] and the larger [[Portugese]]-speaking predominant [[Roman Catholic]] country of [[Brazil]]. ===[[Asia]]=== The continent of Asia contains over half of the world's people and spans from [[Japan]] in the east to [[Turkey]] in the west. It contains the rapidly developing, predominantly [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] countries of [[South East Asia]] and [[China]], [[Hindu]] [[India]] and the predominant [[Muslim]] nations of the [[Middle East]]. Asia is the least evangelized continent. ===[[Europe]]=== Europe is an ethnically diverse continent with around 700 million inhabitants. It is mostly economically wealthy, containing the large and influential [[European Union]]. It has traditionally been the home of Christianity being the centres of [[Eastern Orthodoxy]], [[Roman Catholicism]] and [[Protestantism]]. There is widespread freedom of religion, however Europe is rapidly become predominantly secular with [[atheism]] as the major belief system. ===[[Pacific]]=== The Pacific region includes 25,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean and includes [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Papua New Guinea]] and 26 smaller island states and territories. The total population is about 35 million, and two-thirds of these people live in Australia. The majority of people are of European descent, however there are significant numbers of Melanesian, Polynesian and Asian people. The majority of people throughout the Pacific region are Christians, predominantly [[Protestant]] or [[Roman Catholic]], although there is an increasing number of non-religious people in the wealthy countries of Australia and New Zealand. ==Christianity and Religions of the World== * [[Christianity by country]] ==Quotes== ==Links==* [http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches Alphabetical listing of church and ecumenical organizations from the world directory of churches]* [http: Jesus prefers boxers to briefs//www.churchsitedirectory.com/ Directory of Churches]* [http://netministries.org/churches Netministries directory of churches]* [http://www.biblebelievers.com/churches/ Bible Believers Church Directory] {{returnto}} [[Christianity]][[Category:Places]]
→Links: removed masstimes.org - Worldwide Directory of Churches - page not found
