2011

2011 was a year in the Gregorian calendar that began on Saturday. It was a regular year of 365 days. The year is remembered for major political changes in Arab countries, economic difficulties related to European debt, and significant natural disasters.

From the perspective of population figures, the United Nations marked 2011 as the year when the world's population reached 7 billion. The exact date of this count is an estimate, since global population counts are based on calculations.

Political changes in the Middle East and North Africa

In January 2011, Tunisia's president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali left office following protests that began in late 2010. In February, Egypt's president Hosni Mubarak resigned after days of demonstrations in Cairo. Libya entered civil war; Muammar Gaddafi died in October 2011. Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain also experienced protests and unrest. These events collectively became known as the Arab Spring.

Japan's disaster

On 11 March 2011, a powerful earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Japan, causing a tsunami. The waters reached the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, resulting in a nuclear accident rated at the highest level on the INES scale. Tens of thousands of people died, and the northeast coasts were heavily flooded.

Economy and European debt

2011 saw a continued worsening of the debt crisis in the eurozone. Greece, Ireland, and Portugal relied on assistance programs, while Italy and Spain faced rising debt costs. The prime ministers of both Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, and Greece, George Papandreou, left office amid protests during the year.

Other events

In May 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed in a military operation carried out by the United States in Pakistan. In July, South Sudan became an independent state and joined the United Nations. That same year, the United States ended the Space Shuttle program after its final flight. Somalia, in mid-2011, experienced famine and disease affecting parts of the southern region.