2000s
Millennia: | 3rd millennium |
Centuries: | 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century |
Decades: | 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s |
Years: | 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 |
Categories: | Births - Deaths - Architecture Establishments - Disestablishments |
The 2000s are the current decade, spanning from 2000 to 2009. The decade has generally been dominated by several wide-ranging topics, including economic issues such as international trade, the potential impact of global diseases such as HIV or Avian Flu, and concerns over energy supplies and global warming; the explosion in telecommunications; a growing concern with international terrorism and war; and an escalation of the social issues of the 1990s.
Economic developments have largely focused on the explosion of Asia's economic and political potential, with China experiencing immense economic growth, moving toward the status of a regional power and billion-consumer market. India, along with many other developing countries, has seen a rapid increase in its economy, accelerated by increased technological integration with the economies of more developed countries. A trend connecting economic and political events in North America, Asia and the Middle East is the rapidly increasing demand for fossil fuels, which—along with fewer new petroleum finds, greater extraction costs, and political turmoil, forced two other trends: a soar in the price of petroleum products and a subsequent push by governments and businesses to promote the development of "green" technology.
Technologically, advancements have been drastic. Digital format technologies have advanced, not only with computers and the widespread proliferation of broadband internet, but also with mobile phones, digital cameras, and various digital music formats. Having an email address, a cell phone, and a iPod are quickly becoming as common as having a television set. In many western countries it has become almost necessary to own a cell phone and email address to maintain social connections and employment. The use of internet commerce has become widely popular and was demonstrated with development of online checking accounts, online travel reservations, and online stock trading.
Most major political developments in the 2000s revolved around the War on Terrorism, which was triggered by the September 11, 2001 attacks and led to the war in Afghanistan and the Iraq War. These and other events have dominated the news almost daily, including the many controversies regarding their consequences and justifications. The Iraq War, launched in 2003, has generated extreme controversy around the world, with many questioning its justification or questioning the United States' motives. Tensions have escalated in the Middle East not only because of the War in Iraq, but also the 2006 Lebanon War. North Korea has generated a nuclear crisis of its own by withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its reporting of a successful nuclear test.
Social issues which became more pronounced included issues of homosexuality, in particular the issue of gay marriage, which is legalized by some major developed nations, including Canada and Spain, but is resisted by many states in the United States. Other social issues of concern are terrorism and its possible connection to religious fundamentalism, gender equality, and human rights, and (particularly in the United States) healthcare.
Names of the decade
In contrast to the decades from 1920 to 1999, which are called "the Twenties", "the Sixties", and the like, the 2000s have no universally-accepted name. In England it's usually called the Noughties as suggested byBBC,[1][2] and in fact, in most English-speaking countries, "Noughties" and "Noughts" have come to be the most widely recognized and accepted terms.[3] In North America it is usually called the "Two-Thousands" but this could mean any year after 2000.
Other proposed names have been almost innumerable, and include:
-
- aughts, aughties,the Twenty-O's, and double-aughts, from 'aught',[4] which, like "naught" means "zero" (aughts was one of the more popular terms in the early 20th century)
- nils and nillies, from 'nil', meaning "nothing"
- 2Ks, from the Greek term khilioi, meaning "thousand"
- ōzies, from the practice of calling the number zero 'O'
- zeroes, double zeroes, ohs, double ohs, and oh-ohs
However, none of the above suggestions represent any consensus.
The United Nations General Assembly declared the decade of 2000–2009 as the "International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World."[5]
Footnotes
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/e-cyclopedia/585224.stm
- ^ http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/01/08/news/columnists/john_hunneman/20_38_121_7_06.txt
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1735921.stm News.bbc.co.uk Retrieved on 05-25-07
- ^ Timothy Noah, "Name That Decade", Slate, 27 Dec. 2004.
- ^ http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/kits/Resolutions%20UN/uk_57_6.pdf www3.unesco.org Retrieved on 05-25-07