2000s

This article is about the decade starting at the beginning of 2000 and ending at the end of 2009. For the century or millennium starting in 2000 (or 2001 depending on the calendar system in use), see the links below.

The decade as a whole

Thus far, the 2000s has been marked with generally a continuation of the social issues the world inherited from the 1990s and the post-Cold War era which included the rise of terrorism, the rapid expansion of communications and telecommunications with cell phones and the Internet, international pop culture, and the expansion of globalization. Politically, the 2000s has been almost entirely dominated by a War on Terrorism, with major terrorist attacks including the World Trade Center attack, the Moscow Theatre Siege, the Madrid train bombings, the Beslan school hostage crisis, and the 2005 London bombings. In the news almost daily especially in the West, the war on terrorism and the rise of American global influence has helped fuel the development of a politically and socially divided world. The 2000s have also witnessed the incredible economic growth of the world's two most populous nations, India and China, and the ramifications their growth has had on the western world.

Related Topics:
1990s - Terrorism - Communications - Telecommunications - Cell phones - Internet - War on Terrorism - World Trade Center attack - Moscow Theatre Siege - Madrid train bombings - Beslan school hostage crisis - 2005 London bombings - India - China

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In contrast to previous decades (cf. 1990s "the Nineties", 1980s "the Eighties", etc.), the decade lacks a widely accepted name. No such term exists for the decades of the 1900s and 1910s. The most common term in use for the decade by English-speakers is "the 2000s" (pronounced "the Two-Thousands").

Related Topics:
1990s - 1980s - 1900s - 1910s

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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."

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