'It is a sobering time for the world’s most fragile countries—virulent economic crisis, countless natural disasters, and government collapse. ' Using 12 indicators of state cohesion and performance, the Fund for Peace, an independent research organization, and Foreign Policy magazine compiled through a close examination of more than 30,000 publicly available sources, ranking 177 states in order from most to least at risk of failure. The 60 most vulnerable states are listed in the rankings. This is the fifth annual issue of the report on the Index of Failed States.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/06/22/the_2009_failed_states_index
