Published annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance is an assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics of 169 countries world-wide. The book is a region-by-region analysis of the major military and economic trends and developments affecting security policy and the trade in weapons and other military equipment. Key features of The Military Balance include:* Comprehensive tables: key data on weapons and defence economics, such as comparisons of international defence expenditure and military manpower * Analysis: essays covering significant military and economic developments, such as the "European Rapid Reaction Force" * Wallchart: detailed world map that shows current areas of armed conflict, with explanatory tables. Desgined to be an easy-to-read reference, this key title informs readers in as brief a fashion as possible on the widest variety of military topics through a mix of hard data and considered and informed analysis.