2000s
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{{dablink|This article is about the decade of 2000-2009. For the century or millennium starting in 2001, see 21st century or [[3rd millennium]], respectively.}}
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{{Illustrated Wikipedia|2000s WikiWorld.png}}
The '''2000s''' is the current [[decade]], spanning from [[January 1]], [[2000]] to [[December 31]], [[2009]]. The decade has been dominated by several wide-ranging topics, including [[international trade]] and a growing concern over [[Energy crisis|energy supplies]], the explosion in [[telecommunications]], concerns with international [[terrorism]] and [[war]], an escalation of the social issues of the 1990s, and the debate over [[global warming]].
Economic developments in the 2000s have focused on the explosion of [[Asia]]'s economic and political potential, and its impact on the world market. India’s economy has become technologically integrated with those of the world’s more developed nations. China has experienced immense [[economic growth]], and has obtained the status of a world power. The growing Chinese economy has been a major factor in 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 [[Environmental technology|"green" technology]]. An ironic side-effect to the push by some industrial nations to "go green" and utilize [[biofuels]] has been a decrease in the supply of food, and thus an increase in the price of food, which in turn is threatening the world's poorer nations with a shortage of food.<ref>[http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/hunger/general/2008/0303foodcrisis.htm Global Policy Forum, Are We Approaching a Global Food Crisis?<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Technological advancements have been as revolutionary and diversified as previous decades. In the field of [[digital]] electronics, advancements have been considerable. Computers continue to advance rapidly, in western countries the spread of [[broadband Internet]] approaches ubiquity, and [[email]] has become for many a necessity rather than a luxury. [[Mobile phones]], [[digital camera]]s, digital [[data]] storage, and [[digital music]] <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/05/steve-jobs-live-apples-the-beat-goes-on-special-event/17 | title=Steve Jobs live -- Apple's "The beat goes on" special event | author=Ryan Block | date=September 5, 2007 | work=Engadget | accessdate=2008-03-10}}</ref> became widespread during the 2000s.. The development of [[social networking]] [[websites]] have also given people the opportunity to easily keep in touch with others from anywhere around the globe. Use of [[electronic commerce|internet commerce]] has also become widely popular, with travel reservations, stock trading, and retail shopping not only taking place online, but also taking place without an intermediary agent; online commerce has become the era of self-service.
Many major political developments in the 2000s have revolved around the [[War on Terrorism]], which was triggered by the [[September 11, 2001 Attacks|September 11, 2001 attacks]] and led directly to the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|war in Afghanistan]]. The [[Iraq War]], ostensibly part of the United States' War on Terror, has generated extreme controversy around the world. Questions regarding the justification for this war have led to a loss of sympathy for the United States that was generated by the original 9/11 attacks. Tensions in the [[Middle East]] have also escalated because of the [[2006 Israel-Hezbollah war|2006 Lebanon War]]. Conflict has also arisen over the nuclear programs in [[North Korea and weapons of mass destruction|North Korea]] and [[Nuclear program of Iran|Iran]].
Social issues which became more pronounced included issues pertaining to [[gay rights]], in particular the issue of homosexual unions. [[Same-sex marriage]] was legalized by some major developed nations, and in others, varying degrees of civil recognition were granted to gay relationships. However, such unions continued to meet resistance in many countries and in [[Same-sex marriage legislation in the United States by state|most U.S. states]]. Other social issues of concern during the 2000s have been [[gender equality]], [[human rights]], and—in the [[United States]]—[[health care]].
[[Global warming]], while originally seen as an [[Environmentalism|environmental]] matter, has evolved into a major [[Economics of global warming|economic]] and [[Politics of global warming|political issue]]. While scientists evaluate the [[Scientific opinion on climate change|origins]] and severity and climate change, politicians and economists debate the cost and efficacy of public policies to address it.
==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. Some refer to the decade as the "twenty hundreds" while others may refer to it as the "two thousands". In written form this could appear as "the '00s" or "the 2000s". But writing "the 2000s" or simply ''saying'' "the two-thousands" can cause confusion, since this could refer to the entire 21st century or even the entire millennium.
Determining a name for the decade has been problematic, especially in the United States. In 1999, anticipating the upcoming awkwardness, a US group calling itself "Project Naughtie" ran a viral campaign in an attempt to popularize "the ''Naughties''" as the decade's name.<ref>[http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/1999/11/32769 | WIRED | Here Come 'The Naughties'<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The term involves a clear play on words, stemming both from the idea that "naught" means "nothing" or "zero" as well as the fact that "naughties" sounds both like "nineties" and "naughty". A limited number of the media have made some use of the term as well, including the [[BBC]] (although adopting a more traditional spelling based upon "nought").<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/e-cyclopedia/585224.stm BBC News | E-CYCLOPEDIA | The noughties: So where are we now?<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/01/08/news/columnists/john_hunneman/20_38_121_7_06.txt North County Times/The Californian - John Hunneman's Knee Deep in the Hoopla column<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Both spellings have gained some currency among the legitimate press in the [[United Kingdom]], [[Ireland]] and [[Australia]], but there still remains nothing remotely close to a consensus on what term to use. Even the decades' trend tracking [[VH-1]] has opted to not take any sides, calling their new show on the decade, "I Love the New Millennium"<ref>[http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/i_love_the_new_millennium/series.jhtml | VH-1| I Love the New Millennium <!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Other proposed names include:
:*''aughts'', ''aughties'', and ''double-aughts'', from 'aught',<ref>[http://slate.msn.com/id/2111435/ Timothy Noah, "Name That Decade"],
''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'', 27 Dec. 2004.</ref> 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'', and ''the Twenty-Os'', from the practice of calling the number zero 'O'
:*''zeroes'', ''double zeroes'', ''oh-zeroes'', ''ohs'', ''double ohs'', ''oh-ohs'', and ''twenty ohs. ''
The [[United Nations General Assembly]] has declared the decade of 2000–2009 the "International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World."<ref>[http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/kits/Resolutions%20UN/uk_57_6.pdf http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/kits/Resolutions%20UN/uk_57_6.pdf] ''www3.unesco.org'' Retrieved on 05-25-07 </ref>
==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
*[[2000s in fashion]]
*[[Music in the 2000s| 2000s in music]]
*[[2000s in books]]
*[[2000s in film]]
*[[2000s in economics]]
*[[2000s in television]]
*[[2000s in sports]]
*[[2000s in technology & science]]
*[[2000s in video games]]
[[Category:2000s| ]]
[[Category:20th century]]
[[Category:21st century]]
[[Category:Years in the future]]
[[als:2000er]]
[[ar:عقد 2000]]
[[ast:Años 2000]]
[[zh-min-nan:2000 nî-tāi]]
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[[cv:2000-мĕш çулсем]]
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[[el:Δεκαετία 2000]]
[[es:Años 2000]]
[[eo:2000-aj jaroj]]
[[eu:2000ko hamarkada]]
[[fr:Années 2000]]
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[[is:2001-2010]]
[[it:Anni 2000]]
[[he:העשור הראשון של המאה ה-21]]
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[[la:Decennium 201]]
[[lt:XXI amžiaus 1-as dešimtmetis]]
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[[mr:इ.स.चे २००० चे दशक]]
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[[pl:Lata 2000-2009]]
[[pt:Década de 2000]]
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[[ro:Anii 2000]]
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[[scn:Anni 2000]]
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[[sk:0. roky 21. storočia]]
[[sl:2000. leta]]
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