Thursday, Apr. 24, 2008

Numbers

REFUGEES

1% Percentage of refugees living in Greece who have been granted asylum. The country has been criticized by the U.N. for failing to provide interpreters and legal aid for the remaining 99%

50% Percentage of refugees living in Sweden who have been granted asylum, the highest rate in Europe

INTERNET

220 million Number of Chinese who were using the Internet as of February. For the first time, China's total surpassed the U.S.'s, which in 2007 was 216 million

17% Percentage of people in China who use the Internet, compared with 71% in the U.S.

FAST FOOD

1,435 Number of calories in a McDonald's Big Mac meal, which includes a burger, fries and soda

130,000 Number of New Yorkers, according to the state health department, who would avoid obesity if chains like McDonald's published calorie counts on their menus, as required by a recently upheld New York City law

TOBACCO

43 Number of U.S. states that have increased tobacco taxes since 2002; state tobacco taxes generated $14.5 billion in revenue last year

7-c- The country's lowest cigarette tax, imposed by South Carolina, whose Republicans are lobbying to increase it by 50-c- a pack

Sources: New York Times (2); USA Today (2); McDonalds.com Reuters; New York Times (2)