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The Bahá'í Faith is a diverse and widespread religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in the 19th century in Iran. Bahá'í sources usually estimate the worldwide Bahá'í population to be above 5 million. Most encyclopedias and similar sources estimate between 5 and 6 million Bahá'ís in the world in the early 21st century. The Bahá'í Faith's growing presence across the world can be shown in stages. First the religion originated in Qajar Persia out of the Bábí religion and spread through the middle east and lands directly adjacent from 1844 to c.1892. Then it internationalized to a particular degree when it moved out of Islamic dominant countries and cultures and came to many countries in the West, a period from c.1892 to c.1953. During this period, for example, sixty percent of the British Bahá'í community eventually relocating. And then a significantly internationalized stage of an almost world wide presence or "global" presence since 1953.〔 This was accomplished by what Bahá'ís call "pioneering". The major program of action being the Ten Year Crusade and the overall list of the first pioneers to countries in the Knights of Bahá'u'lláh - the last being in July 1989 when the religion entered Mongolia. The religion is almost entirely contained in a single, organized, hierarchical community, but the Bahá'í population has spread out into almost every country and ethnicity in the world, being recognized as the second-most geographically widespread religion after Christianity. See Bahá'í statistics. The only countries with no Bahá'ís documented as of 2008 are Vatican City and North Korea.〔 * Bahá'ís did enter Korea in 1921 before the Division of Korea. 〕 There is also no permanent Bahá'í population in Israel, as per religious instruction. ==Chronology== Below are dates of the establishment and recognition of National Spiritual Assemblies (NSA) from the Bahá'í point of view. Other than in predominantly Muslim counties, countries where there are no NSAs include where most any religious institution is illegal such as in North Korea. In 2008 there were 184 National Spiritual Assemblies and in 2006, there are 192 United Nations member states. Most of the below list comes from ''The Bahá'í Faith: 1844–1963''.〔(The Bahá'í Faith: 1844–1963 ) Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Bahá'í Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953–1963, Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land, pages 22 and 46.〕 1923: British Isles, Germany, India 1924: Egypt 1925: United States of America & Canada, Philippines 1931: Iraq 1934: Australia and New Zealand, Persia 1948: Canada 1953: Italy and Switzerland 1956: Central & East Africa, North West Africa, South & West Africa 1957: Alaska; Arabia; New Zealand; North East Asia (Japan), Pakistan, South East Asia; Mexico and the Republics of Central America; The Greater Antilles; The Republics of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela; The Republics of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay & Bolivia; Scandinavia and Finland; the Benelux Countries; The Iberian Peninsula. 1958: France 1959: Austria, Burma, South Pacific, Turkey, 1961: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina. 1962: Belgium, Ceylon, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Switzerland 1964 Korea, Thailand, Vietnam 1967 Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Laos, Belize, Sikkim〔(Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963–1986: the third epoch of the formative age ) compiled by Geoffry W. Marks, page 96. ISBN 0-87743-239-2〕 1969 Papua New Guinea 1972 Singapore 1974 Hong Kong, South East Arabia〔(Naw Rúz 1974, Baha'i Era 131 ) by Universal House of Justice〕 1975 Niger〔(Notes on Research on National Spiritual Assemblies ) Asia Pacific Bahá'í Studies.〕 1977 Greece 1978 Burundi, Mauritania, the Bahamas, Oman, Qatar, the Mariana Islands, Cyprus〔(Ridvan 1978, Baha'i Era 135 ) by Universal House of Justice〕 1980: Transkei 1981 Namibia, and Bophuthatswana; the Leeward Islands, the Windward Islands, and Bermuda; Tuvalu. re-formation in Uganda〔(Ridván 1980, Baha'i Era 137 ) by Universal House of Justice〕 1984: Cape Verde Islands, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, French Guiana, Grenada, Martinique, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Yemen, Canary Islands 1990: Macau〔(Ridván 1990, Baha'i Era 147 ) by Universal House of Justice〕 1991 Czechoslovakia, Romania & Soviet Union 1992: Greenland, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Belarus & Moldova; Russia, Georgia & Armenia; Central Asia, Bulgaria, Baltic States, Albania, Poland, Hungary, Niger (re-elected) (as many new NSAs came into existence in this one year as all the NSAs that existed in 1953.)〔(Ridván 1992 ) by the Universal House of Justice〕 1994: Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Slovenia & Croatia, 1995: Eritrea, Armenia, Georgia, Belarus, Sicily. 1996: Sao Tome & Principe, Moldova, Nigeria〔(Letter To all National Spiritual Assemblies ) by the Universal House of Justice〕 1999: Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia 2004: Iraq reformed〔(Ridvan 2004, Baha'i Era 161 ) by Universal House of Justice〕 2008: Vietnam reformed 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bahá'í Faith by continent」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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