1998 in South Korean music
The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in 1998 in music in South Korea.


1998 in Sri Lanka
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Sri Lanka.


1998 in Sudan
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Sudan.


1998 in Swedish football
The 1998 season in Swedish football, started January 1998 and ended December 1998.


1998 in Taiwan
Events from the year 1998 in Taiwan, Republic of China. This year is numbered Minguo 87 according to the official Republic of China calendar.


1998 in Thailand
The year 1998 was the 217th year of the Rattanakosin Kingdom of Thailand. It was the 53rd year in the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), and is reckoned as year 2541 in the Buddhist Era.


1998 in UFC
The year 1998 is the 6th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. In 1998 the UFC held 3 events beginning with, UFC 16: Battle in the Bayou.


1998 in UFC, Debut UFC fighters
The following fighters fought their first UFC fight in 1998:


1998 in Uganda
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Uganda.


1998 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1998 to Wales and its people.


1998 in Zimbabwe
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in Zimbabwe.


1998 in anime, Accolades
At the Mainichi Film Awards, Doraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure in the South Seas won the Animation Film Award and Mizu no Sei Kappa Hyakuzu won the Ōfuji Noburō Award.


1998 in architecture
The year 1998 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.


1998 in association football
The following are the association football events of the year 1998 throughout the world.


1998 in baseball
The following are the baseball events of the year 1998  throughout the world.


1998 in basketball
The following are the basketball events of the year 1998  throughout the world.


1998 in chess
Below is a list of events in chess in 1998, as well as the top ten FIDE rated chess players in July of that year.


1998 in chess, Top players
FIDE top 10 players by Elo rating - July 1998


1998 in comics
Notable events of 1998 in comics. See also List of years in comics.


1998 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1998.


1998 in film
The year 1998 in film involved many significant films, includingShakespeare in Love (which won the Academy Award for Best Picture), Saving Private Ryan (which was the top grossing film of the year in the United States), American History X, The Truman Show, Primary Colors, Rushmore, Rush Hour, There's Something About Mary, The Big Lebowski, and Terrence Malick's directorial return in The Thin Red Line. DreamWorks SKG released its first two animated films: Antz and The Prince of Egypt. The Pokémon theatrical film series started with Pokémon: The First Movie. Warner Bros. Pictures celebrated its 75th anniversary.


1998 in film
The year saw two dueling science-fiction disaster films about asteroids, Armageddon and Deep Impact, becoming box office success, with Armageddon becoming the more popular of the two and was the highest grossing film of 1998 worldwide.


1998 in film, Highest-grossing films
The top 10 films released in 1998 by worldwide gross are as follows:


1998 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and tabletop role-playing games published in 1998. For video games, see 1998 in video gaming.


1998 in hammer throw
This page lists the World Best Year Performance in the year 1998 in both the men's and the women's hammer throw. One of the main events during this season were the 1998 European Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where the final of the men's competition was held on August 19, 1998.


1998 in heavy metal music
This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal music in the year 1998.


1998 in hip hop music
This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 1998.


1998 in home video
1998 is nearing the end of the dominance of the VHS format with the DVD overtaking tape sales by the early 2000s. The so-called format wars are almost over with Sony's Betamax format ending production at about this same time. The VHS format does not die out quickly because of its recording function, so many homes were adding a DVD player rather than replacing their VCRs. 1998 is a boom time for the brick and mortar video rental industry.


1998 in home video, Movie releases
The following movies were released on video on the following dates:


1998 in home video, TV show releases
The following television shows were released on video on the following dates:


1998 in home video, Documentary home video releases
The following documentary home videos were released on the following dates:


1998 in jazz
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by 63.143.205.78 (talk) at 17:42, 16 November 2019. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1998 in jazz
This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1998.


1998 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1998.


1998 in motoring
1998 in motoring includes developments in the automotive industry that occurred throughout the year 1998 by various automobile manufacturers, grouped by country. The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles.


1998 in motoring, United Kingdom
The fourth generation Vauxhall Astra went on sale in May, with a new design as well as a range of updated and new engines. Lotus Cars was employed to tune the new Astra's chassis. The entry-level engine was a 1.6 8-valve unit carried over from the previous Astra. There were also 16-valve units with 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 litres, as well as 1.7 and 2.0 diesels. Three- and five-door hatchbacks were available, along with the five-door hatchback and four-door saloon. There were coupe and cabriolet versions planned for later launch. A new generation of the Frontera launched in the Autumn with new styling and similar dimensions to its predecessor.


1998 in motoring, United Kingdom
Ford produced the winner of next year's European Car of the Year award with its Focus in October, a newly designed range of family hatchbacks, saloons and estates to succeed the Escort. But the Escort remained on sale for another two years. Power came from 16-valve 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec petrol engines as well as a 1.8 turbo-diesel. Ford ends production of the Scorpio after 4 years without a successor as buyers struggled to warm to its controversial styling.


1998 in motoring, United Kingdom
Jaguar launched a smaller, lower priced model - the S-Type. Designed as a competitor for the likes of the BMW 5 Series, the S-Type was a traditionally styled four-door saloon with a design similar to the 1960s saloons. It was powered by 3.0 V6, 3.2 V8 and 4.0 V8 engines. Sales would begin in Spring 1999.


1998 in motoring, United Kingdom
Rover ceased production of the 600 and 800 Series production for the launch of a new car, the Rover 75 four-door saloon with sales beginning in June 1999. The 100 Series supermini was withdrawn from sale after 18 years starting with the Austin Metro in 1980. A poor Euro-NCAP crash-test result meant demand quickly fell and the last models were made in December 1997.


1998 in motoring, Germany
Audi reentered the coupe market with its TT 2+2 coupe and two-seater roadster. It had a similar look to the show car which debuted in 1994 as a concept vehicle. Quattro four-wheel drive came as standard on all models. The turbocharged 1.8 20-valve entry-level engine produced 180 bhp to propel the car to well over 130 mph, while the twin-turbo 225 bhp version could reach 150 mph. The car shared its running gear with the Skoda Octavia, VW Golf as well as Audi's own A3. Sales began in early 1999.


1998 in motoring, Germany
Volkswagen launched a new version of its Volkswagen Beetle. The original 1938 version continued in Mexico, prior to the launch of the new Golf-based version. It was powered by 2.0 petrol and 1.9 turbo-diesel engines. UK sales were planned for 1999, though right-hand drive versions were not due until 2000. The engine range was expected to be widened in the future, as well as a cabriolet version being added.


1998 in motoring, Germany
Volkswagen launched a saloon version of its fourth generation Golf. The Volkswagen Bora, known as the Jetta in the US. Visually similar to the slightly larger Passat. UK sales began in March 1999, with 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 four-cylinder and 2.3 V5 petrol engines available as well as a 1.9 turbo-diesel.


1998 in motoring, Germany
Mercedes-Benz launched a new S Class in the Summer with a sleek new design and a host of new technology which would soon filter down the rest of the Mercedes range.


1998 in motoring, France
Peugeot ceased 205 production after several years of gradually phasing out its supermini which was launched in 1983. Its successor, the 206, was one of the largest cars in its sector, with 1.1, 1.4 and 1.6 petrol engines and a 1.9 diesel engine. The new car would also be produced in Ryton in the UK.


1998 in motoring, France
Renault launched a second-generation of its Clio, in 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 petrol units as well as a 1.9 diesel, with two higher performance versions planned. The LHD-only Twingo received a major facelift with a new luxury Initiale model. The RenaultSport Clio 172 hatchback had a 2.0 engine with 172 bhp and a top speed of around 140 mph. The mid-engined renaultsport Clio V6 was powered by a 3.0 V6 engine and had a top speed of 155 mph. Both cars were not expected before 2000. The Laguna received a facelift in the Spring while early in the year the Grand Espace launched, a larger version of the MPV providing more interior space than the standard model.


1998 in motoring, France
Citroen launches an estate version of the Xsara bringing ZX production to an end after 7 years.


1998 in motoring, Italy
The Alfa Romeo 166 was launched as a replacement for the 164.


1998 in motoring, Italy
The European Car of the Year award for 1998 went to the Alfa Romeo 156 that launched in late 1997. It was a sporty-looking four-door saloon aimed directly at the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 which offered a distinctive design feature with hidden rear door handles, giving it the appearance of a coupe. The four-door saloon was the only model in the 156 range at launch until the SportWagon estate appeared in 2000.


1998 in motoring, Italy
The new Multipla compact MPV arrived and features a six-seat layout and launched in the Autumn while UK sales began in late 1999. It quickly became famous for its unusual styling inside and out while offering a spacious and practical interior.


1998 in motorsport
The following is an overview of the events of 1998 in motorsport including the major racing events, motorsport venues that were opened and closed during a year, championships and non-championship events that were established and disestablished in a year, and births and deaths of racing drivers and other motorsport people.


1998 in motorsport, Annual events
The calendar includes only annual major non-championship events or annual events that had significance separate from the championship. For the dates of the championship events see related season articles.


1998 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.


1998 in music, Biggest hit singles
The following singles achieved the highest aggregated chart positions in 1998, according to TsorT.


1998 in paleontology
Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1998.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
An Alexornithidae Brodkorb, 1976, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Scolopacidae?, the holotypical tarsometatarsus looks more like a Charadriidae.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Cathartidae, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Gruidae, transferred to the genus Balearica by Mourer-Chauviré in 2001, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, Euenantiornithes Incertae Sedis, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
An Ornithothoraces, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Piciformes, Gracilitarsidae G. Mayr, 2001, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
An Apodiformes, ? Archaeotrogonidae Mourer-Chauviré, 1980, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Strigidae, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Coliidae, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
An Upupiformes, Laurillardiidae Harrison, 1979, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Miopiconidae G. Mayr, 1998, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Zygodactylidae Brodkorb, 1971, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Halcyornithidae Harrison et Walker, 1972. The genus Pseudastur is preoccupied and replaced by Pseudasturides Mayr, 2004, this is the type species of both genera.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A stem Psittaciformes, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
An Alcediniformes Incertae Sedis, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in paleontology, Archosauromorpha, Newly named birds
A Psittacidae, this is the type species of the new genus.


1998 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).


1998 in poetry, Works published in English
Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:


1998 in poetry, Works published in English, United States, Anthologies in the United States
Poems from these 75 poets were in The Best American Poetry 1999, general editor David Lehman, guest editor John Hollander:


1998 in poetry, Works published in other languages
Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:


1998 in poetry, Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1998 in professional wrestling
1998 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.


1998 in race walking
This page lists the World Best Year Performance in the year 1998 in both the men's and the women's race walking distances: 20 km and 50 km (outdoor). One of the main events during this season were the 1998 European Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.


1998 in rail transport
This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1998.


1998 in rugby league
1998 brought the start of the National Rugby League competition. Super League (Australia) ended its 1 year competition and the Australian Rugby League also ended theirs to merge as one. But for some clubs it came at a cost. For the Hunter Mariners and Perth Reds from Super League (Australia) and the South Queensland Crushers from the Australian Rugby League, these franchises ended. But a new franchise was created that was the first team in the state of Victoria: the Melbourne Storm.


1998 in science
The year 1998 in science and technology involved many events, some of which are included below.


1998 in spaceflight
This article outlines notable events occurring in 1998 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.


1998 in sports
1998 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.


1998 in sports, Mixed martial arts
The following is a list of major noteworthy MMA events during 1998 in chronological order.


1998 in sports, Mixed martial arts
This event featured a four-man middleweight tournament. As well as three heavyweight superfights.


1998 in sumo
The following are the events in professional sumo in 1998.


1998 in the British Virgin Islands
Events from the year 1998 in the British Virgin Islands.


1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.


1998 in the Philippines
1998 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in the year 1998.


1998 in the Philippines
The year was also designated for the country's year-long 100th centennial anniversary of the Philippine Independence, as known by its theme, "100 Kalayaan: Kayamanan ng Bayan (1898-1998)".


1998 in the Republic of the Congo
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in the Republic of the Congo.


1998 in the United Arab Emirates
Events from the year 1998 in the United Arab Emirates.


1998 in the United Arab Emirates, Events
This United Arab Emirates-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1998 in the United Arab Emirates, Events
This Middle Eastern history-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1998 in the United Arab Emirates, Events
This year in Asia article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1998 in the United States, Events, August
In August 1998, Sun co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim wrote Larry and Sergey a check for $100,000, and Google Inc. was officially born.


1998 in the decathlon
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by JJMC89 bot III (talk | contribs) at 21:10, 9 April 2020 (Moving Category:Years in the decathlon to Category:Decathlon by year per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Speedy). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1998 in the decathlon
This page lists the World Best Year Performance in the year 1998 in the men's decathlon. One of the main events during this season were the 1998 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where the competition started on August 18, 1998, and ended on August 19, 1998.


1998 in the environment
This is a list of notable events relating to the environment in 1998. They relate to environmental law, conservation, environmentalism and environmental issues.


1998 in the sport of athletics
This page shows the main events during the 1998 year in the sport of athletics throughout the world.


1998 in video games
1998 saw many sequels and prequels in video games and several new titles such as Half-Life, Metal Gear Solid, F-Zero X, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Gex: Enter the Gecko, Xenogears, Banjo-Kazooie, Spyro the Dragon, Radiant Silvergun and MediEvil.


1998 in video games
The year has been retrospectively considered one of the best in video gaming due to the release of numerous critically acclaimed, commercially successful and influential titles across all platforms and genres.


1998 in video games, Top rated games, Critically acclaimed titles
Metacritic (MC) and GameRankings (GR) are aggregators of video game journalism reviews.


1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia
The 1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia involved the abduction of two missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Andrew Lee Propst and Travis Robert Tuttle, on March 18, 1998. One of the kidnappers had a friend invite the missionaries to his apartment in Saratov, Russia. Upon entry, they were hit in the head, driven to a separate location, and photographed as part of the kidnappers' demand for $300,000. A ransom note was left at the house of a local member of the LDS Church. The missionaries were released on March 22 after four days in captivity, without the ransom being paid. It was the first major incident involving foreign missionaries to occur in the "Russian heartland."


1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia, Abduction
Propst and Tuttle were abducted on Wednesday, March 18, 1998. They went to the apartment of a 20-year-old man – whom they had previously met at a church meeting – for an appointment to teach him more about their faith. When they arrived, they were "hit in the head with a metal baton multiple times, handcuffed, and tied up." Their eyes and mouth were taped shut.


1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia, Abduction
The kidnappers demanded $300,000 and photocopies of the missionaries' passports in return for the safe release of Propst and Tuttle, and threatened to kill them if police were notified. When the captors did not call to arrange a meeting as promised in the ransom note, church officials thought that the media coverage had prompted them to kill the missionaries.


1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia, Captivity
Propst and Tuttle were taken to a shed 45 minutes outside of Saratov, Russia, and handcuffed to a coal-fueled radiator so tightly that both suffered nerve damage. While in captivity, the two "played word games, practiced Russian grammar and devised a dream team of professional baseball players." They conversed frequently with the younger man who had kidnapped them, with topics ranging from sports to politics to religion; Propst hoped that forging a friendship might later prevent their captor from being able to kill them.


1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia, Captivity
Both Propst and Tuttle had read Dale Carnegie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People and tried using techniques from the book. One of the kidnappers shared his "life story" with the missionaries. Propst later told Idaho Business Review that his captors had been struggling financially, and that that was one of their motivations for kidnapping them. They were fed small portions of food once or twice per day and were given dirty water to drink. Their eyes remained taped the entire time.


1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia, Captivity
Both missionaries escaped with only minor injuries, including soreness from the handcuffs and bumps from being hit in the head. After being released by their kidnappers outside of the city of Saratov, they found a ride back and called police and church officials. They were then brought to the police station and, under the protection of church officials and two American Embassy Consul officers, stayed in Saratov to help police find their kidnappers. The Mission president at the time, Donald Jarvis, stated that no ransom was paid. Both Propst and Tuttle finished their missionary service in England.


1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia, Government response
Multiple U.S. politicians became involved in the case. Representative Merrill Cook of Utah told the Provo Daily Herald that he encouraged "aggressive American involvement in getting these boys back safely." The U.S. Department of State called the situation "a grave matter" and did not release details of the kidnapping at the time in order to protect the missionaries. Senator Bob Bennett commented that the captors were after money and not the LDS church specifically, and that he was coordinating efforts between church and government officials on the matter.


1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia, Government response
He also used the opportunity to condemn a recent Russian law restricting minority religions. Senator Gordon H. Smith of Oregon, himself a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke with President Bill Clinton on the matter; President Clinton responded that he would help however he could. Four FBI agents were dispatched to Russia, one of which spoke Russian and was experienced in hostage situations. At a briefing, State Department spokesman James B. Foley said that the kidnapping was an "isolated incident," and that U.S. foreign policy with Russia in no way provoked the kidnappers. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told Senator Gordon Smith after the release of the missionaries that the culprits set them free because "the noose was tightening." The First Presidency of the LDS church thanked American and Russian officials for their work.


1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia, Government response
The Russian FSB (Federal Security Service) also became involved during the abduction and after, particularly in arresting suspects. Worldwide Television News reported that Governor Dmitri Akyatskov of Saratov threatened to extract the remaining LDS missionaries from the region if the $300,000 ransom was paid. Akyatskov continued to say that "in the near future all missionaries, including Mormons, will be asked to find another place for their activities."


1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia, Media, News coverage
News of the kidnapping was broadcast worldwide. American media entities such as The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, CBS News, and CNN featured the story, along with British news outlets such as BBC News and The Guardian. The missionaries heard a news report of their kidnapping via radio while in captivity.


1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia, Media, Film depiction
The 2013 film The Saratov Approach told the story of Propst and Tuttle's kidnapping. It was written, directed, and produced by filmmaker Garrett Batty. It featured Corbin Allred as Tuttle, Maclain Nelson as Propst, and Nikita Bogolyubov and Alex Veadov as the kidnappers. It grossed $2,146,999. Batty originally had the idea for the film when he first heard news of the kidnapping. He met with Propst and Tuttle, heard their story, and obtained permission from them to make the film. The cast and crew sought to keep the film as close to the true story as possible.


1998 kidnapping of Mormon missionaries in Saratov, Russia, Trial of the kidnappers
On March 24, 1998, local police found the woman who called in the ransom demand, as well as a 45-year-old man who assisted in the kidnapping; both confessed to being behind the abduction and were arrested. Russian officials reported that the man had helped establish the LDS Church in Saratov in 1993, but later left the faith. In August, Sergei Yemtsov was sentenced to four years in prison. 19-year-old Alexei Shkryabin received only two years probation. Propst and Tuttle attended the trial, during which the kidnappers were "locked in a steel cage in the corner of the courtroom." Yemtsov was proven to be the mastermind behind the operation; Shkryabin was "unaware of [his] intentions until the moment of the abduction."


1998 killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan
The 1998 killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan refers to the siege of the Iranian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif, in the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan during the Taliban and Northern Alliance battles of Mazar-i-Sharif. Initially, the death of 8 Iranian diplomats was reported, but later two other diplomats and a journalist were also confirmed dead, bringing the total deaths to 11. The killings of the diplomats is speculated to have been carried out by Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan.


1998 killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan, Background
Before this incident, Iran was supportive of the Afghan Northern Alliance, and the city of Mazari Sharif was one of the headquarters of the alliance. It is reported that between May and July 1997 Abdul Malik Pahlawan executed thousands of Taliban prisoners as a revenge for the 1995 death of Abdul Ali Mazari. "He is widely believed to have been responsible for the brutal massacre of up to 3,000 Taliban prisoners after inviting them into Mazar-i-Sharif." As revenge, Taliban forces captured Mazar-i-Sharif and killed hundreds of Northern Alliance members, particularly members of the Hazara and Uzbek ethnic group as they were accused of being the ones who carried out the killings of Taliban prisoners.


1998 killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan, Events
On 8 August 1998, Taliban forces captured Mazar-i-Sharif. After this incident, 11 Iranian diplomats and a correspondent from Iran's state news agency (IRNA) were attacked at the Iranian consulate and subsequently disappeared. Unofficial reports from the city indicated that all these men were killed. Later it was confirmed that 8 of the Iranian diplomats and the IRNA correspondent were killed by the Taliban militia attacking the consulate. The Taliban spokesmen said the Iranians had been killed by renegade forces who had acted without orders. The final death toll was confirmed later to be 11 according to Tehran Times.


1998 killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan, Aftermath
This incident caused a public furor in Iran and many observers were worried Iran would be involved in a military response to the attack. At the time, more than 70,000 Iranian troops were deployed along the Afghan border. Mediation by the United Nations defused the situation and all the hostages were eventually released. Later in February 1999, Iran and Taliban held talks, but Iranian-Taliban relations did not improve.


1998 killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan, Aftermath
August 8 is named National Journalists' Day in Iran, in memory of Mahmoud Saremi, the IRNA correspondent killed in this attack.


1998 killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan, Film
An Iranian  film  Mazar Sharif  was made on this story in 2015. Abdolhassan Barzideh was the director.


1998 reasons of the Supreme Court of Canada
The table below lists the reasons delivered from the bench by the Supreme Court of Canada during 1998. The table illustrates what reasons were filed by each justice in each case, and which justices joined each reason. This list, however, does not include decisions on motions.


1998 reasons of the Supreme Court of Canada
Of the 85 judgments released in 1998, 26 were oral. There were also motions.


1998 world oil market chronology
Sources include: Dow Jones (DJ), New York Times (NYT), Wall Street Journal (WSJ), and the Washington Post (WP).


1998 Úrvalsdeild
The 1998 season of Úrvalsdeild was the 87th season of league football in Iceland. ÍBV defended their title. ÍR and Þróttur were relegated. The competition was known as Landssímadeild, due to its sponsorship by the now-defunct company, Landssíminn.


1998 Úrvalsdeild, Results
Each team played every opponent once home and away for a total of 18 matches.


19982 Barbaradoore
19982 Barbaradoore, provisional designation 1990 BJ, is an eccentric, stony Phocaea asteroid and a recent Mars-crosser from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 January 1990, by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory in California, United States. The asteroid was named after Barbara Doore, a cousin of the discoverer.


19982 Barbaradoore, Orbit and classification
When applying the Hierarchical Clustering Method to its proper orbital elements, Barbaradoore is a member of the Phocaea family (701), a large family of stony S-type asteroids with nearly two thousand known members. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.7–3.0 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,303 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.29 and an inclination of 22° with respect to the ecliptic.


19982 Barbaradoore, Orbit and classification, Recent Mars-crosser and disparate criteria
As of 2017, Barbaradoore has become a Mars-crossing asteroid (MCA), a dynamically unstable group between the main belt and the near-Earth populations, because its perihelion is at 1.6657, declining from 1.6662 AU just the year before. In the JPL Small-Body Database, an asteroid's perihelion has to be smaller than 1.666 AU in order to classify as MCA, while in the Lightcurve Data Base, that limit is defined at 1.668 AU.


19982 Barbaradoore, Orbit and classification, Recent Mars-crosser and disparate criteria
As of 2017, the Minor Planet Center does not classify Barbaradoore as an MCA, due to a differently defined threshold-perihelion of 1.6600 AU. It therefore remains an unspecified main-belt asteroid. Before 2017, when Barbaradoore's orbit did not yet cross that of Mars, it was an outer Mars grazer.


19982 Barbaradoore, Physical characteristics
Barbaradoore is an assumed stony S-type asteroid, which agrees with the overall spectral type for members of the Phocaea family.


19982 Barbaradoore, Physical characteristics, Lightcurve
In July 2010, a rotational lightcurve of Barbaradoore was obtained from photometric observation by Czech astronomer Petr Pravec at Ondřejov Observatory. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 3.3162 hours with a brightness variation of 0.28 magnitude (U=3).


19982 Barbaradoore, Physical characteristics, Diameter and albedo
According to the surveys carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Barbaradoore has a high albedo between 0.306 and 0.42 with a corresponding diameter of 3.88 to 5.02 kilometers, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 5.66 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 13.6.


19982 Barbaradoore, Physical characteristics, Diameter and albedo, Comparison
With a diameter of approximately 5 kilometers, Barbaradoore is one of the smallest sizable Mars-crossing asteroids compared to 1065 Amundsenia (9.75 km), 1139 Atami (9.35 km), 1508 Kemi (17 km), 1011 Laodamia (7.39 km), 1727 Mette (est 9 km), 1131 Porzia (7.13 km), 1235 Schorria (est. 9 km), 985 Rosina (8.18 km) 1310 Villigera (15.24 km), and 1468 Zomba (7 km); and much smaller than the largest members of this dynamical group, namely, 132 Aethra, 323 Brucia, 2204 Lyyli and 512 Taurinensis, which are larger than 20 kilometers in diameter.


19982 Barbaradoore, Naming
This minor planet was named after a cousin of the discoverer, Barbara Hendricks Doore (born 1933). She is described by the discoverer as an admirer of sports and as an appreciated leader and volunteer, who has dedicated much of her time at Cathedral City's Boys and Girls Club in California. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 24 June 2002 (M.P.C. 46012).


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis
The 1998–99 Ecuador economic crisis was a period of economic instability that resulted from a combined inflationary-currency crisis, financial crisis, fiscal crisis, and sovereign debt crisis. Severe inflation and devaluation of the Ecuadorian sucre lead to President Jamil Mahuad announcing on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as the national currency. Poor economic conditions and subsequent protests against the government resulted in the 2000 Ecuadoran coup d’état in which Jamil Mahuad was forced to resign and was replaced by his Vice President, Gustavo Noboa.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Background
Throughout the 20th century, Ecuador was one of the poorer countries in Latin America, and had high rates of poverty and income inequality compared to other countries in the region. By the late 1990s around 45% of the population lived below the national poverty line, making them especially vulnerable. The discovery of oil in the 1960s lead to rapid economic growth, but created an economy that was dependent on exports of oil and agricultural products such as bananas, coffee, and shrimp.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Background
Lower oil prices resulted in economic stagnation throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, as oil exports alone accounted for half of the country's total exports and about a third of all government revenue in the late 1990s. Ecuador's population and economy can be geographically divided into three general regions: the Pacific coastal region in the west, the central Andean highlands, and the eastern Amazonian regions. 95% of the population lives on the coast or the central highlands, and accounts for the majority of Ecuador's economic activity.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Background
The Amazonian regions are mostly populated by indigenous people who are generally poorer, despite the fact that the Amazon contains Ecuador's significant oil reserves. Across all three regions, poverty is much worse in rural areas than in urban areas. Ecuador's social and economic inequalities have contributed to internal tensions and political divides on a national level, which became evident during the government's response to the financial crisis.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Causes
In 2010, author and professor Alberto Valencia Granada published a book called When Success is a Crime: Filanbanco: A Case of Violation of Human Rights in Ecuador. His book summarizes the causes of the financial crisis:


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Causes
In the late 1990s, Ecuador (and the entire region) experienced capital flight following the East Asian and Russian crises. Ecuador then experienced a political-economic crisis that was aggravated by many factors: military confrontation with Peru, lack of sufficient hydroelectric energy production (due to low water levels), and difficulties in the agricultural sector because of the El Niño weather phenomenon. These factors together deepened the political crisis in the country — a time period that saw four presidents within eight years.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Causes
The biggest victims of the economic crisis were the agricultural export industry located along the coasts, which were Filanbanco’s principal credit recipients. Lack of payments from these customers, combined with restrictions on opening new lines of international credit, squeezed the bank. Thus, the bank turned to other companies within the Isaias Group for cash along with liquidity loans from the Central Bank.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Causes, Structural weaknesses in Ecuador
Economic conditions in Ecuador allowed the development of a weak financial system which was more vulnerable to disruptions. The financial sector was also affected by the regional fragmentation between policy makers in the capital, Quito, and banks based in the port city of Guayaquil, the most populous city and economic centre of the country in 1999.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Causes, Structural weaknesses in Ecuador
Financial liberalization policies had been adopted in the early 1990s by conservative president Sixto Durán-Ballén and his vice president Alberto Dahik (widely considered the economic tsar of the government and mastermind of neoliberal policies), allowing easier access to international markets and investors, but they also created a largely deregulated domestic financial sector. Many Ecuadoran banks were well connected to prominent business groups and politicians, and financial supervision and regulation was not strongly enforced.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Causes, Structural weaknesses in Ecuador
As a result, Ecuadoran banks experienced a credit boom in the 1990s, providing high-risk loans to well-connected customers, assuming that the government and Central Bank would bail them out if needed. Lack of oversight also allowed many banks to engage in lucrative but risky offshore banking in U.S. dollar denominations, creating an informal dollarization of the financial sector, and a vulnerability to fluctuations in the exchange rate.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Causes, Shocks and vulnerability
Ecuador's public finances in the 1990s were heavily dependent on oil revenue, and public spending was high. In the short term, the financial crisis was triggered by a series of external shocks. A severe El Niño in 1997–1998 caused heavy rains and flooding that caused widespread crop failures and damaged infrastructure costing approximately 13% of its GDP. These shocks occurred soon after several financial crises in Asia (1997), Russia (1998), and Brazil (1998), which were damaging to the world economy. In this context, global financial institutions were more reluctant to offer credit lines to Ecuador and other developing countries.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Causes, Shocks and vulnerability
Oil prices plunged in 1998, partly in response to global economic slowdown following the Asian financial crisis, which significantly reduced the government's revenues. These shocks created a situation where the public deficit grew uncontrollably, as the government had to recover from El Niño damage, but had restricted access to oil revenues and international financing. For example, the public sector deficit increased from 2.6% of GDP in 1997 to 6.2% in 1998.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Causes, Shocks and vulnerability
Ecuador was also undergoing a period of political vulnerability in the 1990s. The fragmentation and divided politics of the country resulted in a relatively weak state throughout the 1990s, which never gained widespread support. Populist president Abdalá Bucaram, known as "El Loco", was declared mentally unfit by Congress and fled after nation-wide protests in 1997, and an interim government under Fabián Alarcón was in power until Jamil Mahuad was elected in 1998, just as the banking crisis was developing.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Crisis and government response
The economic crisis began in the context of increasing public debt and poor economic performance on a national level. In the private financial sector, banks had given out excessively risky loans, and were struggling to maintain liquidity. The banking crisis started in April 1998 with the failure of a small bank, but the ensuing atmosphere of uncertainty caused excessive withdrawals and triggered more bank failures throughout 1998. By August, important bank failures had reached the point where the government could no longer intervene by bailing out and supporting struggling banks.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Crisis and government response
By December, the "AGD law" (Agencia de Garantía de Depósitos) set up deposit insurance, in an attempt to discourage further withdrawals. Another law starting in January 1999 established a 1% tax on any financial transactions, which would discourage withdrawals and raise revenue for the struggling government. However, this tax proved devastating for both the financial system and ordinary people as it discouraged all financial activity and did not prevent deposit withdrawals. Other proposed government policies included increases in general sales taxes and gasoline taxes.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Crisis and government response
By early 1999, major banks were failing and being taken over and closed by the AGD, while still providing a deposit guarantee. Increasing consumer prices and the depreciation of the Sucre raised fears of hyperinflation, and in March 1999 the government declared a national bank holiday, which ended up lasting a full week from March 8–12. At the end of the holiday, the government announced a widespread deposit freeze in which deposits would be frozen for a full year. This did temporarily slow inflation, but it caused the collapse of trust in the banking system and poor economic conditions.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Crisis and government response
Throughout 1999, the government did gradually unfreeze deposits, but this was followed by widespread withdrawals and more bank failure, due to a lack of confidence in the banks. By September, the government itself had defaulted on external debts as it had spent significant resources supporting the central bank and its deposit guarantees.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Economic effects, Dollarization
Despite the government's efforts to curb inflation, the Sucre depreciated rapidly at the end of 1999, resulting in widespread informal use of U.S. dollars in the financial system. As a last resort to prevent hyperinflation, the government formally adopted the U.S. dollar in January 2000. The stability of the new currency was a necessary first step towards economic recovery, but the exchange rate was fixed at 25,000:1, which resulted in great losses of wealth.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Economic effects, Poverty and living conditions
The severe effects of the financial crisis were especially visible in Ecuador because of the preexisting problems of poverty and national inequality. The general economic uncertainty resulted in loss of jobs and wealth, which had the most significant effect on people who were already vulnerable. The government was financially limited due to its debt defaults, and had to focus on macroeconomic solutions rather than the social problems that developed during the financial crisis. Measures of poverty, including extreme poverty and the poverty gap, all increased during the crisis and peaked in 1999. Rural areas were especially affected, and metrics such as worse child nutrition, reduced educational spending, and poor health outcomes all showed that the financial crisis had severe effects. An estimated 200,000 Ecuadorans also left the country between 1998 and 2000, representing 2% of the labor force.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Political effects
President Jamil Mahuad suffered declining popularity ratings throughout the financial crisis, decreasing from 60% in 1998 to 6% in early 2000. The dollarization policy proved to be particularly unpopular even if it was implemented successfully. Protests led by a coalition of indigenous peoples (CONAIE) and supported by the military occupied congress and forced President Mahuad to resign.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Social effects, Migration to the United States
The Ecuadoran financial crisis caused massive migrations, primarily to the United States and Spain. Between the years 1999 and 2000, approximately 400,000 Ecuadorans migrated to the United States. This was not the first wave of Ecuadoran migration to the U.S., and so this wave of migrants joined roughly half a million other Ecuadorans who had already paved the way for migration. Most Ecuadorans who migrated to the U.S. as a result of the Ecuadoran financial crisis were from the regions of Azuay and Cañar. The largest community of Ecuadorans in the U.S. resides in the New York metropolitan area. Half of the Ecuadoran diaspora is within the United States.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Social effects, Migration to the United States
Ecuadoran migration to the US has become increasingly transnational in nature. This is due in part to remittances sent back to communities in Ecuador by migrant communities in the US. The sending of these remittances facilitates a continuous connection between migrants and those at home, which in turn facilitates further migration. Remittances to Ecuador were at around $643 million in 1997, and increased $1.41 billion in 2001 which highlights the sudden impact emigration had on Ecuador.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Social effects, Migration to Spain
Many Ecuadorians migrated to Spain in search of financial opportunity, as Spain's economy had been flourishing. Around 7,000 Ecuadorians arrived to Spain each month in 2000. This early wave left Ecuador during the hardest part of the economic crisis and was composed of young people eager to work. By 2005, the Ecuadorian community in Spain was around 500,000 people. During the period until 2004, the migrants were mainly composed family members joining those who had first migrated. The Ecuadorian diaspora in Spain differs from the U.S. one in that Ecuadorians experienced greater economic prosperity in Spain.


1998–1999 Ecuador economic crisis, Social effects, Migration to Spain
They sent up to 46% of their salary, 16% invested in improving living conditions for their families back in Ecuador. A lot of which were young kids reuniting with their parents, such kids grew up in Spain, attended school, and are now making up the second generation of Ecuadorians in Spain.


1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak
The 1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak was a Nipah virus outbreak occurring from September 1998 to May 1999 in the states of Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor in Malaysia. A total of 265 cases of acute encephalitis with 105 deaths caused by the virus were reported in the three states throughout the outbreak.


1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak
The Malaysian health authorities at the first thought Japanese encephalitis (JE) was the cause of infection which hampered the deployment of effective measures to prevent the spread before being finally identified by a local virologist from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya that it was a newly discovered agent named Nipah virus (NiV). The disease was as deadly as the Ebola virus disease (EVD), but attacked the brain system instead of the blood vessels. University of Malaya's Faculty of Medicine and the University of Malaya Medical Centre played a major role in serving as a major referral centre for the outbreak, treating majority of the Nipah patients and was instrumental in isolating the novel virus and researched on its features.


1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak
This emerging diseases where it caused major losses to both animal and human lives, affecting livestock trade and created a significant setback to the swine sector of the animal industry in Malaysia. The country also became the origin of the virus where it had no more cases since 1999 but further outbreaks continue to occur in Bangladesh and India.


1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak, Background
The virus firstly struck pig-farms in the suburb of Ipoh in Perak with the occurrence of respiratory illness and encephalitis among the pigs where it is firstly thought to be caused by Japanese encephalitis (JE) due to 4 serum samples from 28 infected humans in the area tested positive for JE-specific Immunoglobulin M (IgM) which is also confirmed by the findings of World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Tropical Disease at the Nagasaki University.


1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak, Background
A total of 15 infected people died during the ensuing outbreak before the virus began to spread into Sikamat, Nipah River Village and Pelandok Hill in Negeri Sembilan when farmers affected by the control measures began to sell their infected pigs to these areas. This resulted 180 patients infected by the virus and 89 deaths. With further movement of the infected pigs, more cases emerged from around Sepang District and Sungai Buloh in Selangor with 11 cases and 1 death reported among abattoir workers in Singapore who had handled the infected pigs imported from Malaysia.


1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak, Authorities response and further investigation
Since the cause was firstly wrongly identified, early control measures such as mosquito foggings and vaccination of pigs against JE were deployed to the affected area which proved to be ineffective since more cases emerged despite the early measures. With the increasing deaths reported from the outbreak, this caused nationwide fear from the public and the near collapse of local pig-farming industry.


1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak, Authorities response and further investigation
Most healthcare workers who were taking care of their infected patients had been convinced that the outbreak was not caused by JE since the disease affected more adults than children, including those who had been vaccinated earlier against JE. Through further autopsies on the deceased, the findings were inconsistent from the earlier results where they suggest it may come from another agent. This was supported with several reasons such as all of the infected victims had direct physical contacts with pigs and all of the infected pigs had developed severe symptoms of barking cough before dying. Despite the evidence gathered from autopsies results with new findings among local researchers, the federal government especially the health authorities insisted that it was solely caused by JE which delayed further appropriate action taken for the outbreak control.


1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak, Authorities response and further investigation, Identification of the source of infection
In early March 1999, a local medical virologist at the University of Malaya named Dr Chua Kaw Beng finally found the root cause of the infection. Through his findings, the infection was indeed caused by a new agent named Nipah virus (NiV), taken from the investigation area name of Nipah River Village (Malay: Kampung Sungai Nipah), where it is still unknown to available science records at the time. The virus origin is identified from a native fruit bat species.


1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak, Authorities response and further investigation, Identification of the source of infection
Together with the Hendra virus (HeV), the novel virus is subsequently recognised as a new genus, Henipavirus (Hendra + Nipah) in the Paramyxoviridae family. He found that NiV and HeV shared enough epitopes for HeV antigens to be used in a prototype serological test for NiV antibodies which helped in the subsequent screening and diagnosis of NiV infection. Following the findings, widespread surveillance of pig populations together with the culling of over a million pigs was undertaken and the last human fatality occurred on 27 May 1999.


1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak, Authorities response and further investigation, Identification of the source of infection
The outbreak in neighbouring Singapore also ended with immediate prohibition of pigs importation to the country and their subsequent closure of abattoirs. The virus discovery received the attention from the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Singapore General Hospital (SGH) who giving swift assistance towards the characterisation of the virus and the development of surveillance and control measures.


1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak, Aftermath
Until 2010s, the pig farming ban on Pelandok Hill was still in force to prevent the recurrence of the outbreak despite some people had quietly restarted the business after being instigated by community leaders. Most of the surviving pig farmers have turned to palm oil and Artocarpus integer (cempedak) cultivation. Since the virus has been named Nipah from the sample taken in Nipah River Village of Pelandok Hill, the latter area has become synonyms with the deadly virus.


1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak, Aftermath, Memorials
In 2018, the outbreak are being memorialised in a newly constructed museum named Nipah River Time Tunnel Museum in the Nipah River Village with several of the surviving victims stories have been filmed in a documentary which will be featured at the museum.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression
The Argentine Great Depression was an economic depression in Argentina, which began in the third quarter of 1998 and lasted until the second quarter of 2002. It followed the fifteen years stagnation and a brief period of free-market reforms.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression
The depression, which began after the Russian and Brazilian financial crises, caused widespread unemployment, riots, the fall of the government, a default on the country's foreign debt, the rise of alternative currencies and the end of the peso's fixed exchange rate to the US dollar. The economy shrank by 28 percent from 1998 to 2002. In terms of income, over 50 percent of Argentines lived below the official poverty line and 25 percent were indigent (their basic needs were unmet); seven out of ten Argentine children were poor at the depth of the crisis in 2002.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression
By the first half of 2003, however, GDP growth had returned, surprising economists and the business media, and the economy grew by an average of 9% for five years.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression
Argentina's GDP exceeded pre-crisis levels by 2005, and Argentine debt restructuring that year were resumed payments on most of its defaulted bonds; a second debt restructuring in 2010 brought the percentage of bonds out of default to 93%, though holdout lawsuits led by vulture funds remained ongoing. Bondholders who participated in the restructuring have been paid punctually and have seen the value of their bonds rise. Argentina repaid its International Monetary Fund loans in full in 2006, but had a long dispute with the 7% of bond-holders left. In April 2016 Argentina came out of the default when the new government decided to repay the country's debt, paying the full amount to the vulture/hedge funds.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Origins
Argentina's many years of military dictatorship (alternating with weak, short-lived democratic governments) had already caused significant economic problems prior to the 2001 crisis, particularly during the self-styled National Reorganization Process in power from 1976 to 1983. A right-wing executive, José Alfredo Martínez de Hoz, was appointed Economy Minister at the outset of the dictatorship, and a neoliberal economic platform centered around anti-labor, monetarist policies of financial liberalization was introduced.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Origins
Budget deficits jumped to 15% of GDP as the country went into debt for the state takeover of over $15 billion in private debts as well as unfinished projects, higher defense spending, and the Falklands War. By the end of the military government in 1983, the foreign debt had ballooned from $8 billion to $45 billion, interest charges alone exceeded trade surpluses, industrial production had fallen by 20%, real wages had lost 36% of their purchasing power, and unemployment, calculated at 18% (though official figures claimed 5%), was at its highest point since the 1929 Great Depression.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Origins
Democracy was restored in 1983 with the election of President Raúl Alfonsín. The new government intended to stabilize the economy and in 1985 introduced austerity measures and a new currency, the Argentine austral, the first of its kind without peso in its name. Fresh loans were required to service the $5 billion in annual interest charges, however, and when commodity prices collapsed in 1986, the state became unable to service this debt.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Origins
During the Alfonsin administration, unemployment did not substantially increase, but real wages fell by almost half to the lowest level in fifty years. Prices for state-run utilities, telephone service, and gas increased substantially.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Origins
Confidence in the plan, however, collapsed in late 1987, and inflation, which had already averaged 10% per month (220% a year) from 1975 to 1988, spiraled out of control. Inflation reached 200% for the month in July 1989, peaking at 5000% for the year. Amid riots, Alfonsín resigned five months before the end of his term; Carlos Menem took office in July.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, 1990s
After a second bout of hyperinflation, Domingo Cavallo was appointed Minister of the Economy in January 1991. On 1 April, he fixed the value of the austral at 10,000 per US dollar. Australs could be freely converted to dollars at banks. The Central Bank of Argentina had to keep its US dollar foreign-exchange reserves at the same level as the cash in circulation. The initial aim of such measures was to ensure the acceptance of domestic currency because after the 1989 and 1990 hyperinflation, Argentines had started to demand payment in US dollars. This regime was later modified by a law (Ley de Convertibilidad) that restored the Argentine peso as the national currency.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, 1990s
The convertibility law reduced inflation sharply, preserving the value of the currency. That raised the quality of life for many citizens, who could again afford to travel abroad, buy imported goods or ask for credit in dollars at traditional interest rates. The fixed exchange rate reduced the cost of imports, which produced a flight of dollars from the country and a massive loss of industrial infrastructure and employment in industry.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, 1990s
Argentina, however, still had external public debt that it needed to roll over. Government spending remained too high, and corruption was rampant. Argentina's public debt grew enormously during the 1990s without showing that it could service the debt. The IMF kept lending money to Argentina and extending its payment schedules.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, 1990s
Massive tax evasion and money laundering contributed to the movement of funds toward offshore banks. A congressional committee started investigations in 2001 over accusations that Central Bank Governor Pedro Pou, a prominent advocate of dollarization, and members of the board of directors had overlooked money laundering within Argentina's financial system. Clearstream was accused of being instrumental in this process.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, 1990s
Other Latin American countries, including Mexico and Brazil (both important trade partners for Argentina) faced economic crises of their own, leading to mistrust of the regional economy. The influx of foreign currency provided by the privatization of state companies had ended. After 1999, Argentine exports were harmed by the devaluation of the Brazilian real against the dollar. A considerable international revaluation of the dollar directly weakened the peso relative to Argentina's trading partners: Brazil (30% of total trade flows) and the eurozone (23% of total trade flows).


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, 1990s
After having grown by over 50% from 1990 to 1998, Argentina's GDP declined by 3% in 1999 and the country entered what became a three-year-long recession. President Fernando de la Rúa was elected in 1999 on a reform platform that nevertheless sought to maintain the peso's parity with the dollar. He inherited a country with high unemployment (15%), lingering recession, and continued high levels of borrowing. In 1999, economic stability became economic stagnation (even deflation at times), and the economic measures taken did nothing to avert it. The government continued its predecessor's economic policies. Devaluing the peso by abandoning the exchange peg was considered political suicide and a recipe for economic disaster. By the end of the century, complementary currencies had emerged.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, 1990s
While the provinces of Argentina had always issued complementary currency in the form of bonds and drafts to manage shortages of cash, the scale of such borrowing reached unprecedented levels during this period. They became called "quasi-currencies", the strongest of them being Buenos Aires's Patacón. The national government issued its own quasi-currency, the LECOP.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, 1990s
In a 2001 interview, journalist Peter Katel identified three factors that converged "the worst possible time" that made the Argentine economy unravel:


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Currency
The 2002 crisis of the Argentine peso, however, shows that even a currency board arrangement cannot be completely safe from a possible collapse. When the peso was first linked to the U.S. Dollar at parity in February 1991 under the Convertibility Law, initial economic effects were quite positive: Argentina's chronic inflation was curtailed dramatically and foreign investment began to pour in, leading to an economic boom. Over time, however, the peso appreciated against the majority of currencies as the U.S. Dollar became increasingly stronger in the second half of the 1990s.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Currency
A strong peso hurt exports from Argentina and caused a protracted economic downturn that eventually led to the abandonment of the peso-dollar parity in 2002. This change, in turn, caused severe economic and political distress in the country. The unemployment rate rose above 20 percent and inflation reached a monthly rate of about 20 percent in April 2002. In contrast, Hong Kong was able to successfully defend its currency board arrangement during the Asian financial crisis, a major stress test for the arrangement. Although there is no clear consensus on the causes of the Argentine crisis, there are at least three factors that are related to the collapse of the currency board system and ensuing economic crisis:


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Currency
While the currency crisis is over, the debt problem has not been completely resolved. The government of Argentina ceased all debt payments in December 2001 in the wake of persistent recession and rising social and political unrest. In 2004, the Argentine government made a 'final' offer amounting to a 75 percent reduction in the net present value of the debt. Foreign bondholders rejected this offer and asked for an improved offer. In early 2005, bondholders finally agreed to the restructuring, under which they took a cut of about 70 percent on the value of their bond holdings.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default
When a short boom in the early 1990s of portfolio investment from abroad ended in 1995, Argentina became reliant on the IMF to provide the country with low-interest access to credit and to guide its economic reforms. When the recession began in 1999, the national deficit widened to 2.5% of GDP, and its external debt surpassed 50% of GDP. Seeing the levels as excessive, the IMF advised the government to balance its budget by implementing austerity measures to sustain investor confidence. The De la Rúa administration implemented $1.4 billion in cuts in its first weeks in office in late 1999. In June 2000, with unemployment at 14% and projections of 3.5% GDP for the year, austerity was furthered by $938 million in spending cuts and $2 billion in tax increases.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default
GDP growth projections proved to be overly optimistic (instead of growing, real GDP shrank 0.8%), and lagging tax receipts prompted the government to freeze spending and cut retirement benefits again. In early November, Standard & Poor's placed Argentina on a credit watch, and a treasury bill auction required paying 16% interest (up from 9% in July, the second-highest rate of any country in South America at the time.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default
Rising bond yields forced the country to turn to major international lenders, such as the IMF, the World Bank, and the US Treasury, which would lend to the government below market rates if it complied with conditions. Several more rounds of belt-tightening followed. José Luis Machinea resigned in March 2001. He was replaced with Ricardo López Murphy, who lasted less than three weeks in office before being replaced with Cavallo.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default
Standard and Poor's cut the credit rating of the country's bonds to B– in July 2001. Cavallo reacted by offering bondholders a swap: longer-term, higher-interest bonds would be exchanged for bonds due in 2010.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default
The "megaswap" (megacanje), as Cavallo referred to it, was accepted by most bondholders, and it delayed up to $30 billion in payments that would have been due by 2005; but it also added $38 billion in interest payments in the out years; of the $82 billion in bonds that eventually had to be restructured (triggering a wave of holdout lawsuits), 60% were issued during the 2001 megaswap.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default
Cavallo also attempted to curb the budget crisis by instituting an unpopular across-the-board pay cut in July of up to 13% to all civil servants and an equivalent cut to government pension benefits, De la Rúa's seventh austerity round—triggering nationwide strikes, and from August, it paid salaries of the highest-paid employees in IOUs instead of money. That further depressed the weakened economy, the unemployment rate rose to 16.4% in August 2001 up from a 14.7% a month earlier, and it reached 20% by December.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default
Public discontent with the economic conditions was expressed in the nationwide election. De la Rúa's alliance lost its majority in both chambers of Congress. Over 20% of voters chose to give blank or defaced ballots rather than indicate support of any candidate.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default
The crisis intensified when, on 5 December 2001, the IMF refused to release a US$1.3 billion tranche of its loan, citing the failure of the Argentine government to reach its budget deficit targets, and it demanded budget cuts, 10% of the federal budget. On 4 December, Argentine bond yields stood at 34% over U.S. treasury bonds, and, by 11 December, the spread jumped to 42%.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default
By the end of November 2001, people began withdrawing large sums of dollars from their bank accounts, turning pesos into dollars, and sending them abroad, which caused a bank run. On 2 December, the government enacted measures, informally known as the corralito, that effectively froze all bank accounts for twelve months, allowing for only minor sums of cash to be withdrawn, initially $250 a week.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default, December 2001 riots and political turmoil
The freeze enraged many Argentines who took to the streets of important cities, especially Buenos Aires. They engaged in protests that became known as cacerolazo (banging pots and pans). The cacerolazos began as noisy demonstrations but soon included property destruction, often directed at banks, foreign-owned privatized companies, and, especially, big American and European companies.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default, December 2001 riots and political turmoil
Confrontations between the police and citizens became common, and fires were set on Buenos Aires avenues. De la Rúa declared a state of emergency, but the situation worsened, precipitating the violent protests of 20 and 21 December 2001 in Plaza de Mayo, where clashes between demonstrators and the police ended up with several people dead and precipitated the fall of the government. De la Rúa eventually fled the Casa Rosada in a helicopter on 21 December.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default, December 2001 riots and political turmoil
Following the presidential succession procedures established in the Constitution of Argentina, the Senate chairman was next in the line of succession in the absence of the president and the vice-president. Accordingly, Ramón Puerta took office as a caretaker head of state, and the Legislative Assembly (a joint session of both chambers of Congress) was convened.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default, December 2001 riots and political turmoil
Adolfo Rodríguez Saá, the governor of San Luis Province, was eventually appointed as the new interim president.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default, December 2001 riots and political turmoil, Debt default
During the last week of 2001, the administration defaulted on the larger part of the public debt, US$132 billion, a seventh of all the money borrowed by the Third World.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default, December 2001 riots and political turmoil, Debt default
Politically, the most heated debate involved the date of the following elections. Proposals ranged from March 2002 to October 2003, the end of De la Rúa's term.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default, December 2001 riots and political turmoil, Debt default
Rodríguez Saá's economic team came up with a scheme designed to preserve the convertibility regime, dubbed the "Third Currency" Plan. It consisted of creating a new, non-convertible currency, the Argentino, that would coexist with convertible pesos and US dollars. It would circulate as cash, or but not in checks, promissory notes, or other instruments, which could be denominated in pesos or dollars. It would be partially guaranteed with federally managed land to counterbalance inflationary tendencies.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default, December 2001 riots and political turmoil, Debt default
Argentines having legal status would be used to redeem all complementary currency already in circulation; their acceptance as a means of payment was quite uneven. It was hoped that convertibility would restore public confidence, and the non-convertible nature of this currency would allow for a measure of fiscal flexibility (unthinkable with pesos) to ameliorate the crippling recession. Critics called the plan merely a "controlled devaluation" but its advocates countered that since controlling a devaluation is perhaps its thorniest issue, that criticism was a praise in disguise. The plan had enthusiastic supporters among mainstream economists (the most well-known being perhaps Martín Redrado, a former Banco Central de la República Argentina president) citing technical arguments. However, it was not implemented because the Rodríguez Saá government lacked the required political support.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Rates, riots, resignations and default, December 2001 riots and political turmoil, Debt default
Rodriguez Saá lost the support of his own Justicialist Party and resigned before the end of the year. The Legislative Assembly convened again, appointing Peronist Senator Eduardo Duhalde of Buenos Aires Province, who had been the runner-up in the 1999 race for the presidency.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, End of fixed exchange rate
In January 2002, after much deliberation, Duhalde abandoned the fixed exchange rate that had been in place for ten years. In a matter of days, the peso lost a large part of its value in the unregulated market. A provisional "official" exchange rate was set at 1.4 pesos per US dollar.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, End of fixed exchange rate
In addition to the corralito, the Ministry of Economy dictated the pesificación; all bank accounts denominated in dollars would be converted to pesos at an official rate. That angered most savings holders and attempts were made to declare it unconstitutional.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, End of fixed exchange rate
After a few months, the exchange rate was mostly a floating exchange rate. The peso further depreciated, which prompted increased inflation. Argentina depended heavily on imports but then could not replace them locally.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, End of fixed exchange rate
Inflation and unemployment worsened during 2002. Then, exchange rate had reached nearly 4 pesos per dollar, and the accumulated inflation since the devaluation was about 80%, considerably less than predicted by most orthodox economists. The quality of life of the average Argentine was lowered proportionally. Many businesses closed or went bankrupt, many imported products became virtually inaccessible, and salaries were left as they were before the crisis.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, End of fixed exchange rate
Since the supply of pesos did not meet the demand for cash (even after the devaluation), complementary currencies kept circulating alongside them. Fears of hyperinflation as a consequence of devaluation quickly eroded their attractiveness. Their acceptability now ultimately depended on the state's irregular willingness to take them as payment of taxes and other charges.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, End of fixed exchange rate
While the regional currency was frequently accepted at the same value as the peso, Entre Ríos Province's Federal fared among the worst, discounted by an average 30% as even the provincial government that had issued them was reluctant to accept them. There were also frequent rumors that the first state would banish complementary currency overnight, leaving their holders with useless printed paper.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, End of fixed exchange rate, Immediate effects
Aerolíneas Argentinas was one of the most affected Argentine companies, canceling all international flights for various days in 2002. The airline came close to bankruptcy but survived.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, End of fixed exchange rate, Immediate effects
Several thousand homeless and jobless Argentines found work as cartoneros, cardboard collectors. An estimate in 2003 had 30,000 to 40,000 people scavenging the streets for cardboard to sell to recycling plants. Such desperate measures were common because of the unemployment rate, nearly 25%.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, End of fixed exchange rate, Immediate effects
Argentine agricultural products were rejected in some international markets for fear that they might have been damaged by the chaos. The US Department of Agriculture put restrictions on Argentine food and drug exports.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Recovery
Duhalde eventually stabilised the situation somewhat and called for elections. On 25 May 2003, Néstor Kirchner took office as the new president. Kirchner kept Duhalde's Minister of Economy, Roberto Lavagna. Lavagna, a respected economist with centrist views, showed a considerable aptitude at managing the crisis, with the help of heterodox measures.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Recovery
The economic outlook was completely different from that of the 1990s. The devalued peso made Argentine exports cheap and competitive abroad and discouraged imports. In addition, the high price of soybeans in the international market produced massive amounts of foreign currency; China became a major buyer of Argentina's soy products.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Recovery
The government encouraged import substitution and accessible credit for businesses, staged an aggressive plan to improve tax collection, and allocated large sums for social welfare but controlled expenditure in other fields.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Recovery
The peso slowly rose, reaching a 3-to-1 rate to the dollar. Agricultural exports grew and tourism returned. The huge trade surplus ultimately caused such an inflow of dollars that the government was forced to begin intervening to keep the peso from rising further, which would have adversely affected budget balances by limiting export tax revenues and discouraged further reindustrialisation. The central bank started rebuilding its dollar reserves.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Recovery
By December 2005, foreign currency reserves had reached $28 billion (they were later reduced by the payment of the full debt to the IMF in January 2006 (2006-01)). The downside of this reserve accumulation strategy is that US dollars had to be bought with freshly issued pesos, which risked inflation. The Central Bank sterilized its purchases by buying Treasury letters. In this way the exchange rate stabilised to about 3:1.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Recovery
The currency exchange issue was complicated by two opposing factors: a sharp increase in imports since 2004, which raised the demand for dollars, and the return of foreign investment, which brought fresh currency from abroad, after the successful restructuring of about three-quarters of the external debt. The government set up controls and restrictions aimed at keeping short-term speculative investment from destabilising financial markets. The country faced a potential debt crisis in late July 2014, when a New York judge ordered Argentina to pay hedge funds the full interest on bonds it had swapped at a discount rate during 2002. If the judgement proceeded, Argentina argued, the country would become insolvent and have a second debt default.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Recovery
Argentina's recovery suffered a minor setback in 2004, when rising industrial demand caused a short-lived energy crisis. Argentina continued to grow strongly, however, and GDP jumped 8.8% in 2003, 9.0% in 2004, 9.2% in 2005, 8.5% in 2006 and 8.7% in 2007. Though wages averaged a 17% annual increase from 2002 to 2008, and rising 25% in the year to May 2008, inflation ate away at the increases: 12.5% in 2005; 10% in 2006; nearly 15% in 2007, and over 20% during 2008. The government was accused of manipulating inflation statistics, and The Economist began to turn to private sources instead. The surveying volume prompted the government to increase export tariffs and to pressure retailers into one price freeze after another in a bid to stabilize prices but with little effect.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Recovery
While unemployment has been considerably reduced (it has hovered around 7% since 2011), Argentina has so far failed to reach an equitable distribution of income. Nevertheless, economic recovery after 2002 was accompanied by significant improvements in income distribution: in 2002, the richest 10% absorbed 40% of all income, compared to 1.1% for the poorest 10% (36 times); but by 2013, the former received 27.6% of income, and the latter, 2% (14 times). surveying. That level of inequality compares favorably to levels in most of Latin America and, in recent years, the United States as well.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Recovery
Living standards recovered significantly after growth resumed in 2003. Even using private inflation estimates, real wages rose by around 72% from their low point, in 2003, to 2013. Argentina's domestic new auto market recovered especially quickly from a low of 83,000 in 2002 (a fifth the levels of the late 1990s) to a record 964,000 in 2013.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Cooperatives
During the economic collapse, many business owners and foreign investors sent their money overseas. As a result, many small and medium enterprises closed for lack of capital. The majority of their workers, faced with a sudden loss of employment and no source of income, decided to reopen the closed facilities on their own as self-managed cooperatives.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Cooperatives
Worker cooperatives include the factory Zanon (FaSinPat), the four-star Hotel Bauen, the suit factory Brukman, and the printing press Chilavert. In some cases, former owners sent police to remove workers from the workplaces; that was sometimes successful but in other cases, workers defended occupied workplaces against the state, the police, and the bosses.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Cooperatives
A survey by an Buenos Aires newspaper found that around a third of the population had participated in general assemblies. The assemblies used to take place in street corners and public spaces, and they generally discussed ways of helping each other in the face of eviction, or organizing around issues such as health care, collective food buying, or food distribution programs. Some created new structures of health care and schooling. Neighborhood assemblies met once a week in a large assembly to discuss issues that affected the larger community. In 2004, The Take, a documentary, was released on the assemblies.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Cooperatives
Some businesses were legally purchased by the workers for nominal fees, but others remain occupied by workers who have no legal standing and sometimes reject negotiations. The government is considering a Law of Expropriation that would transfer some occupied businesses to their worker-managers.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Effects on wealth distribution
Although GDP grew consistently and quickly after 2003, it did not reach the levels of 1998, the last year before the crisis, until late 2004. Other macroeconomic indicators followed suit. A study by Equis, an independent counseling organization, found out that two measures of economic inequality, the Gini coefficient and the wealth gap between the 10% poorest and the 10% richest among the population, grew continuously from 2001 to March 2005.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Effects on wealth distribution
The adjacent table shows statistics of poverty in Argentina, in percent of the population. The first column shows the date of the measurement (note that the method and time changed in 2003; poverty is now measured each semester). Extreme poverty is here defined as not having enough money to eat properly. The poverty line is set higher: it is the minimum income needed for basic needs including food, clothing, shelter, and studies.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Debt restructuring
When the default was declared in 2002, foreign investment stopped and capital flow ceased almost completely. The government faced severe challenges in trying to refinance its debt.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Debt restructuring
The government reached an agreement in 2005 by which 76% of the defaulted bonds were exchanged for other bonds at a nominal value of 25 to 35% of the original and at longer terms. A second debt restructuring in 2010 brought the percentage of bonds out of default to 93%, but some creditors have still not been paid. Foreign currency denominated debt thus fell as a percentage of GDP from 150% in 2003 to 8.3% in 2013.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Criticism of IMF
The IMF accepted no discounts in its part of the Argentine debt. Some payments were refinanced or postponed on agreement. However, IMF authorities at times expressed harsh criticism of the discounts and actively lobbied for the private creditors.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Criticism of IMF
In a speech before the United Nations General Assembly on 21 September 2004, Kirchner said, "An urgent, tough, and structural redesign of the International Monetary Fund is needed, to prevent crises and help in [providing] solutions." Implicitly referencing the fact that the intent of the original Bretton Woods system was to encourage economic development, Kirchner warned that the IMF today must "change that direction, which took it from being a lender for development to a creditor demanding privileges."


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Criticism of IMF
During the weekend of 1–2 October 2004, at the annual meeting of the IMF/World Bank, leaders of the IMF, the European Union, the Group of Seven industrialised nations, and the Institute of International Finance (IIF), warned Kirchner that Argentina had to come to an immediate debt-restructuring agreement with creditors, increasing its primary budget surplus to slow debt increases and imposing structural reforms to prove to the world financial community that it deserved loans and investment.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Criticism of IMF
In 2005, turned its primary surplus into an actual surplus, Argentina began paying the IMF on schedule, with the intention of regaining financial independence. On 15 December 2005, following a similar action by Brazil, Kirchner suddenly announced that Argentina would pay the whole debt to the IMF. The debt payments, totaling US$9.810 billion, were previously scheduled as instalments until 2008. Argentina paid it with the central bank's foreign currency reserves. The payment was made on 6 January 2006.


1998–2002 Argentine great depression, Criticism of IMF
In a June 2006 report, a group of independent experts hired by the IMF to revise the work of its Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) stated that the assessment of the Argentine case suffered from manipulation and lack of collaboration on the part of the IMF; the IEO is claimed to have unduly softened its conclusions to avoid criticizing the IMF's board of directors.


1998–99 1. FC Kaiserslautern season
Despite only gaining five less points than last season's title triumph, 1. FC Kaiserslautern were unable to defend their Bundesliga title and finished in fifth – still enough for a second successive season in European competition, in the UEFA Cup. Kaiserlautern also enjoyed a good run in their Champions League debut – topping a group also containing Benfica, PSV Eindhoven and HJK Helsinki and reaching the quarter-finals before being knocked out 6–0 on aggregate by fellow Germans Bayern Munich.


1998–99 1. FC Kaiserslautern season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1998–99 1. FC Kaiserslautern season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1998–99 1.Lig
Statistics of Turkish First Football League in the 1998–99 season.


1998–99 1.Lig, Overview
It was contested by 18 teams, and Galatasaray S.K. won the championship. And demotion of Sakaryaspor, Çanakkale Dardanelspor, Karabükspor was decided.


1998–99 2. Bundesliga
The 1998–99 2 . Bundesliga season was the twenty-fifth season of the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of the German football league system.


1998–99 2. Bundesliga
Arminia Bielefeld, SpVgg Unterhaching and SSV Ulm 1846 were promoted to the Bundesliga while FC Gütersloh, KFC Uerdingen 05, SG Wattenscheid 09 and Fortuna Düsseldorf were relegated to the Regionalliga.


1998–99 2. Bundesliga, League table
For the 1998–99 season SSV Ulm 1846, Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, Hannover 96 and Tennis Borussia Berlin were newly promoted to the 2. Bundesliga from the Regionalliga while Karlsruher SC, 1. FC Köln and Arminia Bielefeld had been relegated to the league from the Bundesliga.


1998–99 2. Liga (Slovakia)
The 1998–99 season of the Slovak Second Football League (also known as 2. liga) was the sixth season of the league since its establishment. It began on 1 August 1998 and ended on 13 June 1999.


1998–99 A Group
Statistics of Bulgarian A Football Group in the 1998–1999 season.


1998–99 A Group, Overview
It was contested by 16 teams, and Litex Lovech won the championship.


1998–99 A Lyga
The Lithuanian A Lyga 1998–99 was the ninth season of top-tier football in Lithuania. The season started on 10 July 1998 and ended on 13 June 1999. 13 teams participated and FK Žalgiris Vilnius won the championship.


1998–99 A.C. Fiorentina season
Associazione Calcio Fiorentina enjoyed its best season in the 1990s on the pitch, but was left wondering what might have been. Leading the domestic Serie A championship a long way into the season, Fiorentina's title charge fell to pieces, as it lost unnecessary points while eventual champions Milan and runners-up Lazio continued winning their matches. In the end, Fiorentina salvaged third place in the league, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in 1999–2000.


1998–99 A.C. Fiorentina season
Its European adventure in 1998–99 however, ended early, when a handmade bomb was thrown at a linesman in the victory against Swiss side Grasshoppers. The linesman escaped serious injury, but Fiorentina were declared losers of the match, despite its victory on the pitch, and were thus thrown out of the tournament. However, it avoided further sanctions. Fiorentina also lost the Coppa Italia Final to Parma, marking another season without titles.


1998–99 A.C. Fiorentina season
Several players were impressive, with the trio Gabriel Batistuta, Rui Costa and Francesco Toldo being the players really standing out. The defensive line-up and the many goals conceded were the main reasons Fiorentina would not win the title.


1998–99 A.C. Milan season
In the 1998–99 season, Associazione Calcio Milan returned to their previous winning ways under the guidance of new manager Alberto Zaccheroni. Hired from Udinese, Zaccheroni brought striker Oliver Bierhoff and right-wingback Thomas Helveg with him from his former club. He introduced Milan to his unorthodox 3–4–3 formation (in the latter half of the season modified to 3–4–1–2, to allow space for a creative attacking midfielder) in which Bierhoff was a perfect centre forward, scoring 20 goals in the league.


1998–99 A.C. Milan season
Milan had a marvelous second half of the season, in which they competed for the Serie A title with Lazio and Fiorentina. After seven straight wins in the last seven matches, Milan clinched the scudetto, becoming champions of Italy for the 16th time in their history.


1998–99 A.C. Milan season, Squad, Left club during the season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1998–99 A.S. Roma season
Associazione Sportiva Roma was left trailing in the wake of city rivals Lazio's resurgence to fight for domestic and international glory. In coach Zdeněk Zeman's second season at the reins, Roma finished fifth in the table, and just missed out on qualification for the final Champions League spot. Roma reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, but lost to Atlético Madrid.


1998–99 A.S. Roma season
Zeman employed an attacking 4–3–3 formation. Forwards Marco Delvecchio, Francesco Totti and Paulo Sérgio scored 42 league goals between them. As a team, Roma scored the most goals in Serie A, but poor defensive play led to them conceding 49 goals, the most of any of the top six teams.


1998–99 ACB season
The 1998-1999 ACB season was the 17th season of the Liga ACB.


1998–99 AEK Athens F.C. season
AEK Athens F.C. competed for the 40th consecutive season in the Greek top flight and 76th year in existence as a football club. They competed in the Alpha Ethniki, the Greek Cup and the UEFA Cup. The season begun at 22 August 1998 and finished at 30 May 1999.


1998–99 AEK Athens F.C. season, Overwiew
The summer started with great ambition for the team, since the owner multinational company ENIC has all the time in front of it to proceed with transfers and build a strong team. Laki Nikolaou's management negotiates with strong names of coaches, gets close to Joachim Löw, but eventually ends up with the experienced but controversial Dragoslav Stepanović.


1998–99 AEK Athens F.C. season, Overwiew
The important transfer was that of Vassilis Lakis, who was strongly claimed by Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and PAOK and also some other good transfers of Akis Zikos and Dimitris Markos took place, but the foreign players who came did not amuse and as a result the gap in the defensive line, which was left after the retirement of the long–time regular and club's captain, Stelios Manolas, was not filled.


1998–99 AEK Athens F.C. season, Overwiew
AEK starts mediocre, while at the same time Dimitris Melissanidis took over the management of the team. Stepanović started well, but it was obvious that he his presence was not convincing and was finally sacked after the 7th game. Takis Karagiozopoulos took over as caretaker coach for a while and then Oleg Blokhin is hired. In the cup, AEK was permaturely knocked out after they suffered a shock defeat in its first game from third–tier club, Poseidon Michanionas, with a terrible performance by the team.


1998–99 AEK Athens F.C. season, Overwiew
AEK finally builded a decent team, while in January it is strengthened a lot with the loans of Wreh and Méndez from Arsenal wthin the most important additions. In the end, AEK could not claim the championship from Olympiacos, but he manages to beat Panathinaikos the race of the second place that leads to the next season's Champions League qualifiers.


1998–99 AEK Athens F.C. season, Overwiew, AEK Athens' journey to Beligrade
In April 1999 by Dimitris Melissanidis' initiative, a friendly was organised match against Partizan in Belgrade, during the height of the NATO bombing of Serbia. As a gesture of compassion and solidarity towards the embattled Serbs, the AEK players and management staff defied the international embargo and traveled to Belgrade for the match. AEK's mission, alongside many political figures of the time such as Manolis Glezos, arrived in the Serbian capital amid moving events by Serbs offering Greeks bread and salt, a symbol of Serbian hospitality. After a stop at the Presidential Palace where AEK conveyed the message of support of the Greek people, the team arrived at the Partizan stadium.


1998–99 AEK Athens F.C. season, Overwiew, AEK Athens' journey to Beligrade
About 15,000 fans of both teams were present, despite the fact that all 40,000 tickets that had gone on sale had been sold. The reason people were less than the sold tickets, was the fuel, as there was a shortage and transportation was very difficult. It is worth noting that this was the first time since the beginning of the war that no sirens were heard during the day. The players of both teams entered the stadium together, holding a banner that read "NATO stop the war, stop the bombing". The game ended 1–1, when in the 68th minute thousands of Serbian football fans invaded the pitch to embrace the footballers. As was normal, this friendly game surpassed the geographical borders of Greece and Yugoslavia, being an object of admiration by the European Press.


1998–99 AEK Athens F.C. season, Players, Squad statistics
NOTE: The players are the ones that have been announced by the AEK Athens' press release. No edits should be made unless a player arrival or exit is announced. Updated 30 June 1999.


1998–99 AFC Ajax season
During the 1998–99 Dutch football season, AFC Ajax competed in the Eredivisie.


1998–99 AFC Ajax season, Season summary
Having waltzed to the title during the previous season, Ajax suffered a complete collapse this season to finish 6th, 23 points adrift of champions Feyenoord. This was the club's lowest finish since 1965. The club also suffered poor form in Europe, finishing bottom of their Champions League group stage. Manager Morten Olsen had paid for the club's poor form in December with his job; his replacement, promoted reserve-team coach Jan Wouters, was unable to reverse the team's fortunes but managed to lead Ajax to win the KNVB Cup.


1998–99 AFC Ajax season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1998–99 AFC Ajax season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.