The economic catchword of our era is freedom -- from the Asian tigers to the ex-socialist states of Central Europe to the most desperate outposts in Africa. This vital economic truth is demonstrated by the 1998 Index of Economic Freedom, co-published by the Heritage Foundation, the pre-eminent Washington, D.C. think tank, and the The Wall Street Journal, the international business daily. A country’s score on this annual Index is a measure of its overall economic health and its prospects for growth. Now in its fourth year, the Index is also a practical reference on the economies of 156 nations, with concise country-by country analyses. It includes the most up-to-date data on foreign investment codes, taxes, tariffs, banking regulations, monetary policy, black markets and more.