The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999. During this time, the widespread adoption of personal computers, the Internet and the increased economic productivity led to the equity market booms around the world, and caused an influx of wealth to the United States, Europe and Asia.
This decade started with the fall of Communism and the United States invasion of Iraq, as well as the cementation of free-market capitalism in many countries worldwide, both developed and developing. During this decade, racial prejudice against minorities lost moral acceptance, and the gender roles for women began to increase dramatically in many industrialized countries.
Throughout the decade multiple attempts to solve the conflict between Israel and Palestinian territories were initiated including a near settlement in the mid-1990s with the Oslo accords when Israel allowed the creation of the autonomous Palestinian National Authority. Also, the 165 years of British control over Hong Kong ended with the transfer of jurisdiction to the People's Republic of China. In Europe, the decade was dominated by the Yugoslav wars, which resulted in the dissolution of Yugoslavia as Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia declared their independence.
