World Markets

Lets look at some interesting markets of the world.

US

The US (United States of America) markets are so far the model and in every way a huge giant. Very deserving for someone who has laid the foundation of capitalism and enterprise, encourging the best talent in the world to themselves. The stocks here are very liquid and you have an entire universe of big and small stocks in different markets. NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) and Nasdaq are the premium stock exchanges. CME at Chicago (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) and CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) are leading derivatives exchange with an awesome array of products on offer for trading. One wonders if the basic idea of derivatives is being served purposefully or is it excessive trading behavior that Warren Buffet at Berkshire Hathaway says will go ka phut. I love futures and I hope some one will really prove that the excess is required :)

Asia

Japan is by far the biggie in Asia. Hong Kong too does premium, cool business. Nikkei still stands tall even though it saw a mountain and a valley.
Singapore, China, India are other markets of note. Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia too have their own niches catering to regional demands.

Europe

Europe is another story altogether. These guys somehow manage to do things efficiently. Neat and tidy. London is one global hub. Other than that there are giants in Germany, The Netherlands. France and Italy lag a bit behind the leaders.
Canada, Russia, some south American markets like Brazil, Argentina and so on have their own places. Now, it will be interesting to see how things shape up in the future. Imagine a situation where terrorism drives people indoors. It will be a different world with the new trading pits being the bunkers, basements, underground haunts. The networked world will pose interesting changes. Lets see.