Pro-democracy demonstrators continue to take to the streets of cities across the Middle East, dramatizing the Arab world's enduring hunger for change three months into a revolt that has toppled two presidents and challenged the region's stultified political order. Here's a look at key nations:

1Libya: U.S. officials are becoming increasingly resigned to the possibility of a protracted stalemate in the 6-week-old conflict, with rebels retaining control of the eastern half of the country but lacking the muscle to drive Moammar Gadhafi from power. Such a deadlock -- perhaps backed by a formal cease-fire agreement -- could help ensure the safety of Libyan civilians. But a stalemate could mean an open-ended mission for the coalition of NATO and Arab countries enforcing the no-fly zone -- even as U.S. warplanes are expected to stop combat sorties this weekend. A deadlock could increase the financial and political costs for the participants.

2Egypt: Tens of thousands of protesters continue to protest, demanding the trial of ousted President Hosni Mubarak and his associates. Leaders also say they want to "rescue the revolution." Since the Feb. 11 ouster of Mubarak, Egypt has been run by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. The generals have promised parliamentary and presidential elections before year's end. But in the meantime, they rule by decree, arrest people and try them in military tribunals. Many of Egypt's 80 million people say they long for a return to normalcy that would permit the economy to get moving again.

3Lebanon: Lebanon, which has not had a government since January after Hezbollah toppled the Western-backed government of Saad Hariri, is closely watching developments in Syria. Syria is a key supporter of the Shiite Hezbollah movement and the nation dominated Lebanon's politics and military for nearly 30 years until 2005.

4Syria: Thousands of protesters -- from the capital, Damascus, to the seaside cities of Latakia and Banias to the southern city of Dara -- are seeking economic relief and the end of almost five decades of martial law. But President Bashar Assad, who presides over one of the region's most repressive regimes, has redoubled efforts to squelch dissent that began when his forces first fired on protesters March 18.

5Jordan: Protesters have called for an end to corruption and in support of greater freedom. There have been outbreaks of violence, but the government has deployed riot police to keep separate anti-government protesters from supporters of King Abdullah. In February, the king replaced the unpopular prime minister blamed for not responding to inflation, unemployment and corruption.

6Saudi Arabia: The world's No. 1 oil producer and a U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia has not seen the kind of mass uprisings that have rocked the Arab world this year, but a number of protests have taken place in the east, where most of the kingdom's oil fields are. The government, a monarchy, does not tolerate public dissent. The largely peaceful protests have centered on gaining political freedoms and job opportunities as well as supporting Shiites in Bahrain, where 1,000 Saudi troops were sent to support the Sunni monarchy.

7Iraq: Since early February, protesters have demonstrated in cities nationwide to demand better government services, more jobs and an end to corruption. At least 35 people have been killed in the unrest. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said he will not run for a third term in 2014.

8Kuwait: The Cabinet resigned over "regional developments" in an apparent reference to the turmoil in neighboring Bahrain. The decision to dissolve the Cabinet is believed to be in order to prevent three of the ministers from being questioned by parliament over Kuwait's decision not to send forces into Bahrain like the other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

9Iran: There have been sporadic antigovernment uprisings beginning Feb. 14, but they have been met with a fierce crackdown on opposition.

10Bahrain: The nation's Shiite majority staged weeks of protests against the Sunni monarchy, which led the government to invite Saudi and Gulf Arab security forces into the country. At least 24 people have been killed in clashes since the protest movement erupted on Feb. 14. The United States, which has a naval fleet based in Bahrain, has denounced the violence but has continued to back the monarchy.

11Yemen: Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets for the past two months, demanding that President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down after ruling for 32 years. Saleh, who has been a U.S. ally in the fight against Al-Qaida, has resisted stepping down, saying he is best equipped to keep the nation stable. Saleh's crackdown has been so harsh that it has propelled some of his key allies -- even his own tribe -- over to the opposition camp. The opposition rejected the president's latest offer this week -- to hand over power to an interim government provided he remains in office until the next elections -- saying he must leave immediately.

12Oman: Protesters -- who have clashed with security forces and faced crackdowns -- have called for better wages, jobs and an end to corruption in the autocratic state. Many have added to their demands that the government be held accountable for the detention of hundreds of protesters.

13Israel: The nation has been closely watching the unrest roiling its Arab neighbors, which one government official called "an earthquake" in the region. The unrest poses a variety of security issues for Israel -- from large arsenals in the hands of untested regimes to a rise of governments backed by Hezbollah, a bitter enemy of Israel, among other concerns.

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