The Fortune Global 500, also known as Global 500, is an annual ranking of the top 500 corporations worldwide as measured by revenue. The list is compiled and published annually by Fortune magazine.
Until 1989 it listed only non-US industrial corporations under the title "International 500", while the Fortune 500 contained and still contains exclusively US corporations. In 1990, US companies were added to compile a truly global list of top industrial corporations as ranked by sales. Since 1995, the list has had its current form, listing also top financial corporations and service providers by revenue.
From 2001 to 2011, there has been significant change in the geographical distribution of the companies in the Global 500 rankings. The number of North American based companies have reduced from 215 in 2001 to 146 in 2011, whereas the contribution of Asian based companies have increased rapidly from 116 in 2001 to 172 in 2011. The share of European based companies have increased marginally from 158 to 161 over the decade.
Read more about Fortune Global 500: Controversy, Fortune 2012 List, Fortune 2011 List- Breakdown By City and Metropolitan Area
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