 |
French Polynesia arable land: 0.82% permanent crops: 5.46% other: 93.72% (2001)
French Southern and Antarctic Lands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Gabon arable land: 1.26% permanent crops: 0.66% other: 98.08% (2001)
Gambia, The arable land: 25% permanent crops: 0.5% other: 74.5% (2001)
Gaza Strip arable land: 28.95% permanent crops: 21.05% other: 50% (2001)
Georgia arable land: 11.44% permanent crops: 3.86% other: 84.7% (2001)
Germany arable land: 33.85% permanent crops: 0.59% other: 65.56% (2001)
Ghana arable land: 16.26% permanent crops: 9.67% other: 74.07% (2001)
Gibraltar arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Glorioso Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all lush vegetation and coconut palms) (2001)
Greece arable land: 21.1% permanent crops: 8.78% other: 70.12% (2001)
Greenland arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Grenada arable land: 5.88% permanent crops: 29.41% other: 64.71% (2001)
Guadeloupe arable land: 11.24% permanent crops: 3.55% other: 85.21% (2001)
Guam arable land: 9.09% permanent crops: 16.36% other: 74.55% (2001)
Guatemala arable land: 12.54% permanent crops: 5.03% other: 82.43% (2001)
Guernsey arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA (2001)
Guinea arable land: 3.63% permanent crops: 2.58% other: 93.79% (2001)
Guinea-Bissau arable land: 10.67% permanent crops: 8.82% other: 80.51% (2001)
Guyana arable land: 2.44% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 97.41% (2001)
Haiti arable land: 28.3% permanent crops: 11.61% other: 60.09% (2001)
Heard Island and McDonald Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Holy See (Vatican City) arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2001)
Honduras arable land: 9.55% permanent crops: 3.22% other: 87.23% (2001)
Hong Kong arable land: 5.05% permanent crops: 1.01% other: 93.94% (2001)
Howland Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Hungary arable land: 50.09% permanent crops: 2.06% other: 47.85% (2001)
Iceland arable land: 0.07% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.93% (2001)
India arable land: 54.4% permanent crops: 2.74% other: 42.86% (2001)
Indonesia arable land: 11.32% permanent crops: 7.23% other: 81.45% (2001)
Iran arable land: 8.72% permanent crops: 1.39% other: 89.89% (2001)
Iraq arable land: 13.15% permanent crops: 0.78% other: 86.07% (2001)
Ireland arable land: 15.2% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 84.77% (2001)
Israel arable land: 16.39% permanent crops: 4.17% other: 79.44% (2001)
Italy arable land: 27.79% permanent crops: 9.53% other: 62.68% (2001)
Jamaica arable land: 16.07% permanent crops: 10.16% other: 73.77% (2001)
Jan Mayen arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Japan arable land: 12.19% permanent crops: 0.96% other: 86.85% (2001)
Jarvis Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Jersey arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Johnston Atoll arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Jordan arable land: 2.67% permanent crops: 1.83% other: 95.5% (2001)
Juan de Nova Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (90% forest) (2001)
Kazakhstan arable land: 7.98% permanent crops: 0.05% other: 91.97% (2001)
Kenya arable land: 8.08% permanent crops: 0.98% other: 90.94% (2001)
Kingman Reef arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Kiribati arable land: 2.74% permanent crops: 50.68% other: 46.58% (2001)
Korea, North arable land: 20.76% permanent crops: 2.49% other: 76.75% (2001)
Korea, South arable land: 17.18% permanent crops: 1.95% other: 80.87% (2001)
Kuwait arable land: 0.73% permanent crops: 0.11% other: 99.16% (2001)
Kyrgyzstan arable land: 7.3% permanent crops: 0.35% other: 92.35% note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural growth walnut forest (2001)
Laos arable land: 3.8% permanent crops: 0.35% other: 95.85% (2001)
Latvia arable land: 29.67% permanent crops: 0.47% other: 69.86% (2001)
Lebanon arable land: 16.62% permanent crops: 13.98% other: 69.4% (2001)
Lesotho arable land: 10.87% permanent crops: 0.13% other: 89% (2001)
Liberia arable land: 3.95% permanent crops: 2.28% other: 93.77% (2001)
Libya arable land: 1.03% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 98.78% (2001)
Liechtenstein arable land: 25% permanent crops: 0% other: 75% (2001)
Lithuania arable land: 45.22% permanent crops: 0.91% other: 53.87% (2001)
Luxembourg arable land: 23.28% permanent crops: 0.4% other: 76.32% (includes Belgium) (2001)
Macau arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% note: "green areas" represent 22.4% (2001)
Macedonia arable land: 22.26% permanent crops: 1.81% other: 75.93% (2001)
Madagascar arable land: 5.07% permanent crops: 1.03% other: 93.91% (2001)
Malawi arable land: 23.38% permanent crops: 1.49% other: 75.13% (2001)
Malaysia arable land: 5.48% permanent crops: 17.61% other: 76.91% (2001)
Maldives arable land: 13.33% permanent crops: 16.67% other: 70% (2001)
Mali arable land: 3.82% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 96.15% (2001)
Malta arable land: 28.13% permanent crops: 3.13% other: 68.74% (2001)
Man, Isle of arable land: 9% permanent crops: 0% other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002)
Marshall Islands arable land: 16.67% permanent crops: 38.89% other: 44.44% (2001)
Martinique arable land: 10.38% permanent crops: 9.43% other: 80.19% (2001)
Mauritania arable land: 0.48% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.51% (2001)
Mauritius arable land: 49.26% permanent crops: 2.96% other: 47.78% (2001)
Mayotte arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA (2001)
Mexico arable land: 12.99% permanent crops: 1.31% other: 85.7% (2001)
Micronesia, Federated States of arable land: 5.71% permanent crops: 45.71% other: 48.58% (2001)
Midway Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Moldova arable land: 55.3% permanent crops: 10.79% other: 33.91% (2001)
Monaco arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2001)
Mongolia arable land: 0.77% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.23% (2001)
Montserrat arable land: 20% permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (2001)
Morocco arable land: 19.61% permanent crops: 2.17% other: 78.22% (2001)
Mozambique arable land: 5.1% permanent crops: 0.3% other: 94.6% (2001)
Namibia arable land: 0.99% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.01% (2001)
Nauru arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Navassa Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Nepal arable land: 21.68% permanent crops: 0.64% other: 77.68% (2001)
Netherlands arable land: 26.71% permanent crops: 0.97% other: 72.32% (2001)
Netherlands Antilles arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% other: 90% (2001)
New Caledonia arable land: 0.38% permanent crops: 0.33% other: 99.29% (2001)
New Zealand arable land: 5.6% permanent crops: 6.99% other: 87.41% (2001)
Nicaragua arable land: 15.94% permanent crops: 1.94% other: 82.12% (2001)
Niger arable land: 3.54% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 96.45% (2001)
Nigeria arable land: 31.29% permanent crops: 2.96% other: 65.75% (2001)
Niue arable land: 15.38% permanent crops: 11.54% other: 73.08% (2001)
Norfolk Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Northern Mariana Islands arable land: 13.04% permanent crops: 4.35% other: 82.61% (2001)
Norway arable land: 2.87% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.13% (2001)
Oman arable land: 0.12% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 99.74% (2001)
Pakistan arable land: 27.87% permanent crops: 0.87% other: 71.26% (2001)
Palau arable land: 8.7% permanent crops: 4.35% other: 86.95% (2001)
Palmyra Atoll arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (forests and woodlands) (2001)
Panama arable land: 7.36% permanent crops: 1.98% other: 90.66% (2001)
Papua New Guinea arable land: 0.46% permanent crops: 1.44% other: 98.1% (2001)
Paracel Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Paraguay arable land: 7.6% permanent crops: 0.23% other: 92.17% (2001)
Peru arable land: 2.89% permanent crops: 0.4% other: 96.71% (2001)
Philippines arable land: 18.95% permanent crops: 16.77% other: 64.28% (2001)
Pitcairn Islands arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA (2001)
Poland arable land: 45.91% permanent crops: 1.12% other: 52.97% (2001)
Portugal arable land: 21.75% permanent crops: 7.81% other: 70.44% (2001)
Puerto Rico arable land: 3.95% permanent crops: 5.52% other: 90.53% (2001)
Qatar arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 0.27% other: 98.09% (2001)
Reunion arable land: 13.6% permanent crops: 1.2% other: 85.2% (2001)
Romania arable land: 40.82% permanent crops: 2.25% other: 56.93% (2001)
Russia arable land: 7.33% permanent crops: 0.11% other: 92.56% (2001)
Rwanda arable land: 40.54% permanent crops: 12.16% other: 47.3% (2001)
Saint Helena arable land: 12.9% permanent crops: 0% other: 87.1% (2001)
Saint Kitts and Nevis arable land: 19.44% permanent crops: 2.78% other: 77.78% (2001)
Saint Lucia arable land: 6.56% permanent crops: 22.95% other: 70.49% (2001)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon arable land: 13.04% permanent crops: 0% other: 86.96% (2001)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines arable land: 17.95% permanent crops: 17.95% other: 64.1% (2001)
Samoa arable land: 21.2% permanent crops: 24.38% other: 54.42% (2001)
San Marino arable land: 16.67% permanent crops: 0% other: 83.33% (2001)
Sao Tome and Principe arable land: 6.25% permanent crops: 48.96% other: 44.79% (2001)
Saudi Arabia arable land: 1.67% permanent crops: 0.09% other: 98.24% (2001)
Senegal arable land: 12.78% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 87.01% (2001)
Serbia and Montenegro arable land: 33.35% permanent crops: 3.2% other: 63.45% (2001)
Seychelles arable land: 2.22% permanent crops: 13.33% other: 84.45% (2001)
Sierra Leone arable land: 6.98% permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.13% (2001)
Singapore arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 0% other: 98.36% (2001)
Slovakia arable land: 30.16% permanent crops: 2.62% other: 67.22% (2001)
Slovenia arable land: 8.6% permanent crops: 1.49% other: 89.91% (2001)
Solomon Islands arable land: 0.64% permanent crops: 2% other: 97.36% (2001)
Somalia arable land: 1.67% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 98.29% (2001)
South Africa arable land: 12.08% permanent crops: 0.79% other: 87.13% (2001)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2001)
Spain arable land: 26.07% permanent crops: 9.87% other: 64.06% (2001)
Spratly Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Sri Lanka arable land: 13.86% permanent crops: 15.7% other: 70.44% (2001)
Sudan arable land: 6.83% permanent crops: 0.18% other: 92.99% (2001)
Suriname arable land: 0.37% permanent crops: 0.06% other: 99.57% (2001)
Svalbard arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2001)
Swaziland arable land: 10.35% permanent crops: 0.7% other: 88.95% (2001)
Sweden arable land: 6.54% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 93.45% (2001)
Switzerland arable land: 10.42% permanent crops: 0.61% other: 88.97% (2001)
Syria arable land: 25.22% permanent crops: 4.43% other: 70.35% (2001)
Taiwan arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% other: 75% (2001)
Tajikistan arable land: 6.61% permanent crops: 0.92% other: 92.47% (2001)
Tanzania arable land: 4.52% permanent crops: 1.08% other: 94.4% (2001)
Thailand arable land: 29.36% permanent crops: 6.46% other: 64.18% (2001)
Togo arable land: 46.15% permanent crops: 2.21% other: 51.64% (2001)
Tokelau arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile) permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Tonga arable land: 23.61% permanent crops: 43.06% other: 33.33% (2001)
Trinidad and Tobago arable land: 14.62% permanent crops: 9.16% other: 76.22% (2001)
Tromelin Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (grasses; scattered bushes) (2001)
Tunisia arable land: 17.86% permanent crops: 13.74% other: 68.4% (2001)
Turkey arable land: 30.93% permanent crops: 3.31% other: 65.76% (2001)
Turkmenistan arable land: 3.72% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 96.14% (2001)
Turks and Caicos Islands arable land: 2.33% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2001)
Tuvalu arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Uganda arable land: 25.88% permanent crops: 10.65% other: 63.47% (2001)
Ukraine arable land: 56.21% permanent crops: 1.61% other: 42.18% (2001)
United Arab Emirates arable land: 0.6% permanent crops: 2.25% other: 97.15% (2001)
United Kingdom arable land: 23.46% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 76.33% (2001)
United States arable land: 19.13% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 80.65% (2001)
Uruguay arable land: 7.43% permanent crops: 0.23% other: 92.34% (2001)
Uzbekistan arable land: 10.83% permanent crops: 0.83% other: 88.34% (2001)
Vanuatu arable land: 2.46% permanent crops: 7.38% other: 90.16% (2001)
Venezuela arable land: 2.95% permanent crops: 0.92% other: 96.13% (2001)
Vietnam arable land: 19.97% permanent crops: 5.95% other: 74.08% (2001)
Virgin Islands arable land: 11.76% permanent crops: 2.94% other: 85.29% (2001)
Wake Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Wallis and Futuna arable land: 5% permanent crops: 25% other: 70% (2001)
West Bank arable land: 16.9% permanent crops: 18.97% other: 64.13% (2001)
Western Sahara arable land: 0.02% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2001)
World arable land: 10.73% permanent crops: 1% other: 88.27% (2001)
Yemen arable land: 2.78% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 96.98% (2001)
Zambia arable land: 7.08% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 92.9% (2001)
Zimbabwe arable land: 8.32% permanent crops: 0.34% other: 91.34% (2001)
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@2098 Languages (%)
Afghanistan Pashtu (official) 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism
Albania Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects
Algeria Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
American Samoa Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English note: most people are bilingual
Andorra Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese
Angola Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages
Anguilla English (official)
Antigua and Barbuda English (official), local dialects
Argentina Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French
Armenia Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Aruba Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Australia English, native languages
Austria German (official nationwide), Slovene (official in Carinthia), Croatian (official in Burgenland), Hungarian (official in Burgenland)
Azerbaijan Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995 est.)
Bahamas, The English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Bahrain Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Bangladesh Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English
Barbados English
Belarus Belarusian, Russian, other
Belgium Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
Belize English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
Benin French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Bermuda English (official), Portuguese
Bhutan Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
Bolivia Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Botswana English (official), Setswana
Brazil Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
British Virgin Islands English (official)
Brunei Malay (official), English, Chinese
Bulgaria Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown
Burkina Faso French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population
Burma Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
Burundi Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
Cambodia Khmer (official) 95%, French, English
Cameroon 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)
Canada English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official), other 17.5%
Cape Verde Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)
Cayman Islands English
Central African Republic French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
Chad French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects
Chile Spanish
China Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)
Christmas Island English (official), Chinese, Malay
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Malay (Cocos dialect), English
Colombia Spanish
Comoros Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba
Congo, Republic of the French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)
Cook Islands English (official), Maori
Costa Rica Spanish (official), English
Cote d'Ivoire French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken
Croatia Croatian 96%, other 4% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German)
Cuba Spanish
Cyprus Greek, Turkish, English
Czech Republic Czech
Denmark Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language
Djibouti French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Dominica English (official), French patois
Dominican Republic Spanish
East Timor Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English note: there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by significant numbers of people
Ecuador Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)
Egypt Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes
El Salvador Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)
Equatorial Guinea Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
Eritrea Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
Estonia Estonian (official), Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish, other
Ethiopia Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
European Union Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish; note - only official languages are listed
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) English
Faroe Islands Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Fiji English (official), Fijian, Hindustani
Finland Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities
France French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
French Guiana French
French Polynesia French (official), Tahitian (official)
Gabon French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Gambia, The English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
Gaza Strip Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Georgia Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7% note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia
Germany German
Ghana English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
Gibraltar English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Greece Greek 99% (official), English, French
Greenland Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English
Grenada English (official), French patois
Guadeloupe French (official) 99%, Creole patois
Guam English, Chamorro, Japanese
Guatemala Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
Guernsey English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Guinea French (official), each ethnic group has its own language
Guinea-Bissau Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages
Guyana English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu
Haiti French (official), Creole (official)
Holy See (Vatican City) Italian, Latin, French, various other languages
Honduras Spanish, Amerindian dialects
Hong Kong Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official
Hungary Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8%
Iceland Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
India English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language
Indonesia Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese
Iran Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Iraq Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian
Ireland English is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard
Israel Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Italy Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
Jamaica English, patois English
Japan Japanese
Jersey English (official), French (official), Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Jordan Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes
Kazakhstan Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95% (2001 est.)
Kenya English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
Kiribati I-Kiribati, English (official)
Korea, North Korean
Korea, South Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
Kuwait Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz - official language, Russian - official language note: in December 2001, the Kyrgyzstani legislature made Russian an official language, equal in status to Kyrgyz
Laos Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Latvia Latvian (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other
Lebanon Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
Lesotho Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Liberia English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence
Libya Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities
Liechtenstein German (official), Alemannic dialect
Lithuania Lithuanian (official), Polish, Russian
Luxembourg Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language)
Macau Portuguese, Chinese (Cantonese)
Macedonia Macedonian 68%, Albanian 25%, Turkish 3%, Serbo-Croatian 2%, other 2%
Madagascar French (official), Malagasy (official)
Malawi English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally
Malaysia Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai; note - in addition, in East Malaysia several indigenous languages are spoken, the largest are Iban and Kadazan
Maldives Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
Mali French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages
Malta Maltese (official), English (official)
Man, Isle of English, Manx Gaelic
Marshall Islands English (widely spoken as a second language, both English and Marshallese are official languages), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese
Martinique French, Creole patois
Mauritania Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof
Mauritius English (official), Creole, French (official), Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri
Mayotte Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population
Mexico Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages
Micronesia, Federated States of English (official and common language), Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosrean, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi
Moldova Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Monaco French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque
Mongolia Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian (1999)
Montserrat English
Morocco Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy
Mozambique Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, numerous other indigenous languages, Portuguese (official; spoken by 27% of population as a second language)
Namibia English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama
Nauru Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes
Nepal Nepali (official; spoken by 90% of the population), about a dozen other languages and about 30 major dialects; note - many in government and business also speak English (1995)
Netherlands Dutch (official language), Frisian (official language)
Netherlands Antilles Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish
New Caledonia French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
New Zealand English (official), Maori (official)
Nicaragua Spanish (official) note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast
Niger French (official), Hausa, Djerma
Nigeria English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
Niue Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
Norfolk Island English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian
Northern Mariana Islands English, Chamorro, Carolinian note: 86% of population speaks a language other than English at home
Norway Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official) note: small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Oman Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Pakistan Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%
Palau English and Palauan official in all states except Sonsoral (Sonsoralese and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official)
Panama Spanish (official), English 14% note: many Panamanians bilingual
Papua New Guinea Melanesian Pidgin serves as the lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2%, Motu spoken in Papua region note: 715 indigenous languages — many unrelated
Paraguay Spanish (official), Guarani (official)
Peru Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages
Philippines two official languages - Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English; eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocan, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense
Pitcairn Islands English (official), Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)
Poland Polish
Portugal Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)
Puerto Rico Spanish, English
Qatar Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Reunion French (official), Creole widely used
Romania Romanian (official), Hungarian, German
Russia Russian, other
Rwanda Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
Saint Helena English
Saint Kitts and Nevis English
Saint Lucia English (official), French patois
Saint Pierre and Miquelon French (official)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines English, French patois
Samoa Samoan (Polynesian), English
San Marino Italian
Sao Tome and Principe Portuguese (official)
Saudi Arabia Arabic
Senegal French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
Serbia and Montenegro Serbian 95%, Albanian 5%
Seychelles English (official), French (official), Creole
Sierra Leone English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Singapore Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)
Slovakia Slovak (official), Hungarian
Slovenia Slovenian 92%, Serbo-Croatian 6.2%, other 1.8%
Solomon Islands Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population note: 120 indigenous languages
Somalia Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
South Africa 11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Spain Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2% note: Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other languages are official regionally
Sri Lanka Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population
Sudan Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English note: program of "Arabization" in process
Suriname Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
Svalbard Norwegian, Russian
Swaziland English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
Sweden Swedish note: small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Switzerland German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 19.2%, Italian (official) 7.6%, Romansch (official) 0.6%, other 8.9%
Syria Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Taiwan Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Tajikistan Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
Tanzania Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguju (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety of sources, including Arabic and English, and it has become the lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of most people is one of the local languages
Thailand Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
Togo French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)
Tokelau Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English
Tonga Tongan, English
Trinidad and Tobago English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese
Tunisia Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
Turkey Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek
Turkmenistan Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Turks and Caicos Islands English (official)
Tuvalu Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
Uganda English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic
Ukraine Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian
United Arab Emirates Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
United Kingdom English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
United States English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
Uruguay Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Uzbekistan Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
Vanuatu three official languages: English, French, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama), plus more than 100 local languages
Venezuela Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Vietnam Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Virgin Islands English (official), Spanish, Creole
Wallis and Futuna French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language)
West Bank Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Western Sahara Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
World Chinese, Mandarin 14.37%, Hindi 6.02%, English 5.61%, Spanish 5.59%, Bengali 3.4%, Portuguese 2.63%, Russian 2.75%, Japanese 2.06%, German, Standard 1.64%, Korean 1.28%, French 1.27% (2000 est.) note: percents are for "first language" speakers only
Yemen Arabic
Zambia English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages
Zimbabwe English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@2100 Legal system
Afghanistan according to the new constitution, no law should be "contrary to Islam"; the state is obliged to create a prosperous and progressive society based on social justice, protection of human dignity, protection of human rights, realization of democracy, and to ensure national unity and equality among all ethnic groups and tribes; the state shall abide by the UN charter, international treaties, international conventions that Afghanistan signed, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Akrotiri the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Albania has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court for its citizens
Algeria socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
American Samoa NA
Andorra based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Angola based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; recently modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use of free markets
Anguilla based on English common law
Antarctica Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; US law, including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such as murder, may apply extra-territorially; some US laws directly apply to Antarctica; for example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties for the following activities, unless authorized by regulation of statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into specially protected areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants; and the importation into the US of certain items from Antarctica; violation of the Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison; the National Science Foundation and Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities; Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans to other nations as required by the Antarctic Treaty; for more information, contact Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone: (703) 292-8030, or visit their website at www.nsf.gov
Antigua and Barbuda based on English common law
Argentina mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Armenia based on civil law system
Aruba based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
Ashmore and Cartier Islands the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply
Australia based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Austria civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Azerbaijan based on civil law system
Bahamas, The based on English common law
Bahrain based on Islamic law and English common law
Baker Island the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Bangladesh based on English common law
Barbados English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
Bassas da India the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Belarus based on civil law system
Belgium civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Belize English law
Benin based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Bermuda English law
Bhutan based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Bolivia based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Bosnia and Herzegovina based on civil law system
Botswana based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Bouvet Island the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply
Brazil based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
British Indian Ocean Territory the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
British Virgin Islands English law
Brunei based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas
Bulgaria civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Burkina Faso based on French civil law system and customary law
Burma has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Burundi based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Cambodia primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing influence of common law in recent years
Cameroon based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Canada based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Cape Verde derived from the legal system of Portugal
Cayman Islands British common law and local statutes
Central African Republic based on French law
Chad based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Chile based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction note: Chile is in the process of completely overhauling its criminal justice system; a new, US-style adversarial system is being gradually implemented throughout the country with the final stage of implementation in the Santiago metropolitan region expected in June 2005
China a complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law
Christmas Island under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
Clipperton Island the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Cocos (Keeling) Islands based upon the laws of Australia and local laws
Colombia based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US procedures was enacted in 1992-93; judicial review of executive and legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Comoros French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code
Congo, Democratic Republic of the based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Congo, Republic of the based on French civil law system and customary law
Cook Islands based on New Zealand law and English common law
Coral Sea Islands the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply
Costa Rica based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Cote d'Ivoire based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Croatia based on civil law system
Cuba based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Cyprus based on common law, with civil law modifications
Czech Republic civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring it in line with Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Denmark civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Dhekelia the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Djibouti based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law
Dominica based on English common law
Dominican Republic based on French civil codes; undergoing modification in 2004 towards an accusatory system
East Timor UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains in place but will be replaced by civil and penal codes based on Portuguese law (2004)
Ecuador based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Egypt based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes; judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
El Salvador based on civil and Roman law, with traces of common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Equatorial Guinea partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom
Eritrea primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law
Estonia based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Ethiopia currently transitional mix of national and regional courts
Europa Island the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) English common law
Faroe Islands Danish
Fiji based on British system
Finland civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
France civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts
French Guiana French legal system
French Polynesia based on French system
French Southern and Antarctic Lands the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Gabon based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Gambia, The based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Georgia based on civil law system
Germany civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Ghana based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Gibraltar English law
Glorioso Islands the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Greece based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts
Greenland Danish
Grenada based on English common law
Guadeloupe French legal system
Guam modeled on US; US federal laws apply
Guatemala civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Guernsey English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court
Guinea based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Guinea-Bissau NA
Guyana based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Haiti based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Heard Island and McDonald Islands the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply
Holy See (Vatican City) based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it
Honduras rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law with increasing influence of English common law; recent judicial reforms include abandoning Napoleonic legal codes in favor of the oral adversarial system; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Hong Kong based on English common law
Howland Island the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Hungary rule of law based on Western model
Iceland civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
India based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Indonesia based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures and election codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Iran the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
Iraq based on civil and Islamic law under the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) and Transitional Administrative Law (TAL)
Ireland based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Israel mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Italy based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Jamaica based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Jan Mayen the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply
Japan modeled after European civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Jarvis Island the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Jersey English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court
Johnston Atoll the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Jordan based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Juan de Nova Island the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Kazakhstan based on civil law system
Kenya based on Kenyan statutory law, Kenyan and English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991
Kingman Reef the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Kiribati NA
Korea, North based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Korea, South combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Kuwait civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Kyrgyzstan based on civil law system
Laos based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice
Latvia based on civil law system
Lebanon mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Lesotho based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Liberia dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector
Libya based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Liechtenstein local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Lithuania based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court
Luxembourg based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Macau based on Portuguese civil law system
Macedonia based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Madagascar based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Malawi based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Malaysia based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Maldives based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Mali based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court (which was formally established on 9 March 1994); has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Malta based on English common law and Roman civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Man, Isle of English common law and Manx statute
Marshall Islands based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
Martinique French legal system
Mauritania a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law
Mauritius based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas
Mayotte French law
Mexico mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Micronesia, Federated States of based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
Midway Islands the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Moldova based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents
Monaco based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Mongolia blend of Soviet, German, and US systems that combine "continental" or "civil" code and case-precedent; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Montserrat English common law and statutory law
Morocco based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court
Mozambique based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law
Namibia based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution
Nauru acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law
Navassa Island the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Nepal based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Netherlands civil law system incorporating French penal theory; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Netherlands Antilles based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence
New Caledonia the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law
New Zealand based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Nicaragua civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
Niger based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Nigeria based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (only in some northern states), and traditional law
Niue English common law note: Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws
Norfolk Island based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law
Northern Mariana Islands based on US system, except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation
Norway mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Oman based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Pakistan based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Palau based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
Palmyra Atoll the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Panama based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Papua New Guinea based on English common law
Paraguay based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice
Peru based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Philippines based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Pitcairn Islands local island by-laws
Poland mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover Communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg
Portugal civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Puerto Rico based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice
Qatar discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters
Reunion French law
Romania former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic
Russia based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Rwanda based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Saint Helena NA
Saint Kitts and Nevis based on English common law
Saint Lucia based on English common law
Saint Pierre and Miquelon French law with special adaptations for local conditions, such as housing and taxation
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines based on English common law
Samoa based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
San Marino based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Sao Tome and Principe based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Saudi Arabia based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Senegal based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits the government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Serbia and Montenegro based on civil law system
Seychelles based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
Sierra Leone based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Singapore based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Slovakia civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Slovenia based on civil law system
Solomon Islands English common law, which is widely disregarded
Somalia no national system; Shari'a and secular courts are in some localities
South Africa based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate from the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court
Spain civil law system, with regional applications; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Sri Lanka a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Sudan based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suriname based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory
Svalbard NA
Swaziland based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Sweden civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Switzerland civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Syria based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Taiwan based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Tajikistan based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Tanzania based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Thailand based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Togo French-based court system
Tokelau New Zealand and local statutes
Tonga based on English law
Trinidad and Tobago based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Tromelin Island the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Tunisia based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
Turkey civil law system derived from various European continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; note - member of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified European Convention on Human Rights
Turkmenistan based on civil law system
Turks and Caicos Islands based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Tuvalu NA
Uganda in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Ukraine based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
United Arab Emirates federal court system introduced in 1971; applies to all emirates except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah, which are not fully integrated into the federal system; all emirates have secular courts to adjudicate criminal, civil, and commercial matters and Islamic courts to review family and religious disputes
United Kingdom common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; has judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
United States federal court system based on English common law; each state has its own unique legal system, of which all but one (Louisiana's) is based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Uruguay based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Uzbekistan evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent judicial system
Vanuatu unified system being created from former dual French and British systems
Venezuela based on organic laws as of July 1999; open, adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Vietnam based on communist legal theory and French civil law system
Virgin Islands based on US laws
Wake Island the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Wallis and Futuna French legal system
World all members of the UN are parties to the statute that established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court
Yemen based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Zambia based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Zimbabwe mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@2101 Legislative branch
Afghanistan nonfunctioning as of January 2004; government is empowered by the constitution to issue legislation by decree until the new assembly is seated; under the new constitution, the bicameral National Assembly will consist of the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected for a five-year term, and the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats, one third elected from provincial councils for a four-year term, one third elected from local district councils for a three-year term, and one third presidential appointees for a five-year term; the presidential appointees will include two representatives of Kuchis and two representatives of the disabled; half of the presidential appointees will be women) note: on rare occasions the government may convene the Loya Jirga on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity; it can amend the provisions of the constitution and prosecute the president; it is made up of members of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and district councils elections: scheduled for spring 2005
Albania unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (140 seats; 100 are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for four-year terms) elections: last held 24 June 2001 with subsequent rounds on 8 July, 22 July, 29 July, 19 August 2001 (next to be held July 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PS 41.5%, PD and coalition allies 36.8%, PDR 5.2%, PSD 3.6%, PBDNJ 2.6%, PASH (now PAA) 2.6%, PAD 2.5%; seats by party - PS 73, PD and coalition allies 46, PDR 6, PSD 4, PBDNJ 3, PASH (now PAA) 3, PAD 3, independents 2; note - seats by party as of January 2005: PS 65, PD and coalition allies 46, LSI 9, PDR 6, PSD 3, PBDNJ 3, PASH (now PAA) 3, PAD 3, PDS 1, independents 1
Algeria bicameral Parliament consists of the National People's Assembly or Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats - changed from 380 seats in the 2002 elections; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Council of Nations (Senate) (144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote; members serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the council to be renewed every three years) elections: National People's Assembly - last held 30 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 30 December 2003 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 199, RND 48, Islah 43, MSP 38, PT 21, FNA 8, EnNahda 1, PRA 1, MEN 1, independents 29; Council of Nations - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party NA
American Samoa bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which are elected by popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island; members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004); Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 18 note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate
Andorra unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de las Valls (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 14 from a single national constituency and 14 to represent each of the 7 parishes; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 4 March 2001 (next to be held NA March-April 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 46.1%, PSD 30%, PD 23.8%, other 0.1%; seats by party - PLA 15, PSD 6, PD 5, other 2
Angola unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held NA) election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 54%, UNITA 34%, others 12%; seats by party - MPLA 129, UNITA 70, PRS 6, FNLA 5, PLD 3, others 7
Anguilla unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 elected by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 3 March 2000 (next to be held NA June 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANA 3, AUM 2, ADP 1, independent 1
Antigua and Barbuda bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ALP 4, UPP 12, contested 1; note - new election will decide the contested seat
Argentina bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently one-third of the members elected every two years to a six-year term) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to a four-year term) elections: Senate - last held intermittently by province during the 2nd half of 2003 (next to be held NA 2005); Chamber of Deputies - last held intermittently by province during the 2nd half of 2003 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - PJ 41, UCR 16, provincial parties 15; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - PJ 133, UCR 46, IF 23, ARI 11, Socialist 6, other/provincial parties 38
Armenia unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; 75 members elected by party list, 56 by direct vote) elections: last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of 2007) note: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%, Justice Bloc 13.6%, Rule of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National Unity Party 8.8%, United Labor Party 5.7%; seats by party - Republican Party 23, Justice Bloc 14, Rule of Law 12, ARF (Dashnak) 11, National Unity 9, United Labor 6; note - seats by party change frequently as deputies switch parties or announce themselves independent
Aruba unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 28 September 2001 (next to be held by NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 52.4%, AVP 26.7%, PPA 9.6%, OLA 5.7%, Aliansa 3.5%, other 2.1%; seats by party - MEP 12, AVP 6, PPA 2, OLA 1
Australia bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and two from each of the two mainland territories; one-half of the members elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (150 seats - this is up from 148 seats in 2001 election; members elected by popular vote on the basis of preferential representation to serve three-year terms; no state can have fewer than five representatives) elections: Senate - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held not later than June 2008); House of Representatives - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held not later than November 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party (as of 1 July 2003) - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 34, Australian Labor Party 28, Australian Democrats 7, Green Party 2, One Nation Party 1, Country Liberal Party 1, Australian Progressive Alliance 1, independent 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 86, Australian Labor Party 60, Country Liberal Party 1, independent and other 3
Austria bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 members; members represent each of the states on the basis of population, but with each state having at least three representatives; members serve a five- or six-year term) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: National Council - last held 24 November 2002 (next to be held in the fall of 2006) election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - OeVP 42.3%, SPOe 36.5%, FPOe 10.0%, Greens 9.5%; seats by party - OeVP 79, SPOe 69, FPOe 18, Greens 17
Azerbaijan unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 4 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2005) note: 100 members of the current parliament were elected on the basis of single mandate constituencies, while 25 were elected based on proportional balloting; as a result of a 24 August 2002 national referendum on changes to the constitution, all 125 members of the next parliament will be elected from single mandate constituencies election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NAP and allies 108, APF "Reform" 6, CSP 3, PNIA 2, Musavat Party 2, CPA 2, APF "Classic" 1, Compatriot Party 1 note: PNIA, Musavat, and APF "Classic" parties refused to take their seats
Bahamas, The bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%, independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4
Bahrain bicameral Parliament consists of Shura Council (40 members appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members directly elected to serve four-year terms) elections: House of Deputies - last held 31 October 2002 (next election to be held NA 2006) election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 21, Sunni Islamists 9, other 10 note: first elections since 7 December 1973; unicameral National Assembly dissolved 26 August 1975; National Action Charter created bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum 14 February 2001; first legislative session of Parliament held on 25 December 2002
Bangladesh unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies (the constitutional amendment reserving 30 seats for women over and above the 300 regular parliament seats expired in May 2001); members serve five-year terms elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to be held before October 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance partners 47%, AL 40%; seats by party - BNP 195, AL 58, JI 17, JP (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 3, JP (Naziur) 4, other 9; note - the election of October 2001 brought a majority BNP government aligned with three other smaller parties - Jamaat-i-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)
Barbados bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2008) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7
Belarus bicameral Parliament or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members elected by regional councils and 8 members appointed by the president, all for 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteliy (110 seats; members elected by universal adult suffrage to serve 4-year terms) elections: last held 18 March and 1 April 2001 and 17 and 31 October 2004 (bi-election will be held March 2005 to fill one unfilled seat in the Palata Predstaviteliy); international observers widely denounced the October 2004 elections as flawed and undemocratic, based on massive government falsification; pro-Lukashenko candidates won every seat, after many opposition candidates were disqualified for technical reasons election results: Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Palata Pretsaviteley - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA
Belgium bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 May 2003 (next to be held no later than May 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - SP.A-Spirit 15.5%, VLD 15.4%, CD & V 12.7%, PS 12.8%, MR 12.1%, VB 9.4%, CDH 5.6%; seats by party - SP.A-Spirit 7, VLD 7, CD & V 6, PS 6, MR 5, VB 5, CDH 2, other 2 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD 15.4%, SP.A-Spirit 14.9%, CD & V 13.3%, PS 13.0%, VB 11.6%, MR 11.4%, CDH 5.5%, Ecolo 3.1%; seats by party - VLD 25, SP.A-Spirit 23, CD & V 21, PS 25, VB 18, MR 24, CDH 8 Ecolo 4, other 2 note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six governments each with its own legislative assembly; for other acronyms of the listed parties see the Political parties and leaders entry
Belize bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 members appointed by the governor general - six on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and one each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; members are appointed for five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 5 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8
Benin unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Presidential Movement 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small parties) 31
Bermuda bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve up to five-year terms) elections: last general election held 24 July 2003 (next to be held NA July 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14
Bhutan unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and other secular interests; members serve three-year terms) elections: local elections last held November 2002 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: NA
Bolivia bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; 68 are directly elected from their districts and 62 are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held NA June 2007) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MNR 11, MAS 8, MIR 5, NFR 2, other 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MNR 36, MAS 27, MIR 26, NFR 25, others 16
Bosnia and Herzegovina bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the National House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats - elected by proportional representation, 28 seats allocated from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats from the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's election law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures elections: National House of Representatives - elections last held 5 October 2002 (next to be held in NA 2006); House of Peoples - last constituted NA January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007) election results: National House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - SDA 21.9%, SDS 14.0%, SBiH 10.5%, SDP 10.4%, SNSD 9.8%, HDZ 9.5%, PDP 4.6%, others 19.3%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 10, SDS 5, SBiH 6, SDP 4, SNSD 3, HDZ 5, PDP 2, others 7; House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 5 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 32, HDZ-BiH 16, SDP 15, SBiH 15, other 20; and a House of Peoples (60 seats - 30 Bosniak, 30 Croat); last constituted December 2002; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 5 October 2002 (next to be held in the fall of 2006); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDS 26, SNSD 19, PDP 9, SDA 6, SRS 4, SPRS 3, DNZ 3, SBiH 4, SDP 3, others 6; as a result of the 2002 constitutional reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples (COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly; each constituent nation and "others" will have eight delegates
Botswana bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body consisting of the chiefs of the eight principal tribes, four elected subchiefs, and three members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (44 seats, 40 members are directly elected by popular vote and 4 are appointed by the majority party; members serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004 (next to be held NA October 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1
Brazil bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; three members from each state and federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a four-year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Federal Senate - last held 6 October 2002 for two-thirds of the Senate (next to be held NA October 2006 for one-third of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 6 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006) election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party PMBD 19, PFL 19, PT 14, PSDB 11, PDT 5, PSB 4, PL 3, PTB 3, PPS 1, PSD 1, PP 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PT 91, PFL 84, PMDB 74, PSDB 71, PP 49, PL 26, PTB 26, PSB 22, PDT 21, PPS 15, PCdoB 12, PRONA 6, PV 5, other 11; note - many congressmen have changed party affiliation since the most recent election
British Virgin Islands unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5
Brunei Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members elections: last held in March 1962; date of next election NA
Bulgaria unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NMS2 42.74%, UDF 18.18%, CfB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by party - NMS2 120, UDF 51, CfB 48, MRF 21; note - seating as of January 2005 - NMS2 98, CfB 49, UtDF 28, MRF 20, UDF 14, New Time 13, BANU 11, independents 7
Burkina Faso unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly election last held 5 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP 57, RDA-ADF 17, PDP/PS 10, CFD 5, PAI 5, others 17
Burma unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by junta to convene election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government), other 60
Burundi bicameral, consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (expanded from 121 to approximately 140 seats under the transitional government inaugurated 1 November 2001; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; term length is undefined, the current senators will likely serve out the three-year transition period) elections: last held 29 June 1993 (next was scheduled to be held in 1998, but was suspended by presidential decree in 1996; elections are planned to follow the completion of the three-year transitional government) election results: percent of vote by party - FRODEBU 71.04%, UPRONA 21.4%, other 7.56%; seats by party - FRODEBU 65, UPRONA 16, civilians 27, other parties 13
Cambodia bicameral consists of the National Assembly (123 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61 seats; two members appointed by the monarch, two elected by the National Assembly, and 57 elected by "functional constituencies"; members serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be held in July 2008); Senate - last held 2 March 1999 (scheduled to be held in 2004 but delayed) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 47%, SRP 22%, FUNCINPEC 21%, other 10%; seats by party - CPP 73, FUNCINPEC 26, SRP 24; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPP 31, FUNCINPEC 21, SRP 7, other 2 (July 2003)
Cameroon unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term of the legislature) elections: last held 23 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RDCP 133, SDF 21, UDC 5, other 21 note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established |
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