Akrotiri English, Greek

Albania Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects

Algeria Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects

American Samoa Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other Pacific islander 2.1%, other 2% note: most people are bilingual (2000 census)

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), Italian, English, German, French

Armenia Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)

Aruba Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 66.3%, Spanish 12.6%, English (widely spoken) 7.7%, Dutch (official) 5.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified or unknown 5.3% (2000 census)

Australia English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)

Austria German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 census)

Azerbaijan Azerbaijani (Azeri) 90.3%, Lezgi 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.3%, unspecified 1% (1999 census)

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 Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan dialects 8.9%, English 3.9% (official), Garifuna 3.4% (Carib), German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% (2000 census)

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 60.7% (official), Quechua 21.2% (official), Aymara 14.6% (official), foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian

Botswana Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)

Brazil Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); note - less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages

British Virgin Islands English (official)

Brunei Malay (official), English, Chinese

Bulgaria Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

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 (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5%

Cape Verde Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)

Cayman Islands English 95%, Spanish 3.2%, other 1.8% (1999 census)

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 (official), Mapudungun, German, English

China Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), 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 96.1%, Serbian 1%, other and undesignated 2.9% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German) (2001 census)

Cuba Spanish

Cyprus Greek, Turkish, English

Czech Republic Czech 94.9%, Slovak 2%, other 2.3%, unidentified 0.8% (2001 census)

Denmark Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language

Dhekelia English, Greek

Djibouti French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar

Dominica English (official), French patois

Dominican Republic Spanish

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 67.6% (official), other 32.4% (includes French (official), Fang, Bubi) (1994 census)

Eritrea Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages

Estonia Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7% (2000 census)

Ethiopia Amarigna 32.7%, Oromigna 31.6%, Tigrigna 6.1%, Somaligna 6%, Guaragigna 3.5%, Sidamigna 3.5%, Hadiyigna 1.7%, other 14.8%, English (major foreign language taught in schools) (1994 census)

European Union Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish note: only official languages are listed; German, the major language of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, is the most widely spoken mother tongue - over 19% of the EU population; English is the most widely spoken language - about 49% of the EU population is conversant with it (2007)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) English

Faroe Islands Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish

Fiji English (official), Fijian (official), Hindustani

Finland Finnish 91.5% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2006)

France French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish) overseas departments: French, Creole patois

French Polynesia French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census)

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 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 Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other 36.1% (includes English (official)) (2000 census)

Gibraltar English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese

Greece Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French)

Greenland Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English

Grenada English (official), French patois

Guam English 38.3%, Chamorro 22.2%, Philippine languages 22.2%, other Pacific island languages 6.8%, Asian languages 7%, other languages 3.5% (2000 census)

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); note - each ethnic group has its own language

Guinea-Bissau Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Guyana English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of 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) 89.2% (official), other Chinese dialects 6.4%, English 3.2% (official), other 1.2% (2001 census)

Hungary Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census)

Iceland Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken

India Hindi 41%, Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 4.5%, Kannada 3.7%, Malayalam 3.2%, Oriya 3.2%, Punjabi 2.8%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.2%, other 5.9% note: 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 41% 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 (2001 census)

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), Turkoman (a Turkish dialect), Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic), Armenian

Ireland English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard

Isle of Man English, Manx Gaelic

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, English patois

Japan Japanese

Jersey English 94.5% (official), Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)

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

Kosovo Albanian (official), Serbian (official), Bosnian, Turkish, Roma

Kuwait Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz 64.7% (official), Uzbek 13.6%, Russian 12.5% (official), Dungun 1%, other 8.2% (1999 census)

Laos Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages

Latvia Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)

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) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)

Luxembourg Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language)

Macau Cantonese 85.7%, Hokkien 4%, Mandarin 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 2.7%, English 1.5%, Tagalog 1.3%, other 1.6% (2001 census)

Macedonia Macedonian 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 census)

Madagascar English (official), French (official), Malagasy (official)

Malawi Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)

Malaysia Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai note: in East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most widely spoken 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) 90.2%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.8% (2005 census)

Marshall Islands Marshallese (official) 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census) note: English (official), widely spoken as a second language

Mauritania Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya

Mauritius Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English (official; spoken by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)

Mayotte Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population

Mexico Spanish only 92.7%, Spanish and indigenous languages 5.7%, indigenous only 0.8%, unspecified 0.8%; note - indigenous languages include various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages (2005)

Micronesia, Federated States of English (official and common language), Chuukese, Kosrean, Pohnpeian, Yapese, 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)

Montenegro Serbian 63.6%, Montenegrin (official) 22%, Bosnian 5.5%, Albanian 5.3%, unspecified 3.7% (2003 census)

Montserrat English

Morocco Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy

Mozambique Emakhuwa 26.1%, Xichangana 11.3%, Portuguese 8.8% (official; spoken by 27% of population as a second language), Elomwe 7.6%, Cisena 6.8%, Echuwabo 5.8%, other Mozambican languages 32%, other foreign languages 0.3%, unspecified 1.3% (1997 census)

Namibia English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages 1% (includes 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 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5% (2001 census) note: many in government and business also speak English (2001 est.)

Netherlands Dutch (official), Frisian (official)

Netherlands Antilles Papiamento 65.4% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), English 15.9% (widely spoken), Dutch 7.3% (official), Spanish 6.1%, Creole 1.6%, other 1.9%, unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

New Caledonia French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

New Zealand English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official)

Nicaragua Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census) 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 Philippine languages 24.4%, Chinese 23.4%, Chamorro 22.4%, English 10.8%, other Pacific island languages 9.5%, other 9.6% (2000 census)

Norway Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities; note - Sami is official in six municipalities

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; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski and other 8%

Palau Palauan 64.7% official in all islands except Sonsoral (Sonsoralese and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official), Filipino 13.5%, English 9.4%, Chinese 5.7%, Carolinian 1.5%, Japanese 1.5%, other Asian 2.3%, other languages 1.5% (2000 census)

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: 820 indigenous languages spoken (over one-tenth of the world's total)

Paraguay Spanish (official), Guarani (official)

Peru Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages

Philippines Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan

Pitcairn Islands English (official), Pitkern (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)

Poland Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census)

Portugal Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)

Puerto Rico Spanish, English

Qatar Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language

Romania Romanian 91% (official), Hungarian 6.7%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 1.2%

Russia Russian, many minority languages

Rwanda Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers

Saint Barthelemy French (primary), English

Saint Helena English

Saint Kitts and Nevis English

Saint Lucia English (official), French patois

Saint Martin French (official language), English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles)

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 Serbian 88.3% (official), Hungarian 3.8%, Bosniak 1.8%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 4.1%, unknown 0.9% (2002 census) note: Romanian, Hungarian, Slovak, Ukrainian, and Croatian all official in Vojvodina

Seychelles Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2002 census)

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 Mandarin 35%, English 23%, Malay 14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese 5.7%, Teochew 4.9%, Tamil 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 1.8%, other 0.9% (2000 census)

Slovakia Slovak (official) 83.9%, Hungarian 10.7%, Roma 1.8%, Ukrainian 1%, other or unspecified 2.6% (2001 census)

Slovenia Slovenian 91.1%, Serbo-Croatian 4.5%, other or unspecified 4.4% (2002 census)

Solomon Islands Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English (official; but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population); 120 indigenous languages

Somalia Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English

South Africa IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001 census)

Spain Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, 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), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages 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), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Svalbard Norwegian, Russian

Swaziland English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)

Sweden Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Switzerland German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 20.4%, Italian (official) 6.5%, Serbo-Croatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%, Portuguese 1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, Romansch (official) 0.5%, other 2.8% (2000 census) note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all national and official languages

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), Kiunguja (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; 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

Timor-Leste 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

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), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), French, Spanish, Chinese

Tunisia Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)

Turkey Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey

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 (official) 67%, Russian 24%, other 9% (includes small Romanian-, Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities)

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 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census) note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii

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 local languages (more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.7% (1999 Census)

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 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)

Wallis and Futuna Wallisian 58.9% (indigenous Polynesian language), Futunian 30.1%, French 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census)

West Bank Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)

Western Sahara Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic

World Mandarin Chinese 13.22%, Spanish 4.88%, English 4.68%, Arabic 3.12%, Hindi 2.74%, Portuguese 2.69%, Bengali 2.59%, Russian 2.2%, Japanese 1.85%, Standard German 1.44%, French 1.2% (2005 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 18 December 2008



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@2100 Legal system

Afghanistan based on mixed civil and Sharia law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Akrotiri the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus

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; modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use of free markets; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 extraterritorially; 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; more generally, access to the Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees south latitude, is subject to a number of relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states party to the Antarctic Treaty

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Bahamas, The based on English common law

Bahrain based on Islamic law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Bangladesh based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Barbados English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Belarus based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Belgium based on civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Belize English law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Botswana based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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 Sharia law supersedes civil law in a number of areas; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Bulgaria civil and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Burkina Faso based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Burma based on English common law; 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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Cameroon based on French civil law system, with common law influence; accepts 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 based on the legal system of Portugal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Cayman Islands British common law and local statutes

Central African Republic based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 - in June 2005, Chile completed overhaul of its criminal justice system to a new, US-style adversarial system

China based on civil law system; derived from Soviet and continental civil code legal principles; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 into law in 2004 and reached full implemention in January 2008; judicial review of executive and legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Comoros French and Islamic law in a new consolidated code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Congo, Democratic Republic of the a new constitution was adopted by referendum 18 December 2005; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Congo, Republic of the based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Croatia based on Austro-Hungarian law system with Communist law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Cuba based on Spanish civil law and influenced by American legal concepts, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Cyprus based on English common law, with civil law modifications; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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 Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus

Djibouti based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Dominica based on English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction

Dominican Republic based on French civil codes; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Ecuador based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Egypt based on Islamic and civil law (particularly 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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Equatorial Guinea partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Eritrea primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; government also issues unilateral proclamations setting laws and policies; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Islamic law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Estonia based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Ethiopia based on civil law; currently transitional mix of national and regional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

European Union comparable to the legal systems of member states; first supranational law system

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) English common law

Faroe Islands the laws of Denmark, where applicable, apply

Fiji based on British system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

French Polynesia the laws of France, where applicable, apply

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, Islamic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Georgia based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

Greece based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Greenland the laws of Denmark, where applicable, apply

Grenada based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Guam modeled on US; US federal laws apply

Guatemala civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Guernsey the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; justice is administered by the Royal Court

Guinea based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Guinea-Bissau based on French civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

Hungary based on the German-Austrian legal system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Iceland civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

India based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus

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 based on Sharia law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Iraq based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework outlined in the Iraqi Constitution; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

Isle of Man the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply and Manx statutes

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 German civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Jersey the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply and local statutes; justice is administered by the Royal Court

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

Kazakhstan based on Islamic law and Roman law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

Kiribati NA

Korea, North based on Prussian 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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Kosovo evolving legal system based on terms of UN Special Envoy Martti AHTISAARI's Plan for Kosovo's supervised independence

Kuwait civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Kyrgyzstan based on French and Russian laws; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Laos based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Latvia based on civil law system with traces of Socialist legal traditions and practices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Libya based on Italian and French civil law systems 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 based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Lithuania based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Madagascar based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Malawi based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Malaysia based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; Islamic law is applied to Muslims in matters of family law and religion; 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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Malta based on English common law and Roman civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Marshall Islands based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Mauritania a combination of Islamic law and French civil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Mauritius based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Mayotte the laws of France, where applicable, apply

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Moldova based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

Montenegro based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Montserrat English common law and statutory law

Morocco based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law systems; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Mozambique based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Namibia based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Nauru acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

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 based on 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 based on French civil law; the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Niger based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Nigeria based on English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Paraguay based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Peru based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Philippines based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Pitcairn Islands local island by-laws

Poland based on a 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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Portugal based on 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 based on Islamic and civil law codes; discretionary system of law controlled by the Amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Romania based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Russia based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 Barthelemy the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Saint Helena English common law and statutes, supplemented by local statutes

Saint Kitts and Nevis based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Saint Lucia based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Saint Martin the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Saint Pierre and Miquelon the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 Sharia 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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Serbia based on civil law system

Seychelles based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; 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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Solomon Islands English common law, which is widely disregarded; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Somalia no national system; a mixture of English common law, Italian law, Islamic Sharia, and Somali customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

South Africa based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Sri Lanka a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Kandyan, and Jaffna Tamil 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; however, the CPA establishes some protections for non-Muslims in Khartoum; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; the southern legal system is still developing under the CPA following the civil war; Islamic law will not apply to the southern states

Suriname based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Svalbard the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply

Swaziland based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

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 a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; Islamic law is used in the family court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Taiwan based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Tajikistan based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

Timor-Leste UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains in place but is to be replaced by civil and penal codes based on Portuguese law; these have passed but have not been promulgated; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Togo French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Tokelau New Zealand and local statutes

Tonga based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Trinidad and Tobago based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Tunisia based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Turkey civil law system derived from various European continental legal systems; note - member of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified European Convention on Human Rights; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Turkmenistan based on civil law system and Islamic law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

United Arab Emirates based on a dual system of Sharia and civil courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

United Kingdom based on common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; has nonbinding 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, which is still influenced by the Napoleonic Code) is based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Uruguay based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Uzbekistan based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Vanuatu unified system being created from former dual French and British systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Venezuela open, adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Vietnam based on communist legal theory and French civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Virgin Islands based on US laws

Wake Island the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Wallis and Futuna the laws of France, where applicable, apply

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008



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@2101 Legislative branch

Afghanistan the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected for five-year terms, and the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats, one-third elected from provincial councils for four-year terms, one-third elected from local district councils for three-year terms, and one-third nominated by the president for five-year terms) note: on rare occasions the government may convene a Loya Jirga (Grand Council) 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: last held 18 September 2005 (next to be held for the Wolesi Jirga by September 2009; next to be held for the provincial councils to the Meshrano Jirga by September 2008) election results: the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) system used in the election did not make use of political party slates; most candidates ran as independents

Albania unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; 100 members are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PD 56, PS 42, PR 11, PSD 7, LSI 5, other 19

Algeria bicameral Parliament consists of the National People's Assembly or Al-Majlis Al-Shabi Al-Watani (389 seats; 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; to serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the council to be renewed every three years) elections: National People's Assembly - last held 17 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 28 December 2006 (next to be held in 2009) election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 136, RND 61, MSP 52, PT 26, RCD 19, FNA 13, other 49, independents 33; Council of Nations - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 29, RND 12, MSP 3, RCD 1, independents 3, presidential appointees (unknown affiliation) 24; note - Council seating reflects the number of replaced council members rather than the whole Council

American Samoa bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of Representatives (21 seats; 20 members 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 to serve four-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2010); Senate - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012) 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 on 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2010); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA 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 seven parishes; to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 24 April 2005 (next to be held in March-April 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 41.2%, PS 38.1%, CDA-S21 11%, other 9.7%; seats by party - PLA 14, PS 12, CDA-S21 2

Angola unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 5-6 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 81.6%, UNITA 10.4%, PRS 3.2%, ND 1.2%, FNLA 1.1%, other 2.5%; seats by party - MPLA 191, UNITA 16, PRS 8, ND 2, FNLA 3

Anguilla unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats; 7 members elected by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 21 February 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, AUM 19.4%, ANSA 19.2%, APP 9.5%, independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA 2, AUM 1

Antigua and Barbuda bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17 seats; members 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 in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ALP 4, UPP 13

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 serve six-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 28 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 28 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009) election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - FV 12, UCR 4, CC 4, other 4; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - FV 5, UCR 10, PJ 10, PRO 6, CC 16, FJ 2, other 31; note - Senate and Chamber of Deputies seating reflect the number of replaced senators and deputies, rather than the whole Senate and Chamber of Deputies

Armenia unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote, 90 members elected by party list and 41 by direct vote; to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 12 May 2007 (next to be held in the spring of 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - HHK 33.9%, Prosperous Armenia 15.1%, ARF (Dashnak) 13.2%, Rule of Law 7.1%, Heritage Party 6%, other 24.7%; seats by party - HHK 64, Prosperous Armenia 18, ARF (Dashnak) 16, Rule of Law 9, Heritage Party 7, independent 17

Aruba unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA 7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8, MPA 1, RED 1

Australia bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats; 12 members from each of the six states and 2 from each of the two mainland territories; one-half of state members are elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms while all territory members are elected every three years) and the House of Representatives (150 seats; members elected by popular preferential vote to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer than 5 representatives) elections: Senate - last held 24 November 2007 (next to be held no later than 2010); House of Representatives - last held 24 November 2007 (next to be called no later than 2010) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 37, Australian Labor Party 32, Australian Greens 5, Family First Party 1, other 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Australian Labor Party 83, Liberal Party 55, National Party 10, independents 2

Austria bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 seats; members chosen by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 members according to its population; members serve a five- or six-year term) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: National Council - last held 28 September 2008 (next to be held by September 2013) election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 29.3%, OeVP 26%, FPOe 17.5%, BZOe 10.7%, Greens 10.4%, other 6.1%; seats by party - SPOe 57, OeVP 51, FPOe 34, BZOe 21, Greens 20

Azerbaijan unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 6 November 2005 (next to be held in November 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Yeni 58, Azadliq coalition 8, CSP 2, Motherland 2, other parties with single seats 9, independents 42, undetermined 4

Bahamas, The bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (41 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 2 May 2007 (next to be held by May 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86%, PLP 47.02%; seats by party - FNM 23, PLP 18

Bahrain bicameral legislature consists of the Consultative Council (40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly elected to serve four-year terms) elections: Council of Representatives - last held November-December 2006 (next election to be held in 2010) election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - al Wifaq (Shia) 17, al Asala (Sunni Salafi) 5, al Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 7, independents 11; note - seats by party as of February 2007 - al Wifaq 17, al Asala 8, al Minbar 7, al Mustaqbal (Moderate Sunni pro-government) 4, unassociated independents (all Sunni) 3, independent affiliated with al Wifaq (Sunni oppositionist) 1

Bangladesh unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies; members serve five-year terms; note - parliament not in session during the extended caretaker regime elections: last held 1 October 2001 (the scheduled January 2007 election has been postponed until 29 December 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance partners 41%, AL 40%, other 19%; seats by party - BNP 193, AL 58, JI 17, JP (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 2, JP (Manzur) 4, other 12; note - the election of October 2001 brought to power a majority BNP government aligned with three other smaller parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)

Barbados bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 12 on the advice of the Prime Minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at his discretion) 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 15 January 2008 (next to be called in 2013) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - DLP 52.5%, BLP 47.3%; seats by party - DLP 20, BLP 10

Belarus bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members elected by regional councils and eight members appointed by the president, to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Palata Predstaviteley - last held 28 September 2008 (next to be held fall of 2012); international observers widely denounced the elections as flawed and undemocratic based on massive government falsification; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won all 110 seats election results: Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Palata Predstaviteley - 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 10 June 2007 (next to be held no later than June 2011) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CDV/N-VA 19.4%, Open VLD 12.4%, MR 12.3%, VB 11.9%, PS 10.2%, SP.A-Spirit 10%, CDH 5.9%, Ecolo 5.8%, Groen! 3.6%, Dedecker List 3.4%, FN 2.3%, other 2.8%; seats by party - CDV/N-VA 9, Open VLD 5, MR 6, VB 5, PS 4, SP.A-Spririt 4, CDH 2, Ecolo 2, Groen! 1, Dedecker List 1, FN 1 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CDV/N-VA 18.5%, MR 12.5%, VB 12%, Open VLD 11.8%, PS 10.9%, SP.A-Spirit 10.3%, CDH 6.1%, Ecolo 5.1%, Dedecker List 4%, Groen! 4%, FN 2%, other 2.8%; seats by party - CDV/N-VA 30, MR 23, VB 17, Open VLD 18, PS 20, SP.A-Spirit 14, CDH 10, Ecolo 8, Dedecker List 5, Groen! 4, FN 1 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

Belize bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 1 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; to serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (31 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 6 February 2008 (next to be held in 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDP 25, PUP 6

Benin unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 31 March 2007 (next to be held by March 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FCBE 35, ADD 20, PRD 10, other and independents 18

Bermuda bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; members 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 18 December 2007 (next to be held not later than 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 52.5%, UBP 47.3%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14

Bhutan new bicameral Parliament consists of the non-partisan National Council (25 seats; 20 members elected by each of the 20 electoral districts (dzongkhags) for four-year terms and 5 members nominated by the King); and the National Assembly (47 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote for five-year terms) elections: National Council elections last held on 31 December 2007 and 29 January 2008 (next to be held by December 2012); National Assembly elections last held on 24 March 2008 (next to be held by March 2013) election results: National Council - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - DPT 67%, PDP 33%; seats by party - DPT 45, PDP 2

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; 70 members are directly elected from their districts and 60 are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PODEMOS 13, MAS 12, UN 1, MNR 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 73, PODEMOS 43, UN 8, MNR 6

Bosnia and Herzegovina bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the national House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats, 28 seats allocated for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats for the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation, 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 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); House of Peoples - last constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007) election results: national House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9, SBH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, HDZ1990 2, other 5; 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 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 28, SBH 24, SDP 17, HDZ-BH 8, HDZ100 7, other 14; and a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 Serb, 7 other); 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 1 October 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2010); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 41, SDS 17, PDP 8, DNS 4, SBH 4, SPRS 3, SDA 3, other 3; 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 including eight Croats, eight Bosniaks, eight Serbs, and four members of the smaller communities

Botswana bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members serving 5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3 members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (63 seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%, BCP 16.6%, other 5%; 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; 3 members from each state and federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third and two-thirds elected every four years, alternately) 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 1 October 2006 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held in October 2010 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010) election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PFL 6, PSDB 5, PMDB 4, PTB 3, PT 2, PDT 1, PSB 1, PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PMDB 89, PT 83, PFL 65, PSDB 65, PP 42, PSB 27, PDT 24, PL 23, PTB 22, PPS 21, PCdoB 13, PV 13, PSC 9, other 17; note - as of 1 January 2008: Federal Senate - seats by party - PMDB 20, DEM (formerly PFL) 14, PSDB 13, PT 12, PTB 6, PDT 5, PR 4, PRB 2, PSB 2, PCdoB 1, PP 1, PSOL 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - PMDB 90, PT 83, PSDB 64, DEM (formerly PFL) 62, PP 41, PR 34, PSB 28, PDT 23, PTB 21, PPS 17, PV 13, PCdoB 13, PSC 7, PAN 4, PSOL 3, PMN 3, PTC 3, PHS 2, PTdoB 1, PRB 1

British Virgin Islands unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP 39.6%, independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2, independent 1

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; Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005; council met in March 2006 and in March 2007 elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)