The 2008 CIA World Factbook, United States. Central Intelligence Agency [primary phonics books .TXT] 📗

id="id85275">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