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

id="id90826">Andorra
  parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as
  its chiefs of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the
  president of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are
  represented locally by coprinces' representatives

Angola
  republic; multiparty presidential regime

Anguilla
  NA

Antarctica Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica; the 30th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Delhi, India in April/May 2007; at these periodic meetings, decisions are made by consensus (not by vote) of all consultative member nations; at the end of 2007, there were 46 treaty member nations: 28 consultative and 18 non-consultative; consultative (decision-making) members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap) and 21 non-claimant nations; the US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims; the US does not recognize the claims of others; 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; the years in parentheses indicate when a consultative member-nation acceded to the Treaty and when it was accepted as a consultative member, while no date indicates the country was an original 1959 treaty signatory; claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1975/1983), Bulgaria (1978/1998) China (1983/1985), Ecuador (1987/1990), Finland (1984/1989), Germany (1979/1981), India (1983/1983), Italy (1981/1987), Japan, South Korea (1986/1989), Netherlands (1967/1990), Peru (1981/1989), Poland (1961/1977), Russia, South Africa, Spain (1982/1988), Sweden (1984/1988), Ukraine (1992/2004), Uruguay (1980/1985), and the US; non-consultative members, with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Belarus (2006), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1962/1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971), Slovakia (1962/1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1996), and Venezuela (1999); note - Czechoslovakia acceded to the Treaty in 1962 and separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993; Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 - prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights; Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 - allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 - deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations; other agreements - some 200 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through six specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment, 2) conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, 5) area protection and management and 6) liability arising from environmental emergencies; it prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research; a permanent Antarctic Treaty Secretariat was established in 2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Antigua and Barbuda constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government

Argentina
  republic

Armenia
  republic

Aruba
  parliamentary democracy

Australia
  federal parliamentary democracy

Austria
  federal republic

Azerbaijan
  republic

Bahamas, The
  constitutional parliamentary democracy

Bahrain
  constitutional monarchy

Bangladesh
  parliamentary democracy

Barbados
  parliamentary democracy

Belarus
  republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

Belgium
  federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional
  monarchy

Belize
  parliamentary democracy

Benin
  republic

Bermuda
  parliamentary; self-governing territory

Bhutan
  in transition to constitutional monarchy; special treaty
  relationship with India

Bolivia
  republic

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  emerging federal democratic republic

Botswana
  parliamentary republic

Brazil
  federal republic

British Virgin Islands
  NA

Brunei
  constitutional sultanate

Bulgaria
  parliamentary democracy

Burkina Faso
  parliamentary republic

Burma
  military junta

Burundi
  republic

Cambodia
  multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Cameroon
  republic; multiparty presidential regime

Canada
  constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary
  democracy and a federation

Cape Verde
  republic

Cayman Islands
  British crown colony

Central African Republic
  republic

Chad
  republic

Chile
  republic

China
  Communist state

Christmas Island
  NA

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  NA

Colombia
  republic; executive branch dominates government structure

Comoros
  republic

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  republic

Congo, Republic of the
  republic

Cook Islands
  self-governing parliamentary democracy

Costa Rica
  democratic republic

Cote d'Ivoire
  republic; multiparty presidential regime established
  1960
  note: the government is currently operating under a power-sharing
  agreement mandated by international mediators

Croatia
  presidential/parliamentary democracy

Cuba
  Communist state

Cyprus
  republic
  note: a separation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the
  island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this
  separation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention in
  July 1974 that followed a Greek junta-supported coup attempt gave
  the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots
  control the only internationally recognized government; on 15
  November 1983 Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTASH declared
  independence and the formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern
  Cyprus" (TRNC), which is recognized only by Turkey

Czech Republic
  parliamentary democracy

Denmark
  constitutional monarchy

Djibouti
  republic

Dominica
  parliamentary democracy

Dominican Republic
  democratic republic

Ecuador
  republic

Egypt
  republic

El Salvador
  republic

Equatorial Guinea
  republic

Eritrea
  transitional government
  note: following a successful referendum on independence for the
  Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National
  Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and
  Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a
  Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a
  constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the
  transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997,
  did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential
  elections; parliamentary elections were scheduled in December 2001,
  but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is
  the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)

Estonia
  parliamentary republic

Ethiopia
  federal republic

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  NA

Faroe Islands
  NA

Fiji
  republic

Finland
  republic

France
  republic

French Polynesia
  NA

Gabon
  republic; multiparty presidential regime

Gambia, The
  republic

Georgia
  republic

Germany
  federal republic

Ghana
  constitutional democracy

Gibraltar
  NA

Greece
  parliamentary republic

Greenland
  parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy

Grenada
  parliamentary democracy

Guam
  NA

Guatemala
  constitutional democratic republic

Guernsey
  parliamentary democracy

Guinea
  republic

Guinea-Bissau
  republic

Guyana
  republic

Haiti
  republic

Holy See (Vatican City)
  ecclesiastical

Honduras
  democratic constitutional republic

Hong Kong
  limited democracy

Hungary
  parliamentary democracy

Iceland
  constitutional republic

India
  federal republic

Indonesia
  republic

Iran
  theocratic republic

Iraq
  parliamentary democracy

Ireland
  republic, parliamentary democracy

Isle of Man
  parliamentary democracy

Israel
  parliamentary democracy

Italy
  republic

Jamaica
  constitutional parliamentary democracy

Japan
  constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government

Jersey
  parliamentary democracy

Jordan
  constitutional monarchy

Kazakhstan
  republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
  power outside the executive branch

Kenya
  republic

Kiribati
  republic

Korea, North
  Communist state one-man dictatorship

Korea, South
  republic

Kosovo
  republic

Kuwait
  constitutional emirate

Kyrgyzstan
  republic

Laos
  Communist state

Latvia
  parliamentary democracy

Lebanon
  republic

Lesotho
  parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Liberia
  republic

Libya
  Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the
  populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state

Liechtenstein
  constitutional monarchy

Lithuania
  parliamentary democracy

Luxembourg
  constitutional monarchy

Macau
  limited democracy

Macedonia
  parliamentary democracy

Madagascar
  republic

Malawi
  multiparty democracy

Malaysia
  constitutional monarchy
  note: nominally headed by paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament
  consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house;
  all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers except Melaka
  and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and
  Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government;
  powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution;
  under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain
  constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own
  immigration controls); Sabah holds 25 seats in House of
  Representatives; Sarawak has 31 seats

Maldives
  republic

Mali
  republic

Malta
  republic

Marshall Islands
  constitutional government in free association with
  the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21
  October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004

Mauritania
  Democratic Republic

Mauritius
  parliamentary democracy

Mayotte
  NA

Mexico
  federal republic

Micronesia, Federated States of constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 3 November 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force May 2004

Moldova
  republic

Monaco
  constitutional monarchy

Mongolia
  mixed parliamentary/presidential

Montenegro
  republic

Montserrat
  NA

Morocco
  constitutional monarchy

Mozambique
  republic

Namibia
  republic

Nauru
  republic

Nepal
  democratic republic

Netherlands
  constitutional monarchy

Netherlands Antilles
  parliamentary

New Caledonia
  NA

New Zealand
  parliamentary democracy

Nicaragua
  republic

Niger
  republic

Nigeria
  federal republic

Niue
  self-governing parliamentary democracy

Norfolk Island
  NA

Northern Mariana Islands commonwealth; self-governing with locally elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature

Norway
  constitutional monarchy

Oman
  monarchy

Pakistan
  federal republic

Palau
  constitutional government in free association with the US; the
  Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994

Panama
  constitutional democracy

Papua New Guinea
  constitutional parliamentary democracy

Paraguay
  constitutional republic

Peru
  constitutional republic

Philippines
  republic

Pitcairn Islands
  NA

Poland
  republic

Portugal
  republic; parliamentary democracy

Puerto Rico
  commonwealth

Qatar
  emirate

Romania
  republic

Russia
  federation

Rwanda
  republic; presidential, multiparty system

Saint Helena
  NA

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  parliamentary democracy

Saint Lucia
  parliamentary democracy

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  NA

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  parliamentary democracy

Samoa
  parliamentary democracy

San Marino
  republic

Sao Tome and Principe
  republic

Saudi Arabia
  monarchy

Senegal
  republic

Serbia
  republic

Seychelles
  republic

Sierra Leone
  constitutional democracy

Singapore
  parliamentary republic

Slovakia
  parliamentary democracy

Slovenia
  parliamentary republic

Solomon Islands
  parliamentary democracy

Somalia
  no permanent national government; transitional,
  parliamentary federal government

South Africa
  republic

Spain
  parliamentary monarchy

Sri Lanka
  republic

Sudan
  Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National Congress
  Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed a
  power-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
  Agreement (CPA); the NCP, which came to power by military coup in
  1989, is the majority partner; the agreement stipulates national
  elections in 2009

Suriname
  constitutional democracy

Svalbard
  NA

Swaziland
  monarchy

Sweden
  constitutional monarchy

Switzerland
  formally a confederation but similar in structure to a
  federal republic

Syria
  republic under an authoritarian military-dominated regime

Taiwan
  multiparty democracy

Tajikistan
  republic

Tanzania
  republic

Thailand
  constitutional monarchy

Timor-Leste
  republic

Togo
  republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule

Tokelau
  NA

Tonga
  constitutional monarchy

Trinidad and Tobago
  parliamentary democracy

Tunisia
  republic

Turkey
  republican parliamentary democracy

Turkmenistan
  republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
  power outside the executive branch

Turks and Caicos Islands
  NA

Tuvalu
  constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy

Uganda
  republic

Ukraine
  republic

United Arab Emirates
  federation with specified powers delegated to
  the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member
  emirates

United Kingdom
  constitutional monarchy

United States
  Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic
  tradition

Uruguay
  constitutional republic

Uzbekistan
  republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
  power outside the executive branch

Vanuatu
  parliamentary republic

Venezuela
  federal republic

Vietnam
  Communist state

Virgin Islands
  NA

Wallis and Futuna
  NA

Western Sahara
  legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty
  unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front
  (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de
  Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a
  government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR),
  led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between
  Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring
  northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario
  guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979;
  Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since
  asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile
  was seated as an Organization of African Unity (OAU) member in 1984;
  guerrilla activities continued sporadically until a UN-monitored
  cease-fire was implemented on 6 September 1991 (Security Council
  Resolution 690) by the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in
  Western Sahara or MINURSO

Yemen
  republic

Zambia
  republic

Zimbabwe
  parliamentary democracy

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

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@2129 Unemployment rate (%)

Afghanistan
  40% (2005 est.)

Albania
  13.2% official rate, but may exceed 30% due to preponderance
  of near-subsistence farming (2007 est.)

Algeria
  11.8% (2007 est.)

American Samoa
  29.8% (2005)

Andorra
  0% (1996 est.)

Angola
  extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more
  than half