Introductory material (continued 50)

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 100%

Paraguay: arable land: 6%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 55%

forests and woodland: 32%

other: 7% (1993 est.)

Peru: arable land: 3%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 21%

forests and woodland: 66%

other: 10% (1993 est.)

Philippines: arable land: 19%

permanent crops: 12%

permanent pastures: 4%

forests and woodland: 46%

other: 19% (1993 est.)

Pitcairn Islands: arable land: NA%

permanent crops: NA%

permanent pastures: NA%

forests and woodland: NA%

other: NA%

Poland: arable land: 47%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 13%

forests and woodland: 29%

other: 10% (1993 est.)

Portugal: arable land: 26%

permanent crops: 9%

permanent pastures: 9%

forests and woodland: 36%

other: 20% (1993 est.)

Puerto Rico: arable land: 4%

permanent crops: 5%

permanent pastures: 26%

forests and woodland: 16%

other: 49% (1993 est.)

Qatar: arable land: 1%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 5%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 94% (1993 est.)

Reunion: arable land: 17%

permanent crops: 2%

permanent pastures: 5%

forests and woodland: 35%

other: 41% (1993 est.)

Romania: arable land: 41%

permanent crops: 3%

permanent pastures: 21%

forests and woodland: 29%

other: 6% (1993 est.)

Russia: arable land: 8%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 4%

forests and woodland: 46%

other: 42% (1993 est.)

Rwanda: arable land: 35%

permanent crops: 13%

permanent pastures: 18%

forests and woodland: 22%

other: 12% (1993 est.)

Saint Helena: arable land: 6%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 6%

forests and woodland: 6%

other: 82% (1993 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis: arable land: 22%

permanent crops: 17%

permanent pastures: 3%

forests and woodland: 17%

other: 41% (1993 est.)

Saint Lucia: arable land: 8%

permanent crops: 21%

permanent pastures: 5%

forests and woodland: 13%

other: 53% (1993 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon: arable land: 13%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 4%

other: 83% (1993 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: arable land: 10%

permanent crops: 18%

permanent pastures: 5%

forests and woodland: 36%

other: 31% (1993 est.)

Samoa: arable land: 19%

permanent crops: 24%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 47%

other: 10%

San Marino: arable land: 17%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 83% (1993 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe: arable land: 2%

permanent crops: 36%

permanent pastures: 1%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 61% (1993 est.)

Saudi Arabia: arable land: 2%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 56%

forests and woodland: 1%

other: 41% (1993 est.)

Senegal: arable land: 12%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 16%

forests and woodland: 54%

other: 18% (1993 est.)

Seychelles: arable land: 2%

permanent crops: 13%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 11%

other: 74% (1993 est.)

Sierra Leone: arable land: 7%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 31%

forests and woodland: 28%

other: 33% (1993 est.)

Singapore: arable land: 2%

permanent crops: 6%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 5%

other: 87% (1993 est.)

Slovakia: arable land: 31%

permanent crops: 3%

permanent pastures: 17%

forests and woodland: 41%

other: 8% (1993 est.)

Slovenia: arable land: 12%

permanent crops: 3%

permanent pastures: 24%

forests and woodland: 54%

other: 7% (1996 est.)

Solomon Islands: arable land: 1%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 1%

forests and woodland: 88%

other: 9% (1993 est.)

Somalia: arable land: 2%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 69%

forests and woodland: 26%

other: 3% (1993 est.)

South Africa: arable land: 10%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 67%

forests and woodland: 7%

other: 15% (1993 est.)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen)

Spain: arable land: 30%

permanent crops: 9%

permanent pastures: 21%

forests and woodland: 32%

other: 8% (1993 est.)

Spratly Islands: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 100%

Sri Lanka: arable land: 14%

permanent crops: 15%

permanent pastures: 7%

forests and woodland: 32%

other: 32% (1993 est.)

Sudan: arable land: 5%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 46%

forests and woodland: 19%

other: 30% (1993 est.)

Suriname: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 96%

other: 4% (1993 est.)

note: there are 94,927 hectares of arable land, 7,195 hectares of permanent crops, and 15,000 hectares of permanent pastures

Svalbard: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry)

Swaziland: arable land: 11%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 62%

forests and woodland: 7%

other: 20% (1993 est.)

Sweden: arable land: 7%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 1%

forests and woodland: 68%

other: 24% (1993 est.)

Switzerland: arable land: 10%

permanent crops: 2%

permanent pastures: 28%

forests and woodland: 32%

other: 28% (1993 est.)

Syria: arable land: 28%

permanent crops: 4%

permanent pastures: 43%

forests and woodland: 3%

other: 22% (1993 est.)

Tajikistan: arable land: 6%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 25%

forests and woodland: 4%

other: 65% (1993 est.)

Tanzania: arable land: 3%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 40%

forests and woodland: 38%

other: 18% (1993 est.)

Thailand: arable land: 34%

permanent crops: 6%

permanent pastures: 2%

forests and woodland: 26%

other: 32% (1993 est.)

Togo: arable land: 38%

permanent crops: 7%

permanent pastures: 4%

forests and woodland: 17%

other: 34% (1993 est.)

Tokelau: arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 100% (1993 est.)

Tonga: arable land: 24%

permanent crops: 43%

permanent pastures: 6%

forests and woodland: 11%

other: 16% (1993 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago: arable land: 15%

permanent crops: 9%

permanent pastures: 2%

forests and woodland: 46%

other: 28% (1993 est.)

Tromelin Island: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 100% (scattered bushes)

Tunisia: arable land: 19%

permanent crops: 13%

permanent pastures: 20%

forests and woodland: 4%

other: 44% (1993 est.)

Turkey: arable land: 32%

permanent crops: 4%

permanent pastures: 16%

forests and woodland: 26%

other: 22% (1993 est.)

Turkmenistan: arable land: 3%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 63%

forests and woodland: 8%

other: 26% (1993 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands: arable land: 2%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 98% (1993 est.)

Tuvalu: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 100% (1993 est.)

Uganda: arable land: 25%

permanent crops: 9%

permanent pastures: 9%

forests and woodland: 28%

other: 29% (1993 est.)

Ukraine: arable land: 58%

permanent crops: 2%

permanent pastures: 13%

forests and woodland: 18%

other: 9% (1993 est.)

United Arab Emirates: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 2%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 98% (1993 est.)

United Kingdom: arable land: 25%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 46%

forests and woodland: 10%

other: 19% (1993 est.)

United States: arable land: 19%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 25%

forests and woodland: 30%

other: 26% (1993 est.)

Uruguay: arable land: 7%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 77%

forests and woodland: 6%

other: 10% (1997 est.)

Uzbekistan: arable land: 9%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 46%

forests and woodland: 3%

other: 41% (1993 est.)

Vanuatu: arable land: 2%

permanent crops: 10%

permanent pastures: 2%

forests and woodland: 75%

other: 11% (1993 est.)

Venezuela: arable land: 4%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 20%

forests and woodland: 34%

other: 41% (1993 est.)

Vietnam: arable land: 17%

permanent crops: 4%

permanent pastures: 1%

forests and woodland: 30%

other: 48% (1993 est.)

Virgin Islands: arable land: 15%

permanent crops: 6%

permanent pastures: 26%

forests and woodland: 6%

other: 47% (1993 est.)

Wake Island: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 100%

Wallis and Futuna: arable land: 5%

permanent crops: 20%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 75% (1993 est.)

West Bank: arable land: 27%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 32%

forests and woodland: 1%

other: 40%

Western Sahara: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 19%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 81%

World: arable land: 10%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 26%

forests and woodland: 32%

other: 31% (1993 est.)

Yemen: arable land: 3%

permanent crops: 13%

permanent pastures: 33.5%

forests and woodland: 4%

other: 46.5% (1999)

Yugoslavia: arable land: 40%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 20.7%

forests and woodland: 17.3%

other: 22% (1998 est.)

Zambia: arable land: 7%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 40%

forests and woodland: 39%

other: 14% (1993 est.)

Zimbabwe: arable land: 7%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 13%

forests and woodland: 23%

other: 57% (1993 est.)

Taiwan: arable land: 24%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 5%

forests and woodland: 55%

other: 15%

======================================================================

@Languages

Afghanistan: Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism

Albania: Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek

Algeria: Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects

American Samoa: Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English

note: most people are bilingual

Andorra: Catalan (official), French, Castilian

Angola: Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages

Anguilla: English (official)

Antigua and Barbuda: English (official), local dialects

Argentina: Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French

Armenia: Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%

Aruba: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish

Australia: English, native languages

Austria: German

Azerbaijan: Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995 est.)

Bahamas, The: English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Bahrain: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Bangladesh: Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English

Barbados: English

Belarus: Byelorussian, Russian, other

Belgium: Dutch 58%, French 32%, German 10%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)

Belize: English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole

Benin: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)

Bermuda: English (official), Portuguese

Bhutan: Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects

Bolivia: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian

Botswana: English (official), Setswana

Brazil: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French

British Virgin Islands: English (official)

Brunei: Malay (official), English, Chinese

Bulgaria: Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown

Burkina Faso: French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population

Burma: Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Burundi: Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)

Cambodia: Khmer (official) 95%, French, English

Cameroon: 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)

Canada: English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official), other 17.5%

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

Cayman Islands: English

Central African Republic: French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili

Chad: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara and Sango (in south), more than 100 different languages and dialects

Chile: Spanish

China: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)

Christmas Island: English, Chinese, Malay

Cocos (Keeling) Islands: English, Malay

Colombia: Spanish

Comoros: Arabic (official), French (official), Comoran (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 has the most users)

Cook Islands: English (official), Maori

Costa Rica: Spanish (official), English spoken around Puerto Limon

Cote d'Ivoire: French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken

Croatia: Croatian 96%, other 4% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German)

Cuba: Spanish

Cyprus: Greek, Turkish, English

Czech Republic: Czech

Denmark: Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority)

note: English is the predominant second language

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

Dominica: English (official), French patois

Dominican Republic: Spanish

Ecuador: Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)

Egypt: Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes

El Salvador: Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)

Equatorial Guinea: Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo

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

Estonia: Estonian (official), Russian, Ukrainian, English, Finnish, other

Ethiopia: Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas): English

Faroe Islands: Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish

Fiji: English (official), Fijian, Hindustani

Finland: Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities

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

French Guiana: French

French Polynesia: French (official), Tahitian (official)

Gabon: French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi

Gambia, The: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars

Gaza Strip: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)

Georgia: Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%

note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia

Germany: German

Ghana: English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)

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

Greece: Greek 99% (official), English, French

Greenland: Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English

Grenada: English (official), French patois

Guadeloupe: French (official) 99%, Creole patois

Guam: English, Chamorro, Japanese

Guatemala: Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (more than 20 Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)

Guernsey: English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts

Guinea: French (official), each ethnic group has its own language

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

Guyana: English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu

Haiti: French (official), Creole (official)

Holy See (Vatican City): Italian, Latin, French, various other languages

Honduras: Spanish, Amerindian dialects

Hong Kong: Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official

Hungary: Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8%

Iceland: Icelandic

India: English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication, Hindi the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people, Bengali (official), Telugu (official), Marathi (official), Tamil (official), Urdu (official), Gujarati (official), Malayalam (official), Kannada (official), Oriya (official), Punjabi (official), Assamese (official), Kashmiri (official), Sindhi (official), Sanskrit (official), Hindustani (a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India)

note: 24 languages each spoken by a million or more persons; numerous other languages and dialects, for the most part mutually unintelligible

Indonesia: Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese

Iran: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Iraq: Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian

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

Israel: Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language

Italy: Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)

Jamaica: English, Creole

Japan: Japanese

Jersey: English (official), French (official), Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts

Jordan: Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes

Kazakhstan: Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 40%, Russian (official, used in everyday business) 66%

Kenya: English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages

Kiribati: English (official), I-Kiribati

Korea, North: Korean

Korea, South: Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

Kuwait: Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Kyrgyzstan: Kirghiz (Kyrgyz) - official language, Russian - official language

note: in May 2000, the Kyrgyzstani legislature made Russian an official language, equal in status to Kirghiz

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

Latvia: Latvian or Lettish (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other

Lebanon: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian

Lesotho: Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa

Liberia: English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence

Libya: Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities

Liechtenstein: German (official), Alemannic dialect

Lithuania: Lithuanian (official), Polish, Russian

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

Macau: Portuguese, Chinese (Cantonese)

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of: Macedonian 70%, Albanian 21%, Turkish 3%, Serbo-Croatian 3%, other 3%

Madagascar: French (official), Malagasy (official)

Malawi: English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally

Malaysia: Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai; note - in addition, in East Malaysia several indigenous languages are spoken, the largest of which are Iban and Kadazan

Maldives: Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials

Mali: French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages

Malta: Maltese (official), English (official)

Man, Isle of: English, Manx Gaelic

Marshall Islands: English (universally spoken and is the official language), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese

Martinique: French, Creole patois

Mauritania: Hasaniya Arabic (official), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (official), French

Mauritius: English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori

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

Mexico: Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages

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

Moldova: Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)

Monaco: French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque

Mongolia: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian (1999)

Montserrat: English

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

Mozambique: Portuguese (official), indigenous dialects

Namibia: English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama

Nauru: Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes

Nepal: Nepali (official; spoken by 90% of the population), about a dozen other languages and about 30 major dialects; note - many in government and business also speak English (1995)

Netherlands: Dutch

Netherlands Antilles: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish

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

New Zealand: English (official), Maori

Nicaragua: Spanish (official)

note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast

Niger: French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Nigeria: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani

Niue: Polynesian closely related to Tongan and Samoan, English

Norfolk Island: English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian

Northern Mariana Islands: English, Chamorro, Carolinian

note: 86% of population speaks a language other than English at home

Norway: Norwegian (official)

note: small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Oman: Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects

Pakistan: Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%

Palau: English and Palauan official in all states except Sonsoral (Sonsorolese and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official)

Panama: Spanish (official), English 14%

note: many Panamanians bilingual

Papua New Guinea: English spoken by 1%-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region

note: 715 indigenous languages

Paraguay: Spanish (official), Guarani (official)

Peru: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara

Philippines: two official languages - Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English, eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocan, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense

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

Poland: Polish

Portugal: Portuguese

Puerto Rico: Spanish, English

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

Reunion: French (official), Creole widely used

Romania: Romanian, Hungarian, German

Russia: Russian, other

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

Saint Helena: English

Saint Kitts and Nevis: English

Saint Lucia: English (official), French patois

Saint Pierre and Miquelon: French

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

Seychelles: English (official), French (official), Creole

Sierra Leone: English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)

Singapore: Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)

Slovakia: Slovak (official), Hungarian

Slovenia: Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 6%, other 3%

Solomon Islands: Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population

note: 120 indigenous languages

Somalia: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English

South Africa: 11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Spain: Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%

Sri Lanka: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%

note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population

Sudan: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English

note: program of "Arabization" in process

Suriname: Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Svalbard: Russian, Norwegian

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

Sweden: Swedish

note: small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Switzerland: German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 19.2%, Italian (official) 7.6%, Romansch 0.6%, other 8.9%

Syria: Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood

Tajikistan: Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business

Tanzania: Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguju (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages

note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety of sources, including Arabic and English, and it has become the lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of most people is one of the local languages

Thailand: Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects

Togo: French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)

Tokelau: Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English

Tonga: Tongan, English

Trinidad and Tobago: English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese

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

Turkey: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek

Turkmenistan: Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%

Turks and Caicos Islands: English (official)

Tuvalu: Tuvaluan, English

Uganda: English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic

Ukraine: Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian

United Arab Emirates: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu

United Kingdom: English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)

United States: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)

Uruguay: Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)

Uzbekistan: Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%

Vanuatu: English (official), French (official), pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)

Venezuela: Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects

Vietnam: Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)

Virgin Islands: English (official), Spanish, Creole

Wallis and Futuna: French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language)

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

Western Sahara: Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic

Yemen: Arabic

Yugoslavia: Serbian 95%, Albanian 5%

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

Taiwan: Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects

======================================================================

@Legal system

Afghanistan: a new legal system has not been adopted but all factions tacitly agree they will follow Shari'a (Islamic law)

Albania: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Algeria: socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

American Samoa: NA

Andorra: based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Angola: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; recently modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use of free markets

Anguilla: based on English common law

Antarctica: Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations. Decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (within their areas) in accordance with their own national laws. US law, including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such as murder, may apply extra-territorially. Some US laws directly apply to Antarctica. For example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties for the following activities, unless authorized by regulation of statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into specially protected areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants; and the importation into the US of certain items from Antarctica. Violation of the Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison. The National Science Foundation and Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities. Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of Oceans and Polar Affairs, Room 5801, 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 see their website at www.nsf.gov.

Antigua and Barbuda: based on English common law

Argentina: mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Armenia: based on civil law system

Aruba: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence

Ashmore and Cartier Islands: the laws of the 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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Azerbaijan: based on civil law system

Bahamas, The: based on English common law

Bahrain: based on Islamic law and English common law

Baker Island: the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Bangladesh: based on English common law

Barbados: English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts

Bassas da India: the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Belarus: based on civil law system

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

Belize: English law

Benin: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Bermuda: English law

Bhutan: based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Bolivia: based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Bosnia and Herzegovina: based on civil law system

Botswana: based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Bouvet Island: the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply

Brazil: based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

British Indian Ocean Territory: the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

British Virgin Islands: English law

Brunei: based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas

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

Burkina Faso: based on French civil law system and customary law

Burma: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Burundi: based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Cambodia: primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing influence of common law in recent years

Cameroon: based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Canada: based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Cape Verde: derived from the legal system of Portugal

Cayman Islands: British common law and local statutes

Central African Republic: based on French law

Chad: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Chile: based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

China: a complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law

Christmas Island: under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law

Clipperton Island: the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Cocos (Keeling) Islands: based upon the laws of Australia and local laws

Colombia: based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US procedures was enacted in 1992-93; judicial review of executive and legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Comoros: French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code

Congo, Democratic Republic of the: based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Congo, Republic of the: based on French civil law system and customary law

Cook Islands: based on New Zealand law and English common law

Coral Sea Islands: the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply

Costa Rica: based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Cote d'Ivoire: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Croatia: based on civil law system

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

Cyprus: based on common law, with civil law modifications

Czech Republic: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring it in line with Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Denmark: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Djibouti: based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law

Dominica: based on English common law

Dominican Republic: based on French civil codes

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

Egypt: based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes; judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

El Salvador: based on civil and Roman law, with traces of common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Equatorial Guinea: partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom

Eritrea: operates on the basis of transitional laws that incorporate pre-independence statutes of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front, revised Ethiopian laws, customary laws, and post independence enacted laws

Estonia: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

Ethiopia: currently transitional mix of national and regional courts

Europa Island: the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas): English common law

Faroe Islands: Danish

Fiji: based on British system

Finland: civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

France: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts

French Guiana: French legal system

French Polynesia: based on French system

French Southern and Antarctic Lands: the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Gabon: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Gambia, The: based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Georgia: based on civil law system

Germany: civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Ghana: based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Gibraltar: English law

Glorioso Islands: the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Greece: based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts

Greenland: Danish

Grenada: based on English common law

Guadeloupe: French legal system

Guam: modeled on US; US federal laws apply

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

Guernsey: English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court

Guinea: based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Guinea-Bissau: NA

Guyana: based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Haiti: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Heard Island and McDonald Islands: the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply

Holy See (Vatican City): NA

Honduras: rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law with increasing influence of English common law; recent judicial reforms include abandoning Napoleonic legal codes in favor of the oral adversarial system; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Hong Kong: based on English common law

Howland Island: the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Hungary: rule of law based on Western model

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

India: based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Indonesia: based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Iran: the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government

Iraq: based on Islamic law in special religious courts, civil law system elsewhere; 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

Israel: mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Italy: based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

Jan Mayen: the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply

Japan: modeled after European civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Jarvis Island: the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Jersey: English law and local statute

Johnston Atoll: the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Jordan: based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Juan de Nova Island: the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Kazakhstan: based on civil law system

Kenya: based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991

Kingman Reef: the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Kiribati: NA

Korea, North: based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Korea, South: combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought

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

Kyrgyzstan: based on civil law system

Laos: based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and Socialist practice

Latvia: based on civil law system

Lebanon: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Lesotho: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Liberia: dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector

Libya: based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Liechtenstein: local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Lithuania: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

Luxembourg: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Macau: based on Portuguese civil law system

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Madagascar: based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Malawi: based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Malaysia: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Maldives: based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Mali: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court (which was formally established on 9 March 1994); has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

Man, Isle of: English common law and Manx statute

Marshall Islands: based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws

Martinique: French legal system

Mauritania: a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law

Mauritius: based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas

Mayotte: French law

Mexico: mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Micronesia, Federated States of: based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws

Midway Islands: the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Moldova: based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents

Monaco: based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Mongolia: blend of Russian, Chinese, Turkish, and Western systems of law that combines aspects of a parliamentary system with some aspects of a presidential system; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Montserrat: English common law and statutory law

Morocco: based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court

Mozambique: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law

Namibia: based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution

Nauru: acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law

Navassa Island: the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Nepal: based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Netherlands: civil law system incorporating French penal theory; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Netherlands Antilles: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence

New Caledonia: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law

New Zealand: based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Nicaragua: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

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

Nigeria: based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (only in some northern states), and traditional law

Niue: English common law

Norfolk Island: based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law

Northern Mariana Islands: based on US system, except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation

Norway: mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Oman: based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Pakistan: based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Palau: based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws

Palmyra Atoll: the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Panama: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Papua New Guinea: based on English common law

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

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

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

Pitcairn Islands: local island by-laws

Poland: mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts although under the new constitution, the Constitutional Tribunal ruling will become final as of October 1999; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg

Portugal: civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Puerto Rico: based on Spanish civil code

Qatar: discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law is significant in personal matters

Reunion: French law

Romania: former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic

Russia: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Rwanda: based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Saint Helena: NA

Saint Kitts and Nevis: based on English common law

Saint Lucia: based on English common law

Saint Pierre and Miquelon: French law with special adaptations for local conditions, such as housing and taxation

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: based on English common law

Samoa: based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

San Marino: based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Sao Tome and Principe: based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Saudi Arabia: based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Senegal: based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits the government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Seychelles: based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law

Sierra Leone: based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

Slovakia: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Slovenia: based on civil law system

Solomon Islands: English common law

Somalia: NA

South Africa: based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands: the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

Spain: civil law system, with regional applications; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Sri Lanka: a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Sudan: based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suriname: based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory

Svalbard: NA

Swaziland: based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Sweden: civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Switzerland: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Syria: based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Tajikistan: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

Tanzania: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Thailand: based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Togo: French-based court system

Tokelau: British and local statutes

Tonga: based on English law

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

Tromelin Island: the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Tunisia: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

Turkey: derived from various European continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Turkmenistan: based on civil law system

Turks and Caicos Islands: based on laws of England and Wales, with a small number adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas

Tuvalu: NA

Uganda: in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Ukraine: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

United Arab Emirates: federal court system introduced in 1971; all emirates except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah have joined the federal system; all emirates have secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts

United Kingdom: common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; British courts and legislation are increasingly subject to review by European Union courts

United States: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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

Uzbekistan: evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent judicial system

Vanuatu: unified system being created from former dual French and British systems

Venezuela: based on organic laws as of July 1999; open, adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Vietnam: based on communist legal theory and French civil law system

Virgin Islands: based on US laws

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

Wallis and Futuna: French legal system

World: all members of the UN plus Switzerland 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

Yugoslavia: based on civil law system

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

Taiwan: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

======================================================================

@Legislative branch

Afghanistan: non-functioning as of June 1993

Albania: unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (155 seats; most members are elected by direct popular vote and some by proportional vote for four-year terms)

elections: last held 29 June 1997 (next held 24 June 2001, 2nd round 8 July 2001)

election results: percent of vote by party - PS 53.36%, PD 25.33%, PSD 2.5%, PBDNJ 2.78%, PBK 2.36%, PAD 2.85%, PR 2.25%, PLL 3.09%, PDK 1.00%, PBSD 0.84%; seats by party - PS 101, PD 27, PSD 8, PBDNJ 4, PBK 3, PAD 2, PR 2, PLL 2, PDK 1, PBSD 1, PUK 1, independents 3

Algeria: bicameral Parliament consists of the National People's Assembly or Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (380 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Council of Nations (144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote; members serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the council to be renewed every three years)

elections: National People's Assembly - last held 5 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); Council of Nations - last held 30 December 2000 (next to be held NA 2003)

election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - RND 40.8%, MSP 18.2%, FLN 16.8%, Nahda Movement 8.9%, FFS 5%, RCD 5%, PT 1.1%, Progressive Republican Party 0.8%, Union for Democracy and Liberty 0.3%, Social Liberal Party 0.3%, independents 2.8%; seats by party - RND 155, MSP 69, FLN 64, Nahda Movement 34, FFS 19, RCD 19, PT 4, Progressive Republican Party 3, Union for Democracy and Liberty 1, Social Liberal Party 1, independents 11; Council of Nations - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RND 79, FLN 12, FFS 4, MSP 1 (remaining 48 seats appointed by the president, party breakdown NA)

American Samoa: bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which are elected by popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island; members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms)

elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)

election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - only independents elected

note: American Samoa elects one delegate to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate for a sixth term

Andorra: unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de las Valls (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 14 from a single national constituency and 14 to represent each of the 7 parishes; members serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 16 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2001)

election results: percent of vote by party - UL 57%, AND 21%, IDN 7%, ND 7%, other 8%; seats by party - UL 16, AND 6, ND 2, IDN 2, UPO 2

Angola: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held NA)

election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 54%, UNITA 34%, others 12%; seats by party - MPLA 129, UNITA 70, PRS 6, FNLA 5, PLD 3, others 7

Anguilla: unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 elected by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members and 2 appointed; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 3 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2005)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UF 4, AUM 2, independent 1

Antigua and Barbuda: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms)

elections: House of Representatives - last held 9 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ALP 12, UPP 4, independent 1

Argentina: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; formerly, three members appointed by each of the provincial legislatures; presently transitioning to one-third of the members being elected every two years to six-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; one-half of the members elected every two years to four-year terms)

elections: Senate - transition phase will begin in the 2001 elections when all seats will be fully contested; winners will randomly draw to determine whether they will serve a two-year, four-year, or full six-year term, beginning a rotating cycle renovating one-third of the body every two years; Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2001)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA%; seats by bloc or party - Peronist 40, UCR 20, Frepaso 1, other 11; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA%; seats by bloc or party - Alliance 124 (UCR 85, Frepaso 36, others 3), Peronist 101, AR 12, other 20

Armenia: unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 30 May 1999 (next to be held in the spring of 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - unity bloc 61 (Republican Party 41, People's Party of Armenia 20), Stability Group (independent Armenian deputies who have formed a bloc) 21, ACP 10, ARF (Dashnak) 8, Law and Unity Party 7, NDU 6, Law-Governed Party 6, independents 10, unfilled 2; note - seats by party change frequently

Aruba: unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 12 December 1997 (next to be held by NA December 2001)

election results: percent of vote by party - AVP 43%, MEP 39%, OLA 9% PPA 4%, ADN 2%, PARA 1%, MAS 0.5%; seats by party - AVP 10, MEP 9, OLA 2

Australia: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and two from each of the two territories; one-half of the members elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (148 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve three-year terms; no state can have fewer than five representatives)

elections: Senate - last held 3 October 1998 (next to be held by October 2001); House of Representatives - last held 3 October 1998 (next to be held by October 2001)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 35, Australian Labor Party 29, Australian Democratic Party 9, Green Party 1, One Nation Party 1, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 80, Australian Labor Party 67, independent 1

Austria: bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (64 members; members represent each of the states on the basis of population, but with each state having at least three representatives; members serve a four- or six-year term) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: National Council - last held 3 October 1999 (next to be held in the fall of 2003)

election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 33.2%, OeVP 26.9%, FPOe 26.9%, Greens 7.4%; seats by party - SPOe 65, OeVP 52, FPOe 52, Greens 14

Azerbaijan: unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 4 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2005)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NAP and allies 108, APF 6, CSP 3, PNIA 2, Musavat Party 2, CPA 2, APF "traditionalist" 1, Compatriot Party 1

Bahamas, The: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 14 March 1997 (next to be held by March 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FNM 35, PLP 5

Bahrain: unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet; appointed Advisory Council established 16 December 1992; the National Action Charter created a bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum of 14 February 2001

Bangladesh: unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad (330 seats; 300 elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies, 30 seats reserved for women; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 12 June 1996 (next to be held before 13 October 2001)

election results: percent of vote by party - AL 33.87%, BNP 30.87%; seats by party - AL 178, BNP 113, JP 33, JI 3, other 3; note - the elections of 12 June 1996 brought to power an Awami League government for the first time in twenty-one years; held under a neutral, caretaker administration, the elections were characterized by a peaceful, orderly process and massive voter turnout, ending a bitter two-year impasse between the former BNP and opposition parties that had paralyzed National Parliament and led to widespread street violence

Barbados: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: House of Assembly - last held 20 January 1999 (next to be held by January 2004)

election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - BLP 26, DLP 2

Belarus: bicameral Parliament or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Pretsaviteley (110 seats)

elections: last held October 2000 (next to be held NA)

election results: party affiliation data unavailable; under present political conditions party designations are meaningless

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 13 June 1999 (next to be held in NA 2003)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - VLD 15.4%, CVP 14.7%, PRL 10.6%, PS 9.7%, VB 9.4%, SP 8.9%, ECOLO 7.4%, AGALEV 7.1%, PSC 6.0%, VU 5.1%; seats by party - VLD 11, CVP 10, PS 10, PRL 9, VB 6, SP 6, ECOLO 6, AGALEV 5, PSC 5, VU 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD 14.3%, CVP 14.1%, PS 10.2%, PRL 10.1%, VB 9.9%, SP 9.5%, ECOLO 7.4%, AGALEV 7.0%, PSC 5.9%, VU 5.6%; seats by party - VLD 23, CVP 22, PS 19, PRL 18, VB 15, SP 14, ECOLO 11, PSC 10, AGALEV 9, VU 8, 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; for other acronyms of the listed parties see Political parties and leaders

Belize: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (eight members, five appointed on the advice of the prime minister, two on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and one by the governor general; members are appointed for five-year terms); and the House of Representatives (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: House of Representatives - last held 27 August 1998 (next to be held by NA August 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 59.2%, UDP 40.8%; seats by party - PUP 26, UDP 3

Benin: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 30 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RB 27, PRD 11, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 9, MADEP 6, E'toile 4, Alliance IPD 4, Car-DUNYA 3, MERCI 2, other 7

Bermuda: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body appointed by the governor) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 9 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 54%, UBP 44%, NLP 1%, independents 1%; seats by party - PLP 26, UBP 14

Bhutan: unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and other secular interests; members serve three-year terms)

elections: last held NA (next to be held NA)

election results: NA

Bolivia: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - some members are drawn from party lists, thus not directly elected)

elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA June 2002)

election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ADN 11, MIR 7, MNR 4, CONDEPA 3, UCS 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ADN 32, MNR 26, MIR 23, UCS 21, CONDEPA 19, MBL 5, IU 4

Bosnia and Herzegovina: bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the National House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats - 14 Serb, 14 Croat, and 14 Bosniak; members elected by popular vote to serve two-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 two-year terms); note - as of 1 January 2001, Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a permanent election law; a draft law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures; officials elected in 2000 were elected to two-year terms on the presumption that a permanent law would be in place before 2002

elections: National House of Representatives - elections last held 11 November 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2002); House of Peoples - last constituted after the 11 November 2000 elections (next to be constituted in the fall of 2002)

election results: National House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDP 9, SDA 8, SDS 6, HDZ-BiH 5, SBH 5, PDP 2, NHI 1, BPS 1, DPS 1, SNS 1, SNSD-DSP 1, DNZ 1, SPRS 1; 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 (140 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 11 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2002); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 38, SDP 37, HDZ-BiH 25, SBH 21, DNZ 3, NHI 2, BPS 2, DPS 2, BOSS 2, GDS 1, RP 1, HSS 1, LDS 1, Pensioners' Party of FBiH 1, SNSD-DSP 1, HKDU 1, HSP 1; and a House of Peoples (74 seats - 30 Bosniak, 30 Croat, and 14 others); last constituted November 2000; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 11 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2002); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDS 31, PDP 11, SNSD 11, SDA 6, DSP 4, SDP 4, SPRS 4, SBH 4, DNS 3, SNS 2, NHI 1, DSRS 1, Pensioners' Party 1; as of 1 January 2001, Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a permanent election law; a draft law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures; officials elected in 2000 were elected to two-year terms on the presumption that a permanent law would be in place before 2002

Botswana: bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body consisting of the chiefs of the eight principal tribes, four elected subchiefs, and three members selected by the other 12) and the National Assembly (44 seats, 40 members are directly elected by popular vote and 4 appointed by the majority party; members serve five-year terms)

elections: National Assembly elections last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 57.2%, BNF 26%, other 16.8%; seats by party - BDP 33, BNF 6, other 1

Brazil: bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; three members from each state or federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a four year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections: Federal Senate - last held 4 October 1998 for one-third of Senate (next to be held NA October 2002 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 4 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2002)

election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PMDB 27, PFL 20, PSDB 16, PT 7, PPB 5, PSB 3, PDT 2, PPS 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PFL 106, PSDB 99, PMDB 82, PPB 60, PT 58, PTB 31, PDT 25, PSB 19, PL 12, PCdoB 7, other 14

British Virgin Islands: unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VIP 7, CCM 1, NDP 5

Brunei: unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Masyuarat Megeri (a privy council that serves only in a consultative capacity; NA seats; members appointed by the monarch)

elections: last held in March 1962

note: in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by decree of the monarch; an elected Legislative Council is being considered as part of constitutional reform, but elections are unlikely for several years

Bulgaria: unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - National Movement for Simeon II 120, UDF 51, BSP 48, DPS 21

Burkina Faso: bicameral; consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee des Deputes Populaires (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the purely consultative Chamber of Representations or Chambre des Representants (178 seats; members are appointed to serve three-year terms)

elections: National Assembly election last held 11 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CDP 101, PDP 6, RDA 2, ADF 2

Burma: unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NLD 392, SNLD 23, NUP 10, other 60

Burundi: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (121 seats; note - new Transitional Constitution expanded the number of seats from 81 to 121 in 1998; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 29 June 1993 (next was scheduled to be held in 1998, but suspended by presidential decree in 1996)

election results: percent of vote by party - FRODEBU 71.04%, UPRONA 21.4%, other 7.56%; seats by party - FRODEBU 65, UPRONA 16, various other parties 40

Cambodia: bicameral consists of the National Assembly (122 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61 seats; two members appointed by the monarch, two elected by the National Assembly, and 57 elected by "functional constituencies"; members serve five-year terms

elections: National Assembly - last held 26 July 1998 (next to be held NA 2003); Senate - last held 2 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 41%, FUNCINPEC 32%, SRP 14%, other 13%; seats by party - CPP 64, FUNCINPEC 43, SRP 15; Senate - seats by party - CPP 31, FUNCINPEC 21, SRP 7

Cameroon: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term of the legislature)

elections: last held 17 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RDCP 109, SDF 43, UNDP 13, UDC 5, UPC-K 1, MDR 1, MLJC 1; note - results from 7 contested seats were cancelled by the Supreme Court, further elections on 3 August 1997 gave these seats to the RDPC

note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established

Canada: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (a body whose members are appointed to serve until reaching 75 years of age by the governor general and selected on the advice of the prime minister; its normal limit is 104 senators) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (301 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: House of Commons - last held 27 November 2000 (next to be held 2005)

election results: percent of vote by party as of January 2001 - Liberal Party 42%, Canadian Alliance 22%, Bloc Quebecois 13%, New Democratic Party 4%, Progressive Conservative Party 4%; seats by party as of January 2001 - Liberal Party 172, Canadian Alliance 66, Bloc Quebecois 38, New Democratic Party 13, Progressive Conservative Party 12

Cape Verde: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA December 2005)

election results: percent of vote by party - PAICV 47.3%, MPD 39.8%, ADM 6%, other 6.9%; seats by party - PAICV 40, MPD 30, ADM 2

Cayman Islands: unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats, three appointed members and 15 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 8 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - NA

Central African Republic: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - there were 85 seats in the National Assembly before the 1998 election)

elections: last held 22-23 November and 13 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7

note: the National Assembly is advised by the Economic and Regional Council or Conseil Economique et Regional; when they sit together they are called the Congress or Congres

Chad: unicameral National Assembly (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); replaces the Higher Transitional Council or the Conseil Superieur de Transition

elections: National Assembly - last held in two rounds on 5 January and 23 February 1997 (next to be held in late 2001); in the first round of voting some candidates won clear victories by receiving 50% or more of the vote; where that did not happen, the two highest scoring candidates stood for a second round of voting

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MPS 65, URD 29, UNDR 15, RDP 3, others 13

Chile: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (48 seats, 38 elected by popular vote and 10 appointed (all former presidents who served 6 years are senators for life); members serve eight-year terms - one-half elected every four years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 11 December 1997 (next to be held NA December 2001); Chamber of Deputies - last held 11 December 1997 (next to be held NA December 2001)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CPD (PDC 14, PS 4, PPD 2), RN 7, UDI 10, UCCP 1, independents 10; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CPD 50.55% (PDC 22.98%, PS 11.10%, PPD 12.55%, PRSD 3.13%), RN 16.78%, UDI 14.43%; seats by party - CPD 70 (PDC 39, PPD 16, PRSD 4, PS 11), RN 24, UDI 21, Socialist Party 1, right-wing independents 4

China: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,979 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held NA December 1997-NA February 1998 (next to be held late 2002-NA March 2003)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - NA

Christmas Island: unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)

elections: last held NA December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9

Cocos (Keeling) Islands: unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (NA seats)

Colombia: bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Senate or Senado (102 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (163 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 8 March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2002); House of Representatives - last held 8 March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2002)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PL 50%, PSC 24%, smaller parties (many aligned with conservatives) 26%; seats by party - PL 58, PSC 28, smaller parties 16; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PL 52%, PSC 17%, other 31%; seats by party - PL 98, PSC 52, indigenous parties 2, others 11

Comoros: bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (15 seats: five from each island); members selected by regional councils for six-year terms) and a Federal Assembly or Assemblee Federale (43 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - the Federal Assembly was dissolved following the coup of 30 April 1999

elections: Federal Assembly - last held 1 and 8 December 1996 (next to be held NA)

election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RND 39, FNJ 3, independent 1

note: the constitution stipulates that only parties that win six seats in the Federal Assembly (two from each island) are permitted to be in opposition, but if no party accomplishes that, the second most successful party will be in opposition; in the elections of December 1996 the FNJ appeared to qualify as opposition

Congo, Democratic Republic of the: a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly established in August 2000

elections: NA; members of the Transitional Constituent Assembly were appointed by former President KABILA

Congo, Republic of the: unicameral National Transitional Council (75 seats, members elected by reconciliation forum of 1,420 delegates on NA January 1998); note - the National Transitional Council replaced the bicameral Parliament

elections: National Transitional Council - last held NA January 1998 (next to be held NA 2001); note - at that election the National Transitional Council is to be replaced by a bicameral assembly

election results: National Transitional Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

Cook Islands: unicameral Parliament (25 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held NA June 1999 (next to be held by NA 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CIP 12, DAP 12, NAP 1

note: the House of Ariki (chiefs) advises on traditional matters, but has no legislative powers

Costa Rica: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 1 February 1998 (next to be held 3 February 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - PUSC 41%, PLN 35%, minority parties 24%; seats by party - PUSC 27, PLN 23, minority parties 7

Cote d'Ivoire: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (225 seats; members are elected in single- and multi-district elections by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: elections last held 10 December 2000 with by-elections on 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA 2005)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FPI 96, PDCI-RDA 94, RDR 5, PIT 4, other 2, independents 22, vacant 2

note: a Senate is scheduled to be created in the next full election in 2005

Croatia: bicameral Assembly or Sabor consists of the House of Counties or Zupanijski Dom (68 seats, 63 directly elected by popular vote, 5 appointed by the president; members serve four-year terms; note - House of Counties to be abolished in 2001) and House of Representatives or the Zastupnicki Dom (151 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: House of Counties - last held 13 April 1997; House of Representatives - last held 2-3 January 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results: House of Counties - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HDZ 42, HSLS/HSS 11, HSS 2, IDS 2, SDP/PGS/HNS 2, SDP/HNS 2, HSLS/HSS/HNS 1, HSLS 1; note - in some districts certain parties ran as coalitions, while in others they ran alone; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HDZ 46, SDP 44, HSLS 24, HSS 17, HSP/HKDU 5, IDS 4, HNS 2, independents 4, minority representatives 5

Cuba: unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (601 seats, elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 11 January 1998 (next to be held in 2003)

election results: percent of vote - PCC 94.39%; seats - PCC 601

Cyprus: unicameral - Greek Cypriot area: House of Representatives or Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to the Greek Cypriots, 24 to Turkish Cypriots; note - only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are filled; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); Turkish Cypriot area: Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: Greek Cypriot area: last held 27 May 2001 (next to be held NA May 2006); Turkish Cypriot area: last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA December 2003)

election results: Greek Cypriot area: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - AKEL (Communist) 20, DISY 19, DIKO 9, KISOS 4, others 4; Turkish Cypriot area: Assembly of the Republic - percent of vote by party - UBP 40.3%, DP 22.6%, TKP 15.4%, CTP 13.4%, UDP 4.6%, YBH 2.5%, BP 1.2%; seats by party - UBP 24, DP 13, TKP 7, CTP 6

Czech Republic: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka snemovna (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 12 and 19 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); Chamber of Deputies - last held 19-20 June 1998 (next to be held by NA June 2002)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - KDU-CSL 28, ODS 22, CSSD 15, ODA 7, US 4, KSCM 3, independents 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CSSD 32.3%, ODS 27.7%, KSCM 11%, KDU-CSL 9.0%, US 8.6%; seats by party - CSSD 74, ODS 63, KSCM 24, KDU-CSL 20, US 18, CSNS 1

Denmark: unicameral Parliament or Folketing (179 seats, including 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 11 March 1998 (next to be held by March 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - progovernment parties: Social Democratic Party 65, Socialist People's Party 13, Social Liberal Party 7, Red-Green Unity List 5; opposition: Liberal Party 43, Conservative Party 17, Danish People's Party 13, Center Democratic Party 8, Christian People's Party 4, Progress Party 4; seats by party as of 1 January 2001: government coalition parties - Social Democrats 63, Social Liberals 7; pro-government parties - Socialist People's Party 13, Unity List 5; opposition - Liberals 42, Conservatives 16, Danish People's Party 13, Center Democrats 8, Christian People's Party 4, Progress Party 4 (now named Freedom 2000); does not include the 4 overseas seats

Djibouti: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

elections: last held 19 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - RPP 65; note - RPP (the ruling party) dominated the election

Dominica: unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 31 January 2000 (next to be held by NA 2005)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -DLP 11, UWP 8, DFP 2

Dominican Republic: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (149 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 16 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2002); Chamber of Deputies - last held 16 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2002)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRD 24, PLD 3, PRSC 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRD 83, PLD 49, PRSC 17

Ecuador: unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (121 seats; 79 members are popularly elected at-large nationally to serve four-year terms; 42 members are popularly elected by province - two per province - for four-year terms)

elections: last held 31 May 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - DP 32, PSC 27, PRE 24, ID 18, P-NP 9, FRA 5, PCE 3, MPD 2, CFP 1; note - defections by members of National Congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties

Egypt: bicameral system consists of the People's Assembly or Majlis al-Sha'b (454 seats; 444 elected by popular vote, 10 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) and the Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura - which functions only in a consultative role (264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote, 88 appointed by the president; members serve NA-year terms)

elections: People's Assembly - three-phase voting - last held 19 October, 29 October, 8 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2005); Advisory Council - last held 7 June 1995 (next to be held NA)

election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NDP 88%, independents 8%, opposition 4%; seats by party - NDP 398, NWP 7, Tagammu 6, Nasserists 2, LSP 1, independents 38, undecided 2; Advisory Council - percent of vote by party - NDP 99%, independents 1%; seats by party - NA

El Salvador: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve three-year terms)

elections: last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - ARENA 36.1%, FMLN 35.14%, PCN 8.76%, PDC 7.08%, CD 5.32%, PAN 3.75%, USC 1.47%, PLD 1.29%; seats by party - ARENA 28, FMLN 31, PCN 14, PDC 5, CD 3, PAN 1, independent 2

Equatorial Guinea: unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (80 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 7 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - PDGE 80%, UP 6%, CPDS 5%; seats by party - PDGE 75, UP 4 and CPDS 1

note: opposition parties have refused to take up their seats in the House to protest widespread irregularities in the 1999 legislative elections

Eritrea: unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established)

elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until country-wide elections to a National Assembly are held; only 75 members will be elected to the National Assembly - the other 75 will be members of the Central Committee of the PFDJ; parliamentary elections are now scheduled for NA December 2001

Estonia: unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 7 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Center Party 28, Union of Pro Patria (Fatherland League) 18, Reform Party 18, Moderates 17, Country People's Party (Agrarians) 7, Coalition Party 7, UPPE 6

Ethiopia: bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or upper chamber (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives or lower chamber (548 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 14 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - OPDO 177, ANDM 134, TPLF 38, WGGPDO 27, EPRDF 19, SPDO 18, GNDM 15, KSPDO 10, ANDP 8, GPRDF 7, SOPDM 7, BGPDUF 6, BMPDO 5, KAT 4, other regional political groupings 22, independents 8; note - 43 seats unconfirmed

note: irregularities and violence at a number of polling stations necessitated the rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies; voting postponed in Somali regional state because of severe drought

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas): unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - 2 ex officio, 8 elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms) presided over by the governor

elections: last held 9 October 1997 (next to be held NA October 2001)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 8

Faroe Islands: unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven constituencies to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 30 April 1998 (next to be held not later than April 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.8%, People's Party 21.3%, Social Democratic Party 21.9%, Union Party 18%, Home Rue Party 7.7%, Center Party 4.1%; seats by party - Republican Party 8, People's Party 8, Social Democratic Party 7, Union Party 6, Home Rule Party 2, Center Party 1

note: election of 2 seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 11 March 1998 (next to be held not later than March 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Social Democratic Party 1, People's Party 1

Fiji: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (32 seats; 14 appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs, nine appointed by the prime minister, eight appointed by the leader of the opposition, and one appointed by the council of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, three reserved for other ethnic groups, one reserved for the council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open; members serve five-year terms)

elections: House of Representatives - last held 11 May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2004)

election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Fiji Labor Party 37, others 34

Finland: unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 21 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - SDP 22.9%, Kesk 22.5%, Kok 21.0%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.9%, SFP 5.1%, Green Union 7.2%, SKL 4.2%; seats by party - SDP 51, Kesk 48, Kok 46, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 20, SFP 11, Green Union 11, SKL 10, other 3

France: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (321 seats - 296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a single-member majoritarian system to serve five-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held September 2001); National Assembly - last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA May 2002)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 99, UDC 52, DL 47, PS 78, PCF 16, other 29; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PS 245, RPR 140, UDF 109, PCF 37, PRS 13, MEI 8, MDC 7, LDI-MPF 1, FN 1, various left 9, various right 7

French Guiana: unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)

elections: General Council - last held NA March 2000 (next to be held NA 2006); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - PS 28.28%, various left parties 22.56%, RPR 15.91%, independents 8.6%, Walwari Committee 6%; seats by party - PS 11, various left parties 9, RPR 6, independents 3, Walwari Committee 2

note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1, PSG 1

French Polynesia: unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 12 May 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 22, Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia 10, New Fatherland Party 5, other 4

note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA September 1998); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UC 1; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 2

Gabon: bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats); members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms

elections: National Assembly - last held 15 and 29 December 1996 (next to be held NA December 2001); Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 1997 (next to be held in January 2002)