Introductory material (continued 59)
Reading edition
Croatia total: 1,982 km border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 455 km
Cuba total: 29 km border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba
Cyprus total: 150.4 km (approximately) border sovereign base areas: Akrotiri 47.4 km, Dhekelia 103 km (approximately)
Czech Republic total: 1,989 km border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 815 km, Poland 615 km, Slovakia 197 km
Denmark total: 68 km border countries: Germany 68 km
Dhekelia total: 103 km (approximately) border countries: Cyprus 103 km (approximately)
Djibouti total: 516 km border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km
Dominica 0 km
Dominican Republic total: 360 km border countries: Haiti 360 km
Ecuador total: 2,010 km border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km
Egypt total: 2,665 km border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km
El Salvador total: 545 km border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
Equatorial Guinea total: 539 km border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km
Eritrea total: 1,626 km border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
Estonia total: 633 km border countries: Latvia 343 km, Russia 290 km
Ethiopia total: 5,328 km border countries: Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km
European Union total: 12,440.8 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein 34.9 km, Macedonia 394 km, Moldova 450 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia 945 km, Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 446 km, Ukraine 1,257 km note: data for European Continent only
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 0 km
Faroe Islands 0 km
Fiji 0 km
Finland total: 2,654 km border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,313 km
France metropolitan France - total: 2,889 km border countries: Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km French Guiana - total: 1,183 km border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
French Polynesia 0 km
French Southern and Antarctic Lands 0 km
Gabon total: 2,551 km border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
Gambia, The total: 740 km border countries: Senegal 740 km
Gaza Strip total: 62 km border countries: Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Georgia total: 1,461 km border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km
Germany total: 3,621 km border countries: Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
Ghana total: 2,094 km border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km
Gibraltar total: 1.2 km border countries: Spain 1.2 km
Greece total: 1,228 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 246 km
Greenland 0 km
Grenada 0 km
Guam 0 km
Guatemala total: 1,687 km border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
Guernsey 0 km
Guinea total: 3,399 km border countries: Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km
Guinea-Bissau total: 724 km border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km
Guyana total: 2,949 km border countries: Brazil 1,606 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Haiti total: 360 km border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km
Heard Island and McDonald Islands 0 km
Holy See (Vatican City) total: 3.2 km border countries: Italy 3.2 km
Honduras total: 1,520 km border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km
Hong Kong total: 30 km regional border: China 30 km
Hungary total: 2,185 km border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia 166 km, Slovakia 676 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km
Iceland 0 km
India total: 14,103 km border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
Indonesia total: 2,830 km border countries: Timor-Leste 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km
Iran total: 5,440 km border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km
Iraq total: 3,650 km border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km
Ireland total: 360 km border countries: UK 360 km
Isle of Man 0 km
Israel total: 1,017 km border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Italy total: 1,899.2 km border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 199 km, Switzerland 740 km
Jamaica 0 km
Jan Mayen 0 km
Japan 0 km
Jersey 0 km
Jordan total: 1,635 km border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
Kazakhstan total: 12,185 km border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,224 km, Russia 6,846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km
Kenya total: 3,477 km border countries: Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Kiribati 0 km
Korea, North total: 1,673 km border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km
Korea, South total: 238 km border countries: North Korea 238 km
Kosovo total: 702 km border countries: Albania 112 km, Macedonia 159 km, Montenegro 79 km, Serbia 352 km
Kuwait total: 462 km border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Kyrgyzstan total: 3,051 km border countries: China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,224 km, Tajikistan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km
Laos total: 5,083 km border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
Latvia total: 1,382 km border countries: Belarus 171 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km, Russia 292 km
Lebanon total: 454 km border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
Lesotho total: 909 km border countries: South Africa 909 km
Liberia total: 1,585 km border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
Libya total: 4,348 km border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
Liechtenstein total: 76 km border countries: Austria 34.9 km, Switzerland 41.1 km
Lithuania total: 1,574 km border countries: Belarus 680 km, Latvia 576 km, Poland 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 227 km
Luxembourg total: 359 km border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km
Macau total: 0.34 km regional border: China 0.34 km
Macedonia total: 766 km border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 246 km, Kosovo 159 km, Serbia 62 km
Madagascar 0 km
Malawi total: 2,881 km border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km
Malaysia total: 2,669 km border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km
Maldives 0 km
Mali total: 7,243 km border countries: Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km
Malta 0 km
Marshall Islands 0 km
Mauritania total: 5,074 km border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km
Mauritius 0 km
Mayotte 0 km
Mexico total: 4,353 km border countries: Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,141 km
Micronesia, Federated States of 0 km
Moldova total: 1,390 km border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 940 km
Monaco total: 4.4 km border countries: France 4.4 km
Mongolia total: 8,220 km border countries: China 4,677 km, Russia 3,543 km
Montenegro total: 625 km border countries: Albania 172 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 225 km, Croatia 25 km, Kosovo 79 km, Serbia 124 km
Montserrat 0 km
Morocco total: 2,017.9 km border countries: Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km, Spain (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Spain (Melilla) 9.6 km
Mozambique total: 4,571 km border countries: Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km
Namibia total: 3,936 km border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 967 km, Zambia 233 km
Nauru 0 km
Navassa Island 0 km
Nepal total: 2,926 km border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Netherlands total: 1,027 km border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
Netherlands Antilles total: 15 km border countries: Saint Martin 15 km
New Caledonia 0 km
New Zealand 0 km
Nicaragua total: 1,231 km border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Niger total: 5,697 km border countries: Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina Faso 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Nigeria total: 4,047 km border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Niue 0 km
Norfolk Island 0 km
Northern Mariana Islands 0 km
Norway total: 2,542 km border countries: Finland 727 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 196 km
Oman total: 1,374 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Pakistan total: 6,774 km border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km
Palau 0 km
Panama total: 555 km border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
Papua New Guinea total: 820 km border countries: Indonesia 820 km
Paracel Islands 0 km
Paraguay total: 3,995 km border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,365 km
Peru total: 7,461 km border countries: Bolivia 1,075 km, Brazil 2,995 km, Chile 171 km, Colombia 1,800 km, Ecuador 1,420 km
Philippines 0 km
Pitcairn Islands 0 km
Poland total: 3,047 km border countries: Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 615 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Slovakia 420 km, Ukraine 428 km
Portugal total: 1,214 km border countries: Spain 1,214 km
Puerto Rico 0 km
Qatar total: 60 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km
Romania total: 2,508 km border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km
Russia total: 20,241.5 km border countries: Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 290 km, Finland 1,313 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 17.5 km, Latvia 292 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,441 km, Norway 196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Ukraine 1,576 km
Rwanda total: 893 km border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km
Saint Barthelemy 0 km
Saint Helena 0 km
Saint Kitts and Nevis 0 km
Saint Lucia 0 km
Saint Martin total: 15 km border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 km
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 0 km
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0 km
Samoa 0 km
San Marino total: 39 km border countries: Italy 39 km
Sao Tome and Principe 0 km
Saudi Arabia total: 4,431 km border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
Senegal total: 2,640 km border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
Serbia total: 2,026 km border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 302 km, Bulgaria 318 km, Croatia 241 km, Hungary 151 km, Kosovo 352 km, Macedonia 62 km, Montenegro 124 km, Romania 476 km
Seychelles 0 km
Sierra Leone total: 958 km border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Singapore 0 km
Slovakia total: 1,474 km border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 197 km, Hungary 676 km, Poland 420 km, Ukraine 90 km
Slovenia total: 1,086 km border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 455 km, Hungary 102 km, Italy 199 km
Solomon Islands 0 km
Somalia total: 2,340 km border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
South Africa total: 4,862 km border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 0 km
Spain total: 1,917.8 km border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km
Spratly Islands 0 km
Sri Lanka 0 km
Sudan total: 7,687 km border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km
Suriname total: 1,703 km border countries: Brazil 593 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km
Svalbard 0 km
Swaziland total: 535 km border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Sweden total: 2,233 km border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km
Switzerland total: 1,852 km border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km
Syria total: 2,253 km border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km
Taiwan 0 km
Tajikistan total: 3,651 km border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Tanzania total: 3,861 km border countries: Burundi 451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
Thailand total: 4,863 km border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km
Timor-Leste total: 228 km border countries: Indonesia 228 km
Togo total: 1,647 km border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km
Tokelau 0 km
Tonga 0 km
Trinidad and Tobago 0 km
Tunisia total: 1,424 km border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Turkey total: 2,648 km border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km
Turkmenistan total: 3,736 km border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Turks and Caicos Islands 0 km
Tuvalu 0 km
Uganda total: 2,698 km border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km
Ukraine total: 4,566 km border countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 940 km, Poland 428 km, Romania (south) 176 km, Romania (southwest) 362 km, Russia 1,576 km, Slovakia 90 km
United Arab Emirates total: 867 km border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
United Kingdom total: 360 km border countries: Ireland 360 km
United States total: 12,034 km border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,141 km note: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 28 km
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges none
Uruguay total: 1,648 km border countries: Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km
Uzbekistan total: 6,221 km border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km
Vanuatu 0 km
Venezuela total: 4,993 km border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
Vietnam total: 4,639 km border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km
Virgin Islands 0 km
Wake Island 0 km
Wallis and Futuna 0 km
West Bank total: 404 km border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Western Sahara total: 2,046 km border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
World the land boundaries in the world total 251,060 km (not counting shared boundaries twice); two nations, China and Russia, each border 14 other countries note: 45 nations and other areas are landlocked, these include: Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe; two of these, Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan, are doubly landlocked
Yemen total: 1,746 km border countries: Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km
Zambia total: 5,664 km border countries: Angola 1,110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zimbabwe 797 km
Zimbabwe total: 3,066 km border countries: Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km
This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
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@2097 Land use (%)
Afghanistan arable land: 12.13% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 87.66% (2005)
Albania arable land: 20.1% permanent crops: 4.21% other: 75.69% (2005)
Algeria arable land: 3.17% permanent crops: 0.28% other: 96.55% (2005)
American Samoa arable land: 10% permanent crops: 15% other: 75% (2005)
Andorra arable land: 2.13% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.87% (2005)
Angola arable land: 2.65% permanent crops: 0.23% other: 97.12% (2005)
Anguilla arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some commercial salt ponds) (2005)
Antarctica arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%) (2005)
Antigua and Barbuda arable land: 18.18% permanent crops: 4.55% other: 77.27% (2005)
Argentina arable land: 10.03% permanent crops: 0.36% other: 89.61% (2005)
Armenia arable land: 16.78% permanent crops: 2.01% other: 81.21% (2005)
Aruba arable land: 10.53% permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (2005)
Ashmore and Cartier Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005)
Australia arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland) permanent crops: 0.04% other: 93.81% (2005)
Austria arable land: 16.59% permanent crops: 0.85% other: 82.56% (2005)
Azerbaijan arable land: 20.62% permanent crops: 2.61% other: 76.77% (2005)
Bahamas, The arable land: 0.58% permanent crops: 0.29% other: 99.13% (2005)
Bahrain arable land: 2.82% permanent crops: 5.63% other: 91.55% (2005)
Bangladesh arable land: 55.39% permanent crops: 3.08% other: 41.53% (2005)
Barbados arable land: 37.21% permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (2005)
Belarus arable land: 26.77% permanent crops: 0.6% other: 72.63% (2005)
Belgium arable land: 27.42% permanent crops: 0.69% other: 71.89% note: includes Luxembourg (2005)
Belize arable land: 3.05% permanent crops: 1.39% other: 95.56% (2005)
Benin arable land: 23.53% permanent crops: 2.37% other: 74.1% (2005)
Bermuda arable land: 20% permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2005)
Bhutan arable land: 2.3% permanent crops: 0.43% other: 97.27% (2005)
Bolivia arable land: 2.78% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 97.03% (2005)
Bosnia and Herzegovina arable land: 19.61% permanent crops: 1.89% other: 78.5% (2005)
Botswana arable land: 0.65% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.34% (2005)
Bouvet Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (93% ice) (2005)
Brazil arable land: 6.93% permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.18% (2005)
British Indian Ocean Territory arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
British Virgin Islands arable land: 20% permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2005)
Brunei arable land: 2.08% permanent crops: 0.87% other: 97.05% (2005)
Bulgaria arable land: 29.94% permanent crops: 1.9% other: 68.16% (2005)
Burkina Faso arable land: 17.66% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 82.12% (2005)
Burma arable land: 14.92% permanent crops: 1.31% other: 83.77% (2005)
Burundi arable land: 35.57% permanent crops: 13.12% other: 51.31% (2005)
Cambodia arable land: 20.44% permanent crops: 0.59% other: 78.97% (2005)
Cameroon arable land: 12.54% permanent crops: 2.52% other: 84.94% (2005)
Canada arable land: 4.57% permanent crops: 0.65% other: 94.78% (2005)
Cape Verde arable land: 11.41% permanent crops: 0.74% other: 87.85% (2005)
Cayman Islands arable land: 3.85% permanent crops: 0% other: 96.15% (2005)
Central African Republic arable land: 3.1% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 96.75% (2005)
Chad arable land: 2.8% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 97.18% (2005)
Chile arable land: 2.62% permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.95% (2005)
China arable land: 14.86% permanent crops: 1.27% other: 83.87% (2005)
Christmas Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005)
Clipperton Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all coral) (2005)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Colombia arable land: 2.01% permanent crops: 1.37% other: 96.62% (2005)
Comoros arable land: 35.87% permanent crops: 23.32% other: 40.81% (2005)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the arable land: 2.86% permanent crops: 0.47% other: 96.67% (2005)
Congo, Republic of the arable land: 1.45% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 98.4% (2005)
Cook Islands arable land: 16.67% permanent crops: 8.33% other: 75% (2005)
Coral Sea Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (2005)
Costa Rica arable land: 4.4% permanent crops: 5.87% other: 89.73% (2005)
Cote d'Ivoire arable land: 10.23% permanent crops: 11.16% other: 78.61% (2005)
Croatia arable land: 25.82% permanent crops: 2.19% other: 71.99% (2005)
Cuba arable land: 27.63% permanent crops: 6.54% other: 65.83% (2005)
Cyprus arable land: 10.81% permanent crops: 4.32% other: 84.87% (2005)
Czech Republic arable land: 38.82% permanent crops: 3% other: 58.18% (2005)
Denmark arable land: 52.59% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 47.22% (2005)
Djibouti arable land: 0.04% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.96% (2005)
Dominica arable land: 6.67% permanent crops: 21.33% other: 72% (2005)
Dominican Republic arable land: 22.49% permanent crops: 10.26% other: 67.25% (2005)
Ecuador arable land: 5.71% permanent crops: 4.81% other: 89.48% (2005)
Egypt arable land: 2.92% permanent crops: 0.5% other: 96.58% (2005)
El Salvador arable land: 31.37% permanent crops: 11.88% other: 56.75% (2005)
Equatorial Guinea arable land: 4.63% permanent crops: 3.57% other: 91.8% (2005)
Eritrea arable land: 4.78% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 95.19% (2005)
Estonia arable land: 12.05% permanent crops: 0.35% other: 87.6% (2005)
Ethiopia arable land: 10.01% permanent crops: 0.65% other: 89.34% (2005)
European Union arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2005)
Faroe Islands arable land: 2.14% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.86% (2005)
Fiji arable land: 10.95% permanent crops: 4.65% other: 84.4% (2005)
Finland arable land: 6.54% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 93.44% (2005)
France arable land: 33.46% permanent crops: 2.03% other: 64.51% note: French Guiana - arable land 0.13%, permanent crops 0.04%, other 99.83% (90% forest, 10% other); Guadeloupe - arable land 11.70%, permanent crops 2.92%, other 85.38%; Martinique - arable land 9.09%, permanent crops 10.0%, other 80.91%; Reunion - arable land 13.94%, permanent crops 1.59%, other 84.47% (2005)
French Polynesia arable land: 0.75% permanent crops: 5.5% other: 93.75% (2005)
French Southern and Antarctic Lands Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul) - 100% trees, grasses, ferns, and moss; Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul) - 100% grass, ferns, and moss; Iles Crozet - 100% tossock grass, heath, and fern; Iles Kerguelen - 100% tossock grass and Kerguelen cabbage; Bassas da India (Iles Eparses) - 100% rock, coral reef, and sand; Europa Island (Iles Eparses) - 100% mangrove swamp and dry woodlands; Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses) - 100% lush vegetation and coconut palms; Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses) - 90% forest, 10% other; Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses) - 100% grasses and scattered brush (2005)
Gabon arable land: 1.21% permanent crops: 0.64% other: 98.15% (2005)
Gambia, The arable land: 27.88% permanent crops: 0.44% other: 71.68% (2005)
Gaza Strip arable land: 29% permanent crops: 21% other: 50% (2002)
Georgia arable land: 11.51% permanent crops: 3.79% other: 84.7% (2005)
Germany arable land: 33.13% permanent crops: 0.6% other: 66.27% (2005)
Ghana arable land: 17.54% permanent crops: 9.22% other: 73.24% (2005)
Gibraltar arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Greece arable land: 20.45% permanent crops: 8.59% other: 70.96% (2005)
Greenland arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Grenada arable land: 5.88% permanent crops: 29.41% other: 64.71% (2005)
Guam arable land: 3.64% permanent crops: 18.18% other: 78.18% (2005)
Guatemala arable land: 13.22% permanent crops: 5.6% other: 81.18% (2005)
Guernsey arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA
Guinea arable land: 4.47% permanent crops: 2.64% other: 92.89% (2005)
Guinea-Bissau arable land: 8.31% permanent crops: 6.92% other: 84.77% (2005)
Guyana arable land: 2.23% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 97.63% (2005)
Haiti arable land: 28.11% permanent crops: 11.53% other: 60.36% (2005)
Heard Island and McDonald Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Holy See (Vatican City) arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2005)
Honduras arable land: 9.53% permanent crops: 3.21% other: 87.26% (2005)
Hong Kong arable land: 5.05% permanent crops: 1.01% other: 93.94% (2001)
Hungary arable land: 49.58% permanent crops: 2.06% other: 48.36% (2005)
Iceland arable land: 0.07% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.93% (2005)
India arable land: 48.83% permanent crops: 2.8% other: 48.37% (2005)
Indonesia arable land: 11.03% permanent crops: 7.04% other: 81.93% (2005)
Iran arable land: 9.78% permanent crops: 1.29% other: 88.93% (2005)
Iraq arable land: 13.12% permanent crops: 0.61% other: 86.27% (2005)
Ireland arable land: 16.82% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 83.15% (2005)
Isle of Man arable land: 9% permanent crops: 0% other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002)
Israel arable land: 15.45% permanent crops: 3.88% other: 80.67% (2005)
Italy arable land: 26.41% permanent crops: 9.09% other: 64.5% (2005)
Jamaica arable land: 15.83% permanent crops: 10.01% other: 74.16% (2005)
Jan Mayen arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Japan arable land: 11.64% permanent crops: 0.9% other: 87.46% (2005)
Jersey arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Jordan arable land: 3.32% permanent crops: 1.18% other: 95.5% (2005)
Kazakhstan arable land: 8.28% permanent crops: 0.05% other: 91.67% (2005)
Kenya arable land: 8.01% permanent crops: 0.97% other: 91.02% (2005)
Kiribati arable land: 2.74% permanent crops: 47.95% other: 49.31% (2005)
Korea, North arable land: 22.4% permanent crops: 1.66% other: 75.94% (2005)
Korea, South arable land: 16.58% permanent crops: 2.01% other: 81.41% (2005)
Kuwait arable land: 0.84% permanent crops: 0.17% other: 98.99% (2005)
Kyrgyzstan arable land: 6.55% permanent crops: 0.28% other: 93.17% note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural-growth walnut forest (2005)
Laos arable land: 4.01% permanent crops: 0.34% other: 95.65% (2005)
Latvia arable land: 28.19% permanent crops: 0.45% other: 71.36% (2005)
Lebanon arable land: 16.35% permanent crops: 13.75% other: 69.9% (2005)
Lesotho arable land: 10.87% permanent crops: 0.13% other: 89% (2005)
Liberia arable land: 3.43% permanent crops: 1.98% other: 94.59% (2005)
Libya arable land: 1.03% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 98.78% (2005)
Liechtenstein arable land: 25% permanent crops: 0% other: 75% (2005)
Lithuania arable land: 44.81% permanent crops: 0.9% other: 54.29% (2005)
Luxembourg arable land: 27.42% permanent crops: 0.69% other: 71.89% (includes Belgium) (2005)
Macau arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Macedonia arable land: 22.01% permanent crops: 1.79% other: 76.2% (2005)
Madagascar arable land: 5.03% permanent crops: 1.02% other: 93.95% (2005)
Malawi arable land: 20.68% permanent crops: 1.18% other: 78.14% (2005)
Malaysia arable land: 5.46% permanent crops: 17.54% other: 77% (2005)
Maldives arable land: 13.33% permanent crops: 30% other: 56.67% (2005)
Mali arable land: 3.76% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 96.21% (2005)
Malta arable land: 31.25% permanent crops: 3.13% other: 65.62% (2005)
Marshall Islands arable land: 11.11% permanent crops: 44.44% other: 44.45% (2005)
Mauritania arable land: 0.2% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.79% (2005)
Mauritius arable land: 49.02% permanent crops: 2.94% other: 48.04% (2005)
Mayotte arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% other: NA%
Mexico arable land: 12.66% permanent crops: 1.28% other: 86.06% (2005)
Micronesia, Federated States of arable land: 5.71% permanent crops: 45.71% other: 48.58% (2005)
Moldova arable land: 54.52% permanent crops: 8.81% other: 36.67% (2005)
Monaco arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2005)
Mongolia arable land: 0.76% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.24% (2005)
Montenegro arable land: 13.7% permanent crops: 1% other: 85.3%
Montserrat arable land: 20% permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (2005)
Morocco arable land: 19% permanent crops: 2% other: 79% (2005)
Mozambique arable land: 5.43% permanent crops: 0.29% other: 94.28% (2005)
Namibia arable land: 0.99% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99% (2005)
Nauru arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Navassa Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Nepal arable land: 16.07% permanent crops: 0.85% other: 83.08% (2005)
Netherlands arable land: 21.96% permanent crops: 0.77% other: 77.27% (2005)
Netherlands Antilles arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% other: 90% (2005)
New Caledonia arable land: 0.32% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 99.46% (2005)
New Zealand arable land: 5.54% permanent crops: 6.92% other: 87.54% (2005)
Nicaragua arable land: 14.81% permanent crops: 1.82% other: 83.37% (2005)
Niger arable land: 11.43% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 88.56% (2005)
Nigeria arable land: 33.02% permanent crops: 3.14% other: 63.84% (2005)
Niue arable land: 11.54% permanent crops: 15.38% other: 73.08% (2005)
Norfolk Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Northern Mariana Islands arable land: 13.04% permanent crops: 4.35% other: 82.61% (2005)
Norway arable land: 2.7% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.3% (2005)
Oman arable land: 0.12% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 99.74% (2005)
Pakistan arable land: 24.44% permanent crops: 0.84% other: 74.72% (2005)
Palau arable land: 8.7% permanent crops: 4.35% other: 86.95% (2005)
Panama arable land: 7.26% permanent crops: 1.95% other: 90.79% (2005)
Papua New Guinea arable land: 0.49% permanent crops: 1.4% other: 98.11% (2005)
Paracel Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Paraguay arable land: 7.47% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 92.29% (2005)
Peru arable land: 2.88% permanent crops: 0.47% other: 96.65% (2005)
Philippines arable land: 19% permanent crops: 16.67% other: 64.33% (2005)
Pitcairn Islands arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA
Poland arable land: 40.25% permanent crops: 1% other: 58.75% (2005)
Portugal arable land: 17.29% permanent crops: 7.84% other: 74.87% (2005)
Puerto Rico arable land: 3.69% permanent crops: 5.59% other: 90.72% (2005)
Qatar arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 0.27% other: 98.09% (2005)
Romania arable land: 39.49% permanent crops: 1.92% other: 58.59% (2005)
Russia arable land: 7.17% permanent crops: 0.11% other: 92.72% (2005)
Rwanda arable land: 45.56% permanent crops: 10.25% other: 44.19% (2005)
Saint Helena arable land: 12.9% permanent crops: 0% other: 87.1% (2005)
Saint Kitts and Nevis arable land: 19.44% permanent crops: 2.78% other: 77.78% (2005)
Saint Lucia arable land: 6.45% permanent crops: 22.58% other: 70.97% (2005)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon arable land: 12.5% permanent crops: 0% other: 87.5% (2005)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines arable land: 17.95% permanent crops: 17.95% other: 64.1% (2005)
Samoa arable land: 21.13% permanent crops: 24.3% other: 54.57% (2005)
San Marino arable land: 16.67% permanent crops: 0% other: 83.33% (2005)
Sao Tome and Principe arable land: 8.33% permanent crops: 48.96% other: 42.71% (2005)
Saudi Arabia arable land: 1.67% permanent crops: 0.09% other: 98.24% (2005)
Senegal arable land: 12.51% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 87.25% (2005)
Serbia arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA
Seychelles arable land: 2.17% permanent crops: 13.04% other: 84.79% (2005)
Sierra Leone arable land: 7.95% permanent crops: 1.05% other: 91% (2005)
Singapore arable land: 1.47% permanent crops: 1.47% other: 97.06% (2005)
Slovakia arable land: 29.23% permanent crops: 2.67% other: 68.1% (2005)
Slovenia arable land: 8.53% permanent crops: 1.43% other: 90.04% (2005)
Solomon Islands arable land: 0.62% permanent crops: 2.04% other: 97.34% (2005)
Somalia arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 98.32% (2005)
South Africa arable land: 12.1% permanent crops: 0.79% other: 87.11% (2005)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2005)
Spain arable land: 27.18% permanent crops: 9.85% other: 62.97% (2005)
Spratly Islands arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Sri Lanka arable land: 13.96% permanent crops: 15.24% other: 70.8% (2005)
Sudan arable land: 6.78% permanent crops: 0.17% other: 93.05% (2005)
Suriname arable land: 0.36% permanent crops: 0.06% other: 99.58% (2005)
Svalbard arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees; the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2005)
Swaziland arable land: 10.25% permanent crops: 0.81% other: 88.94% (2005)
Sweden arable land: 5.93% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 94.06% (2005)
Switzerland arable land: 9.91% permanent crops: 0.58% other: 89.51% (2005)
Syria arable land: 24.8% permanent crops: 4.47% other: 70.73% (2005)
Taiwan arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% other: 75% (2001)
Tajikistan arable land: 6.52% permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.59% (2005)
Tanzania arable land: 4.23% permanent crops: 1.16% other: 94.61% (2005)
Thailand arable land: 27.54% permanent crops: 6.93% other: 65.53% (2005)
Timor-Leste arable land: 8.2% permanent crops: 4.57% other: 87.23% (2005)
Togo arable land: 44.2% permanent crops: 2.11% other: 53.69% (2005)
Tokelau arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile) permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Tonga arable land: 20% permanent crops: 14.67% other: 65.33% (2005)
Trinidad and Tobago arable land: 14.62% permanent crops: 9.16% other: 76.22% (2005)
Tunisia arable land: 17.05% permanent crops: 13.08% other: 69.87% (2005)
Turkey arable land: 29.81% permanent crops: 3.39% other: 66.8% (2005)
Turkmenistan arable land: 4.51% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 95.35% (2005)
Turks and Caicos Islands arable land: 2.33% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2005)
Tuvalu arable land: 0% permanent crops: 66.67% other: 33.33% (2005)
Uganda arable land: 21.57% permanent crops: 8.92% other: 69.51% (2005)
Ukraine arable land: 53.8% permanent crops: 1.5% other: 44.7% (2005)
United Arab Emirates arable land: 0.77% permanent crops: 2.27% other: 96.96% (2005)
United Kingdom arable land: 23.23% permanent crops: 0.2% other: 76.57% (2005)
United States arable land: 18.01% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 81.78% (2005)
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2008)
Uruguay arable land: 7.77% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 91.99% (2005)
Uzbekistan arable land: 10.51% permanent crops: 0.76% other: 88.73% (2005)
Vanuatu arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 6.97% other: 91.39% (2005)
Venezuela arable land: 2.85% permanent crops: 0.88% other: 96.27% (2005)
Vietnam arable land: 20.14% permanent crops: 6.93% other: 72.93% (2005)
Virgin Islands arable land: 5.71% permanent crops: 2.86% other: 91.43% (2005)
Wake Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Wallis and Futuna arable land: 7.14% permanent crops: 35.71% other: 57.15% (2005)
West Bank arable land: 16.9% permanent crops: 18.97% other: 64.13% (2001)
Western Sahara arable land: 0.02% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2005)
World arable land: 10.57% permanent crops: 1.04% other: 88.38% (2005)
Yemen arable land: 2.91% permanent crops: 0.25% other: 96.84% (2005)
Zambia arable land: 6.99% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 92.97% (2005)
Zimbabwe arable land: 8.24% permanent crops: 0.33% other: 91.43% (2005)
This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
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@2098 Languages (%)
Afghanistan Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism
Akrotiri English, Greek
Albania Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects
Algeria Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
American Samoa Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other Pacific islander 2.1%, other 2% note: most people are bilingual (2000 census)
Andorra Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese
Angola Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages
Anguilla English (official)
Antigua and Barbuda English (official), local dialects
Argentina Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French
Armenia Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)
Aruba Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 66.3%, Spanish 12.6%, English (widely spoken) 7.7%, Dutch (official) 5.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified or unknown 5.3% (2000 census)
Australia English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)
Austria German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 census)
Azerbaijan Azerbaijani (Azeri) 90.3%, Lezgi 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.3%, unspecified 1% (1999 census)
Bahamas, The English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Bahrain Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Bangladesh Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English
Barbados English
Belarus Belarusian, Russian, other
Belgium Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
Belize Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan dialects 8.9%, English 3.9% (official), Garifuna 3.4% (Carib), German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% (2000 census)
Benin French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Bermuda English (official), Portuguese
Bhutan Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
Bolivia Spanish 60.7% (official), Quechua 21.2% (official), Aymara 14.6% (official), foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Botswana Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)
Brazil Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); note - less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages
British Virgin Islands English (official)
Brunei Malay (official), English, Chinese
Bulgaria Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)
Burkina Faso French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population
Burma Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
Burundi Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
Cambodia Khmer (official) 95%, French, English
Cameroon 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)
Canada English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5%
Cape Verde Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)
Cayman Islands English 95%, Spanish 3.2%, other 1.8% (1999 census)
Central African Republic French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
Chad French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects
Chile Spanish (official), Mapudungun, German, English
China Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)
Christmas Island English (official), Chinese, Malay
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Malay (Cocos dialect), English
Colombia Spanish
Comoros Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba
Congo, Republic of the French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)
Cook Islands English (official), Maori
Costa Rica Spanish (official), English
Cote d'Ivoire French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken
Croatia Croatian 96.1%, Serbian 1%, other and undesignated 2.9% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German) (2001 census)
Cuba Spanish
Cyprus Greek, Turkish, English
Czech Republic Czech 94.9%, Slovak 2%, other 2.3%, unidentified 0.8% (2001 census)
Denmark Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language
Dhekelia English, Greek
Djibouti French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Dominica English (official), French patois
Dominican Republic Spanish
Ecuador Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)
Egypt Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes
El Salvador Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)
Equatorial Guinea Spanish 67.6% (official), other 32.4% (includes French (official), Fang, Bubi) (1994 census)
Eritrea Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
Estonia Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7% (2000 census)
Ethiopia Amarigna 32.7%, Oromigna 31.6%, Tigrigna 6.1%, Somaligna 6%, Guaragigna 3.5%, Sidamigna 3.5%, Hadiyigna 1.7%, other 14.8%, English (major foreign language taught in schools) (1994 census)
European Union Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish note: only official languages are listed; German, the major language of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, is the most widely spoken mother tongue - over 19% of the EU population; English is the most widely spoken language - about 49% of the EU population is conversant with it (2007)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) English
Faroe Islands Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Fiji English (official), Fijian (official), Hindustani
Finland Finnish 91.5% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2006)
France French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish) overseas departments: French, Creole patois
French Polynesia French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census)
Gabon French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Gambia, The English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
Gaza Strip Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Georgia Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7% note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia
Germany German
Ghana Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other 36.1% (includes English (official)) (2000 census)
Gibraltar English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Greece Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French)
Greenland Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English
Grenada English (official), French patois
Guam English 38.3%, Chamorro 22.2%, Philippine languages 22.2%, other Pacific island languages 6.8%, Asian languages 7%, other languages 3.5% (2000 census)
Guatemala Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
Guernsey English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Guinea French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language
Guinea-Bissau Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages
Guyana English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Urdu
Haiti French (official), Creole (official)
Holy See (Vatican City) Italian, Latin, French, various other languages
Honduras Spanish, Amerindian dialects
Hong Kong Chinese (Cantonese) 89.2% (official), other Chinese dialects 6.4%, English 3.2% (official), other 1.2% (2001 census)
Hungary Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census)
Iceland Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
India Hindi 41%, Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 4.5%, Kannada 3.7%, Malayalam 3.2%, Oriya 3.2%, Punjabi 2.8%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.2%, other 5.9% note: English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 41% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language (2001 census)
Indonesia Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (the most widely spoken of which is Javanese)
Iran Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Iraq Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Turkoman (a Turkish dialect), Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic), Armenian
Ireland English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard
Isle of Man English, Manx Gaelic
Israel Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Italy Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
Jamaica English, English patois
Japan Japanese
Jersey English 94.5% (official), Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)
Jordan Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes
Kazakhstan Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95% (2001 est.)
Kenya English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
Kiribati I-Kiribati, English (official)
Korea, North Korean
Korea, South Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
Kosovo Albanian (official), Serbian (official), Bosnian, Turkish, Roma
Kuwait Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz 64.7% (official), Uzbek 13.6%, Russian 12.5% (official), Dungun 1%, other 8.2% (1999 census)
Laos Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Latvia Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Lebanon Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
Lesotho Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Liberia English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence
Libya Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities
Liechtenstein German (official), Alemannic dialect
Lithuania Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)
Luxembourg Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language)
Macau Cantonese 85.7%, Hokkien 4%, Mandarin 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 2.7%, English 1.5%, Tagalog 1.3%, other 1.6% (2001 census)
Macedonia Macedonian 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 census)
Madagascar English (official), French (official), Malagasy (official)
Malawi Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)
Malaysia Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai note: in East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan
Maldives Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
Mali French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages
Malta Maltese (official) 90.2%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.8% (2005 census)
Marshall Islands Marshallese (official) 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census) note: English (official), widely spoken as a second language
Mauritania Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya
Mauritius Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English (official; spoken by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)
Mayotte Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population
Mexico Spanish only 92.7%, Spanish and indigenous languages 5.7%, indigenous only 0.8%, unspecified 0.8%; note - indigenous languages include various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages (2005)
Micronesia, Federated States of English (official and common language), Chuukese, Kosrean, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi
Moldova Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Monaco French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque
Mongolia Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian (1999)
Montenegro Serbian 63.6%, Montenegrin (official) 22%, Bosnian 5.5%, Albanian 5.3%, unspecified 3.7% (2003 census)
Montserrat English
Morocco Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy
Mozambique Emakhuwa 26.1%, Xichangana 11.3%, Portuguese 8.8% (official; spoken by 27% of population as a second language), Elomwe 7.6%, Cisena 6.8%, Echuwabo 5.8%, other Mozambican languages 32%, other foreign languages 0.3%, unspecified 1.3% (1997 census)
Namibia English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages 1% (includes Oshivambo, Herero, Nama)
Nauru Nauruan (official; a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes
Nepal Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5% (2001 census) note: many in government and business also speak English (2001 est.)
Netherlands Dutch (official), Frisian (official)
Netherlands Antilles Papiamento 65.4% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), English 15.9% (widely spoken), Dutch 7.3% (official), Spanish 6.1%, Creole 1.6%, other 1.9%, unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)
New Caledonia French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
New Zealand English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official)
Nicaragua Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census) note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast
Niger French (official), Hausa, Djerma
Nigeria English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
Niue Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
Norfolk Island English (official), Norfolk - a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian
Northern Mariana Islands Philippine languages 24.4%, Chinese 23.4%, Chamorro 22.4%, English 10.8%, other Pacific island languages 9.5%, other 9.6% (2000 census)
Norway Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities; note - Sami is official in six municipalities
Oman Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Pakistan Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski and other 8%
Palau Palauan 64.7% official in all islands except Sonsoral (Sonsoralese and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official), Filipino 13.5%, English 9.4%, Chinese 5.7%, Carolinian 1.5%, Japanese 1.5%, other Asian 2.3%, other languages 1.5% (2000 census)
Panama Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many Panamanians bilingual
Papua New Guinea Melanesian Pidgin serves as the lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2%, Motu spoken in Papua region note: 820 indigenous languages spoken (over one-tenth of the world's total)
Paraguay Spanish (official), Guarani (official)
Peru Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages
Philippines Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan
Pitcairn Islands English (official), Pitkern (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)
Poland Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census)
Portugal Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)
Puerto Rico Spanish, English
Qatar Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Romania Romanian 91% (official), Hungarian 6.7%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 1.2%
Russia Russian, many minority languages
Rwanda Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
Saint Barthelemy French (primary), English
Saint Helena English
Saint Kitts and Nevis English
Saint Lucia English (official), French patois
Saint Martin French (official language), English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon French (official)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines English, French patois
Samoa Samoan (Polynesian), English
San Marino Italian
Sao Tome and Principe Portuguese (official)
Saudi Arabia Arabic
Senegal French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
Serbia Serbian 88.3% (official), Hungarian 3.8%, Bosniak 1.8%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 4.1%, unknown 0.9% (2002 census) note: Romanian, Hungarian, Slovak, Ukrainian, and Croatian all official in Vojvodina
Seychelles Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2002 census)
Sierra Leone English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Singapore Mandarin 35%, English 23%, Malay 14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese 5.7%, Teochew 4.9%, Tamil 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 1.8%, other 0.9% (2000 census)
Slovakia Slovak (official) 83.9%, Hungarian 10.7%, Roma 1.8%, Ukrainian 1%, other or unspecified 2.6% (2001 census)
Slovenia Slovenian 91.1%, Serbo-Croatian 4.5%, other or unspecified 4.4% (2002 census)
Solomon Islands Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English (official; but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population); 120 indigenous languages
Somalia Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
South Africa IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001 census)
Spain Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally
Sri Lanka Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population
Sudan Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages note: program of "Arabization" in process
Suriname Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
Svalbard Norwegian, Russian
Swaziland English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
Sweden Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Switzerland German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 20.4%, Italian (official) 6.5%, Serbo-Croatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%, Portuguese 1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, Romansch (official) 0.5%, other 2.8% (2000 census) note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all national and official languages
Syria Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Taiwan Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Tajikistan Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
Tanzania Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety of sources including Arabic and English; it has become the lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of most people is one of the local languages
Thailand Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
Timor-Leste Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English note: there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by significant numbers of people
Togo French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)
Tokelau Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English
Tonga Tongan, English
Trinidad and Tobago English (official), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), French, Spanish, Chinese
Tunisia Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
Turkey Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey
Turkmenistan Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Turks and Caicos Islands English (official)
Tuvalu Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
Uganda English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic
Ukraine Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%, other 9% (includes small Romanian-, Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities)
United Arab Emirates Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
United Kingdom English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
United States English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census) note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii
Uruguay Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Uzbekistan Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
Vanuatu local languages (more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.7% (1999 Census)
Venezuela Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Vietnam Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Virgin Islands English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)
Wallis and Futuna Wallisian 58.9% (indigenous Polynesian language), Futunian 30.1%, French 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census)
West Bank Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Western Sahara Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
World Mandarin Chinese 13.22%, Spanish 4.88%, English 4.68%, Arabic 3.12%, Hindi 2.74%, Portuguese 2.69%, Bengali 2.59%, Russian 2.2%, Japanese 1.85%, Standard German 1.44%, French 1.2% (2005 est.) note: percents are for "first language" speakers only
Yemen Arabic
Zambia English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages
Zimbabwe English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects
This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
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@2100 Legal system
Afghanistan based on mixed civil and Sharia law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Akrotiri the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus
Albania has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court for its citizens
Algeria socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
American Samoa NA
Andorra based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Angola based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use of free markets; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Anguilla based on English common law
Antarctica Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; US law, including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such as murder, may apply extraterritorially; some US laws directly apply to Antarctica; for example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties for the following activities, unless authorized by regulation of statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into specially protected areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants; and the importation into the US of certain items from Antarctica; violation of the Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison; the National Science Foundation and Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities; Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans to other nations as required by the Antarctic Treaty; for more information, contact Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone: (703) 292-8030, or visit their website at www.nsf.gov; more generally, access to the Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees south latitude, is subject to a number of relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states party to the Antarctic Treaty
Antigua and Barbuda based on English common law
Argentina mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Armenia based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Aruba based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
Ashmore and Cartier Islands the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply
Australia based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Austria civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Azerbaijan based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Bahamas, The based on English common law
Bahrain based on Islamic law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Bangladesh based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Barbados English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Belarus based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Belgium based on civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Belize English law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Benin based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Bermuda English law
Bhutan based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Bolivia based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Bosnia and Herzegovina based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Botswana based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Bouvet Island the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply
Brazil based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
British Indian Ocean Territory the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
British Virgin Islands English law
Brunei based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Sharia law supersedes civil law in a number of areas; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Bulgaria civil and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Burkina Faso based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Burma based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Burundi based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Cambodia primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing influence of common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Cameroon based on French civil law system, with common law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Canada based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Cape Verde based on the legal system of Portugal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Cayman Islands British common law and local statutes
Central African Republic based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Chad based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Chile based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; note - in June 2005, Chile completed overhaul of its criminal justice system to a new, US-style adversarial system
China based on civil law system; derived from Soviet and continental civil code legal principles; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Christmas Island under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
Clipperton Island the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Cocos (Keeling) Islands based upon the laws of Australia and local laws
Colombia based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US procedures was enacted into law in 2004 and reached full implemention in January 2008; judicial review of executive and legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Comoros French and Islamic law in a new consolidated code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Congo, Democratic Republic of the a new constitution was adopted by referendum 18 December 2005; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Congo, Republic of the based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Cook Islands based on New Zealand law and English common law
Coral Sea Islands the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply
Costa Rica based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Cote d'Ivoire based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Croatia based on Austro-Hungarian law system with Communist law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Cuba based on Spanish civil law and influenced by American legal concepts, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Cyprus based on English common law, with civil law modifications; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Czech Republic civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring it in line with Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Denmark civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Dhekelia the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus
Djibouti based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Dominica based on English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction
Dominican Republic based on French civil codes; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Ecuador based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Egypt based on Islamic and civil law (particularly Napoleonic codes); judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
El Salvador based on civil and Roman law with traces of common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Equatorial Guinea partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Eritrea primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; government also issues unilateral proclamations setting laws and policies; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Islamic law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Estonia based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Ethiopia based on civil law; currently transitional mix of national and regional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
European Union comparable to the legal systems of member states; first supranational law system
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) English common law
Faroe Islands the laws of Denmark, where applicable, apply
Fiji based on British system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Finland civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
France civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
French Polynesia the laws of France, where applicable, apply
French Southern and Antarctic Lands the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Gabon based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Gambia, The based on a composite of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Georgia based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Germany civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Ghana based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Gibraltar the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Greece based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Greenland the laws of Denmark, where applicable, apply
Grenada based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Guam modeled on US; US federal laws apply
Guatemala civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Guernsey the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; justice is administered by the Royal Court
Guinea based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Guinea-Bissau based on French civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Guyana based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Haiti based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Heard Island and McDonald Islands the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply
Holy See (Vatican City) based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it
Honduras rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law with increasing influence of English common law; recent judicial reforms include abandoning Napoleonic legal codes in favor of the oral adversarial system; accepts ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Hong Kong based on English common law
Hungary based on the German-Austrian legal system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Iceland civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
India based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus
Indonesia based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures and election codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Iran based on Sharia law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Iraq based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework outlined in the Iraqi Constitution; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Ireland based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Isle of Man the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply and Manx statutes
Israel mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Italy based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Jamaica based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Jan Mayen the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply
Japan modeled after German civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Jersey the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply and local statutes; justice is administered by the Royal Court
Jordan based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Kazakhstan based on Islamic law and Roman law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Kenya based on Kenyan statutory law, Kenyan and English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991
Kiribati NA
Korea, North based on Prussian civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Korea, South combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Kosovo evolving legal system based on terms of UN Special Envoy Martti AHTISAARI's Plan for Kosovo's supervised independence
Kuwait civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Kyrgyzstan based on French and Russian laws; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Laos based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Latvia based on civil law system with traces of Socialist legal traditions and practices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Lebanon mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Lesotho based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Liberia dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Libya based on Italian and French civil law systems and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Liechtenstein local civil and penal codes based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Lithuania based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Luxembourg based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Macau based on Portuguese civil law system
Macedonia based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Madagascar based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Malawi based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Malaysia based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; Islamic law is applied to Muslims in matters of family law and religion; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Maldives based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Mali based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Malta based on English common law and Roman civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Marshall Islands based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Mauritania a combination of Islamic law and French civil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Mauritius based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Mayotte the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Mexico mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Micronesia, Federated States of based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Moldova based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Monaco based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Mongolia blend of Soviet, German, and US systems that combine "continental" or "civil" code and case-precedent; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Montenegro based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Montserrat English common law and statutory law
Morocco based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law systems; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Mozambique based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Namibia based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Nauru acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Navassa Island the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Nepal based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Netherlands based on civil law system incorporating French penal theory; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Netherlands Antilles based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence
New Caledonia based on French civil law; the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands
New Zealand based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Nicaragua civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Niger based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Nigeria based on English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Niue English common law; note - Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws
Norfolk Island based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law
Northern Mariana Islands based on US system, except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation
Norway mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Oman based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Pakistan based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Palau based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Panama based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Papua New Guinea based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Paraguay based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Peru based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Philippines based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Pitcairn Islands local island by-laws
Poland based on a mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover Communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Portugal based on civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Puerto Rico based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice
Qatar based on Islamic and civil law codes; discretionary system of law controlled by the Amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Romania based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Russia based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Rwanda based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Saint Barthelemy the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Saint Helena English common law and statutes, supplemented by local statutes
Saint Kitts and Nevis based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Saint Lucia based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Saint Martin the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Saint Pierre and Miquelon the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Samoa based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
San Marino based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Sao Tome and Principe based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Saudi Arabia based on Sharia law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Senegal based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits the government's accounting office; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Serbia based on civil law system
Seychelles based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Sierra Leone based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Singapore based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Slovakia civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Slovenia based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Solomon Islands English common law, which is widely disregarded; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Somalia no national system; a mixture of English common law, Italian law, Islamic Sharia, and Somali customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
South Africa based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate from the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court
Spain civil law system, with regional applications; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Sri Lanka a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Kandyan, and Jaffna Tamil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Sudan based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; however, the CPA establishes some protections for non-Muslims in Khartoum; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; the southern legal system is still developing under the CPA following the civil war; Islamic law will not apply to the southern states
Suriname based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Svalbard the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply
Swaziland based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Sweden civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Switzerland civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Syria based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; Islamic law is used in the family court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Taiwan based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Tajikistan based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Tanzania based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Thailand based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Timor-Leste UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains in place but is to be replaced by civil and penal codes based on Portuguese law; these have passed but have not been promulgated; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Togo French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Tokelau New Zealand and local statutes
Tonga based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Trinidad and Tobago based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Tunisia based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Turkey civil law system derived from various European continental legal systems; note - member of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified European Convention on Human Rights; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Turkmenistan based on civil law system and Islamic law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Turks and Caicos Islands based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Tuvalu NA
Uganda in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Ukraine based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
United Arab Emirates based on a dual system of Sharia and civil courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
United Kingdom based on common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
United States federal court system based on English common law; each state has its own unique legal system, of which all but one (Louisiana, which is still influenced by the Napoleonic Code) is based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Uruguay based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Uzbekistan based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Vanuatu unified system being created from former dual French and British systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Venezuela open, adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Vietnam based on communist legal theory and French civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Virgin Islands based on US laws
Wake Island the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Wallis and Futuna the laws of France, where applicable, apply
World all members of the UN are parties to the statute that established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court
Yemen based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Zambia based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Zimbabwe mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
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@2101 Legislative branch
Afghanistan the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected for five-year terms, and the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats, one-third elected from provincial councils for four-year terms, one-third elected from local district councils for three-year terms, and one-third nominated by the president for five-year terms) note: on rare occasions the government may convene a Loya Jirga (Grand Council) on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity; it can amend the provisions of the constitution and prosecute the president; it is made up of members of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and district councils elections: last held 18 September 2005 (next to be held for the Wolesi Jirga by September 2009; next to be held for the provincial councils to the Meshrano Jirga by September 2008) election results: the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) system used in the election did not make use of political party slates; most candidates ran as independents
Albania unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; 100 members are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PD 56, PS 42, PR 11, PSD 7, LSI 5, other 19
Algeria bicameral Parliament consists of the National People's Assembly or Al-Majlis Al-Shabi Al-Watani (389 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Council of Nations (Senate) (144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote; to serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the council to be renewed every three years) elections: National People's Assembly - last held 17 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 28 December 2006 (next to be held in 2009) election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 136, RND 61, MSP 52, PT 26, RCD 19, FNA 13, other 49, independents 33; Council of Nations - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 29, RND 12, MSP 3, RCD 1, independents 3, presidential appointees (unknown affiliation) 24; note - Council seating reflects the number of replaced council members rather than the whole Council
American Samoa bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of Representatives (21 seats; 20 members are elected by popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island; members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs to serve four-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2010); Senate - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 18 note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held on 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2010); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA reelected as delegate
Andorra unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de las Valls (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 14 from a single national constituency and 14 to represent each of the seven parishes; to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 24 April 2005 (next to be held in March-April 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 41.2%, PS 38.1%, CDA-S21 11%, other 9.7%; seats by party - PLA 14, PS 12, CDA-S21 2
Angola unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 5-6 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 81.6%, UNITA 10.4%, PRS 3.2%, ND 1.2%, FNLA 1.1%, other 2.5%; seats by party - MPLA 191, UNITA 16, PRS 8, ND 2, FNLA 3
Anguilla unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats; 7 members elected by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 21 February 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, AUM 19.4%, ANSA 19.2%, APP 9.5%, independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA 2, AUM 1
Antigua and Barbuda bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17 seats; members appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ALP 4, UPP 13
Argentina bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently one-third of the members elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 28 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 28 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009) election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - FV 12, UCR 4, CC 4, other 4; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - FV 5, UCR 10, PJ 10, PRO 6, CC 16, FJ 2, other 31; note - Senate and Chamber of Deputies seating reflect the number of replaced senators and deputies, rather than the whole Senate and Chamber of Deputies
Armenia unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote, 90 members elected by party list and 41 by direct vote; to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 12 May 2007 (next to be held in the spring of 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - HHK 33.9%, Prosperous Armenia 15.1%, ARF (Dashnak) 13.2%, Rule of Law 7.1%, Heritage Party 6%, other 24.7%; seats by party - HHK 64, Prosperous Armenia 18, ARF (Dashnak) 16, Rule of Law 9, Heritage Party 7, independent 17
Aruba unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA 7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8, MPA 1, RED 1
Australia bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats; 12 members from each of the six states and 2 from each of the two mainland territories; one-half of state members are elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms while all territory members are elected every three years) and the House of Representatives (150 seats; members elected by popular preferential vote to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer than 5 representatives) elections: Senate - last held 24 November 2007 (next to be held no later than 2010); House of Representatives - last held 24 November 2007 (next to be called no later than 2010) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 37, Australian Labor Party 32, Australian Greens 5, Family First Party 1, other 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Australian Labor Party 83, Liberal Party 55, National Party 10, independents 2
Austria bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 seats; members chosen by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 members according to its population; members serve a five- or six-year term) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: National Council - last held 28 September 2008 (next to be held by September 2013) election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 29.3%, OeVP 26%, FPOe 17.5%, BZOe 10.7%, Greens 10.4%, other 6.1%; seats by party - SPOe 57, OeVP 51, FPOe 34, BZOe 21, Greens 20
Azerbaijan unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 6 November 2005 (next to be held in November 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Yeni 58, Azadliq coalition 8, CSP 2, Motherland 2, other parties with single seats 9, independents 42, undetermined 4
Bahamas, The bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (41 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the Parliament and call elections at any time elections: last held 2 May 2007 (next to be held by May 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86%, PLP 47.02%; seats by party - FNM 23, PLP 18
Bahrain bicameral legislature consists of the Consultative Council (40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly elected to serve four-year terms) elections: Council of Representatives - last held November-December 2006 (next election to be held in 2010) election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - al Wifaq (Shia) 17, al Asala (Sunni Salafi) 5, al Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 7, independents 11; note - seats by party as of February 2007 - al Wifaq 17, al Asala 8, al Minbar 7, al Mustaqbal (Moderate Sunni pro-government) 4, unassociated independents (all Sunni) 3, independent affiliated with al Wifaq (Sunni oppositionist) 1
Bangladesh unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies; members serve five-year terms; note - parliament not in session during the extended caretaker regime elections: last held 1 October 2001 (the scheduled January 2007 election has been postponed until 29 December 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance partners 41%, AL 40%, other 19%; seats by party - BNP 193, AL 58, JI 17, JP (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 2, JP (Manzur) 4, other 12; note - the election of October 2001 brought to power a majority BNP government aligned with three other smaller parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)