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@2128 Government type
Afghanistan
transitional
Albania
emerging democracy
Algeria
republic
American Samoa
NA
Andorra
parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as
its heads of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the
president of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are
represented locally by coprinces' representatives
Angola
republic, nominally a multiparty democracy with a strong
presidential system
Anguilla
NA
Antarctica
Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed
on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961,
establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica.
The 24th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Russia in
July 2001. At the end of 2001, there were 45 treaty member nations:
27 consultative and 18 non-consultative. Consultative (voting)
members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica
as national territory (some claims overlap) and 20 nonclaimant
nations. The US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims.
The US does not recognize the claims of others. Antarctica is
administered through meetings of the consultative member nations.
Decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member
nations (within their areas) in accordance with their own national
laws. The year in parentheses indicates when an acceding nation was
voted to full consultative (voting) status, while no date indicates
the country was an original 1959 treaty signatory. Claimant nations
are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and
the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil
(1983), Bulgaria (1998) China (1985), Ecuador (1990), Finland
(1989), Germany (1981), India (1983), Italy (1987), Japan, South
Korea (1989), Netherlands (1990), Peru (1989), Poland (1977),
Russia, South Africa, Spain (1988), Sweden (1988), Uruguay (1985),
and the US. Non-consultative (nonvoting) members, with year of
accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Canada (1988),
Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1993), Denmark (1965),
Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984),
North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971),
Slovakia (1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1995), Ukraine (1992),
and Venezuela (1999). Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful
purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is
prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for
scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 -
freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue;
Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation
with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not
recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new
claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 -
prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes;
Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south
of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights;
Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including
aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations,
installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and
of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 -
allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own
states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among
member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage
activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the
treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the
parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 -
deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among
involved nations. Other agreements - some 200 recommendations
adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments
include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were
later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for
the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral
resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was
signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this
agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment
through five specific annexes: 1) marine pollution, 2) fauna and
flora, 3) environmental impact assessments, 4) waste management, and
5) protected area management; it prohibits all activities relating
to mineral resources except scientific research.
Antigua and Barbuda
constitutional monarchy with UK-style parliament
Argentina
republic
Armenia
republic
Aruba
parliamentary democracy
Australia
democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British
monarch as sovereign
Austria
federal republic
Azerbaijan
republic
Bahamas, The
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Bahrain
constitutional hereditary monarchy
Bangladesh
parliamentary democracy
Barbados
parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within
the Commonwealth
Belarus
republic
Belgium
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional
monarch
Belize
parliamentary democracy
Benin
republic under multiparty democratic rule; dropped
Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February
1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991
Bermuda
parliamentary British overseas territory with internal
self-government
Bhutan
monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
Bolivia
republic
Bosnia and Herzegovina
emerging federal democratic republic
Botswana
parliamentary republic
Brazil
federative republic
British Virgin Islands
NA
Brunei
constitutional sultanate
Bulgaria
parliamentary democracy
Burkina Faso
parliamentary republic
Burma
military regime
Burundi
republic
Cambodia
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
established in September 1993
Cameroon
unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime
(opposition parties legalized in 1990)
note: preponderance of power remains with the president
Canada
confederation with parliamentary democracy
Cape Verde
republic
Cayman Islands
British crown colony
Central African Republic
republic
Chad
republic
Chile
republic
China
Communist state
Christmas Island
NA
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
NA
Colombia
republic; executive branch dominates government structure
Comoros
independent republic
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
dictatorship; presumably
undergoing a transition to representative government
Congo, Republic of the
republic
Cook Islands
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Costa Rica
democratic republic
Cote d'Ivoire
republic; multiparty presidential regime established
1960
Croatia
presidential/parliamentary democracy
Cuba
Communist state
Cyprus
republic
note: a disaggregation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the
island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this
separation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention in
July 1974 after a Greek junta-based coup attempt gave the Turkish
Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the
only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983
Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTASH declared independence and
the formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC),
recognized only by Turkey; both sides publicly support a settlement
based on a federation (Greek Cypriot position) or confederation
(Turkish Cypriot position)
Czech Republic
parliamentary democracy
Denmark
constitutional monarchy
Djibouti
republic
Dominica
parliamentary democracy; republic within the Commonwealth
Dominican Republic
representative democracy
East Timor
republic
Ecuador
republic
Egypt
republic
El Salvador
republic
Equatorial Guinea
republic
Eritrea
transitional government
note: following a successful referendum on independence for the
Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National
Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and
Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a
Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a
constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the
transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997,
did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential
elections; parliamentary elections had been scheduled to take place
in December 2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the
sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice
(PFDJ)
Estonia
parliamentary republic
Ethiopia
federal republic
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
NA
Faroe Islands
NA
Fiji
republic
note: military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally
declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987
Finland
republic
France
republic
French Guiana
NA
French Polynesia
NA
Gabon
republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties
legalized in 1990)
Gambia, The
republic under multiparty democratic rule
Georgia
republic
Germany
federal republic
Ghana
constitutional democracy
Gibraltar
NA
Greece
parliamentary republic; monarchy rejected by referendum 8
December 1974
Greenland
parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy
Grenada
constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament
Guadeloupe
NA
Guam
NA
Guatemala
constitutional democratic republic
Guernsey
NA
Guinea
republic
Guinea-Bissau
republic, multiparty since mid-1991
Guyana
republic within the Commonwealth
Haiti
elected government
Holy See (Vatican City)
ecclesiastical
Honduras
democratic constitutional republic
Hong Kong
limited democracy
Hungary
parliamentary democracy
Iceland
constitutional republic
India
federal republic
Indonesia
republic
Iran
theocratic republic
Iraq
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn
regime by US-led coalition
Ireland
republic
Israel
parliamentary democracy
Italy
republic
Jamaica
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Japan
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Jersey
NA
Jordan
constitutional monarchy
Kazakhstan
republic
Kenya
republic
Kiribati
republic
Korea, North
authoritarian socialist; one-man dictatorship
Korea, South
republic
Kuwait
nominal constitutional monarchy
Kyrgyzstan
republic
Laos
Communist state
Latvia
parliamentary democracy
Lebanon
republic
Lesotho
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Liberia
republic
Libya
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the
populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship
Liechtenstein
hereditary constitutional monarchy on a democratic and
parliamentary basis
Lithuania
parliamentary democracy
Luxembourg
constitutional monarchy
Macau
limited democracy
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
parliamentary democracy
Madagascar
republic
Malawi
multiparty democracy
Malaysia
constitutional monarchy
note: Malaya (what is now Peninsular Malaysia) formed 31 August
1957; Federation of Malaysia (Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore)
formed 9 July 1963 (Singapore left the federation on 9 August 1965);
nominally headed by the paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament
consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house;
Peninsular Malaysian states - hereditary rulers in all but Melaka,
George Town (Penang), Sabah, and Sarawak, where governors are
appointed by the Malaysian Government; powers of state governments
are limited by the federal constitution; under terms of the
federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional
prerogatives (e.g., the right to maintain their own immigration
controls); Sabah - holds 20 seats in House of Representatives, with
foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers
delegated to federal government; Sarawak - holds 28 seats in House
of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal
security, and other powers delegated to federal government
Maldives
republic
Mali
republic
Malta
republic
Man, Isle of
parliamentary democracy
Marshall Islands
constitutional government in free association with
the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21
October 1986
Martinique
NA
Mauritania
republic
Mauritius
parliamentary democracy
Mayotte
NA
Mexico
federal republic
Micronesia, Federated States of
constitutional government in free
association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered
into force 3 November 1986; economic provisions of the Compact are
being renegotiated
Moldova
republic
Monaco
constitutional monarchy
Mongolia
parliamentary
Montserrat
NA
Morocco
constitutional monarchy
Mozambique
republic
Namibia
republic
Nauru
republic
Nepal
parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
Netherlands
constitutional monarchy
Netherlands Antilles
parliamentary
New Caledonia
NA
New Zealand
parliamentary democracy
Nicaragua
republic
Niger
republic
Nigeria
republic transitioning from military to civilian rule
Niue
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Norfolk Island
NA
Northern Mariana Islands
commonwealth; self-governing with locally
elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature
Norway
constitutional monarchy
Oman
monarchy
Pakistan
federal republic
Palau
constitutional government in free association with the US; the
Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994
Panama
constitutional democracy
Papua New Guinea
constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy
Paraguay
constitutional republic
Peru
constitutional republic
Philippines
republic
Pitcairn Islands
NA
Poland
republic
Portugal
parliamentary democracy
Puerto Rico
commonwealth
Qatar
traditional monarchy
Reunion
NA
Romania
republic
Russia
federation
Rwanda
republic; presidential, multiparty system
Saint Helena
NA
Saint Kitts and Nevis
constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style
parliament
Saint Lucia
Westminster-style parliamentary democracy
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
NA
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
parliamentary democracy;
independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth
Samoa
constitutional monarchy under native chief
San Marino
independent republic
Sao Tome and Principe
republic
Saudi Arabia
monarchy
Senegal
republic under multiparty democratic rule
Serbia and Montenegro
republic
Seychelles
republic
Sierra Leone
constitutional democracy
Singapore
parliamentary republic
Slovakia
parliamentary democracy
Slovenia
parliamentary democratic republic
Solomon Islands
parliamentary democracy tending toward anarchy
Somalia
no permanent national government; transitional,
parliamentary national government
South Africa
republic
Spain
parliamentary monarchy
Sri Lanka
republic
Sudan
authoritarian regime - ruling military junta took power in
1989; government is run by an alliance of the military and the
National Congress Party (NCP), formerly the National Islamic Front
(NIF), which espouses an Islamist platform
Suriname
constitutional democracy
Svalbard
NA
Swaziland
monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth
Sweden
constitutional monarchy
Switzerland
federal republic
Syria
republic under military regime since March 1963
Taiwan
multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly-elected
president and unicameral legislature
Tajikistan
republic
Tanzania
republic
Thailand
constitutional monarchy
Togo
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Tokelau
NA
Tonga
hereditary constitutional monarchy
Trinidad and Tobago
parliamentary democracy
Tunisia
republic
Turkey
republican parliamentary democracy
Turkmenistan
republic
Turks and Caicos Islands
NA
Tuvalu
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; began
debating republic status in 1992
Uganda
republic
Ukraine
republic
United Arab Emirates
federation with specified powers delegated to
the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member
emirates
United Kingdom
constitutional monarchy
United States
Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic
tradition
Uruguay
constitutional republic
Uzbekistan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch
Vanuatu
parliamentary republic
Venezuela
federal republic
Vietnam
Communist state
Virgin Islands
NA
Wallis and Futuna
NA
Western Sahara
legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty
unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front
(Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de
Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a
government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
(SADR),led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned
between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring
northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario
guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979;
Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since
asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile
was seated as an OAU member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued
sporadically, until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6
September 1991
Yemen
republic
Zambia
republic
Zimbabwe
parliamentary democracy