6.3% (2008 est.)
2.9% (2007 est.)
Denmark
3.4% (2008 est.)
1.7% (2007 est.)
Djibouti
5% (2007 est.)
Dominica
2.7% (2007 est.)
Dominican Republic
10.6% (2008 est.)
6.1% (2007 est.)
Ecuador
8.3% (2008 est.)
2.3% (2007 est.)
Egypt
18.3% (2008 est.)
9.5% (2007 est.)
El Salvador
7.3% (2008 est.)
4.6% (2007 est.)
Equatorial Guinea
7.5% (2008 est.)
6% (2007 est.)
Eritrea
18% (2008 est.)
17% (2007 est.)
Estonia
10.4% (2008 est.)
6.6% (2007 est.)
Ethiopia
44.4% (2008 est.)
17.2% (2007 est.)
European Union
3.5% (2008 est.)
1.8% (2006 est.)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
3.6% (1998)
Faroe Islands
1.8% (2005)
Fiji
4.8% (2007)
Finland
4.1% (2008 est.)
2.5% (2007 est.)
France
2.8% (2008 est.)
1.5% (2007 est.)
French Polynesia
1.1% (2007)
1.1% (2006 est.)
Gabon
5.3% (2008 est.)
5% (2007 est.)
Gambia, The
4.5% (2008 est.)
5.1% (2007 est.)
Gaza Strip
11.5% (2008)
3.6% (2006)
note: includes West Bank
Georgia
10% (2008 est.)
9.3% (2007 est.)
Germany
2.7% (2008 est.)
2.3% (2007 est.)
Ghana
16.5% (2008 est.)
10.7% (2007 est.)
Gibraltar
2.9% (2005)
Greece
4.1% (2008 est.)
2.9% (2007 est.)
Greenland
1% (2005 est.)
Grenada
3.7% (2007 est.)
Guam
2.5% (2005 est.)
Guatemala
11.4% (2008 est.)
6.8% (2007 est.)
Guernsey
3.4% (June 2006)
Guinea
15% (2008 est.)
23.4% (2007 est.)
Guinea-Bissau
3.8% (2007 est.)
Guyana
8.3% (2008 est.)
12.3% (2007 est.)
Haiti
15.5% (2008 est.)
8.5% (2007 est.)
Honduras
11.4% (2008 est.)
6.9% (2007 est.)
Hong Kong
4.3% (2008 est.)
2% (2007 est.)
Hungary
6.1% (2008 est.)
8% (2007 est.)
Iceland
12.7% (2008 est.)
5.1% (2007 est.)
India
8.3% (2008 est.)
6.4% (2007 est.)
Indonesia
9.9% (2008 est.)
6.3% (2007 est.)
Iran
25.6% (2008 est.)
17.1% (2007 est.)
note: official Iranian estimate
Iraq
2.8% (2008 est.)
4.7% (2007 est.)
Ireland
4.1% (2008 est.)
4.9% (2007 est.)
Isle of Man
3.1% (December 2006 est.)
Israel
4.6% (2008 est.)
0.5% (2007 est.)
Italy
3.4% (2008 est.)
1.8% (2007 est.)
Jamaica
22% (2008 est.)
9.5% (2007 est.)
Japan
1.4% (2008 est.)
0.1% (2007 est.)
Jersey
3.7% (December 2006)
Jordan
14.9% (2008 est.)
5.4% (2007 est.)
Kazakhstan
17% (2008 est.)
10.8% (2007 est.)
Kenya
26.2% (2008 est.)
9.7% (2007 est.)
Kiribati
0.2% (2007 est.)
Korea, North
NA%
Korea, South
4.7% (2008 est.)
2.5% (2007 est.)
Kosovo
5.3% (2007 est.)
Kuwait
10.6% (2008 est.)
5.5% (2007 est.)
Kyrgyzstan
24.5% (2008 est.)
10.2% (2007 est.)
Laos
8.6% (2008 est.)
4.5% (2007 est.)
Latvia
15.4% (2008 est.)
10.1% (2007 est.)
Lebanon
10% (2008 est.)
4.2% (2007 est.)
Lesotho
10.7% (2008 est.)
8% (2007 est.)
Liberia
11.2% (2007 est.)
Libya
10.4% (2008 est.)
6.3% (2007 est.)
Liechtenstein
1% (2001)
Lithuania
10.9% (2008 est.)
5.7% (2007 est.)
Luxembourg
3.4% (2008 est.)
2.3% (2007 est.)
Macau
6.2% (December 2008)
7.2% (2006)
Macedonia
8.3% (2008 est.)
2.3% (2007 est.)
Madagascar
9.2% (2008 est.)
10.3% (2007 est.)
Malawi
8.7% (2008 est.)
7.9% (2007 est.)
Malaysia
5.4% (2008 est.)
2% (2007 est.)
note: approximately 30% of goods are price-controlled
Maldives
12.8% (October 2008 est.)
5% (2007 est.)
Mali
2.5% (2007 est.)
Malta
4.3% (2008 est.)
1.3% (2007 est.)
Marshall Islands
12.9% (2008 est.)
3% (2005 est.)
Mauritania
7.3% (2007 est.)
Mauritius
9.7% (2008 est.)
8.8% (2007 est.)
Mayotte
1.7% (2005)
Mexico
5.1% (2008 est.)
4% (2007 est.)
Micronesia, Federated States of
2.2% (2005)
Moldova
12.8% (2008 est.)
12.3% (2007 est.)
Monaco
1.9% (2000)
Mongolia
28% (2008 est.)
9% (2007 est.)
Montenegro
3.4% (2007)
Montserrat
2.6% (2002 est.)
Morocco
3.8% (2008 est.)
2% (2007 est.)
Mozambique
10.3% (2008 est.)
8.2% (2007 est.)
Namibia
10.3% (2008 est.)
6.7% (2007 est.)
Nauru
NA%
Nepal
7.7% (2008 est.)
6.4% (2007 est.)
Netherlands
2.5% (2008 est.)
1.6% (2007 est.)
Netherlands Antilles
2.1% (2003 est.)
New Caledonia
1.4% (2000 est.)
New Zealand
4% (2008 est.)
2.4% (2007 est.)
Nicaragua
19.8% (2008 est.)
11.1% (2007 est.)
Niger
0.1% (2007 est.)
Nigeria
11.6% (2008 est.)
5.4% (2007 est.)
Niue
4% (2005)
Northern Mariana Islands
-0.8% (2000)
Norway
3.8% (2008 est.)
0.8% (2007 est.)
Oman
12.5% (2008 est.)
5.9% (2007 est.)
Pakistan
20.3% (2008 est.)
7.6% (2007 est.)
Palau
2.7% (2005 est.)
Panama
8.8% (2008 est.)
4.2% (2007 est.)
Papua New Guinea
10.7% (2008 est.)
0.9% (2007 est.)
Paraguay
10.2% (2008 est.)
8.1% (2007 est.)
Peru
5.8% (2008 est.)
1.8% (2007 est.)
Philippines
9.3% (2008 est.)
2.8% (2007 est.)
Poland
4.2% (2008 est.)
2.5% (2007 est.)
Portugal
2.6% (2008 est.)
2.4% (2007 est.)
Puerto Rico
6.5% (2003 est.)
Qatar
15.2% (2008 est.)
13.7% (2007 est.)
Romania
7.8% (2008 est.)
4.8% (2007 est.)
Russia
14.1% (2008 est.)
9% (2007 est.)
Rwanda
15.4% (2008 est.)
9.1% (2007 est.)
Saint Helena
3.2% (1997 est.)
3.2% (1997 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
4.5% (2007 est.)
Saint Lucia
1.9% (2007 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
8.1% (2005)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
6.1% (2007 est.)
Samoa
6% (2007 est.)
San Marino
-3.5% (2008)
-1.5% (2006)
Sao Tome and Principe
26% (2008 est.)
18% (2007 est.)
Saudi Arabia
9.9% (2008 est.)
4.1% (2007 est.)
Senegal
5.8% (2008 est.)
5.9% (2007 est.)
Serbia
6.8% (2007)
Seychelles
37% (2008 est.)
5.3% (2007 est.)
Sierra Leone
11.7% (2007 est.)
Singapore
6.5% (2008 est.)
2.1% (2007 est.)
Slovakia
4.6% (2008 est.)
2.8% (2007 est.)
Slovenia
5.7% (2008 est.)
3.6% (2007 est.)
Solomon Islands
6.3% (2007 est.)
Somalia
NA%
note: businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be
easily determined
South Africa
11.3% (2008 est.)
6.5% (2007 est.)
Spain
4.1% (2008 est.)
2.8% (2007 est.)
Sri Lanka
22.6% (2008 est.)
15.8% (2007 est.)
Sudan
14.3% (2008 est.)
8% (2007 est.)
Suriname
6.4% (2007 est.)
Swaziland
13.4% (2008 est.)
8.1% (2007 est.)
Sweden
3.5% (2008 est.)
2.2% (2007 est.)
Switzerland
2.4% (2008 est.)
0.7% (2007 est.)
Syria
15.7% (2008 est.)
12.2% (2007 est.)
Taiwan
3.5% (2008 est.)
1.8% (2007 est.)
Tajikistan
20.5% (2008 est.)
13.1% (2007 est.)
Tanzania
10.3% (2008 est.)
7% (2007 est.)
Thailand
5.5% (2008 est.)
2.2% (2007 est.)
Timor-Leste
7.8% (2007 est.)
Togo
8.7% (2008 est.)
1% (2007 est.)
Tokelau
NA%
Tonga
5.9% (2007 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago
12% (2008 est.)
7.9% (2007 est.)
Tunisia
5% (2008 est.)
3.1% (2007 est.)
Turkey
10.4% (2008 est.)
8.7% (2007 est.)
Turkmenistan
13% (2008 est.)
11.3% (2007 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands
4% (1995)
Tuvalu
3.8% (2006 est.)
Uganda
12.1% (2008 est.)
6.1% (2007 est.)
Ukraine
25.2% (2008 est.)
12.8% (2007 est.)
United Arab Emirates
15.8% (2008 est.)
14% (2007 est.)
United Kingdom
3.6% (2008 est.)
2.3% (2007 est.)
United States
3.8% (2008 est.)
2.9% (2007 est.)
Uruguay
7.9% (2008 est.)
8.1% (2007 est.)
Uzbekistan
14% (2008 est.)
12% (2007 est.)
note: official data; based on independent analysis of consumer
prices, inflation reached 38% in 2008
Vanuatu
3.9% (2007 est.)
Venezuela
30.4% (2008 est.)
18.7% (2007 est.)
Vietnam
23.1% (2008 est.)
8.3% (2007 est.)
Virgin Islands
2.2% (2003)
Wallis and Futuna
2.8% (2005)
West Bank
11.5% (2008)
3.6% (2006)
note: data in include Gaza Strip
Western Sahara
NA%
World
developed countries 1% to 4% typically; developing countries
5% to 20% typically; national inflation rates vary widely in
individual cases, from declining prices in Japan to hyperinflation
in one Third World country (Zimbabwe); inflation rates have declined
for most countries for the last several years, held in check by
increasing international competition from several low wage countries
Yemen
19% (2008 est.)
10% (2007 est.)
Zambia
12.4% (2008 est.)
10.6% (2007 est.)
Zimbabwe
14.93 billion% (2008 est.)
12,563% (2007 est.)
======================================================================
@2093
Field Listing :: Waterways
This entry gives the total length of navigable rivers, canals, and
other inland bodies of water.
Country Comparison to the World
Country
Waterways(km)
Afghanistan
1,200 km (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to
500 DWT) (2008)
Albania
43 km (2008)
Angola
1,300 km (2008)
Argentina
11,000 km (2007)
Australia
2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and
Murray-Darling river systems) (2006)
Austria
358 km (2007)
Bangladesh
8,370 km
note: includes up to 3,060 km main cargo routes; network reduced to
5,200 km in dry season (2007)
Belarus
2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country
and by shallowness) (2003)
Belgium
2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2008)
Belize
825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2008)
Benin
150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2007)
Bolivia
10,000 km (commercially navigable) (2007)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sava River (northern border) open to shipping
but use limited (2008)
Brazil
50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population)
(2008)
Brunei
209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2008)
Bulgaria
470 km (2008)
Burma
12,800 km (2008)
Burundi
mainly on Lake Tanganyika (2008)
Cambodia
2,400 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2008)
Cameroon
navigation mainly on Benue River; limited during rainy
season (2008)
Canada
636 km
note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint
Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2008)
Central African Republic
2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and
Sangha rivers) (2007)
Chad
Chari and Legone rivers are navigable only in wet season (2008)
China
110,000 km navigable (2008)
Colombia
18,000 km (2008)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
15,000 km (2008)
Congo, Republic of the
1,120 km (commercially navigable on Congo and
Oubanqui rivers) (2008)
Costa Rica
730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2008)
Cote d'Ivoire
980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal
lagoons) (2008)
Croatia
785 km (2008)
Cuba
240 km (2008)
Czech Republic
664 km (principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other
navigable rivers, lakes, and canals) (2008)
Denmark
400 km (2008)
Ecuador
1,500 km (most inaccessible) (2008)
Egypt
3,500 km
note: includes Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway,
and numerous smaller canals in delta; Suez Canal (193.5 km including
approaches) navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m
(2007)
El Salvador
Rio Lempa partially navigable for small craft (2008)
Estonia
320 km (2008)
European Union
52,332 km (2006)
Fiji
203 km
note: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
(2008)
Finland
7,842 km
note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased
from Russia (2008)
France
metropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km accessible to craft
of 3,000 metric tons)
French Guiana: 3,760 km (460 km navigable by small oceangoing
vessels and coastal and river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft)
(2008)
Gabon
1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2008)
Gambia, The
390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can
reach 190 km) (2008)
Germany
7,467 km
note: Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North
Sea and Black Sea (2008)
Ghana
1,293 km
note: 168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano
rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta
(2008)
Greece
6 km
note: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens
sea voyage by 325 km (2008)
Guatemala
990 km
note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable
during high-water season (2007)
Guinea
1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2008)
Guinea-Bissau
rivers are navigable for some distance; many inlets
and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior (2008)
Guyana
330 km
note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by
oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2008)
Honduras
465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2008)
Hungary
1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2008)
India
14,500 km
note: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for
mechanized vessels (2008)
Indonesia
21,579 km (2008)
Iran
850 km (on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia) (2008)
Iraq
5,279 km
note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third
River (565 km) are principal waterways (2008)
Ireland
956 km (pleasure craft only) (2008)
Italy
2,400 km
note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared
to road and rail (2008)
Japan
1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2007)
Kazakhstan
4,000 km (on the Ertis ((Irtysh)) River (80%) and Syr
Darya ((Syrdariya)) River) (2008)
Kenya
part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of Kenya
(2007)
Kiribati
5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) (2007)
Korea, North
2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2008)
Korea, South
1,608 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2008)
Kyrgyzstan
600 km (2008)
Laos
4,600 km
note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,900 additional km are
intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2008)
Latvia
300 km (2007)
Liechtenstein
28 km (2008)
Lithuania
441 km (2007)
Luxembourg
37 km (on Moselle River) (2008)
Madagascar
600 km
note: 432 km navigable (2008)
Malawi
700 km (on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River) (2008)
Malaysia
7,200 km
note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1,500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km
(2008)
Mali
1,800 km (2008)
Mauritania
some navigation possible on Senegal River
Mexico
2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals) (2008)
Moldova
424 km (on Dniester and Prut rivers) (2008)
Mongolia
580 km
note: only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol (135 km); Selenge
River (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry
little traffic; lakes and rivers freeze in winter, are open from May
to September (2007)
Mozambique
460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora
Bassa Lake) (2008)
Netherlands
6,215 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2007)
Nicaragua
2,220 km (including lakes Managua and Nicaragua) (2008)
Niger
300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya
between September and March) (2008)
Nigeria
8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and
creeks) (2008)
Norway
1,577 km (2008)
Panama
800 km (includes 82 km Panama Canal) (2008)
Papua New Guinea
11,000 km (2006)
Paraguay
3,100 km (2008)
Peru
8,808 km
note: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km
of Lago Titicaca (2008)
Philippines
3,219 km (limited to vessels with draft less than 1.5 m)
(2008)
Poland
3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2007)
Portugal
210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2008)
Romania
1,731 km
note: includes 1,075 km on Danube River, 524 km on secondary
branches, and 132 km on canals (2006)
Russia
102,000 km (including 33,000 km with guaranteed depth)
note: 72,000 km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, White
Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea (2007)
Rwanda
Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft
(2008)
Senegal
1,000 km (primarily on Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance
rivers) (2008)
Serbia
587 km (primarily on Danube and Sava rivers) (2008)
Sierra Leone
800 km (600 km year round) (2007)
Slovakia
172 km (on Danube River) (2008)
Slovenia
some transport on Danube River (2008)
Spain
1,000 km (2008)
Sri Lanka
160 km (primarily on rivers in southwest) (2008)
Sudan
4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile
rivers) (2008)
Suriname
1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m)
(2008)
Sweden
2,052 km (2007)
Switzerland
65 km (Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and
Schaffhausen-Bodensee) (2008)
Syria
900 km (not economically significant) (2008)
Tajikistan
200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2008)
Tanzania
Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa principal
avenues of commerce with neighboring countries; rivers not navigable
(2007)
Thailand
4,000 km
note: 3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m (2008)
Togo
50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2008)
Turkey
1,200 km (2008)
Turkmenistan
1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal are important
inland waterways) (2008)
Uganda
on Lake Victoria, 200 km on Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, and
parts of Albert Nile (2008)
Ukraine
2,176 km (most on Dnieper River) (2007)
United Kingdom
3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2008)
United States
41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce)
note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint
Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2008)
Uruguay
1,600 km (2008)
Uzbekistan
1,100 km (2008)
Venezuela
7,100 km
note: Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by
oceangoing vessels (2008)
Vietnam
17,702 km (5,000 km navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft)
(2008)
World
671,886 km (2004)
Zambia
2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and
Luapula rivers) (2008)
Zimbabwe
on Lake Kariba (2008)
======================================================================
@2094
Field Listing :: Judicial branch
This entry contains the name(s) of the highest court(s) and a brief
description of the selection process for members.
Country
Judicial branch
Afghanistan
the constitution establishes a nine-member Stera Mahkama
or Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for 10-year terms
by the president with approval of the Wolesi Jirga) and subordinate
High Courts and Appeals Courts; there is also a minister of justice;
a separate Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission established by
the Bonn Agreement is charged with investigating human rights abuses
and war crimes
Albania
Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected by
the People's Assembly for a four-year term) and multiple appeals and
district courts
Algeria
Supreme Court
American Samoa
High Court (chief justice and associate justices are
appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior)
Andorra
Tribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the
Courts or Tribunal de Corts; Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or
Tribunal Superior de Justicia d'Andorra; Supreme Council of Justice
or Consell Superior de la Justicia; Fiscal Ministry or Ministeri
Fiscal; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal Constitucional
Angola
Supreme Court and separate provincial courts (judges are
appointed by the president)
Anguilla
High Court (judge provided by Eastern Caribbean Supreme
Court)
Antigua and Barbuda
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court consisting of a
High Court of Justice and a Court of Appeal (based in Saint Lucia;
two judges of the Supreme Court are residents of the islands and
preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction); Magistrates'
Courts; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
Argentina
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the Supreme Court judges
are appointed by the president with approval of the Senate)
note: the Supreme Court has seven judges; the Argentine Congress in
2006 passed a bill to gradually reduce the number of Supreme Court
judges to five
Armenia
Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court)
Aruba
Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the
monarch)
Australia
High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are
appointed by the governor general)
Austria
Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof;
Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court
or Verfassungsgerichtshof
Azerbaijan
Supreme Court
Bahamas, The
Privy Council in London; Courts of Appeal; Supreme
(lower) Court; Magistrates' Courts
Bahrain
High Civil Appeals Court
Bangladesh
Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are
appointed by the president)
Barbados
Supreme Court of Judicature consists of a High Court and a
Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for
the Judicial and Legal Services); Caribbean Court of Justice or CCJ
is the highest court of appeal; based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and
Tobago
Belarus
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president);
Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president
and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives)
Belgium
Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or
Cour de Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the
government; candidacies have to be submitted by the High Justice
Council)
Belize
Summary Jurisdiction Courts (criminal) and District Courts
(civil jurisdiction); Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed
by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court
of Appeal; Privy Council in the UK; member of the Caribbean Court of
Justice (CCJ)
Benin
Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court
or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice
Bermuda
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts
Bhutan
Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges
appointed by the monarch); note - the draft constitution establishes
a Supreme Court that will serve as chief court of appeal
Bolivia
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year
terms by National Congress); District Courts (one in each
department); provincial and local courts (to try minor cases);
Constitutional Tribunal (five primary or titulares and five
alternate or suplente magistrates appointed by Congress; to rule on
constitutional issues); National Electoral Court (six members
elected by Congress, Supreme Court, the president, and the political
party with the highest vote in the last election for four-year
terms); note - under the 2009 Constitution, all Constitutional and
Supreme Court judges will be elected by popular vote
Bosnia and Herzegovina
BH Constitutional Court (consists of nine
members: four members are selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's
House of Representatives, two members by the Republika Srpska's
National Assembly, and three non-Bosnian members by the president of
the European Court of Human Rights); BH State Court (consists of
nine judges and three divisions - Administrative, Appellate and
Criminal - having jurisdiction over cases related to state-level law
and appellate jurisdiction over cases initiated in the entities); a
War Crimes Chamber opened in March 2005
note: the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has a
number of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in the
Federation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska
has five municipal courts
Botswana
High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in
each district)
Brazil
Supreme Federal Tribunal or STF (11 ministers are appointed
for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher
Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are
appointed for life); note - though appointed "for life," judges,
like all federal employees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70
British Virgin Islands
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting
of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of
the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the
High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary
Jurisdiction
Brunei
Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by
monarch for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council in
London is final court of appeal for civil cases; Sharia courts deal
with Islamic laws (2006)
Bulgaria
independent judiciary comprised of judges, prosecutors and
investigating magistrates who are appointed, promoted, demoted, and
dismissed by a 25-member Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the
chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22
members, half of whom are elected by the National Assembly and the
other half by the bodies of the judiciary for a 5-year term in
office); three levels of case review; 182 courts of which two
Supreme Courts act as the last instance on civil and criminal cases
(the Supreme Court of Cassation) and appeals of government decisions
(the Supreme Administrative Court)
Burkina Faso
Supreme Court; Appeals Court
Burma
remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but
there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not
independent of the executive
Burundi
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; High
Court of Justice (composed of the Supreme Court and the
Constitutional Court)