3 January 1974; suspended since 18 September 1988; a
constitution officially received 92.48% support in a flawed May 2008
referendum that most observers judged fell far short of
international standards of free and fair elections; note - a new
constitution is to take effect when a parliament is convened
possibly in late January 2011
Burundi
ratified by popular referendum 28 February 2005
Cambodia
promulgated 21 September 1993
Cameroon
approved by referendum 20 May 1972; adopted 2 June 1972;
revised January 1996
Canada
made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial
decisions, and traditions; the written part of the constitution
consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a
federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April
1982, which transferred formal control over the constitution from
Britain to Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments
Cape Verde
25 September 1992; a major revision on 23 November 1995
substantially increased the powers of the president; a 1999 revision
created the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica)
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009, 6
November 2009
Central African Republic
ratified by popular referendum 5 December
2004; effective 27 December 2004
Chad
passed by referendum 31 March 1996; a June 2005 referendum
removed constitutional term limits
Chile
11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 1989,
1991, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2005
China
most recent promulgation 4 December 1982 with amendments in
1988, 1993, 1999, 2004
Christmas Island
Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as
amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23
November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992
Colombia
5 July 1991; amended many times
Comoros
23 December 2001
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
18 February 2006
Congo, Republic of the
approved by referendum 20 January 2002
Cook Islands
4 August 1965
Costa Rica
7 November 1949
Cote d'Ivoire
approved by referendum 23 July 2000
Croatia
adopted on 22 December 1990; revised 2000, 2001
Cuba
24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002
Curacao
Staatsregeling, 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom Charter
pending
Cyprus
16 August 1960
note: from December 1963, the Turkish Cypriots no longer
participated in the government; negotiations to create the basis for
a new or revised constitution to govern the island and for better
relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held
intermittently since the mid-1960s; in 1975, following the 1974
Turkish intervention, Turkish Cypriots created their own
constitution and governing bodies within the "Turkish Federated
State of Cyprus," which became the "Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC)" when the Turkish Cypriots declared independence in
1983; a new constitution for the "TRNC" passed by referendum on 5
May 1985, although the "TRNC" remains unrecognized by any country
other than Turkey
Czech Republic
ratified on 16 December 1992, effective on 1 January
1993; amended in 1997, 2000, 2001 (twice), 2002
Denmark
5 June 1953; note - constitution allowed for a unicameral
legislature and a female chief of state
Dhekelia
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in
Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal
document
Djibouti
approved by referendum 4 September 1992; note -
constitution allows for multiparties
Dominica
3 November 1978
Dominican Republic
28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002 and
January 2010
Ecuador
20 October 2008
Egypt
11 September 1971; amended 22 May 1980, 25 May 2005, and 26
March 2007
El Salvador
20 December 1983
Equatorial Guinea
approved by national referendum 17 November 1991;
amended January 1995
Eritrea
adopted on 23 May 1997, but has not yet been fully
implemented
Estonia
adopted 28 June 1992
Ethiopia
ratified 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995
European Union
none
note: based on a series of treaties: the Treaty of Paris, which set
up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951; the
Treaties of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community (EEC)
and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957; the
Single European Act in 1986; the Treaty on European Union
(Maastricht) in 1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the
Treaty of Nice in 2003; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty,
signed on 29 October 2004 in Rome, gave member states two years for
ratification either by parliamentary vote or national referendum
before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006; defeat in
French and Dutch referenda in May-June 2005 dealt a severe setback
to the ratification process; in June 2007, the European Council
agreed on a clear and concise mandate for an Intergovernmental
Conference to form a political agreement and put it into legal form;
this agreement, known as the Reform Treaty, would have served as a
constitution and was presented to the European Council in October
2007 for individual country ratification; it was rejected by Irish
voters in June 2008, again stalling the ratification process; the
Reform Treaty, more recently known as the Treaty of Lisbon, was
again circulated for ratification, and by November 2009 was approved
by all 27 countries; it came into effect on 1 December 2009
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
1 January 2009
Faroe Islands
5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)
Fiji
enacted on 25 July 1997; effective on 28 July 1998; note - it
encourages multiculturalism and makes multiparty government mandatory
Finland
1 March 2000
France
adopted by referendum 28 September 1958; effective 4 October
1958; amended many times
note: amended concerning election of president in 1962; amended to
comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht Treaty, 1997 Amsterdam
Treaty, 2003 Treaty of Nice; amended to tighten immigration laws in
1993; amended in 2000 to change the seven-year presidential term to
a five-year term; amended in 2005 to make the EU constitutional
treaty compatible with the Constitution of France and to ensure that
the decision to ratify EU accession treaties would be made by
referendum
French Polynesia
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Gabon
adopted 14 March 1991
Gambia, The
approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; effective
16 January 1997
Georgia
adopted 24 August 1995
Germany
23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the
united Germany 3 October 1990
Ghana
approved 28 April 1992
Gibraltar
5 June 2006; came into force 2 January 2007
Greece
11 June 1975; amended March 1986 and April 2001
Greenland
(November 2008) Act on Greenland Self Government
Grenada
19 December 1973
Guam
Organic Act of Guam, 1 August 1950
Guatemala
31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; suspended 25 May
1993; reinstated 5 June 1993; amended November 1993
Guernsey
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Guinea
23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)
Guinea-Bissau
16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26
February 1993, 9 June 1993, and in 1996
Guyana
6 October 1980
Haiti
approved March 1987
note: suspended June 1988 with most articles reinstated March 1989;
constitutional government ousted in a military coup in September
1991, although in October 1991 military government claimed to be
observing the constitution; returned to constitutional rule in
October 1994; constitution, while technically in force between
2004-2006, was not enforced; returned to constitutional rule in May
2006
Holy See (Vatican City)
Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN
PAUL II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaced
the first Fundamental Law of 1929)
Honduras
11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended many
times
Hong Kong
Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National
People's Congress, is Hong Kong's charter
Hungary
18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949; revised 19 April
1972; 18 October 1989; and 1997
note: 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals
and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and
also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997
amendment streamlined the judicial system
Iceland
16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944; amended many times
India
26 January 1950; amended many times
Indonesia
August 1945; abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and
Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959; series of
amendments concluded in 2002
Iran
2-3 December 1979; revised in 1989
note: the revision in 1989 expanded powers of the presidency and
eliminated the prime ministership
Iraq
ratified on 15 October 2005 (subject to review by the
Constitutional Review Committee and a possible public referendum)
Ireland
adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 1937
Isle of Man
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of
1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution
Israel
no formal constitution; some of the functions of a
constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948),
the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli
citizenship law; note - since May 2003 the Constitution, Law, and
Justice Committee of the Knesset has been working on a draft
constitution
Italy
passed 11 December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended
many times
Jamaica
6 August 1962
Japan
3 May 1947
Jersey
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Jordan
1 January 1952; amended many times
Kazakhstan
first post-independence constitution adopted 28 January
1993; new constitution adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995
Kenya
27 August 2010; the new constitution abolishes the position of
prime minister and establishes a bicameral legislature; many details
have yet to be finalized and will require significant legislative
action
Kiribati
12 July 1979
Korea, North
adopted 1948; revised several times most recently in
2009
Korea, South
17 July 1948; note - amended or rewritten many times;
current constitution approved on 29 October 1987
Kosovo
adopted by the Kosovo Assembly on 9 April 2008; effective 15
June 2008
Kuwait
approved and promulgated 11 November 1962
Kyrgyzstan
27 June 2010
Laos
promulgated 14 August 1991; amended in 2003
Latvia
15 February 1922; restored to force by the Constitutional Law
of the Republic of Latvia adopted by the Supreme Council on 21
August 1991; multiple amendments since
Lebanon
23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently in
1990 to include changes necessitated by the Charter of Lebanese
National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989
Lesotho
2 April 1993
Liberia
6 January 1986
Libya
none; note - following the September 1969 military overthrow
of the Libyan government, the Revolutionary Command Council replaced
the existing constitution with the Constitutional Proclamation in
December 1969; in March 1977, Libya adopted the Declaration of the
Establishment of the People's Authority
Liechtenstein
5 October 1921; amended 15 September 2003
Lithuania
adopted 25 October 1992; last amended 13 July 2004
Luxembourg
17 October 1868; occasional revisions
Macau
Basic Law, approved on 31 March 1993 by China's National
People's Congress, is Macau's charter
Macedonia
adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991;
amended November 2001, 2005 and in 2009
note: amended November 2001 by a series of new constitutional
amendments strengthening minority rights, in 2005 with amendments
related to the judiciary, and in 2009 with amendments related to the
threshold required to elect the president
Madagascar
passed by referendum 17 November 2010; promulgated 11
December 2010 (2010)
Malawi
18 May 1994
Malaysia
31 August 1957; amended many times the latest in 2007
Maldives
new constitution ratified 7 August 2008
Mali
adopted 12 January 1992
Malta
1964; amended many times
Marshall Islands
1 May 1979
Mauritania
12 July 1991
Mauritius
12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992
Mayotte
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Mexico
5 February 1917
Micronesia, Federated States of
10 May 1979
Moldova
adopted 29 July 1994; effective 27 August 1994; note -
replaced 1979 Soviet constitution
Monaco
17 December 1962; modified 2 April 2002
Mongolia
13 January 1992
Montenegro
approved 19 October 2007 (by the Assembly)
Montserrat
effective 19 December 1989
Morocco
10 March 1972; revised 4 September 1992, amended September
1996
note: the amendment of September 1996 was to create a bicameral
legislature
Mozambique
30 November 1990
Namibia
ratified 9 February 1990, effective 12 March 1990
Nauru
29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968
Nepal
15 January 2007 (interim Constitution); note - in April 2008,
a Constituent Assembly was elected to draft and promulgate a new
constitution by May 2010, but the deadline has been extended to May
2011
Netherlands
adopted 1815; amended many times, most recently in 2002
New Caledonia
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
New Zealand
consists of a series of legal documents, including
certain acts of the UK and New Zealand parliaments, as well as The
Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal charter;
adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January 1987
Nicaragua
9 January 1987; revised in 1995, 2000, and 2005
Niger
adopted 18 July 1999
Nigeria
adopted 5 May 1999; effective 29 May 1999
Niue
19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island Act of 1979 as amended in 2005
Northern Mariana Islands
Constitution of the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978; Covenant
Agreement fully effective 4 November 1986
Norway
17 May 1814; amended many times
Oman
none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal
decree promulgating a basic law considered by the government to be a
constitution which, among other things, clarifies the royal
succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from
holding interests in companies doing business with the government,
establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic civil
liberties for Omani citizens
Pakistan
12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored 30 December
1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in 2002; amended
31 December 2003; suspended 3 November 2007; restored on 15 December
2007; amended 19 April 2010
Palau
1 January 1981
Panama
11 October 1972; revised in 1978, 1983, 1994, and 2004
Papua New Guinea
16 September 1975
Paraguay
promulgated 20 June 1992
Peru
29 December 1993
Philippines
2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987
Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Constitution Order 2010, effective 4
March 2010
Poland
adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by
national referendum 25 May 1997; effective 17 October 1997
Portugal
adopted 2 April 1976; subsequently revised
note: the revisions placed the military under strict civilian
control, trimmed the powers of the president, and laid the
groundwork for a stable, pluralistic liberal democracy; they allowed
for the privatization of nationalized firms and government-owned
communications media
Puerto Rico
ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July
1952; effective 25 July 1952
Qatar
ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by
the Amir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005
Romania
8 December 1991; revised 29 October 2003
Russia
adopted 12 December 1993
Rwanda
new constitution passed by referendum 26 May 2003
Saint Barthelemy
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
The Saint Helena,
Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009, effective 1
September 2009
Saint Kitts and Nevis
19 September 1983
Saint Lucia
22 February 1979
Saint Martin
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
27 October 1979
Samoa
1 January 1962
San Marino
8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the
functions of a constitution
Sao Tome and Principe
approved March 1990, effective 10 September
1990
Saudi Arabia
governed according to Islamic law; the Basic Law that
articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was
promulgated by royal decree in 1992
Senegal
adopted 7 January 2001
Serbia
adopted 8 November 2006; effective 10 November 2006
Seychelles
18 June 1993
Sierra Leone
1 October 1991; amended several times
Singapore
3 June 1959; amended 1965 (based on pre-independence State
of Singapore Constitution)
Sint Maarten
Staatsregeling, 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom
Charter pending
Slovakia
ratified 1 September 1992, effective 1 January 1993;
changed in September 1998; amended February 2001
note: the change in September 1998 allowed direct election of the
president; the amendment of February 2001 allowed Slovakia to apply
for NATO and EU membership
Slovenia
adopted 23 December 1991, amended 14 July 1997 and 25 July
2000
Solomon Islands
7 July 1978
Somalia
25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the formation of transitional governing institutions, known as
the Transitional Federal Government, is currently ongoing
South Africa
10 December 1996; note - certified by the
Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996; was signed by then
President MANDELA on 10 December 1996; and entered into effect on 4
February 1997
Spain
approved by legislature 31 October 1978; passed by referendum
6 December 1978; signed by the king 27 December 1978
Sri Lanka
adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978; amended
20 December 2001
Sudan
Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005
note: under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the Interim National
Constitution was ratified 5 July 2005; Constitution of Southern
Sudan was signed December 2005
Suriname
ratified 30 September 1987; effective 30 October 1987
Swaziland
signed by the King in July 2005; went into effect on 8
February 2006
Sweden
1 January 1975
Switzerland
revision of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal
Parliament 18 December 1998, adopted by referendum 18 April 1999,
officially entered into force 1 January 2000
Syria
13 March 1973
Taiwan
adopted on 25 December 1946; promulgated on 1 January 1947;
effective 25 December 1947; amended numerous times
Tajikistan
6 November 1994
Tanzania
25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984
Thailand
24 August 2007
Timor-Leste
20 May 2002 (effective date)
Togo
adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992
Tokelau
administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended
in 1970
Tonga
4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967
Trinidad and Tobago
1 August 1976
Tunisia
1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002
Turkey
7 November 1982; amended 17 May 1987, 1995, 2001, 2007 and
2010; note - amendment passed by referendum concerning presidential
elections on 21 October 2007
Turkmenistan
adopted 26 September 2008
Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution
(Interim Amendment) Order 2009, S.I. 2009/701 - effective 14 August
2009 - suspended Ministerial government, the House of Assembly, and
the constitutional right to trial by jury, and imposed direct
British rule
Tuvalu
1 October 1978
Uganda
8 October 1995; amended in 2005
note: the amendments in 2005 removed presidential term limits and
legalized a multiparty political system
Ukraine
adopted 28 June 1996
United Arab Emirates
2 December 1971; made permanent in 1996
United Kingdom
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and
practice
United States
17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789
Uruguay
27 November 1966; effective 15 February 1967; suspended 27
June 1973; revised 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997
Uzbekistan
adopted 8 December 1992
Vanuatu
30 July 1980
Venezuela
30 December 1999
Vietnam
15 April 1992
Virgin Islands
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Wallis and Futuna
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Yemen
16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994 and February 2001
Zambia
24 August 1991; amended in 1996 to establish presidential
term limits
Zimbabwe
21 December 1979
======================================================================
@2064
Field Listing ::
Country
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@2065
Field Listing ::
Country
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@2066
Field Listing :: Death rate
This entry gives the average annual number of deaths during a year
per 1,000 population at midyear; also known as crude death rate. The
death rate, while only a rough indicator of the mortality situation
in a country, accurately indicates the current mortality impact on
population growth. This indicator is significantly affected by age
distribution, and most countries will eventually show a rise in the
overall death rate, in spite of continued decline in mortality at
all ages, as declining fertility results in an aging population.
Country Comparison to the World
Country
Death rate(deaths/1,000 population)
Afghanistan
17.65 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Albania
6.04 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Algeria
4.66 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
American Samoa
4.09 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Andorra
6.21 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Angola
23.74 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Anguilla
4.4 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Antigua and Barbuda
5.77 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Argentina
7.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Armenia
8.42 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Aruba
7.76 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Australia
6.81 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Austria
10.05 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Azerbaijan
8.28 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Bahamas, The
6.89 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Bahrain
4.37 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Bangladesh
5.81 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Barbados
8.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Belarus
13.81 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Belgium
10.5 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Belize
5.82 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Benin
9.23 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Bermuda
7.43 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Bhutan
7.25 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Bolivia
6.95 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
8.71 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Botswana
9.02 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Brazil
6.35 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
British Virgin Islands
4.41 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Brunei
3.32 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Bulgaria
14.31 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Burkina Faso
13.02 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Burma
8.23 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Burundi
9.87 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Cambodia
8.19 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Cameroon
12.01 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Canada
7.87 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Cape Verde
6.41 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Cayman Islands
5 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Central African Republic
15.3 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010
est.)
Chad
15.79 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Chile
5.9 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
China
6.89 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Christmas Island
NA
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
NA
Colombia
5.24 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Comoros
7.4 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
11.39 deaths/1,000 population
(July 2010 est.)
Congo, Republic of the
11.75 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Cook Islands
7.22 deaths/1,000 population NA