NA
Poland
1.29 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Portugal
1.5 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Puerto Rico
1.62 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Qatar
2.44 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Romania
1.27 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Russia
1.41 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rwanda
4.99 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
1.56 children
born/woman (2010 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
1.79 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Saint Lucia
1.82 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
1.54 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1.94 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Samoa
3.32 children born/woman (2010 est.)
San Marino
1.46 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Sao Tome and Principe
5.21 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Saudi Arabia
2.35 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Senegal
4.86 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Serbia
1.39 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Seychelles
1.92 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Sierra Leone
4.97 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Singapore
1.1 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Sint Maarten
1.7 children born/woman (2009)
Slovakia
1.36 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Slovenia
1.29 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Solomon Islands
3.67 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Somalia
6.44 children born/woman (2010 est.)
South Africa
2.33 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Spain
1.47 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Sri Lanka
1.96 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Sudan
4.93 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Suriname
1.97 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Svalbard
NA
Swaziland
3.19 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Sweden
1.67 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Switzerland
1.46 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Syria
3.02 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Taiwan
1.15 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Tajikistan
2.94 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Tanzania
4.31 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Thailand
1.65 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Timor-Leste
3.2 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Togo
4.74 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Tokelau
NA
Tonga
2 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago
1.72 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Tunisia
1.71 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Turkey
2.18 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Turkmenistan
2.19 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands
2.92 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Tuvalu
3.14 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Uganda
6.73 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Ukraine
1.27 children born/woman (2010 est.)
United Arab Emirates
2.41 children born/woman (2010 est.)
United Kingdom
1.92 children born/woman (2010 est.)
United States
2.06 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Uruguay
1.89 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Uzbekistan
1.92 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Vanuatu
2.43 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Venezuela
2.45 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Vietnam
1.93 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Virgin Islands
1.81 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Wallis and Futuna
1.84 children born/woman (2010 est.)
West Bank
3.12 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Western Sahara
4.37 children born/woman (2010 est.)
World
2.56 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Yemen
4.81 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Zambia
6.07 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Zimbabwe
3.66 children born/woman (2010 est.)
======================================================================
@2128
Field Listing :: Government type
This entry gives the basic form of government. Definitions of the
major governmental terms are as follows. (Note that for some
countries more than one definition applies.):
Absolute monarchy - a form of government where the monarch rules
unhindered, i.e., without any laws, constitution, or legally
organized opposition.
Anarchy - a condition of lawlessness or political disorder brought
about by the absence of governmental authority.
Authoritarian - a form of government in which state authority is
imposed onto many aspects of citizens' lives.
Commonwealth - a nation, state, or other political entity founded on
law and united by a compact of the people for the common good.
Communist - a system of government in which the state plans and
controls the economy and a single - often authoritarian - party
holds power; state controls are imposed with the elimination of
private ownership of property or capital while claiming to make
progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally
shared by the people (i.e., a classless society).
Confederacy (Confederation) - a union by compact or treaty between
states, provinces, or territories, that creates a central government
with limited powers; the constituent entities retain supreme
authority over all matters except those delegated to the central
government.
Constitutional - a government by or operating under an authoritative
document (constitution) that sets forth the system of fundamental
laws and principles that determines the nature, functions, and
limits of that government.
Constitutional democracy - a form of government in which the
sovereign power of the people is spelled out in a governing
constitution.
Constitutional monarchy - a system of government in which a monarch
is guided by a constitution whereby his/her rights, duties, and
responsibilities are spelled out in written law or by custom.
Democracy - a form of government in which the supreme power is
retained by the people, but which is usually exercised indirectly
through a system of representation and delegated authority
periodically renewed.
Democratic republic - a state in which the supreme power rests in
the body of citizens entitled to vote for officers and
representatives responsible to them.
Dictatorship - a form of government in which a ruler or small clique
wield absolute power (not restricted by a constitution or laws).
Ecclesiastical - a government administrated by a church.
Emirate - similar to a monarchy or sultanate, but a government in
which the supreme power is in the hands of an emir (the ruler of a
Muslim state); the emir may be an absolute overlord or a sovereign
with constitutionally limited authority.
Federal (Federation) - a form of government in which sovereign power
is formally divided - usually by means of a constitution - between a
central authority and a number of constituent regions (states,
colonies, or provinces) so that each region retains some management
of its internal affairs; differs from a confederacy in that the
central government exerts influence directly upon both individuals
as well as upon the regional units.
Federal republic - a state in which the powers of the central
government are restricted and in which the component parts (states,
colonies, or provinces) retain a degree of self-government; ultimate
sovereign power rests with the voters who chose their governmental
representatives.
Islamic republic - a particular form of government adopted by some
Muslim states; although such a state is, in theory, a theocracy, it
remains a republic, but its laws are required to be compatible with
the laws of Islam.
Maoism - the theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism developed in
China by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung), which states that a continuous
revolution is necessary if the leaders of a communist state are to
keep in touch with the people.
Marxism - the political, economic, and social principles espoused by
19th century economist Karl Marx; he viewed the struggle of workers
as a progression of historical forces that would proceed from a
class struggle of the proletariat (workers) exploited by capitalists
(business owners), to a socialist "dictatorship of the proletariat,"
to, finally, a classless society - Communism.
Marxism-Leninism - an expanded form of communism developed by Lenin
from doctrines of Karl Marx; Lenin saw imperialism as the final
stage of capitalism and shifted the focus of workers' struggle from
developed to underdeveloped countries.
Monarchy - a government in which the supreme power is lodged in the
hands of a monarch who reigns over a state or territory, usually for
life and by hereditary right; the monarch may be either a sole
absolute ruler or a sovereign - such as a king, queen, or prince -
with constitutionally limited authority.
Oligarchy - a government in which control is exercised by a small
group of individuals whose authority generally is based on wealth or
power.
Parliamentary democracy - a political system in which the
legislature (parliament) selects the government - a prime minister,
premier, or chancellor along with the cabinet ministers - according
to party strength as expressed in elections; by this system, the
government acquires a dual responsibility: to the people as well as
to the parliament.
Parliamentary government (Cabinet-Parliamentary government) - a
government in which members of an executive branch (the cabinet and
its leader - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor) are nominated
to their positions by a legislature or parliament, and are directly
responsible to it; this type of government can be dissolved at will
by the parliament (legislature) by means of a no confidence vote or
the leader of the cabinet may dissolve the parliament if it can no
longer function.
Parliamentary monarchy - a state headed by a monarch who is not
actively involved in policy formation or implementation (i.e., the
exercise of sovereign powers by a monarch in a ceremonial capacity);
true governmental leadership is carried out by a cabinet and its
head - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor - who are drawn from
a legislature (parliament).
Presidential - a system of government where the executive branch
exists separately from a legislature (to which it is generally not
accountable).
Republic - a representative democracy in which the people's elected
deputies (representatives), not the people themselves, vote on
legislation.
Socialism - a government in which the means of planning, producing,
and distributing goods is controlled by a central government that
theoretically seeks a more just and equitable distribution of
property and labor; in actuality, most socialist governments have
ended up being no more than dictatorships over workers by a ruling
elite.
Sultanate - similar to a monarchy, but a government in which the
supreme power is in the hands of a sultan (the head of a Muslim
state); the sultan may be an absolute ruler or a sovereign with
constitutionally limited authority.
Theocracy - a form of government in which a Deity is recognized as
the supreme civil ruler, but the Deity's laws are interpreted by
ecclesiastical authorities (bishops, mullahs, etc.); a government
subject to religious authority.
Totalitarian - a government that seeks to subordinate the individual
to the state by controlling not only all political and economic
matters, but also the attitudes, values, and beliefs of its
population.
Country
Government type
Afghanistan
Islamic republic
Albania
republic
Algeria
republic
American Samoa
NA
Andorra
parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as
its chiefs of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the
president of France and bishop of Seu d'Urgell, Spain, who are
represented in Andorra by the coprinces' representatives
Angola
republic; multiparty presidential regime
Anguilla
NA
Antarctica
Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic region is
governed by a system known as the Antarctic Treaty System; the
system includes: 1. the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959
and entered into force on 23 June 1961, which establishes the legal
framework for the management of Antarctica, 2. Recommendations and
Measures adopted at meetings of Antarctic Treaty countries, 3. The
Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972), 4. The
Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
(1980), and 5. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the
Antarctic Treaty (1991); the 33rd Antarctic Treaty Consultative
Meeting was held in Punta del Este, Uruguay in May 2010; at these
periodic meetings, decisions are made by consensus (not by vote) of
all consultative member nations; by April 2010, there were 48 treaty
member nations: 28 consultative and 20 non-consultative;
consultative (decision-making) members include the seven nations
that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims
overlap) and 21 non-claimant 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 (with respect to their own
nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national
laws; the years in parentheses indicate when a consultative
member-nation acceded to the Treaty and when it was accepted as a
consultative member, while no date indicates the country was an
original 1959 treaty signatory; claimant nations are - Argentina,
Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant
consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1975/1983), Bulgaria
(1978/1998) China (1983/1985), Ecuador (1987/1990), Finland
(1984/1989), Germany (1979/1981), India (1983/1983), Italy
(1981/1987), Japan, South Korea (1986/1989), Netherlands
(1967/1990), Peru (1981/1989), Poland (1961/1977), Russia, South
Africa, Spain (1982/1988), Sweden (1984/1988), Ukraine (1992/2004),
Uruguay (1980/1985), and the US; non-consultative members, with year
of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Belarus (2006),
Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic
(1962/1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987),
Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Monaco (2008),
Papua New Guinea (1981), Portugal (2010), Romania (1971), Slovakia
(1962/1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1996), and Venezuela
(1999); note - Czechoslovakia acceded to the Treaty in 1962 and
separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993;
claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ,
Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium,
Brazil (1975/1983), Bulgaria (1978/1998) China (1983/1985), Ecuador
(1987/1990), Finland (1984/1989), Germany (1979/1981), India
(1983/1983), Italy (1981/1987), Japan, South Korea (1986/1989),
Netherlands (1967/1990), Peru (1981/1989), Poland (1961/1977),
Russia, South Africa, Spain (1982/1988), Sweden (1984/1988), Ukraine
(1992/2004), Uruguay (1980/1985), and the US; non-consultative
members, with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria
(1987), Belarus (2006), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984),
Czech Republic (1962/1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece
(1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Monaco
(2008), Papua New Guinea (1981), Portugal (2010), Romania (1971),
Slovakia (1962/1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1996), and
Venezuela (1999); note - Czechoslovakia acceded to the Treaty in
1962 and separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993;
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;
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 six specific annexes: 1) environmental
impact assessment, 2) conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3)
waste disposal and waste management, 4) prevention of marine
pollution, 5) area protection and management and 6) liability
arising from environmental emergencies; it prohibits all activities
relating to mineral resources except scientific research; a
permanent Antarctic Treaty Secretariat was established in 2004 in
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Antigua and Barbuda
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary
system of government and a Commonwealth realm
Argentina
republic
Armenia
republic
Aruba
parliamentary democracy
Australia
federal parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Austria
federal republic
Azerbaijan
republic
Bahamas, The
constitutional parliamentary democracy and a
Commonwealth realm
Bahrain
constitutional monarchy
Bangladesh
parliamentary democracy
Barbados
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Belarus
republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
Belgium
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional
monarchy
Belize
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Benin
republic
Bermuda
parliamentary; self-governing territory
Bhutan
constitutional monarchy
Bolivia
republic; note - the new constitution defines Bolivia as a
"Social Unitarian State"
Bosnia and Herzegovina
emerging federal democratic republic
Botswana
parliamentary republic
Brazil
federal republic
British Virgin Islands
NA
Brunei
constitutional sultanate (locally known as Malay Islamic
Monarchy)
Bulgaria
parliamentary democracy
Burkina Faso
parliamentary republic
Burma
military regime
Burundi
republic
Cambodia
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Cameroon
republic; multiparty presidential regime
Canada
a parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a constitutional
monarchy
Cape Verde
republic
Cayman Islands
parliamentary democracy
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
republic
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
republic
Congo, Republic of the
republic
Cook Islands
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Costa Rica
democratic republic
Cote d'Ivoire
republic; multiparty presidential regime established
1960
note: the government is currently operating under a power-sharing
agreement mandated by international mediators
Croatia
presidential/parliamentary democracy
Cuba
Communist state
Curacao
parliamentary
Cyprus
republic
note: a separation 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 that followed a Greek military-junta-supported coup
attempt that 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"), which is recognized only by
Turkey
Czech Republic
parliamentary democracy
Denmark
constitutional monarchy
Djibouti
republic
Dominica
parliamentary democracy
Dominican Republic
democratic 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 were scheduled 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
Finland
republic
France
republic
French Polynesia
NA
Gabon
republic; multiparty presidential regime
Gambia, The
republic
Georgia
republic
Germany
federal republic
Ghana
constitutional democracy
Gibraltar
NA
Greece
parliamentary republic
Greenland
parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy
Grenada
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Guam
NA
Guatemala
constitutional democratic republic
Guernsey
parliamentary democracy
Guinea
republic
Guinea-Bissau
republic
Guyana
republic
Haiti
republic
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
parliamentary democracy
Ireland
republic, parliamentary democracy
Isle of Man
parliamentary democracy
Israel
parliamentary democracy
Italy
republic
Jamaica
constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth
realm
Japan
a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy
Jersey
parliamentary democracy
Jordan
constitutional monarchy
Kazakhstan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch
Kenya
republic
Kiribati
republic
Korea, North
Communist state one-man dictatorship
Korea, South
republic
Kosovo
republic
Kuwait
constitutional emirate
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 practice, an authoritarian state
Liechtenstein
constitutional monarchy
Lithuania
parliamentary democracy
Luxembourg
constitutional monarchy
Macau
limited democracy
Macedonia
parliamentary democracy
Madagascar
republic
Malawi
multiparty democracy