Chapter C: Section 3: , Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: 886 (2) 2162-2000, FAX (31)

Rwanda
Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French
(official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in
commercial centers

Saint Helena
English

Saint Kitts and Nevis
English

Saint Lucia
English (official), French patois

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 (official nationwide); Romanian, Hungarian, Slovak,
Ukrainian, and Croatian (all official in Vojvodina); Albanian
(official in Kosovo)

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 is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the
population
note: 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 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%;
note - Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other
languages 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), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of
Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English
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), 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 0.5%, other 2.8%
(2000 census)
note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all national
languages, but only the first three are 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, and 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

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), 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 Europe
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%, 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)

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 13.69%, Spanish 5.05%, English 4.84%, Hindi
2.82%, Portuguese 2.77%, Bengali 2.68%, Russian 2.27%, Japanese
1.99%, Standard German 1.49%, Wu Chinese 1.21% (2004 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 19 December, 2006

======================================================================

@2100 Legal system

Afghanistan
according to the new constitution, no law should be
"contrary to Islam"; the state is obliged to create a prosperous and
progressive society based on social justice, protection of human
dignity, protection of human rights, realization of democracy, and
to ensure national unity and equality among all ethnic groups and
tribes; the state shall abide by the UN charter, international
treaties, international conventions that Afghanistan signed, and the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Akrotiri
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

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;
recently modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased
use of free markets

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

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

Bahamas, The
based on English common law

Bahrain
based on Islamic law and English common law

Baker Island
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Bangladesh
based on English common law

Barbados
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Bassas da India
the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Belarus
based on civil law system

Belgium
civil law system influenced by English constitutional
theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Belize
English law

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

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 Shari'a law
supersedes civil law in a number of areas

Bulgaria
civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Burkina Faso
based on French civil law system and customary law

Burma
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 in recent years; 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
derived from the legal system of Portugal

Cayman Islands
British common law and local statutes

Central African Republic
based on French law

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 is gradually being
implemented; judicial review of executive and legislative acts

Comoros
French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code

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

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 civil law system

Cuba
based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of
Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Cyprus
based on 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 laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

Djibouti
based on French civil law system, traditional practices,
and Islamic law

Dominica
based on English common law

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

East Timor
UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains
in place but will be replaced by civil and penal codes based on
Portuguese law; these have passed and are expected to be promulgated
in early 2006

Ecuador
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Egypt
based on English common law, Islamic law, and 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

Equatorial Guinea
partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom

Eritrea
primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with
revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been
promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted
laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law

Estonia
based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative
acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Ethiopia
currently transitional mix of national and regional courts

Europa Island
the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
English common law

Faroe Islands
Danish

Fiji
based on British system

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

French Guiana
French legal system

French Polynesia
based on French system

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, Koranic 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
English law

Glorioso Islands
the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Greece
based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil,
criminal, and administrative courts; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Greenland
Danish

Grenada
based on English common law

Guadeloupe
French legal system

Guam
modeled on US; US federal laws apply

Guatemala
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Guernsey
English law and local statutes; justice is administered by
the Royal Court

Guinea
based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree;
legal codes currently being revised; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Guinea-Bissau
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

Howland Island
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Hungary
rule of law based on Western model; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Iceland
civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Iles Eparses
the laws of France, where applicable, apply

India
based on English common law; limited 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
the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government

Iraq
based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework
outlined in the Iraqi Constitution

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
English common law and Manx statute

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 European civil law system with English-American
influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Jarvis Island
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Jersey
English law and local statute; justice is administered by the
Royal Court

Johnston Atoll
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

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

Juan de Nova Island
the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Kazakhstan
based on civil law system

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

Kingman Reef
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Kiribati
NA

Korea, North
based on German 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

Kuwait
civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal
matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Kyrgyzstan
based on civil law system

Laos
based on traditional customs, French legal norms and
procedures, and socialist practice

Latvia
based on civil law system

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 civil law system 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; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Lithuania
based on civil law system; legislative acts can be
appealed to the constitutional court

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

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; Islamic
law is applied to Muslims in matters of family law

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 (which was
formally established on 9 March 1994); 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

Martinique
French legal system

Mauritania
a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil
law

Mauritius
based on French civil law system with elements of English
common law in certain areas; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

Mayotte
French law

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

Midway Islands
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

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

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

Montserrat
English common law and statutory law

Morocco
based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law
system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional
Chamber of Supreme Court

Mozambique
based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law

Namibia
based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution

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
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
the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy
to the islands; formerly under French law

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 Shariah 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

Palmyra Atoll
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

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

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
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
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
discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although
civil codes are being implemented; Shari'a law dominates family and
personal matters

Reunion
French law

Romania
former mixture of civil law system and communist legal
theory; is now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic

Russia
based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

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 Helena
British common law and statutes, supplemented by local
statutes

Saint Kitts and Nevis
based on English common law

Saint Lucia
based on English common law

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
French law with special adaptations for
local conditions, such as housing and taxation

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
based on English common law

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 Shari'a 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

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

Solomon Islands
English common law, which is widely disregarded

Somalia
no national system; Shari'a (Islamic) and secular courts
based on Somali customary law (xeer) are present in some localities;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

South Africa
based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law

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, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Sudan
based on English common law and Shari'a law; as of 20 January
1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Shari'a
law in the northern states; Shari'a law applies to all residents of
the northern states regardless of their religion; some separate
religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations; the southern legal system is still developing under
the CPA following the civil war; Shari'a 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
NA

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;
religious law is used in the family court system; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Taiwan
based on civil law system

Tajikistan
based on civil law system; no judicial review of
legislative acts

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

Togo
French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

Tokelau
New Zealand and local statutes

Tonga
based on English law

Trinidad and Tobago
based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Tromelin Island
the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Tunisia
based on French civil law system and Shari'a law; some
judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint
session

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

Turkmenistan
based on civil law system

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

United Arab Emirates
federal court system introduced in 1971;
applies to all emirates except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah,
which are not fully integrated into the federal judicial system; all
emirates have secular courts to adjudicate criminal, civil, and
commercial matters and Islamic courts to review family and religious
disputes

United Kingdom
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's) is based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts

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
evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent
judicial system

Vanuatu
unified system being created from former dual French and
British systems

Venezuela
open, adversarial court system

Vietnam
based on communist legal theory and French civil law system

Virgin Islands
based on US laws

Wake Island
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Wallis and Futuna
French legal system

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

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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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 - provincial councils elected temporary members to fill these
seats until district councils are formed, and one-third presidential
appointees for five-year terms; the presidential appointees will
include 2 representatives of Kuchis and 2 representatives of the
disabled; half of the presidential appointees will be women)
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 are elected
by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for 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 consisting of the National People's
Assembly or Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats - formerly 380
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;
members serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the
council to be renewed every three years)
elections: National People's Assembly - last held 30 May 2002 (next
to be held in 2007); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 30
December 2003 (next to be held in 2006)
election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - FLN 199, RND 47, Islah 43, MSP 38, PT
21, FNA 8, EnNahda 1, PRA 1, MEN 1, independents 30; Council of
Nations - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party NA

American Samoa
bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of
the House of Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which 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 and serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006
(next to be held November 2008); Senate - last held 2 November 2004
(next to be held November 2008)
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 7 November 2006 (next
to be held November 2008); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA
(Democrat) 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; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held 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 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held September
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 54%, UNITA 34%,
other 12%; seats by party - MPLA 129, UNITA 70, PRS 6, FNLA 5, PLD
3, other 7

Anguilla
unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 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 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, ANSA 19.2%,
AUM 19.4%, APP 9.5%, independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA
2, AUM 1

Antigua and Barbuda
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate
(17-member body 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 a
six-year term) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are
elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two
years to a four-year term)
elections: Senate - last held 23 October 2005 (next to be held in
2007); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 23 October 2005
(next to be held in 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - FV
45.1%, FJ 17.2%, UCR 7.5%, other 30.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV
14, FJ 3, UCR 2, other 5; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by
bloc or party - FV 29.9%, UCR 8.9%, ARI 7.2%, PJ 6.7%, PRO 6.2%, FJ
3.9%, other 37.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV 50, UCR 10, ARI 8, PJ
9, PRO 9, FJ 7, other 34

Armenia
unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov
(131 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms; 90 members elected by party list, 41 by direct vote)
elections: last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of
2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%,
Justice Bloc 13.6%, Rule of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National
Unity Party 8.8%, United Labor Party 5.7%; seats by faction -
Republican Party 39, Rule of Law 20, Justice Bloc 14, ARF (Dashnak)
11, National Unity 7, United Labor 6, People's Deputy Group 16,
independent (not in faction or group) 18; note - as of 10 March
2006; voting blocs in the legislature are more properly termed
factions and can be composed of members of several parties; seats by
faction change frequently as deputies switch parties or announce
themselves independent

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 by 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 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
voting to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer
than 5 representatives)
elections: Senate - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held no
later than June 2008); House of Representatives - last held 9
October 2004 (next to be called no later than November 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 39, Australian Labor
Party 28, Democrats 4, Australian Greens 4, Family First Party 1;
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 87, Australian Labor
Party 60, independents 3

Austria
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of
Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 members; members represent each of
the states on the basis of population, but with each state having at
least 3 representatives; members serve a five- or six-year term) and
the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by
direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: National Council - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be
held in the fall of 2010)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe
35.3%, OeVP 34.3%, Greens 11.1%, FPOe 11.0%, BZOe 4.1%; seats by
party - SPOe 68, OeVP 66, Greens 21, FPOe 21, BZOe 7

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, YES 2, Motherland 2, other
parties with single seats 7, independents 42, undetermined 4

Bahamas, The
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member
body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime
minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the
House of Assembly (40 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 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%,
independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4

Bahrain
bicameral Parliament consists of Shura Council (40 members
appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members directly
elected to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Deputies - last held 31 October 2002 (next
election to be held in September 2006)
election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - Sunni Islamists 12, Shia grouping 7, other
groupings and independents 21
note: first elections since 7 December 1973; unicameral National
Assembly dissolved 26 August 1975; National Action Charter created
bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum 14
February 2001; first legislative session of Parliament held on 25
December 2002

Bangladesh
unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300
seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies
(the constitutional amendment reserving 30 seats for women over and
above the 300 regular parliament seats expired in May 2001); members
serve five-year terms
elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to be held no later than
January 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance
partners 41%, AL 40%; 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 a majority BNP government aligned
with three other smaller parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)

Barbados
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body
appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30
seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year
terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be
held by May 2008)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7

Belarus
bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobranie
consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64
seats; 56 members elected by regional councils and 8 members
appointed by the president, all for four-year terms) and the Chamber
of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members
elected by universal adult suffrage to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 and 31 October 2004; international observers
widely denounced the elections as flawed and undemocratic, based on
massive government falsification; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won
every seat, after many opposition candidates were disqualified for
technical reasons
election results: Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - NA; Palata Predstaviteley - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - NA

Belgium
bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in
Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by
popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year
terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van
Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in
French (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on
the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 May 2003
(next to be held no later than May 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - SP.A-Spirit
15.5%, VLD 15.4%, CD & V 12.7%, PS 12.8%, MR 12.1%, VB 9.4%, CDH
5.6%; seats by party - SP.A-Spirit 7, VLD 7, CD & V 6, PS 6, MR 5,
VB 5, CDH 2, other 2 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected
senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD
15.4%, SP.A-Spirit 14.9%, CD & V 13.3%, PS 13.0%, VB 11.6%, MR
11.4%, CDH 5.5%, Ecolo 3.1%; seats by party - VLD 25, SP.A-Spirit
23, CD & V 21, PS 25, VB 18, MR 24, CDH 8, Ecolo 4, other 2
note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered
devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of
government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a
complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six
governments each with its own legislative assembly

Belize
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12
members appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the
prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and
1 each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and
Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce
and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the National
Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee;
members are appointed for five-year terms) and the House of
Representatives (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 5 March 2003 (next
to be held March 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
PUP 21, UDP 8

Benin
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats;
members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, Alliance MDC-PC-CPP, IPD,
AFP, MDS, RDP) 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small
parties) 31

Bermuda
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member
body appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition) and
the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve up to five-year terms)
elections: last general election held 24 July 2003 (next to be held
not later than July 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%;
seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14

Bhutan
unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105
elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies,
and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and
other secular interests; members serve three-year terms)
elections: local elections last held August 2005 (next to be held in
2008)
election results: NA

Bolivia
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of
Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are
elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve
five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130
seats; 69 are directly elected from their districts and 61 are
elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held
18 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - PODEMOS 13, MAS 12, UN 1, MNR 1; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MAS 73,
PODEMOS 43, UN 8, MNR 6

Bosnia and Herzegovina
bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina
consists of the national House of Representatives or Predstavnicki
Dom (42 seats - elected by proportional representation, 28 seats
allocated from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats
from the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms); and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats -
5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat
Federation's House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's
National Assembly to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's
election law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order
administrative division entity legislatures
elections: national House of Representatives - elections last held 1
October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); House of Peoples - last
constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007)
election results: national House of Representatives - percent of
vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9,
SBiH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, other 7; House of Peoples -
percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition -
NA
note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that
consists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1
October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010); percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 28, SBiH 24, SDP 17,
HDZ-BH 8, HDZ100 7, other 14; and a House of Peoples (60 seats - 30
Bosniak, 30 Croat); last constituted December 2002; the Republika
Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006
(next to be held in the fall of 2010); percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 41, SDS 17, PDP 8, DNS 4, SBH 4,
SPRS 3, SDA 3, other 3; as a result of the 2002 constitutional
reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples
(COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly
including eight Croats, eight Bosniaks, eight Serbs, and four
members of the smaller communities

Botswana
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a
largely advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting
of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members
serving 5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3
members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly
(63 seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are
appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and
Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve
five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004
(next to be held October 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%,
BCP 16.6%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1