| Countries (A to Z) |
Description |
| Afghanistan |
Islamic republic |
| Albania |
emerging democracy |
| Algeria |
republic |
| 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 Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are represented locally by coprinces' representatives |
| Angola |
republic; multiparty presidential regime |
| Antarctica |
Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica; the 29th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Edinburgh, UK in June 2006; at these periodic meetings, decisions are made by consensus (not by vote) of all consultative member nations; at the end of 2006, there were 46 treaty member nations: 28 consultative and 18 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), Papua New Guinea (1981), 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 include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through 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 parliamentary democracy |
| Argentina |
republic |
| Armenia |
republic |
| Aruba |
parliamentary democracy |
| Australia |
federal parliamentary democracy |
| Austria |
federal republic |
| Azerbaijan |
republic |
| Bahamas, The |
constitutional parliamentary democracy |
| Bahrain |
constitutional monarchy |
| Bangladesh |
parliamentary democracy |
| Barbados |
parliamentary democracy |
| Belarus |
republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship |
| Belgium |
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy |
| Belize |
parliamentary democracy |
| Benin |
republic |
| Bermuda |
parliamentary; self-governing territory |
| Bhutan |
absolute monarchy; special treaty relationship with India; note - transition to a constitutional monarchy is expected in 2008 |
| Bolivia |
republic |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
emerging federal democratic republic |
| Botswana |
parliamentary republic |
| Brazil |
federal republic |
| Brunei |
constitutional sultanate |
| Bulgaria |
parliamentary democracy |
| Burkina Faso |
parliamentary republic |
| Burma |
military junta |
| Burundi |
republic |
| Cambodia |
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy |
| Cameroon |
republic; multiparty presidential regime |
| Canada |
constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation |
| Cape Verde |
republic |
| Cayman Islands |
British crown colony |
| Central African Republic |
republic |
| Chad |
republic |
| Chile |
republic |
| China |
Communist state |
| 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 |
| Croatia |
presidential/parliamentary democracy |
| Cuba |
Communist state |
| Cyprus |
republic |
| Czech Republic |
parliamentary democracy |
| Côte d'Ivoire |
republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960 |
| Denmark |
constitutional monarchy |
| Djibouti |
republic |
| Dominica |
parliamentary democracy |
| Dominican Republic |
democratic republic |
| East Timor |
republic |
| Ecuador |
republic |
| Egypt |
republic |
| El Salvador |
republic |
| Equatorial Guinea |
republic |
| Eritrea |
transitional government |
| Estonia |
parliamentary republic |
| Ethiopia |
federal republic |
| Fiji |
republic |
| Finland |
republic |
| France |
republic |
| Gabon |
republic; multiparty presidential regime |
| Gambia, The |
republic |
| Georgia |
republic |
| Germany |
federal republic |
| Ghana |
constitutional democracy |
| Greece |
parliamentary republic |
| Greenland |
parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy |
| Grenada |
parliamentary democracy |
| 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 |
| Israel |
parliamentary democracy |
| Italy |
republic |
| Jamaica |
constitutional parliamentary democracy |
| Japan |
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government |
| 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 |
| 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, Republic of |
parliamentary democracy |
| Madagascar |
republic |
| Malawi |
multiparty democracy |
| Malaysia |
constitutional monarchy |
| Maldives |
republic |
| Mali |
republic |
| Malta |
republic |
| Man, Isle of |
parliamentary democracy |
| Marshall Islands |
constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004 |
| Mauritania |
republic |
| Mauritius |
parliamentary democracy |
| Mexico |
federal republic |
| Micronesia, Federated States of |
constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 3 November 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force May 2004 |
| Moldova |
republic |
| Monaco |
constitutional monarchy |
| Mongolia |
mixed parliamentary/presidential |
| Morocco |
constitutional monarchy |
| Mozambique |
republic |
| Namibia |
republic |
| Nauru |
republic |
| Nepal |
parliamentary democracy |
| Netherlands |
constitutional monarchy |
| Netherlands Antilles |
parliamentary |
| New Zealand |
parliamentary democracy |
| Nicaragua |
republic |
| Niger |
republic |
| Nigeria |
federal republic |
| Niue |
self-governing parliamentary democracy |
| Northern Mariana Islands |
commonwealth; self-governing with locally elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature |
| Norway |
constitutional monarchy |
| Oman |
monarchy |
| Pakistan |
federal republic |
| Palau |
constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994 |
| Panama |
constitutional democracy |
| Papua New Guinea |
constitutional parliamentary democracy |
| Paraguay |
constitutional republic |
| Peru |
constitutional republic |
| Philippines |
republic |
| Poland |
republic |
| Portugal |
parliamentary democracy |
| Puerto Rico |
commonwealth |
| Qatar |
emirate |
| Romania |
republic |
| Russia |
federation |
| Rwanda |
republic; presidential, multiparty system |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis |
parliamentary democracy |
| Saint Lucia |
parliamentary democracy |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
parliamentary democracy |
| Samoa |
mix of parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy |
| San Marino |
republic |
| Saudi Arabia |
monarchy |
| Senegal |
republic |
| Serbia and Montenegro |
republic |
| Seychelles |
republic |
| Sierra Leone |
constitutional democracy |
| Singapore |
parliamentary republic |
| Slovakia |
parliamentary democracy |
| Slovenia |
parliamentary republic |
| Solomon Islands |
parliamentary democracy |
| Somalia |
no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary federal government |
| South Africa |
republic |
| Spain |
parliamentary monarchy |
| Sri Lanka |
republic |
| Sudan |
Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed a power-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA); the NCP, which came to power by military coup in 1989, is the majority partner; the agreement stipulates national elections for the 2008 - 2009 timeframe. |
| Suriname |
constitutional democracy |
| Swaziland |
monarchy |
| Sweden |
constitutional monarchy |
| Switzerland |
formally a confederation but similar in structure to a federal republic |
| Syria |
republic under an authoritarian military-dominated regime |
| São Tomé and Príncipe |
republic |
| Taiwan |
multiparty democracy |
| Tajikistan |
republic |
| Tanzania |
republic |
| Thailand |
constitutional monarchy |
| Togo |
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule |
| Tonga |
constitutional monarchy |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
parliamentary democracy |
| Tunisia |
republic |
| Turkey |
republican parliamentary democracy |
| Turkmenistan |
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch |
| Tuvalu |
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy |
| Uganda |
republic |
| Ukraine |
republic |
| United Arab Emirates |
federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates |
| United Kingdom |
constitutional monarchy |
| United States |
Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition |
| Uruguay |
constitutional republic |
| Uzbekistan |
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch |
| Vanuatu |
parliamentary republic |
| Venezuela |
federal republic |
| Vietnam |
Communist state |
| Western Sahara |
legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an Organization of African Unity (OAU) member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued sporadically, until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6 September 1991 |
| Yemen |
republic |
| Zambia |
republic |
| Zimbabwe |
parliamentary democracy |
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