Government Stats: compare key data on Afghanistan & Albania

Definitions

Administrative divisions: This entry generally gives the numbers, designatory terms, and first-order administrative divisions as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet acted on by BGN are noted.
Capital city > Geographic coordinates: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Capital city > Name: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Constitution: The dates of adoption, revisions, and major amendments to a nation's constitution
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Executive branch > Cabinet: Cabinet includes the official name for any body of high-ranking advisers roughly comparable to a U.S. Cabinet. Also notes the method for selection of members.
Executive branch > Chief of state: The name and title of any person or role roughly equivalent to a U.S. Chief of State. This means the titular leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions but may not be involved with the day-to-day activities of the government
Executive branch > Head of government: Head of government includes the name and title of the top administrative leader who is designated to manage the day-to-day activities of the government. For example, in the UK, the monarch is the chief of state, and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US, the president is both the chief of state and the head of government.
Government type: A description of the basic form of government (e.g., republic, constitutional monarchy, federal republic, parliamentary democracy, military dictatorship).
Judicial branch: The name(s) of the highest court(s) and a brief description of the selection process for members.
Legal system: A brief description of the legal system's historical roots, role in government, and acceptance of International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction.
Legislative branch: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
Political parties and leaders: Significant political organizations and their leaders.
Political pressure groups and leaders: Organizations with leaders involved in politics, but not standing for legislative election.
Suffrage: The age at enfranchisement and whether the right to vote is universal or restricted
International organization participation: This entry lists in alphabetical order by abbreviation those international organizations in which the subject country is a member or participates in some other way.
Government corruption rating: Transparency, accountability, and corruption in the public sector assess the extent to which the executive can be held accountable for its use of funds and for the results of its actions by the electorate and by the legislature and judiciary, and the extent to which public employees within the executive are required to account for administrative decisions, use of resources, and results obtained. The three main dimensions assessed here are the accountability of the executive to oversight institutions and of public employees for their performance, access of civil society to information on public affairs, and state capture by narrow vested interests."
Country name > Conventional long form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
Executive branch > Elections: Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election
National symbol(s): A national symbol is a faunal, floral, or other abstract representation - or some distinctive object - that over time has come to be closely identified with a country or entity. Not all countries have national symbols; a few countries have more than one.
Flag description: A written flag description produced from actual flags or the best information available at the time the entry was written. The flags of independent states are used by their dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some disputed and other areas do not have flags.
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days: Time required to start a business (days). Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
Country name > Conventional short form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
Constitutional form: Constitutional form of government.
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International: This entry includes a wide variety of situations that range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one sort or another. Information regarding disputes over international terrestrial and maritime boundaries has been reviewed by the US Department of State. References to other situations involving borders or frontiers may also be included, such as resource disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues; however, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance or recognition by the US Government.
National anthem: A generally patriotic musical composition - usually in the form of a song or hymn of praise - that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or its people. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. Although most anthems contain lyrics, some do not.
Legislative branch > Elections: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
Legislative branch > Election results: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index: Compares countries by their degree of government censorship, according to the Press freedom index. This index, created by the non-governmental organization Reporters without borders (RWS), is ellaborated using data from an extensive annual survey sent to professional reporters throughout the world. The survey contains questions about the type and ownership of media present in the country, freedom of speech, violence exerted against reporters, election campaigns, access of political parties to the media, etc.
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage: Percentage of seats held by women in country's national parliament or legislative houses.
Independence: For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the other countries, the date given may not represent "independence" in the strict sense, but rather some significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, fundamental change in the form of government, or state succession. Dependent areas include the notation "none" followed by the nature of their dependency status. "
Executive branch > Election results: Election results includes the percent of vote for each candidate in the last election (if any)
Judicial branch > Subordinate courts: This entry is derived from Government > Judicial branch, which includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing judges, and a brief description of the process. The selection process can be indicative of the independence of a country's court system from other branches of its government. Also included in this subfield are judges' tenures, which can range from a few years, to a specified retirement age, to lifelong appointments. The subordinate courts subfield lists the courts lower in the hierarchy of a country's court system. A few countries with federal-style governments, such as Brazil, Canada, and the US, in addition to their federal court, have separate state- or province-level court systems, though generally the two systems interact.
Basis of executive legitimacy: Basis of executive legitimacy.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Transnational Issues > Illicit drugs: This entry gives information on the five categories of illicit drugs - narcotics, stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and cannabis. These categories include many drugs legally produced and prescribed by doctors as well as those illegally produced and sold outside of medical channels.
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant, which provides hallucinogens with some sedative properties, and includes marijuana (pot, Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, Marinol), hashish (hash), and hashish oil (hash oil).
Coca (mostly Erythroxylum coca) is a bush with leaves that contain the stimulant used to make cocaine. Coca is not to be confused with cocoa, which comes from cacao seeds and is used in making chocolate, cocoa, and cocoa butter.
Cocaine is a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca bush.
Depressants (sedatives) are drugs that reduce tension and anxiety and include chloral hydrate, barbiturates (Amytal, Nembutal, Seconal, phenobarbital), benzodiazepines (Librium, Valium), methaqualone (Quaalude), glutethimide (Doriden), and others (Equanil, Placidyl, Valmid).
Drugs are any chemical substances that effect a physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral change in an individual.
Drug abuse is the use of any licit or illicit chemical substance that results in physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral impairment in an individual.
Hallucinogens are drugs that affect sensation, thinking, self-awareness, and emotion. Hallucinogens include LSD (acid, microdot), mescaline and peyote (mexc, buttons, cactus), amphetamine variants (PMA, STP, DOB), phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust, hog), phencyclidine analogues (PCE, PCPy, TCP), and others (psilocybin, psilocyn).
Hashish is the resinous exudate of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).
Heroin is a semisynthetic derivative of morphine.
Mandrax is a trade name for methaqualone, a pharmaceutical depressant.
Marijuana is the dried leaf of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).
Methaqualone is a pharmaceutical depressant, referred to as mandrax in Southwest Asia and Africa.
Narcotics are drugs that relieve pain, often induce sleep, and refer to opium, opium derivatives, and synthetic substitutes. Natural narcotics include opium (paregoric, parepectolin), morphine (MS-Contin, Roxanol), codeine (Tylenol with codeine, Empirin with codeine, Robitussin AC), and thebaine. Semisynthetic narcotics ...
Full definition
Country name > Local short form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press: Compares countries by freedom of the press. The lower the score, the more free the press of that country is. The scores are taken from the Freedom of the Press Index, elaborated by Freedom House, self-defined as "an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world". The data used in the index come from an annual survey of media independence in 197 countries and territories, assessing the degree of print, broadcast, and internet freedom in each of them.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament: Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber occupied by women.
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
National holiday: The primary national day of celebration - often independence day.
Capital > Geographic coordinates: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Transnational Issues > Trafficking in persons > Current situation: This entry is derived from Government > Transnational Issues > Trafficking in persons, which trafficking in persons is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded, or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. The International Labor Organization (ILO), the UN agency charged with addressing labor standards, employment, and social protection issues, estimates that 12.3 million people worldwide are enslaved in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, sexual servitude, and involuntary servitude at any given time. Human trafficking is a multi-dimensional threat, depriving people of their human rights and freedoms, risking global health, promoting social breakdown, inhibiting development by depriving countries of their human capital, and helping fuel the growth of organized crime. In 2000, the US Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), reauthorized in 2003 and 2005, which provides tools for the US to combat trafficking in persons, both domestically and abroad. One of the law's key components is the creation of the US Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which assesses the government response (i.e., the current situation) in some 150 countries with a significant number of victims trafficked across their borders who are recruited, harbored, transported, provided, or obtained for forced labor or sexual exploitation.Countries in the annual report are rated in three tiers, based on government efforts to combat trafficking. The countries identified in this entry are those listed in the 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report as Tier 2 Watch List or Tier 3 based on the following tier rating definitions:
Tier 2 Watch List countries do not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but are making significant efforts to do so, and meet one of the following criteria:
1. they display high or significantly increasing number of victims,
2. they have failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons, or,
3. they have committed to take action over the next year.
Tier 3 countries neither satisfy the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking nor demonstrate a significant effort to do so. Countries in this tier are subject to potential non-humanitarian and non-trade sanctions.
Time required to start a business > Days: Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
Leaders > President: Government > Leaders > President
Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office: This entry is derived from Government > Judicial branch, which includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing judges, and a brief description of the process. The selection process can be indicative of the independence of a country's court system from other branches of its government. Also included in this subfield are judges' tenures, which can range from a few years, to a specified retirement age, to lifelong appointments. The subordinate courts subfield lists the courts lower in the hierarchy of a country's court system. A few countries with federal-style governments, such as Brazil, Canada, and the US, in addition to their federal court, have separate state- or province-level court systems, though generally the two systems interact.
Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Status Index 2006: The Status Indexâ€™s overall result represents the mean value of the scores for the dimensions â€œPolitical Transformationâ€? and â€œEconomic Transformationâ€?. The mean value was calculated using the exact, unrounded values for both these dimensions, which, in turn, were derived from the ratings for the five political criteria (based on 18 indicators) and the seven economic criteria (based on 14 indicators). The table shows rounded scores for political and economic transformation as well as for the Status Indexâ€™s overall result. In some cases, therefore, the overall result differs slightly from the mean value.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days: Time required to register property (days). Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.
International law organization participation: This entry includes information on a country's acceptance of jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and of the International Criminal Court (ICCt); 55 countries have accepted ICJ jurisdiction with reservations and 11 have accepted ICJ jurisdiction without reservations; 114 countries have accepted ICCt jurisdiction. Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups explains the differing mandates of the ICJ and ICCt.
Parliament > Seats held by men: Number of seats held by men in country's naitonal parliament or legislative houses.
Country name > Local long form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years: Time to resolve insolvency (years). Time to resolve insolvency is the number of years from the filing for insolvency in court until the resolution of distressed assets.
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Parliament > Seats held by women: Number of seats held by women in country's parliament or legislative houses.
Leaders > President > Summary: Government > Leaders > President > Summary
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel: Date on which Israel was officially recognized as a state. Note that some countries had a “de facto” recognition in place long before the legal recognition.
UN membership date: Date of United Nations Membership
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number: Procedures to build a warehouse (number). Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.
Capital city: The location of the seat of government.
Capital > Name: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days: Time required to get electricity (days). Time required to get electricity is the number of days to obtain a permanent electricity connection. The measure captures the median duration that the electricity utility and experts indicate is necessary in practice, rather than required by law, to complete a procedure.
Legislature (parliament) > People per member: Number of people each member of the legislature represents on average. The number of members of the legislature is the sum of the members of all chambers of parliament, if applicable.
Capital > Time difference: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million: Time required to get electricity (days). Time required to get electricity is the number of days to obtain a permanent electricity connection. The measure captures the median duration that the electricity utility and experts indicate is necessary in practice, rather than required by law, to complete a procedure. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members: Members of the lower house of the legislature or of the only chamber in a unicameral system.
Leaders > Head of state > Term limit for head of state: Head(s) of state.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Foreign relations > Recognition of Israel notes: Notes and remarks about the date on which Israel was officially recognized as a state.
CPIA quality of budgetary and financial management rating > 1=low to 6=high: Quality of budgetary and financial management assesses the extent to which there is a comprehensive and credible budget linked to policy priorities, effective financial management systems, and timely and accurate accounting and fiscal reporting, including timely and audited public accounts."
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days: Time required to enforce a contract (days). Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number: Procedures to register property (number). Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.
Leaders > President > Profile: Government > Leaders > President > Profile
Role of head of state: Head of state.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.
Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong: Strength of legal rights index measures the degree to which collateral and bankruptcy laws protect the rights of borrowers and lenders and thus facilitate lending. The index ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating that these laws are better designed to expand access to credit."
Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Management Index 2006: This Index evaluates management by political decision-makers while taking into consideration the level of difficulty. The Management Indexâ€™s overall result is calculated by multiplying the intermediate result with a factor derived from the level of difficulty evaluation.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per $ GDP: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Per $ GDP figures expressed per 1 $ gross domestic product.
Parliament > Seats held by women per million people: Number of seats held by women in country's parliament or legislative houses. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days: Time required to build a warehouse (days). Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
CPIA building human resources rating > 1=low to 6=high: Building human resources assesses the national policies and public and private sector service delivery that affect the access to and quality of health and education services, including prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria."
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million: Procedures to enforce a contract (number). Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million: Time required to start a business (days). Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million: Time required to register property (days). Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million: Time required to build a warehouse (days). Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million: Procedures to build a warehouse (number). Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador: Name of ambassador to the USA.
Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index>Political Transformation: Political Transformation The score for â€?Political Transformationâ€œ is obtained by calculating the mean value of the ratings for the following criteria: Â· Stateness Â· Political Participation Â· Rule of Law Â· Stability of Democratic Institutions Â· Political and Social Integration
Country name > Former: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
CPIA property rights and rule-based governance rating > 1=low to 6=high: Property rights and rule-based governance assess the extent to which private economic activity is facilitated by an effective legal system and rule-based governance structure in which property and contract rights are reliably respected and enforced.
CPIA fiscal policy rating > 1=low to 6=high: Fiscal policy assesses the short- and medium-term sustainability of fiscal policy (taking into account monetary and exchange rate policy and the sustainability of the public debt) and its impact on growth.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
Time required to enforce a contract > Days: Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment.
Procedures to register property > Number: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.
IDA resource allocation index > 1=low to 6=high: IDA Resource Allocation Index is obtained by calculating the average score for each cluster and then by averaging those scores. For each of 16 criteria countries are rated on a scale of 1 (low) to 6 (high).
CPIA structural policies cluster average > 1=low to 6=high: The structural policies cluster includes trade, financial sector, and business regulatory environment."
CPIA trade rating > 1=low to 6=high: Trade assesses how the policy framework fosters trade in goods.
Country Policy and Institutional Assessment debt policy rating > 1=low to 6=high: Debt policy assesses whether the debt management strategy is conducive to minimizing budgetary risks and ensuring long-term debt sustainability.
Informal payments to public officials > % of firms: Informal payments to public officials are the percentage of firms expected to make informal payments to public officials to ""get things done"" with regard to customs, taxes, licenses, regulations, services, and the like."
Parliament > Seats held by men per million people: Number of seats held by men in country's naitonal parliament or legislative houses. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members: Members of the lower (or sole) house.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of State of Palestine: Date on which Palestine was officially recognized as a state.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million: Time required to enforce a contract (days). Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
CPIA quality of public administration rating > 1=low to 6=high: Quality of public administration assesses the extent to which civilian central government staff is structured to design and implement government policy and deliver services effectively.
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant LCU: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in constant local currency.
Transnational Issues > Trafficking in persons > Tier rating: This entry is derived from Government > Transnational Issues > Trafficking in persons, which trafficking in persons is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded, or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. The International Labor Organization (ILO), the UN agency charged with addressing labor standards, employment, and social protection issues, estimates that 12.3 million people worldwide are enslaved in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, sexual servitude, and involuntary servitude at any given time. Human trafficking is a multi-dimensional threat, depriving people of their human rights and freedoms, risking global health, promoting social breakdown, inhibiting development by depriving countries of their human capital, and helping fuel the growth of organized crime. In 2000, the US Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), reauthorized in 2003 and 2005, which provides tools for the US to combat trafficking in persons, both domestically and abroad. One of the law's key components is the creation of the US Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which assesses the government response (i.e., the current situation) in some 150 countries with a significant number of victims trafficked across their borders who are recruited, harbored, transported, provided, or obtained for forced labor or sexual exploitation.Countries in the annual report are rated in three tiers, based on government efforts to combat trafficking. The countries identified in this entry are those listed in the 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report as Tier 2 Watch List or Tier 3 based on the following tier rating definitions:
Tier 2 Watch List countries do not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but are making significant efforts to do so, and meet one of the following criteria:
1. they display high or significantly increasing number of victims,
2. they have failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons, or,
3. they have committed to take action over the next year.
Tier 3 countries neither satisfy the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking nor demonstrate a significant effort to do so. Countries in this tier are subject to potential non-humanitarian and non-trade sanctions.
CPIA public sector management and institutions cluster average > 1=low to 6=high: The public sector management and institutions cluster includes property rights and rule-based governance, quality of budgetary and financial management, efficiency of revenue mobilisation, quality of public administration, and transparency, accountability, and corruption in"
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Kosovo: Date on which Kosovo was officially recognized as a state.
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament: Number of members of the legislature (sum of members of all chambers of parliament where applicable).
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current LCU: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current local currency.
CPIA policy and institutions for environmental sustainability rating > 1=low to 6=high: Policy and institutions for environmental sustainability assess the extent to which environmental policies foster the protection and sustainable use of natural resources and the management of pollution.
CPIA policies for social inclusion or equity cluster average > 1=low to 6=high: The policies for social inclusion and equity cluster includes gender equality, equity of public resource use, building human resources, social protection and labor, and policies and institutions for environmental sustainability."
CPIA macroeconomic management rating: Macroeconomic management assesses the monetary, exchange rate, and aggregate demand policy framework."
CPIA financial sector rating > 1=low to 6=high: Financial sector assesses the structure of the financial sector and the policies and regulations that affect it.
CPIA efficiency of revenue mobilisation rating > 1=low to 6=high: Efficiency of revenue mobilisation assesses the overall pattern of revenue mobilisation--not only the de facto tax structure, but also revenue from all sources as actually collected."
Foreign relations > Diplomatic relations with Palestine: Indicates whether or not each country has diplomatic relations with Palestine.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > %: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%). Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber held by women.
CPIA equity of public resource use rating > 1=low to 6=high: Equity of public resource use assesses the extent to which the pattern of public expenditures and revenue collection affects the poor and is consistent with national poverty reduction priorities.
Country Policy and Institutional Assessment > Business regulation effectiveness: Business regulatory environment assesses the extent to which the legal, regulatory, and policy environments help or hinder private businesses in investing, creating jobs, and becoming more productive."
Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours: Time to prepare and pay taxes is the time, in hours per year, it takes to prepare, file, and pay (or withhold) three major types of taxes: the corporate income tax, the value added or sales tax, and labor taxes, including payroll taxes and social security contributions.
Republic establishment date: The date on which each country (or its precursor) changed its form of government to a republic. In a republic, the power resides in the country’s people, the government and legislature is elected and the country is ruled according to its laws.
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number: Procedures to enforce a contract (number). Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million: Procedures to register property (number). Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Management time dealing with officials > % of management time: Management time dealing with officials (% of management time). Time dealing with officials is the percentage of management time in a given week spent on requirements imposed by government regulations (taxes, customs, labor regulations, licensing and registration).
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Capital city > Time difference: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Procedures to register property > Number per million: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Annual % growth: Annual percentage growth of general government final consumption expenditure based on constant local currency. Aggregates are based on constant 2000 U.S. dollars. General government final consumption expenditure (general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation.
Time required to register property > Days: Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.
Economic management rating: The economic management cluster includes macroeconomic management, fiscal policy, and debt policy. From the Country Policy and Institutional Assessment."

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STAT	Afghanistan	Albania
Administrative divisions	34 provinces (welayat, singular - welayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktiya, Panjshir, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e Pul, Takhar, Uruzgan, Wardak, Zabul	12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	34 31 N, 69 11 E	41
Capital city > Name	Kabul	Tirana (Tirane)
Constitution	several previous; latest drafted 14 December 2003 - 4 January 2004, signed 16 January 2004, ratified 26 January 2004	several previous; latest approved by parliament 21 October 1998, adopted by popular referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998; amended 2008, 2012
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address	U.S. Embassy Kabul, APO, AE 09806	US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510
Executive branch > Cabinet	25 m	Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by parliament
Executive branch > Chief of state	President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); First Vice President Mohammad FAHIM Khan (since 19 November 2009); Second Vice President Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004)	President of the Republic Bujar NISHANI (since 24 July 2012)
Executive branch > Head of government	President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); First Vice President Mohammad FAHIM Khan (since 19 November 2009); Second Vice President Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004)	Prime Minister Edi Rama (since 10 September 2013)
Government type	Islamic republic	parliamentary democracy
Judicial branch	<strong>highest courts: </strong>Supreme Court or Stera Mahkama; consists of 9 judges<br /><strong>judge selection & term of office:</strong> justices appointed by the president with the endorsement of the Wolesi Jirga; justices serve non-renewable 10-year terms<br /><strong>subordinate courts:</strong> Cassation and sharia	Constitutional Court consists of 9 members appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly who serve 9-year terms (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term); the High Court members appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly for a 9-year term
Legal system	Islamic law & American British Law after invasion	civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" prevails
Legislative branch	the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats, one-third of members elected from provincial councils for four-year terms, one-third elected from local district councils for three-year terms, and one-third nominated by the president for five-year terms) and the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 250 seats); members directly elected for five-year terms	unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi
Political parties and leaders	note - the Ministry of Justice licensed 84 political parties as of December 2012	<strong>Alliance for Employment, Prosperity, and Integration or APMI (coalition of 25 centrist and center-right parties) [Sali BERISHA]: </strong><br />Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]<br />New Democracy Party or PDR [Genc POLLO]<br />Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU [Shpetim IDRIZI]<br />Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]<br /><br /><strong>Alliance for a European Albania or ASHE (coalition of 37 opposition parties from far left to right wing) [Edi RAMA]:</strong><br />Social Democracy Party or PDS [Paskel MILO]<br />Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]<br />Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Ilir META]<br />Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]<br />Unity for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vangjel DULE]<br /><br /><strong>other parties:</strong><br />New Democratic Spirit or FRD [Bamir TOPI]
Political pressure groups and leaders	<strong>other: </strong>religious groups, tribal leaders, ethnically based groups, Taliban	Red and Black Alliance [Kreshnik SPAHIU]<br />Front for Albanian National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]<br />Mjaft Movement [Elton KACIDHJA]<br />Omonia [Vasil BOLLANO]<br />Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
International organization participation	ADB, CICA, CP, ECO, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EITI (candidate country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Government corruption rating	2 Ranked 61st.	2.5 Ranked 45th. 25% more than Afghanistan
Country name > Conventional long form	Islamic Republic of Afghanistan	Republic of Albania
Executive branch > Elections	the president and two vice presidents elected by direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if no candidate receives 50% or more of the vote in the first round of voting, the two candidates with the most votes will participate in a second round; election last held on 20 August 2009 (next to be held on 5 April 2014)	president is elected by the Assembly for a five-year term and is eligible for a second term (a candidate needs a three-fifths majority of the Assembly's 140 votes (84 votes) in one of the first three rounds of voting or a simple majority in round four or five to become president; up to five rounds of voting are held, if necessary); four election rounds held between 30 May and 11 June 2012 (next election to be held in 2017); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the party or coalition of parties that has the majority of seats in the Assembly
National symbol(s)	lion	double-headed eagle
Flag description	three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), red, and green, with the national emblem in white centered on the red band and slightly overlapping the other two bands; the center of the emblem features a mosque with pulpit and flags on either side, below the mosque are numerals for the solar year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar, the year of Afghan independence from the UK); this central image is circled by a border consisting of sheaves of wheat on the left and right, in the upper-center is an Arabic inscription of the Shahada (Muslim creed) below which are rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great"), and at bottom center is a scroll bearing the name Afghanistan; black signifies the past, red is for the blood shed for independence, and green can represent either hope for the future, agricultural prosperity, or Islam	red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero George Castriota SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443-78); an unsubstantiated explanation for the eagle symbol is the tradition that Albanians see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as "Shkypetars," which translates as "sons of the eagle"
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days	5 Ranked 173th. 11% more than Albania	4.5 Ranked 176th.
Country name > Conventional short form	Afghanistan	Albania
Constitutional form	Republic	Republic
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International	Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps; Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey; Iran protests Afghanistan's restricting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during drought; Pakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries	none
National anthem	<strong>name: </strong>"Milli Surood" (National Anthem)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Abdul Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA	<strong>name: </strong>"Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU
FAX	93	355
Legislative branch > Elections	last held on 18 September 2010 (next election expected in 2015)	last held on 23 June 2013 (next to be held in 2017)
Legislative branch > Election results	results by party - NA	percent of vote by party- PS 41.12%, PD 30.41%, LSI 10.44%, PR 3.04%, PDIU 2.59%, other 12.4%; seats by party- PS 66, PD 49, LSI 16, PDIU 4, PR 3, other 2
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index	37.36 Ranked 51st. 21% more than Albania	30.88 Ranked 77th.
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage	27.71% Ranked 39th. 76% more than Albania	15.71% Ranked 106th.
Independence	19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)	28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Executive branch > Election results	Hamid KARZAI reelected president; percent of vote (first round) - Hamid KARZAI 49.67%, Abdullah ABDULLAH 30.59%, Ramazan BASHARDOST 10.46%, Ashraf GHANI 2.94%; other 6.34%	Bujar NISHANI elected president on fourth round of voting; Assembly vote (for first three rounds three-fifths majority, 84 votes, required; fourth round, a simple majority of votes is required): Bujar NISHANI 73 votes
Judicial branch > Subordinate courts	Appeals Courts; Primary Courts; Special Courts for issues including narcotics, security, property, family, and juveniles	Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance
Basis of executive legitimacy	Presidency is independent of legislature	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Transnational Issues > Illicit drugs	world's largest producer of opium; poppy cultivation increased 57 percent, from 115,000 hectares in 2011 to 180,000 hectares in 2012; despite the increase in area under cultivation, the effects of poor weather and crop disease resulted in lower yield so potential opium production remained stable at 4,300 mt in 2012 compared to 4,400 mt in 2011; the Taliban and other antigovernment groups participate in and profit from the opiate trade, which is a key source of revenue for the Taliban inside Afghanistan; widespread corruption and instability impede counterdrug efforts; most of the heroin consumed in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan opium; Afghanistan is also struggling to respond to a burgeoning domestic opiate addiction problem; vulnerable to drug money laundering through informal financial networks; regional source of hashish	increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to a lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; limited opium and expanding cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and expanding in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens
Country name > Local short form	Afghanistan	Shqiperia
Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press	74 Ranked 33th. 45% more than Albania	51 Ranked 87th.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament	27.3% Ranked 27th. 4 times more than Albania	7.1% Ranked 144th.
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy	The Great Masood Road, Kabul	Rruga e Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number	3 Ranked 178th.	5 Ranked 134th. 67% more than Afghanistan
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$	630.29 million$ Ranked 109th.	782.99 million$ Ranked 101st. 24% more than Afghanistan
National holiday	Independence Day, 19 August	Independence Day, 28 November (1912) also known as Flag Day
Capital > Geographic coordinates	34 31 N, 69 11 E	41 19 N, 19 49 E
Transnational Issues > Trafficking in persons > Current situation	Afghanistan is a source transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking, although domestic trafficking is more prevalent than transnational trafficking; Afghan men are subjected to forced labor and debt bondage in Iran, Pakistan, Greece, Turkey, and the Gulf states; Afghan women and girls are forced into prostitution and domestic servitude in Pakistan, Iran, and India, while women and girls from the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, and China are reportedly sexually exploited in Afghanistan; children are increasingly subjected to forced labor in carpet-making factories, domestic servitude, forced begging, and commercial sexual exploitation; some children are sold to settle debts	Albania is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Albanian victims of sexual exploitation are trafficked within Albania and in Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Kosovo, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, and the UK; some Albanian women become sex trafficking victims after accepting offers of legitimate jobs; Albanian children are forced to beg or perform other forms of forced labor; Filipino victims of labor trafficking were identified in Albania during 2012
Time required to start a business > Days	8 days Ranked 163th.	39 days Ranked 72nd. 5 times more than Afghanistan
Leaders > President	Hamid Karzai	Bujar Nishani
Democracy > Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment	0.593 Ranked 149th.	0.991 Ranked 68th. 67% more than Afghanistan
Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office	court chief and justices appointed by the president with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga; court chief and justices serve single 10-year terms	Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single 9-year terms; chairman elected by the People's Assembly for single 3-year term; Court of Cassation judges, including the chairman, appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single, 9-year terms)
Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Status Index 2006	3.02 Ranked 111th.	6.61 Ranked 36th. 2 times more than Afghanistan
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days	250 Ranked 5th. 8 times more than Albania	33 Ranked 100th.
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Parliament > Seats held by men	180 Ranked 54th. 53% more than Albania	118 Ranked 80th.
Country name > Local long form	Jamhuri-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan	Republika e Shqiperise
Foreign relations of Western Sahara > States recognizing the SADR > Date of recognition	May 23, 1979	December 29, 1987<ref name = "ICEconflict" />
Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years	2 Ranked 120th. The same as Albania	2 Ranked 104th.
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million	0.134 Ranked 160th.	1.58 Ranked 65th. 12 times more than Afghanistan
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador Eklil Ahmad HAKIMI (since 16 February 2011)	Ambassador Gilbert GALANXHI (since 5 January 2011)
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery	None	None
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador James B. CUNNINGHAM (since 12 August 2012)	Ambassador Alexander ARVIZU (since 10 November 2010)
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone	[93] 0700 108 001	[355] (4) 2247285
Parliament > Seats held by women	69 Ranked 33th. 3 times more than Albania	22 Ranked 101st.
Leaders > President > Summary	Hamid Karzai is into his second term of office	Mr Nishani is a former interior minister
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel	None	None
UN membership date	19 Nov. 1946	14 Dec. 1955
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number	12 Ranked 136th.	22 Ranked 25th. 83% more than Afghanistan
Capital city	Kabul	Tirana (Tirane)
Capital > Name	Kabul	Tirana (Tirane)
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per capita	21.06$ per capita Ranked 137th.	250.18$ per capita Ranked 78th. 12 times more than Afghanistan
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days	109 Ranked 73th.	177 Ranked 22nd. 62% more than Afghanistan
Legislature (parliament) > People per member	80,199 Ranked 43th. 4 times more than Albania	22,643 Ranked 92nd.
Capital > Time difference	UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million	3.65 Ranked 139th.	55.98 Ranked 47th. 15 times more than Afghanistan
Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members	249 Ranked 43th. 78% more than Albania	140 Ranked 67th.
Leaders > Head of state > Term limit for head of state	5 Ranked 109th. The same as Albania	5 Ranked 72nd.
Foreign relations > Recognition of Israel notes	Does not accept Israeli passports.	title=Albania and Israel in Accord To Establish Diplomatic Ties\|url= http://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/20/world/albania-and-israel-in-accord-to-establish-diplomatic-ties.html\|accessdate=4 August 2011\|newspaper=The New York Times\|date=20 August 1991}}</ref>
CPIA quality of budgetary and financial management rating > 1=low to 6=high	3.5 Ranked 19th.	4 Ranked 5th. 14% more than Afghanistan
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days	1,642 Ranked 3rd. 3 times more than Albania	525 Ranked 103th.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number	9 Ranked 17th. 50% more than Albania	6 Ranked 78th.
Leaders > President > Profile	<p>Hamid Karzai, in power since Taliban rule was ended in 2001, won a second five-year term in an August 2009 election widely criticised as marred by fraud.</p> <p>Hundreds of thousands of votes were declared invalid, cutting Mr Karzai's share of the vote to under 50%. A second round was avoided when his main opponent withdrew, saying not enough had been done to prevent further fraud. </p> <p>During his second term, Mr Karzai has admitted that his government and its Western allies have failed to bring peace to Afghanistan. He has called for firm aid commitments from international donors after the planned departure of Nato-led combat forces in 2014.</p> <p>Ahead of the pull-out, his rhetoric has been increasingly critical of foreign forces, in what observers see as an effort to dissociate himself from his Western backers.</p> <p>The president has acknowledged chronic corruption and pledged to tackle the problem.</p> <p>National unity</span> <p>Hamid Karzai was initially put in charge of the provisional administration set up when the Taliban were driven from power in 2001, and won Afghanistan's first direct presidential elections in October 2004. </p> <p>He faced the tough challenges of forging national unity, disarming regional militias and tackling drug production. </p> <p>Mr Karzai, a Pashtun leader, was seen an effective player on the world stage and initially he enjoyed strong backing from his Western allies. </p> <p>However, the president's relations with the West cooled amid allegations of corruption in his administration. </p> <p>Mr Karzai has defended the presence of international troops in Afghanistan, but criticised the heavy civilian casualties caused by civilian casualties. </p> <p>When the Afghan army took formal command of all military and security operations from Nato forces in June 2013, the president declared an end to air strikes.</p> <p>Taliban talks</p> <p>From 2008-11 Mr Karzai held secret reconciliation talks with Taliban factions, with the knowledge and cooperation of the US, but dropped them as futile. </p> <p>In early 2013 he and Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari agree to work for an Afghan peace deal within six months after talks hosted by Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron. </p> <p>President Karzai announced that he would hold direct talks with the Taliban again in the summer, but expressed anger at US plans to to do the same on the grounds that they would compromise the government's efforts.</p> <p>Born in the southern town of Kandahar in 1957, Hamid Karzai studied in India and France. He was exiled in Pakistan for much of the Soviet occupation and during Taliban rule.</p>	<p>Bujar Nishani was elected president by parliament in June 2012, replacing Bamir Topi when his mandate came to an end.</p> <p>The main opposition Socialist Party boycotted the vote, and Mr Nishani was the only candidate put forward by the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Sali Berisha's Democratic Party. </p> <p>Albania had been mired in political crisis for three years since the Socialists accused the Democrats of electoral fraud after the June 2009 legislative polls, and the failure to agree a consensus presidential candidate marked a setback for European Union efforts to ease political tensions. Government and opposition leaders traded accusations of sabotage throughout the process, which went through several rounds. </p> <p>Mr Nishani, 46, was the country's interior minister at the time of his election. He is a graduate of Albania's military academy and holds degrees in law and European studies. </p> <p>The president, who serves a five-year term, has an important role as the head of the legal system and commander of the country's armed forces.</p>
Role of head of state	Executive	Ceremonial
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ per capita	25.35$ Ranked 132nd.	244.98$ Ranked 79th. 10 times more than Afghanistan
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number	3 Ranked 167th.	11 Ranked 51st. 4 times more than Afghanistan
Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong	6 Ranked 82nd.	9 Ranked 12th. 50% more than Afghanistan
Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Management Index 2006	4.79 Ranked 60th.	5.32 Ranked 46th. 11% more than Afghanistan
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per $ GDP	0.086$ per $1 of GDP Ranked 129th.	0.093$ per $1 of GDP Ranked 125th. 8% more than Afghanistan
Parliament > Seats held by women per million people	2.22 Ranked 119th.	7.31 Ranked 52nd. 3 times more than Afghanistan
Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment	July 1, 1961	May 23, 1972
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days	330 Ranked 11th. The same as Albania	330 Ranked 13th.
CPIA building human resources rating > 1=low to 6=high	3 Ranked 51st.	3.5 Ranked 26th. 17% more than Afghanistan
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million	1.58 Ranked 136th.	12.33 Ranked 57th. 8 times more than Afghanistan
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million	0.235 Ranked 164th.	1.42 Ranked 108th. 6 times more than Afghanistan
Constitution codification > Date	2004	1998
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million	8.38 Ranked 69th.	10.44 Ranked 62nd. 25% more than Afghanistan
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million	11.2 Ranked 115th.	104.76 Ranked 42nd. 9 times more than Afghanistan
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million	0.402 Ranked 151st.	6.98 Ranked 51st. 17 times more than Afghanistan
Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador	Hakimi, Ekhil Ekhil Hakimi	Galanxhi, Gilbert Gilbert Galanxhi
Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index>Political Transformation	2.97 Ranked 108th.	7.25 Ranked 35th. 2 times more than Afghanistan
Country name > Former	Republic of Afghanistan	People's Socialist Republic of Albania
CPIA property rights and rule-based governance rating > 1=low to 6=high	1.5 Ranked 73th.	3 Ranked 29th. Twice as much as Afghanistan
CPIA fiscal policy rating > 1=low to 6=high	3 Ranked 51st.	3.5 Ranked 29th. 17% more than Afghanistan
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment	January 3, 1996	August 25, 1992
National anthem > Name	"Milli Surood" (National Anthem)	"Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita	0.097 per 1 million people Ranked 157th.	3.51 per 1 million people Ranked 41st. 36 times more than Afghanistan
Time required to enforce a contract > Days	1,642 days Ranked 1st. 4 times more than Albania	390 days Ranked 117th.
Procedures to register property > Number	11 Ranked 9th. 57% more than Albania	7 Ranked 55th.
IDA resource allocation index > 1=low to 6=high	2.75 Ranked 66th.	3.74 Ranked 17th. 36% more than Afghanistan
CPIA structural policies cluster average > 1=low to 6=high	2.67 Ranked 69th.	4.17 Ranked 3rd. 56% more than Afghanistan
CPIA trade rating > 1=low to 6=high	3 Ranked 64th.	5 Ranked 1st. 67% more than Afghanistan
Country Policy and Institutional Assessment debt policy rating > 1=low to 6=high	3.5 Ranked 34th.	4 Ranked 14th. 14% more than Afghanistan
Informal payments to public officials > % of firms	41.49% Ranked 2nd.	57.72% Ranked 5th. 39% more than Afghanistan
Parliament > Seats held by men per million people	5.79 Ranked 154th.	39.18 Ranked 47th. 7 times more than Afghanistan
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million	0.117 Ranked 150th.	3.46 Ranked 42nd. 30 times more than Afghanistan
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members	5 Ranked 93th. 25% more than Albania	4 Ranked 134th.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of State of Palestine	16 November 1988	17 November 1988
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million	55.06 Ranked 103th.	142.31 Ranked 65th. 3 times more than Afghanistan
Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita	0.354 per 1 million people Ranked 113th.	2.23 per 1 million people Ranked 40th. 6 times more than Afghanistan
CPIA quality of public administration rating > 1=low to 6=high	2 Ranked 69th.	3 Ranked 26th. 50% more than Afghanistan
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX	[93] 0700 108 564	[355] (4) 2232222
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone	[1] (202) 483-6410	[1] (202) 223-4942
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant LCU	22000000000	44710200000
Transnational Issues > Trafficking in persons > Tier rating	Tier 2 Watch List - Afghanistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons; anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts have improved, though official complicity in human trafficking remains a problem; the first known convictions were made under the government's 2008 anti-trafficking law; Afghanistan has not developed or employed systematic procedures to identify trafficking victims or refer them to protective services and continues to rely on NGOs to provide the vast majority of victim assistance; the government has not made discernible progress in preventing human trafficking or protecting victims but has adopted an anti-trafficking action plan	Tier 2 Watch List - Albania does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government decreased its trafficking investigations, prosecutions, and convictions over the last year and, because of inconsistent implementation of operating procedures, continues to punish victims for unlawful acts that are a direct result of being subjected to sex trafficking; the high turnover rate of law enforcement personnel prevents progress at the local level in identifying and protecting trafficking victims; removal of the national anti-trafficking coordinator hinders efforts to implement the 2011 national action plan against trafficking; the government provides limited funding to NGO shelters
CPIA public sector management and institutions cluster average > 1=low to 6=high	2.4 Ranked 68th.	3.3 Ranked 27th. 38% more than Afghanistan
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Kosovo	None	None
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament	351 Ranked 35th. 3 times more than Albania	140 Ranked 74th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current LCU	31300000000	78189000000
CPIA policy and institutions for environmental sustainability rating > 1=low to 6=high	2.5 Ranked 56th.	3 Ranked 35th. 20% more than Afghanistan
CPIA policies for social inclusion or equity cluster average > 1=low to 6=high	2.6 Ranked 66th.	3.5 Ranked 30th. 35% more than Afghanistan
CPIA macroeconomic management rating	3.5 Ranked 41st.	4.5 Ranked 7th. 29% more than Afghanistan
CPIA financial sector rating > 1=low to 6=high	2.5 Ranked 59th.	4 Ranked 4th. 60% more than Afghanistan
CPIA efficiency of revenue mobilisation rating > 1=low to 6=high	3 Ranked 53th.	4 Ranked 6th. 33% more than Afghanistan
Foreign relations > Diplomatic relations with Palestine	Yes	Yes
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > %	27.7% Ranked 42nd. 55% more than Albania	17.9% Ranked 98th.
CPIA equity of public resource use rating > 1=low to 6=high	3 Ranked 52nd.	3.5 Ranked 22nd. 17% more than Afghanistan
Country Policy and Institutional Assessment > Business regulation effectiveness	2.5 Ranked 61st.	3.5 Ranked 18th. 40% more than Afghanistan
Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours	275 hours Ranked 66th. 15% more than Albania	240 hours Ranked 89th.
Republic establishment date	July 17, 1973	January 1, 1946
National anthem > Note	adopted 2006; the 2004 constitution of the post-Taliban government mandated that a new national anthem should be written containing the phrase "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) and mentioning the names of Afghanistan's ethnic groups	adopted 1912
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number	47 Ranked 19th. 21% more than Albania	39 Ranked 82nd.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million	0.302 Ranked 122nd.	1.9 Ranked 55th. 6 times more than Afghanistan
Red tape > Management time dealing with officials > % of management time	6.8% Ranked 7th.	18.7% Ranked 2nd. 3 times more than Afghanistan
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX	[1] (202) 483-6488	[1] (202) 628-7342
Capital city > Time difference	UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	1
Procedures to register property > Number per million	0.429 Ranked 101st.	2.2 Ranked 39th. 5 times more than Afghanistan
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Annual % growth	13.99% Ranked 3rd. 7 times more than Albania	2.03% Ranked 72nd.
Time required to register property > Days	252 days Ranked 12th. 5 times more than Albania	47 days Ranked 88th.
Date of transition to republican system of government > Republic since	March 23, 1956	November 29, 1945
FAX > Consulate(s) general	Los Angeles, New York	New York
Economic management rating	3.33 Ranked 46th.	4 Ranked 20th. 20% more than Afghanistan

SOURCES: CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; World Bank Group, CPIA database (http://www.worldbank.org/ida).; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013; World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/).; Wikipedia: List of countries by system of government (Alphabetical list of countries); All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; Wikipedia: Censorship by country (Censorship by country) ("Press Freedom Index 2013" , Reporters Without Borders, 30 January 2013); United Nations Statistics Division; "2012 Freedom of the Press Data" , Freedom House, 1 May 2012; World Development Indicators database; British Broadcasting Corporation 2014; Source: Millennium Development Goals Database | United Nations Statistics Division; Bertelsmann Transformation Index online, 2006; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Western Sahara; World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/). Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; Wikipedia: International recognition of Israel (UN member states); United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook; Wikipedia: List of legislatures by number of members; Wikipedia: Term of office (Terms of office by country); World Development Indicators database. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Nepal; Wikipedia: List of national constitutions; Wikipedia: List of ambassadors to the United States; http://www.bertelsmann-transformation-index.de/fileadmin/pdf/BTI_2006_Ranking_GB.pdf; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Croatia; World Bank, Enterprise Surveys (http://www.enterprisesurveys.org/).; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: International recognition of the State of Palestine (Diplomatic recognition); Wikipedia: International recognition of Kosovo (United Nations member states); Wikipedia: International recognition of the State of Palestine (Diplomatic recognition) (Either with the Palestinian National Authority, the Palestine Liberation Organization, or the State of Palestine. The institution is specified where known.); Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (www.ipu.org); Wikipedia: List of countries by date of transition to republican system of government (List); World Bank, Enterprise Surveys; Wikipedia: List of countries by date of transition to republican system of government

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