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Government Stats: compare key data on Australia & Netherlands

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.
  • 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.
  • Total businesses registered > Number: Total businesses registered. Because of underreporting of firms that have closed or exited, especially in developing countries, the data on total registered firms may be biased upward.
  • 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. "
  • 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
  • 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.
  • Corruption > Bribe Payers Index: 2008
  • 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.
  • Leaders > Head of state: Government > Leaders > Head of state
  • Democracy > Civil and political liberties: Civil and political liberties
    Units: Index Ranging from 7 (High Levels of Liberties) to 1 (Low
    Units: This is the average of two indicators - civil liberties and political liberties.
  • 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.
  • Democracy > First female parliamentarian: Year first woman elected or appointed to parliament.
  • 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.
  • 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 and rights > Democracy Index: DI 2012.
  • Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient: Burden of customs procedure, WEF (1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient). Burden of Customs Procedure measures business executives' perceptions of their country's efficiency of customs procedures. The rating ranges from 1 to 7, with a higher score indicating greater efficiency. Data are from the World Economic Forum's Executive Opinion Survey, conducted for 30 years in collaboration with 150 partner institutes. The 2009 round included more than 13,000 respondents from 133 countries. Sampling follows a dual stratification based on company size and the sector of activity. Data are collected online or through in-person interviews. Responses are aggregated using sector-weighted averaging. The data for the latest year are combined with the data for the previous year to create a two-year moving average. Respondents evaluated the efficiency of customs procedures in their country. The lowest score (1) rates the customs procedure as extremely inefficient, and the highest score (7) as extremely efficient.
  • 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.
  • Politics: Country politics.
  • 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.
  • 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 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 in the US > Chief of mission: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, 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.
  • Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Parliament > Seats held by women: Number of seats held by women in country's parliament or legislative houses.
  • 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.
  • Democracy > Democratic institutions rating: Democratic institutions
    Units: Scale ranging from -10 (autocratic) to +10 (democratic)
  • UN membership date: Date of United Nations Membership
  • Democracy and rights > Democracy Index per million people: DI 2012. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
  • Total businesses registered > Number per 1000: Total businesses registered. Because of underreporting of firms that have closed or exited, especially in developing countries, the data on total registered firms may be biased upward. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • 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.
  • Legal origin: Legal origin identifies the origin of the Company Law or Commercial Code in each country
  • 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.
  • Spending > Expense > Current LCU: Expense is cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services. It includes compensation of employees (such as wages and salaries), interest and subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other expenses such as rent and dividends."
  • 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.
  • Democracy and rights > Year women first voted at national level: Year women first voted at national level.
  • 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.
  • International relations: Country international relations.
  • 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) > Upper house members: Members of the upper house of the legislature. Does not include countries with a unicameral system.
  • Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members: Members of the lower house of the legislature or of the only chamber in a unicameral system.
  • 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.
  • Democracy > Female parliamentarians: Seats in parliament held by women (as % of total). Data are as of 8 March 2002. Where there are lower and upper houses, data refer to the weighted average of women's shares of seats in both houses.
  • 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.
  • 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."
  • Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient per million: Burden of customs procedure, WEF (1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient). Burden of Customs Procedure measures business executives' perceptions of their country's efficiency of customs procedures. The rating ranges from 1 to 7, with a higher score indicating greater efficiency. Data are from the World Economic Forum's Executive Opinion Survey, conducted for 30 years in collaboration with 150 partner institutes. The 2009 round included more than 13,000 respondents from 133 countries. Sampling follows a dual stratification based on company size and the sector of activity. Data are collected online or through in-person interviews. Responses are aggregated using sector-weighted averaging. The data for the latest year are combined with the data for the previous year to create a two-year moving average. Respondents evaluated the efficiency of customs procedures in their country. The lowest score (1) rates the customs procedure as extremely inefficient, and the highest score (7) as extremely efficient. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Spending > Compensation of employees > Current LCU: Compensation of employees consists of all payments in cash, as well as in kind (such as food and housing), to employees in return for services rendered, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions that provide benefits to employees."
  • Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > Current LCU: Subsidies, grants, and other social benefits include all unrequited, nonrepayable transfers on current account to private and public enterprises; grants to foreign governments, international organisations, and other government units; and social security, social assistance benefits, and employer social benefits in cash and in kind."
  • Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for upper house members: Members of the upper house*.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • 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.
  • Democracy > Female suffrage: Year in which women received the right to vote. Data refer to the year in which right to vote or stand for election on a universal and equal basis was recognized. Where two years are shown, the first refers to the first partial recognition of the right to vote.
  • 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.
  • Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Syrian National Council: Date on which the Syrian National Council was recognized, at least as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people. For more information, please see http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Government/Foreign-relations/International-recognition-of-the-Syrian-National-Council-notes
  • 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.
  • Capital > Daylight saving time: 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.
  • Total businesses registered > Number > Per capita: Total businesses registered. Because of underreporting of firms that have closed or exited, especially in developing countries, the data on total registered firms may be biased upward. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
  • Spending > Interest payments > Current LCU: Interest payments include interest payments on government debt--including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments--to domestic and foreign residents."
  • Democracy and rights > Major left wing party: Left-wing major party.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador: Name of ambassador to the USA.
  • Dependent areas: This entry contains an alphabetical listing of all nonindependent entities associated in some way with a particular independent state.
  • General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 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 constant 2000 U.S. dollars. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
  • 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.
  • Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population: International IDEA has chosen to use not only the reported registration rate to calculate turnout percentages, but also the voting age population (VAP) which includes all citizens above the legal voting age
  • Failed States Index: FSI 2013.
  • Democracy > Female candidacy: Year in which women received the right to stand for election. Data refer to the year in which right to vote or stand for election on a universal and equal basis was recognized. Where two years are shown, the first refers to the first partial recognition of the right to stand for election.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Democracy and rights > Electoral system: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of electoral system (First Past the Post electoral system; Single-Member District Plurality, also known as First Past the Post (FPTP): There is one seat per district, the candidate with the most votes wins it; Proportional Representation: There are multiple seats for each voting district, allocation is based on either party lists, multi-member proportional (MMP), single transferable vote (STV) or semi-PR; FrenchTtwo-RoundSsystem; Alternative Vote (AV)).
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Democracy and rights > Party system: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of party system (two-party or multi-party).
  • Democracy and rights > Structure: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of structure (presidential or parliamentary).
  • Democracy > Secret ballot > Date of introduction: Date voting by secret ballot was introduced in different countries around the world.
  • Spending > Expense > % of GDP: Expense is cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services. It includes compensation of employees (such as wages and salaries), interest and subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other expenses such as rent and dividends."
  • Spending > Compensation of employees > % of expense: Compensation of employees consists of all payments in cash, as well as in kind (such as food and housing), to employees in return for services rendered, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions that provide benefits to employees."
  • Democracy and rights > Next election: Next election.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • 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.
  • Democracy and rights > Last election: Last election.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Foreign relations > International recognition of the Syrian National Council notes:

    Degree to which the Syrian National Council is recognized as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

  • Democracy and rights > Major right wing party: Right-wing major party.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • Democracy and rights > Active Labor party: Party.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • 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.

  • 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 build a warehouse > Number > Per capita: 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. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Spending > Goods and services expense > % of expense: Goods and services include all government payments in exchange for goods and services used for the production of market and nonmarket goods and services. Own-account capital formation is excluded.
  • General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 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 constant 2000 U.S. dollars. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
  • Spending > Interest payments > % of expense: Interest payments include interest payments on government debt--including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments--to domestic and foreign residents."
  • Spending > Other expense > % of expense: Other expense is spending on dividends, rent, and other miscellaneous expenses, including provision for consumption of fixed capital."
  • Ruling party: In power now.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million: 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.
  • Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s) general: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament: Number of members of the legislature (sum of members of all chambers of parliament where applicable).
  • Legislature (parliament) > Strongly bicameral?: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of bicameralism, determing if there are two houses in the legislature, both with substantial powers. (Strongly bicameral or not strongly bicameral).
  • 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.
  • Spending > Interest payments > % of revenue: Interest payments include interest payments on government debt--including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments--to domestic and foreign residents."
  • Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > % of expense: Subsidies, grants, and other social benefits include all unrequited, nonrepayable transfers on current account to private and public enterprises; grants to foreign governments, international organisations, and other government units; and social security, social assistance benefits, and employer social benefits in cash and in kind."
  • 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.
  • Capital city > Note: 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.
  • 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.
  • General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 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 constant 2000 U.S. dollars.
  • 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.
  • Procedures to enforce a contract > Number > Per capita: 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. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
  • Spending > Goods and services expense > Current LCU: Goods and services include all government payments in exchange for goods and services used for the production of market and nonmarket goods and services. Own-account capital formation is excluded.
  • 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.
  • Diplomatic representation from the US > Consulate(s) general: 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 > FAX: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Spending > Other expense > Current LCU: Other expense is spending on dividends, rent, and other miscellaneous expenses, including provision for consumption of fixed capital."
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million: 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.
  • Foreign relations > Date of establishment of relations with China: The date on which each country established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
  • Democracy and rights > Strong judicial review?: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of judicial review, which is the power to declare unconstitutional laws duly passed by parliament and/or signed by the president. (As distinct from the ability to strike down acts of subordinate governments, such as states or provinces. (Strong judicial review or no strong judicial review).
  • Democracy and rights > Strongly federal?: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of federalism (strongly federal or not strongly federal).
  • Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population per 1000: International IDEA has chosen to use not only the reported registration rate to calculate turnout percentages, but also the voting age population (VAP) which includes all citizens above the legal voting age. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Foreign relations > Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia: Statements on the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia issued by countries who do not recognize their sovereignty.
  • Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Kosovo: Date on which Kosovo was officially recognized as a state.
STAT Australia Netherlands HISTORY
Administrative divisions 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia 12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslan (Friesland), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland (Zealand), Zuid-Holland (South Holland)
Capital city > Geographic coordinates 35 17 S, 149 13 E 52
Capital city > Name Canberra Amsterdam
Constitution 9 July 1900; effective 1 January 1901; amended several times, last in 1977 previous 1597, 1798; latest adopted 24 August 1815 (substantially revised in 1848); amended many times, last in 2010
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address APO AP 96549 PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715
Executive branch > Cabinet prime minister nominates, from among members of Parliament, candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to serve as government ministers Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
Executive branch > Chief of state Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Quentin BRYCE (since 5 September 2008) King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013)
Executive branch > Head of government Prime Minister Anthony John "Tony" ABBOTT (since 18 September 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Warren TRUSS (since 18 September 2013) Prime Minister Mark RUTTE (since 14 October 2010); Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk ASSCHER (since 5 November 2012)
Government type federal parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm constitutional monarchy
Judicial branch High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general acting on the advice of the government) Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the monarch)
Legal system common law system based on the English model civil law system based on the French system; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General
Legislative branch bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer
Political parties and leaders Australian Greens Party [Christine MILNE]<br />Australian Labor Party [Bill SHORTEN]<br />Country Liberal Party [Terry MILLS]<br />Family First Party [Steve FIELDING]<br />Katter's Australian Party [Bob KATTER]<br />Liberal National Party of Queensland [Campbell NEWMAN]<br />Liberal Party [Tony ABBOTT]<br />National Party of Australia [Warren TRUSS]<br />Palmer United Party [Clive PALMER] Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Sybrand VAN HAERSMA BUMA]<br />Christian Union or CU [Arie SLOB]<br />Democrats 66 or D66 [Alexander PECHTOLD]<br />Green Left or GL [Bram VAN OJIK]<br />Labor Party or PvdA [Diederik SAMSOM]<br />Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]<br />Party for the Animals or PvdD [Marianne THIEME]<br />People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or VVD [Halbe ZIJLSTRA]<br />Reformed Political Party of SGP [Kees VAN DER STAAIJ]<br />Socialist Party of SP [Emile ROEMER]<br />plus a few minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders <strong>other: </strong>business groups, environmental groups, social groups, trade unions Christian Trade Union Federation or CNV [Jaap SMIT]<br />Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers or VNO-NCW [Bernard WIENTJES]<br />Federation for Small and Medium-sized businesses or MKB [Hans BIESHEUVEL]<br />Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV [Ton HEERTS]<br />Social Economic Council or SER [Wiebe DRAIJER]<br />Trade Union Federation of Middle and High Personnel or MHP [Reginald VISSER]
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory 18 years of age; universal
International organization participation ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CP, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club, PCA, PIF, SAARC (observer), SICA (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Country name > Conventional long form Commonwealth of Australia Kingdom of the Netherlands
Executive branch > Elections the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch
National symbol(s) Southern Cross constellation (five, seven-pointed stars); kangaroo; emu lion
Flag description blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small, five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer; the colors were those of WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange, who led the Dutch Revolt against Spanish sovereignty in the latter half of the 16th century; originally the upper band was orange, but because it tended to fade to red over time, the red shade was eventually made the permanent color; the banner is perhaps the oldest tricolor in continuous use
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days 2.5
Ranked 183th.
4
Ranked 180th. 60% more than Australia

Country name > Conventional short form Australia Netherlands
Constitutional form Constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International In 2007, Australia and Timor-Leste agreed to a 50-year development zone and revenue sharing arrangement and deferred a maritime boundary; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica; Australia's 2004 submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) extends its continental margins over 3.37 million square kilometers, expanding its seabed roughly 30 percent beyond its claimed exclusive economic zone; all borders between Indonesia and Australia have been agreed upon bilaterally, but a 1997 treaty that would settle the last of their maritime and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) boundary has yet to be ratified by Indonesia's legislature; Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing none
Total businesses registered > Number 3.16 million
Ranked 6th. 3 times more than Netherlands
1.14 million
Ranked 16th.

National anthem <strong>name: </strong>"Advance Australia Fair"<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Peter Dodds McCORMICK <strong>name: </strong>"Het Wilhelmus" (The William)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown
FAX 61 31
Legislative branch > Elections Senate - last held on 7 September 2013; House of Representatives - last held on 7 September 2013 (the latest a simultaneous half-Senate and House of Representative elections can be held is 30 November 2016) First Chamber - last held on May 2011 (next to be held in May 2015); Second Chamber - last held on 12 September 2012 (next to be held by September 2016)
Legislative branch > Election results Senate NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Liberal/National Coalition 53.45%, Australian Labor Party 46.55%; seats by party - Liberal/National Coalition 90 (Liberal 58, Liberal National 22, Nationals 9, Country Liberals 1), Australian Labor Party 55, Australian Greens Party 1, Katter's Australian Party 1, Palmer United Party 1, independents 2 First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - VVD 16, PvdA 14, CDA 11, PVV 10, SP 8, D66 5, GL 5, other 6; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party - VVD 26.6%, PvdA 24.8%, PVV, 10.1%, SP 9.7%, CDA 8.5%, D66 8.0%, CU 3.1%, GL 6.7%, other 2.5%; seats by party - VVD 41, PvdA 38, PVV 15, SP 15, CDA 13, D66 12, CU 5, GL 4, other 7
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index 15.24
Ranked 16th. 2 times more than Netherlands
6.48
Ranked 33th.
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage 24.67%
Ranked 50th.
38.67%
Ranked 14th. 57% more than Australia

Independence 1 January 1901 (from the federation of UK colonies) 23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581 they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration; however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)
Judicial branch > Subordinate courts subordinate courts at the federal level: Federal Court; Federal Magistrates' Courts of Australia; Family Court; subordinate courts at the state and territory level: Local Court - New South Wales; Magistrates' Courts – Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory; District Courts – New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia; County Court – Victoria; Family Court – Western Australia; Court of Petty Sessions – Norfolk Island courts of appeal; district courts, each with up to 5 subdistrict courts
Basis of executive legitimacy Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Transnational Issues > Illicit drugs Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate; major consumer of cocaine and amphetamines major European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering; significant consumer of ecstasy
Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press 21
Ranked 163th. 75% more than Netherlands
12
Ranked 190th.
Corruption > Bribe Payers Index 8.5
Ranked 7th.
8.7
Ranked 4th. 2% more than Australia
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament 24.7%
Ranked 35th.
36.7%
Ranked 7th. 49% more than Australia

Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number 3
Ranked 174th.
4
Ranked 166th. 33% more than Australia

Leaders > Head of state Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor-general King Willem-Alexander
Democracy > Civil and political liberties 6
Ranked 9th. The same as Netherlands
6
Ranked 14th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ 119.87 billion$
Ranked 11th.
149.92 billion$
Ranked 8th. 25% more than Australia

National holiday Australia Day (commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers), 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorates the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915) Queen's Day (Birthday of deceased Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)
Capital > Geographic coordinates 35 16 S, 149 08 E 52 21 N, 4 55 E
Democracy > First female parliamentarian 1943 (elected) 1918 (elected)
Time required to start a business > Days 2 days
Ranked 170th.
10 days
Ranked 158th. 5 times more than Australia

Democracy > Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment 0.994
Ranked 47th. 2% more than Netherlands
0.976
Ranked 74th.

Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office justices appointed by the governor-general in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70 justices appointed by the monarch from a list provided by the Second Chamber of the States General; justices appointed for life or until mandatory retirement at age 70
Democracy and rights > Democracy Index 9.22
Ranked 6th. 3% more than Netherlands
8.99
Ranked 10th.
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient 5.3
Ranked 10th.
5.4
Ranked 9th. 2% more than Australia

Red tape > Time required to register property > Days 4.5
Ranked 174th. 80% more than Netherlands
2.5
Ranked 180th.

Politics Tony Abbott&#039;s conservative Liberal-National coalition swept into office in elections in September 2013 A left-right coalition government was formed in November 2012, after months of deadlock over plans to cut the budget deficit
International law organization participation accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Parliament > Seats held by men 113
Ranked 86th. 23% more than Netherlands
92
Ranked 106th.

Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years 1
Ranked 163th.
1.1
Ranked 157th. 10% more than Australia

Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million 0.132
Ranked 161st.
0.298
Ranked 134th. 2 times more than Australia

Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission Ambassador John BERRY (since 25 September 2013) Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Adam STERLING
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission Ambassador Kim Christian BEAZLEY (since 7 February 2010) Ambassador Rudolf Simon BEKINK (since 20 July 2012)
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone [61] (02) 6214-5600 [31] (70) 310-2209
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery None None
Parliament > Seats held by women 37
Ranked 64th.
58
Ranked 45th. 57% more than Australia

Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel None
None
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating 10
Ranked 23th. The same as Netherlands
10
Ranked 29th.
UN membership date 1 Nov. 1945 10 Dec. 1945
Democracy and rights > Democracy Index per million people 0.406
Ranked 22nd.
0.536
Ranked 20th. 32% more than Australia
Total businesses registered > Number per 1000 158.93
Ranked 3rd. 2 times more than Netherlands
70.08
Ranked 17th.

Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number 11
Ranked 152nd.
14
Ranked 97th. 27% more than Australia

Capital city Canberra Amsterdam
Capital > Name Canberra Amsterdam
Legal origin <a href=/encyclopedia/England>English</a> <a href=/country/fr>French</a>
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per capita 5,965.83$ per capita
Ranked 16th.
9,186.08$ per capita
Ranked 6th. 54% more than Australia

Spending > Expense > Current LCU 287.94 billion
Ranked 40th. 19% more than Netherlands
241.33 billion
Ranked 43th.

Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days 75
Ranked 111th.
143
Ranked 38th. 91% more than Australia

Democracy and rights > Year women first voted at national level 1902 1919
Legislature (parliament) > People per member 97,044
Ranked 35th. 32% more than Netherlands
73,561
Ranked 45th.
Capital > Time difference UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitutional monarchy > Current constitutional monarchies > Last constitution established 1901 1815
International relations Australia is a regional policeman; further afield, its troops have served in Iraq and Afghanistan The Netherlands plays a central role in the European Union and Dutch forces have been active in UN peacekeeping efforts
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million 3.31
Ranked 145th.
8.53
Ranked 104th. 3 times more than Australia

Legislature (parliament) > Upper house members 76
Ranked 29th. 1% more than Netherlands
75
Ranked 30th.
Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members 150
Ranked 63th. The same as Netherlands
150
Ranked 65th.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days 395
Ranked 156th.
514
Ranked 108th. 30% more than Australia

Democracy > Female parliamentarians 26.5%
Ranked 14th.
32.9%
Ranked 6th. 24% more than Australia
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number 5
Ranked 127th. The same as Netherlands
5
Ranked 133th.

Role of head of state Ceremonial Ceremonial
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ per capita 5,955.33$
Ranked 16th.
9,186.07$
Ranked 6th. 54% more than Australia

Start-up procedures to register a business > Number 2
Ranked 169th.
6
Ranked 149th. 3 times more than Australia

Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong 9
Ranked 17th. 50% more than Netherlands
6
Ranked 83th.

Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient per million 0.234
Ranked 90th.
0.322
Ranked 78th. 38% more than Australia

Spending > Compensation of employees > Current LCU 29.57 billion
Ranked 48th. 61% more than Netherlands
18.34 billion
Ranked 53th.

Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > Current LCU 201.9 billion
Ranked 31st. 5% more than Netherlands
192 billion
Ranked 33th.

Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for upper house members 6
Ranked 20th. 50% more than Netherlands
4
Ranked 52nd.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per $ GDP 0.183$ per $1 of GDP
Ranked 55th.
0.24$ per $1 of GDP
Ranked 16th. 31% more than Australia

Parliament > Seats held by women per million people 1.66
Ranked 127th.
3.45
Ranked 89th. 2 times more than Australia

Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment February 15, 1960 April 2, 1960
Democracy > Female suffrage "1902 ,1962" 1919
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days 112
Ranked 133th.
157
Ranked 86th. 40% more than Australia

Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Syrian National Council Informal relations Rejection of Assad government Verbal support Rejection of Assad government Informal relations
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million 1.23
Ranked 147th.
1.55
Ranked 138th. 26% more than Australia

Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million 0.11
Ranked 178th.
0.298
Ranked 162nd. 3 times more than Australia

Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million 0.198
Ranked 172nd.
0.328
Ranked 163th. 65% more than Australia

Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million 4.94
Ranked 145th.
9.36
Ranked 127th. 90% more than Australia

Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million 0.485
Ranked 142nd.
0.835
Ranked 125th. 72% more than Australia

Capital > Daylight saving time +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends first Sunday in April +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Total businesses registered > Number > Per capita 159.11 per 1,000 people
Ranked 4th. 2 times more than Netherlands
70.08 per 1,000 people
Ranked 17th.

Spending > Interest payments > Current LCU 10.21 billion
Ranked 47th.
10.72 billion
Ranked 45th. 5% more than Australia

Democracy and rights > Major left wing party Australian Labor Party Labour Party
Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador Beazley, Kim Kim Beazley Jones-Bos, Renée Renée Jones-Bos
Dependent areas Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Macquarie Island, Norfolk Island Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ > Per capita 4,126.37 constant 2000 US$ per c
Ranked 18th.
5,763.66 constant 2000 US$ per c
Ranked 6th. 40% more than Australia

Time required to build a warehouse > Days 140 days
Ranked 123th.
184 days
Ranked 86th. 31% more than Australia

Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population 14.04 million
Ranked 36th. 14% more than Netherlands
12.28 million
Ranked 40th.
Failed States Index 25.4
Ranked 24th.
26.9
Ranked 21st. 6% more than Australia
Democracy > Female candidacy 1,902
Ranked 160th.
1,917
Ranked 154th. 1% more than Australia
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment February 13, 1992 February 11, 1992
National anthem > Name "Advance Australia Fair" "Het Wilhelmus" (The William)
Executive branch > A note <a href=/cat/Government>government</a> coalition - <a href=/encyclopedia/The-Liberal-Party-(UK)><a href=/encyclopedia/The-Liberal-Party-(UK)>Liberal Party</a></a> and National Party there is also a Council of <a href=/encyclopedia/U.S.-State><a href=/encyclopedia/U.S.-State>State</a></a> composed of the monarch, heir apparent, and councilors that provides consultations to the prime minister on legislative and administrative policy
Time required to enforce a contract > Days 181 days
Ranked 165th.
408 days
Ranked 105th. 2 times more than Australia

Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita 0.097 per 1 million people
Ranked 156th.
0.366 per 1 million people
Ranked 129th. 4 times more than Australia

Democracy and rights > Electoral system Lower House AV; Upper House PR (STV) PR (list)
Procedures to register property > Number 5
Ranked 121st. 3 times more than Netherlands
2
Ranked 164th.

Procedures to build a warehouse > Number 17
Ranked 87th.
18
Ranked 73th. 6% more than Australia

Democracy and rights > Party system Two Multi
Democracy and rights > Structure Parliamentary Parliamentary
Democracy > Secret ballot > Date of introduction 1856 1849
Spending > Expense > % of GDP 24.37%
Ranked 51st.
40.5%
Ranked 12th. 66% more than Australia

Spending > Compensation of employees > % of expense 10.27%
Ranked 78th. 35% more than Netherlands
7.6%
Ranked 83th.

Democracy and rights > Next election January 2017 March 2017
Parliament > Seats held by men per million people 5.08
Ranked 159th.
5.47
Ranked 155th. 8% more than Australia

Democracy and rights > Last election September 2013 September 2012
FAX > Consulate(s) general Perth, Sydney Amsterdam
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million 0.0966
Ranked 156th.
0.367
Ranked 127th. 4 times more than Australia

Procedures to enforce a contract > Number 19
Ranked 161st.
22
Ranked 147th. 16% more than Australia

Foreign relations > International recognition of the Syrian National Council notes On 20 January 2012, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd publicly rejected the Assad regime in a joint press conference with French foreign Minister Alan Juppe. "Our view in Australia is that Assad must go." On 24 January, Rudd met with UK foreign minister William Hague, and announced that he had met with Burhan Ghalioun, the President of the SNC, in the previous week. Minister of Foreign Affairs Uri Rosenthal met with Burhan Ghalioun, the leader of the Syrian National Council on 17 January 2012. Rosenthal has pledged to continue to increase pressure on the Assad government, specifically by promoting EU sanctions and UN Security Council resolutions toward this end. Rosenthal further stated, "It\u2019s time for this to stop: Assad must step down and make way for a democratic Syria." He went on to praise the courage of the Syrian demonstrators and the SNC's role in "representing Syrian issues at an international level."
Democracy and rights > Major right wing party Liberal Party of Australia People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Democracy and rights > Active Labor party Australian Labor Party Democratic Labor Party Progressive Labor Party Labour Party
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members 3
Ranked 181st.
4
Ranked 174th. 33% more than Australia
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million 17.41
Ranked 150th.
30.65
Ranked 128th. 76% more than Australia

Procedures to build a warehouse > Number > Per capita 0.828 per 1 million people
Ranked 119th.
1.1 per 1 million people
Ranked 110th. 33% more than Australia

Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX [61] (02) 6214-5970 [31] (70) 310-2207
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone [1] (202) 797-3000 [1] (202) 244-5300, [1] 877-388-2443
Capital city > Time difference UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) 1
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant LCU 142998000000 102095000000
Spending > Goods and services expense > % of expense 10.75%
Ranked 60th. 48% more than Netherlands
7.24%
Ranked 76th.

General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ per capita 4,119.11 constant 2000 US$
Ranked 18th.
5,763.66 constant 2000 US$
Ranked 6th. 40% more than Australia

Spending > Interest payments > % of expense 3.55%
Ranked 55th.
4.44%
Ranked 46th. 25% more than Australia

Spending > Other expense > % of expense 6.54%
Ranked 39th. 2 times more than Netherlands
3.25%
Ranked 67th.

Ruling party Liberal/National VVD /Coalition
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million 0.821
Ranked 117th.
1.1
Ranked 110th. 34% more than Australia

Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s) general Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament 226
Ranked 50th. About the same as Netherlands
225
Ranked 53th.
Legislature (parliament) > Strongly bicameral? Yes Yes
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current LCU 162993000000 120547000000
Spending > Interest payments > % of revenue 3.26%
Ranked 55th.
4.3%
Ranked 45th. 32% more than Australia

Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > % of expense 70.12%
Ranked 8th.
79.56%
Ranked 3rd. 13% more than Australia

Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > % 26%
Ranked 51st.
38.7%
Ranked 15th. 49% more than Australia

Capital city > Note Australia is divided into three time zones The Hague is the seat of government; time descriptions apply to the continental Netherlands only, not to the Caribbean components
Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours 107 hours
Ranked 145th.
250 hours
Ranked 85th. 2 times more than Australia

General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ 82.91 billion constant 2000 US$
Ranked 12th.
94.06 billion constant 2000 US$
Ranked 8th. 13% more than Australia

Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita 0.244 per 1 million people
Ranked 123th. Twice as much as Netherlands
0.122 per 1 million people
Ranked 145th.

Procedures to enforce a contract > Number > Per capita 0.926 per 1 million people
Ranked 136th.
1.34 per 1 million people
Ranked 128th. 45% more than Australia

Spending > Goods and services expense > Current LCU 30.95 billion
Ranked 40th. 77% more than Netherlands
17.46 billion
Ranked 48th.

National anthem > Note adopted 1984; although originally written in the late 19th century, the anthem did not become official until 1984; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom) adopted 1932, in use since the 17th century, making it the oldest national anthem in the world; also known as "Wilhelmus van Nassouwe" (William of Nassau), it is in the form of an acrostic, where the first letter of each stanza spells the name of the leader of the Dutch Revolt
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number 28
Ranked 177th. 8% more than Netherlands
26
Ranked 184th.

Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million 0.22
Ranked 136th.
0.298
Ranked 123th. 35% more than Australia

Diplomatic representation from the US > Consulate(s) general Melbourne, Perth, Sydney Amsterdam
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX [1] (202) 797-3168 [1] (202) 362-3430
Spending > Other expense > Current LCU 18.82 billion
Ranked 32nd. 2 times more than Netherlands
7.84 billion
Ranked 48th.

Time to resolve insolvency > Years 1 years
Ranked 142nd.
1.7 years
Ranked 125th. 70% more than Australia

General government final > Consumption expenditure > Annual % growth 3.73%
Ranked 48th. 8 times more than Netherlands
0.49%
Ranked 96th.

Procedures to register property > Number per million 0.242
Ranked 122nd. 97% more than Netherlands
0.122
Ranked 144th.

Time required to register property > Days 5 days
Ranked 157th. The same as Netherlands
5 days
Ranked 158th.

Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million 0.918
Ranked 135th.
1.35
Ranked 127th. 47% more than Australia

Foreign relations > Date of establishment of relations with China December 21, 1972 May 18, 1972
Democracy and rights > Strong judicial review? No No
Democracy and rights > Strongly federal? Yes No
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population per 1000 705.65
Ranked 44th.
756.56
Ranked 30th. 7% more than Australia
Foreign relations > Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said that "the declaration overnight by Russian President Medvedev I don't believe is a helpful contribution. Indeed some may regard that as provocative. I don't think it helps circumstances in Georgia and I don't think it helps relationships generally between Russia and the rest of the world. Australia respects the territorial integrity of Georgia and our ongoing position is that we believe that Russia should abide by the ceasefire effected through the European Union and President Sarkozy and return its forces to the positions they occupied on August 6 and 7". Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen expressed on behalf of the cabinet his "great concern" about the Russian position and said that "for the Netherlands, the territorial integrity of Georgia within the internationally recognised borders, also earlier recognised by Russia, remains the basis for a solution to this crisis. The one-sided recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Russia does not bring this solution nearer".
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Kosovo None
None

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