Government Stats: compare key data on Australia & South Africa

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.
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.
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 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 > 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.
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
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 > Parliamentary elections > Registered voter turnout: The proportion of registered voters who actually voted.
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) > Lower house members: Members of the lower house of the legislature or of the only chamber in a unicameral system.
Legislature (parliament) > Upper house members: Members of the upper house of the legislature. Does not include countries with 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.
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.
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."
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."
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."
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.
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.
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."
Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador: Name of ambassador to the USA.
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
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.
Trademarks > Nonresidents per 1000: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
Trademarks > Nonresidents > Per capita: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Total vote: The total number of votes cast in the relevant election. Total vote includes valid and invalid votes, as well as blank votes in cases where these are separated from invalid votes. More information on valid, invalid and blank votes can be found at aceproject.org
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voter registration: The number of registered voters. The figure represents the number of names on the voters' register at the time that the registration process closes, as reported by the electoral management body.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Trademarks > Residents > Per capita: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
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.
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 > Current LCU: Other expense is spending on dividends, rent, and other miscellaneous expenses, including provision for consumption of fixed capital."
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.
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.
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.
Trademarks > Nonresidents: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment.
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.
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."
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."
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.
Commonwealth of Nations > Date joined: Date each member country joined the Commonwealth of Nations.
Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s) general: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
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.
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.
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.
Democracy and rights > Active Labor party: Party.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament: Number of members of the legislature (sum of members of all chambers of parliament where applicable).
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.
Democracy and rights > Last election: Last 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 > Parliamentary elections > Invalid votes: The number of invalid votes, as reported by each country.
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.
Democracy and rights > Next election: Next election.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
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."
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.
Spending > Other expense > % of expense: Other expense is spending on dividends, rent, and other miscellaneous expenses, including provision for consumption of fixed capital."
Trademarks > Residents per million: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Democracy and rights > Democratic socialist parties which have governed: Parties self-identifying as democratic socialist, social democratic or labour, which have formed or taken part in their national government at least once.
Democracy and rights > Democratic socialist party, years in power: Periods in which parties self-identifying as democratic socialist, social democratic or labour have formed or taken part in their national government.
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.
Trademarks > Residents: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment.
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.

SHOW ALL

LESS

SHARE TWEET EMBED

STAT	Australia	South Africa
Administrative divisions	*6 states and 2 territories; Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia**	9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North-West, Western Cape
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	35 17 S, 149 13 E	25 42 S, 28 13 E
Capital city > Name	Canberra	Pretoria (administrative capital)
Constitution	9 July 1900; effective 1 January 1901; amended several times, last in 1977	several previous; latest drafted 8 May 1996, approved 4 December 1997, effective 4 February 1997; amended many times, last in 2013
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address	APO AP 96549	P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001
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	Cabinet appointed by the president
Executive branch > Chief of state	Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Quentin BRYCE (since 5 September 2008)	President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009); Deputy President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 11 May 2009)
Executive branch > Head of government	Prime Minister Anthony John "Tony" ABBOTT (since 18 September 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Warren TRUSS (since 18 September 2013)	President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009); Deputy President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 11 May 2009)
Government type	federal parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm	republic
Judicial branch	High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general acting on the advice of the government)	Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts
Legal system	common law system based on the English model	mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law
Legislative branch	bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate	bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Council of Provinces
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]	African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE]<br />African National Congress or ANC [Jacob ZUMA]<br />Congress of the People or COPE [Mosiuoa LEKOTA]<br />Democratic Alliance or DA [Helen ZILLE]<br />Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter MULDER]<br />Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]<br />Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Motsoko PHEKO]<br />United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP [Lucas MANGOPE]<br />United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]
Political pressure groups and leaders	<strong>other: </strong>business groups, environmental groups, social groups, trade unions	Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary]<br />South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary]<br />South African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]<br />
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	ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, NSG, OECD (Enhanced Engagement, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Country name > Conventional long form	Commonwealth of Australia	Republic of South Africa
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	president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 May 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
National symbol(s)	Southern Cross constellation (five, seven-pointed stars); kangaroo; emu	springbok antelope
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	two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes; the flag colors do not have any official symbolism, but the Y stands for the "convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"; black, yellow, and green are found on the flag of the African National Congress, while red, white, and blue are the colors in the flags of the Netherlands and the UK, whose settlers ruled South Africa during the colonial era
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days	2.5 Ranked 183th.	19 Ranked 74th. 8 times more than Australia
Country name > Conventional short form	Australia	South Africa
Constitutional form	Constitutional monarchy	Republic
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	South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration; the governments of South Africa and Namibia have not signed or ratified the text of the 1994 Surveyor's General agreement placing the boundary in the middle of the Orange River
Total businesses registered > Number	3.16 million Ranked 6th. 77% more than South Africa	1.78 million Ranked 14th.
National anthem	<strong>name: </strong>"Advance Australia Fair"<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Peter Dodds McCORMICK	<strong>name: </strong>"National Anthem of South Africa"<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Enoch SONTONGA and Cornelius Jacob LANGENHOVEN/Enoch SONTONGA and Marthinus LOURENS de Villiers
FAX	61	27
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)	National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held on 22 April 2009 (next to be held in April 2014)
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	National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 65.9%, DA 16.7%, COPE 7.4%, IFP 4.6%, other 5.4%; seats by party - ANC 264, DA 67, COPE 30, IFP 18, other 21
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index	15.24 Ranked 16th.	24.56 Ranked 125th. 61% more than Australia
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage	24.67% Ranked 50th.	42.25% Ranked 8th. 71% more than Australia
Independence	1 January 1901 (from the federation of UK colonies)	31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared); 27 April 1994 (majority rule)
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 â Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory; District Courts â New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia; County Court â Victoria; Family Court â Western Australia; Court of Petty Sessions â Norfolk Island	High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; labor courts; land claims courts;
Basis of executive legitimacy	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence	Presidency and ministry are 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	transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and the size of the South African economy
Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press	21 Ranked 163th.	34 Ranked 122nd. 62% more than Australia
Corruption > Bribe Payers Index	8.5 Ranked 7th. 13% more than South Africa	7.5 Ranked 15th.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament	24.7% Ranked 35th.	32.8% Ranked 14th. 33% more than Australia
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy	Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600	877
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number	3 Ranked 174th.	5 Ranked 127th. 67% more than Australia
Democracy > Civil and political liberties	6 Ranked 9th. 9% more than South Africa	5.5 Ranked 21st.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$	119.87 billion$ Ranked 11th. 2 times more than South Africa	48.34 billion$ Ranked 20th.
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)	Freedom Day, 27 April
Capital > Geographic coordinates	35 16 S, 149 08 E	25 42 S, 28 13 E
Democracy > First female parliamentarian	1943 (elected)	1933 (elected)
Time required to start a business > Days	2 days Ranked 170th.	35 days Ranked 85th. 18 times more than Australia
Democracy > Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment	0.994 Ranked 47th. 3% more than South Africa	0.965 Ranked 115th.
Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office	justices appointed by the governor-general in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70	Supreme Court of Appeals president and vice-president appointed by the national president after consultation with the Joint Services Commission (JSC), a 22-member body of judicial and other government officials, and a law academics; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the national president on the advice of the JSC and hold office until discharged from active service in terms of an Act of Parliament; Constitutional Court chief and deputy chief justices appointed by the national president after consultation with the JSC and with heads of the National Assembly; other Constitutional Court judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the chief justice and leaders of the National Assembly; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 12-year non-renewable terms or until age 70
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient	5.3 Ranked 10th. 23% more than South Africa	4.3 Ranked 59th.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days	4.5 Ranked 174th.	23 Ranked 122nd. 5 times more than Australia
Politics	Tony Abbott's conservative Liberal-National coalition swept into office in elections in September 2013	The ANC scored its fourth election victory in April 2009
International law organization participation	accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Parliament > Seats held by men	113 Ranked 86th.	231 Ranked 42nd. 2 times more than Australia
Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years	1 Ranked 163th.	2 Ranked 100th. Twice as much as Australia
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million	0.132 Ranked 161st. 35% more than South Africa	0.0977 Ranked 169th.
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador Kim Christian BEAZLEY (since 7 February 2010)	Ambassador Ebrahim RASOOL
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador John BERRY (since 25 September 2013)	Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Viginia E. PALMER
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone	[61] (02) 6214-5600	[27] (12) 431-4000
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery	None	None
Parliament > Seats held by women	37 Ranked 64th.	169 Ranked 6th. 5 times more than Australia
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel	None	None
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating	10 Ranked 23th. 11% more than South Africa	9 Ranked 33th.
UN membership date	1 Nov. 1945	7 Nov. 1945
Total businesses registered > Number per 1000	158.93 Ranked 3rd. 4 times more than South Africa	38.68 Ranked 30th.
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number	11 Ranked 152nd.	16 Ranked 59th. 45% more than Australia
Capital city	Canberra	Pretoria (administrative capital)
Capital > Name	Canberra	Pretoria (administrative capital)
Legal origin	<a href=/encyclopedia/England>English</a>	<a href=/encyclopedia/England>English</a>
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per capita	5,965.83$ per capita Ranked 16th. 6 times more than South Africa	1,030.97$ per capita Ranked 37th.
Spending > Expense > Current LCU	287.94 billion Ranked 40th.	706.66 billion Ranked 26th. 2 times more than Australia
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days	75 Ranked 111th.	226 Ranked 14th. 3 times more than Australia
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Registered voter turnout	94.9% Ranked 3rd. 6% more than South Africa	89.3% Ranked 19th.
Legislature (parliament) > People per member	97,044 Ranked 35th.	100,653 Ranked 34th. 4% more than Australia
Capital > Time difference	UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
International relations	Australia is a regional policeman; further afield, its troops have served in Iraq and Afghanistan	Plays a leading role in diplomatic and anti-poverty initiatives in Africa. Emerged from international isolation in 1994 at the end of the apartheid era
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million	3.31 Ranked 145th.	4.41 Ranked 131st. 34% more than Australia
Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members	150 Ranked 63th.	400 Ranked 27th. 3 times more than Australia
Legislature (parliament) > Upper house members	76 Ranked 29th.	90 Ranked 26th. 18% more than Australia
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days	395 Ranked 156th.	600 Ranked 73th. 52% more than Australia
Democracy > Female parliamentarians	26.5% Ranked 14th.	29.8% Ranked 11th. 12% more than Australia
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number	5 Ranked 127th.	7 Ranked 46th. 40% more than Australia
Role of head of state	Ceremonial	Executive
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ per capita	5,955.33$ Ranked 16th. 6 times more than South Africa	1,024.19$ Ranked 38th.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number	2 Ranked 169th.	9 Ranked 86th. 5 times more than Australia
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient per million	0.234 Ranked 90th. 3 times more than South Africa	0.084 Ranked 114th.
Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong	9 Ranked 17th. The same as South Africa	9 Ranked 9th.
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > Current LCU	201.9 billion Ranked 31st.	434.22 billion Ranked 21st. 2 times more than Australia
Spending > Compensation of employees > Current LCU	29.57 billion Ranked 48th.	91.94 billion Ranked 32nd. 3 times more than Australia
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for upper house members	6 Ranked 20th. 20% more than South Africa	5 Ranked 42nd.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per $ GDP	0.183$ per $1 of GDP Ranked 55th.	0.202$ per $1 of GDP Ranked 32nd. 10% more than Australia
Parliament > Seats held by women per million people	1.66 Ranked 127th.	3.48 Ranked 88th. 2 times more than Australia
Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment	February 15, 1960	July 28, 1994
Democracy > Female suffrage	"1902 ,1962"	"1930 ,1994"
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days	112 Ranked 133th. 44% more than South Africa	78 Ranked 166th.
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million	1.23 Ranked 147th. 2 times more than South Africa	0.567 Ranked 166th.
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million	0.11 Ranked 178th.	0.371 Ranked 155th. 3 times more than Australia
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million	0.198 Ranked 172nd.	0.449 Ranked 158th. 2 times more than Australia
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million	4.94 Ranked 145th. 3 times more than South Africa	1.52 Ranked 168th.
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million	0.485 Ranked 142nd. 55% more than South Africa	0.313 Ranked 155th.
Total businesses registered > Number > Per capita	159.11 per 1,000 people Ranked 4th. 4 times more than South Africa	38.91 per 1,000 people Ranked 31st.
Spending > Interest payments > Current LCU	10.21 billion Ranked 47th.	54.62 billion Ranked 21st. 5 times more than Australia
Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador	Beazley, Kim Kim Beazley	Rasool, Ebrahim Ebrahim Rasool
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ > Per capita	4,126.37 constant 2000 US$ per c Ranked 18th. 6 times more than South Africa	666.86 constant 2000 US$ per c Ranked 36th.
Time required to build a warehouse > Days	140 days Ranked 123th.	174 days Ranked 93th. 24% more than Australia
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population	14.04 million Ranked 36th.	25.41 million Ranked 25th. 81% more than Australia
Democracy > Female candidacy	1,902 Ranked 160th.	1,930 Ranked 121st. 1% more than Australia
Trademarks > Nonresidents per 1000	0.795 Ranked 8th. 4 times more than South Africa	0.202 Ranked 53th.
Trademarks > Nonresidents > Per capita	0.797 per 1,000 people Ranked 8th. 4 times more than South Africa	0.202 per 1,000 people Ranked 52nd.
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment	February 13, 1992	November 19, 1992
National anthem > Name	"Advance Australia Fair"	"National Anthem of South Africa"
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	ANC-IFP is the governing coalition
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Total vote	12.05 million Ranked 27th.	16.23 million Ranked 22nd. 35% more than Australia
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voter registration	12.71 million Ranked 34th.	18.18 million Ranked 28th. 43% more than Australia
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita	0.097 per 1 million people Ranked 156th.	0.19 per 1 million people Ranked 145th. 96% more than Australia
Time required to enforce a contract > Days	181 days Ranked 165th.	600 days Ranked 54th. 3 times more than Australia
Procedures to register property > Number	5 Ranked 121st.	6 Ranked 73th. 20% more than Australia
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number	17 Ranked 87th. The same as South Africa	17 Ranked 78th.
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 1994; the anthem is a combination of "N'kosi Sikelel' iAfrica" (God Bless Africa) and "Die Stem van Suid Afrika" (The Call of South Africa), which were respectively the anthems of the non-white and white communities under apartheid; the official lyrics contain a mixture of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English; the music incorporates the melody used in the Tanzanian and Zambian anthems
Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours	107 hours Ranked 145th.	350 hours Ranked 49th. 3 times more than Australia
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$	82.91 billion constant 2000 US$ Ranked 12th. 3 times more than South Africa	31.27 billion constant 2000 US$ Ranked 21st.
Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita	0.244 per 1 million people Ranked 123th. 92% more than South Africa	0.127 per 1 million people Ranked 144th.
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number > Per capita	0.926 per 1 million people Ranked 136th. 69% more than South Africa	0.549 per 1 million people Ranked 146th.
Spending > Goods and services expense > Current LCU	30.95 billion Ranked 40th.	87.8 billion Ranked 28th. 3 times more than Australia
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number	28 Ranked 177th.	29 Ranked 172nd. 4% more than Australia
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million	0.22 Ranked 136th. 61% more than South Africa	0.137 Ranked 154th.
Diplomatic representation from the US > Consulate(s) general	Melbourne, Perth, Sydney	Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX	[1] (202) 797-3168	[1] (202) 265-1607
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant LCU	142998000000	216992000000
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ per capita	4,119.11 constant 2000 US$ Ranked 18th. 6 times more than South Africa	662.47 constant 2000 US$ Ranked 36th.
Trademarks > Residents > Per capita	1.85 per 1,000 people Ranked 5th. 7 times more than South Africa	0.258 per 1,000 people Ranked 43th.
Time to resolve insolvency > Years	1 years Ranked 142nd.	2 years Ranked 106th. Twice as much as Australia
Spending > Interest payments > % of expense	3.55% Ranked 55th.	7.73% Ranked 30th. 2 times more than Australia
Spending > Other expense > Current LCU	18.82 billion Ranked 32nd.	43.91 billion Ranked 25th. 2 times more than Australia
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Annual % growth	3.73% Ranked 48th.	5.57% Ranked 33th. 49% more than Australia
Procedures to register property > Number per million	0.242 Ranked 122nd. 92% more than South Africa	0.126 Ranked 143th.
Ruling party	Liberal/National	ANC
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million	0.821 Ranked 117th. 2 times more than South Africa	0.356 Ranked 141st.
Time required to register property > Days	5 days Ranked 157th.	23 days Ranked 126th. 5 times more than Australia
Trademarks > Nonresidents	16,007 Ranked 8th. 98% more than South Africa	8,074 Ranked 17th.
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million	0.918 Ranked 135th. 69% more than South Africa	0.545 Ranked 145th.
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > % of expense	70.12% Ranked 8th. 14% more than South Africa	61.45% Ranked 25th.
Spending > Interest payments > % of revenue	3.26% Ranked 55th.	7.76% Ranked 31st. 2 times more than Australia
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > %	26% Ranked 51st.	42.3% Ranked 8th. 63% more than Australia
Commonwealth of Nations > Date joined	<span style="display:none">1931-12-11</span>11 December 1931	<span style="display:none">1931-12-11</span>11 December 1931
Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s) general	Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco	Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Foreign relations > Date of establishment of relations with China	December 21, 1972	January 1, 1998
FAX > Consulate(s) general	Perth, Sydney	Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million	0.0966 Ranked 156th.	0.189 Ranked 144th. 95% 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".	Dumisani Kumalo , the Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations , said that his country "had repeatedly stressed the need for countries to resolve differences through negotiations. A resort to the use of force diminished the chance for a lasting solution to a situation and it increased the suffering of all the people involved".
Democracy and rights > Active Labor party	Australian Labor Party Democratic Labor Party Progressive Labor Party	New Labour Party (South Africa)
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament	226 Ranked 50th.	490 Ranked 29th. 2 times more than Australia
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX	[61] (02) 6214-5970	[27] (12) 342-2299
Democracy and rights > Last election	September 2013	April 2009
Parliament > Seats held by men per million people	5.08 Ranked 159th. 7% more than South Africa	4.75 Ranked 161st.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Invalid votes	4.8% Ranked 26th. 3 times more than South Africa	1.5% Ranked 75th.
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone	[1] (202) 797-3000	[1] (202) 232-4400
Capital city > Time difference	UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Democracy and rights > Next election	January 2017	April 2014
Spending > Compensation of employees > % of expense	10.27% Ranked 78th.	13.01% Ranked 72nd. 27% more than Australia
Spending > Goods and services expense > % of expense	10.75% Ranked 60th.	12.42% Ranked 45th. 16% more than Australia
Spending > Other expense > % of expense	6.54% Ranked 39th. 5% more than South Africa	6.21% Ranked 43th.
Trademarks > Residents per million	1,848.33 Ranked 5th. 7 times more than South Africa	258.35 Ranked 46th.
Spending > Expense > % of GDP	24.37% Ranked 51st.	30.94% Ranked 36th. 27% more than Australia
Capital city > Note	Australia is divided into three time zones	Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population per 1000	705.65 Ranked 44th. 28% more than South Africa	551.03 Ranked 80th.
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number	19 Ranked 161st.	26 Ranked 122nd. 37% more than Australia
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current LCU	162993000000	307395000000
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members	3 Ranked 181st.	5 Ranked 31st. 67% more than Australia
Democracy and rights > Democratic socialist parties which have governed	Australian Labor Party	African National Congress
Democracy and rights > Democratic socialist party, years in power	1910-1916, 1929-1932, 1941-1949, 1972-1975, 1983-1996, 2007-2013	1994-present
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million	17.41 Ranked 150th. 49% more than South Africa	11.72 Ranked 160th.
Trademarks > Residents	37,202 Ranked 8th. 4 times more than South Africa	10,334 Ranked 20th.
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number > Per capita	0.828 per 1 million people Ranked 119th. 2 times more than South Africa	0.359 per 1 million people Ranked 142nd.

SOURCES: CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; 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; World Development Indicators database; 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; Wikipedia: Bribe Payers Index; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2000-2001, New York: Freedom House, 2001; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva.; Source: Millennium Development Goals Database | United Nations Statistics Division; World Economic Forum, Global Competiveness Report and data files.; British Broadcasting Corporation 2014; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; 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); Polity IV Project, University of Maryland, at Polity IV Project; United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook; 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.; CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005; International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files.; Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003; Wikipedia: List of legislatures by number of members; calculated on the basis of data on parliamentary seats from IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2002. Parline Database. March 2002; World Economic Forum, Global Competiveness Report and data files. 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: Term of office (Terms of office by country); 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; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva; Wikipedia: List of ambassadors to the United States; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Croatia; CIA World Factbook, December 2003; Wikipedia: List of next general elections (Africa); Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (www.ipu.org); Various sources compiled into Wikipedia's Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dates_of_establishment_of_diplomatic_relations_with_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_recognition_of_Abkhazia_and_South_Ossetia#States_that_do_not_recognise_Abkhazia_or_South_Ossetia_as_independent; Wikipedia: List of Labour Parties (Active Labor parties); 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.; International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.; Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003. 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: List of democratic socialist parties which have governed (List)

SHOW ALL

LESS

Citation

Compare Australia and South Africa in

Agriculture	Energy	Lifestyle
Background	Environment	Media
Conflict	Geography	Military
Cost of living	Government	People
Crime	Health	Religion
Culture	Import	Sports
Disasters	Industry	Terrorism
Economy	Labor	Transport
Education	Language	Weather

Government Stats: compare key data on Australia & South Africa

Definitions

Citation

Compare Australia and South Africa in

Factoid #98

Stats

Country profiles

Compare

Adblocker detected! Please consider reading this notice.

Definitions

APA MLA MHRA CSE AMA Chicago Bluebook Bluebook/JOLT Citation

Compare Australia and South Africa in

Factoid #98

Stats

Country profiles

Compare

Embed content

Adblocker detected! Please consider reading this notice.

Citation