×

Government Stats: compare key data on Brazil & Syria

Compare vs for  

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.
  • Civil law system: Description.

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

  • Executive branch > Elections: Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election
  • National symbol(s): A national symbol is a faunal, floral, or other abstract representation - or some distinctive object - that over time has come to be closely identified with a country or entity. Not all countries have national symbols; a few countries have more than one.
  • Flag description: A written flag description produced from actual flags or the best information available at the time the entry was written. The flags of independent states are used by their dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some disputed and other areas do not have flags.
  • Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days: Time required to start a business (days). Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
  • Country name > Conventional short form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
  • Constitutional form: Constitutional form of government.
  • Transnational Issues > Disputes > International: This entry includes a wide variety of situations that range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one sort or another. Information regarding disputes over international terrestrial and maritime boundaries has been reviewed by the US Department of State. References to other situations involving borders or frontiers may also be included, such as resource disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues; however, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance or recognition by the US Government.
  • National anthem: A generally patriotic musical composition - usually in the form of a song or hymn of praise - that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or its people. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. Although most anthems contain lyrics, some do not.
  • Legislative branch > 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.
  • 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.
  • Democracy and rights > Press freedom index: Compares countries by their degree of government censorship, according to the Press freedom index. This index, created by the non-governmental organization Reporters without borders (RWS), is ellaborated using data from an extensive annual survey sent to professional reporters throughout the world. The survey contains questions about the type and ownership of media present in the country, freedom of speech, violence exerted against reporters, election campaigns, access of political parties to the media, etc.
  • Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage: Percentage of seats held by women in country's national parliament or legislative houses.
  • Independence: For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the other countries, the date given may not represent "independence" in the strict sense, but rather some significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, fundamental change in the form of government, or state succession. Dependent areas include the notation "none" followed by the nature of their dependency status. "
  • Executive branch > Election results: Election results includes the percent of vote for each candidate in the last election (if any)
  • Judicial branch > Subordinate courts: This entry is derived from Government > Judicial branch, which includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing judges, and a brief description of the process. The selection process can be indicative of the independence of a country's court system from other branches of its government. Also included in this subfield are judges' tenures, which can range from a few years, to a specified retirement age, to lifelong appointments. The subordinate courts subfield lists the courts lower in the hierarchy of a country's court system. A few countries with federal-style governments, such as Brazil, Canada, and the US, in addition to their federal court, have separate state- or province-level court systems, though generally the two systems interact.
  • Basis of executive legitimacy: Basis of executive legitimacy.

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

  • Transnational Issues > Illicit drugs: This entry gives information on the five categories of illicit drugs - narcotics, stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and cannabis. These categories include many drugs legally produced and prescribed by doctors as well as those illegally produced and sold outside of medical channels.
    Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant, which provides hallucinogens with some sedative properties, and includes marijuana (pot, Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, Marinol), hashish (hash), and hashish oil (hash oil).
    Coca (mostly Erythroxylum coca) is a bush with leaves that contain the stimulant used to make cocaine. Coca is not to be confused with cocoa, which comes from cacao seeds and is used in making chocolate, cocoa, and cocoa butter.
    Cocaine is a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca bush.
    Depressants (sedatives) are drugs that reduce tension and anxiety and include chloral hydrate, barbiturates (Amytal, Nembutal, Seconal, phenobarbital), benzodiazepines (Librium, Valium), methaqualone (Quaalude), glutethimide (Doriden), and others (Equanil, Placidyl, Valmid).
    Drugs are any chemical substances that effect a physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral change in an individual.
    Drug abuse is the use of any licit or illicit chemical substance that results in physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral impairment in an individual.
    Hallucinogens are drugs that affect sensation, thinking, self-awareness, and emotion. Hallucinogens include LSD (acid, microdot), mescaline and peyote (mexc, buttons, cactus), amphetamine variants (PMA, STP, DOB), phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust, hog), phencyclidine analogues (PCE, PCPy, TCP), and others (psilocybin, psilocyn).
    Hashish is the resinous exudate of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).
    Heroin is a semisynthetic derivative of morphine.
    Mandrax is a trade name for methaqualone, a pharmaceutical depressant.
    Marijuana is the dried leaf of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).
    Methaqualone is a pharmaceutical depressant, referred to as mandrax in Southwest Asia and Africa.
    Narcotics are drugs that relieve pain, often induce sleep, and refer to opium, opium derivatives, and synthetic substitutes. Natural narcotics include opium (paregoric, parepectolin), morphine (MS-Contin, Roxanol), codeine (Tylenol with codeine, Empirin with codeine, Robitussin AC), and thebaine. Semisynthetic narcotics ...
    Full definition
  • Country name > Local short form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
  • Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press: Compares countries by freedom of the press. The lower the score, the more free the press of that country is. The scores are taken from the Freedom of the Press Index, elaborated by Freedom House, self-defined as "an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world". The data used in the index come from an annual survey of media independence in 197 countries and territories, assessing the degree of print, broadcast, and internet freedom in each of them.
  • Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament: Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber occupied by women.
  • Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.
  • 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.
  • Leaders > President: Government > Leaders > President
  • Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office: This entry is derived from Government > Judicial branch, which includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing judges, and a brief description of the process. The selection process can be indicative of the independence of a country's court system from other branches of its government. Also included in this subfield are judges' tenures, which can range from a few years, to a specified retirement age, to lifelong appointments. The subordinate courts subfield lists the courts lower in the hierarchy of a country's court system. A few countries with federal-style governments, such as Brazil, Canada, and the US, in addition to their federal court, have separate state- or province-level court systems, though generally the two systems interact.
  • 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.
  • Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Status Index 2006: The Status Index’s overall result represents the mean value of the scores for the dimensions “Political Transformationâ€? and “Economic Transformationâ€?. The mean value was calculated using the exact, unrounded values for both these dimensions, which, in turn, were derived from the ratings for the five political criteria (based on 18 indicators) and the seven economic criteria (based on 14 indicators). The table shows rounded scores for political and economic transformation as well as for the Status Index’s overall result. In some cases, therefore, the overall result differs slightly from the mean value.
  • Red tape > Time required to register property > Days: Time required to register property (days). Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.
  • International law organization participation: This entry includes information on a country's acceptance of jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and of the International Criminal Court (ICCt); 55 countries have accepted ICJ jurisdiction with reservations and 11 have accepted ICJ jurisdiction without reservations; 114 countries have accepted ICCt jurisdiction. Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups explains the differing mandates of the ICJ and ICCt.
  • Parliament > Seats held by men: Number of seats held by men in country's naitonal parliament or legislative houses.
  • Country name > Local long form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
  • Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years: Time to resolve insolvency (years). Time to resolve insolvency is the number of years from the filing for insolvency in court until the resolution of distressed assets.
  • Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Diplomatic representation 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.
  • 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.
  • Parliament > Seats held by women: Number of seats held by women in country's parliament or legislative houses.
  • Leaders > President > Summary: Government > Leaders > President > Summary
  • Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel: Date on which Israel was officially recognized as a state. Note that some countries had a “de facto” recognition in place long before the legal recognition.
  • Democracy > Democratic institutions rating: Democratic institutions
    Units: Scale ranging from -10 (autocratic) to +10 (democratic)
  • UN membership date: Date of United Nations Membership
  • Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number: Procedures to build a warehouse (number). Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.
  • Capital city: The location of the seat of government.
  • Capital > Name: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Democracy > Female ministers: Women in government at ministerial level in 2000 (as % of total). Data were provided by states based on their definition of national executive and may therefore include women serving as ministers and vice ministers and those holding other ministerial positions, including parliamentary secretaries.
  • Leaders > Head of state > Term limit for head of state: Head(s) of state.

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

  • 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.
  • Leaders > President > Profile: Government > Leaders > President > Profile
  • Role of head of state: Head of state.

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

  • General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
  • Start-up procedures to register a business > Number: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.
  • 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."
  • Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Management Index 2006: This Index evaluates management by political decision-makers while taking into consideration the level of difficulty. The Management Index’s overall result is calculated by multiplying the intermediate result with a factor derived from the level of difficulty evaluation.
  • General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per $ GDP: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Per $ GDP figures expressed per 1 $ gross domestic product.
  • Parliament > Seats held by women per million people: Number of seats held by women in country's parliament or legislative houses. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index>Political Transformation: Political Transformation The score for â€?Political Transformation“ is obtained by calculating the mean value of the ratings for the following criteria: · Stateness · Political Participation · Rule of Law · Stability of Democratic Institutions · Political and Social Integration
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Informal payments to public officials > % of firms: Informal payments to public officials are the percentage of firms expected to make informal payments to public officials to ""get things done"" with regard to customs, taxes, licenses, regulations, services, and the like."
  • 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.

  • Foreign relations > Date of recognition of State of Palestine: Date on which Palestine was officially recognized as a state.
  • Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million: Time required to enforce a contract (days). Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Procedures to 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 in the US > Telephone: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Policy uncertainty > % of managers surveyed ranking this as a major business constraint: Policy uncertainty measures the share of senior managers who ranked economic and regulatory policy uncertainty as a major or very severe constraint.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 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.
  • 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.
  • Foreign relations > Diplomatic relations with Palestine: Indicates whether or not each country has diplomatic relations with Palestine.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Management time dealing with officials > % of management time: Time dealing with officials is the percentage of management time in a given week spent on requirements imposed by government regulations (taxes, customs, labor regulations, licensing and registration).
  • Diplomatic representation 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 > FAX: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Capital city > Time difference: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • General government final > Consumption expenditure > Annual % growth: Annual percentage growth of general government final consumption expenditure based on constant local currency. Aggregates are based on constant 2000 U.S. dollars. General government final consumption expenditure (general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation.
  • Time required to register property > Days: Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.
  • 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.
  • Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number: Procedures to enforce a contract (number). Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer.
  • Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million: Procedures to register property (number). Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Red tape > Management time dealing with officials > % of management time: Management time dealing with officials (% of management time). Time dealing with officials is the percentage of management time in a given week spent on requirements imposed by government regulations (taxes, customs, labor regulations, licensing and registration).
STAT Brazil Syria HISTORY
Administrative divisions 26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins 14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah (Latakia), Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq (Damascus), Halab, Hamah, Hims (Homs), Idlib, Rif Dimashq (Damascus Countryside), Tartus
Capital city > Geographic coordinates 15 47 S, 47 55 W 33 30 N, 36 18 E
Capital city > Name Brasilia Damascus
Constitution several previous; latest ratified 5 October 1988; amended many times, last in 2012 several previous; latest issued 15 February 2012, passed by referendum 26 February 2012
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address Unit 7500, DPO, AA 34030 P. O. Box 29, Damascus
Executive branch > Cabinet Cabinet appointed by the president Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Executive branch > Chief of state President Dilma ROUSSEFF (since 1 January 2011); Vice President Michel TEMER (since 1 January 2011) President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice President Farouk al-SHARA (since 21 February 2006); Vice President Najah al-ATTAR (since 23 March 2006)
Executive branch > Head of government President Dilma ROUSSEFF (since 1 January 2011); Vice President Michel TEMER (since 1 January 2011) Prime Minister Wael al-HALQI (since 9 August 2012); Deputy Prime Ministers Fahd Jasim al-FURAYJ, Lt. Gen., Walid al-MUALEM
Government type federal republic republic under an authoritarian regime
Judicial branch Supreme Federal Tribunal or STF (11 ministers are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Superior Tribunal of Justice or STJ; Superior Electoral Tribunal or TSE; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life) Supreme Judicial Council (appoints and dismisses judges; headed by the president); national level - Supreme Constitutional Court (adjudicates electoral disputes and rules on constitutionality of laws and decrees; justices appointed for four-year terms by the president); Court of Cassation; Appeals Courts (Appeals Courts represent an intermediate level between the Court of Cassation and local level courts); local level - Magistrate Courts; Courts of First Instance; Juvenile Courts; Customs Courts; specialized courts - Economic Security Courts (hear cases related to economic crimes); Supreme State Security Court (hear cases related to national security); Personal Status Courts (religious; hear cases related to marriage and divorce)
Legal system civil law mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law (for family courts)
Legislative branch bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members from each state and federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third and two-thirds elected every four years, alternately) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms) unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-Shaab
Political parties and leaders Brazilian Communist Party or PCB [Ivan Martins PINHEIRO]<br />Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Valdir RAUPP, acting]<br />Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Benito GAMA, acting]<br />Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy FIDELIX da Cruz]<br />Brazilian Republican Party or PRB [Marcos Antonio PEREIRA]<br />Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Sergio GUERRA]<br />Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Eduardo CAMPOS]<br />Christian Labor Party or PTC [Daniel TOURINHO]<br />Christian Social Democratic Party or PSDC [Jose Maria EYMAEL]<br />Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato RABELO]<br />Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto LUPI]<br />the Democrats or DEM [Jose AGRIPINO] (formerly Liberal Front Party or PFL)<br />Free Homeland Party or PPL [Sergio Rubens de Araujo TORRES]<br />Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz PENNA]<br />Humanist Party of Solidarity or PHS [Eduardo Machado e Silva RODRIGUES]<br />Labor Party of Brazil or PTB [Luis Henrique de Oliveira RESENDE]<br />National Ecologic Party or PEN [Adilson Barroso OLIVEIRA]<br />National Labor Party or PTN [Jose Masci de ABREU]<br />National Mobilization Party or PMN [Oscar Noronha FILHO]<br />Party of the Republic or PR [Alfredo NASCIMENTO]<br />Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Roberto Joao PEREIRA FREIRE]<br />Progressive Party or PP [Francisco DORNELLES]<br />Progressive Republican Party or PRP [Ovasco Roma Altimari RESENDE]<br />Social Christian Party or PSC [Vitor Jorge Abdala NOSSEIS]<br />Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democratico) or PSD [Gilberto KASSAB]<br />Social Liberal Party or PSL [Luciano Caldas BIVAR]<br />Socialism and Freedom Party (Partido Socialismo e Liberdade) or PSOL [Ivan VALENTE]<br />United Socialist Workers' Party or PSTU [Jose Maria DE ALMEIDA]<br />Workers' Cause Party or PCO [Rui Costa PIMENTA]<br />Workers' Party or PT [Rui FALCAO] <strong>legal parties: </strong><br />National Progressive Front or NPF [President Bashar al-ASAD, Dr. Suleiman QADDAH] (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party [President Bashar al-ASAD]<br />Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr al-DIN]<br />Syrian Arab Socialist Union or ASU [Safwan al-QUDSI]<br />Syrian Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yusuf Rashid FAYSAL]<br />Syrian Social Nationalist Party [As'ad HARDAN]<br />Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL])<br /><strong>Kurdish parties (considered illegal):</strong><br />Kurdish Azadi Party<br />Kurdish Democratic Accord Party (al Wifaq)<br />Kurdish Democratic Party (al Parti-Ibrahim wing)<br />Kurdish Democratic Party (al Parti-Mustafa wing)<br />Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria or KDP-S<br />Kurdish Democratic Patriotic/National Party<br />Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party or KDPP-Darwish<br />Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party or KDPP-Muhammad<br />Kurdish Democratic Union Party or PYD [Salih Muslim MOHAMMAD]<br />Kurdish Democratic Unity Party<br />Kurdish Democratic Yekiti Party<br />Kurdish Future Party or KFP<br />Kurdish Future Party [Rezan HASSAN]<br />Kurdish Left Party<br />Kurdish Yekiti (Union) Party<br />Syrian Kurdish Democratic Party<br /><br /><strong>other parties:</strong> Syrian Democratic Party [Mustafa QALAAJI]
Political pressure groups and leaders Landless Workers' Movement or MST<br /><strong>other:</strong> industrial federations; labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and the Catholic Church Free Syrian Army<br />National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Oppositon Forces or Syrian Oppositon Coalition [Mu'aaz al-KHATIB] (operates in exile in Cairo)<br />Syrian Muslim Brotherhood or SMB [Muhammad Riyad al-SHAQFAH] (operates in exile in London)<br />
Suffrage voluntary between 16 to under 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory 18 to 70 years of age 18 years of age; universal
International organization participation AfDB (nonregional member), BIS, BRICS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, CPLP, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-77, IADB, 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), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OECD (Enhanced Engagement, OPANAL, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Country name > Conventional long form Federative Republic of Brazil Syrian Arab Republic
Civil law system Based on Portuguese civil law Based on Islamic law and French civil law system
Executive branch > Elections president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held on 3 October 2010 with runoff on 31 October 2010 (next to be held on 5 October 2014 and, if necessary, a runoff election on 2 November 2014) president approved by popular referendum for a second seven-year term (no term limits); referendum last held on 27 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2014); the president appoints the vice presidents, prime minister, and deputy prime ministers
National symbol(s) Southern Cross constellation hawk
Flag description green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress); the current flag was inspired by the banner of the former Empire of Brazil (1822-1889); on the imperial flag, the green represented the House of Braganza of Pedro I, the first Emperor of Brazil, while the yellow stood for the Habsburg Family of his wife; on the modern flag the green represents the forests of the country and the yellow rhombus its mineral wealth; the blue circle and stars, which replaced the coat of arms of the original flag, depict the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 15 November 1889 - the day the Republic of Brazil was declared; the number of stars has changed with the creation of new states and has risen from an original 21 to the current 27 (one for each state and the Federal District) three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; two small, green, five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); identical to the former flag of the United Arab Republic (1958-1961) where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; the current design dates to 1980
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days 107.5
Ranked 4th. 8 times more than Syria
13
Ranked 110th.

Country name > Conventional short form Brazil Syria
Constitutional form Republic Republic
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International uncontested boundary dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question; smuggling of firearms and narcotics continues to be an issue along the Uruguay-Brazil border; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Brazil's border region with Venezuela Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force patrolling a buffer zone since 1964; lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms in the Golan Heights; 2004 Agreement and pending demarcation settles border dispute with Jordan
National anthem <strong>name: </strong>"Hino Nacional Brasileiro" (Brazilian National Anthem)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Joaquim Osorio Duque ESTRADA/Francisco Manoel DA SILVA <strong>name: </strong>"Humat ad-Diyar" (Guardians of the Homeland)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Khalil Mardam BEY/Mohammad Salim FLAYFEL and Ahmad Salim FLAYFEL
FAX 55 963
Legislative branch > Election results Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PMDB 20, PT 13, PSDB 10, DEM (formerly PFL) 7, PTdoB 6, PP 5, PDT 4, PR 4, PSB 4, PPS 1, PRB 1, other 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PT 87, PMDB 80, PSDB 53, DEM (formerly PFL) 43, PP 41, PR 41, PSB 34, PDT 28, PTdoB 21, PSC 17, PCdoB 15, PV 15, PPS 12, other 26 percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
Legislative branch > Elections Federal Senate - last held on 3 October 2010 for two-thirds of the Senate (next to be held in October 2014 for one-third of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 3 October 2010 (next to be held in October 2014) last held on 7 May 2012 (next to be held in 2016)
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index 32.75
Ranked 71st.
78.53
Ranked 4th. 2 times more than Brazil
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage 8.58%
Ranked 156th.
12%
Ranked 132nd. 40% more than Brazil

Independence 7 September 1822 (from Portugal) 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Executive branch > Election results Dilma ROUSSEFF (PT) elected president in a runoff election; percent of vote - Dilma ROUSSEFF 56.01%, Jose SERRA (PSDB) 43.99% Bashar al-ASAD approved as president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.6%, other 2.4%
Judicial branch > Subordinate courts Federal Appeals Court, Superior Court of Justice, Superior Electoral Court, regional federal courts; state court system courts of first instance; magistrates' courts; religious and military courts; Economic Security Court
Basis of executive legitimacy Presidency is independent of legislature Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Transnational Issues > Illicit drugs second-largest consumer of cocaine in the world; illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area a transit point for opiates, hashish, and cocaine bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls and bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money laundering
Country name > Local short form Brasil Suriyah
Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press 44
Ranked 104th.
89
Ranked 9th. 2 times more than Brazil
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament 8.6%
Ranked 133th.
12%
Ranked 100th. 40% more than Brazil

Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansour Street, No. 2, Damascus
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number 13
Ranked 11th. 86% more than Syria
7
Ranked 88th.

Democracy > Civil and political liberties 4
Ranked 60th.
0.0
Ranked 137th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ 155.61 billion$
Ranked 7th. 44 times more than Syria
3.54 billion$
Ranked 63th.

National holiday Independence Day, 7 September Independence Day, 17 April
Capital > Geographic coordinates 15 47 S, 47 55 W 33 30 N, 36 18 E
Democracy > First female parliamentarian 1933 (elected) 1973 (elected)
Time required to start a business > Days 152 days
Ranked 6th. 4 times more than Syria
43 days
Ranked 66th.

Leaders > President Dilma Rousseff Bashar al-Assad
Democracy > Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment 0.927
Ranked 149th.
0.954
Ranked 100th. 3% more than Brazil

Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office justices appointed by the president and approved by the Federal Senate; justices appointed to serve until mandatory retirement at age 70 Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC, a judicial management body headed by the minister of justice with 7 members including the national president; judge tenure NA; Supreme Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the SJC; judges appointed for 4-year renewable terms
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient 3.1
Ranked 129th. 7% more than Syria
2.9
Ranked 133th.

Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Status Index 2006 7.84
Ranked 20th. 2 times more than Syria
3.63
Ranked 99th.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days 30
Ranked 105th. 58% more than Syria
19
Ranked 135th.

International law organization participation has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Parliament > Seats held by men 469
Ranked 7th. 2 times more than Syria
220
Ranked 46th.

Country name > Local long form Republica Federativa do Brasil Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah
Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years 4
Ranked 24th.
4.1
Ranked 22nd. 2% more than Brazil

Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million 0.0654
Ranked 175th.
0.313
Ranked 132nd. 5 times more than Brazil

Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone [55] (61) 3312-7000 [963] (11) 3391-4444
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery None None
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission Ambassador Mauro Luiz Iecker VIEIRA (since 11 January 2010) Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Mounir KOUDMANI
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission Ambassador Liliana AYALDE (since 1 August 2013) Ambassador Robert S. FORD
Parliament > Seats held by women 44
Ranked 53th. 47% more than Syria
30
Ranked 77th.

Leaders > President > Summary Ms Rousseff made a major leap to the top job when she became president in 2010 Bashar al-Assad
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel None
None
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating 8
Ranked 42nd.
-9
Ranked 138th.
UN membership date 24 Oct. 1945 24 Oct. 1945
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number 15
Ranked 76th.
23
Ranked 19th. 53% more than Brazil

Capital city Brasilia Damascus
Capital > Name Brasilia Damascus
Legal origin <a href=/country/fr>French</a> <a href=/country/fr>French</a>
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per capita 834.77$ per capita
Ranked 43th. 4 times more than Syria
185.92$ per capita
Ranked 84th.

Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days 58
Ranked 147th.
71
Ranked 114th. 22% more than Brazil

Democracy and rights > Year women first voted at national level 1932 1949
Capital > Time difference UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
International relations Brazil wants a permanent seat at the UN Security Council; relations with Bolivia suffered in 2006 over access to Bolivian gas Syria has become a battleground for competing interests in the Middle East, in particular between the Gulf monarchies and pro-government Iran
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million 0.292
Ranked 183th.
3.17
Ranked 146th. 11 times more than Brazil

Democracy > Female ministers 0.0
Ranked 116th.
5.1%
Ranked 106th.
Leaders > Head of state > Term limit for head of state 4
Ranked 126th.
7
Ranked 6th. 75% more than Brazil
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days 731
Ranked 44th.
872
Ranked 31st. 19% more than Brazil

Democracy > Female parliamentarians 6.7%
Ranked 123th.
10.4%
Ranked 85th. 55% more than Brazil
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number 14
Ranked 1st. 4 times more than Syria
4
Ranked 154th.

Leaders > President > Profile <p>Dilma Rousseff is the first woman to be elected as Brazil&#039;s president. </p> <p>She was chief of staff to her predecessor, president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and also his favoured successor. </p> <p>In the October 2010 elections to succeed President Lula, she narrowly failed to win an outright majority in the first round. </p> <p>The result meant Ms Rousseff faced the second-placed candidate, Sao Paolo mayor Jose Serra of the main opposition Social Democracy party, in a run-off vote on 31 October. </p> <p>Ms Rousseff, 62, was little known to her compatriots until Mr Lula selected her as his favoured successor after a number of high-profile candidates were forced out by corruption scandals during his time in office. </p> <p>She joined the government in 2003 as energy minister. In 2005, Mr Lula made her his chief of staff, a post she held until March 2010, when she launched her campaign for the presidency as the Workers Party (PT) candidate. </p> <p>During the election campaign, Ms Rousseff made it clear that she represented continuity with the Lula government, under which millions of Brazilians saw their standard of living rise. </p> <p>She is known to favour a strong state role in strategic areas, including banking, the oil industry and energy.</p> <p>In 2013, she faced her biggest challenge so far, when people took to the streets in cities throughout the country to protest against corruption, inadequate public services and the expense of staging the 2014 football World Cup.</p> <p>Dilma Rousseff was born in 1947 and grew up in an upper middle class household in Belo Horizonte, in the coffee-growing state of Minas Gerais. </p> <p>Her father, Pedro Rousseff, was a Bulgarian immigrant. </p> <p>Her seemingly conventional background changed in the mid-1960s, when she was in her late teens. She became involved in left-wing politics and joined the underground resistance to the military dictatorship that seized power in 1964. </p> <p>She has said that she was never actively involved in armed operations, but in 1970 she was jailed for three years and reportedly tortured. </p> <p>After her release at the end of 1972 she studied economics and went on to become a career civil servant. </p> <p>Ms Rousseff is twice divorced and has one daughter.</p> <p>In 2009, she was treated for and recovered from lymphatic cancer. </p> <p>In power since succeeding his father 2000, Bashar al-Assad is fighting for control of his country after protests against his rule turned into a full-scale armed rebellion.</p> <p>He inherited a tightly controlled and repressive political structure from long-time dictator Hafez al-Assad, with an inner circle dominated by members of the Assad family&#039;s minority Alawite Shia community.</p> <p>But cracks began to appear in early 2011, in the wake of the &quot;Arab Spring&quot; wave of popular dissent that swept across North Africa and the Middle East. </p> <p>Following successful uprisings against authoritarian rulers in Egypt and Tunisia, pro-democracy demonstrations were held in Damascus and several other cities. </p> <p>President Assad responded with a mixture of concessions - dismissed as superficial and disingenuous by the opposition - along with a brutal crackdown, accusing his opponents of being &quot;terrorists&quot; funded by enemies abroad. But the attempts at repression - as well as attempts at international mediation - failed and the conflict turned into a fully-fledged internal war.</p> <p>Mr Assad&#039;s government continues to enjoy strong diplomatic support from Russia and traditional ally Iran, while some even accuse these powers of supplying it with arms. The president&#039;s troops have been bolstered by fighters from Lebanon&#039;s Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group.</p> <p>Rise to power</span> <p>Bashar al-Assad would probably have been working as an optician had his brother not died in a car accident in 1994.</p> <p>The death of Basil - groomed to succeed Hafez al-Assad - catapulted the younger brother into politics, and into the presidency after his father died in June 2000. </p> <p>During his six-year political apprenticeship, Bashar al-Assad completed his military training, met Arab and other leaders and got to know the movers and shakers in Syrian politics. </p> <p>On taking office he ushered in a brief period of openness and cautious reform. Political prisoners were released and restrictions on the media were eased. Political debate was tolerated and open calls for freedom of expression and political pluralism were made. </p> <p>But the pace of change alarmed the establishment - the army, the Baath party and the Alawite minority. Fearing instability and perceiving a threat to their influence, they acted not only to slow it down, but to revert to the old ways. </p> <p>A referendum in 2007 endorsed Bashar al-Assad as president for a second seven-year term. He was the only candidate.</p>
Role of head of state Executive Executive
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ per capita 835.95$
Ranked 42nd. 4 times more than Syria
194.88$
Ranked 83th.

Start-up procedures to register a business > Number 17
Ranked 4th. 42% more than Syria
12
Ranked 38th.

Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient per million 0.0156
Ranked 140th.
0.132
Ranked 105th. 8 times more than Brazil

Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong 3
Ranked 127th. 3 times more than Syria
1
Ranked 170th.

Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Management Index 2006 6.86
Ranked 13th. 2 times more than Syria
2.85
Ranked 103th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per $ GDP 0.195$ per $1 of GDP
Ranked 37th. 44% more than Syria
0.135$ per $1 of GDP
Ranked 83th.

Parliament > Seats held by women per million people 0.219
Ranked 176th.
1.34
Ranked 136th. 6 times more than Brazil

Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment February 7, 1976 February 26, 1970
Democracy > Female suffrage 1934 "1949 ,1953"
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days 400
Ranked 6th. 4 times more than Syria
104
Ranked 145th.

Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million 0.221
Ranked 183th.
2.46
Ranked 122nd. 11 times more than Brazil

Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million 0.599
Ranked 137th. 3% more than Syria
0.58
Ranked 138th.

Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million 0.154
Ranked 175th.
0.848
Ranked 145th. 6 times more than Brazil

Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million 2.16
Ranked 166th.
4.64
Ranked 149th. 2 times more than Brazil

Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million 0.0755
Ranked 178th.
1.03
Ranked 116th. 14 times more than Brazil

Capital > Daylight saving time +1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in February +1hr, begins midnight on the last Friday in March; ends at midnight on the first Friday in November
Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index>Political Transformation 7.9
Ranked 22nd. 3 times more than Syria
3
Ranked 106th.
Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador Vieira, Mauro Mauro Vieira Moustapha, Imad Imad Moustapha
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ > Per capita 648.77 constant 2000 US$ per c
Ranked 37th. 4 times more than Syria
158.01 constant 2000 US$ per c
Ranked 68th.

Time required to build a warehouse > Days 460 days
Ranked 7th. 3 times more than Syria
134 days
Ranked 127th.

Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population 102.8 million
Ranked 6th. 15 times more than Syria
6.96 million
Ranked 57th.
Democracy > Female candidacy 1,934
Ranked 111th.
1,953
Ranked 66th. 1% more than Brazil
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment December 23, 1992 December 5, 1994
National anthem > Name "Hino Nacional Brasileiro" (Brazilian National Anthem) "Humat ad-Diyar" (Guardians of the Homeland)
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita 0.09 per 1 million people
Ranked 159th.
0.615 per 1 million people
Ranked 107th. 7 times more than Brazil

Time required to enforce a contract > Days 616 days
Ranked 50th.
872 days
Ranked 21st. 42% more than Brazil

Procedures to register property > Number 14
Ranked 3rd. 4 times more than Syria
4
Ranked 136th.

Procedures to build a warehouse > Number 19
Ranked 51st.
20
Ranked 47th. 5% more than Brazil

Informal payments to public officials > % of firms 9.66%
Ranked 36th.
83.83%
Ranked 1st. 9 times more than Brazil
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population per 1000 565.62
Ranked 75th. 41% more than Syria
402.39
Ranked 141st.
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number 42
Ranked 43th.
47
Ranked 30th. 12% more than Brazil

General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current LCU 378745000000 187024700000
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members 4
Ranked 121st. The same as Syria
4
Ranked 145th.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of State of Palestine 1 December 2010 * 18 July 2011 *
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million 3.68
Ranked 179th.
38.93
Ranked 119th. 11 times more than Brazil

Procedures to build a warehouse > Number > Per capita 0.101 per 1 million people
Ranked 160th.
1.03 per 1 million people
Ranked 112th. 10 times more than Brazil

Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone [1] (202) 238-2805 [1] (202) 232-6313
Policy uncertainty > % of managers surveyed ranking this as a major business constraint 75.81%
Ranked 1st. 3 times more than Syria
26.43%
Ranked 14th.
Procedures to register property > Number per million 0.0744
Ranked 151st.
0.213
Ranked 126th. 3 times more than Brazil

Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million 0.101
Ranked 159th.
1.06
Ranked 111th. 11 times more than Brazil

Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million 0.0904
Ranked 157th.
0.638
Ranked 105th. 7 times more than Brazil

Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million 0.223
Ranked 161st.
2.5
Ranked 102nd. 11 times more than Brazil

Parliament > Seats held by men per million people 2.33
Ranked 178th.
9.8
Ranked 113th. 4 times more than Brazil

Foreign relations > Diplomatic relations with Palestine Yes Yes
Time to resolve insolvency > Years 4 years
Ranked 35th.
4.1 years
Ranked 32nd. 2% more than Brazil

Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > % 8.6%
Ranked 156th.
12%
Ranked 138th. 40% more than Brazil

Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours 2,600 hours
Ranked 1st. 8 times more than Syria
336 hours
Ranked 51st.

General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ 120.93 billion constant 2000 US$
Ranked 7th. 40 times more than Syria
3.01 billion constant 2000 US$
Ranked 52nd.

Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita 0.074 per 1 million people
Ranked 152nd.
0.205 per 1 million people
Ranked 127th. 3 times more than Brazil

Procedures to enforce a contract > Number > Per capita 0.223 per 1 million people
Ranked 162nd.
2.41 per 1 million people
Ranked 105th. 11 times more than Brazil

Management time dealing with officials > % of management time 7.19%
Ranked 13th.
10.31%
Ranked 7th. 43% more than Brazil
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX [55] (61) 3225-9136 [963] (11) 3391-3999
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX [1] (202) 238-2827 [1] (202) 265-4585
National anthem > Note music adopted 1890, lyrics adopted 1922; the anthem's music, composed in 1822, was used unofficially for many years before it was adopted adopted 1936, restored 1961; between 1958 and 1961, while Syria was a member of the United Arab Republic with Egypt, the country had a different anthem
Capital city > Time difference UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Annual % growth 1.56%
Ranked 77th. 3 times more than Syria
0.53%
Ranked 94th.

Time required to register property > Days 47 days
Ranked 87th. 38% more than Syria
34 days
Ranked 108th.

General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant LCU 167648900000 150752800000
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ per capita 649.69 constant 2000 US$
Ranked 37th. 4 times more than Syria
165.63 constant 2000 US$
Ranked 67th.

Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number 44
Ranked 32nd.
55
Ranked 1st. 25% more than Brazil

Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million 0.0705
Ranked 171st.
0.179
Ranked 143th. 3 times more than Brazil

Red tape > Management time dealing with officials > % of management time 18.7%
Ranked 6th. 53% more than Syria
12.2%
Ranked 15th.

SOURCES: CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013; Wikipedia: List of national legal systems (Civil law); World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/).; Wikipedia: List of countries by system of government (Alphabetical list of countries); All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; Wikipedia: Censorship by country (Censorship by country) ("Press Freedom Index 2013" , Reporters Without Borders, 30 January 2013); United Nations Statistics Division; "2012 Freedom of the Press Data" , Freedom House, 1 May 2012; World Development Indicators database; 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.; British Broadcasting Corporation 2014; Source: Millennium Development Goals Database | United Nations Statistics Division; World Economic Forum, Global Competiveness Report and data files.; Bertelsmann Transformation Index online, 2006; 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; CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005; Wikipedia: Women's suffrage (Summary); IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on women in government at the ministerial level. March. Geneva; Wikipedia: Term of office (Terms of office by country); calculated on the basis of data on parliamentary seats from IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2002. Parline Database. March 2002; 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.; 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.; 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; http://www.bertelsmann-transformation-index.de/fileadmin/pdf/BTI_2006_Ranking_GB.pdf; Wikipedia: List of ambassadors to the United States; Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Croatia; World Bank, Enterprise Surveys (http://www.enterprisesurveys.org/).; 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: International recognition of the State of Palestine (Diplomatic recognition); United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: International recognition of the State of Palestine (Diplomatic recognition) (Either with the Palestinian National Authority, the Palestine Liberation Organization, or the State of Palestine. The institution is specified where known.); Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (www.ipu.org); World Bank, Enterprise Surveys

Citation

Adblocker detected! Please consider reading this notice.

We've detected that you are using AdBlock Plus or some other adblocking software which is preventing the page from fully loading.

We don't have any banner, Flash, animation, obnoxious sound, or popup ad. We do not implement these annoying types of ads!

We need money to operate the site, and almost all of it comes from our online advertising.

Please add www.nationmaster.com to your ad blocking whitelist or disable your adblocking software.

×