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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
Leaders > Prime minister: Government > Leaders > Prime minister
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 > 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. "
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.
Democracy and rights > Democracy Index: DI 2012.
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient: Burden of customs procedure, WEF (1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient). Burden of Customs Procedure measures business executives' perceptions of their country's efficiency of customs procedures. The rating ranges from 1 to 7, with a higher score indicating greater efficiency. Data are from the World Economic Forum's Executive Opinion Survey, conducted for 30 years in collaboration with 150 partner institutes. The 2009 round included more than 13,000 respondents from 133 countries. Sampling follows a dual stratification based on company size and the sector of activity. Data are collected online or through in-person interviews. Responses are aggregated using sector-weighted averaging. The data for the latest year are combined with the data for the previous year to create a two-year moving average. Respondents evaluated the efficiency of customs procedures in their country. The lowest score (1) rates the customs procedure as extremely inefficient, and the highest score (7) as extremely efficient.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days: Time required to register property (days). Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.
Politics: Country politics.
International law organization participation: This entry includes information on a country's acceptance of jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and of the International Criminal Court (ICCt); 55 countries have accepted ICJ jurisdiction with reservations and 11 have accepted ICJ jurisdiction without reservations; 114 countries have accepted ICCt jurisdiction. Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups explains the differing mandates of the ICJ and ICCt.
Parliament > Seats held by men: Number of seats held by men in country's naitonal parliament or legislative houses.
Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years: Time to resolve insolvency (years). Time to resolve insolvency is the number of years from the filing for insolvency in court until the resolution of distressed assets.
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Diplomatic representation from the US > 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.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel: Date on which Israel was officially recognized as a state. Note that some countries had a “de facto” recognition in place long before the legal recognition.
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating: Democratic institutions
Units: Scale ranging from -10 (autocratic) to +10 (democratic)
UN membership date: Date of United Nations Membership
Democracy and rights > Democracy Index per million people: DI 2012. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
Total businesses registered > Number per 1000: Total businesses registered. Because of underreporting of firms that have closed or exited, especially in developing countries, the data on total registered firms may be biased upward. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number: Procedures to build a warehouse (number). Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.
Capital city: The location of the seat of government.
Capital > Name: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Legal origin: Legal origin identifies the origin of the Company Law or Commercial Code in each country
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
Spending > Expense > Current LCU: Expense is cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services. It includes compensation of employees (such as wages and salaries), interest and subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other expenses such as rent and dividends."
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days: Time required to get electricity (days). Time required to get electricity is the number of days to obtain a permanent electricity connection. The measure captures the median duration that the electricity utility and experts indicate is necessary in practice, rather than required by law, to complete a procedure.
Democracy > 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.
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.
Leaders > Prime minister > Profile: Government > Leaders > Prime minister > Profile
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.
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.
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 > Compensation of employees > Current LCU: Compensation of employees consists of all payments in cash, as well as in kind (such as food and housing), to employees in return for services rendered, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions that provide benefits to employees."
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > Current LCU: Subsidies, grants, and other social benefits include all unrequited, nonrepayable transfers on current account to private and public enterprises; grants to foreign governments, international organisations, and other government units; and social security, social assistance benefits, and employer social benefits in cash and in kind."
Foreign relations > Comprehensive National Power: Comprehensive National Power (CNP) is an index devised in the People's Republic of China, used to measure the general power of a nation-state. It takes into account both military factors (called hard power) and economic and cultural factors (called soft power). It's widely thought the main goal of contemporary China is to maximize the country's CNP, though by their own projections it's unlikely they will surpass nations like the USA, Russia, and the UK during this century.
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.
Leaders > Prime minister > Summary: Government > Leaders > Prime minister > Summary
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Syrian National Council: Date on which the Syrian National Council was recognized, at least as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people. For more information, please see http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Government/Foreign-relations/International-recognition-of-the-Syrian-National-Council-notes
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million: Procedures to enforce a contract (number). Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million: Time required to start a business (days). Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million: Time required to register property (days). Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million: Time required to build a warehouse (days). Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million: Procedures to build a warehouse (number). Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Capital > Daylight saving time: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Total businesses registered > Number > Per capita: Total businesses registered. Because of underreporting of firms that have closed or exited, especially in developing countries, the data on total registered firms may be biased upward. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
Spending > Interest payments > Current LCU: Interest payments include interest payments on government debt--including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments--to domestic and foreign residents."
Democracy and rights > Major left wing party: Left-wing major party.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador: Name of ambassador to the USA.
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.
Failed States Index: FSI 2013.
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 > 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.
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
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.
Democracy and rights > Electoral system: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of electoral system (First Past the Post electoral system; Single-Member District Plurality, also known as First Past the Post (FPTP): There is one seat per district, the candidate with the most votes wins it; Proportional Representation: There are multiple seats for each voting district, allocation is based on either party lists, multi-member proportional (MMP), single transferable vote (STV) or semi-PR; FrenchTtwo-RoundSsystem; Alternative Vote (AV)).
Procedures to register property > Number: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number: Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.
Democracy and rights > Party system: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of party system (two-party or multi-party).
Democracy and rights > Structure: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of structure (presidential or parliamentary).
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.
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.
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 > 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 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.
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.
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 > 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.
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.
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."
Democracy and rights > Next election: Next election.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
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."
Foreign relations > Date of establishment of relations with China: The date on which each country established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
Democracy and rights > Strongly federal?: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of federalism (strongly federal or not strongly federal).
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 > International recognition of the Syrian National Council notes:
Degree to which the Syrian National Council is recognized as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Kosovo: Date on which Kosovo was officially recognized as a state.
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament: Number of members of the legislature (sum of members of all chambers of parliament where applicable).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Spending > Other expense > Current LCU: Other expense is spending on dividends, rent, and other miscellaneous expenses, including provision for consumption of fixed capital."
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.
Legislature (parliament) > Strongly bicameral?: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of bicameralism, determing if there are two houses in the legislature, both with substantial powers. (Strongly bicameral or not strongly bicameral).
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.
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 and rights > Major right wing party: Right-wing major party.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
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.
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.
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.
Democracy and rights > Strong judicial review?: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of judicial review, which is the power to declare unconstitutional laws duly passed by parliament and/or signed by the president. (As distinct from the ability to strike down acts of subordinate governments, such as states or provinces. (Strong judicial review or no strong judicial review).
Democracy > 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.
Spending > Goods and services expense > % of expense: Goods and services include all government payments in exchange for goods and services used for the production of market and nonmarket goods and services. Own-account capital formation is excluded.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in constant 2000 U.S. dollars. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s) general: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, 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.
Spending > Interest payments > % of expense: Interest payments include interest payments on government debt--including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments--to domestic and foreign residents."
Spending > Other expense > % of expense: Other expense is spending on dividends, rent, and other miscellaneous expenses, including provision for consumption of fixed capital."
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."
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.
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.
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members: Members of the lower (or sole) house.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million: Time required to enforce a contract (days). Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
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.
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.

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STAT	Canada	France
Administrative divisions	10 provinces and 3 territories; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon	27 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy), Bourgogne (Burgundy), Bretagne (Brittany), Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse (Corsica), Franche-Comte, Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy), Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Martinique, Mayotte, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Reunion, Rhone-Alpes
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	45 25 N, 75 42 W	48 52 N, 2 20 E
Capital city > Name	Ottawa	Paris
Constitution	made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions; the written part of the constitution consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982, which transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments	4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address	P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430; P.O. Box 866, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5T1	PSC 116, APO AE 09777
Executive branch > Cabinet	Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament	Council of Ministers appointed by the president at the suggestion of the prime minister
Executive branch > Chief of state	Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Michaelle JEAN (since 27 September 2005)	President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012)
Executive branch > Head of government	Prime Minister Stephen Joseph HARPER (since 6 February 2006)	Prime Minister Jean-Marc AYRAULT (since 16 May 2012)
Government type	a parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a constitutional monarchy	republic
Judicial branch	Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister); Federal Court of Canada; Federal Court of Appeal; Tax Court of Canada; Provincial/Territorial Courts (these are named variously Court of Appeal, Court of Queen's Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Justice)	Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (judges are appointed by the president from nominations of the High Council of the Judiciary); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (three members appointed by the president, three appointed by the president of the National Assembly, and three appointed by the president of the Senate); Council of State or Conseil d'Etat
Legal system	common law system except in Quebec where civil law based on the French civil code prevails	civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat	bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat
Political parties and leaders	Bloc Quebecois [Daniel PAILLE]<br />Conservative Party of Canada [Stephen HARPER]<br />Green Party [Elizabeth MAY]<br />Liberal Party [Justin TRUDEAU]<br />New Democratic Party or NDP [Thomas MULCAIR]	Centrist and Republican Union or UCR [Francois ZOCCHETTO] (previously Centrist Union<br />Democratic Movement or MoDem [Francois BAYROU] (previously Union for French Democracy or UDF)<br />Europe Ecology - The Greens or EELV [Pascal DURAND]<br />French Communist Party or PCF [Pierre LAURENT]<br />Left Front Coalition or FDG [Jean-Luc MELENCHON]<br />Left Party or PG [Jean-Luc MELENCHON and Martine BILLARD]<br />Left Radical Party or PRG [Jean-Michel BAYLET] (previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG)<br />Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS]<br />National Front or FN [Marine LE PEN]<br />New Anticapitalist Party or NPA [collective leadership; main spokesperson Christine POUPIN]<br />New Center or NC [Herve MORIN]<br />Radical Party [Jean-Louis BORLOO]<br />Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]<br />Republican and Citizen Movement or MRC [Jean-Luc LAURENT]<br />Socialist Party or PS [Haerlem DESIR]<br />United Republic or RS [Dominique DE VILLEPIN]<br />Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Jean-Francois COPE]<br />Worker's Struggle (Lutte Ouvriere) or LO [collective leadership; spokespersons Nathalie ARTHAUD and Arlette LAQUILLER]
Political pressure groups and leaders	<strong>other: </strong>agricultural sector; automobile industry; business groups; chemical industry; commercial banks; communications sector; energy industry; environmentalists; public administration groups; steel industry; trade unions	Confederation francaise democratique du travail or CFDT, left-leaning labor union with approximately 803,000 members<br />Confederation francaise de l'encadrement - Confederation generale des cadres or CFE-CGC, independent white-collar union with 196,000 members<br />Confederation francaise des travailleurs chretiens of CFTC, independent labor union founded by Catholic workers that claims 132,000 members<br />Confederation generale du travail or CGT, historically communist labor union with approximately 700,000 members<br />Confederation generale du travail - Force ouvriere or FO, independent labor union with an estimated 300,000 members<br />Mouvement des entreprises de France or MEDEF, employers' union with 750,000 companies as members (claimed)<br /><br /><strong>French Guiana:</strong><br />conservationists<br />gold mining pressure groups<br />hunting pressure groups<br /><br /><strong>Guadeloupe:</strong><br />Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG<br />General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G<br />General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG<br />Movement for an Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI<br />The Socialist Renewal Movement<br /><br /><strong>Martinique:</strong><br />Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC<br />Central Union for Martinique Workers or CSTM<br />Frantz Fanon Circle<br />League of Workers and Peasants<br />Proletarian Action Group or GAP<br /><br /><strong>Reunion:</strong><br />NA
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
International organization participation	ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-20, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC	ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, FZ, G-20, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Country name > Conventional long form	none	French Republic
Executive branch > Elections	the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons generally designated prime minister by the governor general	president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 April and 6 May 2012 (next to be held in the spring of 2017); prime minister appointed by the president
Leaders > Prime minister	Stephen Harper	Jean-Marc Ayrault
National symbol(s)	maple leaf	Gallic rooster and Marianne
Flag description	two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width) with white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square; the maple leaf has long been a Canadian symbol; the official colors of Canada are red and white	three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the "Le drapeau tricolore" (French Tricolor), the origin of the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution when the "ancient French color" of white was combined with the blue and red colors of the Parisian militia; the official flag for all French dependent areas
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days	5 Ranked 174th.	6.5 Ranked 155th. 30% more than Canada
Country name > Conventional short form	Canada	France
Constitutional form	Constitutional monarchy	Republic
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International	managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Gulf of Maine including the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; Canada and the United States dispute how to divide the Beaufort Sea and the status of the Northwest Passage but continue to work cooperatively to survey the Arctic continental shelf; US works closely with Canada to intensify security measures for monitoring and controlling legal and illegal movement of people, transport, and commodities across the international border; sovereignty dispute with Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland; commencing the collection of technical evidence for submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in support of claims for continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from its declared baselines in the Arctic, as stipulated in Article 76, paragraph 8, of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea	Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute between Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana; France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia
Total businesses registered > Number	997,500 Ranked 18th.	2.5 million Ranked 10th. 3 times more than Canada
National anthem	<strong>name: </strong>"O Canada"<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Adolphe-Basile ROUTHIER [French], Robert Stanley WEIR [English]/Calixa LAVALLEE	<strong>name: </strong>"La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle
FAX	1	33
Legislative branch > Election results	House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative Party 39.6%, NDP 30.6%, Liberal Party 18.9%, Bloc Quebecois 6%, Greens 3.9%; seats by party - Conservative Party 166, NDP 103, Liberal Party 34, Bloc Quebecois 4, Greens 1	Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PS/Greens 140, UMP 132, UDF 31, PCF/MRC 21, PRG 17, other 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - PS 48.5%, UMP 33.6%, miscellaneous left wing parties 3.8%, Greens 3.0%, miscellaneous right wing parties 2.6%, NC 2.1%, PRG 2.1%, FDG 1.7%, other 2.6%; seats by party - PS 280, UMP 194, miscellaneous left wing parties 22, Greens 17, miscellaneous right wing parties 15, NC 12, PRG 12, FDG 10, other 15
Legislative branch > Elections	House of Commons - last held on 2 May 2011 (next to be held no later than 19 October 2015)	Senate - last held on 25 September 2011 (next to be held in September 2014); National Assembly - last held on 10 and 17 June 2012 (next to be held in June 2017)
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index	12.69 Ranked 20th.	21.6 Ranked 10th. 70% more than Canada
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage	24.68% Ranked 49th.	26.86% Ranked 40th. 9% more than Canada
Independence	1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK per Statute of Westminster)	no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French Republic founded); 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established)
Judicial branch > Subordinate courts	federal level: Federal Court of Appeal; Federal Court; Tax Court; federal administrative tribunals; courts martial; provincial/territorial: provincial superior, appeals, first instance, and specialized courts; in 1999, the Nunavut Court - a circuit court with the power of a superior court and the territorial courts - was established to serve isolated settlements	appellate courts or Cour d'Appel; regional courts or Tribunal de Grande Instance; first instance courts or Tribunal' d'instance
Basis of executive legitimacy	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Transnational Issues > Illicit drugs	illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market and export to US; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; increasing ecstasy production, some of which is destined for the US; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services sector	<strong>metropolitan France: </strong>transshipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics<br /><strong>French Guiana:</strong> small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe<br /><strong>Martinique:</strong> transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe
Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press	19 Ranked 170th.	24 Ranked 152nd. 26% more than Canada
Corruption > Bribe Payers Index	8.8 Ranked 1st. 9% more than France	8.1 Ranked 10th.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament	20.8% Ranked 50th. 70% more than France	12.2% Ranked 99th.
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy	490	2
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number	1 Ranked 188th.	5 Ranked 147th. 5 times more than Canada
Democracy > Civil and political liberties	6 Ranked 15th. 9% more than France	5.5 Ranked 34th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$	190.45 billion$ Ranked 8th.	504.41 billion$ Ranked 2nd. 3 times more than Canada
National holiday	Canada Day, 1 July	Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790)(on 14 July 1789) and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are Fete Nationale (National Holiday) and quatorze juillet (14th of July)
Capital > Geographic coordinates	45 25 N, 75 42 W	48 52 N, 2 20 E
Democracy > First female parliamentarian	1921 (elected)	1945 (elected)
Time required to start a business > Days	3 days Ranked 169th.	8 days Ranked 162nd. 3 times more than Canada
Democracy > Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment	0.996 Ranked 41st. 1% more than France	0.988 Ranked 58th.
Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office	chief justice and judges appointed by the prime minister in council; all judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 75	Court of Cassation judges appointed by the president of the republic from nominations from the High Council of the Judiciary, presided by the Court of Cassation and 15 appointed members; judge term of appointment NA; Constitutional Council members appointed - 3 by the president of the republic and 3 each by the National Assembly and Senate presidents; members serve 9-year, non-renewable terms with one third of the membership renewed every 3 years
Democracy and rights > Democracy Index	9.08 Ranked 8th. 15% more than France	7.88 Ranked 23th.
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient	4.8 Ranked 35th. 4% more than France	4.6 Ranked 41st.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days	16.5 Ranked 142nd.	49 Ranked 67th. 3 times more than Canada
Politics	Canada gradually emerged as a federation of former British colonies, and the provinces retain extensive powers. It follows the British pattern of parliamentary democracy, and the UK monarch is head of state, represented by a largely ceremonial governor-general. French-speaking Quebec has wide-ranging cultural and linguistic autonomy.	Francois Hollande is France's first Socialist president since Francois Mitterrand in 1981-95
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	232 Ranked 41st.	422 Ranked 11th. 82% more than Canada
Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years	0.8 Ranked 168th.	1.9 Ranked 126th. 2 times more than Canada
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million	0.0287 Ranked 184th.	0.0761 Ranked 174th. 3 times more than Canada
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone	[1] (613) 688-5335	[33] (1) 43-12-22-22
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery	None	None
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador Gary DOER (since 23 October 2009)	Ambassador Francois M. DELATTRE (since 18 February 2011)
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Richard M. Sanders (since 25 July 2013)	Ambassador Charles H. RIVKIN (since 3 August 2009) note - also accredited to Monaco
Parliament > Seats held by women	76 Ranked 29th.	155 Ranked 8th. 2 times more than Canada
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel	None	None
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating	10 Ranked 30th. 11% more than France	9 Ranked 41st.
UN membership date	9 Nov. 1945	24 Oct. 1945
Democracy and rights > Democracy Index per million people	0.26 Ranked 23th. 2 times more than France	0.12 Ranked 29th.
Total businesses registered > Number per 1000	32.09 Ranked 37th.	40.13 Ranked 29th. 25% more than Canada
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number	13 Ranked 114th. 44% more than France	9 Ranked 170th.
Capital city	Ottawa	Paris
Capital > Name	Ottawa	Paris
Legal origin	<a href=/encyclopedia/England>English</a>	<a href=/country/fr>French</a>
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per capita	5,953.57$ per capita Ranked 17th.	8,286.27$ per capita Ranked 8th. 39% more than Canada
Spending > Expense > Current LCU	283.79 billion Ranked 42nd.	870.97 billion Ranked 20th. 3 times more than Canada
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days	142 Ranked 39th. 80% more than France	79 Ranked 107th.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Registered voter turnout	61.2% Ranked 110th. 1% more than France	60.3% Ranked 115th.
Legislature (parliament) > People per member	81,845 Ranked 41st. 13% more than France	72,465 Ranked 46th.
Democracy and rights > Year women first voted at national level	1916	1944
Capital > Time difference	UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)	UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
International relations	Canada often cooperates closely with the US, but does go its own way sometimes. Strong historical ties to the UK remain, while Quebec looks towards France. Canada often plays a major role in UN peacekeeping missions.	France is a key European and world player. It has a strong military. France is influential in Africa, especially in former colonies
Leaders > Prime minister > Profile	<p>The Conservative Party of Prime Minister Stephen Harper won a third consecutive term in office in snap elections held in May 2011. </p> <p>The party gained support, transforming its minorty in parliament into a majority. </p> <p>Mr Harper's government had been toppled by the opposition in March 2011. A motion, brought by the main opposition Liberal Party and backed by two other opposition parties, declared the government was in contempt of parliament and had lost its confidence in a row centered on Mr Harper's budget plans. </p> <p>The opposition said Mr Harper's government was in contempt of parliament for failing to provide the estimated costs for a number of spending programmes. </p> <p>It was the first time that a Canadian government had been found in contempt of parliament. </p> <p>Mr Harper became prime minister in 2006, after elections that brought to an end 12 years of Liberal government. </p> <p>However, the Conservatives failed to win an overall majority and had to work with opposition parties in order to govern. </p> <p>Economic crisis </span> <p>Two years into his first term, Mr Harper called an early election in an attempt to win a working majority. His party improved its position in the October 2008 election, winning 16 more seats than in the 2006 election, but still fell short of an overall majority. </p> <p>Two months later, Mr Harper came close to being toppled by an alliance of the opposition Liberal and New Democrat parties over his handling of the economic crisis, but avoided a no-confidence vote by suspending parliament for a month. </p> <p>He prorogued parliament for a second time in January 2010, this time for two months. He described the suspension as "routine", but it drew an angry response from opposition leaders. </p> <p>They said the move was aimed at avoiding a potentially embarrassing debate on the government's role in the torture of Afghan terror detainees. </p> <p>Born in Toronto, Ontario in 1959, Stephen Harper studied economics at the University of Calgary in Alberta. He became an MP in 1993 and became leader of the newly-merged Conservative party in 2004. </p> <p>He is married and has two children. Aside from politics and intellectual pursuits, he is passionate about ice hockey. </p>	<p>Jean-Marc Ayrault, a long-standing ally of President Hollande, is a veteran leader of the Socialists' parliamentary bloc and mayor of Nantes. The premiership is his first senior government post. </p> <p>He has a reputation as a calm consensus-builder. Mr Ayrault is a German-speaker, seen as an asset for the president in handling France's relationship with Germany. </p>
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million	4.07 Ranked 137th. 3 times more than France	1.2 Ranked 171st.
Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members	308 Ranked 35th.	577 Ranked 9th. 87% more than Canada
Legislature (parliament) > Upper house members	105 Ranked 20th.	321 Ranked 2nd. 3 times more than Canada
Democracy > Female ministers	6.1% Ranked 98th. 15% more than France	5.3% Ranked 104th.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days	570 Ranked 89th. 44% more than France	395 Ranked 157th.
Democracy > Female parliamentarians	23.6% Ranked 22nd. 2 times more than France	10.9% Ranked 79th.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number	6 Ranked 101st.	8 Ranked 39th. 33% more than Canada
Role of head of state	Ceremonial	Executive
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ per capita	5,952.46$ Ranked 17th.	7,984.17$ Ranked 9th. 34% more than Canada
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number	2 Ranked 170th.	7 Ranked 134th. 4 times more than Canada
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient per million	0.138 Ranked 105th. 97% more than France	0.07 Ranked 120th.
Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong	6 Ranked 85th.	7 Ranked 63th. 17% more than Canada
Spending > Compensation of employees > Current LCU	34.19 billion Ranked 45th.	183.84 billion Ranked 20th. 5 times more than Canada
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > Current LCU	190.41 billion Ranked 34th.	465.29 billion Ranked 20th. 2 times more than Canada
Foreign relations > Comprehensive National Power	57.09 Ranked 8th.	62 Ranked 4th. 9% more than Canada
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per $ GDP	0.195$ per $1 of GDP Ranked 47th.	0.237$ per $1 of GDP Ranked 18th. 22% more than Canada
Parliament > Seats held by women per million people	2.2 Ranked 120th.	2.35 Ranked 114th. 7% more than Canada
Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment	January 18, 1965	April 20, 1949
Democracy > Female suffrage	"1917, 1950"	1944
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days	249 Ranked 26th. 35% more than France	184 Ranked 58th.
Leaders > Prime minister > Summary	Prime Minister Stephen Harper leads Canada's Conservative government	Jean-Marc Ayrault was elected as prime minister in May 2012
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Syrian National Council	Rejection of Assad government Informal relations	Recognised on 21 November 2011 (as legitimate interlocutor) , on 13 November 2012 (as sole legitimate representative)
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million	1.03 Ranked 152nd. 2 times more than France	0.441 Ranked 172nd.
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million	0.143 Ranked 173th. 45% more than France	0.0989 Ranked 181st.
Constitution codification > Date	1867	1958
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million	0.473 Ranked 154th.	0.898 Ranked 144th. 90% more than Canada
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million	7.14 Ranked 139th. 3 times more than France	2.8 Ranked 161st.
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million	0.373 Ranked 153th. 3 times more than France	0.137 Ranked 170th.
Capital > Daylight saving time	+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November	+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Total businesses registered > Number > Per capita	32.09 per 1,000 people Ranked 38th.	41.53 per 1,000 people Ranked 30th. 29% more than Canada
Spending > Interest payments > Current LCU	28.96 billion Ranked 30th.	49.58 billion Ranked 24th. 71% more than Canada
Democracy and rights > Major left wing party	New Democratic Party of Canada	Socialist Party
Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador	Doer, Gary Gary Doer	Delattre, François François Delattre
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ > Per capita	4,726.59 constant 2000 US$ per c Ranked 14th.	5,427.38 constant 2000 US$ per c Ranked 7th. 15% more than Canada
Time required to build a warehouse > Days	77 days Ranked 158th.	155 days Ranked 106th. 2 times more than Canada
Failed States Index	26 Ranked 23th.	32.6 Ranked 16th. 25% more than Canada
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population	23.79 million Ranked 27th.	44.52 million Ranked 14th. 87% more than Canada
Democracy > Female candidacy	1,920 Ranked 137th.	1,944 Ranked 105th. 1% more than Canada
Trademarks > Nonresidents per 1000	0.693 Ranked 10th. 15 times more than France	0.0472 Ranked 45th.
Trademarks > Nonresidents > Per capita	0.693 per 1,000 people Ranked 10th. 14 times more than France	0.049 per 1,000 people Ranked 47th.
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment	April 14, 1993	April 24, 1992
National anthem > Name	"O Canada"	"La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille)
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voter registration	21.24 million Ranked 25th.	36.78 million Ranked 16th. 73% more than Canada
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Total vote	13 million Ranked 25th.	22.19 million Ranked 18th. 71% more than Canada
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita	0.061 per 1 million people Ranked 164th.	0.115 per 1 million people Ranked 152nd. 89% more than Canada
Time required to enforce a contract > Days	346 days Ranked 124th. 5% more than France	331 days Ranked 130th.
Democracy and rights > Electoral system	FPTP	2 round
Procedures to register property > Number	6 Ranked 98th.	9 Ranked 20th. 50% more than Canada
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number	15 Ranked 113th. 50% more than France	10 Ranked 159th.
Democracy and rights > Party system	Multi	Multi
Democracy and rights > Structure	Parliamentary	Parliamentary
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million	0.522 Ranked 147th. 58% more than France	0.33 Ranked 156th.
Trademarks > Nonresidents	22,169 Ranked 3rd. 8 times more than France	2,935 Ranked 18th.
Time required to register property > Days	10 days Ranked 148th.	183 days Ranked 23th. 18 times more than Canada
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Annual % growth	2.7% Ranked 67th. 3 times more than France	1.07% Ranked 88th.
Time to resolve insolvency > Years	0.8 years Ranked 148th.	1.9 years Ranked 117th. 2 times more than Canada
Diplomatic representation from the US > Consulate(s) general	Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg	Marseille, Strasbourg
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million	0.172 Ranked 145th. 41% more than France	0.122 Ranked 156th.
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number	36 Ranked 126th. 24% more than France	29 Ranked 174th.
National anthem > Note	adopted 1980; originally written in 1880, "O Canada" served as an unofficial anthem many years before its official adoption; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ; as a Commonwealth realm, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)	adopted 1795, restored 1870; originally known as "Chant de Guerre pour l'Armee du Rhin" (War Song for the Army of the Rhine), the National Guard of Marseille made the song famous by singing it while marching into Paris in 1792 during the French Revolutionary Wars
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > %	24.7% Ranked 55th.	26.9% Ranked 45th. 9% more than Canada
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > % of expense	67.1% Ranked 16th. 26% more than France	53.42% Ranked 34th.
Democracy and rights > Next election	October 2015	April 2017
Spending > Interest payments > % of revenue	9.96% Ranked 19th. 64% more than France	6.09% Ranked 38th.
Foreign relations > Date of establishment of relations with China	October 13, 1970	January 27, 1964
FAX > Consulate(s) general	Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg	Strasbourg
Democracy and rights > Strongly federal?	Yes	No
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million	0.0614 Ranked 163th.	0.11 Ranked 153th. 79% more than Canada
Foreign relations > International recognition of the Syrian National Council notes	Foreign Minister John Baird , in a 16 December speech in the House of Commons stated, ""Assad will fall. The government will fall. It's only a matter of time". Later that day, Baird met with a Syrian National Council delegation led by Council President Burhan Ghalioun . The council expressed its gratitude for Canada's assistance to the SNC, including international lobbying for new UN Security Council resolutions and its rejection of the Assad government. Discussions were held on Canada's participation in humanitarian assistance during a transitional period and in the rebuilding of a post-Assad Syria.	"The Syrian National Council is the legitimate interlocutor with which we will continue to work," French foreign minister Alain Juppe stated on November 21, 2011.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Kosovo	None	None
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament	413 Ranked 33th.	898 Ranked 4th. 2 times more than Canada
Trademarks > Residents	17,719 Ranked 11th.	57,784 Ranked 6th. 3 times more than Canada
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number > Per capita	0.461 per 1 million people Ranked 137th. 3 times more than France	0.164 per 1 million people Ranked 154th.
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX	[1] (613) 688-3082	[33] (1) 42 66 97 83
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX	[1] (202) 682-7726	[1] (202) 944-6166
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant LCU	224545500000	358595200000
Trademarks > Residents > Per capita	0.554 per 1,000 people Ranked 23th.	0.961 per 1,000 people Ranked 12th. 73% more than Canada
Spending > Other expense > Current LCU	9.17 billion Ranked 44th.	16.91 billion Ranked 34th. 84% more than Canada
Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita	0.184 per 1 million people Ranked 130th. 25% more than France	0.147 per 1 million people Ranked 137th.
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number > Per capita	0.522 per 1 million people Ranked 149th. 52% more than France	0.344 per 1 million people Ranked 158th.
Legislature (parliament) > Strongly bicameral?	No	No
Spending > Goods and services expense > Current LCU	25.26 billion Ranked 42nd.	53.84 billion Ranked 34th. 2 times more than Canada
Spending > Expense > % of GDP	17.74% Ranked 70th.	44.7% Ranked 5th. 3 times more than Canada
Capital city > Note	Canada is divided into six time zones	applies to metropolitan France only, not to its overseas departments, collectivities, or territories
Democracy and rights > Major right wing party	Conservative Party of Canada	Union for a Popular Movement
Foreign relations > Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia	Minister of Foreign Affairs , David Emerson , issued the statement on the situation in Georgia saying that "Canada is gravely concerned about Russia\u2019s recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. This recognition violates Georgia\u2019s territorial integrity and sovereignty and is contrary to UN Security Council resolutions supported by Russia, as well as to the six-point peace plan brokered by President Nicolas Sarkozy on behalf of the EU".	The French Foreign Ministry spokesman said, "We consider this is a regrettable decision and I recall our attachment to the territorial integrity of Georgia". French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that "in a certain way, yes, ethnic cleansing is taking place" in villages previously controlled by the Georgian side. "We cannot accept these violations of international law, of accords for security and cooperation in Europe, of United Nations resolutions, and the taking ... of a territory by the army of a neighbouring country."
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number	17 Ranked 165th.	21 Ranked 153th. 24% more than Canada
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population per 1000	750.92 Ranked 34th. 5% more than France	715.3 Ranked 43th.
Democracy and rights > Strong judicial review?	Yes	No
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Invalid votes	1.1% Ranked 87th.	4.4% Ranked 28th. 4 times more than Canada
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone	[1] (202) 682-1740	[1] (202) 944-6000
Capital city > Time difference	UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)	UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Spending > Goods and services expense > % of expense	8.9% Ranked 70th. 44% more than France	6.18% Ranked 79th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ per capita	4,725.7 constant 2000 US$ Ranked 14th.	5,229.51 constant 2000 US$ Ranked 10th. 11% more than Canada
Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s) general	Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson	Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC
Democracy and rights > Last election	May 2011	April 2012
Parliament > Seats held by men per million people	6.71 Ranked 138th. 5% more than France	6.4 Ranked 144th.
Spending > Interest payments > % of expense	10.21% Ranked 20th. 79% more than France	5.69% Ranked 40th.
Spending > Other expense > % of expense	3.23% Ranked 68th. 66% more than France	1.94% Ranked 75th.
Spending > Compensation of employees > % of expense	12.05% Ranked 76th.	21.11% Ranked 46th. 75% more than Canada
Trademarks > Residents per million	553.81 Ranked 22nd.	928.37 Ranked 12th. 68% more than Canada
Procedures to register property > Number per million	0.184 Ranked 129th. 30% more than France	0.141 Ranked 138th.
Ruling party	Conservative	Socialist
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million	0.46 Ranked 138th. 3 times more than France	0.157 Ranked 152nd.
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members	5 Ranked 104th. The same as France	5 Ranked 92nd.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million	16.34 Ranked 152nd. 3 times more than France	5.94 Ranked 172nd.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current LCU	247774000000	405596000000
Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours	119 hours Ranked 140th.	128 hours Ranked 134th. 8% more than Canada
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$	151.2 billion constant 2000 US$ Ranked 8th.	330.38 billion constant 2000 US$ Ranked 2nd. 2 times more than Canada

SOURCES: CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013; British Broadcasting Corporation 2014; 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; Wikipedia: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Indicators) ("Democracy Index 2012" (PDF). The Economist. March 2013 . Retrieved 2013-03-21 .); World Economic Forum, Global Competiveness Report and data files.; 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; Wikipedia: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Indicators) ("Democracy Index 2012" (PDF). The Economist. March 2013 . Retrieved 2013-03-21 .). 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 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; Wikipedia: Women's suffrage (Summary); IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on women in government at the ministerial level. March. Geneva; 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: Comprehensive National Power; 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: International recognition of the Syrian National Council (UN member states); Wikipedia: List of national constitutions; Wikipedia: Major party (List of major parties); Wikipedia: List of ambassadors to the United States; Wikipedia: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Indicators) ("The Failed States Index 2013" . The Fund for Peace . July 2013 . Retrieved 2013-07-20 .); Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Croatia; How Democratic is the American Constitution? Robert A. Dahl.2001. ISBN 0-300-09218-0. Table 1.; Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (www.ipu.org); Wikipedia: List of next general elections (Africa); http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dates_of_establishment_of_diplomatic_relations_with_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China; Wikipedia: International recognition of Kosovo (United Nations member states); International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_recognition_of_Abkhazia_and_South_Ossetia#States_that_do_not_recognise_Abkhazia_or_South_Ossetia_as_independent; 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.; 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: Term of office (Terms of office by country)

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