×

Government Stats: compare key data on Iraq & Malaysia

Definitions

  • Administrative divisions: This entry generally gives the numbers, designatory terms, and first-order administrative divisions as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet acted on by BGN are noted.
  • Capital city > Geographic coordinates: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • Capital city > Name: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • Constitution: The dates of adoption, revisions, and major amendments to a nation's constitution
  • Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Executive branch > Cabinet: Cabinet includes the official name for any body of high-ranking advisers roughly comparable to a U.S. Cabinet. Also notes the method for selection of members.
  • Executive branch > Chief of state: The name and title of any person or role roughly equivalent to a U.S. Chief of State. This means the titular leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions but may not be involved with the day-to-day activities of the government
  • Executive branch > Head of government: Head of government includes the name and title of the top administrative leader who is designated to manage the day-to-day activities of the government. For example, in the UK, the monarch is the chief of state, and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US, the president is both the chief of state and the head of government.
  • Government type: A description of the basic form of government (e.g., republic, constitutional monarchy, federal republic, parliamentary democracy, military dictatorship).
  • Judicial branch: The name(s) of the highest court(s) and a brief description of the selection process for members.
  • Legal system: A brief description of the legal system's historical roots, role in government, and acceptance of International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction.
  • Legislative branch: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
  • Political parties and leaders: Significant political organizations and their leaders.
  • Political pressure groups and leaders: Organizations with leaders involved in politics, but not standing for legislative election.
  • Suffrage: The age at enfranchisement and whether the right to vote is universal or restricted
  • International organization participation: This entry lists in alphabetical order by abbreviation those international organizations in which the subject country is a member or participates in some other way.
  • Country name > Conventional long form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
  • Executive branch > Elections: Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election
  • 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.
  • National anthem: A generally patriotic musical composition - usually in the form of a song or hymn of praise - that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or its people. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. Although most anthems contain lyrics, some do not.
  • Legislative branch > Election results: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
  • Legislative branch > Elections: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
  • Democracy and rights > Press freedom index: Compares countries by their degree of government censorship, according to the Press freedom index. This index, created by the non-governmental organization Reporters without borders (RWS), is ellaborated using data from an extensive annual survey sent to professional reporters throughout the world. The survey contains questions about the type and ownership of media present in the country, freedom of speech, violence exerted against reporters, election campaigns, access of political parties to the media, etc.
  • Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage: Percentage of seats held by women in country's national parliament or legislative houses.
  • Independence: For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the other countries, the date given may not represent "independence" in the strict sense, but rather some significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, fundamental change in the form of government, or state succession. Dependent areas include the notation "none" followed by the nature of their dependency status. "
  • Executive branch > Election results: Election results includes the percent of vote for each candidate in the last election (if any)
  • Judicial branch > Subordinate courts: This entry is derived from Government > Judicial branch, which includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing judges, and a brief description of the process. The selection process can be indicative of the independence of a country's court system from other branches of its government. Also included in this subfield are judges' tenures, which can range from a few years, to a specified retirement age, to lifelong appointments. The subordinate courts subfield lists the courts lower in the hierarchy of a country's court system. A few countries with federal-style governments, such as Brazil, Canada, and the US, in addition to their federal court, have separate state- or province-level court systems, though generally the two systems interact.
  • Basis of executive legitimacy: Basis of executive legitimacy.

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

  • Country name > Local short form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
  • Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press: Compares countries by freedom of the press. The lower the score, the more free the press of that country is. The scores are taken from the Freedom of the Press Index, elaborated by Freedom House, self-defined as "an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world". The data used in the index come from an annual survey of media independence in 197 countries and territories, assessing the degree of print, broadcast, and internet freedom in each of them.
  • Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament: Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber occupied by women.
  • Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.
  • Democracy > Civil and political liberties: Civil and political liberties
    Units: Index Ranging from 7 (High Levels of Liberties) to 1 (Low
    Units: This is the average of two indicators - civil liberties and political liberties.
  • National holiday: The primary national day of celebration - often independence day.
  • Capital > Geographic coordinates: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • Transnational Issues > Trafficking in persons > Current situation: This entry is derived from Government > Transnational Issues > Trafficking in persons, which trafficking in persons is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded, or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. The International Labor Organization (ILO), the UN agency charged with addressing labor standards, employment, and social protection issues, estimates that 12.3 million people worldwide are enslaved in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, sexual servitude, and involuntary servitude at any given time. Human trafficking is a multi-dimensional threat, depriving people of their human rights and freedoms, risking global health, promoting social breakdown, inhibiting development by depriving countries of their human capital, and helping fuel the growth of organized crime. In 2000, the US Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), reauthorized in 2003 and 2005, which provides tools for the US to combat trafficking in persons, both domestically and abroad. One of the law's key components is the creation of the US Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which assesses the government response (i.e., the current situation) in some 150 countries with a significant number of victims trafficked across their borders who are recruited, harbored, transported, provided, or obtained for forced labor or sexual exploitation.Countries in the annual report are rated in three tiers, based on government efforts to combat trafficking. The countries identified in this entry are those listed in the 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report as Tier 2 Watch List or Tier 3 based on the following tier rating definitions:
    Tier 2 Watch List countries do not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but are making significant efforts to do so, and meet one of the following criteria:
    1. they display high or significantly increasing number of victims,
    2. they have failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons, or,
    3. they have committed to take action over the next year.

    Tier 3 countries neither satisfy the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking nor demonstrate a significant effort to do so. Countries in this tier are subject to potential non-humanitarian and non-trade sanctions.
  • Time required to start a business > Days: Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
  • Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office: This entry is derived from Government > Judicial branch, which includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing judges, and a brief description of the process. The selection process can be indicative of the independence of a country's court system from other branches of its government. Also included in this subfield are judges' tenures, which can range from a few years, to a specified retirement age, to lifelong appointments. The subordinate courts subfield lists the courts lower in the hierarchy of a country's court system. A few countries with federal-style governments, such as Brazil, Canada, and the US, in addition to their federal court, have separate state- or province-level court systems, though generally the two systems interact.
  • Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Status Index 2006: The Status Index’s overall result represents the mean value of the scores for the dimensions “Political Transformationâ€? and “Economic Transformationâ€?. The mean value was calculated using the exact, unrounded values for both these dimensions, which, in turn, were derived from the ratings for the five political criteria (based on 18 indicators) and the seven economic criteria (based on 14 indicators). The table shows rounded scores for political and economic transformation as well as for the Status Index’s overall result. In some cases, therefore, the overall result differs slightly from the mean value.
  • Red tape > Time required to register property > Days: Time required to register property (days). Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.
  • International law organization participation: This entry includes information on a country's acceptance of jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and of the International Criminal Court (ICCt); 55 countries have accepted ICJ jurisdiction with reservations and 11 have accepted ICJ jurisdiction without reservations; 114 countries have accepted ICCt jurisdiction. Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups explains the differing mandates of the ICJ and ICCt.
  • Parliament > Seats held by men: Number of seats held by men in country's naitonal parliament or legislative houses.
  • Country name > Local long form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
  • Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Diplomatic representation in the US > 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 > 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 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
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Leaders > Head of state > Term limit for head of state: Head(s) of state.

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

  • Foreign relations > Recognition of Israel notes: Notes and remarks about the date on which Israel was officially recognized as a state.
  • Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days: Time required to enforce a contract (days). Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment.
  • Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number: Procedures to register property (number). Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.
  • Role of head of state: Head of state.

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

  • Start-up procedures to register a business > Number: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.
  • Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong: Strength of legal rights index measures the degree to which collateral and bankruptcy laws protect the rights of borrowers and lenders and thus facilitate lending. The index ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating that these laws are better designed to expand access to credit."
  • Parliament > Seats held by women per million people: Number of seats held by women in country's parliament or legislative houses. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
  • Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days: Time required to build a warehouse (days). Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
  • Leaders > Prime minister > Summary: Government > Leaders > Prime minister > Summary
  • 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 > 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 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.
  • Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index>Political Transformation: Political Transformation The score for â€?Political Transformation“ is obtained by calculating the mean value of the ratings for the following criteria: · Stateness · Political Participation · Rule of Law · Stability of Democratic Institutions · Political and Social Integration
  • Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador: Name of ambassador to the USA.
  • Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons > Stateless persons per thousand people: This entry is derived from Government > Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons, which includes those persons residing in a country as refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs). Each country's refugee entry includes only countries of origin that are the source of refugee populations of 5,000 or more. The definition of a refugee according to a United Nations Convention is "a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution." The UN established the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 to handle refugee matters worldwide. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has a different operational definition for a Palestinian refugee: "a person whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." However, UNHCR also assists some 400,000 Palestinian refugees not covered under the UNRWA definition. The term "internally displaced person" is not specifically covered in the UN Convention; it is used to describe people who have fled their homes for reasons similar to refugees, but who remain within their own national territory and are subject to the laws of that state. Figures expressed per thousand people for the same year.
  • Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons > Stateless persons: This entry is derived from Government > Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons, which includes those persons residing in a country as refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs). Each country's refugee entry includes only countries of origin that are the source of refugee populations of 5,000 or more. The definition of a refugee according to a United Nations Convention is "a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution." The UN established the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 to handle refugee matters worldwide. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has a different operational definition for a Palestinian refugee: "a person whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." However, UNHCR also assists some 400,000 Palestinian refugees not covered under the UNRWA definition. The term "internally displaced person" is not specifically covered in the UN Convention; it is used to describe people who have fled their homes for reasons similar to refugees, but who remain within their own national territory and are subject to the laws of that state.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Time required to enforce a contract > Days: Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment.
  • Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Red tape > Management time dealing with officials > % of management time: Management time dealing with officials (% of management time). Time dealing with officials is the percentage of management time in a given week spent on requirements imposed by government regulations (taxes, customs, labor regulations, licensing and registration).
  • 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.
  • Democracy and rights > Next election: Next election.

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

  • Key ministers > Education: Minister of Education, 2005
  • Key ministers > Agriculture: Minister of Agriculture, 2005
  • Foreign relations > Date of establishment of relations with China: The date on which each country established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
  • Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Foreign relations > Diplomatic relations with Palestine: Indicates whether or not each country has diplomatic relations with Palestine.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Key ministers > Transport: Minister of Transport, 2005
  • Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Key ministers > Foreign affairs: Minister of Foreign affairs, 2005
  • 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.
  • Parliament > Seats held by men per million people: Number of seats held by men in country's naitonal parliament or legislative houses. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
  • Democracy and rights > Last election: Last election.

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

  • 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.
  • Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members: Members of the lower (or sole) house.

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

  • Foreign relations > Date of recognition of State of Palestine: Date on which Palestine was officially recognized as a state.
  • Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million: Time required to enforce a contract (days). Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • 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 in the US > Telephone: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Key ministers > Health: Minister of Health, 2005
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Transnational Issues > Trafficking in persons > Tier rating: This entry is derived from Government > Transnational Issues > Trafficking in persons, which trafficking in persons is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded, or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. The International Labor Organization (ILO), the UN agency charged with addressing labor standards, employment, and social protection issues, estimates that 12.3 million people worldwide are enslaved in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, sexual servitude, and involuntary servitude at any given time. Human trafficking is a multi-dimensional threat, depriving people of their human rights and freedoms, risking global health, promoting social breakdown, inhibiting development by depriving countries of their human capital, and helping fuel the growth of organized crime. In 2000, the US Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), reauthorized in 2003 and 2005, which provides tools for the US to combat trafficking in persons, both domestically and abroad. One of the law's key components is the creation of the US Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which assesses the government response (i.e., the current situation) in some 150 countries with a significant number of victims trafficked across their borders who are recruited, harbored, transported, provided, or obtained for forced labor or sexual exploitation.Countries in the annual report are rated in three tiers, based on government efforts to combat trafficking. The countries identified in this entry are those listed in the 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report as Tier 2 Watch List or Tier 3 based on the following tier rating definitions:
    Tier 2 Watch List countries do not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but are making significant efforts to do so, and meet one of the following criteria:
    1. they display high or significantly increasing number of victims,
    2. they have failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons, or,
    3. they have committed to take action over the next year.

    Tier 3 countries neither satisfy the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking nor demonstrate a significant effort to do so. Countries in this tier are subject to potential non-humanitarian and non-trade sanctions.
STAT Iraq Malaysia HISTORY
Administrative divisions 18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah (Arabic); parezgakan, singular - parezga (Kurdish)) and 1 region*; Al Anbar; Al Basrah; Al Muthanna; Al Qadisiyah (Ad Diwaniyah); An Najaf; Arbil (Erbil) (Arabic), Hewler (Kurdish); As Sulaymaniyah (Arabic), Slemani (Kurdish); Babil; Baghdad; Dahuk (Arabic), Dihok (Kurdish); Dhi Qar; Diyala; Karbala'; Kirkuk; Kurdistan Regional Government*; Maysan; Ninawa; Salah ad Din; Wasit 13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu; and 1 federal territory (Wilayah Persekutuan) with 3 components, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya
Capital city > Geographic coordinates 33 3 10 N, 101 42 E
Capital city > Name Baghdad Kuala Lumpur
Constitution several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 October 2005 31 August 1957; amended many times
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address APO AE 09316 US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152
Executive branch > Cabinet The Council of Ministers consists of the prime minister and cabinet ministers the prime minister proposes; approved by an absolute majority vote by the Council of Representatives Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament with consent of the king
Executive branch > Chief of state President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005) King Tuanku ABDUL HALIM Mu'adzam Shah (selected on 13 December 2011; installed on 11 April 2012); the position of the king is primarily ceremonial
Executive branch > Head of government Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May 2006) Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Najib Razak (since 3 April 2009); Deputy Prime Minister MUHYIDDIN bin Mohamed Yassin (since 9 April 2009)
Government type parliamentary democracy constitutional monarchy
Judicial branch the Iraq Constitution calls for the federal judicial power to be comprised of the Higher Judicial Council, Federal Supreme Court, Federal Court of Cassation, Public Prosecution Department, Judiciary Oversight Commission and other federal courts that are regulated in accordance with the law civil courts include Federal Court, Court of Appeal, High Court of Malaya on peninsula Malaysia, and High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in states of Borneo (judges are appointed by the king on the advice of the prime minister); sharia courts include Sharia Appeal Court, Sharia High Court, and Sharia Subordinate Courts at state-level and deal with religious and family matters such as custody, divorce, and inheritance only for Muslims; decisions of sharia courts cannot be appealed to civil courts
Legal system mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation
Legislative branch unicameral Council of Representatives (325 seats consisting of 317 members elected by an optional open-list, proportional representation system and 8 seats reserved for minorities; members serve four-year terms); note - Iraq's Constitution calls for the establishment of an upper house, the Federation Council bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of Senate or Dewan Negara
Political parties and leaders Badr Organization [Hadi al-AMIRI]<br />Da'wa Party (Islamic) [Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI]<br />Da'wa Tanzim [Hashim al-MUSAWI branch]<br />Da-wa Tanzim [Abd al-Karim al-ANZI branch]<br />Fadilah Party [Hasan al-SHAMMARI and Ammar TUAMA]<br />Goran (Change) List (also known as the Movement for Change) [Nushirwan MUSTAFA]<br />Iraqi Covenant Gathering [Ahmad Abd al-Ghafur al-SAMARRAI]<br />Iraqi Constitutional Party [Jawad al-BULANI]<br />Iraqi Front for National Dialogue [Deputy Prime Minister Salih al-MUTLAQ]<br />Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP [Usama al-TIKRITI]<br />Iraqi Justice and Reform Movement [Shaykh Abdallah al-YAWR]<br />Iraqi National Accord or INA [Ayad ALLAWI]<br />Iraqi National Alliance [Ibrahim al-JAFARI]<br />Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI]<br />Iraqi National Movement (see Iraqi National Accord)<br />Iraqi Unity Alliance [Nauaf Saud ZAID]<br />Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq or ISCI [Ammar al-HAKIM]<br />Kurdistan Alliance<br />Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Kurdistan Regional Government President Masud BARZANI]<br />Kurdistan Islamic Group (also called Islamic Group of Kurdistan) [Ali BAPIR]<br />Kurdistan Islamic Union [ Mohammed FARAI]<br />Future National Gathering [Finance Minister Rafi al-ISSAWI]<br />National Iraqiyun Gathering [Usama al-NUJAYFI]<br />National Movement for Reform and Development [Jamal al-KARBULI]<br />National Reform Trend (part of the National Iraqi Alliance) [former Prime Minister Ibrahim al-JAFARI]<br />Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [President Jalal TALABANI]<br />Renewal List [Vice President Tariq al-HASHIMI]<br />Sadrist Trend [Muqtada al-SADR]<br />Sahawa al-Iraq [Ahmad al-RISHAWI]<br />State of Law Coalition [Nouri al-MALIKI]<br />Tawafuq Front (also known as the Iraqi Accord Front)<br /> <strong>National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN (ruling coalition) consists of the following parties: </strong><br />Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or GERAKAN [KOH Tsu Koon]<br />Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [LIEW Vui Keong]<br />Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [CHUA Soi Lek]<br />Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongres India Malaysia) or MIC [Govindasamy PALANIVEL]<br />Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP]<br />Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]<br />Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu or PBB [Abdul TAIB Mahmud]<br />Parti Rakyat Sarawak or PRS [James MASING]<br />Sarawak United People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [Peter CHIN Fah Kui]<br />United Malays National Organization or UMNO [NAJIB bin Abdul Razak]<br />United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization (Pertubuhan Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [Bernard DOMPOK]<br />People's Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Penduduk Malaysia) or PPP [M.Kayveas]<br /><br /><strong>People's Alliance (Pakatan Rakyat) or PR (opposition coalition) consists of the following parties:</strong><br />Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KARPAL Singh]<br />Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS [Abdul HADI Awang<br />People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) or PKR [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismail]<br />Sarawak National Party or SNAP [Edwin DUNDANG]<br /><br /><strong>notable independent parties:</strong><br />Sabah Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]<br />State Reform Pary (Parti Reformasi Negeri) or STAR [Jeffery KITINGAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders Sunni militias<br />Shia militias, some associated with political parties Bar Council<br />BERSIH (electoral reform coalition)<br />PEMBELA (Muslim NGO coalition)<br />PERKASA (defense of Malay rights)<br /><br /><strong>other:</strong> religious groups; women's groups; youth groups
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 21 years of age; universal
International organization participation ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, C, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Country name > Conventional long form Republic of Iraq none
Executive branch > Elections president elected by Council of Representatives (parliament) to serve a four-year term (eligible for a second term); presidential election in parliament last held on 11 November 2010 (next to be held in 2014) kings are elected by and from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms; selection is based on the principle of rotation among rulers of states; elections were last held on 14 October 2011 (next to be held in 2016); prime ministers are designated from among the members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the leader who commands the support of the majority of members in the House becomes prime minister (since independence this has been the leader of the UMNO party)
Leaders > Prime minister Nouri al-Maliki Najib Abdul Razak
National symbol(s) golden eagle tiger
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great") in green Arabic script is centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); the Council of Representatives approved this flag in 2008 as a compromise temporary replacement for the Ba'athist Saddam-era flag 14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the flag is often referred to as Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the 14 stripes stand for the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal government; the 14 points on the star represent the unity between these entities; the crescent is a traditional symbol of Islam; blue symbolizes the unity of the Malay people and yellow is the royal color of Malay rulers
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days 29
Ranked 50th. 5 times more than Malaysia
6
Ranked 163th.

Country name > Conventional short form Iraq Malaysia
Constitutional form Republic Constitutional monarchy
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International approximately two million Iraqis have fled the conflict in Iraq, with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan, and lesser numbers to Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, and Turkey; Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Turkey has expressed concern over the autonomous status of Kurds in Iraq while the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions over the Spratly Islands, it is not the legally binding "code of conduct" sought by some parties; Malaysia was not party to the March 2005 joint accord among the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam on conducting marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; disputes continue over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straits; in 2008, ICJ awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh/Horsburgh Island) to Singapore, and Middle Rocks to Malaysia, but did not rule on maritime regimes, boundaries, or disposition of South Ledge; land and maritime negotiations with Indonesia are ongoing, and disputed areas include the controversial Tanjung Datu and Camar Wulan border area in Borneo and the maritime boundary in the Ambalat oil block in the Celebes Sea; separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern provinces prompts measures to close and monitor border with Malaysia to stem terrorist activities; Philippines retains a dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo; per Letters of Exchange signed in 2009, Malaysia in 2010 ceded two hydrocarbon concession blocks to Brunei in exchange for Brunei's sultan dropping claims to the Limbang corridor, which divides Brunei; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait
National anthem <strong>name: </strong>"Mawtini" (My Homeland)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Ibrahim TOUQAN/Mohammad FLAYFEL <strong>name: </strong>"Negaraku" (My Country)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> collective, led by Tunku ABDUL RAHMAN/Pierre Jean DE BERANGER
FAX NA 60
Legislative branch > Election results Council of Representatives - percent of vote by coalition - Iraqi National Movement 25.9%, State of Law coalition 25.8%, Iraqi National Alliance 19.4%, Kurdistan Alliance 15.3%, Goran (Change) List 4.4%, Tawafuq Front 2.7%, Iraqi Unity Alliance 2.9%, Kurdistan Islamic Union 2.3%, Kurdistan Islamic Group 1.4%; seats by coalition - NA House of Representatives - percent of vote - BN coalition 59.9%, opposition parties 40%, others 0.1%; seats - BN coalition 133, opposition parties 89
Legislative branch > Elections last held on 7 March 2010 for an enlarged 325-seat parliament (next to be held in 2014) House of Representatives - last held on 5 May 2013 (next to be held by May 2018)
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index 44.67
Ranked 30th. 5% more than Malaysia
42.73
Ranked 34th.
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage 25.23%
Ranked 47th. 2 times more than Malaysia
10.41%
Ranked 144th.

Independence 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) 31 August 1957 (from the UK)
Executive branch > Election results President Jalal TALABANI reelected on 11 November 2010; Council of Representatives vote count on second ballot - 195 votes; Nuri al-MALIKI reelected prime minister Tuanku Abdul HALIM Mu'adzam Shah elected king by fellow hereditary rulers of nine states; Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Najib Razak was sworn in as prime minister after former Prime Minister ABDULLAH Ahmad Badawi stepped down; ABDULLAH also stepped down as UMNO president; there was no party election for the post of president; the party passed the reins to NAJIB who was the deputy president
Judicial branch > Subordinate courts Courts of Appeal (governorate level); courts of first instance; personal status, labor, criminal, juvenile, and religious courts Court of Appeal; High Court; Sessions Court; Magistrates' Court
Basis of executive legitimacy Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Country name > Local short form Al Iraq/Eraq Malaysia
Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press 69
Ranked 40th. 10% more than Malaysia
63
Ranked 51st.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament 25.5%
Ranked 30th. 3 times more than Malaysia
9.1%
Ranked 128th.

Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy Al-Kindi Street, International Zone, Baghdad 376
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number 10
Ranked 30th. 3 times more than Malaysia
3
Ranked 175th.

Democracy > Civil and political liberties 0.0
Ranked 134th.
2
Ranked 97th.
National holiday Republic Day, July 14 (1958); note - the Government of Iraq has yet to declare an official national holiday but still observes Republic Day Independence Day 31 August (1957) (independence of Malaya); Malaysia Day 16 September (1963) (formation of Malaysia)
Capital > Geographic coordinates 33 20 N, 44 24 E 3 10 N, 101 42 E
Transnational Issues > Trafficking in persons > Current situation Iraq is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Iraqi women and girls are subjected to conditions of trafficking within the country and in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Iran, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia for forced prostitution and sexual exploitation within households; women from Iran, China, and the Philippines reportedly may be trafficked to or through Iraq for commercial sexual exploitation; Iraq is also a destination country for men and women who migrate from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Pakistan, Georgia, Jordan, and Uganda and are subsequently subjected to involuntary servitude as construction workers, security guards, cleaners, handymen, and domestic workers Malaysia is a destination and, to a lesser extent, a source and transit country for women and children subjected to conditions of forced labor and women and children subjected to sex trafficking; Malaysia is mainly a destination country for foreign workers who migrate willingly from countries including Indonesia, Nepal, India, Thailand, China, the Philippines, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Vietnam but subsequently encounter forced labor or debt bondage at the hands of their employers in the domestic, agricultural, construction, plantation, and industrial sectors; a small number of Malaysian citizens were reportedly trafficked internally and abroad to Singapore, China, and Japan for commercial sexual exploitation; refugees are also vulnerable to trafficking; some officials are reportedly complicit in facilitating trafficking
Time required to start a business > Days 77 days
Ranked 20th. 3 times more than Malaysia
30 days
Ranked 104th.

Democracy > Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment 0.825
Ranked 137th.
0.996
Ranked 46th. 21% more than Iraq

Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office Federal Supreme Court and Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Higher Juridical Council, a 26-member independent committee of judicial officials; FSC members appointed for life ; Court of Cassation judges appointed for 1-year probationary period and upon satisfactory performance may be confirmed for permanent tenure until retirement at age 63 Federal Court justices appointed by the monarch on advice of the prime minister; judges serve till age 65
Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Status Index 2006 2.79
Ranked 113th.
6.09
Ranked 49th. 2 times more than Iraq
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days 51
Ranked 61st. 4 times more than Malaysia
14
Ranked 152nd.

International law organization participation has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Parliament > Seats held by men 243
Ranked 38th. 23% more than Malaysia
198
Ranked 50th.

Country name > Local long form Jumhuriyat al-Iraq/Komar-i Eraq none
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million 0.307
Ranked 133th. 3 times more than Malaysia
0.103
Ranked 165th.

Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery None None
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission Ambassador Luqman Abd al-Rahim FAYLI (since 31 May 2013) Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires SHAHRIL Effendi Bin Abd Ghany (since 22 August 2013)
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone 760 [60] (3) 2168-5000
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission Ambassador Robert Stephen BEECROFT (since 9 October 2012) Ambassador Joseph Y. YUN (since 12 September 2013)
Parliament > Seats held by women 82
Ranked 24th. 4 times more than Malaysia
23
Ranked 99th.

Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel None
None
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating -9
Ranked 136th.
4
Ranked 86th.
UN membership date 21 Dec. 1945 17 Sep. 1957
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number 10
Ranked 157th.
15
Ranked 84th. 50% more than Iraq

Capital city Baghdad Kuala Lumpur
Capital > Name Baghdad Kuala Lumpur
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days 47
Ranked 158th. 47% more than Malaysia
32
Ranked 180th.

Capital > Time difference UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Leaders > Prime minister > Profile <p>Nouri al-Maliki, a former rebel who led the first full-time government after the toppling of Saddam Hussein, was picked for a second term as prime minister in November 2010. </p> <p>He was chosen by parliament under a power-sharing agreement after the inconclusive elections of March 2010. Mr al-Maliki&#039;s Shia-backed State of Law coalition came second in the poll, after the Sunni Al-Iraqiya alliance of former premier Iyad Allawi.</p> <p>The national unity government that was approved by parliament in December 2010 included all major factions. It has proved to be fragile and riven by tensions between the Shia, Sunni and Kurdish blocs.</p> <p>At the end of 2011, there were fears of renewed sectarian conflict as the government looked like it might collapse. An arrest warrant was issued for the Sunni deputy vice president, Tareq al-Hashimi, over alleged links to terrorism - accusations which he denied. </p> <p>Observers said it appeared that Mr al-Maliki was trying to consolidate his grip on power by pushing out top Sunni politicians.</p> <p>Born in 1950, Mr al-Maliki fled a death sentence for his political activism in 1980 and lived in exile in Syria and Iran, working for the opposition Shia Islamic Dawa Party. </p> <p>He returned to Iraq after the US-led invasion of 2003 and became a member of the de-Baathification commission that removed Saddam supporters from public office. </p> <p>He was relatively unknown internationally until he was nominated for the premiership in May 2006, after the Sunni Arab and Kurdish parties objected to the reappointment of prime minister Ibrahim Al-Ja&#039;fari. </p> <p>He struggled to control a fractious government forged of fragile alliances and his first two years in office were marked by rampant bloodshed. He emerged stronger after sending the army to fight Shia militia and presiding over a sharp fall in overall violence, but a resurgence of Sunni extremist attacks on Shias and Christians made 2013 the bloodiest year since 2007. </p> <p>Najib Razak assumed the post of prime minister following the resignation of his predecessor in 2009, and was sworn in for a second term after his coalition won elections in May 2013. </p> <p>The long-governing National Front coalition won the 2013 national elections with a weakened majority to extend its unbroken, 56-year rule, fending off the strongest opposition it had ever faced.</p> <p>The opposition alleged the biggest electoral fraud in the country&#039;s history. </p> <p>The son of the country&#039;s second prime minister and nephew of the third, Mr Najib is regarded by many Malaysians as political blue blood and seems to have been destined for the premiership from an early age.</p> <p>A British-trained economist, he first entered parliament at the age of 23 - becoming the youngest MP in Malaysian history - and quickly rose to prominence.</p> <p>He held numerous cabinet posts - including finance and defence - before becoming prime minister. </p> <p>He took over the premiership at a turbulent time, and faces the enormous challenge of steering the country through the global financial crisis, which has hit the economy hard. </p> <p>Mr Najib pledged radical reforms and a more transparent government. He said that one of his priorities would be to close a widening ethnic and religious divide, after Malaysia&#039;s ethnic minorities shifted towards the opposition in large numbers in the 2008 polls, fearing their rights were being eroded. </p> <p>But his rise to power was marked by a government crackdown on the resurgent opposition, with allegations that strong-arm tactics were being used to stifle political dissent. </p> <p>In July 2011, a demonstration in the capital Kuala Lumpur calling for electoral reform was forcibly broken up by the police. </p> <p>However, the following month Mr Najib announced that a cross-party parliamentary committee would look into ways of making the voting process more democratic.</p>
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million 1.44
Ranked 169th.
1.57
Ranked 167th. 9% more than Iraq

Leaders > Head of state > Term limit for head of state 4
Ranked 122nd.
5
Ranked 99th. 25% more than Iraq
Foreign relations > Recognition of Israel notes Does not accept Israeli passports. author=Yusof, Husna|title=Israelis allowed into Malaysia with conditions|newspaper=The Sun Daily|date=2 November 2011|publisher=The Sun}}&lt;/ref&gt;
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days 520
Ranked 105th. 22% more than Malaysia
425
Ranked 142nd.

Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number 5
Ranked 107th. The same as Malaysia
5
Ranked 131st.

Role of head of state Ceremonial Ceremonial
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number 11
Ranked 46th. 22% more than Malaysia
9
Ranked 98th.

Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong 3
Ranked 124th.
10
Ranked 5th. 3 times more than Iraq

Parliament > Seats held by women per million people 2.57
Ranked 107th. 3 times more than Malaysia
0.776
Ranked 158th.

Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment October 30, 1968 January 1, 1960
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days 139
Ranked 103th. 7% more than Malaysia
130
Ranked 112th.

Leaders > Prime minister > Summary Iraqi premier Nouri al-Maliki Najib Abdul Razak
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million 0.89
Ranked 123th. 4 times more than Malaysia
0.205
Ranked 166th.

Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million 1.57
Ranked 137th. 58% more than Malaysia
0.992
Ranked 155th.

Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million 1.57
Ranked 128th. 3 times more than Malaysia
0.479
Ranked 153th.

Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million 4.27
Ranked 151st.
4.79
Ranked 147th. 12% more than Iraq

Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million 0.307
Ranked 156th.
1.27
Ranked 109th. 4 times more than Iraq

Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index>Political Transformation 2.68
Ranked 112th.
5.07
Ranked 71st. 89% more than Iraq
Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador Faily, Lukman Lukman Faily bin Jarjis, Jamaluddin Jamaluddin bin Jarjis
Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons > Stateless persons per thousand people 3.68
Ranked 8th. 3 times more than Malaysia
1.37
Ranked 13th.
Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons > Stateless persons 120,000
Ranked 6th. 3 times more than Malaysia
40,001
Ranked 8th.
Time required to build a warehouse > Days 216 days
Ranked 61st.
281 days
Ranked 28th. 30% more than Iraq

Trademarks > Nonresidents per 1000 0.0322
Ranked 46th.
0.6
Ranked 20th. 19 times more than Iraq

Trademarks > Nonresidents > Per capita 0.031 per 1,000 people
Ranked 45th.
0.61 per 1,000 people
Ranked 19th. 20 times more than Iraq

Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment January 5, 2005 May 4, 1992
National anthem > Name "Mawtini" (My Homeland) "Negaraku" (My Country)
Time required to enforce a contract > Days 520 days
Ranked 72nd. 16% more than Malaysia
450 days
Ranked 92nd.

Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita 0.411 per 1 million people
Ranked 124th. 18% more than Malaysia
0.349 per 1 million people
Ranked 131st.

Procedures to register property > Number 5
Ranked 105th. The same as Malaysia
5
Ranked 124th.

Procedures to build a warehouse > Number 14
Ranked 116th.
25
Ranked 19th. 79% more than Iraq

Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million 2.32
Ranked 106th. 97% more than Malaysia
1.18
Ranked 131st.

Trademarks > Nonresidents 514
Ranked 42nd.
13,076
Ranked 9th. 25 times more than Iraq

Time required to register property > Days 8 days
Ranked 154th.
144 days
Ranked 28th. 18 times more than Iraq

Red tape > Management time dealing with officials > % of management time 6.5%
Ranked 2nd.
7.8%
Ranked 6th. 20% more than Iraq

Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million 0.153
Ranked 151st.
0.171
Ranked 146th. 11% more than Iraq

Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number 51
Ranked 4th. 76% more than Malaysia
29
Ranked 173th.

Flag description > Note similar to the flag of Syria, which has two stars but no script, Yemen, which has a plain white band, and that of Egypt, which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band the design is based on the flag of the US
National anthem > Note adopted 2004; following the ousting of Saddam HUSSEIN, Iraq adopted "Mawtini," a popular folk song throughout the Arab world, which also serves as an unofficial anthem of the Palestinian people adopted 1957; the full version is only performed in the presence of the king; the tune, which was adopted from a popular French melody titled "La Rosalie," was originally the anthem of the state of Perak
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > % 25.2%
Ranked 53th. 2 times more than Malaysia
10.4%
Ranked 149th.

Democracy and rights > Next election March 2014 May 2017
Key ministers > Education Abdel Falah Hassan Hishamuddin Hussein
Key ministers > Agriculture Ali al-Bahadili Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin
Foreign relations > Date of establishment of relations with China August 25, 1958 May 31, 1974
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million 0.392
Ranked 124th. 15% more than Malaysia
0.342
Ranked 130th.

Foreign relations > Diplomatic relations with Palestine Yes Yes
Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours 312 hours
Ranked 57th. 64% more than Malaysia
190 hours
Ranked 110th.

Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita 0.187 per 1 million people
Ranked 129th.
0.194 per 1 million people
Ranked 128th. 4% more than Iraq

Procedures to enforce a contract > Number > Per capita 2.43 per 1 million people
Ranked 103th. 2 times more than Malaysia
1.2 per 1 million people
Ranked 132nd.

Key ministers > Transport Salam al-Maliki Chan Kong Choy
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX [1] (202) 333-1129 [1] (202) 572-9882
Key ministers > Foreign affairs Hoshyar Zebari Syed Hamid Albar
Trademarks > Residents > Per capita 0.028 per 1,000 people
Ranked 43th.
0.424 per 1,000 people
Ranked 29th. 15 times more than Iraq

Parliament > Seats held by men per million people 7.63
Ranked 133th. 14% more than Malaysia
6.68
Ranked 140th.

Democracy and rights > Last election March 2010 May 2013
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number 65
Ranked 4th. 2 times more than Malaysia
31
Ranked 95th.

Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members 4
Ranked 113th.
5
Ranked 86th. 25% more than Iraq
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of State of Palestine 15 November 1988 15 November 1988
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million 15.96
Ranked 153th. 10% more than Malaysia
14.53
Ranked 155th.

Trademarks > Residents 474
Ranked 38th.
9,082
Ranked 18th. 19 times more than Iraq

Procedures to build a warehouse > Number > Per capita 0.523 per 1 million people
Ranked 135th.
0.97 per 1 million people
Ranked 114th. 85% more than Iraq

Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone [1] (202) 742-1600 [1] (202) 572-9700
Key ministers > Health Abdel Muttaleb Mohammed Ali Chua Soi <a href=/encyclopedia/Lek-River>Lek</a>
Capital city > Time difference 3 UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Trademarks > Residents per million 29.73
Ranked 44th.
416.49
Ranked 31st. 14 times more than Iraq

Procedures to register property > Number per million 0.178
Ranked 131st.
0.19
Ranked 127th. 7% more than Iraq

Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million 0.499
Ranked 135th.
0.95
Ranked 113th. 90% more than Iraq

Transnational Issues > Trafficking in persons > Tier rating Tier 2 Watch List - the government did not demonstrate evidence of significant efforts to punish traffickers or proactively identify victims; it has not enacted its draft anti-trafficking legislation and has reported no other efforts to prosecute or punish traffickers Tier 2 Watch List - Malaysia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has made no tangible improvements to its inadequate system for identifying and protecting trafficking victims, such as amending its laws to allow victims to reside in NGO shelters; trafficking victims identified by Malaysian authorities are forcibly detained in government facilities, where they are provided with limited, if any, access to legal or psychological assistance by the government or NGOs; increasing efforts are being made to investigate and prosecute trafficking offenders, notably in the area of labor trafficking, though convictions of sex trafficking offenders has decreased; many front-line officials continue to lack the ability to recognize indicators of human trafficking, hindering the investigation of cases and the identification of victims; although the confiscation of passports by employers is illegal, the government has not prosecuted any employers who confiscated migrants' passports or travel documents or confined them to the workplace

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; Wikipedia: Censorship by country (Censorship by country) ("Press Freedom Index 2013" , Reporters Without Borders, 30 January 2013); United Nations Statistics Division; "2012 Freedom of the Press Data" , Freedom House, 1 May 2012; World Development Indicators database; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2000-2001, New York: Freedom House, 2001; Source: Millennium Development Goals Database | United Nations Statistics Division; Bertelsmann Transformation Index online, 2006; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/). Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; Wikipedia: International recognition of Israel (UN member states); Polity IV Project, University of Maryland, at Polity IV Project; United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook; Wikipedia: Term of office (Terms of office by country); United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Nepal; http://www.bertelsmann-transformation-index.de/fileadmin/pdf/BTI_2006_Ranking_GB.pdf; Wikipedia: List of ambassadors to the United States; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. 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.; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Croatia; World Bank, Enterprise Surveys; Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (www.ipu.org); Wikipedia: List of next general elections (Africa); Economist Intelligence Unit; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dates_of_establishment_of_diplomatic_relations_with_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China; Wikipedia: International recognition of the State of Palestine (Diplomatic recognition) (Either with the Palestinian National Authority, the Palestine Liberation Organization, or the State of Palestine. The institution is specified where known.); United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: International recognition of the State of Palestine (Diplomatic recognition)

Citation

Adblocker detected! Please consider reading this notice.

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

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

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

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

×