Government Stats: compare key data on United States & Venezuela

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
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).
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.
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
Country name > Conventional long form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
Executive branch > Elections: Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election
National symbol(s): A national symbol is a faunal, floral, or other abstract representation - or some distinctive object - that over time has come to be closely identified with a country or entity. Not all countries have national symbols; a few countries have more than one.
Flag description: A written flag description produced from actual flags or the best information available at the time the entry was written. The flags of independent states are used by their dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some disputed and other areas do not have flags.
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days: Time required to start a business (days). Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
Country name > Conventional short form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
Constitutional form: Constitutional form of government.
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International: This entry includes a wide variety of situations that range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one sort or another. Information regarding disputes over international terrestrial and maritime boundaries has been reviewed by the US Department of State. References to other situations involving borders or frontiers may also be included, such as resource disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues; however, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance or recognition by the US Government.
National anthem: A generally patriotic musical composition - usually in the form of a song or hymn of praise - that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or its people. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. Although most anthems contain lyrics, some do not.
Legislative branch > Election results: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
Legislative branch > Elections: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index: Compares countries by their degree of government censorship, according to the Press freedom index. This index, created by the non-governmental organization Reporters without borders (RWS), is ellaborated using data from an extensive annual survey sent to professional reporters throughout the world. The survey contains questions about the type and ownership of media present in the country, freedom of speech, violence exerted against reporters, election campaigns, access of political parties to the media, etc.
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage: Percentage of seats held by women in country's national parliament or legislative houses.
Independence: For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the other countries, the date given may not represent "independence" in the strict sense, but rather some significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, fundamental change in the form of government, or state succession. Dependent areas include the notation "none" followed by the nature of their dependency status. "
Executive branch > Election results: Election results includes the percent of vote for each candidate in the last election (if any)
Judicial branch > Subordinate courts: This entry is derived from Government > Judicial branch, which includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing judges, and a brief description of the process. The selection process can be indicative of the independence of a country's court system from other branches of its government. Also included in this subfield are judges' tenures, which can range from a few years, to a specified retirement age, to lifelong appointments. The subordinate courts subfield lists the courts lower in the hierarchy of a country's court system. A few countries with federal-style governments, such as Brazil, Canada, and the US, in addition to their federal court, have separate state- or province-level court systems, though generally the two systems interact.
Basis of executive legitimacy: Basis of executive legitimacy.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Transnational Issues > Illicit drugs: This entry gives information on the five categories of illicit drugs - narcotics, stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and cannabis. These categories include many drugs legally produced and prescribed by doctors as well as those illegally produced and sold outside of medical channels.
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant, which provides hallucinogens with some sedative properties, and includes marijuana (pot, Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, Marinol), hashish (hash), and hashish oil (hash oil).
Coca (mostly Erythroxylum coca) is a bush with leaves that contain the stimulant used to make cocaine. Coca is not to be confused with cocoa, which comes from cacao seeds and is used in making chocolate, cocoa, and cocoa butter.
Cocaine is a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca bush.
Depressants (sedatives) are drugs that reduce tension and anxiety and include chloral hydrate, barbiturates (Amytal, Nembutal, Seconal, phenobarbital), benzodiazepines (Librium, Valium), methaqualone (Quaalude), glutethimide (Doriden), and others (Equanil, Placidyl, Valmid).
Drugs are any chemical substances that effect a physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral change in an individual.
Drug abuse is the use of any licit or illicit chemical substance that results in physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral impairment in an individual.
Hallucinogens are drugs that affect sensation, thinking, self-awareness, and emotion. Hallucinogens include LSD (acid, microdot), mescaline and peyote (mexc, buttons, cactus), amphetamine variants (PMA, STP, DOB), phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust, hog), phencyclidine analogues (PCE, PCPy, TCP), and others (psilocybin, psilocyn).
Hashish is the resinous exudate of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).
Heroin is a semisynthetic derivative of morphine.
Mandrax is a trade name for methaqualone, a pharmaceutical depressant.
Marijuana is the dried leaf of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).
Methaqualone is a pharmaceutical depressant, referred to as mandrax in Southwest Asia and Africa.
Narcotics are drugs that relieve pain, often induce sleep, and refer to opium, opium derivatives, and synthetic substitutes. Natural narcotics include opium (paregoric, parepectolin), morphine (MS-Contin, Roxanol), codeine (Tylenol with codeine, Empirin with codeine, Robitussin AC), and thebaine. Semisynthetic narcotics ...
Full definition
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.
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.
Democracy > Civil and political liberties: Civil and political liberties
Units: Index Ranging from 7 (High Levels of Liberties) to 1 (Low
Units: This is the average of two indicators - civil liberties and political liberties.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
National holiday: The primary national day of celebration - often independence day.
Capital > Geographic coordinates: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Democracy > First female parliamentarian: Year first woman elected or appointed to parliament.
Time required to start a business > Days: Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
Leaders > President: Government > Leaders > President
Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office: This entry is derived from Government > Judicial branch, which includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing judges, and a brief description of the process. The selection process can be indicative of the independence of a country's court system from other branches of its government. Also included in this subfield are judges' tenures, which can range from a few years, to a specified retirement age, to lifelong appointments. The subordinate courts subfield lists the courts lower in the hierarchy of a country's court system. A few countries with federal-style governments, such as Brazil, Canada, and the US, in addition to their federal court, have separate state- or province-level court systems, though generally the two systems interact.
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient: Burden of customs procedure, WEF (1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient). Burden of Customs Procedure measures business executives' perceptions of their country's efficiency of customs procedures. The rating ranges from 1 to 7, with a higher score indicating greater efficiency. Data are from the World Economic Forum's Executive Opinion Survey, conducted for 30 years in collaboration with 150 partner institutes. The 2009 round included more than 13,000 respondents from 133 countries. Sampling follows a dual stratification based on company size and the sector of activity. Data are collected online or through in-person interviews. Responses are aggregated using sector-weighted averaging. The data for the latest year are combined with the data for the previous year to create a two-year moving average. Respondents evaluated the efficiency of customs procedures in their country. The lowest score (1) rates the customs procedure as extremely inefficient, and the highest score (7) as extremely efficient.
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.
Parliament > Seats held by women: Number of seats held by women in country's parliament or legislative houses.
Leaders > President > Summary: Government > Leaders > President > Summary
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel: Date on which Israel was officially recognized as a state. Note that some countries had a “de facto” recognition in place long before the legal recognition.
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating: Democratic institutions
Units: Scale ranging from -10 (autocratic) to +10 (democratic)
UN membership date: Date of United Nations Membership
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number: Procedures to build a warehouse (number). Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.
Capital city: The location of the seat of government.
Capital > Name: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Legal origin: Legal origin identifies the origin of the Company Law or Commercial Code in each country
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
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.
Democracy > Presidential 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
International relations: Country international relations.
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million: Time required to get electricity (days). Time required to get electricity is the number of days to obtain a permanent electricity connection. The measure captures the median duration that the electricity utility and experts indicate is necessary in practice, rather than required by law, to complete a procedure. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
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.
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.
Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members: Members of the lower house of the legislature or of the only chamber in a unicameral system.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days: Time required to enforce a contract (days). Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment.
Democracy > Female parliamentarians: Seats in parliament held by women (as % of total). Data are as of 8 March 2002. Where there are lower and upper houses, data refer to the weighted average of women's shares of seats in both houses.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number: Procedures to register property (number). Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.
Leaders > President > Profile: Government > Leaders > President > Profile
Role of head of state: Head of state.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
Democracy > Presidential elections > Registered voter turnout: The proportion of registered voters who actually voted.
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 > Presidential 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.
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."
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per $ GDP: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Per $ GDP figures expressed per 1 $ gross domestic product.
Parliament > Seats held by women per million people: Number of seats held by women in country's parliament or legislative houses. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
Democracy > Female suffrage: Year in which women received the right to vote. Data refer to the year in which right to vote or stand for election on a universal and equal basis was recognized. Where two years are shown, the first refers to the first partial recognition of the right to vote.
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days: Time required to build a warehouse (days). Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
Red tape > 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 > 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.
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.
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."
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ > Per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in constant 2000 U.S. dollars. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
Time required to build a warehouse > Days: Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population: International IDEA has chosen to use not only the reported registration rate to calculate turnout percentages, but also the voting age population (VAP) which includes all citizens above the legal voting age
Democracy > Female candidacy: Year in which women received the right to stand for election. Data refer to the year in which right to vote or stand for election on a universal and equal basis was recognized. Where two years are shown, the first refers to the first partial recognition of the right to stand for election.
Trademarks > Nonresidents per 1000: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
Trademarks > Nonresidents > Per capita: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Turnout: The number of votes divided by the Voting Age Population figure, expressed as a percentage.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Total vote: The total number of votes cast in the relevant election. Total vote includes valid and invalid votes, as well as blank votes in cases where these are separated from invalid votes. More information on valid, invalid and blank votes can be found at aceproject.org
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voter registration: The number of registered voters. The figure represents the number of names on the voters' register at the time that the registration process closes, as reported by the electoral management body.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
Time required to enforce a contract > Days: Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment.
Procedures to register property > Number: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number: Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.
Democracy > Presidential elections > Turnout per million: The number of votes divided by the Voting Age Population figure, expressed as a percentage. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Democracy > Presidential elections > Total vote: The total number of votes cast in the relevant election. Total vote includes valid and invalid votes, as well as blank votes in cases where these are separated from invalid votes. More information on valid, invalid and blank votes can be found at aceproject.org
Democracy > Presidential elections > Turnout: The number of votes divided by the Voting Age Population figure, expressed as a percentage.
Democracy > Secret ballot > Date of introduction: Date voting by secret ballot was introduced in different countries around the world.
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament: Number of members of the legislature (sum of members of all chambers of parliament where applicable).
Democracy and rights > Next election: Next election.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current LCU: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in current local currency.
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > % of expense: Subsidies, grants, and other social benefits include all unrequited, nonrepayable transfers on current account to private and public enterprises; grants to foreign governments, international organisations, and other government units; and social security, social assistance benefits, and employer social benefits in cash and in kind."
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > %: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%). Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber held by women.
Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours: Time to prepare and pay taxes is the time, in hours per year, it takes to prepare, file, and pay (or withhold) three major types of taxes: the corporate income tax, the value added or sales tax, and labor taxes, including payroll taxes and social security contributions.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in constant 2000 U.S. dollars.
Procedures to 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.
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million: Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Spending > 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.
Republic establishment date: The date on which each country (or its precursor) changed its form of government to a republic. In a republic, the power resides in the country’s people, the government and legislature is elected and the country is ruled according to its laws.
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number: Procedures to enforce a contract (number). Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million: Procedures to register property (number). Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
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.
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.
Ruling party: In power now.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Annual % growth: Annual percentage growth of general government final consumption expenditure based on constant local currency. Aggregates are based on constant 2000 U.S. dollars. General government final consumption expenditure (general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation.
Time required to register property > Days: Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.
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.
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."
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.
Spending > Expense > % of GDP: Expense is cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services. It includes compensation of employees (such as wages and salaries), interest and subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other expenses such as rent and dividends."
Spending > Compensation of employees > % of expense: Compensation of employees consists of all payments in cash, as well as in kind (such as food and housing), to employees in return for services rendered, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions that provide benefits to employees."
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.
Democracy > Presidential 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 > Voting age population per 1000: International IDEA has chosen to use not only the reported registration rate to calculate turnout percentages, but also the voting age population (VAP) which includes all citizens above the legal voting age. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number: Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 > Other expense > Current LCU: Other expense is spending on dividends, rent, and other miscellaneous expenses, including provision for consumption of fixed capital."
Trademarks > Residents per million: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
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.

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STAT	United States	Venezuela
Administrative divisions	50 states and 1 district; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming	23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales (Federal Dependencies), Distrito Capital (Capital District)*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	38 53 N, 77 02 W	10 30 N, 66 56 W
Capital city > Name	Washington, DC	Caracas
Constitution	previous 1781 (Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union); latest drafted July - September 1787, submitted to the Congress of the Confederation 20 September 1787, submitted for states' ratification 28 September 1787, ratification completed by nine sta	30
Executive branch > Cabinet	Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval	Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Executive branch > Chief of state	President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)	President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Executive Vice President Elias JAUA Milano (since 26 January 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Executive branch > Head of government	President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)	President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Executive Vice President Elias JAUA Milano (since 26 January 2010)
Government type	Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition	federal republic
International organization participation	ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, 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, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC	Caricom (observer), CDB, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (nine justices; nominated by the president and confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate; appointed to serve for life); United States Courts of Appeal; United States District Courts; State and County Courts	Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribunal Supremo de Justicia
Legal system	common law system based on English common law at the federal level; state legal systems based on common law except Louisiana, which is based on Napoleonic civil code; judicial review of legislative acts	adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	bicameral Congress consists of the Senate	unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional
Political parties and leaders	Democratic Party [Debbie Wasserman SCHULTZ]<br />Green Party<br />Libertarian Party [Mark HINKLE]<br />Republican Party [Reince PRIEBUS]	A New Time or UNT [Omar BARBOZA]; Brave People's Alliance or ABP [Oscar PEREZ]; Christian Democrats or COPEI [Luis Ignacio PLANAS]; Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV [Oscar FIGUERA]; Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS Allup]; Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; For Social Democracy or PODEMOS [Ramon MARTINEZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Felipe MUJICA]; United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]
Political pressure groups and leaders	environmentalists; business groups; labor unions; churches; ethnic groups; political action committees or PACs; health groups; education groups; civic groups; youth groups; transportation groups; agricultural groups; veterans groups; women's groups; reform lobbies	a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18
Country name > Conventional long form	United States of America	Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Executive branch > Elections	president and vice president elected on the same ticket by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each state; president and vice president serve four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 6 November 2012 (next to be held on 8 November 2016)	president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for unlimited reelection); election last held on 3 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2012)
National symbol(s)	bald eagle	troupial (bird)
Flag description	13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; the blue stands for loyalty, devotion, truth, justice, and friendship; red symbolizes courage, zeal, and fervency, while white denotes purity and rectitude of conduct; commonly referred to by its nickname of Old Glory	three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band; the flag retains the three equal horizontal bands and three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; yellow is interpreted as standing for the riches of the land, blue for the courage of its people, and red for the blood shed in attaining independence; the seven stars on the original flag represented the seven provinces in Venezuela that united in the war of independence; in 2006, President Hugo CHAVEZ ordered an eighth star added to the star arc - a decision that sparked much controversy - to conform with the flag proclaimed by Simon Bolivar in 1827 and to represent the province of Guayana
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days	5 Ranked 170th.	144 Ranked 2nd. 29 times more than United States
Country name > Conventional short form	United States	Venezuela
Constitutional form	Republic	Republic
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International	the US has intensified domestic security measures and is collaborating closely with its neighbors, Canada and Mexico, to monitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, and commodities across the international borders; abundant rainfall in recent years along much of the Mexico-US border region has ameliorated periodically strained water-sharing arrangements; 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma ratification; 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; The Bahamas and US have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other states; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island; Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island among the islands listed in its 2006 draft constitution	claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana, preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; dispute with Colombia over maritime boundary and Venezuelan administered Los Monjes islands near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's shared border region; in 2006, an estimated 139,000 Colombians sought protection in 150 communities along the border in Venezuela; US, France, and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's granting full effect to Aves Island, thereby claiming a Venezuelan Economic Exclusion Zone/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest Venezuela's full effect claim
National anthem	<strong>name: </strong>"The Star-Spangled Banner"<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH	<strong>name: </strong>"Gloria al bravo pueblo" (Glory to the Brave People)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Vicente SALIAS/Juan Jose LANDAETA
Legislative branch > Election results	Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 54, Republican Party 45, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 201, Republican Party 234	percent of vote by party - pro-government 48.9%, opposition coalition 47.9%, other 3.2%; seats by party - pro-government 98, opposition 65, other 2
Legislative branch > Elections	Senate - last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held on 4 November 2014); House of Representatives - last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held on 4 November 2014)	last held on 26 September 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index	18.22 Ranked 13th.	34.44 Ranked 62nd. 89% more than United States
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage	17.78% Ranked 91st. 5% more than Venezuela	16.97% Ranked 96th.
Independence	4 July 1776 (declared); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain)	5 July 1811 (from Spain)
Executive branch > Election results	Barack H. OBAMA reelected president; percent of popular vote - Barack H. OBAMA 50.6%, Mitt ROMNEY 47.9%, other 1.5%;	Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of vote - Hugo CHAVEZ Frias 62.9%, Manuel ROSALES 36.9%
Judicial branch > Subordinate courts	Courts of Appeal (includes the US Court of Appeal for the Federal District and 12 regional appeals courts); 94 federal district courts in 50 states and territories	Superior or Appeals Courts (Tribunales Superiores); District Tribunals (Tribunales de Distrito); Courts of First Instance (Tribunales de Primera Instancia); Parish Courts (Tribunales de Parroquia); Justices of the Peace (Justicia de Paz) Network
Basis of executive legitimacy	Presidency is independent of legislature	Presidency is independent of legislature
Transnational Issues > Illicit drugs	world's largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine; minor consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center	small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border
Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press	18 Ranked 171st.	76 Ranked 28th. 4 times more than United States
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament	15.2% Ranked 79th.	18% Ranked 66th. 18% more than United States
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number	6 Ranked 103th.	17 Ranked 2nd. 3 times more than United States
Democracy > Civil and political liberties	6 Ranked 6th. Twice as much as Venezuela	3 Ranked 80th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$	1.84 trillion$ Ranked 1st. 116 times more than Venezuela	15.85 billion$ Ranked 35th.
National holiday	Independence Day, 4 July (1776)	Independence Day, 5 July
Capital > Geographic coordinates	38 53 N, 77 02 W	10 29 N, 66 52 W
Democracy > First female parliamentarian	1917 (elected)	1948 (elected)
Time required to start a business > Days	5 days Ranked 167th.	141 days Ranked 8th. 28 times more than United States
Leaders > President	Barack Obama	Nicolas Maduro
Democracy > Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment	0.991 Ranked 52nd. 1% more than Venezuela	0.98 Ranked 70th.
Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office	president nominates, and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints Supreme Court justices; justices appointed for life	judges proposed by the Committee of Judicial Postulation (an independent body of organizations dealing with legal issues and of the organs of citizen power) and appointed by the National Assembly; judges serve non-renewable 12-year terms
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient	4.5 Ranked 43th. 2 times more than Venezuela	2.1 Ranked 144th.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days	12 Ranked 158th.	38 Ranked 89th. 3 times more than United States
Politics	Barack Obama, America's first black president, was re-elected in November 2012	President Hugo Chavez died in March 2013. He led a self-styled socialist revolution but polarised domestic opinion
International law organization participation	withdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction in 2005; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; state party to the ICCT
Parliament > Seats held by men	356 Ranked 21st. 3 times more than Venezuela	137 Ranked 72nd.
Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years	1.5 Ranked 144th.	4 Ranked 29th. 3 times more than United States
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million	0.0191 Ranked 185th.	0.568 Ranked 108th. 30 times more than United States
Parliament > Seats held by women	77 Ranked 27th. 3 times more than Venezuela	28 Ranked 84th.
Leaders > President > Summary	Barack Obama, the country's first black president	Mr Maduro succeeded Hugo Chavez as president
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel	None	None
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating	10 Ranked 9th. 43% more than Venezuela	7 Ranked 53th.
UN membership date	24 Oct. 1945	15 Nov. 1945
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number	16 Ranked 60th. 60% more than Venezuela	10 Ranked 160th.
Capital city	Washington, DC	Caracas
Capital > Name	Washington, DC	Caracas
Legal origin	<a href=/encyclopedia/England>English</a>	<a href=/country/fr>French</a>
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per capita	6,281.51$ per capita Ranked 14th. 11 times more than Venezuela	596.22$ per capita Ranked 54th.
Spending > Expense > Current LCU	3.7 trillion Ranked 1st. 49 times more than Venezuela	76.22 billion Ranked 56th.
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days	60 Ranked 144th.	158 Ranked 32nd. 3 times more than United States
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Registered voter turnout	63.8% Ranked 101st. 13% more than Venezuela	56.6% Ranked 128th.
Legislature (parliament) > People per member	575,019 Ranked 3rd. 4 times more than Venezuela	160,568 Ranked 17th.
Democracy and rights > Year women first voted at national level	1920	1946
Capital > Time difference	UTC-5 (during Standard Time)	UTC-4.5 (half an hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Democracy > Presidential elections > Voting age population	213.95 million Ranked 1st. 15 times more than Venezuela	14.13 million Ranked 18th.
International relations	The US has a leading role on the world stage, militarily and diplomatically. Its combat troops are set to leave Afghanistan by late 2014	President Chavez was a strident critic of Washington; the US portrayed him as a security threat. Critics said he used fuel sales under preferential terms to extend political influence in the region
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million	0.191 Ranked 186th.	5.27 Ranked 127th. 28 times more than United States
Leaders > Head of state > Term limit for head of state	4 Ranked 129th.	6 Ranked 21st. 50% more than United States
Democracy > Female ministers	7.1% Ranked 92nd.	47.4% Ranked 2nd. 7 times more than United States
Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members	435 Ranked 25th. 3 times more than Venezuela	167 Ranked 56th.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days	370 Ranked 164th.	610 Ranked 71st. 65% more than United States
Democracy > Female parliamentarians	13.8% Ranked 60th. 42% more than Venezuela	9.7% Ranked 91st.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number	4 Ranked 145th.	8 Ranked 32nd. Twice as much as United States
Leaders > President > Profile	<p>Barack Obama, a Democrat and America's first black president, was re-elected for a second term in November 2012 after a bitterly-fought campaign against Republican challenger Mitt Romney.</p> <p>The Democrats kept control of the Senate and the Republicans remained in control of the House of Representatives, leading to political gridlock in Congress on the budget in late 2013.</p> <p>The campaign focused on the ailing US economy. In his inaugural speech in January 2013, Mr Obama called on Democrats and Republicans to work together to sustain the country's fragile economic recovery. He also pledged an end to "ten years of war", signalling the departure of US troops from Afghanistan in 2014.</p> <p>First term challenges</p> <p>The worst economic crisis in the US since the Great Depression of the 1930s dominated much of Mr Obama's first term. The president pursued an aggressive policy of economic stimulus, including bail-outs of major car makers.</p> <p>He made reform of the healthcare system to extend coverage and reduce ballooning costs one of his top domestic priorities.</p> <p>Despite a tortuous drafting process and vociferous Republican opposition, Mr Obama and Democrats in Congress finally succeeded in passing a health care bill in March 2010.</p> <p>However, the health reform, along with the $787bn stimulus package passed in February 2010 to shore up an ailing economy, galvanised opposition among opponents to Mr Obama's agenda.</p> <p>The American Right in particular worried about what it saw as moves to extend the role of the state in the economy, and the threat of excessive public debt.</p> <p>Tea Party boost for Republicans</span> <p>The rise of the conservative Tea Party movement in 2009 re-energised the Republicans and helped them to capitalise on popular discontent at the slow pace of America's economic recovery.</p> <p>The Republicans made sweeping gains in mid-term elections in November 2010, regaining control of the House of Representatives.</p> <p>In autumn 2011 anti-capitalist protestors took to the streets of major cities, marching under the slogan "Occupy Wall Street", against "corporate greed" and increasing government debt. The protests inspired marches in other cities worldwide in October 2011.</p> <p>Bin Laden operation</span> <p>In May 2011, Mr Obama was widely applauded domestically - including by the Right - for his decision to order the operation that killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. </p> <p>Barack Obama was born in 1961 in Hawaii, the son of a black Kenyan father and a white American mother. After attending an elite Hawaiian academy and Columbia University in New York, he went on to Harvard Law School, where he graduated in 1991.</p> <p>Mr Obama practiced law and did community work in Chicago, where he also became active in the Democratic Party. He won a seat in the Illinois state senate in 1996, and followed this up by winning a US Senate seat in 2004.</p> <p>He emphatic victory over his opponent John McCain in the 2008 presidential election ended eight years of Republican rule in the White House.</p> <p>Mr Obama ran for president on a ticket promising change, and came to office riding a wave of high expectations from his supporters, both at home and abroad.</p> <p>He is widely acknowledged to be a charismatic figure and is noted for his stirring oratory. </p>	<p>Nicolas Maduro assumed the role of acting president at the death of Hugo Chavez in March 2013, and was declared winner of the presidential elections held the following month. </p> <p>He was named as vice-president in October 2010 by Mr Chavez, who subsequently named him as his preferred successor. </p> <p>The opposition candidate in the presidential election, Henrique Capriles, said he would contest the results of the vote. </p> <p>Mr Capriles lost by less than two percentage points, but said his team had a list of more than 3,000 irregularities and demanded a recount. </p> <p>Mr Maduro called for calm and for the result to be respected. </p> <p>Analysts of the Venezuelan political scene say the narrow margin of victory leaves Mr Maduro with reduced authority and the difficult task of maintaining unity in a ruling alliance that includes military officers, oil executives and slum leaders.</p>
Role of head of state	Executive	Executive
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ per capita	6,299.75$ Ranked 14th. 11 times more than Venezuela	592.9$ Ranked 55th.
Democracy > Presidential elections > Registered voter turnout	67.4% Ranked 55th. 19% more than Venezuela	56.5% Ranked 70th.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number	5 Ranked 154th.	16 Ranked 8th. 3 times more than United States
Democracy > Presidential elections > Voting age population per 1000	737.5 Ranked 17th. 35% more than Venezuela	547.78 Ranked 37th.
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient per million	0.0143 Ranked 141st.	0.0701 Ranked 119th. 5 times more than United States
Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong	8 Ranked 27th. 4 times more than Venezuela	2 Ranked 165th.
Spending > Compensation of employees > Current LCU	399.42 billion Ranked 14th. 33 times more than Venezuela	12.14 billion Ranked 57th.
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > Current LCU	2.56 trillion Ranked 1st. 53 times more than Venezuela	48.46 billion Ranked 45th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per $ GDP	0.158$ per $1 of GDP Ranked 76th. 40% more than Venezuela	0.113$ per $1 of GDP Ranked 104th.
Parliament > Seats held by women per million people	0.243 Ranked 175th.	0.984 Ranked 150th. 4 times more than United States
Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment	April 25, 1947	April 28, 1987
Democracy > Female suffrage	"1920 ,1960"	1946
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days	91 Ranked 157th.	381 Ranked 7th. 4 times more than United States
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million	0.0159 Ranked 188th.	4.81 Ranked 67th. 302 times more than United States
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million	0.102 Ranked 185th.	1 Ranked 154th. 10 times more than United States
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million	0.0382 Ranked 181st.	1.27 Ranked 137th. 33 times more than United States
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million	0.051 Ranked 182nd.	0.334 Ranked 154th. 7 times more than United States
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million	0.29 Ranked 183th.	12.72 Ranked 105th. 44 times more than United States
Spending > Interest payments > Current LCU	270.49 billion Ranked 1st. 30 times more than Venezuela	8.94 billion Ranked 49th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ > Per capita	5,464.23 constant 2000 US$ per c Ranked 8th. 7 times more than Venezuela	741.15 constant 2000 US$ per c Ranked 33th.
Time required to build a warehouse > Days	69 days Ranked 164th.	276 days Ranked 32nd. 4 times more than United States
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population	213.95 million Ranked 2nd. 15 times more than Venezuela	14.13 million Ranked 35th.
Democracy > Female candidacy	1,788 Ranked 161st.	1,946 Ranked 93th. 9% more than United States
Trademarks > Nonresidents per 1000	0.0922 Ranked 35th.	0.426 Ranked 23th. 5 times more than United States
Trademarks > Nonresidents > Per capita	0.092 per 1,000 people Ranked 35th.	0.427 per 1,000 people Ranked 22nd. 5 times more than United States
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment	August 11, 1992	October 9, 1992
National anthem > Name	"The Star-Spangled Banner"	"Gloria al bravo pueblo" (Glory to the Brave Nation)
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Turnout	46.6 Ranked 93th. About the same as Venezuela	46.5 Ranked 94th.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Total vote	99.74 million Ranked 3rd. 15 times more than Venezuela	6.57 million Ranked 40th.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voter registration	156.42 million Ranked 2nd. 13 times more than Venezuela	11.62 million Ranked 37th.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita	0.017 per 1 million people Ranked 168th.	0.592 per 1 million people Ranked 110th. 35 times more than United States
Time required to enforce a contract > Days	300 days Ranked 136th.	435 days Ranked 97th. 45% more than United States
Procedures to register property > Number	4 Ranked 131st.	8 Ranked 36th. Twice as much as United States
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number	18 Ranked 67th. 38% more than Venezuela	13 Ranked 133th.
Democracy > Presidential elections > Turnout per million	0.17 Ranked 77th.	1.81 Ranked 65th. 11 times more than United States
Democracy > Presidential elections > Total vote	105.41 million Ranked 1st. 16 times more than Venezuela	6.6 million Ranked 21st.
Democracy > Presidential elections > Turnout	49.3 Ranked 64th. 6% more than Venezuela	46.7 Ranked 67th.
Democracy > Secret ballot > Date of introduction	1891	1946
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament	535 Ranked 25th. 3 times more than Venezuela	167 Ranked 65th.
Democracy and rights > Next election	November 2016	December 2018
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current LCU	1844600000000	33113600000000
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > % of expense	69.14% Ranked 1st. 9% more than Venezuela	63.57% Ranked 19th.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > %	17.9% Ranked 97th. 5% more than Venezuela	17% Ranked 102nd.
Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours	325 hours Ranked 54th.	864 hours Ranked 13th. 3 times more than United States
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$	1.6 trillion constant 2000 US$ Ranked 1st. 81 times more than Venezuela	19.7 billion constant 2000 US$ Ranked 27th.
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number > Per capita	0.06 per 1 million people Ranked 165th.	0.481 per 1 million people Ranked 136th. 8 times more than United States
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million	0.057 Ranked 166th.	1.51 Ranked 123th. 26 times more than United States
Spending > Goods and services expense > Current LCU	518.29 billion Ranked 9th. 113 times more than Venezuela	4.57 billion Ranked 62nd.
Republic establishment date	September 3, 1783	August 15, 1819
National anthem > Note	adopted 1931; during the War of 1812, after witnessing the successful American defense of Fort McHenry in Baltimore following British naval bombardment, Francis Scott KEY wrote the lyrics to what would become the national anthem; the lyrics were set to the tune of "The Anacreontic Song;" only the first verse is sung	adopted 1881; the lyrics were written in 1810, the music some years later; both SALIAS and LANDAETA were executed in 1814 during Venezuela's struggle for independence
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number	32 Ranked 154th. 7% more than Venezuela	30 Ranked 169th.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million	0.0127 Ranked 181st.	0.267 Ranked 126th. 21 times more than United States
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant LCU	1604600000000	7161728000000
Trademarks > Residents > Per capita	0.727 per 1,000 people Ranked 18th. 33% more than Venezuela	0.548 per 1,000 people Ranked 29th.
Time to resolve insolvency > Years	1.5 years Ranked 127th.	4 years Ranked 40th. 3 times more than United States
Ruling party	Democratic	United Socialist
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Annual % growth	2.5% Ranked 70th.	7.52% Ranked 25th. 3 times more than United States
Time required to register property > Days	12 days Ranked 145th.	47 days Ranked 89th. 4 times more than United States
Trademarks > Nonresidents	26,988 Ranked 2nd. 3 times more than Venezuela	10,390 Ranked 13th.
Spending > Interest payments > % of revenue	11.93% Ranked 1st. 15% more than Venezuela	10.4% Ranked 28th.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million	0.0168 Ranked 167th.	0.588 Ranked 109th. 35 times more than United States
Spending > Expense > % of GDP	25.94% Ranked 2nd. 3% more than Venezuela	25.07% Ranked 51st.
Spending > Compensation of employees > % of expense	12.08% Ranked 75th.	15.93% Ranked 64th. 32% more than United States
Parliament > Seats held by men per million people	1.12 Ranked 185th.	4.81 Ranked 160th. 4 times more than United States
Democracy and rights > Last election	November 2012	April 2013
Democracy > Presidential elections > Voter registration	156.42 million Ranked 1st. 13 times more than Venezuela	11.68 million Ranked 17th.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population per 1000	737.5 Ranked 40th. 35% more than Venezuela	547.78 Ranked 83th.
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number	17 Ranked 164th.	41 Ranked 47th. 2 times more than United States
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members	2 Ranked 183th.	5 Ranked 71st. 3 times more than United States
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million	1.18 Ranked 185th.	18.69 Ranked 148th. 16 times more than United States
Trademarks > Residents	213,495 Ranked 2nd. 16 times more than Venezuela	13,313 Ranked 17th.
Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita	0.013 per 1 million people Ranked 164th.	0.296 per 1 million people Ranked 120th. 23 times more than United States
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number > Per capita	0.057 per 1 million people Ranked 167th.	1.52 per 1 million people Ranked 124th. 27 times more than United States
Capital city > Time difference	UTC-5 (during Standard Time)	UTC-4.5 (half an hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Spending > Goods and services expense > % of expense	15.67% Ranked 32nd. 3 times more than Venezuela	6% Ranked 86th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ per capita	5,480.09 constant 2000 US$ Ranked 8th. 7 times more than Venezuela	737.02 constant 2000 US$ Ranked 33th.
Spending > Interest payments > % of expense	7.31% Ranked 3rd.	11.73% Ranked 17th. 60% more than United States
Spending > Other expense > % of expense	26.91% Ranked 1st. 10 times more than Venezuela	2.76% Ranked 67th.
Spending > Other expense > Current LCU	995.12 billion Ranked 1st. 473 times more than Venezuela	2.11 billion Ranked 54th.
Trademarks > Residents per million	729.14 Ranked 18th. 34% more than Venezuela	545.45 Ranked 30th.
Procedures to register property > Number per million	0.0134 Ranked 163th.	0.294 Ranked 118th. 22 times more than United States
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million	0.0603 Ranked 164th.	0.478 Ranked 136th. 8 times more than United States

SOURCES: CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013; World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/).; Wikipedia: List of countries by system of government (Alphabetical list of countries); All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; Wikipedia: Censorship by country (Censorship by country) ("Press Freedom Index 2013" , Reporters Without Borders, 30 January 2013); United Nations Statistics Division; "2012 Freedom of the Press Data" , Freedom House, 1 May 2012; World Development Indicators database; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2000-2001, New York: Freedom House, 2001; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva.; British Broadcasting Corporation 2014; Source: Millennium Development Goals Database | United Nations Statistics Division; World Economic Forum, Global Competiveness Report and data files.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/). Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; Wikipedia: International recognition of Israel (UN member states); Polity IV Project, University of Maryland, at Polity IV Project; United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook; CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005; 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); Wikipedia: Term of office (Terms of office by country); 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 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.; 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.; World Economic Forum, Global Competiveness Report and data files. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Nepal; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Croatia; Various sources compiled into Wikipedia's Secret ballot; Wikipedia: List of next general elections (Africa); Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (www.ipu.org); Wikipedia: List of countries by date of transition to republican system of government (List); International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.; 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.

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