Democracy vs. Republic
Country Type of
government Kingdom WA Islamic
republic 2004 x x x Akrotiri UK x Republic of
Albania Republic 1992 x x x People's
Democratic Republic of Algeria Republic x x x American
Samoa NA x Principality of
Andorra Parliamentary
democracy with coprincipalities. The two princes
are the president of France and bishop of
Spain. 1993 x x Republic of
Angola Republic,
multiparty presidential regime 1992 x x x Anguilla UK x Antigua and
Barbuda constitutional
monarchy with a parliamentary system of government
and a Commonwealth realm x x Argentine
Republic Republic 1983 x x x Republic of
Armenia Republic 1991 x x x Aruba Parliamentary
democracy x Ashmore and
Cartier Islands Territory of
Australia x Commonwealth of
Australia Federal
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth
realm 1901 x x Republic of
Austria Federal
republic x x x Republic of
Azerbaijan Republic x x x Constitutional
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth
realm x x Kingdom of
Bahrain Constitutional
monarchy x x x People's
Republic of Bangladesh parliamentary
democracy x x x Barbados parliamentary
democracy and a Commonwealth realm x x Republic of
Belarus Republic in name
through actually a dictatorship x x x Kingdom of
Belgium Federal
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional
monarchy x x x Belize parliamentary
democracy and a Commonwealth realm x x Republic of
Benin republic x x x Bermuda UK x Kingdom of
Bhutan Constitutional
monarchy x 2008 x x Plurinational
State of Bolivia Republic. Note
constitution defines Bolivia as a Social Unitarian
State 1983 x x Bosnia and
Herzegovina emerging federal
democratic republic x x Republic of
Botswana parliamentary
republic x x x Bouvet
Island Territory of
Norway x Federative
Republic of Brazil Federal
republic 1985 x x x British Indiana
Ocean Territory UK x British Virgin
Islands UK Internal,
self-governing x Brunei
Darussalam Constitutional
sultanate locally know as Malay Islamic
Monarchy x x Republic of
Bulgaria Parliamentary
democracy x x x Burkina
Faso Parliamentary
republic x Republic of
Burundi republic 2005 x x x Kingdom of
Cambodia Multiparty
democracy under a constitutional
monarchy x 1993 x x Republic of
Cameroon Republic,
multiparty presidential regime x x x Canada a parliamentary
democracy, a federation and a constitutional
monarchy 1931 x x Republic of Cape
Verde republic x x x Cayman
Islands UK x Central African
Republic republic 1993 x x x Republic of
Chad republic x x x Republic of
Chile republic 1989 x x x People's
Republic of China Communist
state x x x Christmas
Island Australia x Clipperton
Island French
possession x Cocos
(Keeling) Island Australia x Republic of
Colombia republic,
executive branch dominates government
structure 1974 x x x Union of the
Comoros republic x x Democratic
Republic of the Congo Zaire
(Brazzaville) republic 1992 x x x Republic of the
Congo 2005 x x Cook
Islands self-governing
in free association with New Zealand x Coral Sea
Islands Australia x Republic of
Costa Rica democratic
republic x x x Republic of Cote
d'lvoire (Ivory Coast) republic,
multiparty presidential regime. The government is
currently operating under a power-sharing agreement
mandated by international mediators x x x Republic of
Croatia presidential/parliamentary
democracy x x x Republic of
Cuba Communist
state x x x Republic of
Cyprus republic
(country split (Turkey and Greece - it's
complicated) x x x Czech
Republic Parliamentary
democracy 1989 x x x Constitutional
monarchy x 1849 x x Dhekelia UK x Republic of
Djibouti republic x x x Commonwealth of
Dominica Parliamentary
democracy x x Dominican
Republic democratic
republic x x x republic x x x Arab Republic of
Egypt republic x x x Republic of El
Salvador republic x x x Republic of
Equatorial Guinea republic x x x State of
Eritrea transitional
government since 1993 x x Republic of
Estonia parliamentary
republic x x x Federal
Democratic Republic of Ethiopia federal
republic 1995 x x x European
Union a hybrid
intergovernmental and supranational
organization x UK/Argentina x Faroe
Islands Denmark x Republic of the
Fiji Islands republic x x x Republic of
Finland republic x x x French
Republic republic 1951 x x x French
Polynesia NA x republic,
multiparty presidential regime 1993 x x x Republic of the
Gambia republic x x x Gaza
Strip NA x Georgia republic 2004 x x Federal Republic
of Germany federal
republic 1949 x x x Republic of
Ghana constitutional
democracy 1992 x x x Gibraltar UK x Greenland Denmark x Grenada parliamentary
democracy and a Commonwealth realm x x Guam US x Guatemala constitutional
democratic republic Hellenic
Republic (Greece) parliamentary
republic 19741985 x x x Guernsey UK x Republic of
Guinea republic 2010 x x x Republic of
Guinea-Bissau republic x x x Cooperative
Republic of Guyana republic x x x republic 2006 x x x Heard Island Australia x Holy See
(Vatican City) ecclesiastical x x Republic of
Honduras democratic
constitutional republic x x x Hong
Kong China x Republic of
Hungary parliamentary
democracy 1990 x x x constitutional
republic 1915 x x x Republic of
India federal
republic 1952 x x x Republic of
Indonesia republic 1999 x x x Islamic Republic
of Iran theocratic
republic x x x Republic of
Iraq parliamentary
democracy 2005 x x x Ireland republic
parliamentary democracy x x Isle of
Man UK x State of
Israel parliamentary
democracy 1948 x x Italian
Republic republic
1948 x x x constitutional
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth
realm x x Jan
Mayen Norway x Japan parliamentary
government with a constitutional
monarchy 1952 x x Jersey UK x Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan constitutional
monarchy x x x republic,
authoritarian presidential rule, with little power
outside the executive branch x x x Republic of
Kenya republic
1993 x x x Republic of
Kiribati republic
x x x Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (North) Communist state,
one-man dictatorship x x x Republic of
Korea (South) republic
1987 x x x Republic of
Kosovo republic
x x x State of
Kuwait constitutional
emirate x x Kyrgyz Republic
(Kyrgystan) republic
2005 x x x Communist
state x x x Republic of
Latvia parliamentary
democracy x x x Lebanese
Republic republic
2005 x x x Kingdom of
Lesotho parliamentary
constitutional monarchy x x x Republic of
Liberia republic
2005 x x x Great Socialist
People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Libya) Jamahiriya (a
state of the masses) in theory, governed by the
populace through local councils; in practice, an
authoritarian state x x Principality of
Liechtenstein constitutional
monarchy x x Republic of
Lithuania parliamentary
democracy x x x Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg constitutional
monarchy x x China x Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia parliamentary
democracy x x x Republic of
Madagascar republic 1992 x x x Republic of
Malawi multiparty
democracy 1994 x x x Malaysia constitutional
monarchy - complicated x x Republic of
Maldives republic 2008 x x x Republic of
Mali republic 1992 x x x Republic of
Malta republic x x x Republic of the
Marshall Islands constitutional
government in free association with the
US x x x Islamic Republic
of Mauritania military
junta 2007 x x x Republic of
Mauritius parliamentary
democracy x x x Mayotte parliamentary
democracy x United Mexican
States federal
republic 1949 x x Federated States
of Micronesia constitutional
government in free association with the
US x x Republic of
Moldova republic x x x Principality of
Monaco constitutional
monarchy x x Mongolia parliamentary 1990 x x Montenegro
(Yugoslavia) republic x x Montserrat UK x Kingdom of
Morocco constitutional
monarchy x x x Republic of
Mozambique republic x x x Union of Myanmar
(Burma) Military
regime x x republic 1989 x x x Nauru republic x x x Navassa
Island US x Federal
Democratic Republic of Nepal federal
democratic republic 1991 x x x Kingdom of the
Netherlands constitutional
monarchy x x x Netherlands
Antilles Netherlands x New
Caledonia France x New
Zealand Parliamentary
democracy and a Commonwealth realm 1893
1947 x x Republic of
Nicaragua republic x x x Republic of
Niger republic 1993 x x x Federal Republic
of Nigeria federal
republic 1999 x x x Niue New
Zealand x Norfolk
Island Australia x Northern Mariana
Islands US x Kingdom of
Norway constitutional
monarchy x x x monarchy x x federal
republic 2008 x x x Palestine 2005 Republic of
Palau US x x x Republic of
Panama Constitutional
democracy 1989 x x x Independent
State of Papua New Guinea constitutional
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth
realm x x Paracel
Islands China x Republic of
Paraguay constitutional
republic x x x Republic of
Peru constitutional
republic 1980 x x x Republic of the
Philippines republic 1986 x x x Pitcairn
Islands UK x Republic of
Poland republic 1990 x x x Portuguese
Republic (Portugal) republic,
parliamentary democracy 1974 x x x Puerto
Rico US x emirate x x republic 1990 x x Russian
Federation federation 1996 x x Republic of
Rwanda republic,
presidential, multiparty system x x x France x Saint Helena,
Ascension and Tristan da Cunha UK x Federation of
Saint Kitts and Nevis parliamentary
democracy and Commonwealth realm x x Saint
Lucia parliamentary
democracy and Commonwealth realm x x Saint
Martin France x Saint Pierre and
Miquelon France Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines parliamentary
democracy and Commonwealth realm x x Independent
State of Samoa (Formerly Western Samoa) parliamentary
democracy x x Republic of San
Marino republic x x x Democratic
Republic of Sao Tome and Principe republic x x x Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia monarchy x x x Republic of
Senegal republic 2000 x x x Republic of
Serbia (Yugoslavia) republic 2000 x x x Republic of
Seychelles republic x x x Republic of
Sierra Leone constitutional
democracy x x x Republic of
Singapore parliamentary
republic x x x Slovak
Republic parliamentary
democracy x x x Republic of
Slovenia parliamentary
republic x x x Solomon
Islands parliamentary
democracy and Commonwealth realm x x Somalia no permanent
national government, transitional, parliamentary
federal government x x Republic of
South Africa republic 1994 x x x South Georgia
and South Sandwich Islands UK x Kingdom of
Spain parliamentary
monarchy x 1975 x x Spratly
Islands x Democratic
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka republic x x x Republic of the
Sudan government of
national unity-the national congress party and
Sudan people's liberation movement power-sharing
Due to have national elections x x x South
Sudan 98.8% of people
vote to separate Southern Sudan from Sudan. Country
yet to be named - 020911 Republic of
Suriname constitutional
democracy x x x Svalbard Norway x Kingdom of
Swaziland monarchy x x x Kingdom of
Sweden constitutional
monarchy x 1907 x x Swiss
Confederation (Switzerland) formally a
confederation but similar in structure to a federal
republic 1798 x x Syrian Arab
Republic republic under
an authoritarian military-dominated
regime x x x multiparty
democracy 1992 x x Republic of
Tajikistan republic x x x United Republic
of Tansania republic 1995 x x x Kingdom of
Thailand constitutional
monarchy x x x Democratic
Republic of Timor-Leste republic 2002 x x x Togolese Republic republic under
transition to multiparty democratic rule 2007 x x x Tokelau New
Zealand x Kingdom of
Tonga constitutional
monarchy x x x Republic of
Trinidad and Tobago parliamentary
democracy x x x Tunisian
Republic republic x x x Republic of
Turkey republican
parliamentary democracy 1950 x x x Turkmenistan defines itself
as a secular democracy and a presidential republic;
in actuality displays authoritarian presidential
rule, with power concentrated within the executive
branch x x Turks and Caicos
Islands UK x Tuvalu parliamentary
democracy and a Commonwealth realm x x Republic 1996 x x x Ukraine republic 2004 x x United Arab
Emirates federation with
specified powers delegated to the UAE federal
government and other powers reserved to member
emirates x x United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - Wales,
Scotland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Bigraltar,
British West Indies, Bermuda, Falkland Islands,
South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, St. Helena,
Tristan de Cunha, Ascention, Pitcalm
Island. constitutional
monarchy and Commonwealth realm x 1918 x x United States of
America - American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana
Islands, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands (St. John, St.
Croix, St. Thomas), Navassa, Wake, Wilkes, Peale,
Pacific Remote Islands Natl. Wildlife Refuge
Complex, Midway Atoll, Johnston Atoll, Kingman
Reff, Palmyra Atoll, Jarvis Island, Howland and
Baker Islands. Constitution-based
federal republic, strong democratic
tradition 1789 x x Oriental
Republic of Uruguay constitutional
republic x x x Republic of
Uzbekistan republic,
authoritarian presidential rule, with little power
outside the executive branch x x x parliamentary
republic x x x Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela federal
republic 1958 x x x Socialist
Republic of Vietnam communist
state x x x Virgin
Islands US x US x Wallis and
Futuna France x West
Bank x Western
Sahara legal status of
territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved
territory contested by Morocco - it's
complicated x republic x x x republic 1991 x x x Republic of
Zimbabwe parliamentary
democracy x x x Source: WA-The
World Almanac and Book of Facts 2011, CA-The
CIA World Factbook 2011, DEM-Democracy,
REP-Republic in name This entry gives the basic form of government. Definitions of the major governmental terms are as follows. (Note: that for some countries more than one definition applies): Absolute monarchy - a form of government where the monarch rules unhindered, i.e., without any laws, constitution or legally organized opposition. Anarchy - a condition of lawlessness or political disorder brought about by the absence of governmental authority Authoritarian - a form of government in which state authority is imposed onto many aspects of citizen's lives Commonwealth - a nation, state, or other political entity founded on law and united by a compact of the people for the common good. Communist - a system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single-often authoritarian-party holds power, state controls are imposed with the elimination of private ownership of property or capital while claiming to make progress toward a high social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people, i.e., a classless society) Confederacy - confederation - a union by compact or treaty between states, provinces or territories, that creates a central government with limited powers; the constituent entities retain supreme authority over all matters except those delegated to the central government. Constitutional - a government by or operating under an authoritative document (constitution) that sets forth the system of fundamental laws and principles that determines the nature, functions, and limits of that government. Constitutional democracy - a form of government in which the sovereign power of the people is spelled out in a governing constitution. Constitutional monarchy - a system of government in which a monarch is guided by a constitution whereby his/her rights, duties and responsibilities are spelled out in written law or by custom. Democracy - a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but which is usually exercised indirectly through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed. Democratic republic - a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them. Dictatorship - a form of government in which a ruler or small clique wield absolute power (not restricted by a constitution or laws) Ecclesiastical - a government administrated by a church. Emirate - similar to a monarchy or sultanate but a government in which the supreme power is in the hands of an emir (the ruler of a Muslin state); the emir may be an absolute overlord or a sovereign with constitutionally limited authority. Federal (Federation) - A form of government in which sovereign power if formally divided - usually by means is a constitution-between a central authority and a number of constituent regions (states, colonies, or provinces) so that each region retains some management of its internal affairs; differs from a confederacy in that the central government exerts influence directly upon both individuals as well as upon the regional units. Federal republic - a state in which the powers of the central government are restricted and in which the component parts (states, colonies, or provinces) retain a degree of self-government; ultimate sovereign power rests with the voters who chose their governmental representatives. Islamic republic - a particular form of government adopted by some Muslim states although such a state is, in theory, a theocracy, it remains a republic, but its laws are required to be compatible with the laws of Islam. Maoism - the theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism develop in China by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) which states that a continuous revolution is necessary if the leaders of a communist state are to keep in touch with the people. Marxism - the political, economic, and social principles espoused by 19th century economist Karl Marx, he viewed the struggle of workers as a progression of historical forces that would proceed from a class struggle of the proletariat (workers) exploited by capitalists (business owners) to a socialist "dictatorship of the proletariat," to finally, a classless society - Communism. Marxism - Leninism-an expanded form of communism developed by Lenin from doctrines of Karl Marx; Lenin saw imperialism as the final stage of capitalism and shifted the focus of workers' struggle from developed to underdeveloped countries. Monarchy - a government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of a monarch who reigns over a state or territory, usually for life and by hereditary right; the monarch may be either a sole absolute ruler or a sovereign - such as a king, queen, or prince - with constitutionally limited authority. Oligarchy - a government in which control is exercised by a small group of individuals whose authority generally is based on wealth or power. Parliamentary democracy - a political system in which the legislature (parliament) selects the government - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor along with the cabinet ministers - according to party strength as expressed in elections; by this system, the government acquires a dual responsibility; to the people as well as to the parliament. Parliamentary government (Cabinet-Parliamentary government - a government in which members of an executive branch (the cabinet and its leader - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor are nominated to their positions by a legislature or parliament, and are directly responsible to it; this type of government can be dissolved at will by the parliament (legislature by means of a no confidence vote or the leader of the cabinet may dissolve the parliament if it can no longer function. Parliamentary monarchy - a state headed by a monarch who is not actively involved in policy formation or implementation (i.e.,the exercise of sovereign powers by a monarch in a ceremonial capacity); true governmental leadership is carried out by a cabinet and its head - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor - who are drawn from a legislature (parliament) Presidential - a system of government where the executive branch exists separately from a legislature (to which it is generally not accountable) Republic - a representative democracy in which the people's elected deputies (representatives), not the people themselves, vote on legislation. Socialism - a government in which the means of planning, producing and distributing goods is controlled by a central government that theoretically seeks a more just and equitable distribution of property and labor; in actuality, most socialist governments have ended up being no more than dictatorships over workers by a ruling elite. Sultanate - similar to a monarchy, but a government in which the supreme power is in the hands of a sultan the lead of a Muslim state) the sultan may be an absolute ruler or a sovereign with constitutionally limited authority. Theocracy - a form of government in which a Deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler but the Deity's laws are interpreted by ecclesiastical authorities (bishops, mullahs, etc. - a government subject to religious authority. Totalitarian - a government that seeks to subordinate the individual to the state by controlling not only all political and economic matters, but also the attitudes, values and beliefs of its population.
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