Government Stats: compare key data on Italy & United States

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 > 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.
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.
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.
Corruption > Bribe Payers Index: 2008
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament: Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber occupied by women.
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.
Democracy and rights > Democracy Index: DI 2012.
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient: Burden of customs procedure, WEF (1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient). Burden of Customs Procedure measures business executives' perceptions of their country's efficiency of customs procedures. The rating ranges from 1 to 7, with a higher score indicating greater efficiency. Data are from the World Economic Forum's Executive Opinion Survey, conducted for 30 years in collaboration with 150 partner institutes. The 2009 round included more than 13,000 respondents from 133 countries. Sampling follows a dual stratification based on company size and the sector of activity. Data are collected online or through in-person interviews. Responses are aggregated using sector-weighted averaging. The data for the latest year are combined with the data for the previous year to create a two-year moving average. Respondents evaluated the efficiency of customs procedures in their country. The lowest score (1) rates the customs procedure as extremely inefficient, and the highest score (7) as extremely efficient.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days: Time required to register property (days). Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.
Politics: Country politics.
International law organization participation: This entry includes information on a country's acceptance of jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and of the International Criminal Court (ICCt); 55 countries have accepted ICJ jurisdiction with reservations and 11 have accepted ICJ jurisdiction without reservations; 114 countries have accepted ICCt jurisdiction. Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups explains the differing mandates of the ICJ and ICCt.
Parliament > Seats held by men: Number of seats held by men in country's naitonal parliament or legislative houses.
Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years: Time to resolve insolvency (years). Time to resolve insolvency is the number of years from the filing for insolvency in court until the resolution of distressed assets.
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
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
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating: Democratic institutions
Units: Scale ranging from -10 (autocratic) to +10 (democratic)
UN membership date: Date of United Nations Membership
Democracy and rights > Democracy Index per million people: DI 2012. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
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.
Democracy and rights > Year women first voted at national level: Year women first voted at national level.
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.
Capital > Time difference: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
International relations: Country international relations.
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million: Time required to get electricity (days). Time required to get electricity is the number of days to obtain a permanent electricity connection. The measure captures the median duration that the electricity utility and experts indicate is necessary in practice, rather than required by law, to complete a procedure. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
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.
Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members: Members of the lower house of the legislature or of the only chamber in a unicameral system.
Democracy > Female ministers: Women in government at ministerial level in 2000 (as % of total). Data were provided by states based on their definition of national executive and may therefore include women serving as ministers and vice ministers and those holding other ministerial positions, including parliamentary secretaries.
Legislature (parliament) > Upper house members: Members of the upper house of the legislature. Does not include countries with 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.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.
Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong: Strength of legal rights index measures the degree to which collateral and bankruptcy laws protect the rights of borrowers and lenders and thus facilitate lending. The index ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating that these laws are better designed to expand access to credit."
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.
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."
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."
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for upper house members: Members of the upper house*.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
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.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Syrian National Council: Date on which the Syrian National Council was recognized, at least as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people. For more information, please see http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Government/Foreign-relations/International-recognition-of-the-Syrian-National-Council-notes
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million: Procedures to enforce a contract (number). Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million: Time required to start a business (days). Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million: Time required to register property (days). Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Red tape > 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.
Capital > Daylight saving time: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
Spending > Interest payments > Current LCU: Interest payments include interest payments on government debt--including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments--to domestic and foreign residents."
Democracy and rights > Major left wing party: Left-wing major party.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ > Per capita: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in constant 2000 U.S. dollars. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population.
Time required to build a warehouse > Days: Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
Failed States Index: FSI 2013.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population: International IDEA has chosen to use not only the reported registration rate to calculate turnout percentages, but also the voting age population (VAP) which includes all citizens above the legal voting age
Democracy > Female candidacy: Year in which women received the right to stand for election. Data refer to the year in which right to vote or stand for election on a universal and equal basis was recognized. Where two years are shown, the first refers to the first partial recognition of the right to stand for election.
Trademarks > Nonresidents per 1000: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
Trademarks > Nonresidents > Per capita: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > 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 > Turnout: The number of votes divided by the Voting Age Population figure, expressed as a percentage.
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.
Time required to enforce a contract > Days: Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
Democracy and rights > Electoral system: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of electoral system (First Past the Post electoral system; Single-Member District Plurality, also known as First Past the Post (FPTP): There is one seat per district, the candidate with the most votes wins it; Proportional Representation: There are multiple seats for each voting district, allocation is based on either party lists, multi-member proportional (MMP), single transferable vote (STV) or semi-PR; FrenchTtwo-RoundSsystem; Alternative Vote (AV)).
Procedures to register property > Number: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number: Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.
Democracy and rights > Party system: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of party system (two-party or multi-party).
Democracy and rights > Structure: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of structure (presidential or parliamentary).
Democracy > Secret ballot > Date of introduction: Date voting by secret ballot was introduced in different countries around the world.
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 > 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."
Democracy and rights > Next election: Next election.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Democracy and rights > Last election: Last election.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Democracy and rights > Strong judicial review?: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of judicial review, which is the power to declare unconstitutional laws duly passed by parliament and/or signed by the president. (As distinct from the ability to strike down acts of subordinate governments, such as states or provinces. (Strong judicial review or no strong judicial review).
Democracy and rights > Strongly federal?: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of federalism (strongly federal or not strongly federal).
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.
Foreign relations > International recognition of the Syrian National Council notes:
Degree to which the Syrian National Council is recognized as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people.
Democracy and rights > Major right wing party: Right-wing major party.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Democracy and rights > Active Labor party: Party.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament: Number of members of the legislature (sum of members of all chambers of parliament where applicable).
Legislature (parliament) > Strongly bicameral?: Political scientist Robert A. Dahl compares the constitutions of countries which have been “steadily democratic since 1950” on the characteristic of bicameralism, determing if there are two houses in the legislature, both with substantial powers. (Strongly bicameral or not strongly bicameral).
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."
Trademarks > Residents per million: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Procedures to register property > Number per million: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Ruling party: In power now.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million: Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
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.
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.
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.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant LCU: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in constant local currency.
Trademarks > Residents > Per capita: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
Spending > Other expense > Current LCU: Other expense is spending on dividends, rent, and other miscellaneous expenses, including provision for consumption of fixed capital."
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 > 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.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > %: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%). Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber held by women.
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > % of expense: Subsidies, grants, and other social benefits include all unrequited, nonrepayable transfers on current account to private and public enterprises; grants to foreign governments, international organisations, and other government units; and social security, social assistance benefits, and employer social benefits in cash and in kind."
Parliament > Seats held by men per million people: Number of seats held by men in country's naitonal parliament or legislative houses. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
Spending > Interest payments > % of revenue: Interest payments include interest payments on government debt--including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments--to domestic and foreign residents."
Foreign relations > Date of establishment of relations with China: The date on which each country established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
Foreign relations > Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia: Statements on the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia issued by countries who do not recognize their sovereignty.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Kosovo: Date on which Kosovo was officially recognized as a state.
Democracy and rights > Major party notes: Notes.
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.
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.
Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours: Time to prepare and pay taxes is the time, in hours per year, it takes to prepare, file, and pay (or withhold) three major types of taxes: the corporate income tax, the value added or sales tax, and labor taxes, including payroll taxes and social security contributions.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$: General government final consumption expenditure (formerly general government consumption) includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees). It also includes most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. Data are in constant 2000 U.S. dollars.

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STAT	Italy	United States
Administrative divisions	15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma)<br /><strong>regions:</strong> Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria, Veneto (Venetia)<br /><strong>autonomous regions:</strong> Friuli-Venezia Giulia; Sardegna (Sardinia); Sicilia (Sicily); Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol) or Trentino-Suedtirol (German); Valle d'Aosta (Aosta Valley) or Vallee d'Aoste (French)	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
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	41 54 N, 12 29 E	38 53 N, 77 02 W
Capital city > Name	Rome	Washington, DC
Constitution	previous 1848 (originally for Kingdom of Sardinia and adopted by Kingdom of Italy in 1861); latest enacted 22 December 1947, adopted 27 December 1947, entered into force 1 January 1948; amended many times, last in 2012	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
Executive branch > Cabinet	Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister and nominated by the President of the Republic	Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval
Executive branch > Chief of state	President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May 2006)	President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)
Executive branch > Head of government	Prime Minister Enrico LETTA (since 17 April 2013)	President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)
Government type	republic	Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition
International organization participation	ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC	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
Judicial branch	Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15 judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third elected by parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative Supreme Courts); Supreme Court of Cassation or Corte Suprema di Cassazione	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
Legal system	civil law system; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court	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
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (315 seats; members elected by proportional vote with the winning coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats from that region; members to serve five-year terms; and up to 5 senators for life appointed by the president of the Republic) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; members elected by popular vote with the winning national coalition receiving 54% of chamber seats; members to serve five-year terms); note - it has not been clarified if each president has the power to designate up to five senators or if five is the number of senators for life who might sit in the Senate	bicameral Congress consists of the Senate
Political parties and leaders	<strong>Center-right coalition [Silvio BERLUSCONI]: </strong><br />People of Freedom or PdL [Silvio BERLUSCONI]<br />Northern League or LN [Roberto MARONI]<br />Brothers of Italy or Fdl [Giorgia MELONI and Ignazio LA RUSSA]<br />The Right or LD [Francesco STORACE]<br />other minor parties<br /><br /><strong>Italy Common Good (Center-Left) [Pier Luigi BERSANI]:</strong><br />Democratic Party or PD [Pier Luigi BERSANI]<br />Left Ecology Freedom or SEL [Nichi VENDOLA]<br />Italian Socialist Party or PSI [Riccardo NENCINI]<br />Democratic Centre or CD [Bruno TABACCI and Massimo DONADI]<br />South Tyrolean People's Party or SVP [Luis DURNWALDER]<br /><br /><strong>With Monti for Italy (Centrist):</strong><br />Civic Choice or SC [Mario MONTI]<br />Union of the Center or UdC [Pier Ferdinando CASINI]<br />Future and Freedom for Italy or FLI [Gianfranco FINI]<br /><br /><strong>other coalitions and parties:</strong><br />Civil Revolution or RC [Antonio INGROIA]<br />Act to Stop the Decline or FiD [Oscar GIANNINO]<br />Five Star Movment or M5S [Beppe GRILLO]	Democratic Party [Debbie Wasserman SCHULTZ]<br />Green Party<br />Libertarian Party [Mark HINKLE]<br />Republican Party [Reince PRIEBUS]
Political pressure groups and leaders	manufacturers and merchants associations - Confcommercio; Confindustria<br />organized farm groups - Confcoltivatori; Confagricoltura; Roman Catholic Church<br />three major trade union confederations - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL [Susanna CAMUSSO] which is left wing; Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Raffaele BONANNI], which is Roman Catholic centrist; Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Luigi ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist	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
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)	18 years of age; universal
Country name > Conventional long form	Italian Republic	United States of America
Executive branch > Elections	president elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held on 24-25 February 2013 (next to be held in 2020); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament	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)
National symbol(s)	white, five-pointed star (Stella d'Italia)	bald eagle
Flag description	three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; design inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797; colors are those of Milan (red and white) combined with the green uniform color of the Milanese civic guard	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
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days	6 Ranked 161st. 20% more than United States	5 Ranked 170th.
Country name > Conventional short form	Italy	United States
Constitutional form	Republic	Republic
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International	Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa	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
National anthem	<strong>name: </strong>"Il Canto degli Italiani" (The Song of the Italians)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Goffredo MAMELI/Michele NOVARO	<strong>name: </strong>"The Star-Spangled Banner"<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH
Legislative branch > Elections	Senate - last held on 24-25 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 24-25 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018)	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)
Legislative branch > Election results	Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Pier Luigi BERSANI coalition 123 (PD 111, SEL 7, SVP 2, other 3), Silvio BERLUSCONI coalition 117 (PdL 98, LN 18, other 1), M5S 54, Mario MONTI coalition 19, other 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Pier Luigi BERSANI coalition 345 (PD 297, SEL 37, CD 6 SVP 5), Silvio BERLUSCONI coalition 125 (PdL 98, LN 18, FdI 9), M5S 109, Mario MONTI coalition 47, other 4	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
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index	26.11 Ranked 6th. 43% more than United States	18.22 Ranked 13th.
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage	21.43% Ranked 73th. 21% more than United States	17.78% Ranked 91st.
Independence	17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)	4 July 1776 (declared); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain)
Executive branch > Election results	Giorgio NAPOLITANO elected president on the sixth round of voting; electoral college vote - 739	Barack H. OBAMA reelected president; percent of popular vote - Barack H. OBAMA 50.6%, Mitt ROMNEY 47.9%, other 1.5%;
Judicial branch > Subordinate courts	various lower civil and criminal courts (primary and secondary tribunals, courts, and courts of appeal)	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
Basis of executive legitimacy	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence	Presidency is independent of legislature
Transnational Issues > Illicit drugs	important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling	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
Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press	33 Ranked 125th. 83% more than United States	18 Ranked 171st.
Corruption > Bribe Payers Index	7.4 Ranked 16th.	8.1 Ranked 8th. 9% more than Italy
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament	17.3% Ranked 69th. 14% more than United States	15.2% Ranked 79th.
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number	6 Ranked 114th. The same as United States	6 Ranked 103th.
Democracy > Civil and political liberties	5.5 Ranked 29th.	6 Ranked 6th. 9% more than Italy
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$	357.61 billion$ Ranked 4th.	1.84 trillion$ Ranked 1st. 5 times more than Italy
National holiday	Republic Day, 2 June	Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Capital > Geographic coordinates	41 54 N, 12 29 E	38 53 N, 77 02 W
Democracy > First female parliamentarian	1946 (elected)	1917 (elected)
Time required to start a business > Days	13 days Ranked 150th. 3 times more than United States	5 days Ranked 167th.
Leaders > President	Giorgio Napolitano	Barack Obama
Democracy > Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment	0.995 Ranked 51st. About the same as United States	0.991 Ranked 52nd.
Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office	Supreme Court judges appointed by the Superior Council of the Judiciary, headed by the president, to serve NA terms; Constitutional Court judges - 5 appointed by the president, 5 elected by parliament, 5 elected by select higher courts; judges serve up to 9 years)	president nominates, and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints Supreme Court justices; justices appointed for life
Democracy and rights > Democracy Index	7.74 Ranked 25th.	8.11 Ranked 18th. 5% more than Italy
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient	4.1 Ranked 71st.	4.5 Ranked 43th. 10% more than Italy
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days	16 Ranked 145th. 33% more than United States	12 Ranked 158th.
Politics	Two months after the 2013 elections left a stalemated parliament, a grand coalition was formed under Enrico Letta	Barack Obama, America's first black president, was re-elected in November 2012
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction	withdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction in 2005; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002
Parliament > Seats held by men	495 Ranked 4th. 39% more than United States	356 Ranked 21st.
Red tape > Time to resolve insolvency > Years	1.8 Ranked 131st. 20% more than United States	1.5 Ranked 144th.
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million	0.0985 Ranked 167th. 5 times more than United States	0.0191 Ranked 185th.
Parliament > Seats held by women	135 Ranked 13th. 75% more than United States	77 Ranked 27th.
Leaders > President > Summary	President Giorgio Napolitano has been a stabilising influence on Italian political life	Barack Obama, the country's first black president
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating	10 Ranked 21st. The same as United States	10 Ranked 9th.
UN membership date	14 Dec. 1955	24 Oct. 1945
Democracy and rights > Democracy Index per million people	0.127 Ranked 28th. 5 times more than United States	0.0258 Ranked 34th.
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number	11 Ranked 151st.	16 Ranked 60th. 45% more than Italy
Capital city	Rome	Washington, DC
Capital > Name	Rome	Washington, DC
Legal origin	<a href=/country/fr>French</a>	<a href=/encyclopedia/England>English</a>
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per capita	6,101.91$ per capita Ranked 13th.	6,281.51$ per capita Ranked 14th. 3% more than Italy
Spending > Expense > Current LCU	631.13 billion Ranked 29th.	3.7 trillion Ranked 1st. 6 times more than Italy
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days	124 Ranked 56th. 2 times more than United States	60 Ranked 144th.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Registered voter turnout	81.4% Ranked 36th. 28% more than United States	63.8% Ranked 101st.
Democracy and rights > Year women first voted at national level	1946	1920
Legislature (parliament) > People per member	63,411 Ranked 52nd.	575,019 Ranked 3rd. 9 times more than Italy
Capital > Time difference	UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	UTC-5 (during Standard Time)
International relations	Italian forces have been active in peacekeeping in the Balkans, Africa and Middle East, and are present in Afghanistan	The US has a leading role on the world stage, militarily and diplomatically. Its combat troops are set to leave Afghanistan by late 2014
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million	2.04 Ranked 159th. 11 times more than United States	0.191 Ranked 186th.
Leaders > Head of state > Term limit for head of state	7 Ranked 8th. 75% more than United States	4 Ranked 129th.
Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members	630 Ranked 5th. 45% more than United States	435 Ranked 25th.
Democracy > Female ministers	25.6% Ranked 26th. 4 times more than United States	7.1% Ranked 92nd.
Legislature (parliament) > Upper house members	315 Ranked 3rd. 3 times more than United States	100 Ranked 24th.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days	1,185 Ranked 17th. 3 times more than United States	370 Ranked 164th.
Democracy > Female parliamentarians	9.1% Ranked 102nd.	13.8% Ranked 60th. 52% more than Italy
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number	4 Ranked 158th. The same as United States	4 Ranked 145th.
Leaders > President > Profile	<p>Giorgio Napolitano was re-elected as president of Italy in April 2013 - the first time in the history of the Italian republic that an incumbent president had been voted in to serve a second term.</p> <p>The 87-years-old Mr Napolitano had previously signalled that he was keen to retire and had ruled himself out as a candidate, but after five rounds of voting failed to elect a new president, he was prevailed upon to stand as a consensus candidate in the sixth round.</p> <p>In that ballot, he secured 738 votes out of a possible total of 1,007 that could be cast by the combined chambers of parliament.</p> <p>Mr Napolitano's re-election came in the wake of an inconclusive parliamentary election in February 2013 that gave rise to protracted negotiations over the formation of a new government.</p> <p>During this period, the president came to be seen as a guarantor of stability. However, those pushing for change and a radical shake-up of the old political class saw Mr Napolitano's re-election as a further sign of political stagnation.</p> <p>Giorgio Napolitano began his first term of office in May 2006, when he was sworn in as Italy's 11th post-war president.</p> <p>The former member of the Italian Communist Party was among the leading architects of the party's transformation into a social-democratic movement.</p> <p>The Italian president heads the armed forces and has powers to veto legislation, disband parliament and call elections.</p> <p>For most of his first term, Mr Napolitano preferred to remain distant from the often treacherous world of Italian parliamentary politics, and so when he did intervene directly - as happened in November 2011, when he issued a not-so-coded message to the political class to examine its conscience and acknowledge collective responsibility for the crisis facing the country - his words carried considerable weight.</p>	<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>
Role of head of state	Ceremonial	Executive
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ per capita	6,101.91$ Ranked 13th.	6,299.75$ Ranked 14th. 3% more than Italy
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number	9 Ranked 93th. 80% more than United States	5 Ranked 154th.
Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong	3 Ranked 143th.	8 Ranked 27th. 3 times more than Italy
Red tape > Burden of customs procedure, WEF > 1=extremely inefficient to 7=extremely efficient per million	0.0673 Ranked 121st. 5 times more than United States	0.0143 Ranked 141st.
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > Current LCU	411.71 billion Ranked 22nd.	2.56 trillion Ranked 1st. 6 times more than Italy
Spending > Compensation of employees > Current LCU	97.33 billion Ranked 31st.	399.42 billion Ranked 14th. 4 times more than Italy
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for upper house members	5 Ranked 39th.	6 Ranked 17th. 20% more than Italy
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current US$ > Per $ GDP	0.203$ per $1 of GDP Ranked 31st. 28% more than United States	0.158$ per $1 of GDP Ranked 76th.
Parliament > Seats held by women per million people	2.2 Ranked 121st. 9 times more than United States	0.243 Ranked 175th.
Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment	August 31, 1959	April 25, 1947
Democracy > Female suffrage	1945	"1920 ,1960"
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days	233.5 Ranked 35th. 3 times more than United States	91 Ranked 157th.
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Syrian National Council	Informal relations Verbal support Rejection of Assad government	Recognised on 5 December 2011 (as legitimate representative)
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million	0.607 Ranked 165th. 6 times more than United States	0.102 Ranked 185th.
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million	0.0985 Ranked 182nd. 6 times more than United States	0.0159 Ranked 188th.
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million	0.41 Ranked 161st. 11 times more than United States	0.0382 Ranked 181st.
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million	0.181 Ranked 167th. 4 times more than United States	0.051 Ranked 182nd.
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million	3.83 Ranked 155th. 13 times more than United States	0.29 Ranked 183th.
Capital > Daylight saving time	+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October	+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
Spending > Interest payments > Current LCU	75.59 billion Ranked 18th.	270.49 billion Ranked 1st. 4 times more than Italy
Democracy and rights > Major left wing party	Democratic Party	Democratic Party
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ > Per capita	3,794.89 constant 2000 US$ per c Ranked 14th.	5,464.23 constant 2000 US$ per c Ranked 8th. 44% more than Italy
Time required to build a warehouse > Days	284 days Ranked 27th. 4 times more than United States	69 days Ranked 164th.
Failed States Index	44.6 Ranked 7th. 33% more than United States	33.5 Ranked 14th.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population	47.33 million Ranked 12th.	213.95 million Ranked 2nd. 5 times more than Italy
Democracy > Female candidacy	1,945 Ranked 101st. 9% more than United States	1,788 Ranked 161st.
Trademarks > Nonresidents per 1000	0.143 Ranked 44th. 55% more than United States	0.0922 Ranked 35th.
Trademarks > Nonresidents > Per capita	0.143 per 1,000 people Ranked 43th. 55% more than United States	0.092 per 1,000 people Ranked 35th.
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment	January 17, 1992	August 11, 1992
National anthem > Name	"Il Canto degli Italiani" (The Song of the Italians)	"The Star-Spangled Banner"
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Total vote	40.2 million Ranked 9th.	99.74 million Ranked 3rd. 2 times more than Italy
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Turnout	84.9 Ranked 21st. 82% more than United States	46.6 Ranked 93th.
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voter registration	49.36 million Ranked 12th.	156.42 million Ranked 2nd. 3 times more than Italy
Time required to enforce a contract > Days	1,210 days Ranked 10th. 4 times more than United States	300 days Ranked 136th.
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita	0.154 per 1 million people Ranked 146th. 9 times more than United States	0.017 per 1 million people Ranked 168th.
Democracy and rights > Electoral system	PR (MMP)	FPTP
Procedures to register property > Number	8 Ranked 37th. Twice as much as United States	4 Ranked 131st.
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number	17 Ranked 84th.	18 Ranked 67th. 6% more than Italy
Democracy and rights > Party system	Multi	Two
Democracy and rights > Structure	Parliamentary	Presidential
Democracy > Secret ballot > Date of introduction	1861	1891
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million	0.679 Ranked 141st. 12 times more than United States	0.057 Ranked 166th.
Spending > Expense > % of GDP	40.25% Ranked 13th. 55% more than United States	25.94% Ranked 2nd.
Spending > Compensation of employees > % of expense	15.42% Ranked 63th. 28% more than United States	12.08% Ranked 75th.
Democracy and rights > Next election	February 2018	November 2016
Democracy and rights > Last election	February 2013	November 2012
Democracy and rights > Strong judicial review?	No	Yes
Democracy and rights > Strongly federal?	No	Yes
Democracy > Parliamentary elections > Voting age population per 1000	821.68 Ranked 7th. 11% more than United States	737.5 Ranked 40th.
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number	40 Ranked 54th. 2 times more than United States	17 Ranked 164th.
Foreign relations > International recognition of the Syrian National Council notes	On 25 November Italian Foreign Minister, Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata reiterated Italy's support to "organised opposition" in the shape of SNC. On 11 December, Terzi met SNC's president Burhan Ghalioun and said Italy would intensify its contacts with SNC which grouped "an important segment" of the Syrian opposition .	The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton , deemed the Syrian National Council as a \u201cleading and legitimate representative of Syrians seeking a peaceful democratic transition,\u201d and that the United States was \u201ccommitted to helping... make this transition.\u201d
Democracy and rights > Major right wing party	Forza Italia	Republican Party
Democracy and rights > Active Labor party	Labour Federation	Socialist Labor Party of America Labor Party (United States, 1996) Minnesota Democratic\u2013Farmer\u2013Labor Party
Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament	948 Ranked 3rd. 77% more than United States	535 Ranked 25th.
Legislature (parliament) > Strongly bicameral?	Yes	Yes
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members	5 Ranked 74th. 3 times more than United States	2 Ranked 183th.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million	19.45 Ranked 146th. 17 times more than United States	1.18 Ranked 185th.
Trademarks > Residents	39,459 Ranked 11th.	213,495 Ranked 2nd. 5 times more than Italy
Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita	0.137 per 1 million people Ranked 139th. 11 times more than United States	0.013 per 1 million people Ranked 164th.
Procedures to enforce a contract > Number > Per capita	0.683 per 1 million people Ranked 142nd. 12 times more than United States	0.057 per 1 million people Ranked 167th.
Capital city > Time difference	UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	UTC-5 (during Standard Time)
Spending > Goods and services expense > % of expense	3.82% Ranked 85th.	15.67% Ranked 32nd. 4 times more than Italy
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$ per capita	3,794.89 constant 2000 US$ Ranked 14th.	5,480.09 constant 2000 US$ Ranked 8th. 44% more than Italy
Spending > Interest payments > % of expense	11.98% Ranked 12th. 64% more than United States	7.31% Ranked 3rd.
Spending > Other expense > % of expense	5.21% Ranked 51st.	26.91% Ranked 1st. 5 times more than Italy
Trademarks > Residents per million	692.97 Ranked 25th.	729.14 Ranked 18th. 5% more than Italy
Procedures to register property > Number per million	0.136 Ranked 139th. 10 times more than United States	0.0134 Ranked 163th.
Ruling party	Democrat / NCD	Democratic
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million	0.288 Ranked 146th. 5 times more than United States	0.0603 Ranked 164th.
Procedures to build a warehouse > Number > Per capita	0.29 per 1 million people Ranked 146th. 5 times more than United States	0.06 per 1 million people Ranked 165th.
Republic establishment date	June 12, 1946	September 3, 1783
Time to resolve insolvency > Years	1.2 years Ranked 133th.	1.5 years Ranked 127th. 25% more than Italy
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant LCU	241400500000	1604600000000
Trademarks > Residents > Per capita	0.693 per 1,000 people Ranked 24th.	0.727 per 1,000 people Ranked 18th. 5% more than Italy
Spending > Other expense > Current LCU	32.86 billion Ranked 29th.	995.12 billion Ranked 1st. 30 times more than Italy
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Annual % growth	1.16% Ranked 86th.	2.5% Ranked 70th. 2 times more than Italy
Time required to register property > Days	27 days Ranked 121st. 2 times more than United States	12 days Ranked 145th.
Trademarks > Nonresidents	8,135 Ranked 16th.	26,988 Ranked 2nd. 3 times more than Italy
Spending > Goods and services expense > Current LCU	24.09 billion Ranked 44th.	518.29 billion Ranked 9th. 22 times more than Italy
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > %	31.4% Ranked 34th. 75% more than United States	17.9% Ranked 97th.
Spending > Subsidies and other transfers > % of expense	65.23% Ranked 18th.	69.14% Ranked 1st. 6% more than Italy
Parliament > Seats held by men per million people	8.05 Ranked 129th. 7 times more than United States	1.12 Ranked 185th.
Spending > Interest payments > % of revenue	12.81% Ranked 11th. 7% more than United States	11.93% Ranked 1st.
Foreign relations > Date of establishment of relations with China	November 6, 1970	January 1, 1979
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million	0.153 Ranked 145th. 9 times more than United States	0.0168 Ranked 167th.
Foreign relations > Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia	Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said "The move does not apply in an international legal framework. An ethnic-based balkanisation of the Caucasus is a serious danger for all".	President George W. Bush condemned the actions taken by Russia and called on them to "reconsider this irresponsible decision." Bush then stated that in "accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions that remain in force, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are within the internationally recognised borders of Georgia, and they must remain so." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also said the decision made by Russia was "regrettable" and further stated that since "the United States is a permanent member of the Security Council this simply will be dead on arrival in the Security Council." United States President George W. Bush acknowledged the ceasefire accord brokered by the French President and President of the European Council , Nicolas Sarkozy . The accord was signed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on 12 August 2008 Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page ).
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Kosovo	None	None
Democracy and rights > Major party notes	Until 1992 the major party was the centrist Christian Democracy , which had been in government for five decades; the second one was the Italian Communist Party .	In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Federalist Party , Democratic-Republican Party , and Whig Party were all major.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Current LCU	287558000000	1844600000000
National anthem > Note	adopted 1946; the anthem, originally written in 1847, is also known as "L'Inno di Mameli" (Mameli's Hymn), and "Fratelli D'Italia" (Brothers of Italy)	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
Flag description > Note	similar to the flag of Mexico, which is longer, uses darker shades of red and green, and has its coat of arms centered on the white band; Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green	the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number	37 Ranked 108th. 16% more than United States	32 Ranked 154th.
Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million	0.0821 Ranked 168th. 6 times more than United States	0.0127 Ranked 181st.
Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours	360 hours Ranked 46th. 11% more than United States	325 hours Ranked 54th.
General government final > Consumption expenditure > Constant 2000 US$	222.41 billion constant 2000 US$ Ranked 5th.	1.6 trillion constant 2000 US$ Ranked 1st. 7 times more than Italy

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; Wikipedia: Bribe Payers Index; 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; Wikipedia: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Indicators) ("Democracy Index 2012" (PDF). The Economist. March 2013 . Retrieved 2013-03-21 .); World Economic Forum, Global Competiveness Report and data files.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/). Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; Polity IV Project, University of Maryland, at Polity IV Project; United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook; Wikipedia: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Indicators) ("Democracy Index 2012" (PDF). The Economist. March 2013 . Retrieved 2013-03-21 .). Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005; International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files.; Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003; Wikipedia: Women's suffrage (Summary); Wikipedia: List of legislatures by number of members; 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.; 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: International recognition of the Syrian National Council (UN member states); Wikipedia: Major party (List of major parties); Wikipedia: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Indicators) ("The Failed States Index 2013" . The Fund for Peace . July 2013 . Retrieved 2013-07-20 .); Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Croatia; How Democratic is the American Constitution? Robert A. Dahl.2001. ISBN 0-300-09218-0. Table 1.; Various sources compiled into Wikipedia's Secret ballot; International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.; Wikipedia: List of next general elections (Africa); Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: List of Labour Parties (Active Labor parties); Wikipedia: List of countries by date of transition to republican system of government (List); Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (www.ipu.org); 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.; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dates_of_establishment_of_diplomatic_relations_with_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_recognition_of_Abkhazia_and_South_Ossetia#States_that_do_not_recognise_Abkhazia_or_South_Ossetia_as_independent; Wikipedia: International recognition of Kosovo (United Nations member states)

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