Ex Re Publica
Democracy; it’s the word on everyone’s lips and tripping off everyone’s tongues these days – especially Liberal Democrat Media tongues. The United States of America is not a democracy; it’s a federate republic that practices democracy. But what exactly do those words mean. So I opened up my well-worn dictionary. I found two (very long) definitions for “republic”:
Republic [F. republique, fr L. respublica, fr res thing, wealth, + publica, fem. of publicus, public] 1: a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and is usu. a president; also: a nation or other political unit having such a government 2: a government in which supreme power is held by the citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives governing according to law; also a nation or other political unit having such a form of government.
I was a little troubled by The New Merriam-Webster’s Latin, so I consulted my Latin & English dictionary. The first Latin word, res, has a sibling, rei, and whole column of English definitions, beginning, yes, with “thing”. But nowhere in that long column does my Latin dictionary mention “wealth.” Here are the many “things” it does list: matter, affair, object, business, circumstance, event, occurrence, deed, condition, case, reality, truth – TRUTH – fact, property, possessions, estates, effects, benefit, advantage, interest, profit, business affair, transaction, cause reason, motive, ground, case, suit, operation, campaign, battle, state, government, politics, historical event, theme, topic, subject matter.
All that, but no wealth. Farther down, the Latin dictionary gives examples of uses of the words res and publica. For instance, ex re publica: constitutionally, for the common good, in the public interest.
The Latin words for wealth are divitiae, opes [in the singular] and copia and abundantia [in the plural].
Merriam-Webster gives no less than six definitions for “democrat” but no etymology for the word. I believe its origins were Greek, but the Romans took up the word and stuck in their vocabulary. The root word, demo, means to take away, remove, withdraw, subtract.
Democracy: (n.) 1. government by the people, especially: rule of the majority 2. a government in which the supreme power is held by the people 3. a political unit that has a democratic government 4. CAP the principles and policies of the Democratic party in the U.S. [there’s no such identification under “republic” for the Republican Party] 5. the common people esp. when constituting the source of political authority 6. the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges.
So what does the word “republic” have that “democracy” doesn’t? Two things: a presiding executive and laws. What’s more, Democritus, who it would be assumed was the inspiration for the Democrats, was called the “laughing philosopher,” was considered the father of modern science, and formulated the atomic theory for the cosmos.
Apparently, generations have been duped by these definitions of a democracy and a republic. There’s no excusing, at least on the surface, rulers who have extended their rule through emergency powers. Thirty years is a long time to suppress elections. Still, they’ve given the region the only stability it’s ever known. The literacy rate in Middle Eastern countries is horrendous, the poverty still worse. How can an uneducated public govern itself?
The Arabs want to know why they can’t decide for themselves if they want to live by Shariah law. That’s what it all boils down to. A republic and a constitution stand in the way of that kind of governance. For them, Shariah is the law, not some model of the U.S. Constitution granting freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Some countries, such as Iran, already operate under Shariah law. Others are nearly there.
Wherever did we Conservatives get the silly notion that Muslim extremists want to take over the world? That they’re hatching some conspiracy-nut plot to expand their territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific in a caliphate under the rule of one 12th Imam? Where do we dream these things up, the Liberals want to know?
I researched the Department of State’s country background list today to see just what kind of governments the Arab and North African countries consider themselves.
Unlike Global Warming, we don’t have to invent any statistics or facts. We don’t have to massage them to make them palatable to a gullible public. These facts were thoughtfully provided by the U.S. State Department itself. The facts rather speak for themselves – why some Arab countries are in flames, while others are content to sit and watch, professing nervousness all the while knowing they’re in no great danger. Take a look – straight from the State Department’s website:
Countries with Governments Under Protest:
Algeria - People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Type: Republic.
Independence: July 5, 1962 (from France).
Constitution: September 8, 1963; revised November 19, 1976, November 3, 1988, February 23, 1989, November 28, 1996, April 10, 2002, and November 12, 2008.
Legal system: Based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; Algeria has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction.
Egypt - Arab Republic of Egypt
Type: Republic. Modeled after U.S., three branches of govt – Executive, Legislative (Bi-cam), Judicial
Independence: 1922.
Constitution: 1971.
Branches: Executive--president, prime minister, cabinet. Legislative--People's Assembly (444 elected and 10 presidentially appointed members; an additional 64 seats for women were created in 2009), and Shura (consultative) Council (176 elected members, 88 presidentially appointed). Judicial--Supreme Constitutional Court.
Tunisia - Tunisian Republic
Modeled after U.S., three branches of govt – Executive, Legislative (Bi-cam), Judicial
Syria - Syrian Arab Republic
Type: Republic, under authoritarian military-dominated Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party regimes since March 1963.
Independence: April 17, 1946.
Constitution: March 13, 1973. Since 1963, Syria has been under Emergency Law, which effectively suspends most constitutional protections.
Branches: Executive--president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet). Legislative--unicameral People's Council. Judicial--Supreme Judicial Council, Supreme Constitutional Court, Court of Cassation, Appeals Courts, Economic Security Courts, Supreme State Security Court, Personal Status and local levels courts.
Lebanon - Lebanese Republic
Type: Republic.
Independence: November 22, 1943.
Constitution: May 23, 1926.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government), deputy prime minister, cabinet. Legislative--unicameral national assembly. Judicial--four Courts of Cassation, Constitutional Council, Supreme Council.
Yemen – Republic of Yemen
Type: Republic; unification (of former south and north Yemen): May 22, 1990.
Constitution: Adopted May 21, 1990 and ratified May 1991.
Branches: Executive--president, and prime minister with cabinet. Legislative--bicameral legislature with 111-seat Shura Council and 301-seat House of Representatives. Judicial--the constitution calls for an independent judiciary. The former northern and southern legal codes have been unified. The legal system includes separate commercial courts and a Supreme Court based in Sanaa.
Jordan - Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Type: Constitutional monarchy.
Independence: May 25, 1946.
Constitution: January 8, 1952.
Branches: Executive--King (chief of state), Prime Minister (head of government), Council of Ministers (cabinet). Legislative--bicameral parliament (appointed upper house known as the Senate, elected lower house). Judicial--civil, religious, special courts.
Arab Countries Not Under Protest (Yet)
Libya - Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Type: "Jamahiriya" is a term Col. Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi coined and which he defines as a "state of the masses" governed by the populace through local councils. In practice, Libya is an authoritarian state.
Government
Official name: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Type: "Jamahiriya" is a term Col. Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi coined and which he defines as a "state of the masses" governed by the populace through local councils. In practice, Libya is an authoritarian state.
Independence: Libya declared independence on December 24, 1951.
Revolution Day: September 1, 1969.
Constitution: No formal document. Revolutionary edicts establishing a government structure were issued on December 11, 1969 and amended March 2, 1977 to establish popular congresses and people's committees that constitute the Jamahiriya system.
Administrative divisions: 32 municipalities (singular--"shabiya", plural--"shabiyat"): Butnan, Darnah, Gubba, al-Jebal al-Akhdar, Marj, al-Jebal al-Hezam, Benghazi, Ajdabiya, Wahat, Kufra, Surt, Al Jufrah, Misurata, Murgub, Bani-Walid, Tarhuna and Msallata, Tripoli, Jfara, Zawiya, Sabratha and Surman, An Nuqat al-Khams, Gharyan, Mezda, Nalut, Ghadames, Yefren, Wadi Alhaya, Ghat, Sabha, Wadi Shati, Murzuq, Tajura and an-Nuwaha al-Arba'a.
Political system: Political parties are banned. According to the political theory of Col. Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi, multi-layered popular assemblies (people's congresses) with executive institutions (people's committees) are guided by political cadres (revolutionary committees).
Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco
Type: Constitutional monarchy.
Constitution: March 1972, revised 1980, 1992, and 1996 (creating a bicameral legislature).
Independence: March 2, 1956.
Branches: Executive--king (head of state), prime minister (head of government). Legislative--bicameral Parliament. Judicial--Supreme Court.
Turkey – Republic of Turkey
No U.S. Ambassador
Type: Republic.
Independence: October 29, 1923.
Constitution: November 7, 1982. Amended in 1987, 1995, 2001, 2007, and 2010.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government), Council of Ministers (cabinet--appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister). Legislative--Grand National Assembly (550 members) chosen by national elections at least every 4 years. Judicial--Constitutional Court, Court of Cassation, Council of State, and other courts.
Saudi Arabia - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Type: Monarchy with Council of Ministers and Consultative Council.
Unification: September 23, 1932.
Constitution: The Holy Qur'an (governed according to Islamic Law), Shari'a, and the Basic Law.
Branches: Executive--King (chief of state and head of government; rules under the title Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques). Legislative--a Consultative Council with advisory powers was formed September 1993. Judicial--Supreme Court, Supreme Judicial Council, Islamic Courts of First Instance and Appeals.
Administrative divisions: 13 provinces.
Political parties: None.
Sudan - Republic of the Sudan
No U.S. Ambassador
Independence: January 1, 1956.
Type: Provisional Government established by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in January 2005 that provides for power sharing pending national elections. The national elections took place from April 11-15, 2010.
Constitution: The Interim National Constitution was adopted on July 6, 2005. It was drafted by the National Constitutional Review Commission, as mandated by the January 2005 CPA. The Government of Southern Sudan also has a constitution adopted in December 2005; it was certified by the Ministry of Justice to be in conformity with the Interim National Constitution and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Branches: Executive--executive authority is held by the president, who also is the prime minister, head of state, head of government, and commander in chief of the armed forces; effective July 9, 2005, the executive branch includes a first vice president and a vice president. As stipulated by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and Interim National Constitution, the first vice president position is held by the president of Southern Sudan, assuming the president is from the North. Legislative--National Legislature. The National Assembly, the lower house, has 450 elected members; an additional 46 seats will be appointed under a political agreement between the two CPA parties to resolve disputes over the accuracy of districting based on the May 2008 census. There is also an upper house, the Council of States, which is composed of two representatives from each of the nation's 25 states, and two observers from the Abyei Area. Judicial--High Court, Minister of Justice, Attorney General, civil and special tribunals.
Somalia – Somaliland
Provisional government - No embassy
Government
Type: Transitional government, known as the Transitional Federal Government (TFG); mandate extended to 2011.
Independence: July 1, 1960 (from a merger between the former Somaliland Protectorate under British rule, which became independent from the U.K. on June 26, 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on July 1, 1960, to form the Somali Republic).
Constitution: None in force. Note: A Transitional Federal Charter was established in February 2004 and is expected to serve as the basis for a future constitution in Somalia.
Branches: Executive--TFG President, TFG Prime Minister, cabinet (Council of Ministers). Legislative--Transitional Federal Parliament. Judicial--Supreme Court not functioning; no functioning nationwide legal system; informal legal system based on previously codified law, Islamic (shari'a) law, customary practices, and the provisions of the Transitional Federal Charter.
Afghanistan - Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Government
Type: Islamic Republic.
Independence: August 19, 1919.
Constitution: January 4, 2004.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state). Legislative--bicameral National Assembly; Wolesi Jirga (lower house)--249 seats, Meshrano Jirga (upper house)--102 seats. Judicial--Supreme Court, High Courts, and Appeals Courts.
Iraq - Republic of Iraq
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: October 15, 2005.
Independence: On October 3, 1932, Iraq gained independence from British administration under a League of Nations Mandate. Several coups after 1958 resulted in dictatorship, with the Ba’ath Party seizing power in 1963 and again in 1968. From July 1979 to March 2003, Iraq was ruled by Saddam Hussein and the Ba’ath Party. Following the overthrow of the regime by a U.S.-led coalition in March-April 2003, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) assumed administrative and security responsibility for Iraq while Iraqi political leaders and the Iraqi people established a transitional government. On June 28, 2004, the CPA transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government. A new 4-year, constitutionally based government took office in March 2006, and a new cabinet was installed in May 2006. On June 31, 2009, U.S. troops withdrew from urban areas, a step that reinforced Iraqi sovereignty. On March 7, 2010, Iraq held a second round of national elections to choose the members of the Council of Representatives and, in turn, the executive branch of government.
Branches: Executive--Presidency Council (one president and two vice presidents; this configuration may change following the March 2010 national elections and the formation of a new government; Council of Ministers (one prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, and 37 cabinet ministers). Judicial--Supreme Court appointed by the prime minister and confirmed by the Council of Representatives. Legislative--Council of Representatives (COR) consisting of 325 members.
Iran - Islamic Republic of Iran
Government
Type: Islamic republic.
Constitution: Ratified in December 1979, revised 1989.
Branches: Executive--Supreme Leader (head of state), President (head of government), Council of Ministers, Assembly of Experts, Expediency Council, Council of Guardians. Legislative--290-member Majles (National Assembly, or Islamic Consultative Assembly). Judicial--Supreme Judiciary.
United Arab Emirates - United Arab Emirates
Government
Type: federation with specified powers reserved for the U.A.E. federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates.
Independence: December 2, 1971.
Provisional constitution: December 2, 1971.
Branches: Executive - 7-member Supreme Council of Rulers (comprising the hereditary rulers of each Emirate), which elects president and vice president; prime minister is selected by president. Legislative - 40-member Federal National Council (consultative only). Judicial - Islamic and secular courts.
Administrative subdivisions: Seven largely self-governing emirates.
Political parties: None.
Oman - Sultanate of Oman
Type: Monarchy.
Constitution: None. On November 6, 1996, Sultan Qaboos issued a royal decree promulgating the Basic Statute which clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the government, establishes a bicameral parliament, and guarantees basic rights and responsibilities for Omani citizens.
Branches: Executive--Sultan. Legislative--bicameral Majlis Oman (appointed State Council and elected Consultative Council). Judicial--Civil courts are divided into four departments: criminal courts handle cases under the penal code; Shari'a (Islamic law) courts oversee personal status and family law issues; commercial courts adjudicate business and commercial matters; labor courts oversee labor and employment cases.
Political parties: None.
Qatar - State of Qatar
Type: Constitutional monarchy.
Independence: September 3, 1971.
Constitution: Approved by popular vote 2003; came into force June 2005.
Branches: Executive--Council of Ministers. Legislative--Advisory Council (currently appointed pending elections; has assumed only limited responsibility to date). Judicial--independent.
Subdivisions: Fully centralized government; seven municipalities.
Political parties: None.
Kuwait - State of Kuwait
Type: Constitutional hereditary emirate.
Independence: June 19, 1961 (from U.K.).
Constitution: Approved and promulgated November 11, 1962.
Branches: Executive--Amir (head of state); prime minister (head of government); Council of Ministers (cabinet) is appointed by prime minister and approved by the Amir. Legislative--unicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-'Umma) of 50 elected members who serve 4-year terms plus all ministers, who serve as ex officio members. Judicial--High Court of Appeal.
Administrative subdivisions: Six governorates (muhafazat): Al 'Asimah, Hawalli, Al Ahmadi, Al Jahra', Mubarak Al-Kebir, and Al Farwaniyah.
Political parties: None; formal political parties have no legal status, although de facto political blocs exist.
Elections: There are no executive branch elections; the Amir is hereditary; prime minister and crown prince are appointed by the Amir. National Assembly elections were last held May 16, 2009. Municipal council elections were held on June 25, 2009.
Djibouti - Republic of Djibouti
Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: Ratified September 1992 by referendum.
Independence: June 27, 1977.
Branches: Executive--president. Legislative--65-member parliament, cabinet, prime minister. Judicial--based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law.
Administrative subdivisions: 6 regions (districts)--Ali-Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti City, Obock, and Tadjourah.
Political parties: People's Rally for Progress (RPP); National Democratic Party (PND); Front For The Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD); Djibouti Development Party (PDD); People’s Social Democratic Party (PPSD); Republican Alliance for Democracy (ARD); Union for Democracy and Justice (UDJ); Union of Reform Partisans (UPR).
Eritrea - State of Eritrea
Government
Type: Transitional government.
Independence: Eritrea officially celebrated its independence on May 24, 1993.
Constitution: Ratified May 24, 1997, but not yet implemented.
Branches: Executive--president, cabinet. Legislative--Transitional National Assembly (does not meet). Judicial--Supreme Court.
Administrative subdivisions: Six administrative regions.
Political party: People's Front for Democracy and Justice (name adopted by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front when it established itself as a political party).
Suffrage: Universal, age 18 and above (although no national elections have been held).
Pakistan : Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Independence: August 14, 1947.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government). Legislative--bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora (100-seat Senate, 342-seat National Assembly). Judicial--Supreme Court, provincial high courts, Federal Islamic (or Shari'a) Court.
Political parties: Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League (PML), Muttahid Majlis-e-Amal (umbrella group) (MMA), and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Ethiopia - Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
cut off from the Red Sea by Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia.
Government
Type: Federal republic.
Constitution: Ratified 1994.
Branches: Executive--president, Council of State, Council of Ministers. Executive power resides with the prime minister. Legislative--bicameral parliament. Judicial--divided into federal and regional courts.
Administrative subdivisions: 9 regions and 2 special city administrations: Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.
Political parties: Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) party, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), and other small parties.
Northern Mediterranean Countries
Islamism is no immediate religious or cultural threat to Greece and Italy. Their devotions to their respective religions (Greek Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism) are still too dominant. The Muslims must rely on the Communists to break these two stalwart countries down culturally and economically, as they’ve done in Spain and France. Greece is on the brink of economic collapse and Italy is basically already a communist country. Their religion and their Pope are under fire from Liberal/Communists.
Spain has been the target of terrorism by separatists who want to break the country up as the Islamists have done in the Soviet Union. France, of course, is the capital of all this unrest, having previously hosted the Ayatollah Khomeini and Ho Chi Minh. France’s cities and even her suburbs are under fire. Holland, Denmark and Germany are resisting both the communists and the Islamists but are paying a heavy cost for their defiance. Holland is a very liberal country, though, which is how their immigration laws were relaxed to allow Muslim insurgents into the country. Likewise for the Scandinavian countries to her north. Germany has a strong leader in Andrea Merkel, though they have a sizeable Turkish population, who were invited into the country after World War II to solve a labor shortage caused by the war.
Greece - Hellenic Republic
People
Population (2010 est.): 11,295,002. (Legal immigrants make up approximately 6.95% of the population.)
Population growth rate (2010 estimated): 0.1%.
Languages: Greek 99% (official), Turkish, others. Albanian is spoken by approximately 700,000 Albanian immigrants. English is the predominant second language.
Religions: Greek Orthodox (approximately 98% of citizens), with Muslim (1.5%), Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, and other religious communities.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Literacy--97.5%. All levels are free.
Health: Infant mortality rate--5.43/1,000. Life expectancy--male 77.69 years, female 82.35 years.
Work force (2009 estimated): 5.0 million.
Government
Type: Parliamentary republic.
Independence: 1830. National Day: March 25 (1821).
Constitution: June 11, 1975, amended March 1986, April 2001, May 2008.
Branches: Executive--president (head of state), prime minister (head of government). Legislative--300-seat unicameral Vouli (parliament). Judicial--Supreme Court, Council of State.
Political parties: Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), New Democracy (ND), Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS), and Coalition of the Left (SYNASPISMOS).
Italy - Italian Republic
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Italian(s).
Population (November 2009 est.): 60.3 million.
Annual population growth rate (2008 est.): 0.07%, mostly due to immigration.
Ethnic groups: Primarily Italian, but there are small groups of German-, French-, Slovene-, and Albanian-Italians.
Religion: Roman Catholic (majority).
Language: Italian (official).
Education: Years compulsory--16. Literacy--98%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--3.7/1,000 live births. Life expectancy--78.8 years for men; 84.1 years for women.
Work force (24.97 million, 2009): Services--67%; industry and commerce--29%; agriculture--4%. Unemployment rate is 7.8%.
Government
Type: Republic since June 2, 1946.
Constitution: January 1, 1948.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), Council of Ministers (cabinet) headed by the president of the council (prime minister). Legislative--bicameral parliament: 630-member Chamber of Deputies, 315-member Senate (plus a varying number of "life" Senators). Judicial--independent constitutional court and lower magistracy.
Subdivisions: 94 provinces, 20 regions.
Political parties: People of Liberty, Democratic Party, Northern League, Italy of Values, Union of the Center, Movement for Autonomy.
France - French Republic
Well, they’re the French – what else is there to say? It’s where the Ayatollah waited for his revolution and Ho Chi Minh waited for his.
People
Nationality: Adjective--French.
Population (January 1, 2010 est.): 64.7 million (including overseas territories); 62.8 million (metropolitan).
Annual population growth rate (2009 est.): 0.5%.
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Sub-Saharan African, Indochinese, and Basque minorities.
Religion: Roman Catholic 85% (est.), Muslim 10% (est.), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%.
Language: French.
Education: Years compulsory--10. Literacy--99%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2009)--3.8/1,000.
Work force (2009): 28.1 million (preliminary): Services--74.7%; industry and commerce--22.0%; agriculture--3.2%.
Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: September 28, 1958.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state); prime minister (head of government). Legislative--bicameral Parliament (577-member National Assembly, 319-member Senate). Judicial--Court of Cassation (civil and criminal law), Council of State (administrative court), Constitutional Council (constitutional law).
Subdivisions: 22 administrative regions containing 96 departments (metropolitan France). Thirteen territories outside metropolitan France: four overseas departments which are also regions (French abbreviation is DOM-ROM)--Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, and Reunion; six overseas collectivities ("Collectivités d'Outre-mer" or COM)--French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna Islands, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy Island, and Mayotte, which in March 2009 voted to become a full overseas department, and is likely to be recognized as such in 2011; one overseas country of France ("Pays d'Outre-mer" or POM)--New Caledonia; and the French Southern and Antarctic Territories and the atoll of Clipperton.
Political parties: Union for a Popular Movement (UMP--a synthesis of center-right Gaullist/nationalist and free-market parties); Socialist Party; New Center (former UDF centrists now affiliated with the UMP); Democratic Movement (former UDF centrists loyal to MoDem President Francois Bayrou); Communist Party; extreme right National Front; Greens; various minor parties.
Spain - Kingdom of Spain
People
Nationality: Noun--Spaniard(s). Adjective--Spanish.
Population (National Institute of Statistics (INE), January 1, 2010): 46,951,500.
Ethnic groups: Distinct ethnic groups within Spain include the Basques, Catalans, and Galicians.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic (approx. 75%); Protestant and Islamic faiths also have a significant presence.
Languages: Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan-Valencian 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%.
Education: Years compulsory--to age 16. Literacy (INE, third quarter 2008)--97.6%.
Work force (first quarter 2010): 18.4 million.
Unemployment rate (first quarter 2010): 20.05%.
Government
Type: Constitutional monarchy (Juan Carlos I proclaimed King November 22, 1975).
Constitution: 1978.
Branches: Executive--president of government nominated by monarch, subject to approval by democratically elected Congress of Deputies. Legislative--bicameral Cortes: a 350-seat Congress of Deputies (elected by the d'Hondt system of proportional representation) and a Senate. Four senators are elected in each of 47 peninsular provinces, 16 are elected from the three island provinces, and Ceuta and Melilla elect two each; this accounts for 208 senators. The parliaments of the 17 autonomous regions also elect one senator as well as one additional senator for every 1 million inhabitants within their territory (about 20 senators). Judicial--Constitutional Tribunal has jurisdiction over constitutional issues. Supreme Tribunal heads system comprising territorial, provincial, regional, and municipal courts.
Subdivisions: 47 peninsular and three island provinces; two enclaves on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla) and three island groups along that coast--Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and the Chafarinas Islands.
Political parties: Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Popular Party (PP), and the United Left (IU) coalition. Key regional parties are the Convergence and Union (CIU) in Catalonia and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) in the Basque country.
Portugal - Portuguese Republic
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Portuguese (singular and plural).
Population (2009 est.): 10.6 million. Ages 0 to 14 years--1.6 million (male 830,611; female 789,194). Ages 15 to 24 years--1.2 million (male 609,177; female 585,072). Ages 25 to 64 years--5.9 million (male 2,917,633; female 3,013,120). Ages 65 years and over--1.9 million (male 787,967; female 1,099,715).
Population density: 114 per sq. km. (44 per sq. mi.).
Annual population growth rate (2008 est.): 0.8%.
Ethnic groups: Homogeneous Mediterranean stock with small minority groups from Africa (Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique), South America (Brazil), and Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Romania).
Religion: Roman Catholic 92%, Protestant 4%, atheists 3%, others 1%.
Language: Portuguese.
Education: Years compulsory--12. Literacy (2004)--93.3%.
Health (2009 est.): Birth rate--9.4/1,000 (1.07 male/female). Death rate--9.8/1,000. Infant mortality rate--3.25/1,000. Life expectancy--78.70 years.
Work force (2008 est.): 5.6 million. Government and services (60%); industry and manufacturing (30%); agriculture and fishing (10%).
Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: Effective April 25, 1976; revised 1982, 1989, 1992, 1997, 2001, 2004, and 2005.
Branches: Executive--president (head of state), Council of State (presidential advisory body), prime minister (head of government), Council of Ministers. Legislative--unicameral Assembly of the Republic (230 deputies): PS=97, PSD=81, PCP=13, CDS/PP=21, BE=16, PEV=2. Judicial--Supreme Court, District Courts, Appeals Courts, Constitutional Tribunal.
Major political parties: Socialist Party (PS); Social Democratic Party (PSD); Portuguese Communist Party (PCP); Popular Party (CDS/PP); Left Bloc (BE); Green Party (PEV).
Administrative subdivisions: 18 districts (Lisbon, Leiria, Santarem, Setubal, Beja, Faro, Evora, Portalegre, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Coimbra, Aveiro, Viseu, Braganca, Vila Real, Porto, Braga, Viana do Castelo); 2 autonomous island regions (the Azores and Madeira).
The sore points in the midst of these political conflagrations appear to be, mostly, whether a country is a republic, whether it is governed by Shariah law, and whether they support Israel. Only Egypt and Jordan do so. The King of Jordan fired his cabinet, but named a pro-Israel prime minister. Jordan’s protesters are not seeking the abdication of their king; only the naming of an anti-Israel foreign minister. Things will settle down once he does.
If the Egyptian people’s true concern is corruption, unemployment, and repressed elections, no American could blame them for being frustrated. For reasons of our own, we’ve been frustrated with our government representatives, and formed the Tea Parties. We look upon the leader of our own republic as something of a tyrant, though hardly on the scale of a military strongman who tortures people and closes down elections.
But it will be very hard to sympathize with them if what they’re agitating for is an Islamic Republic with Shariah as their rule of law. A recent poll noted that 70 percent of Egyptians desired an Islamic form of government. Egypt is their country and there’s very little we can do about it. Their own propensity for violence and stability led to these events. Then again, hoards of Germans became members of the Nazi Party and we stood back until they began to threaten their neighbors. But for the time being, it seems all we can do is sit back and watch the events unfold.
What should concern us is that our own president is facilitating the instability, supposedly in the name of humanity. Moderate, nanny-state force voices coo at us like children disturbed by a nightmare to go back to sleep, that we’re just dreaming, that there’s no such boogeyman as the Muslim Brotherhood, that 9/11 was a long time ago and we should forget about it, that everything will be all right, and that we should go back to sleep.
Republic [F. republique, fr L. respublica, fr res thing, wealth, + publica, fem. of publicus, public] 1: a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and is usu. a president; also: a nation or other political unit having such a government 2: a government in which supreme power is held by the citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives governing according to law; also a nation or other political unit having such a form of government.
I was a little troubled by The New Merriam-Webster’s Latin, so I consulted my Latin & English dictionary. The first Latin word, res, has a sibling, rei, and whole column of English definitions, beginning, yes, with “thing”. But nowhere in that long column does my Latin dictionary mention “wealth.” Here are the many “things” it does list: matter, affair, object, business, circumstance, event, occurrence, deed, condition, case, reality, truth – TRUTH – fact, property, possessions, estates, effects, benefit, advantage, interest, profit, business affair, transaction, cause reason, motive, ground, case, suit, operation, campaign, battle, state, government, politics, historical event, theme, topic, subject matter.
All that, but no wealth. Farther down, the Latin dictionary gives examples of uses of the words res and publica. For instance, ex re publica: constitutionally, for the common good, in the public interest.
The Latin words for wealth are divitiae, opes [in the singular] and copia and abundantia [in the plural].
Merriam-Webster gives no less than six definitions for “democrat” but no etymology for the word. I believe its origins were Greek, but the Romans took up the word and stuck in their vocabulary. The root word, demo, means to take away, remove, withdraw, subtract.
Democracy: (n.) 1. government by the people, especially: rule of the majority 2. a government in which the supreme power is held by the people 3. a political unit that has a democratic government 4. CAP the principles and policies of the Democratic party in the U.S. [there’s no such identification under “republic” for the Republican Party] 5. the common people esp. when constituting the source of political authority 6. the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges.
So what does the word “republic” have that “democracy” doesn’t? Two things: a presiding executive and laws. What’s more, Democritus, who it would be assumed was the inspiration for the Democrats, was called the “laughing philosopher,” was considered the father of modern science, and formulated the atomic theory for the cosmos.
Apparently, generations have been duped by these definitions of a democracy and a republic. There’s no excusing, at least on the surface, rulers who have extended their rule through emergency powers. Thirty years is a long time to suppress elections. Still, they’ve given the region the only stability it’s ever known. The literacy rate in Middle Eastern countries is horrendous, the poverty still worse. How can an uneducated public govern itself?
The Arabs want to know why they can’t decide for themselves if they want to live by Shariah law. That’s what it all boils down to. A republic and a constitution stand in the way of that kind of governance. For them, Shariah is the law, not some model of the U.S. Constitution granting freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Some countries, such as Iran, already operate under Shariah law. Others are nearly there.
Wherever did we Conservatives get the silly notion that Muslim extremists want to take over the world? That they’re hatching some conspiracy-nut plot to expand their territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific in a caliphate under the rule of one 12th Imam? Where do we dream these things up, the Liberals want to know?
I researched the Department of State’s country background list today to see just what kind of governments the Arab and North African countries consider themselves.
Unlike Global Warming, we don’t have to invent any statistics or facts. We don’t have to massage them to make them palatable to a gullible public. These facts were thoughtfully provided by the U.S. State Department itself. The facts rather speak for themselves – why some Arab countries are in flames, while others are content to sit and watch, professing nervousness all the while knowing they’re in no great danger. Take a look – straight from the State Department’s website:
Countries with Governments Under Protest:
Algeria - People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Type: Republic.
Independence: July 5, 1962 (from France).
Constitution: September 8, 1963; revised November 19, 1976, November 3, 1988, February 23, 1989, November 28, 1996, April 10, 2002, and November 12, 2008.
Legal system: Based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; Algeria has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction.
Egypt - Arab Republic of Egypt
Type: Republic. Modeled after U.S., three branches of govt – Executive, Legislative (Bi-cam), Judicial
Independence: 1922.
Constitution: 1971.
Branches: Executive--president, prime minister, cabinet. Legislative--People's Assembly (444 elected and 10 presidentially appointed members; an additional 64 seats for women were created in 2009), and Shura (consultative) Council (176 elected members, 88 presidentially appointed). Judicial--Supreme Constitutional Court.
Tunisia - Tunisian Republic
Modeled after U.S., three branches of govt – Executive, Legislative (Bi-cam), Judicial
Syria - Syrian Arab Republic
Type: Republic, under authoritarian military-dominated Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party regimes since March 1963.
Independence: April 17, 1946.
Constitution: March 13, 1973. Since 1963, Syria has been under Emergency Law, which effectively suspends most constitutional protections.
Branches: Executive--president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet). Legislative--unicameral People's Council. Judicial--Supreme Judicial Council, Supreme Constitutional Court, Court of Cassation, Appeals Courts, Economic Security Courts, Supreme State Security Court, Personal Status and local levels courts.
Lebanon - Lebanese Republic
Type: Republic.
Independence: November 22, 1943.
Constitution: May 23, 1926.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government), deputy prime minister, cabinet. Legislative--unicameral national assembly. Judicial--four Courts of Cassation, Constitutional Council, Supreme Council.
Yemen – Republic of Yemen
Type: Republic; unification (of former south and north Yemen): May 22, 1990.
Constitution: Adopted May 21, 1990 and ratified May 1991.
Branches: Executive--president, and prime minister with cabinet. Legislative--bicameral legislature with 111-seat Shura Council and 301-seat House of Representatives. Judicial--the constitution calls for an independent judiciary. The former northern and southern legal codes have been unified. The legal system includes separate commercial courts and a Supreme Court based in Sanaa.
Jordan - Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Type: Constitutional monarchy.
Independence: May 25, 1946.
Constitution: January 8, 1952.
Branches: Executive--King (chief of state), Prime Minister (head of government), Council of Ministers (cabinet). Legislative--bicameral parliament (appointed upper house known as the Senate, elected lower house). Judicial--civil, religious, special courts.
Arab Countries Not Under Protest (Yet)
Libya - Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Type: "Jamahiriya" is a term Col. Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi coined and which he defines as a "state of the masses" governed by the populace through local councils. In practice, Libya is an authoritarian state.
Government
Official name: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Type: "Jamahiriya" is a term Col. Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi coined and which he defines as a "state of the masses" governed by the populace through local councils. In practice, Libya is an authoritarian state.
Independence: Libya declared independence on December 24, 1951.
Revolution Day: September 1, 1969.
Constitution: No formal document. Revolutionary edicts establishing a government structure were issued on December 11, 1969 and amended March 2, 1977 to establish popular congresses and people's committees that constitute the Jamahiriya system.
Administrative divisions: 32 municipalities (singular--"shabiya", plural--"shabiyat"): Butnan, Darnah, Gubba, al-Jebal al-Akhdar, Marj, al-Jebal al-Hezam, Benghazi, Ajdabiya, Wahat, Kufra, Surt, Al Jufrah, Misurata, Murgub, Bani-Walid, Tarhuna and Msallata, Tripoli, Jfara, Zawiya, Sabratha and Surman, An Nuqat al-Khams, Gharyan, Mezda, Nalut, Ghadames, Yefren, Wadi Alhaya, Ghat, Sabha, Wadi Shati, Murzuq, Tajura and an-Nuwaha al-Arba'a.
Political system: Political parties are banned. According to the political theory of Col. Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi, multi-layered popular assemblies (people's congresses) with executive institutions (people's committees) are guided by political cadres (revolutionary committees).
Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco
Type: Constitutional monarchy.
Constitution: March 1972, revised 1980, 1992, and 1996 (creating a bicameral legislature).
Independence: March 2, 1956.
Branches: Executive--king (head of state), prime minister (head of government). Legislative--bicameral Parliament. Judicial--Supreme Court.
Turkey – Republic of Turkey
No U.S. Ambassador
Type: Republic.
Independence: October 29, 1923.
Constitution: November 7, 1982. Amended in 1987, 1995, 2001, 2007, and 2010.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government), Council of Ministers (cabinet--appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister). Legislative--Grand National Assembly (550 members) chosen by national elections at least every 4 years. Judicial--Constitutional Court, Court of Cassation, Council of State, and other courts.
Saudi Arabia - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Type: Monarchy with Council of Ministers and Consultative Council.
Unification: September 23, 1932.
Constitution: The Holy Qur'an (governed according to Islamic Law), Shari'a, and the Basic Law.
Branches: Executive--King (chief of state and head of government; rules under the title Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques). Legislative--a Consultative Council with advisory powers was formed September 1993. Judicial--Supreme Court, Supreme Judicial Council, Islamic Courts of First Instance and Appeals.
Administrative divisions: 13 provinces.
Political parties: None.
Sudan - Republic of the Sudan
No U.S. Ambassador
Independence: January 1, 1956.
Type: Provisional Government established by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in January 2005 that provides for power sharing pending national elections. The national elections took place from April 11-15, 2010.
Constitution: The Interim National Constitution was adopted on July 6, 2005. It was drafted by the National Constitutional Review Commission, as mandated by the January 2005 CPA. The Government of Southern Sudan also has a constitution adopted in December 2005; it was certified by the Ministry of Justice to be in conformity with the Interim National Constitution and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Branches: Executive--executive authority is held by the president, who also is the prime minister, head of state, head of government, and commander in chief of the armed forces; effective July 9, 2005, the executive branch includes a first vice president and a vice president. As stipulated by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and Interim National Constitution, the first vice president position is held by the president of Southern Sudan, assuming the president is from the North. Legislative--National Legislature. The National Assembly, the lower house, has 450 elected members; an additional 46 seats will be appointed under a political agreement between the two CPA parties to resolve disputes over the accuracy of districting based on the May 2008 census. There is also an upper house, the Council of States, which is composed of two representatives from each of the nation's 25 states, and two observers from the Abyei Area. Judicial--High Court, Minister of Justice, Attorney General, civil and special tribunals.
Somalia – Somaliland
Provisional government - No embassy
Government
Type: Transitional government, known as the Transitional Federal Government (TFG); mandate extended to 2011.
Independence: July 1, 1960 (from a merger between the former Somaliland Protectorate under British rule, which became independent from the U.K. on June 26, 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on July 1, 1960, to form the Somali Republic).
Constitution: None in force. Note: A Transitional Federal Charter was established in February 2004 and is expected to serve as the basis for a future constitution in Somalia.
Branches: Executive--TFG President, TFG Prime Minister, cabinet (Council of Ministers). Legislative--Transitional Federal Parliament. Judicial--Supreme Court not functioning; no functioning nationwide legal system; informal legal system based on previously codified law, Islamic (shari'a) law, customary practices, and the provisions of the Transitional Federal Charter.
Afghanistan - Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Government
Type: Islamic Republic.
Independence: August 19, 1919.
Constitution: January 4, 2004.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state). Legislative--bicameral National Assembly; Wolesi Jirga (lower house)--249 seats, Meshrano Jirga (upper house)--102 seats. Judicial--Supreme Court, High Courts, and Appeals Courts.
Iraq - Republic of Iraq
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: October 15, 2005.
Independence: On October 3, 1932, Iraq gained independence from British administration under a League of Nations Mandate. Several coups after 1958 resulted in dictatorship, with the Ba’ath Party seizing power in 1963 and again in 1968. From July 1979 to March 2003, Iraq was ruled by Saddam Hussein and the Ba’ath Party. Following the overthrow of the regime by a U.S.-led coalition in March-April 2003, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) assumed administrative and security responsibility for Iraq while Iraqi political leaders and the Iraqi people established a transitional government. On June 28, 2004, the CPA transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government. A new 4-year, constitutionally based government took office in March 2006, and a new cabinet was installed in May 2006. On June 31, 2009, U.S. troops withdrew from urban areas, a step that reinforced Iraqi sovereignty. On March 7, 2010, Iraq held a second round of national elections to choose the members of the Council of Representatives and, in turn, the executive branch of government.
Branches: Executive--Presidency Council (one president and two vice presidents; this configuration may change following the March 2010 national elections and the formation of a new government; Council of Ministers (one prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, and 37 cabinet ministers). Judicial--Supreme Court appointed by the prime minister and confirmed by the Council of Representatives. Legislative--Council of Representatives (COR) consisting of 325 members.
Iran - Islamic Republic of Iran
Government
Type: Islamic republic.
Constitution: Ratified in December 1979, revised 1989.
Branches: Executive--Supreme Leader (head of state), President (head of government), Council of Ministers, Assembly of Experts, Expediency Council, Council of Guardians. Legislative--290-member Majles (National Assembly, or Islamic Consultative Assembly). Judicial--Supreme Judiciary.
United Arab Emirates - United Arab Emirates
Government
Type: federation with specified powers reserved for the U.A.E. federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates.
Independence: December 2, 1971.
Provisional constitution: December 2, 1971.
Branches: Executive - 7-member Supreme Council of Rulers (comprising the hereditary rulers of each Emirate), which elects president and vice president; prime minister is selected by president. Legislative - 40-member Federal National Council (consultative only). Judicial - Islamic and secular courts.
Administrative subdivisions: Seven largely self-governing emirates.
Political parties: None.
Oman - Sultanate of Oman
Type: Monarchy.
Constitution: None. On November 6, 1996, Sultan Qaboos issued a royal decree promulgating the Basic Statute which clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the government, establishes a bicameral parliament, and guarantees basic rights and responsibilities for Omani citizens.
Branches: Executive--Sultan. Legislative--bicameral Majlis Oman (appointed State Council and elected Consultative Council). Judicial--Civil courts are divided into four departments: criminal courts handle cases under the penal code; Shari'a (Islamic law) courts oversee personal status and family law issues; commercial courts adjudicate business and commercial matters; labor courts oversee labor and employment cases.
Political parties: None.
Qatar - State of Qatar
Type: Constitutional monarchy.
Independence: September 3, 1971.
Constitution: Approved by popular vote 2003; came into force June 2005.
Branches: Executive--Council of Ministers. Legislative--Advisory Council (currently appointed pending elections; has assumed only limited responsibility to date). Judicial--independent.
Subdivisions: Fully centralized government; seven municipalities.
Political parties: None.
Kuwait - State of Kuwait
Type: Constitutional hereditary emirate.
Independence: June 19, 1961 (from U.K.).
Constitution: Approved and promulgated November 11, 1962.
Branches: Executive--Amir (head of state); prime minister (head of government); Council of Ministers (cabinet) is appointed by prime minister and approved by the Amir. Legislative--unicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-'Umma) of 50 elected members who serve 4-year terms plus all ministers, who serve as ex officio members. Judicial--High Court of Appeal.
Administrative subdivisions: Six governorates (muhafazat): Al 'Asimah, Hawalli, Al Ahmadi, Al Jahra', Mubarak Al-Kebir, and Al Farwaniyah.
Political parties: None; formal political parties have no legal status, although de facto political blocs exist.
Elections: There are no executive branch elections; the Amir is hereditary; prime minister and crown prince are appointed by the Amir. National Assembly elections were last held May 16, 2009. Municipal council elections were held on June 25, 2009.
Djibouti - Republic of Djibouti
Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: Ratified September 1992 by referendum.
Independence: June 27, 1977.
Branches: Executive--president. Legislative--65-member parliament, cabinet, prime minister. Judicial--based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law.
Administrative subdivisions: 6 regions (districts)--Ali-Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti City, Obock, and Tadjourah.
Political parties: People's Rally for Progress (RPP); National Democratic Party (PND); Front For The Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD); Djibouti Development Party (PDD); People’s Social Democratic Party (PPSD); Republican Alliance for Democracy (ARD); Union for Democracy and Justice (UDJ); Union of Reform Partisans (UPR).
Eritrea - State of Eritrea
Government
Type: Transitional government.
Independence: Eritrea officially celebrated its independence on May 24, 1993.
Constitution: Ratified May 24, 1997, but not yet implemented.
Branches: Executive--president, cabinet. Legislative--Transitional National Assembly (does not meet). Judicial--Supreme Court.
Administrative subdivisions: Six administrative regions.
Political party: People's Front for Democracy and Justice (name adopted by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front when it established itself as a political party).
Suffrage: Universal, age 18 and above (although no national elections have been held).
Pakistan : Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Independence: August 14, 1947.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government). Legislative--bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora (100-seat Senate, 342-seat National Assembly). Judicial--Supreme Court, provincial high courts, Federal Islamic (or Shari'a) Court.
Political parties: Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League (PML), Muttahid Majlis-e-Amal (umbrella group) (MMA), and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Ethiopia - Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
cut off from the Red Sea by Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia.
Government
Type: Federal republic.
Constitution: Ratified 1994.
Branches: Executive--president, Council of State, Council of Ministers. Executive power resides with the prime minister. Legislative--bicameral parliament. Judicial--divided into federal and regional courts.
Administrative subdivisions: 9 regions and 2 special city administrations: Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.
Political parties: Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) party, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), and other small parties.
Northern Mediterranean Countries
Islamism is no immediate religious or cultural threat to Greece and Italy. Their devotions to their respective religions (Greek Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism) are still too dominant. The Muslims must rely on the Communists to break these two stalwart countries down culturally and economically, as they’ve done in Spain and France. Greece is on the brink of economic collapse and Italy is basically already a communist country. Their religion and their Pope are under fire from Liberal/Communists.
Spain has been the target of terrorism by separatists who want to break the country up as the Islamists have done in the Soviet Union. France, of course, is the capital of all this unrest, having previously hosted the Ayatollah Khomeini and Ho Chi Minh. France’s cities and even her suburbs are under fire. Holland, Denmark and Germany are resisting both the communists and the Islamists but are paying a heavy cost for their defiance. Holland is a very liberal country, though, which is how their immigration laws were relaxed to allow Muslim insurgents into the country. Likewise for the Scandinavian countries to her north. Germany has a strong leader in Andrea Merkel, though they have a sizeable Turkish population, who were invited into the country after World War II to solve a labor shortage caused by the war.
Greece - Hellenic Republic
People
Population (2010 est.): 11,295,002. (Legal immigrants make up approximately 6.95% of the population.)
Population growth rate (2010 estimated): 0.1%.
Languages: Greek 99% (official), Turkish, others. Albanian is spoken by approximately 700,000 Albanian immigrants. English is the predominant second language.
Religions: Greek Orthodox (approximately 98% of citizens), with Muslim (1.5%), Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, and other religious communities.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Literacy--97.5%. All levels are free.
Health: Infant mortality rate--5.43/1,000. Life expectancy--male 77.69 years, female 82.35 years.
Work force (2009 estimated): 5.0 million.
Government
Type: Parliamentary republic.
Independence: 1830. National Day: March 25 (1821).
Constitution: June 11, 1975, amended March 1986, April 2001, May 2008.
Branches: Executive--president (head of state), prime minister (head of government). Legislative--300-seat unicameral Vouli (parliament). Judicial--Supreme Court, Council of State.
Political parties: Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), New Democracy (ND), Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS), and Coalition of the Left (SYNASPISMOS).
Italy - Italian Republic
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Italian(s).
Population (November 2009 est.): 60.3 million.
Annual population growth rate (2008 est.): 0.07%, mostly due to immigration.
Ethnic groups: Primarily Italian, but there are small groups of German-, French-, Slovene-, and Albanian-Italians.
Religion: Roman Catholic (majority).
Language: Italian (official).
Education: Years compulsory--16. Literacy--98%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--3.7/1,000 live births. Life expectancy--78.8 years for men; 84.1 years for women.
Work force (24.97 million, 2009): Services--67%; industry and commerce--29%; agriculture--4%. Unemployment rate is 7.8%.
Government
Type: Republic since June 2, 1946.
Constitution: January 1, 1948.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), Council of Ministers (cabinet) headed by the president of the council (prime minister). Legislative--bicameral parliament: 630-member Chamber of Deputies, 315-member Senate (plus a varying number of "life" Senators). Judicial--independent constitutional court and lower magistracy.
Subdivisions: 94 provinces, 20 regions.
Political parties: People of Liberty, Democratic Party, Northern League, Italy of Values, Union of the Center, Movement for Autonomy.
France - French Republic
Well, they’re the French – what else is there to say? It’s where the Ayatollah waited for his revolution and Ho Chi Minh waited for his.
People
Nationality: Adjective--French.
Population (January 1, 2010 est.): 64.7 million (including overseas territories); 62.8 million (metropolitan).
Annual population growth rate (2009 est.): 0.5%.
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Sub-Saharan African, Indochinese, and Basque minorities.
Religion: Roman Catholic 85% (est.), Muslim 10% (est.), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%.
Language: French.
Education: Years compulsory--10. Literacy--99%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2009)--3.8/1,000.
Work force (2009): 28.1 million (preliminary): Services--74.7%; industry and commerce--22.0%; agriculture--3.2%.
Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: September 28, 1958.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state); prime minister (head of government). Legislative--bicameral Parliament (577-member National Assembly, 319-member Senate). Judicial--Court of Cassation (civil and criminal law), Council of State (administrative court), Constitutional Council (constitutional law).
Subdivisions: 22 administrative regions containing 96 departments (metropolitan France). Thirteen territories outside metropolitan France: four overseas departments which are also regions (French abbreviation is DOM-ROM)--Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, and Reunion; six overseas collectivities ("Collectivités d'Outre-mer" or COM)--French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna Islands, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy Island, and Mayotte, which in March 2009 voted to become a full overseas department, and is likely to be recognized as such in 2011; one overseas country of France ("Pays d'Outre-mer" or POM)--New Caledonia; and the French Southern and Antarctic Territories and the atoll of Clipperton.
Political parties: Union for a Popular Movement (UMP--a synthesis of center-right Gaullist/nationalist and free-market parties); Socialist Party; New Center (former UDF centrists now affiliated with the UMP); Democratic Movement (former UDF centrists loyal to MoDem President Francois Bayrou); Communist Party; extreme right National Front; Greens; various minor parties.
Spain - Kingdom of Spain
People
Nationality: Noun--Spaniard(s). Adjective--Spanish.
Population (National Institute of Statistics (INE), January 1, 2010): 46,951,500.
Ethnic groups: Distinct ethnic groups within Spain include the Basques, Catalans, and Galicians.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic (approx. 75%); Protestant and Islamic faiths also have a significant presence.
Languages: Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan-Valencian 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%.
Education: Years compulsory--to age 16. Literacy (INE, third quarter 2008)--97.6%.
Work force (first quarter 2010): 18.4 million.
Unemployment rate (first quarter 2010): 20.05%.
Government
Type: Constitutional monarchy (Juan Carlos I proclaimed King November 22, 1975).
Constitution: 1978.
Branches: Executive--president of government nominated by monarch, subject to approval by democratically elected Congress of Deputies. Legislative--bicameral Cortes: a 350-seat Congress of Deputies (elected by the d'Hondt system of proportional representation) and a Senate. Four senators are elected in each of 47 peninsular provinces, 16 are elected from the three island provinces, and Ceuta and Melilla elect two each; this accounts for 208 senators. The parliaments of the 17 autonomous regions also elect one senator as well as one additional senator for every 1 million inhabitants within their territory (about 20 senators). Judicial--Constitutional Tribunal has jurisdiction over constitutional issues. Supreme Tribunal heads system comprising territorial, provincial, regional, and municipal courts.
Subdivisions: 47 peninsular and three island provinces; two enclaves on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla) and three island groups along that coast--Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and the Chafarinas Islands.
Political parties: Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Popular Party (PP), and the United Left (IU) coalition. Key regional parties are the Convergence and Union (CIU) in Catalonia and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) in the Basque country.
Portugal - Portuguese Republic
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Portuguese (singular and plural).
Population (2009 est.): 10.6 million. Ages 0 to 14 years--1.6 million (male 830,611; female 789,194). Ages 15 to 24 years--1.2 million (male 609,177; female 585,072). Ages 25 to 64 years--5.9 million (male 2,917,633; female 3,013,120). Ages 65 years and over--1.9 million (male 787,967; female 1,099,715).
Population density: 114 per sq. km. (44 per sq. mi.).
Annual population growth rate (2008 est.): 0.8%.
Ethnic groups: Homogeneous Mediterranean stock with small minority groups from Africa (Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique), South America (Brazil), and Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Romania).
Religion: Roman Catholic 92%, Protestant 4%, atheists 3%, others 1%.
Language: Portuguese.
Education: Years compulsory--12. Literacy (2004)--93.3%.
Health (2009 est.): Birth rate--9.4/1,000 (1.07 male/female). Death rate--9.8/1,000. Infant mortality rate--3.25/1,000. Life expectancy--78.70 years.
Work force (2008 est.): 5.6 million. Government and services (60%); industry and manufacturing (30%); agriculture and fishing (10%).
Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: Effective April 25, 1976; revised 1982, 1989, 1992, 1997, 2001, 2004, and 2005.
Branches: Executive--president (head of state), Council of State (presidential advisory body), prime minister (head of government), Council of Ministers. Legislative--unicameral Assembly of the Republic (230 deputies): PS=97, PSD=81, PCP=13, CDS/PP=21, BE=16, PEV=2. Judicial--Supreme Court, District Courts, Appeals Courts, Constitutional Tribunal.
Major political parties: Socialist Party (PS); Social Democratic Party (PSD); Portuguese Communist Party (PCP); Popular Party (CDS/PP); Left Bloc (BE); Green Party (PEV).
Administrative subdivisions: 18 districts (Lisbon, Leiria, Santarem, Setubal, Beja, Faro, Evora, Portalegre, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Coimbra, Aveiro, Viseu, Braganca, Vila Real, Porto, Braga, Viana do Castelo); 2 autonomous island regions (the Azores and Madeira).
The sore points in the midst of these political conflagrations appear to be, mostly, whether a country is a republic, whether it is governed by Shariah law, and whether they support Israel. Only Egypt and Jordan do so. The King of Jordan fired his cabinet, but named a pro-Israel prime minister. Jordan’s protesters are not seeking the abdication of their king; only the naming of an anti-Israel foreign minister. Things will settle down once he does.
If the Egyptian people’s true concern is corruption, unemployment, and repressed elections, no American could blame them for being frustrated. For reasons of our own, we’ve been frustrated with our government representatives, and formed the Tea Parties. We look upon the leader of our own republic as something of a tyrant, though hardly on the scale of a military strongman who tortures people and closes down elections.
But it will be very hard to sympathize with them if what they’re agitating for is an Islamic Republic with Shariah as their rule of law. A recent poll noted that 70 percent of Egyptians desired an Islamic form of government. Egypt is their country and there’s very little we can do about it. Their own propensity for violence and stability led to these events. Then again, hoards of Germans became members of the Nazi Party and we stood back until they began to threaten their neighbors. But for the time being, it seems all we can do is sit back and watch the events unfold.
What should concern us is that our own president is facilitating the instability, supposedly in the name of humanity. Moderate, nanny-state force voices coo at us like children disturbed by a nightmare to go back to sleep, that we’re just dreaming, that there’s no such boogeyman as the Muslim Brotherhood, that 9/11 was a long time ago and we should forget about it, that everything will be all right, and that we should go back to sleep.
posted by Belle | 7:01 AM
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