Norway2.3% (2006 est.)
Oman2% (2006 est.)
Pakistan7.9% (2006 est.)
Palau2.7% (2005 est.)
Panama2.6% (2006 est.)
Papua New Guinea2.5% (2006 est.)
Paraguay9% (2006 est.)
Peru2.1% (2006 est.)
Philippines6.6% (2006 est.)
Poland1.3% (2006 est.)
Portugal2.7% (2006 est.)
Puerto Rico6.5% (2003 est.)
Qatar7.2% (2006 est.)
Romania6.8% (2006 est.)
Russia9.8% (2006 est.)
Rwanda6.7% (2006 est.)
Saint Helena3.2% (1997 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis8.7% (2005 est.)
Saint Lucia2.9% (2005 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon2.1% (1991-96 average)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1% (2005 est.)
Samoa3.3% (2005)
San Marino-1.7% (2001)
Sao Tome and Principe15% (2006 est.)
Saudi Arabia1.9% (2006 est.)
Senegal2% (2006 est.)
Serbia15.5% (2005 est.)
Seychelles0.7% (2006 est.)
Sierra Leone1% (2002 est.)
Singapore1% (2006 est.)
Slovakia4.4% (2006 est.)
Slovenia2.4% (2006 est.)
Solomon Islands6.6% (2005 est.)
SomaliaNA%; note - businesses print their own money, so inflationrates cannot be easily determined
South Africa5% (2006 est.)
Spain3.5% (2006 est.)
Sri Lanka12.1% (2006 est.)
Sudan9% (2006 est.)
Suriname9.5% (2005 est.)
Swaziland5.1% (2006 est.)
Sweden1.4% (2006 est.)
Switzerland1.2% (2006 est.)
Syria7% (2006 est.)
Taiwan1% (2006 est.)
Tajikistan7.5% (2006 est.)
Tanzania5.9% (2006 est.)
Thailand5.1% (2006 est.)
Togo2.8% (2006 est.)
TokelauNA%
Tonga11.1% (2005 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago8% (2006 est.)
Tunisia4.6% (2006 est.)
Turkey9.8% (2006 est.)
Turkmenistan11% (2006 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands4% (1995)
Tuvalu3.9% (2005 est.)
Uganda6% (2006 est.)
Ukraine8.5% (2006 est.)
United Arab Emirates10% (2006 est.)
United Kingdom2.3% (2006 est.)
United States2.5% (2006 est.)
Uruguay6.5% (2006 est.)
Uzbekistan7.6% (2006 est.)
Vanuatu-1.6% (2005 est.)
Venezuela15.8% (2006 est.)
Vietnam7.5% (2006 est.)
Virgin Islands2.2% (2003)
Wallis and Futuna2.8% (2005)
West Bank2.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Western SaharaNA%
Worlddeveloped countries 1% to 4% typically; developing countries5% to 20% typically; national inflation rates vary widely inindividual cases, from declining prices in Japan to hyperinflationin one Third World countries (Zimbabwe); inflation rates havedeclined for most countries for the last several years, held incheck by increasing international competition from several low wagecountries (2005 est.)
Yemen14.8% (2006 est.)
Zambia8.8% (2006 est.)
Zimbabwe976.4% official data; private sector estimates are muchhigher (2006 est.)
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@2093 Waterways (km)
Afghanistan1,200 km (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to500 DWT) (2005)
Albania43 km (2006)
Angola1,300 km (2005)
Argentina11,000 km (2005)
Australia2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray andMurray-Darling river systems) (2002)
Austria358 km (2003)
Bangladesh8,372 kmnote: includes 5,635 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200km in dry season (2005)
Belarus2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of countryand by shallowness) (2003)
Belgium2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2003)
Belize825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2005)
Benin150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2005)
Bolivia10,000 km (commercially navigable) (2005)
Bosnia and HerzegovinaSava River (northern border) open to shippingbut use limited (2006)
Brazil50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population)(2005)
Brunei209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2005)
Bulgaria470 km (2006)
Burma12,800 km (2005)
Burundimainly on Lake Tanganyika (2003)
Cambodia2,400 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2005)
Cameroonnavigation mainly on Benue River; limited during rainyseason (2005)
Canada631 kmnote: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the SaintLawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2003)
Central African Republic2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui andSangha rivers) (2005)
ChadChari and Legone rivers are navigable only in wet season (2002)
China123,964 km (2003)
Colombia18,000 km (2005)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the15,000 km (2005)
Congo, Republic of the4,385 km (on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2005)
Costa Rica730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2005)
Cote d'Ivoire980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastallagoons) (2005)
Croatia785 km (2006)
Cuba240 km (2005)
Czech Republic664 km (principally on Elbe as well as Vltava andOder rivers) (2005)
Denmark400 km (2001)
Ecuador1,500 km (most inaccessible) (2005)
Egypt3,500 kmnote: includes Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway,and numerous smaller canals in delta; Suez Canal (193.5 km includingapproaches) navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m(2005)
El SalvadorRio Lempa partially navigable (2004)
Estonia500 km (2005)
European Union52,332 km (2006)
Fiji203 kmnote: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges(2004)
Finland7,842 kmnote: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leasedfrom Russia (2005)
Francemetropolitan France: 8,500 km (1,686 km accessible to craftof 3,000 metric tons)French Guiana: 3,760 km (460 km navigable by small oceangoingvessels and coastal and river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft)(2000)
Gabon1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2005)
Gambia, The390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels canreach 190 km) (2004)
Germany7,467 kmnote: Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links NorthSea and Black Sea (2005)
Ghana1,293 kmnote: 168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tanorivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta(2005)
Greece6 kmnote: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortenssea voyage by 325 km (2006)
Guatemala990 kmnote: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigableduring high-water season (2004)
Guinea1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2005)
Guinea-Bissaufour largest rivers are navigable for some distance;many inlets and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior(2006)
GuyanaBerbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable byoceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2005)
Honduras465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2005)
Hungary1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2006)
India14,500 kmnote: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable formechanized vessels (2005)
Indonesia21,579 km (2005)
Iran850 km (850 km on Karun River; additional service on LakeUrmia) (2006)
Iraq5,279 kmnote: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and ThirdRiver (565 km) are principal waterways (2004)
Ireland753 km (pleasure craft only) (2005)
Italy2,400 kmnote: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value comparedto road and rail (2004)
Japan1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2006)
Kazakhstan4,000 km (on the Ertis (Irtysh) (80%) and Syr Darya(Syrdariya) rivers) (2005)
Kenyapart of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of Kenya(2003)
Kiribati5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) (2003)
Korea, North2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2006)
Korea, South1,608 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2006)
Kyrgyzstan600 km (2006)
Laos4,600 kmnote: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km areintermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2005)
Latvia300 km (2005)
Liechtenstein28 km (2005)
Lithuania425 km (2005)
Luxembourg37 km (on Moselle River) (2003)
Madagascar600 km (2005)
Malawi700 km (on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River) (2006)
Malaysia7,200 kmnote: Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km, Sabah 1,500 km, Sarawak 2,500 km(2005)
Mali1,815 km (2005)
Mexico2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals) (2005)
Moldova424 km (on Dniester River) (2005)
Mongolia580 kmnote: only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol (135 km); SelengeRiver (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km) are navigable but carrylittle traffic; lakes and rivers freeze in winter, are open from Mayto September (2004)
Mozambique460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along CahoraBassa Lake) (2002)
Netherlands6,183 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2005)
Nicaragua2,220 km (including lakes Managua and Nicaragua) (2005)
Niger300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gayabetween September and March) (2005)
Nigeria8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers andcreeks) (2005)
Norway1,577 km (2002)
Panama800 km (includes 82 km Panama Canal) (2005)
Papua New Guinea10,940 km (2003)
Paraguay3,100 km (2005)
Peru8,808 kmnote: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 kmof Lago Titicaca (2005)
Philippines3,219 km (limited to vessels with draft less than 1.5 m)(2005)
Poland3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2005)
Portugal210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2003)
Romania1,731 kmnote: includes 1,075 km on Danube River, 524 km on secondarybranches, and 132 km on canals (2005)
Russia102,000 km (including 33,000 km with guaranteed depth)note: 72,000 km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, WhiteSea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea (2005)
RwandaLac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft(2005)
Senegal1,000 km (primarily on Senegal, Saloum, and Casamancerivers) (2005)
Serbia587 km - primarily on Danube and Sava rivers (2005)
Sierra Leone800 km (600 km year round) (2005)
Slovakia172 km (on Danube River) (2005)
Spain1,000 km (2003)
Sri Lanka160 km (primarily on rivers in southwest) (2005)
Sudan4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nilerivers) (2005)
Suriname1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m)(2005)
Sweden2,052 km (2005)
Switzerland65 km (Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden andSchaffhausen-Bodensee) (2003)
Syria900 km (not economically significant) (2005)
Tajikistan200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2006)
TanzaniaLake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa principalavenues of commerce with neighboring countries; rivers not navigable(2005)
Thailand 4,000 km note: 3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m (2005)
Togo50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2005)
Turkey1,200 km (2005)
Turkmenistan1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inlandwaterways) (2006)
Ugandaon Lake Victoria, 200 km on Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, andparts of Albert Nile (2005)
Ukraine2,253 km (most on Dnieper River) (2006)
United Kingdom3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2003)
United States41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce)note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the SaintLawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2004)
Uruguay1,600 km (2005)
Uzbekistan1,100 km (2006)
Venezuela7,100 kmnote: Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoingvessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2005)
Vietnam17,702 km (5,000 km navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft)(2005)
World671,886 km (2004)
Zambia2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi andLuapula rivers) (2005)
Zimbabweon Lake Kariba, length small (2005)
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@2094 Judicial branch
Afghanistanthe constitution establishes a nine-member Stera Mahkamaor Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for 10-year termsby the president with approval of the Wolesi Jirga) and subordinateHigh Courts and Appeals Courts; there is also a minister of justice;a separate Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission established bythe Bonn Agreement is charged with investigating human rights abusesand war crimes
AlbaniaConstitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected bythe People's Assembly for a four-year term), and multiple appealsand district courts
AlgeriaSupreme Court
American SamoaHigh Court (chief justice and associate justices areappointed by the US Secretary of the Interior)
AndorraTribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of theCourts or Tribunal de Corts; Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra orTribunal Superior de Justicia d'Andorra; Supreme Council of Justiceor Consell Superior de la Justicia; Fiscal Ministry or MinisteriFiscal; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal Constitucional
AngolaSupreme Court and separate provincial courts (judges areappointed by the president)
AnguillaHigh Court (judge provided by Eastern Caribbean SupremeCourt)
Antigua and BarbudaEastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in SaintLucia; one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islandsand presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction); memberCaribbean Court of Justice
ArgentinaSupreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Courtjudges are appointed by the president with approval by the Senate)note: the Supreme Court currently has two unfilled vacancies, andthe Argentine Congress is considering a bill to reduce the number ofSupreme Court judges to five
ArmeniaConstitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court)
ArubaCommon Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by themonarch)
AustraliaHigh Court (the chief justice and six other justices areappointed by the governor general)
AustriaSupreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof;Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Courtor Verfassungsgerichtshof
AzerbaijanSupreme Court
Bahamas, ThePrivy Council (London); Courts of Appeal; Supreme(lower) Court; magistrates courts
BahrainHigh Civil Appeals Court
BangladeshSupreme Court (the chief justices and other judges areappointed by the president)
BarbadosSupreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by theService Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services); CaribbeanCourt of Justice is the highest court of appeal
BelarusSupreme Court (judges are appointed by the president);Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the presidentand half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives)
BelgiumSupreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) orCour de Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by thegovernment; candidacies have to be submitted by the High JusticeCouncil)
BelizeSupreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governorgeneral on the advice of the prime minister)
BeninConstitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Courtor Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice
BermudaSupreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts
BhutanSupreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judgesappointed by the monarch)
BoliviaSupreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-yearterms by National Congress); District Courts (one in eachdepartment); provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)
Bosnia and HerzegovinaBH Constitutional Court (consists of ninemembers: four members are selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation'sHouse of Representatives, two members by the Republika Srpska'sNational Assembly, and three non-Bosnian members by the president ofthe European Court of Human Rights); BH State Court (consists ofnine judges and three divisions - Administrative, Appellate andCriminal - having jurisdiction over cases related to state-level lawand appellate jurisdiction over cases initiated in the entities);note - a War Crimes Chamber opened in March 2005note: the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has anumber of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in theFederation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpskahas five municipal courts
BotswanaHigh Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one ineach district)
BrazilSupreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed for lifeby the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal ofJustice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life);note - though appointed "for life," judges, like all federalemployees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70
British Virgin IslandsEastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consistingof the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge ofthe Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over theHigh Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of SummaryJurisdiction
BruneiSupreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in bymonarch for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council inLondon is final court of appeal for civil cases; Shariah courts dealwith Islamic laws (2006)
BulgariaSupreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation;Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-yearterms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of thetwo Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members;responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, andinvestigating magistrates in the justice system; members of theSupreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected bythe National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary)
Burkina FasoSupreme Court; Appeals Court
Burmaremnants of the British-era legal system are in place, butthere is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is notindependent of the executive
BurundiSupreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; Courtsof Appeal (there are three in separate locations); Tribunals ofFirst Instance (17 at the province level and 123 small localtribunals)
CambodiaSupreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in theconstitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lowercourts) exercises judicial authority
CameroonSupreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); HighCourt of Justice (consists of nine judges and six substitute judges,elected by the National Assembly)
CanadaSupreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the primeminister through the governor general); Federal Court of Canada;Federal Court of Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are namedvariously Court of Appeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court,Supreme Court, and Court of Justice)
Cape VerdeSupreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia
Cayman IslandsSummary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court ofAppeal
Central African RepublicSupreme Court or Cour Supreme;Constitutional Court (3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by thepresident of the National Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Courtof Appeal; Criminal Courts; Inferior Courts
ChadSupreme Court; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; MagistrateCourts
ChileSupreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by thepresident and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidatesprovided by the court itself; the president of the Supreme Court iselected every three years by the 20-member court); ConstitutionalTribunal
ChinaSupreme People's Court (judges appointed by the NationalPeople's Congress); Local People's Courts (comprise higher,intermediate, and local courts); Special People's Courts (primarilymilitary, maritime, and railway transport courts)
Christmas IslandSupreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
Cocos (Keeling) IslandsSupreme Court; Magistrate's Court
Colombiafour roughly coequal, supreme judicial organs; SupremeCourt of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (highest court ofcriminal law; judges are selected by their peers from the nomineesof the Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms); Council ofState (highest court of administrative law; judges are selected fromthe nominees of the Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms);Constitutional Court (guards integrity and supremacy of theconstitution; rules on constitutionality of laws, amendments to theconstitution, and international treaties); Superior Judicial Council(administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary; resolvesjurisdictional conflicts arising between other courts; members areelected by three sister courts and Congress for eight-year terms)
ComorosSupreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members appointed by thepresident, two members elected by the Federal Assembly, one electedby the Council of each island, and others are former presidents ofthe republic)
Congo, Democratic Republic of theSupreme Court or Cour Supreme
Congo, Republic of theSupreme Court or Cour Supreme
Cook IslandsHigh Court
Costa RicaSupreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are electedfor eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)
Cote d'IvoireSupreme Court or Cour Supreme consists of fourchambers: Judicial Chamber for criminal cases, Audit Chamber forfinancial cases, Constitutional Chamber for judicial review cases,and Administrative Chamber for civil cases; there is no legal limitto the number of members
CroatiaSupreme Court; Constitutional Court; judges for both courtsappointed for eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of theRepublic, which is elected by the Assembly
CubaPeople's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president,vice president, and other judges are elected by the NationalAssembly)
CyprusSupreme Court (judges are appointed jointly by the presidentand vice president)note: there is also a Supreme Court in the area administered byTurkish Cyriots
Czech RepublicSupreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman anddeputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term
DenmarkSupreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch for life)
DjiboutiSupreme Court or Cour Supreme
DominicaEastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court ofAppeal and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the sixjudges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of SummaryJurisdiction)
Dominican RepublicSupreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges areappointed by the National Judicial Council comprised of thepresident, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the presidentof the Supreme Court, and an additional non-governing partycongressional representative)
East TimorSupreme Court of Justice - constitution calls for onejudge to be appointed by National Parliament and rest appointed bySuperior Council for Judiciary; note - until Supreme Court isestablished, Court of Appeals is highest court
EcuadorSupreme Court or Corte Suprema (according to theConstitution, new justices are elected by the full Supreme Court; inDecember 2004, however, Congress successfully replaced the entirecourt via a simple-majority resolution)
EgyptSupreme Constitutional Court
El SalvadorSupreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected bythe Legislative Assembly)
Equatorial GuineaSupreme Tribunal
EritreaHigh Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; alsohave military and special courts
EstoniaNational Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life)
EthiopiaFederal Supreme Court (the president and vice president ofthe Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister andappointed by the House of People's Representatives; for otherfederal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People'sRepresentatives for appointment candidates selected by the FederalJudicial Administrative Council)
European UnionCourt of Justice of the European Communities (ensuresthat the treaties are interpreted and applied uniformly throughoutthe EU; resolve constitutional issues among the EU institutions) -27 justices (one from each member state) appointed for a six-yearterm; note - for the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 13justices known as the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 27justices appointed for a six-year term
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Faroe Islandsnone
FijiSupreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court ofAppeal; High Court; Magistrates' Courts
FinlandSupreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by thepresident)
FranceSupreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (judges areappointed by the president from nominations of the High Council ofthe Judiciary); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel(three members appointed by the president, three appointed by thepresident of the National Assembly, and three appointed by thepresident of the Senate); Council of State or Conseil d'Etat
French PolynesiaCourt of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the FirstInstance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of AdministrativeLaw or Tribunal Administratif
GabonSupreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers -Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courtsof Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts
Gambia, TheSupreme Court
GeorgiaSupreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on thepresident's or chairman of the Supreme Court's recommendation);Constitutional Court; first and second instance courts
GermanyFederal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht(half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by theBundesrat)
GhanaSupreme Court
GibraltarSupreme Court; Court of Appeal
GreeceSupreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judgesappointed for life by the president after consultation with ajudicial council
GreenlandHigh Court or Landsret (appeals can be made to the OstreLandsret or Eastern Division of the High Court or Supreme Court inCopenhagen)
GrenadaEastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of a court ofAppeal and a High Court of Justice (a High Court judge is assignedto and resides in Grenada)
GuamFederal District Court (judge is appointed by the president);Territorial Superior Court (judges appointed for eight-year terms bythe governor)
GuatemalaConstitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad isGuatemala's highest court (five judges are elected for concurrentfive-year terms by Congress, each serving one year as president ofthe Constitutional Court; one is elected by Congress, one elected bythe Supreme Court of Justice, one appointed by the president, oneelected by Superior Counsel of Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala,and one by Colegio de Abogados); Supreme Court of Justice or CorteSuprema de Justicia (13 members serve concurrent five-year terms andelect a president of the Court each year from among their number;the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trialjudges around the country, who are named to five-year terms)
GuernseyRoyal Court
GuineaCourt of Appeal or Cour d'Appel
Guinea-BissauSupreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consistsof nine justices appointed by the president and serve at hispleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases);Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appealsfor Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil casesvalued at over $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are notnecessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases under $1,000 andmisdemeanor criminal cases)
GuyanaSupreme Court of Judicature, consisting of the High Court andthe Judicial Court of Appeal, with right of final appeal to theCaribbean Court of Justice
HaitiSupreme Court or Cour de Cassation
Holy See (Vatican City)there are three tribunals responsible forcivil and criminal matters within Vatican City; three othertribunals rule on issues pertaining to the Holy Seenote: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of PopePIUS XII on 1 May 1946
HondurasSupreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia(judges are elected for seven-year terms by the National Congress)
Hong KongCourt of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong SpecialAdministrative Region
HungaryConstitutional Court (judges are elected by the NationalAssembly for nine-year terms)
IcelandSupreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed forlife by the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justicesare appointed for life by the Minister of Justice)
IndiaSupreme Court (one chief justice and 25 associate justices areappointed by the president and remain in office until they reach theage of 65 or are removed for "proved misbehavior")
IndonesiaSupreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (justices appointed by thepresident from a list of candidates approved by the legislature); aseparate Constitutional Court or Mahkamah Konstitusi was invested bythe president on 16 August 2003; in March 2004 the Supreme Courtassumed administrative and financial responsibility for the lowercourt system from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; LaborCourt under supervision of Supreme Court began functioning inJanuary 2006
IranSupreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionarycourt, and a special administrative court
Iraqthe Iraq Constitution calls for the Federal Judicial Authority,comprised of the Higher Juridical Council, Supreme Federal Court,Federal Court of Cassation, Public Prosecution Department, JudiciaryOversight Commission and other federal courts that are regulated inaccordance with the law
IrelandSupreme Court (judges appointed by the president on theadvice of the prime minister and cabinet)
Isle of ManHigh Court of Justice (justices are appointed by theLord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenantgovernor)
IsraelSupreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial SelectionCommittee - made up of all three branches of the government;mandatory retirement age is 70)
ItalyConstitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third elected byparliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and administrativeSupreme Courts)
JamaicaSupreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general onthe advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal
JapanSupreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch afterdesignation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by thecabinet)
JerseyRoyal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and thebailiff)
JordanCourt of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal)
KazakhstanSupreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7members)
KenyaCourt of Appeal (chief justice is appointed by the president);High Court
KiribatiCourt of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judgesat all levels are appointed by the president
Korea, NorthCentral Court (judges are elected by the SupremePeople's Assembly)
Korea, SouthSupreme Court (justices appointed by president withconsent of National Assembly); Constitutional Court (justicesappointed by president based partly on nominations by NationalAssembly and Chief Justice of the court)
KuwaitHigh Court of Appeal
KyrgyzstanSupreme Court; Constitutional Court (judges of both theSupreme and Constitutional Courts are appointed for 10-year terms bythe Jorgorku Kenesh on the recommendation of the president); HigherCourt of Arbitration; Local Courts (judges appointed by thepresident on the recommendation of the National Council on LegalAffairs for a probationary period of five years, then 10 years)
LaosPeople's Supreme Court (the president of the People's SupremeCourt is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation ofthe National Assembly Standing Committee; the vice president of thePeople's Supreme Court and the judges are appointed by the NationalAssembly Standing Committee)
LatviaSupreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed byParliament); Constitutional Court (judges' appointments areconfirmed by Parliament)
Lebanonfour Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil andcommercial cases and one court for criminal cases); ConstitutionalCouncil (called for in Ta'if Accord - rules on constitutionality oflaws); Supreme Council (hears charges against the president andprime minister as needed)
LesothoHigh Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting onthe advice of the Prime Minister); Court of Appeal; MagistrateCourts; customary or traditional court
LiberiaSupreme Court
LibyaSupreme Court
LiechtensteinSupreme Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Court of Appealor Obergericht
LithuaniaConstitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal;judges for all courts appointed by the President
Luxembourgjudicial courts and tribunals (3 Justices of the Peace, 2district courts, and 1 Supreme Court of Appeals); administrativecourts and tribunals (State Prosecutor's Office, administrativecourts and tribunals, and the Constitutional Court); judges for allcourts are appointed for life by the monarch
MacauCourt of Final Appeal in Macau Special Administrative Region
MacedoniaSupreme Court - the Assembly appoints the judges;Constitutional Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; RepublicanJudicial Council - the Assembly appoints the judges
MadagascarSupreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional Courtor Haute Cour Constitutionnelle
MalawiSupreme Court of Appeal; High Court (chief justice appointedby the president, puisne judges appointed on the advice of theJudicial Service Commission); magistrate's courts
MalaysiaFederal Court (judges appointed by the paramount ruler onthe advice of the prime minister)
MaldivesHigh Court
MaliSupreme Court or Cour Supreme
MaltaConstitutional Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courtsare appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Marshall IslandsSupreme Court; High Court; Traditional Rights Court
MauritaniaSupreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lowercourts
MauritiusSupreme Court
MayotteSupreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel
MexicoSupreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de JusticiaNacional (justices or ministros are appointed by the president withconsent of the Senate)
Micronesia, Federated States ofSupreme Court
MoldovaSupreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority forconstitutional judicature)
MonacoSupreme Court or Tribunal Supreme (judges appointed by themonarch on the basis of nominations by the National Council)
MongoliaSupreme Court (serves as appeals court for people's andprovincial courts but rarely overturns verdicts of lower courts;judges are nominated by the General Council of Courts and approvedby the president)
MontenegroConstitutional Court (five judges with nine-year terms);Supreme Court (judges have life tenure)
MontserratEastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia,one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands andpresides over the High Court)
MoroccoSupreme Court (judges are appointed on the recommendation ofthe Supreme Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the monarch)
MozambiqueSupreme Court (the court of final appeal; some of itsprofessional judges are appointed by the president and some areelected by the Assembly); other courts include an AdministrativeCourt, customs courts, maritime courts, courts marshal, labor courtsnote: although the constitution provides for a separateConstitutional Court, one has never been established; in its absencethe Supreme Court reviews constitutional cases
NamibiaSupreme Court (judges appointed by the president on therecommendation of the Judicial Service Commission)
NauruSupreme Court
NepalSupreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is appointedby the monarch on recommendation of the Constitutional Council; theother judges are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation ofthe Judicial Council)
NetherlandsSupreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated forlife by the monarch)
Netherlands AntillesJoint High Court of Justice (judges appointedby the monarch)
New CaledoniaCourt of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; JointCommerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court
New ZealandSupreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note -Judges appointed by the Governor-General
NicaraguaSupreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected forfive-year terms by the National Assembly)
NigerState Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel
NigeriaSupreme Court (judges appointed by the President); FederalCourt of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government onthe advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee)
NiueSupreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue
Norfolk IslandSupreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions
Northern Mariana IslandsCommonwealth Supreme Court; Superior Court;Federal District Court
NorwaySupreme Court or Hoyesterett (justices appointed by themonarch)
OmanSupreme Courtnote: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, hasjudges who practice secular and Shari'a law
PakistanSupreme Court (justices appointed by the president);Federal Islamic or Shari'a Court
PalauSupreme Court; National Court; Court of Common Pleas
PanamaSupreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (ninejudges appointed for 10-year terms); five superior courts; threecourts of appeal
Papua New GuineaSupreme Court (the chief justice is appointed bythe governor general on the proposal of the National ExecutiveCouncil after consultation with the minister responsible forjustice; other judges are appointed by the Judicial and LegalServices Commission)
ParaguaySupreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia(judges appointed on the proposal of the Council of Magistrates orConsejo de la Magistratura)
PeruSupreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judgesare appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary)
PhilippinesSupreme Court (15 justices are appointed by thepresident on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council andserve until 70 years of age); Court of Appeals; Sandigan-bayan(special court for hearing corruption cases of government officials)
Pitcairn IslandsMagistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal;Judicial Officers are appointed by the Governor
PolandSupreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on therecommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for anindefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen bythe Sejm for nine-year terms)
PortugalSupreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judgesappointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura)
Puerto RicoSupreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instancecomposed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court(justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with theconsent of the Senate)
QatarCourt of Appealnote: under a judiciary law issued in 2003, the former two courtsystems, civil and Islamic law, were merged under a higher court,the Court of Cassation, established for appeals
RomaniaSupreme Court of Justice (comprised of 11 judges appointedfor three-year terms by the president in consultation with theSuperior Council of Magistrates, which is comprised of the ministerof justice, the prosecutor general, two civil societyrepresentatives appointed by the Senate, and 14 judges andprosecutors elected by their peers); a separate body, theConstitutional Court, validates elections and makes decisionsregarding the constitutionality of laws, treaties, ordinances, andinternal rules of the Parliament; it is comprised of nine membersserving nine-year terms, with three members each appointed by thepresident, the Senate, and the Chamber of Deputies
RussiaConstitutional Court; Supreme Court; Supreme ArbitrationCourt; judges for all courts are appointed for life by theFederation Council on the recommendation of the president
RwandaSupreme Court; High Courts of the Republic; ProvincialCourts; District Courts; mediation committees
Saint HelenaMagistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Saint Kitts and NevisEastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based onSaint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Kittsand Nevis)
Saint LuciaEastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends toAnguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica,Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and SaintVincent and the Grenadines)
Saint Pierre and MiquelonSuperior Tribunal of Appeals or TribunalSuperieur d'Appel
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesEastern Caribbean Supreme Court(based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides inSaint Vincent and the Grenadines)
SamoaCourt of Appeal; Supreme Court; District Court; Land andTitles Court
San MarinoCouncil of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII
Sao Tome and PrincipeSupreme Court (judges are appointed by theNational Assembly)
Saudi ArabiaSupreme Council of Justice
SenegalConstitutional Court; Council of State; Court of FinalAppeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals
SerbiaConstitutional Court, Supreme Court (to become court ofcassation under new constitution), appellate courts, districtcourts, municipal courts; Kosovo: Supreme Court, district courts,municipal courts, minor offense courts; note - Ministry of Justicewas created on 20 December 2004; UNMIK appoints all judges andprosecutors; UNMIK is working on transferring competencies
SeychellesCourt of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courtsare appointed by the president
Sierra LeoneSupreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court
SingaporeSupreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the presidentwith the advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed bythe president with the advice of the chief justice); Court of Appeals
SlovakiaSupreme Court (judges are elected by the National Council);Constitutional Court (judges appointed by president from group ofnominees approved by the National Council); Special Court (judgeselected by a council of judges and appointed by president)
SloveniaSupreme Court (judges are elected by the National Assemblyon the recommendation of the Judicial Council); Constitutional Court(judges elected for nine-year terms by the National Assembly andnominated by the president)
Solomon IslandsCourt of Appeal
Somaliafollowing the breakdown of the central government, mostregions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, eithersecular, traditional Somali customary law, or Shari'a (Islamic) lawwith a provision for appeal of all sentences
South AfricaConstitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; HighCourts; Magistrate Courts
SpainSupreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Sri LankaSupreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courtsare appointed by the president
SudanConstitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme Court;National Courts of Appeal; other national courts; National JudicialService Commission will undertake overall management of the NationalJudiciary
SurinameCantonal Courts and a Court of Justice as an appellatecourt (justices are nominated for life)
SwazilandHigh Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts areappointed by the monarch
SwedenSupreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed bythe prime minister and the cabinet)
SwitzerlandFederal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year termsby the Federal Assembly)
SyriaSupreme Judicial Council (appoints and dismisses judges;headed by the President); national level - Supreme ConstitutionalCourt (adjudicates electoral disputes and rules on constitutionalityof laws and decrees; justices appointed for four-year terms by thePresident); Court of Cassation; Appeals Courts (Appeals Courtsrepresent an intermediate level between the Court of Cassation andlocal level courts); local level - Magistrate Courts; Courts ofFirst Instance; Juvenile Courts; Customs Courts; specialized courts- Economic Security Courts (hear cases related to economic crimes);Supreme State Security Court (hear cases related to nationalsecurity); Personal Status Courts (religious; hear cases related tomarriage and divorce)
TaiwanJudicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president withconsent of the Legislative Yuan)
TajikistanSupreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
TanzaniaPermanent Commission of Enquiry (official ombudsman); Courtof Appeal (consists of a chief justice and four judges); High Court(consists of a Jaji Kiongozi and 29 judges appointed by thepresident; holds regular sessions in all regions); District Courts;Primary Courts (limited jurisdiction and appeals can be made to thehigher courts)
ThailandSupreme Court or Sandika (judges appointed by the monarch)
TogoCourt of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
TokelauSupreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminaljurisdiction in Tokelau
TongaSupreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court ofAppeal (Chief Justice and high court justices from overseas chosenand approved by Privy Council)
Trinidad and TobagoSupreme Court of Judicature (comprised of theHigh Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice isappointed by the president after consultation with the primeminister and the leader of the opposition; other justices areappointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and LegalService Commission); High Court of Justice; Caribbean Court ofAppeals member; Court of Appeals; the highest court of appeal is thePrivy Council in London
TunisiaCourt of Cassation or Cour de Cassation
TurkeyConstitutional Court; High Court of Appeals (Yargitay);Council of State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); MilitaryHigh Court of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court
TurkmenistanSupreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Turks and Caicos IslandsSupreme Court; Court of Appeal
TuvaluHigh Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to presideover its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court ofAppeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)
UgandaCourt of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president andapproved by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed bythe president)
UkraineSupreme Court; Constitutional Court
United Arab EmiratesUnion Supreme Court (judges are appointed bythe president)
United KingdomHouse of Lords (highest court of appeal; severalLords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life);Supreme Courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprisingthe Courts of Appeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the CrownCourts); Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary