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Country Constitution Afghanistan the Bonn Agreement called for a Loya Jirga (Grand Council) to be convened within 18 months of the establishment of the Transitional Authority to draft a new constitution for the country; the basis for the next constitution is the 1964 Constitution, according to the Bonn Agreement Albania a constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998; note - the opposition Democratic Party boycotted the vote Algeria 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996 American Samoa ratified 1966, in effect 1967 Andorra Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; approved by referendum 14 March 1993; came into force 4 May 1993 Angola 11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978, 11 August 1980, 6 March 1991, and 26 August 1992 Anguilla Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990 Antigua and Barbuda 1 November 1981 Argentina 1 May 1853; revised August 1994 Armenia adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995 Aruba 1 January 1986 Australia 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 Austria 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945) Azerbaijan adopted 12 November 1995 Bahamas, The 10 July 1973 Bahrain adopted late December 2000; Bahrani voters approved on 13-14 February 2001 a referendum on legislative changes (revised constitution calls for a partially elected legislature, a constitutional monarchy, and an independent judiciary) Bangladesh 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended many times Barbados 30 November 1966 Belarus 30 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective 27 November 1996 Belgium 7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package creating a federal state Belize 21 September 1981 Benin December 1990 Bermuda 8 June 1968, amended 1989 Bhutan no written constitution or bill of rights; note - the King commissioned a committee to draft a constitution in 2001, but has yet to be approved Bolivia 2 February 1967; revised in August 1994 Bosnia and Herzegovina the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995, included a new constitution now in force; note - each of the entities also has its own constitution Botswana March 1965, effective 30 September 1966 Brazil 5 October 1988 British Virgin Islands 1 June 1977 Brunei 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984) Bulgaria adopted 12 July 1991 Burkina Faso 2 June 1991 approved by referendum; 11 June 1991 formally adopted Burma 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); national convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft a new constitution; progress has since been stalled Burundi 13 March 1992; provided for establishment of a plural political system; supplanted on 6 June 1998 by a Transitional Constitution which enlarged the National Assembly and created two vice presidents Cambodia promulgated 21 September 1993 Cameroon 20 May 1972 approved by referendum; 2 June 1972 formally adopted; revised January 1996 Canada 17 April 1982 (Constitution Act); originally, the machinery of the government was set up in the British North America Act of 1867; charter of rights and unwritten customs Cape Verde new constitution came into force 25 September 1992; underwent a major revision on 23 November 1995, substantially increasing the powers of the president, and a further revision in 1999, to create the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica) Cayman Islands 1959, revised 1972 and 1992 Central African Republic passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January 1995 Chad passed by referendum 31 March 1996 Chile 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981, amended 30 July 1989, 1993, and 1997 China most recent promulgation 4 December 1982 Christmas Island NA Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 Colombia 5 July 1991 Comoros 23 December 2001

note: a Transitional National Unity Government (GUNT) was formed on 20 January 2002 following the passing of the new constitution; the GUNT governed until the presidential elections on 14 April 2002 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978, amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994; in November 1998, a draft constitution was approved by former President Laurent KABILA but it was not ratified by a national referendum; one outcome of the ongoing inter-Congolese dialogue is to be a new constitution Congo, Republic of the constitution approved by referendum 20 January 2002 Cook Islands 4 August 1965 Costa Rica 7 November 1949 Cote d'Ivoire 3 November 1960; has been amended numerous times, last time 27 July 1998 Croatia adopted on 22 December 1990 Cuba 24 February 1976, amended July 1992 and June 2002 Cyprus 16 August 1960; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and to better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently; in 1975 Turkish Cypriots created their own constitution and governing bodies within the "Turkish Federated State of Cyprus," which was renamed the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" in 1983; a new constitution for the Turkish Cypriot area passed by referendum on 5 May 1985 Czech Republic ratified 16 December 1992; effective 1 January 1993 Denmark 1849 was the original constitution; there was a major overhaul 5 June 1953, allowing for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state Djibouti multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4 September 1992 Dominica 3 November 1978 Dominican Republic 28 November 1966 East Timor 22 March 2002 (based on the Portuguese model) Ecuador 10 August 1998 Egypt 11 September 1971 El Salvador 23 December 1983 Equatorial Guinea approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995 Eritrea the transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented Estonia adopted 28 June 1992 Ethiopia ratified December 1994; effective 22 August 1995 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998 Faroe Islands 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution) Fiji promulgated on 25 July 1990 and amended on 25 July 1997 to allow nonethnic Fijians greater say in government and to make multiparty government mandatory; entered into force 28 July 1998; note - the May 1999 election was the first test of the amended constitution and introduced open voting - not racially prescribed - for the first time at the national level Finland 1 March 2000 France 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht Treaty, 1996 Amsterdam Treaty, 2000 Treaty of Nice; amended to tighten immigration laws 1993 French Guiana 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) French Polynesia 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) Gabon adopted 14 March 1991 Gambia, The 24 April 1970; suspended July 1994; rewritten and approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; reestablished in January 1997 Georgia adopted 17 October 1995 Germany 23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united German people 3 October 1990 Ghana approved 28 April 1992 Gibraltar 30 May 1969 Greece 11 June 1975; amended March 1986 and April 2001 Greenland 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution) Grenada 19 December 1973 Guadeloupe 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) Guam Organic Act of 1 August 1950 Guatemala 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993 Guernsey unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice Guinea 23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale) Guinea-Bissau 16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and 1996 Guyana 6 October 1980 Haiti approved March 1987; suspended June 1988, with most articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991, government claimed to be observing the constitution; return to constitutional rule, October 1994 Holy See (Vatican City) Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective 1 March 1968) Honduras 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended 1995 Hong Kong Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution" Hungary 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April 1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997 amendment streamlined the judicial system Iceland 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944 India 26 January 1950 Indonesia August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959 Iran 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership Iraq in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition Ireland 29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite Israel no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law Italy 1 January 1948 Jamaica 6 August 1962 Japan 3 May 1947 Jersey unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice Jordan 8 January 1952 Kazakhstan adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995; first post-independence constitution was adopted 28 January 1993 Kenya 12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997, and 2001 Kiribati 12 July 1979 Korea, North adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992 and September 1998 Korea, South 17 July 1948 Kuwait approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 Kyrgyzstan adopted 5 May 1993; note - amendment proposed by President AKAYEV and passed in a national referendum on 2 February 2003 significantly expands the powers of the president at the expense of the legislature Laos promulgated 14 August 1991 Latvia the 1991 Constitutional Law, which supplements the 1922 constitution, provides for basic rights and freedoms Lebanon 23 May 1926, amended a number of times, most recently Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989 Lesotho 2 April 1993 Liberia 6 January 1986 Libya 11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977 Liechtenstein 5 October 1921 Lithuania adopted 25 October 1992 Luxembourg 17 October 1868, occasional revisions Macau Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution" Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991

note: in November of 2001, the Macedonian Parliament approved a series of new constitutional amendments strengthening minority rights Madagascar 19 August 1992 by national referendum Malawi 18 May 1994 Malaysia 31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963 Maldives adopted January 1998 Mali adopted 12 January 1992 Malta 1964 constitution substantially amended on 13 December 1974 and again in 1987 Man, Isle of unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act, 1961, does not embody the Manx Constitution Marshall Islands 1 May 1979 Martinique 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) Mauritania 12 July 1991 Mauritius 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992 Mayotte 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) Mexico 5 February 1917 Micronesia, Federated States of 10 May 1979 Moldova new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979 Monaco 17 December 1962 Mongolia 12 February 1992 Montserrat present constitution came into force 19 December 1989 Morocco 10 March 1972, revised 4 September 1992, amended (to create bicameral legislature) September 1996 Mozambique 30 November 1990 Namibia ratified 9 February 1990; effective 12 March 1990 Nauru 29 January 1968 Nepal 9 November 1990 Netherlands adopted 1814; amended many times, last time 17 February 1983 Netherlands Antilles 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended New Caledonia 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) New Zealand consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments and The Constitution Act 1986 which is the principal formal charter Nicaragua 9 January 1987, with reforms in 1995 and 2000 Niger the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national referendum on 12 May 1996 and again by referendum on 18 July 1999 Nigeria new constitution adopted May 1999 Niue 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act) Norfolk Island Norfolk Island Act of 1979 Northern Mariana Islands Covenant Agreement effective 4 November 1986 and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978 Norway 17 May 1814, modified in 1884 Oman none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal decree promulgating a new basic law which, among other things, clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the government, establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens Pakistan 10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored on 31 December 2002

note: selected provisions of the Constitution pertaining to changes President MUSHARRAF made while the Constitution was suspended, remain contested by political opponents Palau 1 January 1981 Panama 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983 and 1994 Papua New Guinea 16 September 1975 Paraguay promulgated 20 June 1992 Peru 31 December 1993 Philippines 2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987 Pitcairn Islands 1838; reformed 1904 with additional reforms in 1940; further refined by the Local Government Ordinance of 1964 Poland 16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997 Portugal 25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November 1992, and 3 September 1997 Puerto Rico ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952 Qatar provisional constitution enacted 19 April 1972; in July 1999 Amir HAMAD issued a decree forming a committee to draft a permanent constitution; in the 29 April 2003 referendum, 96.6% of Qatari voters approved the new constitution Reunion 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) Romania 8 December 1991 Russia adopted 12 December 1993 Rwanda on 5 May 1995, the Transitional National Assembly adopted as Fundamental Law the constitution of 18 June 1991, provisions of the 1993 Arusha peace accord, the July 1994 Declaration by the Rwanda Patriotic Front, and the November 1994 multiparty protocol of understanding Saint Helena 1 January 1989 Saint Kitts and Nevis 19 September 1983 Saint Lucia 22 February 1979 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 27 October 1979 Samoa 1 January 1962 San Marino 8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution Sao Tome and Principe approved March 1990; effective 10 September 1990 Saudi Arabia governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 Senegal a new constitution was adopted 7 January 2001 Serbia and Montenegro 4 February 2003 Seychelles 18 June 1993 Sierra Leone 1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times Singapore 3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution) Slovakia ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January 1993; changed in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president; amended February 2001 to allow Slovakia to apply for NATO and EU membership Slovenia adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991 Solomon Islands 7 July 1978 Somalia 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979

note: the Transitional National Government formed in August 2000 has a mandate to create a new constitution and hold elections within three years South Africa 10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3 February 1997; it is being implemented in phases South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands adopted 3 October 1985 Spain 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978 Sri Lanka adopted 16 August 1978 Sudan 12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR Suriname ratified 30 September 1987 Swaziland none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended 12 April 1973; a new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but was not formally presented to the people; since then a few more outlines for a constitution have been compiled under the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), but so far none have been accepted Sweden 1 January 1975 Switzerland 18 December 1998 Syria 13 March 1973 Taiwan 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, and 1999 Tajikistan 6 November 1994 Tanzania 25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984 Thailand new constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October 1997 Togo multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992; adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992 Tokelau administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970 Tonga 4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967 Trinidad and Tobago 1 August 1976 Tunisia 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988 Turkey 7 November 1982 Turkmenistan adopted 18 May 1992 Turks and Caicos Islands introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988 Tuvalu 1 October 1978 Uganda 8 October 1995; adopted by the interim, 284-member Constituent Assembly, charged with debating the draft constitution that had been proposed in May 1993; the Constituent Assembly was dissolved upon the promulgation of the constitution in October 1995 Ukraine adopted 28 June 1996 United Arab Emirates 2 December 1971 (made permanent in 1996) United Kingdom unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice United States 17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789 Uruguay 27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997 Uzbekistan new constitution adopted 8 December 1992 Vanuatu 30 July 1980 Venezuela 30 December 1999 Vietnam 15 April 1992 Virgin Islands Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 Wallis and Futuna 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) Yemen 16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994 and February 2001 Zambia 2 August 1991 Zimbabwe 21 December 1979 This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003