The CIA World Factbook Edition 1991 Government

Constitution In 36 editions of 36.

Constitution was published in 36 editions of the CIA World Factbook, from 1990 to 2025. The 1991 edition carries it in 211 entries, in its Government section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.

entries in the 1991 edition
211
the first edition with it
1990
the latest edition with it
2025

Published as “Constitution” (1990 to 2025).

the entry has the field in that editionnot in that editionthe open editionEach entry below ends in its editions with Constitution, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down; choose one in a row to read that edition’s text there.

Entries with Constitution in each edition

19902000201020202025

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Africa

55 entries

Algeria

19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976

Angola

11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978, 11 August 1980, and 6 March 1991

Benin

2 December 1990

Botswana

March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

Burkina now Burkina Faso

  • none;
  • constitution of 27 November 1977 was abolished following coup of 25 November 1980;
  • constitutional referendum scheduled for June 1991

Burundi

  • 20 November 1981;
  • suspended following the coup of 3 September 1987;
  • referendum for a new constitution scheduled for March 1992

Cape Verde now Cabo Verde

7 September 1980; amended 12 February 1981, NA December 1988, and 28 September 1990 (legalized opposition parties)

Cameroon

20 May 1972

Central African Republic

21 November 1986

Chad

22 December 1989, suspended 3 December 1990; Provisional National Charter 1 March 1991

Comoros

1 October 1978, amended October 1982 and January 1985

Zaire now Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978;
  • amended 1990;
  • new constitution to be promulgated in 1991

Congo now Republic of the Congo

8 July 1979, currently being modified

Ivory Coast now Cote d'Ivoire

3 November 1960

Djibouti

partial constitution ratified January 1981 by the National Assembly

Egypt

11 September 1971

Equatorial Guinea

15 August 1982

Swaziland now Eswatini

  • none;
  • constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended on 12 April 1973;
  • a new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but has not been formally presented to the people

Ethiopia

12 September 1987

Gabon

21 February 1961, revised 15 April 1975

The Gambia

24 April 1970

Ghana

24 September 1979; suspended 31 December 1981

Guinea

23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

Guinea-Bissau

16 May 1984

Kenya

12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, and 1988

Lesotho

4 October 1966, suspended January 1970

Liberia

6 January 1986

Libya

11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977

Madagascar

21 December 1975

Malawi

6 July 1964; republished as amended January 1974

Mali

  • 2 June 1974, effective 19 June 1979;
  • amended September 1981 and March 1985;
  • suspended following the coup of 26 March 1991

Mauritania

  • 20 May 1961, abrogated after coup of 10 July 1978;
  • provisional constitution published 17 December 1980 but abandoned in 1981;
  • new constitutional charter published 27 February 1985

Mauritius

12 March 1968

Mayotte

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Morocco

10 March 1972

Mozambique

30 November 1990

Namibia

ratified 9 February 1990

Niger

adopted NA December 1989 after 15 years of military rule

Nigeria

1 October 1979, amended 9 February 1984, revised 1989

Reunion

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Rwanda

17 December 1978

Saint Helena now Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha

1 January 1967

Sao Tome and Principe

5 November 1975, approved 15 December 1982

Senegal

3 March 1963, last revised in 1984

Seychelles

5 June 1979

Sierra Leone

14 June 1978

Somalia

25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979

South Africa

3 September 1984

Sudan

12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989

Tanzania

15 March 1984 (Zanzibar has its own Constitution but remains subject to provisions of the union Constitution)

Togo

30 December 1979, effective 13 January 1980

Tunisia

1 June 1959

Uganda

8 September 1967, in process of constitutional revision

Zambia

25 August 1973

Zimbabwe

21 December 1979

Antarctic Region

1 entry

Arctic Region

2 entries

Greenland

Danish

Iceland

16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944

Asia

13 entries

Afghanistan

adopted 30 November 1987, revised May 1990

Bangladesh

4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended NA March 1991

Bhutan

no written constitution or bill of rights

China

4 December 1982

India

26 January 1950

Japan

3 May 1947

Korea, North now North Korea

adopted 1948, revised 27 December 1972

Korea, South now South Korea

25 February 1988

Maldives

4 June 1964

Mongolia

6 July 1960

Nepal

9 November 1990

Pakistan

10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments, 30 December 1985

Sri Lanka

31 August 1978

Central America and the Caribbean

31 entries

Anguilla

1 April 1982

Antigua and Barbuda

1 November 1981

Aruba

1 January 1986

The Bahamas

10 July 1973

Barbados

30 November 1966

Belize

21 September 1981

British Virgin Islands

1 June 1977

Cayman Islands

1959, revised 1972

Costa Rica

9 November 1949

Cuba

24 February 1976

Dominica

3 November 1978

Dominican Republic

28 November 1966

El Salvador

20 December 1983

Grenada

19 December 1973

Guadeloupe

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Guatemala

31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986

Haiti

  • 27 August 1983, suspended February 1986;
  • draft constitution approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles reinstated March 1989;
  • March 1987 Constitution fully observed by government installed on 7 February 1991

Honduras

11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982

Jamaica

6 August 1962

Martinique

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Montserrat

1 January 1960

Netherlands Antilles

29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended

Nicaragua

January 1987

Panama

11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983

Puerto Rico

  • ratified 3 March 1952;
  • approved by US Congress 3 July 1952;
  • effective 25 July 1952

Saint Kitts and Nevis

19 September 1983

Saint Lucia

22 February 1979

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

27 October 1979

Trinidad and Tobago

31 August 1976

Turks and Caicos Islands

introduced 30 August 1976, suspended in 1986, and a Constitutional Commission is currently reviewing its contents

Virgin Islands

Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 serves as the constitution

Europe

36 entries

Albania

an interim basic law was approved by the People's Assembly on 29 April 1991; a new constitution is to be drafted for adoption in four to six months

Andorra

none; some pareatges and decrees, mostly custom and usage

Austria

1920, revised 1929 (reinstated 1945)

Belgium

7 February 1831, last revised 8-9 August 1980; the government is in the process of revising the Constitution, with the aim of federalizing the Belgian state

Bulgaria

16 May 1971, effective 18 May 1971; a new constitution is likely to be adopted in 1991

Czechoslovakia

  • 11 July 1960;
  • amended in 1968 and 1970;
  • new Czech, Slovak, and federal constitutions to be drafted in 1991-92

Denmark

5 June 1953

Faroe Islands

Danish

Finland

17 July 1919

France

28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962

Germany

  • 23 May 1949, provisional constitution known as Basic Law civil law system with indigenous concepts;
  • judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court;
  • has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Gibraltar

30 May 1969

Greece

11 June 1975

Guernsey

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Vatican City now Holy See (Vatican City)

Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective 1 March 1968)

Hungary

  • 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April 1972;
  • 18 October 1989 revision ensures legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and established the principle of parliamentary oversight

Ireland

29 December 1937; adopted 1937

Man, Isle of now Isle of Man

1961, Isle of Man Constitution Act

Italy

1 January 1948

Jersey

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Liechtenstein

5 October 1921

Luxembourg

17 October 1868, occasional revisions

Malta

26 April 1974, effective 2 June 1974

Monaco

17 December 1962

Netherlands

17 February 1983

Norway

17 May 1814, modified in 1884

Poland

the Communist-imposed Constitution of 22 July 1952 will probably be replaced by a democratic Constitution in 1992

Portugal

25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982 and 1 June 1989

Romania

21 August 1965; new constitution being drafted

San Marino

8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution

Soviet Union

7 October 1977

Spain

6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978

Sweden

1 January 1975

Switzerland

29 May 1874

United Kingdom

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Yugoslavia

21 February 1974, amendments to the Constitution have passed the Federal Assembly and are being considered at the republic level

Middle East

15 entries

Bahrain

26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973

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 area passed by referendum in May 1985

Iran

2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership

Iraq

22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (interim Constitution); new constitution drafted in 1990 but not adopted

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

Jordan

8 January 1952

Kuwait

16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29 August 1962)

Lebanon

26 May 1926 (amended)

Oman

none

Qatar

provisional constitution enacted 2 April 1970

Saudi Arabia

none; governed according to Sharia (Islamic law)

Syria

13 March 1973

Turkey now Turkiye

7 November 1982

United Arab Emirates

2 December 1971 (provisional)

Yemen

16 April 1991

North America

5 entries

Bermuda

8 June 1968

Canada

amended British North America Act 1867 patriated to Canada 17 April 1982; charter of rights and unwritten customs

Mexico

5 February 1917

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

United States

17 September 1787, effective 4 June 1789

Oceania

25 entries

American Samoa

ratified 1966, in effect 1967

Australia

9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901

Cook Islands

4 August 1965

Fiji

10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new Constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990

French Polynesia

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Guam

Organic Act of 1 August 1950

Kiribati

12 July 1979

Marshall Islands

1 May 1979

Micronesia, Federated States of now Federated States of Micronesia

10 May 1979

Nauru

29 January 1968

New Caledonia

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

New Zealand

  • no formal, written constitution;
  • consists of various documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments;
  • Constitution Act 1986 was to have come into force 1 January 1987, but has not been enacted

Niue

19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)

Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island Act of 1957

Northern Mariana Islands

Covenant Agreement effective 3 November 1986

Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the now Palau

11 January 1981

Papua New Guinea

16 September 1975

Pitcairn Islands

Local Government Ordinance of 1964

Western Samoa now Samoa

1 January 1962

Solomon Islands

7 July 1978

Tokelau

administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970

Tonga

4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967

Tuvalu

1 October 1978

Vanuatu

30 July 1980

Wallis and Futuna

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

South America

13 entries

Argentina

1 May 1853

Bolivia

2 February 1967

Brazil

5 October 1988

Chile

11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989

Colombia

5 July 1991

Ecuador

10 August 1979

Falkland Islands now Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

3 October 1985

French Guiana

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Guyana

6 October 1980

Peru

  • 28 July 1980 (often referred to as the 1979 Constitution because the Constituent Assembly met in 1979, but the Constitution actually took effect the following year);
  • reestablished civilian government with a popularly elected president and bicameral legislature

Suriname

ratified 30 September 1987

Uruguay

27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980

Venezuela

23 January 1961

Southeast Asia

15 entries

Brunei

29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)

Burma now Burma (Myanmar)

3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988)

Cambodia

SOC--27 June 1981

Christmas Island

Christmas Island Act of 1958

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955

Hong Kong

  • unwritten;
  • partly statutes, partly common law and practice;
  • new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997

Indonesia

August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959

Laos

draft constitution under discussion since 1976

Macau

17 February 1976, Organic Law of Macau

Malaysia

31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963 when Federation of Malaya became Federation of Malaysia

Philippines

2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987

Singapore

3 June 1959, amended 1965; based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution

Taiwan

25 December 1947, presently undergoing revision

Thailand

22 December 1978; interim constitution promulgated by National Peace-Keeping Council on 1 March 1991

Vietnam

18 December 1980

Cite this page

Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 1991, “Constitution”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/constitution/1991.

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