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9
middle-east/ae.json
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@ -542,10 +542,10 @@
"text": "unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; 20 members indirectly elected using single non-transferable vote by an electoral college whose members are selected by each emirate ruler proportional to its FNC membership, and 20 members appointed by the rulers of the 7 constituent states; members serve 4-year terms)"
},
"elections": {
"text": "last held for indirectly elected members on 7 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2027); last held for appointed members in October 2019 (next appointments expected in late 2023)"
"text": "last held for indirectly elected members on 7 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2027); last held for appointed members in October 2023 (next appointments expected in late 2027)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<br>all candidates ran as independents; seats by emirate - Abu Dhabi 4, Dubai 4, Sharjah 3, Ras al-Khaimah 3, Ajman 2, Fujairah 2, Umm al-Quwain 2; composition as of February 2024 - 13 men, 7 women, percent of elected women 35%; note - to attain overall FNC gender parity, 13 women and 7 men will be appointed; overall FNC percent of women 50%"
"text": "seats by emirate - Abu Dhabi 4, Dubai 4, Sharjah 3, Ras al-Khaimah 3, Ajman 2, Fujairah 2, Umm al-Quwain 2; composition as of February 2024 - 13 men, 7 women, percentage elected women 35%; note - to attain overall FNC gender parity, 13 women and 7 men were appointed; total FNC percentage of women 50%"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -560,7 +560,7 @@
}
},
"Political parties and leaders": {
"text": "none; political parties are banned"
"text": "none; political parties are banned; all candidates run as independents"
},
"International organization participation": {
"text": "ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, BRICS, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
@ -1213,9 +1213,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>UAE-Oman</em>: boundary agreement was signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves, but contents of the agreement and detailed maps showing the alignment have not been published</p> <p><em>UAE-Iran</em>: Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island near the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has occupied since 1971</p> <p><em>UAE-Saudi Arabia</em>: t<em>he </em>UAE has differences with Saudi Arabia<em> </em>over their border and the sharing of a major oilfield there, although the issue is seldom mentioned publically</p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"stateless persons": {
"text": "5 (mid-year 2021)"

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middle-east/aj.json
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@ -559,7 +559,7 @@
"text": "last held early on 9 February 2020 (next to be held in 2025)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<br>percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - YAP 69, CSP 3, AVP 1, CUP 1, ADMP 1, PDR 1, Great Order 1, National Front Party 1, REAL 1, VP 1, Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front 1, party unknown 1, independent 41; composition as of February 2024 - men 95, women 21, percentage women 18.1%"
"text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - YAP 69, CSP 3, AVP 1, CUP 1, ADMP 1, PDR 1, Great Order 1, National Front Party 1, REAL 1, VP 1, Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front 1, party unknown 1, independent 41; composition as of February 2024 - men 95, women 21, percentage women 18.1%"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -1221,9 +1221,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Armenia-Azerbaijan:</em> tensions existed for years over Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands in Azerbaijan; Azerbaijan seized part of the enclave during six weeks of fighting in 2020 and the remainder in a short conflict in September 2023; Baku and Yerevan have since had discussions on a peace treaty, the demarcation of borders, and full normalization of relations, although bi-lateral tensions remain<br><br><em>Azerbaijan-Georgia:</em> a joint boundary commission agrees on most of the alignment, leaving only small areas at certain crossing points in dispute; consequently, the two states have yet to agree on a delimitation or demarcation of their common boundary; one area of contention is where the international boundary should run through the 6th-13th Century David-Gareja monastery complex<br><br><em>Azerbaijan-Iran:</em> in recent years, tensions between Azerbajian and Iran have sometimes been high in part because of ties between Azerbaijan and Israel, and Baku's claims that Tehran has backed Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh<br><br><em>Azerbaijan-Turkey:</em> none identified<br><br><em>Caspian Sea (Maritime Boundary):</em> Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified the Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea; bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian<br><br></p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"IDPs": {
"text": "659,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh; IDPs are mainly ethnic Azerbaijanis but also include ethnic Kurds, Russians, and Turks predominantly from occupied territories around Nagorno-Karabakh; includes IDPs' descendants, returned IDPs, and people living in insecure areas and excludes people displaced by natural disasters; around half the IDPs live in the capital Baku) (2022)"

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middle-east/am.json
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@ -560,7 +560,7 @@
"text": "last held early on 20 June 2021 (next to be held in June 2026)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<br>percent of vote by party/coalition - Civil Contract 53.9%, Armenia Alliance 21%, I Have Honour Alliance 5.2%, other 19.9%; seats by party/coalition - Civil Contract 71, Armenia Alliance 29, I Have Honour Alliance 7; composition as of February 2024 - men 68, women 39, percentage women 36.5%"
"text": "percent of vote by party/coalition - Civil Contract 53.9%, Armenia Alliance 21%, I Have Honour Alliance 5.2%, other 19.9%; seats by party/coalition - Civil Contract 71, Armenia Alliance 29, I Have Honour Alliance 7; composition as of February 2024 - men 68, women 39, percentage women 36.5%"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -578,7 +578,7 @@
"text": "5165 National Conservative Movement Party [Karin TONOYAN]<br>Alliance of Democrats [Arman BABAJANYAN]<br>Armenia Alliance or HD [Robert KOCHARYAN]<br>(formerly known as the Armenian Revolutionary Federation)<br>Armenian National Congress or ANC [Levon TER-PETROSSIAN] (bloc of independent and opposition parties)<br>Bright Armenia [Edmon MARUKYAN]<br>Civil Contract or KP [Nikol PASHINYAN]<br>Country To Live In [Mane TANDILYAN]<br>Homeland of Armenians [Artak GALSTYAN]<br>Homeland Party [Artur VANETSYAN]<br>I Have Honor Alliance (formerly known as the Republican Party of Armenia, [Serzh SARGSIAN]<br>Liberal Party [Samvel BABAYAN]<br>National Democratic Party [Vahe GASPARYAN]<br>Prosperous Armenia or BHK [Gagik TSARUKYAN]<br>Republic Party (Hanrapetutyun Party) [Aram SARGSYAN]"
},
"International organization participation": {
"text": "ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, CIS, CSTO, EAEC (observer), EAEU, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
"text": "ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, CIS, CSTO, EAEC (observer), EAEU, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
},
"Diplomatic representation in the US": {
"chief of mission": {
@ -1211,9 +1211,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Armenia-Azerbaijan:</em> tensions existed for years over Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands in Azerbaijan; Azerbaijan seized part of the enclave during six weeks of fighting in 2020 and the remainder in a short conflict in September 2023; Baku and Yerevan have since had preliminary discussions on a peace treaty, the demarcation of borders, and full normalization of relations but bi-lateral tensions remain<br><br><em>Armenia-Georgia:</em> Georgians restrict Armenian access into Samtse-Javakheti ethnic Armenian areas; Armenia has made no claims to the region<br><br><em>Armenia-Turkey:</em> as of 2023, Turkey and Armenia were discussing normalizing relations</p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "27,929 (Azerbaijan) (mid-year 2022)"

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middle-east/ba.json
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"text": "bicameral National Assembly consists of:<br>Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (40 seats; members appointed by the king)<br>Council of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwab (40 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 4-year renewable terms)"
},
"elections": {
"text": "<br>Consultative Council - last appointments on 30 November 2022 (next appointments in 2026)<br>Council of Representatives - first round for 6 members held on 12 November 2022; second round for remaining 34 members held on 19 November 2022 (next to be held in November 2026)"
"text": "Consultative Council - last appointments on 30 November 2022 (next appointments in 2026)<br>Council of Representatives - first round for 6 members held on 12 November 2022; second round for remaining 34 members held on 19 November 2022 (next to be held in November 2026)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<br>Consultative Council - all members appointed; composition as of February 2024 - men 30, women 10, percentage women 25%<br><br>Council of Representatives - percent of vote by society - NA; seats by society - NA; composition as of February 2024 - men 32, women 8, percentage women 20%; note - total National Assembly percentage women 23%"
"text": "Consultative Council - all members appointed; composition as of February 2024 - men 30, women 10, percentage women 25%<br><br>Council of Representatives - percent of vote by society - NA; seats by society - NA; composition as of February 2024 - men 32, women 8, percentage women 20%; total National Assembly percentage women 23%"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -1184,8 +1184,5 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p>none identified</p>"
}
}
}

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middle-east/gg.json
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{
"Introduction": {
"Background": {
"text": "<p>The region of present-day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis (known as Egrisi locally) and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D., and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1921 and regained its independence when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.</p> <p>Mounting public discontent over rampant corruption and ineffective government services, followed by an attempt by the incumbent Georgian Government to manipulate parliamentary elections in November 2003, touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. In the aftermath of that popular movement, which became known as the \"Rose Revolution,\" new elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his United National Movement (UNM) party. SAAKASHVILI made progress on market reforms and good governance during his time in power but also faced accusations of abuse of office. Progress was also complicated by Russian assistance and support to the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia that led to periodic flare-ups in tension and violence and that culminated in a five-day conflict in August 2008 between Russia and Georgia, including the invasion of large portions of Georgian territory. Russian troops pledged to pull back from most occupied Georgian territory, but in late August 2008 Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Russian military forces remain in those regions.</p> <p>Billionaire Bidzina IVANISHVILI's unexpected entry into politics in October 2011 brought the divided opposition together under his Georgian Dream coalition, which won a majority of seats in the October 2012 parliamentary elections and removed UNM from power. Conceding defeat, SAAKASHVILI named IVANISHVILI as prime minister and allowed Georgian Dream to create a new government before leaving the country after his presidential term ended in 2013. At the time, these changes in leadership represented unique examples of a former Soviet state that emerged to conduct democratic and peaceful government transitions of power. IVANISHVILI voluntarily resigned from office after the presidential succession, and in the following years, the prime minister position has seen frequent turnover. Most recently, Irakli GARIBASHVILI became prime minister in February 2021. In October 2021, SAAKASHVILI returned to Georgia, where he was immediately arrested to serve six years in prison on outstanding abuse of office convictions. Popular support for integration with the West is high in Georgia. Joining the EU and NATO are among the country's top foreign policy goals and Georgia applied for EU membership in March 2022, becoming a candidate country in December 2023. The EU and Georgia signed an Association Agreement in June 2014 and it fully entered into force in July 2016. Georgia and the EU have a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and Georgian citizens since 2017 can travel to the Schengen area without a visa.</p>"
"text": "<p>The region of present-day Georgia once contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis (known as Egrisi locally) and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D., and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Persian, Arab, and Turk domination was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short when the Mongols invaded in 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1921 and regained its independence when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.</p> <p>In 2003, mounting public discontent over rampant corruption, ineffective government services, and a government attempt to manipulate parliamentary elections touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, who had been president since 1995. In the aftermath of this \"Rose Revolution,\" new elections in 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI and his United National Movement (UNM) party into power. SAAKASHVILI made progress on market reforms and governance, but he faced accusations of abuse of office. Progress was further complicated when Russian support for the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia led to a five-day conflict between Russia and Georgia in August 2008, which included Russia invading large portions of Georgian territory. Russia initially pledged to pull back from most Georgian territory but then unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Russian military forces have remained in those regions.</p> <p>Billionaire Bidzina IVANISHVILI's unexpected entry into politics in 2011 brought the divided opposition together under his Georgian Dream coalition, which won a majority of seats in the 2012 parliamentary elections and removed UNM from power. Conceding defeat, SAAKASHVILI named IVANISHVILI as prime minister and left the country after his presidential term ended in 2013. IVANISHVILI voluntarily resigned from office after the presidential succession, and in the years since, the prime minister position has seen frequent turnover. In 2021, SAAKASHVILI returned to Georgia, where he was immediately arrested to serve six years in prison on outstanding abuse-of-office convictions. <br><br>Popular support for integration with the West is high in Georgia. Joining the EU and NATO are among the country's top foreign policy goals, and Georgia applied for EU membership in 2022, becoming a candidate country in December 2023. Georgia and the EU have a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, and since 2017, Georgian citizens have been able to travel to the Schengen area without a visa.</p>"
}
},
"Geography": {
@ -464,7 +464,7 @@
"text": "Georgia"
},
"local long form": {
"text": "none"
"text": "Republic of Georgia"
},
"local short form": {
"text": "Sak'art'velo"
@ -557,10 +557,10 @@
"text": "unicameral Parliament or Sakartvelos Parlamenti (150 seats statutory, 140 as of May 2023); 120 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed, party-list proportional representation vote and 30 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by at least 50% majority vote, with a runoff if needed; no party earning less than 40% of total votes may claim a majority; members serve 4-year terms)"
},
"elections": {
"text": "<br>last held on 31 October and 21 November 2020 (next to be held in October 2024)"
"text": "last held on 31 October and 21 November 2020 (next to be held in October 2024)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<br>percent of vote by party - Georgian Dream 48.2%, UNM 27.2%, European Georgia 3.8%, Lelo 3.2%, Strategy 3.2%, Alliance of Patriots 3.1%, Girchi 2.9%, Citizens 1.3%, Labor 1%; seats by party - Georgian Dream 90, UNM 36, European Georgia 5, Lelo 4, Strategy 4, Alliance of Patriots 4, Girchi 4, Citizens 2, Labor 1; composition as of February 2024 - men 113, women 27, percentage women 19.3%"
"text": "percent of vote by party - Georgian Dream 48.2%, UNM 27.2%, European Georgia 3.8%, Lelo 3.2%, Strategy 3.2%, Alliance of Patriots 3.1%, Girchi 2.9%, Citizens 1.3%, Labor 1%; seats by party - Georgian Dream 90, UNM 36, European Georgia 5, Lelo 4, Strategy 4, Alliance of Patriots 4, Girchi 4, Citizens 2, Labor 1; composition as of February 2024 - men 113, women 27, percentage women 19.3%"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -1213,9 +1213,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "Russia's military invasion and subsequent recognition of the so-called independence of Georgia's Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions in 2008 continue to sour relations with Georgia; Russia maintains military bases and troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, occupying about 20 percent of Georgia's territory"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "26,660 (Ukraine) (as of 30 December 2023)"

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{
"Introduction": {
"Background": {
"text": "<p>The Gaza Strip has been under the de facto governing authority of the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) since 2007, and has faced years of conflict, poverty, and humanitarian crises. Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., the Gaza Strip area has been dominated by many different peoples and empires throughout its history; it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. The Gaza Strip fell to British forces during World War I, becoming a part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt administered the newly formed Gaza Strip; Israel captured it in the Six-Day War in 1967. Under a series of agreements known as the Oslo Accords signed between 1993 and 1999, Israel transferred to the newly-created Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the Gaza Strip as well as the West Bank.</p> <p>In 2000, a violent intifada or uprising began in response to perceived Israeli provocations, and in 2001 negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip stalled. Subsequent attempts to re-start negotiations have not resulted in progress toward determining final status and resolving of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel in late 2005 unilaterally withdrew all of its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip, but it continues to control the Gaza Strip’s land borders, maritime territorial waters, cyberspace, telecommunications, and airspace. In early 2006, HAMAS won a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council election. Fatah, the dominant Palestinian political faction in the West Bank, and HAMAS failed to maintain a unity government, leading to violent clashes between their respective supporters and HAMAS's violent seizure of all PA military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip in June 2007. Since HAMAS's takeover, Israel and Egypt have enforced tight restrictions on movement and access of goods and individuals into and out of the territory. Fatah and HAMAS have since negotiated a series of agreements aimed at restoring political unity between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank but have struggled to enact them.</p> Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and the Israel Defense Forces periodically exchange projectiles and air strikes, respectively, threatening broader conflict. In May 2021, HAMAS launched rockets into Israel, sparking an 11-day conflict that also involved other Gaza-based militant groups. Egypt, Qatar, and the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process negotiated ceasefires, averting a broader conflict. Since 2018, HAMAS has also coordinated demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel security fence. Many of these protests have turned violent, resulting in several Israeli soldiers’ deaths and injuries as well as more than 200 Palestinian deaths and thousands of injuries, most of which occurred during weekly March of Return protests from 2018 to the end of 2019. HAMAS has also stood by while other militant groups, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, fought brief conflicts with Israel, most recently in August 2022 and May 2023.<br><br>On 7 October 2023, HAMAS militants inside the Gaza Strip launched a combined unguided rocket and ground attack into Israel. The attack began with a barrage of more than 3,000 rockets fired toward Israel from Gaza, and included thousands of terrorists infiltrating Israel by land, sea, and air via paragliders.  Militants attacked military bases, clashed with security forces mostly in southern Israel, and simultaneously infiltrated civilian communities.  During the attack, terrorists carried out massacres and murdered civilians, including torture, acts of abuse and rape, a massacre at the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re'im, as well as kidnapping approximately 240 civilians, including men, women, children, and soldiers. These attacks were followed soon after by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) air strikes inside Gaza. The following day, Israeli Prime Minister NETANYAHU formally declared war on Gaza. The IDF, on 28 October, launched a large-scale ground assault inside Gaza that is ongoing as of March 2024. "
"text": "<p>The Gaza Strip has been under the de facto governing authority of the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) since 2007 and has faced years of conflict, poverty, and humanitarian crises. Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., the Gaza Strip area has been dominated by many different peoples and empires throughout its history; it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. The Gaza Strip fell to British forces during World War I, becoming a part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt administered the newly formed Gaza Strip; Israel captured it in the Six-Day War in 1967. Under a series of agreements known as the Oslo Accords signed between 1993 and 1999, Israel transferred to the newly-created Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the Gaza Strip, as well as the West Bank.</p> <p>In 2000, a violent intifada or uprising began in response to perceived Israeli provocations, and in 2001, negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip stalled. Subsequent attempts to re-start negotiations have not resulted in progress toward determining final status and resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel in 2005 unilaterally withdrew all of its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip, but it continues to control the Gaza Strip’s land borders, maritime territorial waters, cyberspace, telecommunications, and airspace. In 2006, HAMAS won a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council election. Fatah, the dominant Palestinian political faction in the West Bank, and HAMAS failed to maintain a unity government, leading to violent clashes between their respective supporters and HAMAS's violent seizure of all PA military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip in 2007. Since HAMAS's takeover, Israel and Egypt have enforced tight restrictions on movement and access of goods and individuals into and out of the territory. Fatah and HAMAS have since negotiated a series of agreements aimed at restoring political unity between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank but have struggled to enact them.</p> Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and the Israel Defense Forces periodically exchange projectiles and air strikes, respectively, threatening broader conflict. In 2021, HAMAS launched rockets into Israel, sparking an 11-day conflict that also involved other Gaza-based militant groups. Egypt, Qatar, and the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process negotiated ceasefires, averting a broader conflict. Since 2018, HAMAS has coordinated demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel security fence. HAMAS has also stood by while other militant groups, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, fought brief conflicts with Israel, most recently in August 2022 and May 2023.<br><br>On 7 October 2023, HAMAS militants inside the Gaza Strip launched a combined unguided rocket and ground attack into Israel. The attack began with a barrage of more than 3,000 rockets fired toward Israel from Gaza, and included thousands of terrorists infiltrating Israel by land, sea, and air via paragliders. Militants attacked military bases, clashed with security forces mostly in southern Israel, and simultaneously infiltrated civilian communities. During the attack, terrorists carried out massacres and murdered civilians, including torture, acts of abuse and rape, a massacre at the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re'im, as well as kidnapping approximately 240 civilians, including men, women, children, and soldiers. These attacks were followed soon after by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) air strikes inside Gaza. The next day, Israeli Prime Minister NETANYAHU formally declared war on Gaza. The IDF on 28 October launched a large-scale ground assault inside Gaza that is ongoing as of April 2024. "
}
},
"Geography": {
@ -821,9 +821,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p>borders with both Egypt and Israel are sealed with barriers, fences, and walls; Israel completed an underground anti-tunnel barrier in 2021<br><br></p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "1.6 million (Palestinian refugees) (2022)"

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{
"Introduction": {
"Background": {
"text": "<p>Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces led by Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a religious scholar referred to commonly as the Supreme Leader who, according to the constitution, is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts - a popularly elected 88-member body of clerics. US-Iran relations became strained when a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and held embassy personnel hostage until mid-January 1981. The US cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in April 1980. During the period 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984. Iran continues to be subject to a range of international sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement in terrorism, weapons proliferation, human rights abuses, and concerns over the nature of its nuclear program. Iran received nuclear-related sanctions relief in exchange for its nuclear concessions under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action's (JCPOA) Implementation Day beginning in January 2016. However, the US re-imposed nuclear-related sanctions on Iran after it unilaterally terminated its participation in the JCPOA in May 2018. In October 2023, the EU and the UK also decided to maintain nuclear proliferation-related measures on Iran, as well as arms and missile embargoes, in direct response to Iran's non-compliance with its JCPOA commitments following the US decision to terminate its participation in the accord.</p> <p>Following the election of reformer Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and a reformist Majles (legislature) in 2000, a campaign to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction was initiated. The movement floundered as conservative politicians, supported by the Supreme Leader, unelected institutions of authority like the Guardians Council, and the security services reversed and blocked reform measures while increasing repression. Starting with nationwide municipal elections in 2003 and continuing through Majles elections in 2004, conservatives reestablished control over Iran's elected government institutions, which culminated with the August 2005 inauguration of hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president. His controversial reelection in June 2009 sparked nationwide protests over allegations of electoral fraud, which persisted until early 2011. President AHMADI-NEJAD's independent streak angered regime establishment figures, including the Supreme Leader, leading to conservative opposition to his agenda for the last year of his presidency, and an alienation of his political supporters. In June 2013, Iranians elected a centrist cleric Dr. Hasan Fereidun RUHANI to the presidency. A longtime senior member in the regime, he made promises of reforming society and Iran's foreign policy. In July 2015, Iran and the five UNSC permanent members, plus Germany (P5+1) finalized the JCPOA under which Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for nuclear-related sanctions relief; however, the US reimposed nuclear-related sanctions in 2018 dealing a blow to RUHANI's legacy and the Iranian economy. In November 2019, Tehran's decision to increase the price of gasoline overnight sparked nationwide protests, which the regime violently suppressed within a week. Conservatives won the majority of seats in Iranian Majles elections in elections in February 2020 and hardline cleric Ebrahim RAISI - who had a decades-long career in Iran's judiciary - was elected president in June 2021, resulting in a hardline and conservative monopoly across the regime's elected and unelected institutions. <br><br>As president, RAISI has concentrated on deepening Iran's foreign relations with anti-US states - particularly China and Russia - to weather US sanctions and diplomatic pressure, while supporting negotiations to restore a nuclear deal that began in 2021. RAISI contended with nationwide protests that began in September 2022 and persisted for over three months following the death of a Kurdish Iranian woman, Mahsa AMINI, while she was in morality police custody. Young people and women led the protests and demands focused on regime change rather than reform within the system or the redressal of economic grievances.</p>"
"text": "<p>Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces led by Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a religious scholar known as the Supreme Leader, who is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts -- an elected 88-member body of clerics. US-Iran relations became strained when Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and held embassy personnel hostage until mid-January 1981. The US cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in April 1980. From 1980 to 1988, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984. <br><br>After the election of reformer Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and a reformist Majles (legislature) in 2000, a political reform campaign in response to popular dissatisfaction was initiated, but conservative politicians blocked reform measures while increasing repression. Municipal and legislative elections in 2003 and 2004 saw conservatives reestablish control over Iran's elected government institutions, culminating in the 2005 inauguration of hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president. His reelection in 2009 sparked nationwide protests over allegations of electoral fraud, and the protests persisted until 2011. In 2013, Iranians elected to the presidency centrist cleric Dr. Hasan Fereidun RUHANI, a longtime senior regime member who promised to reform society and foreign policy. In 2019, Tehran's sudden decision to increase the gasoline price sparked nationwide protests, which the regime violently suppressed. Conservatives won the majority in Majles elections in 2020, and hardline cleric Ebrahim RAISI was elected president in 2021, resulting in a conservative monopoly across the regime's elected and unelected institutions.<br><br>Iran continues to be subject to a range of international sanctions and export controls because of its involvement in terrorism, weapons proliferation, human rights abuses, and concerns over the nature of its nuclear program. Iran received nuclear-related sanctions relief in exchange for nuclear concessions under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action's (JCPOA) Implementation Day beginning in 2016. However, the US reimposed nuclear-related sanctions on Iran after it unilaterally terminated its JCPOA participation in 2018. In October 2023, the EU and the UK also decided to maintain nuclear-proliferation-related measures on Iran, as well as arms and missile embargoes, in response to Iran's non-compliance with its JCPOA commitments.<br><br>As president, RAISI has concentrated on deepening Iran's foreign relations with anti-US states -- particularly China and Russia -- to weather US sanctions and diplomatic pressure, while supporting negotiations to restore a nuclear deal that began in 2021. RAISI contended with nationwide protests that began in September 2022 and persisted for over three months after the death of a Kurdish Iranian woman, Mahsa AMINI, in morality police custody. Young people and women led the protests, and demands focused on regime change.</p>"
}
},
"Geography": {
@ -590,10 +590,10 @@
"text": "unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e Shura-ye Eslami or Majles (290 seats; 285 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by multiple non-transferable vote&nbsp;in 2 rounds, 1 seat each for Zoroastrians, Jews, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians, Armenians in the north of the country and Armenians in the south; members serve 4-year terms); note - all candidates to the Majles must be approved by the Council of Guardians, a 12-member group of which 6 are appointed by the supreme leader and 6 are jurists nominated by the judiciary and elected by the Majles"
},
"elections": {
"text": "<br>first round held on 1 March 2024 for 245 seats; second round for 45 remaining seats to be held on 10 May 2024 (next full Majles election to be held in 2028)"
"text": "first round held on 1 March 2024 for 245 seats; second round for 45 remaining seats to be held on 10 May 2024 (next full Majles election to be held in 2028)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<br>percent of vote by coalition in first round - NA; seats by coalition in first round - conservatives and hardliners 200, other 45; composition - NA"
"text": "percent of vote by coalition in first round - NA; seats by coalition in first round - conservatives and hardliners 200, other 45; composition - NA"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -1235,9 +1235,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Iran-Afghanistan</em>: Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during drought; Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey</p> <p><em>Iran-Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan-Russia</em>: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified a Caspian seabed delimitation treaty in 2018 based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea</p> <p><em>Iran-Iraq</em>: Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf<br><br><em>Iran-Kuwait:</em> dispute over undemarcated maritime border and al Durra offshore gas field in the Arabian/Persian Gulf; talks continued as of 2023; in 2022, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia signed a joint agreement to develop the field despite objections from Iran, which described the deal as illegal</p> <p><em>Iran-UAE</em>: Iran and UAE dispute the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa islands, which are occupied by Iran; Iran has conducted military drills on and around the disputed islands<br><br><em>Caspian Sea (Maritime Boundary):</em> Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified the Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea</p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "500,000 undocumented Afghans, 750,000 Afghan refugee card holders, 12,000 Iraqi refugee card holders (2022)"

9
middle-east/is.json
View file

@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
{
"Introduction": {
"Background": {
"text": "Israel has become a regional economic and military powerhouse, leveraging its prosperous high-tech sector, large defense industry, and concerns about Iran to foster partnerships around the world. The State of Israel was established in 1948. The UN General Assembly had proposed in 1947 to partition the British Mandate for Palestine into an Arab and Jewish state. The Jews accepted the proposal, but the local Arabs and the Arab states rejected the UN plan and launched a war.  The Arabs were subsequently defeated militarily in the 1947-1949 war that followed the UN proposal and the withdrawal of the British on 14 May 1948. Israel was admitted as a member of the UN in 1949 and saw rapid population growth, primarily due to migration by Jewish refugees from Europe and the Middle East, over the following years. Israel and its Arab neighbors fought wars in 1956, 1967 and 1973, and Israel signed peace treaties with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Israel took control of the West Bank, the eastern part of Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights in the course of the 1967 war.  It ceded the Sinai back to Egypt in the 1979-1982 period but has continued to administer the other territories since then, and subsequently administered those territories through military authorities. Israel and Palestinian officials signed interim agreements in the 1990s that created an interim period of Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank and Gaza. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. While the most recent formal efforts between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to negotiate final status issues occurred in 2013 and 2014, the US continues its efforts to advance peace. Israel signed the US-brokered normalization agreements (the Abraham Accords) with Bahrain, the UAE, and Morocco in 2020 and reached an agreement with Sudan in 2021. Immigration to Israel continues, with more than 44,000 estimated new immigrants, mostly Jewish, in the first 11 months of 2023.<br><br>Former Prime Minister Benjamin NETANYAHU returned to office in late 2022 continuing his dominance of Israel's political landscape at the head of Israel's most rightwing and religious government. NETANYAHU previously served as premier from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to June 2021, becoming Israel's longest serving prime minister.<br><br>On 7 October 2023, HAMAS militants launched a combined unguided rocket and ground terrorist attack from Gaza into southern Israel.  The same day Israel’s Air Force launched air strikes inside Gaza and initiated a sustained air campaign against HAMAS targets across the Gaza Strip. The following day, Israeli Prime Minister NETANYAHU formally declared war on HAMAS, and on 28 October, the Israel Defense Forces launched a large-scale ground assault inside Gaza.<br><br>The Israeli economy has undergone a dramatic transformation in the last 30 years, led by cutting-edge, high-tech sectors. Offshore gas discoveries in the Mediterranean, most notably in the Tamar and Leviathan gas fields, place Israel at the center of a potential regional natural gas market. In late 2022, a US-brokered agreement between Israel and Lebanon established their maritime boundary, allowing Israel to begin production on additional gas fields in the Mediterranean. However, Israel's economic development has been uneven. Structural issues such as low labor force participation among religious and minority populations, low workforce productivity, high costs for housing and consumer staples, and high-income inequality, concern both economists and the general population. The war with Hamas following the 7 October 2023, attack disrupted Israel’s solid economic fundamentals, but is not likely to have long-term structural implications for the Israeli economy. <br><br><br>"
"text": "Israel has become a regional economic and military powerhouse, leveraging its prosperous high-tech sector, large defense industry, and concerns about Iran to foster partnerships around the world. The State of Israel was established in 1948. The UN General Assembly proposed in 1947 partitioning the British Mandate for Palestine into an Arab and Jewish state. The Jews accepted the proposal, but the local Arabs and the Arab states rejected the UN plan and launched a war. The Arabs were subsequently defeated in the 1947-1949 war that followed the UN proposal and the British withdrawal. Israel joined the UN in 1949 and saw rapid population growth, primarily due to Jewish refugee migration from Europe and the Middle East. Israel and its Arab neighbors fought wars in 1956, 1967, and 1973, and Israel signed peace treaties with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Israel took control of the West Bank, the eastern part of Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights in the course of the 1967 war. It ceded the Sinai back to Egypt in the 1979-1982 period but has continued to administer the other territories through military authorities. Israel and Palestinian officials signed interim agreements in the 1990s that created a period of Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank and Gaza. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. The most recent formal efforts between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to negotiate final status issues occurred in 2013 and 2014, and the US continues its efforts to advance peace. Israel signed the US-brokered normalization agreements (the Abraham Accords) with Bahrain, the UAE, and Morocco in 2020 and reached an agreement with Sudan in 2021. Immigration to Israel continues, with more than 44,000 estimated new immigrants, mostly Jewish, in the first 11 months of 2023.<br><br>Former Prime Minister Benjamin NETANYAHU returned to office in 2022, continuing his dominance of Israel's political landscape at the head of Israel's most rightwing and religious government. NETANYAHU previously served as premier from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021, becoming Israel's longest serving prime minister.<br><br>On 7 October 2023, HAMAS militants launched a combined unguided rocket and ground terrorist attack from Gaza into southern Israel. The same day Israel’s Air Force launched air strikes inside Gaza and initiated a sustained air campaign against HAMAS targets across the Gaza Strip. The following day, NETANYAHU formally declared war on HAMAS, and on 28 October, the Israel Defense Forces launched a large-scale ground assault inside Gaza.<br><br>The Israeli economy has undergone a dramatic transformation in the last 30 years, led by cutting-edge high-tech sectors. Offshore gas discoveries in the Mediterranean place Israel at the center of a potential regional natural gas market. In 2022, a US-brokered agreement between Israel and Lebanon established their maritime boundary, allowing Israel to begin production on additional gas fields in the Mediterranean. However, Israel's economic development has been uneven. Structural issues such as low labor-force participation among religious and minority populations, low workforce productivity, high costs for housing and consumer staples, and high income inequality concern both economists and the general population. The current war with Hamas disrupted Israel’s solid economic fundamentals, but it is not likely to have long-term structural implications for the economy. <br>"
}
},
"Geography": {
@ -561,10 +561,10 @@
"text": "unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed party-list proportional representation vote, with a 3.25% vote threshold to gain representation; members serve 4-year terms)"
},
"elections": {
"text": "<br>last held on 1 November 2022 (next to be held in November 2026)"
"text": "last held on 1 November 2022 (next to be held in November 2026)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<br>percent by party - Likud 23.4%, Yesh Atid 17.8%, Religious Zionism (electoral alliance of Religious Zionist Party, Jewish Power, and Noam) 10.8%, National Unity 9.1%, Shas 8.2%, UTJ 5.9%, Yisrael Beiteinu 4.5%, United Arab List 4.1%, Hadash-Ta'al 3.8%, Labor 3.7%, Meretz 3.2%, other 1.6%; seats by party - Likud 32, Yesh Atid 24, Religious Zionism (electoral alliance of Religious Zionist Party, Jewish Power, and Noam) 14, National Unity 12, Shas 11, UTJ 7, Yisrael Beiteinu 6, Hadash-Ta'al 5, United Arab List 5, Labor 4; composition as of February 2024 - men 90, women 30, percentage women 25%; note - following the 1 November 2022 election, the Religious Zionism Alliance split into its three constituent parties in the Knesset:  Religious Zionism 7 seats, Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) 6, and Noam 1"
"text": "percent by party - Likud 23.4%, Yesh Atid 17.8%, Religious Zionism (electoral alliance of Religious Zionist Party, Jewish Power, and Noam) 10.8%, National Unity 9.1%, Shas 8.2%, UTJ 5.9%, Yisrael Beiteinu 4.5%, United Arab List 4.1%, Hadash-Ta'al 3.8%, Labor 3.7%, Meretz 3.2%, other 1.6%; seats by party - Likud 32, Yesh Atid 24, Religious Zionism (electoral alliance of Religious Zionist Party, Jewish Power, and Noam) 14, National Unity 12, Shas 11, UTJ 7, Yisrael Beiteinu 6, Hadash-Ta'al 5, United Arab List 5, Labor 4; composition as of February 2024 - men 90, women 30, percentage women 25%; note - following the 1 November 2022 election, the Religious Zionism Alliance split into its three constituent parties in the Knesset:  Religious Zionism 7 seats, Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) 6, and Noam 1"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -1248,9 +1248,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Israel-Gaza Strip</em>: Israel withdrew its settlers and military from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the West Bank in August 2005</p> <p><em>Israel-Syria</em>: Golan Heights is Israeli-controlled (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights); in March 2019, the US Government recognized Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization headquartered in Jerusalem monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region<br><br><em>Israel-West Bank</em>: West Bank is Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; in 2002, Israel began construction of a \"seam line\" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; as of mid-2020, plans were to continue barrier construction</p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "12,181 (Eritrea), 5,061 (Ukraine) (2019)"

11
middle-east/iz.json
View file

@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
{
"Introduction": {
"Background": {
"text": "<p>Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by the United Kingdom during World War I and was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration in 1920. Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. It was proclaimed a \"republic\" in 1958 after a coup overthrew the monarchy, but in actuality, a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Husayn from 1979 to 2003. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. After Iraq's expulsion, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions led to the Second Gulf War in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led forces.</p> <p>In October 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and, pursuant to this document, elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (COR) in December 2005. The COR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half century. Iraq's constitution also established the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), a semi-autonomous region that administers the governorates of Erbil, Dahuk, and As Sulaymaniyah. Iraq has held four national legislative elections since 2006, most recently in October 2021 when 329 legislators were elected to the COR. Following these elections and Iraq's longest government formation process in the post-SADDAM era, the COR approved Mohammad Shia' al-SUDANI as prime minister in October 2022. Iraq has repeatedly postponed separate elections for provincial councils - last held in 2013 - and since 2019 the prime minister has had the authority to appoint governors rather than provincial councils. In early 2023, the COR voted to hold provincial elections by the end of the year.</p> <p>Between 2014 and 2017, Iraq fought a military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) to recapture territory the group seized in 2014. In December 2017, then-Prime Minister Haydar al-ABADI publicly declared victory against ISIS, although military operations against the group continue in rural areas. Also in late 2017, Baghdad forcefully seized disputed territories across central and northern Iraq from the KRG, following a non-binding Kurdish independence referendum.</p>"
"text": "<p>Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by the United Kingdom during World War I and was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration in 1920. Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. It was proclaimed a republic in 1958 after a coup overthrew the monarchy, but in actuality, a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Hussein, from 1979 to 2003. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly war from 1980 to 1988. In 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led UN coalition forces during the two-month-long Gulf War of 1991. After Iraq's expulsion, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions led to the Second Gulf War in 2003, when US-led forces ousted the SADDAM regime.</p> <p>In 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (COR). The COR approved most of the cabinet ministers, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half-century. Iraq's constitution also established the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), a semi-autonomous region that administers the governorates of Erbil, Dahuk, and As Sulaymaniyah. Iraq has held four national legislative elections since 2006, most recently in 2021. The COR approved Mohammad Shia' al-SUDANI as prime minister in 2022. Iraq has repeatedly postponed elections for provincial councils -- last held in 2013 -- and since 2019, the prime minister has had the authority to appoint governors rather than provincial councils.</p> <p>Between 2014 and 2017, Iraq fought a military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) to recapture territory the group seized in 2014. In 2017, then-Prime Minister Haydar al-ABADI publicly declared victory against ISIS, although military operations against the group continue in rural areas. Also in 2017, Baghdad forcefully seized disputed territories across central and northern Iraq from the KRG, after a non-binding Kurdish independence referendum.</p>"
}
},
"Geography": {
@ -575,10 +575,10 @@
"text": "unicameral Council of Representatives of Iraq (COR) or Majlis an-Nuwwab al-Iraqiyy (329 seats; 320 members directly elected in 83 multi-seat constituencies by single nontransferable vote, 9 seats elected by religious minorities - 5 by Christians, 1 each by Sabaean-Mandaeans, Yazidis, Shabaks andFayli Kurds, and 25% of seats allocated to women; members serve 4-year terms)"
},
"elections": {
"text": "<br>last held on 10 October 2021 (next to be held in 2025)"
"text": "last held on 10 October 2021 (next to be held in 2025)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<br>percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Taqadum 47, State of Law Coalition 43, Al Fatah Alliance 37, Kurdistan Democratic Party 31, Kurdistan Coalition 18, Azm Alliance 16, Imtidad 16, State Forces Alliance 11, Ishraqat Kanun 10, New Generation Movement 9, National Contract Party 8, Tasmim Alliance 7, Babiliyun Movement 3, other 73; composition - men 234, women 95, percentage women 29.2%; note - seat counts reflect updated numbers following the 12 June 2022 Sadrist Trend withdrawal from government formation, and its 73 seats were reallocated to other parties"
"text": "percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Taqadum 47, State of Law Coalition 43, Al Fatah Alliance 37, Kurdistan Democratic Party 31, Kurdistan Coalition 18, Azm Alliance 16, Imtidad 16, State Forces Alliance 11, Ishraqat Kanun 10, New Generation Movement 9, National Contract Party 8, Tasmim Alliance 7, Babiliyun Movement 3, other 73; composition as of March 2024 - men 234, women 95, percentage women 29.2%; note - seat counts reflect updated numbers following the 12 June 2022 Sadrist Trend withdrawal from government formation, and its 73 seats were reallocated to other parties"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -593,7 +593,7 @@
}
},
"Political parties and leaders": {
"text": "Al Fatah Alliance [Hadi al-AMIRI]<br>Azm Alliance [Khamis al-KHANJAR]<br>Babiliyun Movement [Rayan al-KILDANI]<br>Imtidad [Ala al-RIKABI]<br>Ishraqat Konun [Jaafar AZIZ]<br>Kurdistan Democratic Party F [Masud BARZANI]<br>National Contract Party [Falih al-FAYYAD]<br>New Generation Movement [SHASWAR Abd al-Wahid Qadir]<br>Patriotic Union of Kurdistan [Bafel TALABANI]<br>Sadrist Bloc [Muqtada al-SADR]<br>State Forces Alliance [Haydar al-ABADI]<br>State of Law Coalition [Nuri al-MALIKI]<br>Taqadum [Muhammad al-HALBUSI]<br>Tasmim Alliance [Asad al-IDANI]<br><br>numerous smaller independent, religious, local, tribal, and minority parties"
"text": "Al Fatah Alliance [Hadi al-AMIRI]<br>Azm Alliance [Khamis al-KHANJAR]<br>Babiliyun Movement [Rayan al-KILDANI]<br>Imtidad [Ala al-RIKABI]<br>Ishraqat Konun [Jaafar AZIZ]<br>Kurdistan Democratic Party F [Masud BARZANI]<br>National Contract Party [Falih al-FAYYAD]<br>New Generation Movement [SHASWAR Abd al-Wahid Qadir]<br>Patriotic Union of Kurdistan [Bafel TALABANI]<br>Sadrist Bloc [Muqtada al-SADR]<br>State Forces Alliance [Haydar al-ABADI]<br>State of Law Coalition [Nuri al-MALIKI]<br>Taqadum [Muhammad al-HALBUSI]<br>Tasmim Alliance [Asad al-IDANI]<br>numerous smaller independent, religious, local, tribal, and minority parties"
},
"International organization participation": {
"text": "ABEDA, AFESD, AIIB, AMF, CAEU, CICA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)"
@ -1239,9 +1239,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Iraq-Iran</em>: Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf<br><br><em>Iraq-Kuwait:</em> undemarcated maritime boundary; Kuwait has called on Iraq to resolve the domestic legal status of the 2012 Kuwait-Iraq Agreement to regulate maritime navigation in Khor Abdullah and ensure that the agreement remains in force </p> <p><em>Iraq-Turkey</em>: Turkey maintains a military presence in northern Iraq to combat the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) terrorist group; it periodically conducts air strikes and has conducted large military operations involving thousands of troops in 2007, 2011, and 2018, and smaller-scale operations in 2021 and 2022 </p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "7,864 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (mid-year 2022); 273,258 (Syria), 8,575 (Iran), 8,091 (Turkey) (2023)"

13
middle-east/jo.json
View file

@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
{
"Introduction": {
"Background": {
"text": "<p>Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in 1921 and recognized ABDALLAH I from the Hashemite family as the country's first leader. The Hashemites also controlled the Hijaz, or the western coastal area of modern-day Saudi Arabia until 1925, when they were pushed out by IBN SAUD and Wahhabi tribes. The country gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.</p> The country has had four kings. Jordan's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (r. 1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and Palestinian militants, the latter of which led to a brief civil war in 1970 referred to as \"Black September\" and ended in King HUSSEIN's ouster of the militants from Jordan. <br><br>Jordan's borders also have changed since it gained independence. In 1948, Jordan took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the first Arab-Israeli War, eventually annexing those territories in 1950 and granting its new Palestinian residents with Jordanian citizenship. In 1967, Jordan lost the West Bank and East Jerusalem to Israel in the Six-Day War but retained administrative claims to the West Bank until 1988 when King HUSSEIN permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank in favor of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). King HUSSEIN signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, after Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo Accords in 1993.<br><br>Jordanian kings continue to claim custodianship of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem by virtue of their Hashemite heritage as descendants of the Prophet Mohammad and agreements with Israel and Jerusalem-based religious and Palestinian leaders. After Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 War, it authorized the Jordanian-controlled Islamic Trust, or Waqf, to continue administering affairs at the Al Haram ash Sharif/Temple Mount holy compound, and the Jordan-Israel peace treaty reaffirmed Jordan's \"special role\" in administering the Muslim holy shrines in Jerusalem. Jordanian kings claim custodianship of the Christian sites in Jerusalem on the basis of the 7th-century Pact of Omar, when the Muslim leader, after conquering Jerusalem, agreed to permit Christian worship.<br><br>King HUSSEIN died in 1999 and was succeeded by his eldest son, ABDALLAH II, who remains the current king. In 2009, King ABDALLAH II designated his son HUSSEIN as the Crown Prince. During his reign, ABDALLAH II has contended with a series of challenges, including the Arab Spring influx of refugees from neighboring states, the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of the war in Ukraine, a perennially weak economy, and the Israel-HAMAS conflict that began in October 2023. <p> </p>"
"text": "<p>After World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. In 1921, Britain demarcated from Palestine a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan and recognized ABDALLAH I from the Hashemite family as the country's first leader. The Hashemites also controlled the Hijaz, or the western coastal area of modern-day Saudi Arabia, until 1925, when IBN SAUD and Wahhabi tribes pushed them out. The country gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.</p> The country has had four kings. Long-time ruler King HUSSEIN (r. 1953-99) successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, UK, and Soviet Union), various Arab states, Israel, and Palestinian militants, the latter of which led to a brief civil war in 1970 that is known as \"Black September\" and ended in King HUSSEIN ousting the militants.<br><br>Jordan's borders have changed since it gained independence. In 1948, Jordan took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the first Arab-Israeli War, eventually annexing those territories in 1950 and granting its new Palestinian residents Jordanian citizenship. In 1967, Jordan lost the West Bank and East Jerusalem to Israel in the Six-Day War but retained administrative claims to the West Bank until 1988, when King HUSSEIN permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank in favor of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). King HUSSEIN signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, after Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo Accords in 1993.<br><br>Jordanian kings continue to claim custodianship of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem by virtue of their Hashemite heritage as descendants of the Prophet Mohammad and agreements with Israel and Jerusalem-based religious and Palestinian leaders. After Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 War, it authorized the Jordanian-controlled Islamic Trust, or Waqf, to continue administering the Al Haram ash Sharif/Temple Mount holy compound, and the Jordan-Israel peace treaty reaffirmed Jordan's \"special role\" in administering the Muslim holy shrines in Jerusalem. Jordanian kings claim custodianship of the Christian sites in Jerusalem on the basis of the 7th-century Pact of Omar, when the Muslim leader, after conquering Jerusalem, agreed to permit Christian worship.<br><br>King HUSSEIN died in 1999 and was succeeded by his eldest son and current King ABDALLAH II. In 2009, ABDALLAH II designated his son HUSSEIN as the Crown Prince. During his reign, ABDALLAH II has contended with a series of challenges, including the Arab Spring influx of refugees from neighboring states, the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of the war in Ukraine, a perennially weak economy, and the Israel-HAMAS conflict that began in October 2023."
}
},
"Geography": {
@ -573,10 +573,10 @@
"text": "bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of:<br>Senate or the House of Notables or Majlis al-Ayan (65 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms)<br>Chamber of Deputies or House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwaab (130 seats; 115 members directly elected in 23 multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote and 15 seats for women; 12 of the 115 seats reserved for Christian, Chechen, and Circassian candidates; members serve 4-year terms)"
},
"elections": {
"text": "<br>Senate - last appointments on 27 Sep 2020 (next to be held by November 2024)<br>Chamber of Deputies - last held on 10 November 2020 (next to be held by November 2024)"
"text": "Senate - last appointments on 27 Sep 2020 (next to be held by November 2024)<br>Chamber of Deputies - last held on 10 November 2020 (next to be held by November 2024)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<em><br></em>Senate - composition men 55, women 10, percent of women 15.4%<br><em><br></em>Chamber of Deputies; note - tribal, centrist, and pro-government candidates dominated the election; the Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, garnered only 10 seats, down from 15 in the previous election; women, who are guaranteed 15 seats by Jordan’s legislative quota system, won 16 seats, down from 20 seats won in the previous election; composition - men 113, women 17, percentage women 13.1%; note - total National Assembly percentage women 13.8%<br> <p> </p>"
"text": "Senate - composition as of March 2024 - men 55, women 10, percent of women 15.4%<br><em><br></em>Chamber of Deputies; note - tribal, centrist, and pro-government candidates dominated the election; the Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, garnered only 10 seats, down from 15 in the previous election; women, who are guaranteed 15 seats by Jordan’s legislative quota system, won 16 seats, down from 20 seats won in the previous election; composition as of March 2024 - men 113, women 17, percentage women 13.1%; note - total National Assembly percentage women 13.8%<br> <p> </p>"
},
"note": "note: in 2022, a new electoral law - effective for the anticipated 2024 election - will increase the total number of Chamber of Deputies' seats to 138 from 130; 97 members to be directly elected from multi-seat geographic districts by open list proportional representation vote, with over 7 percent of total votes needed to gain a seat, and 41 members to be directly elected from a single national district by closed party-list proportional representation vote, with over a 2.5 percent of total votes needed to gain a seat"
},
@ -595,7 +595,7 @@
"text": "political reforms required all existing parties to re-register by May 2023, which resulted in changes to the number of registered parties and the number of seats held by those parties for the anticipated 2024 election"
},
"International organization participation": {
"text": "ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, NATO (partner), OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
"text": "ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, NATO (partner), OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
},
"Diplomatic representation in the US": {
"chief of mission": {
@ -1242,12 +1242,9 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Jordan-Iraq</em>: the two countries signed a border agreement in 1984; Jordan has ratified the treaty, but it has not been confirmed that Iraq has ratified it; as of 2010, the agreement had not been registered with the UN</p> <p><em>Jordan-Israel</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Jordan-Saudi Arabia</em>: Jordan and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to demarcate their maritime borders in 2007</p> <p><em>Jordan-Syria</em>: the two countries signed an agreement in 2005 to settle the border dispute based on a 1931 demarcation accord; the two countries began demarcation in 2006</p> <p><em>Jordan-West Bank</em>: none identified</p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "2.4 million (Palestinian refugees) (2020); 12,866 (Yemen), 6,013 Sudan (2021); 33,951 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022) (2022); 639,552 (Syria) (2024)"
"text": "2.4 million (Palestinian refugees) (2020); 12,866 (Yemen), 6,013 Sudan (2021); 33,951 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022) (2022); 638,760 (Syria) (2024)"
},
"stateless persons": {
"text": "64 (2022)"

7
middle-east/ku.json
View file

@ -539,10 +539,10 @@
"text": "unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (65 seats; 50 members directly elected from 5 multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 15 ex-officio members (cabinet ministers)&nbsp;appointed by the amir; members serve 4-year terms)"
},
"elections": {
"text": "<br>last held on 4 April 2024 (next to be held in 2028)"
"text": "last held on 4 April 2024 (next to be held in 2028)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<em><br></em>50 nonpartisan candidates, including 29 opposition candidates; composition of all members as of February 2024 - men 63, women 2, percent of women 3.1%"
"text": "50 nonpartisan candidates, including 29 opposition candidates; composition of all members as of February 2024 - men 63, women 2, percent of women 3.1%"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -1168,9 +1168,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Kuwait-Iraq</em>: no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf; Kuwait has called on Iraq to resolve the domestic legal status of the 2012 Kuwait-Iraq Agreement to regulate maritime navigation in Khor Abdullah and ensure that the agreement remains in force  </p> <p><em>Kuwait-Saudi Arabia</em>: their maritime boundary was established in 2000 and has a neutral zone but its extension to Iran’s maritime boundary has not been negotiated</p> <p> </p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"stateless persons": {
"text": "92,000 (2022); note - Kuwait's 1959 Nationality Law defined citizens as persons who settled in the country before 1920 and who had maintained normal residence since then; one-third of the population, descendants of Bedouin tribes, missed the window of opportunity to register for nationality rights after Kuwait became independent in 1961 and were classified as bidun (meaning \"without\"); since the 1980s Kuwait's bidun have progressively lost their rights, including opportunities for employment and education, amid official claims that they are nationals of other countries who have destroyed their identification documents in hopes of gaining Kuwaiti citizenship; Kuwaiti authorities have delayed processing citizenship applications and labeled biduns as \"illegal residents,\" denying them access to civil documentation, such as birth and marriage certificates"

7
middle-east/le.json
View file

@ -555,10 +555,10 @@
"text": "unicameral Lebanese Parliament or Majlis al-Nuwab in Arabic, Chambre des d&eacute;put&eacute;s in French (128 seats; members directly elected in multi-member constituencies by open list proportional representation vote, apportioned evenly between Christian and Muslims; members serve 4-year terms)"
},
"elections": {
"text": "<br>last held on 15 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2026)"
"text": "last held on 15 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2026)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<br>percent of vote by party/coalition – NA; seats by party/coalition – FPM 16, LF 14, Amal Movement 13, Hezbollah 13, PSP 9, Kata’ib Party 4, other 30, independent 29; composition as of February 2024 - men 120, women 8, percentage women 6.3%; note - a dozen of the elected deputies are from groups pushing for reform with origins in the recent protest movements against the established elite and have formed a group called the \"Forces of Change\""
"text": "percent of vote by party/coalition &ndash; NA; seats by party/coalition &ndash; FPM 16, LF 14, Amal Movement 13, Hezbollah 13, PSP 9, Kata&rsquo;ib Party 4, other 30, independent 29; composition as of February 2024 - men 120, women 8, percentage women 6.3%; note - a dozen of the elected deputies are from groups pushing for reform with origins in the recent protest movements against the established elite and have formed a group called the \"Forces of Change\""
},
"note": "<strong>note:</strong> Lebanon’s constitution states the Lebanese Parliament cannot conduct regular business until it elects a president when the position is vacant"
},
@ -1215,9 +1215,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Lebanon-Syria</em>: lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; in March 2021, Syria signed a contract with a Russian company for oil and gas exploration in a maritime area Lebanon claims as its own based on a 2011 map sent to the UN</p> <p><em>Lebanon-Israel</em>: Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms area in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights; the maritime boundary between Israel and Lebanon was established in October 2022</p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "487,000 (Palestinian refugees) (2022); 784,884 (Syria) (2023)"

7
middle-east/mu.json
View file

@ -539,10 +539,10 @@
"text": "bicameral Council of Oman or Majlis Oman consists of:<br>Council of State or Majlis al-Dawla (87 seats including the chairman; members appointed by the sultan from among former government officials and prominent educators, businessmen, and citizens; members serve 4-year term)<br>Consultative Assembly or Majlis al-Shura (90 seats; members directly elected in single- and 2-seat constituencies by simple majority popular vote to serve renewable 4-year terms)"
},
"elections": {
"text": "<br>Council of State - last appointments on 8 November 2023 (next appointments in November 2027)<br>Consultative Assembly - last held on 29 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2027)"
"text": "Council of State - last appointments on 8 November 2023 (next appointments in November 2027)<br>Consultative Assembly - last held on 29 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2027)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<br>Council of State - 87 nonpartisan members were appointed by the sultan; composition - men 68, women 18, percentage women 20.9%<br><br>Consultative Assembly percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; 90 nonpartisan members were elected (organized political parties in Oman are legally banned); composition - 90 men, 0 women, percentage women 0%; total Council of Oman percent age women 10.2%"
"text": "Council of State - 87 nonpartisan members were appointed by the sultan; composition as of February 2024 - men 68, women 18, percentage women 20.9%<br><br>Consultative Assembly percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; 90 nonpartisan members were elected (organized political parties in Oman are legally banned); composition - 90 men, 0 women, percentage women 0%; total Council of Oman percentage women 10.2%"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -1188,9 +1188,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Oman-Saudi Arabia</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Oman-UAE</em>: boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah exclave, but details of the alignment have not been made public; Oman and UAE signed the final demarcation of their land border in 2008</p> <p><em>Oman-Yemen</em>: Oman and Yemen signed a border agreement in 1992; demarcation of their border was completed in 1995</p> <p> </p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "5,000 (Yemen) (2017)"

7
middle-east/qa.json
View file

@ -544,10 +544,10 @@
"text": "unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (45 seats; 30 members directly elected by popular vote for 4-year re-electable terms; 15 members appointed by the monarch to serve until resignation or until relieved; note - legislative drafting authority rests with the Council of Ministers and is reviewed by the Advisory Council"
},
"elections": {
"text": "first election held for 30 elected members on 2 October 2021 (next to be held in 2025); date of appointed members - 14 October 2021 (next appointments - NA)"
"text": "last held for 30 elected members on 2 October 2021 (next to be held in 2025); last members appointed - 14 October 2021 (next appointments - NA)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "30 nonpartisan members elected; composition - men 30, women 0 <br>15 appointed members; composition men 13, women 2, percent of women 13.3%"
"text": "30 nonpartisan members elected; composition - men 30, women 0, percentage women 0%<br><br>15 appointed members; composition men 13, women 2, percentage women 13.3%"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -1186,9 +1186,6 @@
"Terrorism": {
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p>none identified</p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"stateless persons": {
"text": "1,200 (2022)"

6
middle-east/sa.json
View file

@ -551,6 +551,9 @@
"description": {
"text": "unicameral Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 seats plus a speaker; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms); note - in early 2013, the monarch granted women 30 seats on the Council"
},
"election results": {
"text": "composition as of February 2024 - men 121, women 30, percentage women 19.9%"
},
"note": "<strong>note:</strong> composition as of 2021 - men 121, women 30, percent of women 19.9%"
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -1228,9 +1231,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Saudi Arabia-Bahrain</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Saudi Arabia-Iraq:  </em>Saudi Arabia has been building a fence along its border with Iraq to keep out militants and smugglers</p> <p><em>Saudi Arabia-Jordan</em>: Jordan and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to demarcate their maritime borders in 2007</p> <p><em>Saudi Arabia-Kuwait</em>: Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; in December 2019, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait signed an agreement to demarcate land in a neutral zone and to restart oil production in shared fields, which had been suspended since 2014 because of disagreements</p> <p><em>Saudi Arabia-Oman</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Saudi Arabia-Qatar</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Saudi Arabia-UAE</em>: Saudi Arabia and UAE have disputed the Shaybah oilfield, which Saudi Arabia controls</p> <p><em>Saudi Arabia-Yemen</em>: the two countries signed the Treaty of Jeddah in 2000, which specified the coordinates of their land and maritime border and made provisions for grazing, the placement of armed forces, and future resource exploitation; in 2010, Saudi Arabia reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the now fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal crossborder activities</p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"stateless persons": {
"text": "70,000 (2022); note - thousands of biduns (stateless Arabs) are descendants of nomadic tribes who were not officially registered when national borders were established, while others migrated to Saudi Arabia in search of jobs; some have temporary identification cards that must be renewed every five years, but their rights remain restricted; most Palestinians have only legal resident status; some naturalized Yemenis were made stateless after being stripped of their passports when Yemen backed Iraq in its invasion of Kuwait in 1990; Saudi women cannot pass their citizenship on to their children, so if they marry a non-national, their children risk statelessness"

15
middle-east/sy.json
View file

@ -110,8 +110,7 @@
},
"People and Society": {
"Population": {
"text": "22,933,531 (2023 est.)",
"note": "<strong>note:</strong> approximately 22,900 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights (2018)"
"text": "22,933,531 (2023 est.)"
},
"Nationality": {
"noun": {
@ -548,7 +547,7 @@
"text": "last held on 19 July 2020 (next to be held on 31 July 2024)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "percent of vote by party - NPF 80%, other 20%; seats by party - NPF 200, other 50; composition - men 222, women 28, percent of women 11.2%"
"text": "percent of vote by party - NPF 80%, other 20%; seats by party - NPF 200, other 50; composition - men 224, women 26, percentage women 10.4%"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -570,15 +569,12 @@
},
"Diplomatic representation in the US": {
"chief of mission": {
"text": "Ambassador (vacant); note &ndash; embassy closed on 18 March 2014"
},
"chancery": {
"text": "2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note &ndash; embassy closed on 18 March 2014"
"text": "Ambassador (vacant); note &ndash; operations at the embassy were suspended on 18 March 2014"
}
},
"Diplomatic representation from the US": {
"chief of mission": {
"text": "Ambassador (vacant); note - on 6 February 2012, the US closed its embassy in Damascus; Czechia serves as a protecting power for US interests in Syria"
"text": "Ambassador (vacant); note - on 6 February 2012, the US suspended operations at its embassy in Damascus; Czechia serves as a protecting power for US interests in Syria"
},
"mailing address": {
"text": "6110 Damascus Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-6110"
@ -1162,9 +1158,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Syria-Iraq</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Syria-Israel</em>: Golan Heights is Israeli-controlled with UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) patrolling a buffer zone since 1974; because of ceasefire violations and increased military activity in the Golan Heights, the UN Security Council continues to extend UNDOF’s mandate; since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms in the Golan Heights</p> <p><em>Syria-Jordan</em>: the two countries signed an agreement in 2005 to settle the border dispute based on a 1931 demarcation accord; the two countries began demarcation in 2006</p> <p><em>Syria-Lebanon</em>: discussions on demarcating the two countries’ maritime borders were held in April 2021, after Syria signed a contract with a Russian company to conduct oil and gas exploration in a disputed maritime area, but the issue was not resolved</p> <p><em>Syria-Turkey</em>: none identified</p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "580,000 (Palestinian Refugees) (2022); 11,121 (Iraq) (2023)"

13
middle-east/tu.json
View file

@ -583,7 +583,7 @@
"text": "last held on 14 May 2023 (next to be held in 2028)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<br>percent of vote by party/coalition - People's Alliance 49.9% (AKP 35.6%, MHP 10.1%, YRP 2.8%, BBP 1%), Nation Alliance 35.4% (CHP 25.3%, IYI 9.7%), Labor and Freedom Alliance 10.7% (YSGP 8.9%, TIP 1.8%); seats by party/coalition - People's Alliance 323 (AKP 268, MHP 50, YRP 5), Nation Alliance 212 (CHP 169, IYI 43), Labor and Freedom Alliance 65 (YSGP 61, TIP 4); composition as of February 2024 - men 480, women 119, percent of women 19.9%"
"text": "percent of vote by party/coalition - People's Alliance 49.9% (AKP 35.6%, MHP 10.1%, YRP 2.8%, BBP 1%), Nation Alliance 35.4% (CHP 25.3%, IYI 9.7%), Labor and Freedom Alliance 10.7% (YSGP 8.9%, TIP 1.8%); seats by party/coalition - People's Alliance 323 (AKP 268, MHP 50, YRP 5), Nation Alliance 212 (CHP 169, IYI 43), Labor and Freedom Alliance 65 (YSGP 61, TIP 4); composition as of February 2024 - men 480, women 119, percentage women 19.9%"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -1240,7 +1240,7 @@
},
"Military and Security": {
"Military and security forces": {
"text": "Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK): Turkish Land Forces (Turk Kara Kuvvetleri), Turkish Naval Forces (Turk Deniz Kuvvetleri; includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Forces (Turk Hava Kuvvetleri)<br><br>Ministry of Interior: Gendarmerie of the Turkish Republic (aka Gendarmerie General Command), Turkish Coast Guard Command, National Police (2023)",
"text": "Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK): Turkish Land Forces (Turk Kara Kuvvetleri), Turkish Naval Forces (Turk Deniz Kuvvetleri; includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Forces (Turk Hava Kuvvetleri)<br><br>Ministry of Interior: Gendarmerie of the Turkish Republic (aka Gendarmerie General Command), Turkish Coast Guard Command, National Police (2024)",
"note": "<strong>note:</strong> the Gendarmerie (Jandarma) is responsible for the maintenance of the public order in areas that fall outside the jurisdiction of police forces (generally in rural areas); in wartime, the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard would be placed under the operational control of the Land Forces and Naval Forces, respectively"
},
"Military expenditures": {
@ -1271,8 +1271,8 @@
"note": "<strong>note 1:</strong> in 2019, a new law cut the men’s mandatory military service period in half, as well as making paid military service permanent; with the new system, the period of conscription was reduced from 12 months to 6 months for privates and non-commissioned soldiers (the service term for reserve officers chosen among university or college graduates remained 12 months); after completing 6 months of service, if a conscripted soldier wants to and is suitable for extending his military service, he may do so for an additional 6 months in return for a monthly salary; under the new law, all male Turkish citizens over the age of 20 are required to undergo a 1 month military training period, but they can obtain an exemption from the remaining 5 months of their mandatory service by paying a fee<br><strong><br>note 2:</strong> as of 2020, women made up about 0.3% of the military's full-time personnel"
},
"Military deployments": {
"text": "approximately 150 (Azerbaijan; monitoring cease-fire, clearing mines); 250 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR); approximately 30-35,000 Cyprus; up to 10,000 Iraq (numbers depend on military operations); 800 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); 110 Lebanon (UNIFIL); estimated 500 Libya; up to 5,000 Qatar; approximately 200 Somalia (training mission); up to 10,000 Syria (numbers depend on military operations) (2023)",
"note": "<strong>note 1:</strong> between 2016 and 2020, Turkey conducted four significant military ground campaigns in northern Syria with the stated purpose of securing its southern border; Turkey also has deployed troops into northern Iraq on numerous occasions to combat the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), including large operations involving thousands of troops in 2007, 2011, and 2018, and smaller-scale operations in 2021 and 2022; Turkey has also conducted numerous air strikes in both Iraq and Syria"
"text": "approximately 150 (Azerbaijan; monitoring cease-fire, clearing mines); 250 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR); approximately 30-35,000 Cyprus; 800 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); 130 Lebanon (UNIFIL); estimated 500 Libya; up to 5,000 Qatar; approximately 200 Somalia (training mission) (2023)",
"note": "<strong>note:</strong> Turkey maintains significant military forces in both Iraq and Syria; size estimates vary as some forces are long-term deployments while others are deployed for specific operations; between 2016 and 2020, Turkey conducted four significant military ground campaigns in northern Syria with the stated purpose of securing its southern border; Turkey also has deployed troops into northern Iraq on numerous occasions to combat the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), including large operations involving thousands of troops in 2007, 2011, and 2018, and smaller-scale operations in 2021 and 2022; Turkey has also conducted numerous air strikes in both Iraq and Syria"
},
"Military - note": {
"text": "the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) have a range of responsibilities, including defending and deterring against external threats, participating in international peacekeeping operations, fulfilling Turkey’s military commitments to NATO, providing disaster/humanitarian relief and assistance to domestic law enforcement if requested by civil authorities, and supporting Turkey’s overall national security interests; the TAF also has overall responsibility for the security of Turkey’s borders; Turkey is active in international peacekeeping and other security operations under the EU, NATO, and the UN, as well as under bilateral agreements with some countries; Turkey has established expeditionary military bases in northern Cyprus, Qatar, Somalia, and Sudan<br><br>Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952 and hosts a considerable NATO and US military presence, including the headquarters for a NATO Land Command and a Rapid Deployment Corps, multiple airbases for NATO and US aircraft, NATO air/missile defense systems, and training centers; the TAF is the second-largest military in NATO behind the US and exercises regularly with NATO partners<br><br>the TAF is a large, well-equipped force comprised of a mix of professionals and conscripts; it has considerable operational experience; in addition to peacekeeping and military assistance operations in recent years in such places as Afghanistan (NATO), Bosnia and Herzegovina (EU), Kosovo (NATO), Lebanon (UN), and Somalia (bilateral), it has conducted combat missions of varying duration and scale in Iraq, Libya, and Syria; since the 1980s, the TAF has been involved in a protracted counterinsurgency campaign against the US-designated terrorist group the Kurdistan Worker’s Party or PKK, a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement, which historically operated throughout Kurdistan but is now primarily based in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq; other key areas of concern for the TAF include tensions with fellow NATO member Greece over territorial disputes and Cyprus, tensions between neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan, threats from the terrorist groups al-Qa’ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham, and the Russia-Ukraine war; under a long-range (2033) strategic plan, the TAF continues a considerable effort to modernize its equipment and force structure<br><br>the TAF is led by a General Staff headed by a Chief of the General Staff; the Land Forces are organized into four army- and eight corps-level commands; these include an army command for the Aegean and a corps command for northern Cyprus (“Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”); subordinate units include a few armored, mechanized infantry, or motorized infantry divisions, but most of the Land Force’s combat forces are formed into more than 30 armored, commando, light infantry, mechanized infantry, and motorized infantry brigades; the Land Forces also have an aviation command; the TAF has a Special Forces Command that is directly subordinate to the General Staff and independent of the other services<br><br>the Naval Forces’ role includes securing control of Turkey’s territorial waters and sea lines of communications; it is one of the largest maritime forces in the region and is seeking to develop greater blue water capabilities to protect Turkey’s broader regional interests with plans to acquire new frigates, submarines, and a light aircraft carrier in the next few years; the backbone of its warship inventory is a recently acquired large landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ship, which is the fleet’s largest warship and serves as its flagship, and a sizeable force of frigates and attack-type submarines, which are supported by dozens of corvettes, fast-attack craft, and patrol vessels of varying sizes and capabilities<br><br>the Air Force is organized into commands for combat, training, and logistics, with the combat command further divided into two regional (east and west) tactical commands; it has about 200 US-made fighter and multirole fighter aircraft organized into squadrons; Air Force priorities include acquiring more advanced aircraft, boosting ground-based air defenses, and establishing a sustainable command and control system<br><br>Turkey’s military has a rich history that it traces back to 200 B.C., although the modern TAF was formed following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the conclusion of the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923); the TAF has traditionally had a significant influence in the country as the “guardian” of Turkish politics, but its political role was largely lost after the failed 2016 coup attempt; the military has a substantial stake in Turkey's economy through a holding company that is involved in the automotive, energy, finance, and logistics sectors, as well as iron and steel production (2023)"
@ -1297,12 +1297,9 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Turkey-Armenia</em>: as of 2023, Turkey and Armenia were discussing normalizing relations</p> <p><em>Turkey-Azerbaijan</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Turkey-Bulgaria</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Turkey-Cyprus</em>: status of northern Cyprus question remains</p> <p><em>Turkey-Georgia</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Turkey-Greece</em>: complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea, including rights to explore oil and gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean and illegal migrants transiting from Turkey into Greece; the Aegean Maritime Boundary is complicated by the close proximity of Greek islands to the western shores of the Turkish Anatolian peninsula, representing the primary source of conflict between the two countries</p> <p><em>Turkey-Iran</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Turkey-Iraq</em>: Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq</p> <p><em>Turkey-Syria</em>: Turkey completed building a wall along its border with Syria in 2018 to prevent illegal border crossings and smuggling</p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "10,244 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022); 41,665 (Ukraine) (as of 15 February 2024) (2023); 3,130,768 (Syria) (2024)"
"text": "10,244 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022); 41,665 (Ukraine) (as of 15 February 2024) (2023); 3,122,899 (Syria) (2024)"
},
"IDPs": {
"text": "1.099 million (displaced from 1984-2005 because of fighting between the Kurdish PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs are Kurds from eastern and southeastern provinces; no information available on persons displaced by development projects) (2022)"

3
middle-east/we.json
View file

@ -924,9 +924,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>West Bank-Israel</em>: West Bank is Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; in 2002, Israel began construction of a \"seam line\" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; as of mid-2020, plans were to continue barrier construction</p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "901,000 (Palestinian refugees) (2022)"

5
middle-east/ym.json
View file

@ -564,7 +564,7 @@
"text": "Shura Council - last appointments NA (next appointments NA)<br>House of Representatives - last held in April 2019 (next to be held in NA)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "<br>percent of vote by party - GPC 58.0%, Islah 22.6%, YSP 3.8%, Unionist Party 1.9%, other 13.7%; seats by party - GPC 238, Islah 46, YSP 8, Nasserist Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party 2, independent 4; composition:  men 245, women 0, percent of women 0%"
"text": "percent of vote by party - GPC 58%, Islah 22.6%, YSP 3.8%, Unionist Party 1.9%, other 13.7%; seats by party - GPC 238, Islah 46, YSP 8, Nasserist Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party 2, independent 4; composition - men 245, women 0, percent of women 0%"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
@ -1185,9 +1185,6 @@
}
},
"Transnational Issues": {
"Disputes - international": {
"text": "<p><em>Yemen-Oman</em>: none identified</p> <p><em>Yemen-Saudia Arabia:</em> in 2004, Saudi Arabia reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities, including militants and arms; in 2013 and 2015, Saudi Arabia again erected fences<br><br><br></p> <p> </p>"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
"refugees (country of origin)": {
"text": "45,608 (Somalia), 17,812 (Ethiopia) (2023)"