World Almanac · federal naming policy
The nations
Core country facts, nationality and demonym, geography, flag colors, and dated NATO and BRICS membership—each shown with its source and as-of date.
197 nations
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31 small or noncontiguous places not drawn at this scale
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Cabo Verde
- Comoros
- Cook Islands
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Holy See
- Kiribati
- Liechtenstein
- Maldives
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Micronesia, Federated States of
- Monaco
- Nauru
- Niue
- Palau
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahrain
Barbados
Cabo Verde
Comoros
Cook Islands
Dominica
Grenada
Holy See
Kiribati
Liechtenstein
Maldives
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Micronesia, Federated States of
Monaco
Nauru
Niue
Palau
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Seychelles
Singapore
Tonga
TuvaluEqual Earth geometry generated from Natural Earth 1:110m public-domain data. Boundary geometry is cartographic context; claims and status are documented on individual records.
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Nation register
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| AfghanistanAF | Kabul | 652,230 sq km | 43,844,111 | afghanis (AFA) | noun: Afghan(s); adjective: Afghan | Afghan Persian or Dari (official, lingua franca) 77%, Pashto (official) 48%, Uzbeki 11%, English 6%, Turkmani 3%, Urdu 3%, Pashaie 1%, Nuristani 1%, Arabic 1%, Balochi 1%, other <1% (2020 est.) | theocratic; the United States does not recognize the Taliban Government | 1946-11-19 | Polygyny under Islamic marriage rules; legal administration changed after the 2021 takeover. |
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| AlbaniaAL | Tirana (Tirane) | 28,748 sq km | 2,349,580 | leke (ALL) | noun: Albanian(s); adjective: Albanian | Albanian 98.8% (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek 0.5%, other 0.6% (including Macedonian, Romani, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. Polygamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Albania
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| AlgeriaAG | Algiers | 2,381,740 sq km | 47,435,312 | Algerian dinars (DZD) | noun: Algerian(s); adjective: Algerian | Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Tamazight (official) (dialects include Kabyle (Taqbaylit), Shawiya (Tacawit), Mzab, Tuareg (Tamahaq)) | presidential republic | 1962-10-08 | Polygyny permitted with judicial authorization; previous and prospective spouses must be informed. |
Sources for Algeria
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| AndorraAN | Andorra la Vella | 468 sq km | 82,904 | euros (EUR) | noun: Andorran(s); adjective: Andorran | Catalan (official) 44.1%, Castilian 40.3%, Portuguese 13.5%, French 10%, English 3%, other 6.8% (2022 est.) | parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains its chiefs of state in the form of a co-principality; the two princes are the President of France and Bishop of Seu d'Urgell, Spain | 1993-07-28 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Andorra
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| AngolaAO | Luanda | 1,246,700 sq km | 39,040,039 | kwanza (AOA) | noun: Angolan(s); adjective: Angolan | Portuguese 71.2% (official), Umbundu 23%, Kikongo 8.2%, Kimbundu 7.8%, Chokwe 6.5%, Nhaneca 3.4%, Nganguela 3.1%, Fiote 2.4%, Kwanhama 2.3%, Muhumbi 2.1%, Luvale 1%, other 3.6% (2014 est.) | presidential republic | 1976-12-01 | Monogamy. Polygamous marriages are not legally recognized. |
Sources for Angola
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| Antigua and BarbudaAC | Saint John's | 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) | 94,209 | East Caribbean dollars (XCD) | noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s); adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan | English (official), Antiguan Creole (an English-based creole) | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1981-11-11 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Antigua and Barbuda
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| ArgentinaAR | Buenos Aires | 2,780,400 sq km | 45,851,378 | Argentine pesos (ARS) | noun: Argentine(s); adjective: Argentine | Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French, indigenous (Quechua, Guarani, Mapudungun) | presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Argentina
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| ArmeniaAM | Yerevan | 29,743 sq km | 3,086,700 | drams (AMD) | noun: Armenian(s); adjective: Armenian | Armenian 97.2%, Russian 1.4%, Ezidian 1.0%; less than 1%: other, unknown (2022) | parliamentary democracy; note - constitutional changes adopted in December 2015 transformed the government to a parliamentary system | 1992-03-02 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Armenia
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| AustraliaAS | Canberra | 7,741,220 sq km | 27,614,411 | Australian dollars (AUD) | noun: Australian(s); adjective: Australian | English 72%, Mandarin 2.7%, Arabic 1.4%, Vietnamese 1.3%, Cantonese 1.2%, other 15.7%, unspecified 5.7% (2021 est.) | federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1945-11-01 | Monogamy. A marriage is void if either party is already married. |
Sources for Australia
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| AustriaAU | Vienna | 83,871 sq km | 9,208,163 | euros (EUR) | noun: Austrian(s); adjective: Austrian | German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in southern Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 est.) | federal parliamentary republic | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. A previous marriage must be dissolved or annulled before another marriage. |
Sources for Austria
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| AzerbaijanAJ | Baku (Baki, Baky) | 86,600 sq km | 10,246,996 | Azerbaijani manats (AZN) | noun: Azerbaijani(s); adjective: Azerbaijani | Azerbaijani 96.1%, other 1.4%; less than 1%: Russian, Avar, Talyshi, Turkish, Tatar, Sakhur, Tat, Ukrainian, Georgian, Hebrew (2019 est.) | presidential republic | 1992-03-02 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Azerbaijan
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| Bahamas, TheBF | Nassau | 13,880 sq km | 403,033 | Bahamian dollars (BSD) | noun: Bahamian(s); adjective: Bahamian | English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1973-09-18 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Bahamas, The
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| BahrainBA | Manama | 760 sq km | 1,600,366 | Bahraini dinars (BHD) | noun: Bahraini(s); adjective: Bahraini | Arabic (official), English, Farsi, Urdu | constitutional monarchy | 1971-09-21 | Polygyny permitted under Sunni and Jaafari family law; up to four wives. |
Sources for Bahrain
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| BangladeshBG | Dhaka | 148,460 sq km | 175,686,899 | taka (BDT) | noun: Bangladeshi(s); adjective: Bangladeshi | Bangla 98.8% (official, also known as Bengali), other 1.2% (2011 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1974-09-17 | Polygyny permitted for Muslim men with prior Arbitration Council permission. |
Sources for Bangladesh
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| BarbadosBB | Bridgetown | 430 sq km | 282,623 | Barbadian dollars (BBD) | noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial); adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial) | English (official), Bajan (English-based creole language, widely spoken in informal settings) | parliamentary republic; a Commonwealth realm | 1966-12-09 | Monogamy. A marriage is void if either person is already lawfully married. |
Sources for Barbados
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| BelarusBO | Minsk | 207,600 sq km | 9,085,991 | Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) | noun: Belarusian(s); adjective: Belarusian | Russian (official) 71.4%, Belarusian (official) 26%, other 0.3% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 2.3% (2019 est.) | presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing registered marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Belarus
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| BelgiumBE | Brussels | 30,528 sq km | 11,941,781 | euros (EUR) | noun: Belgian(s); adjective: Belgian | Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1% | federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy | 1945-12-27 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Belgium
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| BelizeBH | Belmopan | 22,966 sq km | 422,924 | Belizean dollars (BZD) | noun: Belizean(s); adjective: Belizean | English 62.9% (official), Spanish 56.6%, Creole 44.6%, Maya 10.5%, German 3.2%, Garifuna 2.9%, other 1.8%, unknown 0.5% (2010 est.) | parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1981-09-25 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Belize
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| BeninBN | Porto-Novo (constitutional capital); Cotonou (seat of government) | 112,622 sq km | 14,814,460 | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) | noun: Beninese (singular and plural); adjective: Beninese | 55 languages; French (official); Fon (a Gbe language), Yom (a Gur language) and Yoruba are the most important indigenous languages in the south; half a dozen regionally important languages in the north, including Bariba and Fulfulde | presidential republic | 1960-09-20 | Monogamy. The Personal and Family Code prohibits polygamy. |
Sources for Benin
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| BhutanBT | Thimphu | 38,394 sq km | 796,682 | ngultrum (BTN) | noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural); adjective: Bhutanese | Sharchopkha 28%, Dzongkha (official) 24%, Lhotshamkha 22%, other 26% (includes foreign languages) (2005 est.) | constitutional monarchy | 1971-09-21 | Polygyny and polyandry permitted with the existing spouse's consent. |
Sources for Bhutan
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| BoliviaBL | La Paz (administrative capital); Sucre (constitutional [legislative and judicial] capital) | 1,098,581 sq km | 12,581,843 | bolivianos (BOB) | noun: Bolivian(s); adjective: Bolivian | Spanish (official) 68.1%, Quechua (official) 17.2%, Aymara (official) 10.5%, Guarani (official) 0.6%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.1%; note - Spanish and all Indigenous languages are official (2012 est.) | presidential republic | 1945-11-14 | Monogamy. Bigamous marriages are subject to annulment. |
Sources for Bolivia
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| Bosnia and HerzegovinaBK | Sarajevo | 51,197 sq km | 3,140,095 | konvertibilna markas (BAM) | noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s); adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian | Bosnian (official) 52.9%, Serbian (official) 30.8%, Croatian (official) 14.6%, other 1.6%, no answer 0.2% (2013 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1992-05-22 | Monogamy. Polygamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Bosnia and Herzegovina
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| BotswanaBC | Gaborone | 581,730 sq km | 2,562,122 | pulas (BWP) | noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural); adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) | Setswana 77.3%, Sekalanga 7.4%, Shekgalagadi 3.4%, English (official) 2.8%, Zezuru/Shona 2%, Sesarwa 1.7%, Sembukushu 1.6%, Ndebele 1%, other 2.8% (2011 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1966-10-17 | Polygyny permitted under customary law with the first wife's consent. |
Sources for Botswana
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| BrazilBR | Brasília | 8,515,770 sq km | 212,812,405 | reals (BRL) | noun: Brazilian(s); adjective: Brazilian | Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and many minor Amerindian languages | federal presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Brazil
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| BruneiBX | Bandar Seri Begawan | 5,765 sq km | 466,330 | Bruneian dollars (BND) | noun: Bruneian(s); adjective: Bruneian | Malay (Bahasa Melayu) (official), English, Chinese dialects | absolute monarchy or sultanate | 1984-09-21 | Polygyny permitted under Islamic family law, with written permission from a Syariah judge. |
Sources for Brunei
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| BulgariaBU | Sofia | 110,879 sq km | 6,433,302 | leva (BGN) | noun: Bulgarian(s); adjective: Bulgarian | Bulgarian (official) 77.3%, Turkish 7.9%, Romani 3.5%, other 1%, unspecified 10.4% (2021 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Bulgaria
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| Burkina FasoUV | Ouagadougou | 274,200 sq km | 24,074,580 | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) | noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural); adjective: Burkinabe | Mossi 52.9%, Fula 7.8%, Gourmantche 6.8%, Dyula 5.7%, Bissa 3.3%, Gurunsi 3.2%, French (official) 2.2%, Bwamu 2%, Dagara 2%, San 1.7%, Marka 1.6%, Bobo 1.5%, Senufo 1.5%, Lobi 1.2%, other 6.6% (2019 est.) | presidential republic | 1960-09-20 | Monogamy or polygyny, according to the spouses' marriage option. |
Sources for Burkina Faso
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| BurmaBM | Rangoon (aka Yangon, continues to be recognized as the primary Burmese capital by the US Government); Nay Pyi Taw is the administrative capital | 676,578 sq km | 54,850,648 | kyats (MMK) | noun: Burmese (singular and plural); adjective: Burmese | Burmese (official) | military regime | 1948-04-19 | Monogamy. The 2015 Monogamy Law prohibits subsequent marriage while a marriage subsists. |
Sources for Burma
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| BurundiBY | Gitega (political capital), Bujumbura (commercial capital) | 27,830 sq km | 14,390,003 | Burundi francs (BIF) | noun: Burundian(s); adjective: Burundian | Kirundi (official), French (official), English (official, least spoken), Swahili (2008 est.) | presidential republic | 1962-09-18 | Monogamy. Polygamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Burundi
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| Cabo VerdeCV | Praia | 4,033 sq km | 527,326 | Cabo Verdean escudos (CVE) | noun: Cabo Verdean(s); adjective: Cabo Verdean | Portuguese (official), Crioulo (a Portuguese-based creole language with two main dialects) | parliamentary republic | 1975-09-16 | Monogamy. An undissolved previous marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Cabo Verde
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| CambodiaCB | Phnom Penh | 181,035 sq km | 17,847,982 | riels (KHR) | noun: Cambodian(s); adjective: Cambodian | Khmer (official) 95.8%, minority languages 2.9%, Chinese 0.6%, Vietnamese 0.5%, other 0.2% (2019 est.) | parliamentary constitutional monarchy | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. A previous marriage must be dissolved before another marriage. |
Sources for Cambodia
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| CameroonCM | Yaounde | 475,440 sq km | 29,879,337 | Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) | noun: Cameroonian(s); adjective: Cameroonian | 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official) | presidential republic | 1960-09-20 | Monogamous or polygynous marriage, according to the marriage option. |
Sources for Cameroon
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| CanadaCA | Ottawa | 9,984,670 sq km | 41,651,653 | Canadian dollars (CAD) | noun: Canadian(s); adjective: Canadian | English (official) 87.1%, French (official) 29.1%, Chinese languages 4.2%, Spanish 3.2%, Punjabi 2.6%, Arabic 2.4%, Tagalog 2.3%, Italian 1.5% (2022 est.) | federal parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Canada) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm; federal and state authorities and responsibilities regulated in constitution | 1945-11-09 | Monogamy. Polygamy is prohibited by the Criminal Code. |
Sources for Canada
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| Central African RepublicCT | Bangui | 622,984 sq km | 5,513,282 | Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) | noun: Central African(s); adjective: Central African | French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages | presidential republic | 1960-09-20 | Monogamous or polygynous marriage, according to the marriage option. |
Sources for Central African Republic
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| ChadCD | N'Djamena | 1.284 million sq km | 21,003,705 | Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) | noun: Chadian(s); adjective: Chadian | French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 languages and dialects | presidential republic | 1960-09-20 | Polygyny permitted where expressly declared in the marriage contract; civil-law marriage otherwise monogamous. |
Sources for Chad
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| ChileCI | Santiago; note - Valparaiso is the seat of the national legislature | 756,102 sq km | 19,859,921 | Chilean pesos (CLP) | noun: Chilean(s); adjective: Chilean | Spanish 99.5% (official), English 10.2%, Indigenous 1% (includes Mapudungun, Aymara, Quechua, Rapa Nui), other 2.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2012 est.) | presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Chile
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| ChinaCH | Beijing | 9,596,960 sq km | 1,406,585,000 | Renminbi yuan (RMB) | noun: Chinese (singular and plural); adjective: Chinese | Standard Chinese or Mandarin (official; Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages; note - Zhuang is official in Guangxi Zhuang, Yue is official in Guangdong, Mongolian is official in Nei Mongol, Uyghur is official in Xinjiang Uygur, Kyrgyz is official in Xinjiang Uyghur, and Tibetan is official in Xizang (Tibet) | communist party-led state | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. The Civil Code prohibits bigamy. |
Sources for China
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| ColombiaCO | Bogotá | 1,138,910 sq km | 53,425,635 | Colombian pesos (COP) | noun: Colombian(s); adjective: Colombian | Spanish (official) 98.9%, indigenous 1%, Portuguese 0.1%; 65 indigenous languages exist (2023 est.) | presidential republic | 1945-11-05 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Colombia
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| ComorosCN | Moroni | 2,235 sq km | 882,847 | Comoran francs (KMF) | noun: Comoran(s); adjective: Comoran | Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (official; similar to Swahili), Comorian | federal presidential republic | 1975-11-12 | Polygyny permitted under the Family Code; wives must receive equal treatment. |
Sources for Comoros
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| CongoCF | Brazzaville | 342,000 sq km | 6,484,437 | Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) | noun: Congolese (singular and plural); adjective: Congolese or Congo | French (official), French Lingala and Monokutuba (trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread) | presidential republic | 1960-09-20 | Polygyny permitted; polyandry is not permitted. |
Sources for Congo
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| Cook IslandsCW | Avarua | 236 sq km | 7,592 (2025 est.) | New Zealand dollars (NZD) | noun: Cook Islander(s); adjective: Cook Islander | English (official) 86.4%, Cook Islands Maori (Rarotongan) (official) 76.2%, other 8.3% (2011 est.) | parliamentary democracy | Not a UN member | Marriage licensing requires proof that a previous marriage ended. |
Sources for Cook Islands
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| Costa RicaCS | San José | 51,100 sq km | 5,152,950 | Costa Rican colones (CRC) | noun: Costa Rican(s); adjective: Costa Rican | Spanish (official), English | presidential republic | 1945-11-02 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Costa Rica
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| Côte d'IvoireIV | Yamoussoukro (legislative capital), Abidjan (administrative and economic capital); note - the US Embassy is in Abidjan | 322,463 sq km | 32,711,547 | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) | noun: Ivoirian(s); adjective: Ivoirian | French (official), 60 native dialects of which Dioula is the most widely spoken | presidential republic | 1960-09-20 | Monogamy. A previous marriage must end before another marriage. |
Sources for Côte d'Ivoire
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| CroatiaHR | Zagreb | 56,594 sq km | 3,876,200 | euros (EUR) | noun: Croat(s), Croatian(s); adjective: Croatian | Croatian (official) 95.2%, Serbian 1.2%, other 3.1% (including Bosnian, Romani, Albanian, and Italian) unspecified 0.5% (2021 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1992-05-22 | Monogamy. Contracting another marriage while already married is prohibited. |
Sources for Croatia
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| CubaCU | Havana | 110,860 sq km | 10,937,203 | Cuban pesos (CUP) | noun: Cuban(s); adjective: Cuban | Spanish (official) | communist state | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage or registered de facto union must end before marriage. |
Sources for Cuba
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| CyprusCY | Nicosia (Lefkosia/Lefkosa) | 9,251 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus) | 1,370,754 | euros (EUR) | noun: Cypriot(s); adjective: Cypriot | Greek (official) 80.9%, Turkish (official) 0.2%, English 4.1%, Romanian 2.9%, Russian 2.5%, Bulgarian 2.2%, Arabic 1.2%, Filipino 1.1%, other 4.3%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.) | Republic of Cyprus - presidential republic; self-declared "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC) - parliamentary republic with enhanced presidency | 1960-09-20 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Cyprus
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| CzechiaEZ | Prague | 78,867 sq km | 10,886,878 | koruny (CZK) | noun: Czech(s); adjective: Czech | Czech (official) 88.4%, Slovak 1.5%, other 2.6%, unspecified 7.2% (2021 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1993-01-19 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Czechia
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| Democratic Republic of the CongoCG | Kinshasa | 2,344,858 sq km | 112,832,473 | Congolese francs (CDF) | noun: Congolese (singular and plural); adjective: Congolese or Congo | French (official), Lingala (a trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba | semi-presidential republic | 1960-09-20 | Monogamy. Only one husband and one wife are legally recognized in a marriage. |
Sources for Democratic Republic of the Congo
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| DenmarkDA | Copenhagen | 43,094 sq km | 6,009,169 | Danish kroner (DKK) | noun: Dane(s); adjective: Danish | Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority); note - English is the predominant second language | parliamentary constitutional monarchy | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Denmark
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| DjiboutiDJ | Djibouti | 23,200 sq km | 1,184,076 | Djiboutian francs (DJF) | noun: Djiboutian(s); adjective: Djiboutian | French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar | presidential republic | 1977-09-20 | Polygyny permitted under the Family Code; wives have equal legal status. |
Sources for Djibouti
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| DominicaDO | Roseau | 751 sq km | 65,871 | East Caribbean dollars (XCD) | noun: Dominican(s); adjective: Dominican | English (official), French patois | parliamentary republic | 1978-12-18 | Marriage licensing requires proof of unmarried status or that a previous marriage ended. |
Sources for Dominica
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| Dominican RepublicDR | Santo Domingo | 48,670 sq km | 11,520,487 | Dominican pesos (DOP) | noun: Dominican(s); adjective: Dominican | Spanish (official) | presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Dominican Republic
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| EcuadorEC | Quito | 283,561 sq km | 18,289,896 | US dollar (USD) | noun: Ecuadorian(s); adjective: Ecuadorian | Spanish (Castilian; official) 98.6%, indigenous 3.9% (Quechua 3.2%, other indigenous 0.7%), foreign 2.8%, other 0.6% (includes Ecuadorian sign language) (2022 est.) | presidential republic | 1945-12-21 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Ecuador
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| EgyptEG | Cairo | 1,001,450 sq km | 118,365,995 | Egyptian pounds (EGP) | noun: Egyptian(s); adjective: Egyptian | Arabic (official); English and French widely understood by educated classes | presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Polygyny permitted for Muslim men; up to four wives, with notification to existing and prospective wives. |
Sources for Egypt
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| El SalvadorES | San Salvador | 21,041 sq km | 6,365,503 | US dollar (USD) | noun: Salvadoran(s); adjective: Salvadoran | Spanish (official), Nawat (among some indigenous) | presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for El Salvador
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| Equatorial GuineaEK | Malabo; note - Malabo is on the island of Bioko; some months of the year, the government operates out of Bata on the mainland region. | 28,051 sq km | 1,938,431 | Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) | noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s); adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean | Spanish (official) 67.6%, other (includes Fang, Bubi, Portuguese (official), French (official), Fa d'Ambo spoken in Annobon) 32.4% (1994 est.) | presidential republic | 1968-11-12 | Polygyny recognized under customary marriage law. |
Sources for Equatorial Guinea
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| EritreaER | Asmara | 117,600 sq km | 3,607,003 | nakfa (ERN) | noun: Eritrean(s); adjective: Eritrean | Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages | authoritarian | 1993-05-28 | Monogamy under the Civil Code. Religious and customary marriage rules also apply. |
Sources for Eritrea
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| EstoniaEN | Tallinn | 45,228 sq km | 1,366,475 | euros (EUR) | noun: Estonian(s); adjective: Estonian | Estonian (official) 67.2%, Russian 28.5%, other 3.7%, unspecified 0.6% (2021est.) | parliamentary republic | 1991-09-17 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Estonia
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| EswatiniWZ | Mbabane (administrative capital); Lobamba (royal and legislative capital) | 17,364 sq km | 1,256,174 | emalangeni | noun: liSwati (singular), emaSwati (plural); note - former term, Swazi(s), still used among English speakers; adjective: Swati; note - former term, Swazi, still used among English speakers | English (official, used for government business), siSwati (official) | absolute monarchy | 1968-09-24 | Civil marriage is monogamous; polygyny is recognized in customary marriage. |
Sources for Eswatini
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| EthiopiaET | Addis Ababa | 1,104,300 sq km | 135,472,051 | birr (ETB) | noun: Ethiopian(s); adjective: Ethiopian | Oromo (official regional working language) 33.8%, Amharic (official national language) 29.3%, Somali (official regional working language) 6.2%, Tigrigna (Tigrinya) (official regional working language) 5.9%, Sidamo 4%, Wolaytta 2.2%, Gurage 2%, Afar (official regional working language) 1.7%, Hadiyya 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Opuuo 1.2%, Kafa 1.1%, other 8.1%, English (2007 est.) | federal parliamentary republic | 1945-11-13 | Monogamy under the Family Code; bigamy penalties have exceptions for recognized religious or traditional practices. |
Sources for Ethiopia
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| FijiFJ | Suva (on Viti Levu) | 18,274 sq km | 933,154 | Fijian dollars (FJD) | noun: Fijian(s); adjective: Fijian | English (official), iTaukei (official), Fiji Hindi (official) | parliamentary republic | 1970-10-13 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Fiji
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| FinlandFI | Helsinki | 338,145 sq km | 5,646,436 | euros (EUR) | noun: Finn(s); adjective: Finnish | Finnish (official) 85.9%, Swedish (official) 5.2%, Russian 1.7%, other 7.2% (2022 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Finland
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| FranceFR | Paris | 643,801 sq km ; 551,500 sq km (metropolitan France) | 68,720,337 | euros (EUR) | noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women); adjective: French | French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages (Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard) | semi-presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. A previous marriage must be dissolved before another marriage. |
Sources for France
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| GabonGB | Libreville | 267,667 sq km | 2,593,130 | Coopération Financière en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) | noun: Gabonese (singular and plural); adjective: Gabonese | French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi | presidential republic | 1960-09-20 | Monogamy or polygyny, according to the spouses' recorded marriage option. |
Sources for Gabon
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| Gambia, TheGA | Banjul | 11,300 sq km | 2,822,093 | dalasis (GMD) | noun: Gambian(s); adjective: Gambian | English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars | presidential republic | 1965-09-21 | Polygyny permitted under personal marriage laws. |
Sources for Gambia, The
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| GeorgiaGG | Tbilisi | 69,700 sq km | 3,935,766 | laris (GEL) | noun: Georgian(s); adjective: Georgian | Georgian (official) 87.6%, Azeri 6.2%, Armenian 3.9%, Russian 1.2%, other 1% (including Abkhaz, the official language in Abkhazia) (2014 est.) | semi-presidential republic | 1992-07-31 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Georgia
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| GermanyGM | Berlin | 357,022 sq km | 83,491,249 | euros (EUR) | noun: German(s); adjective: German | German (official); note - Danish, Frisian, Sorbian, and Romani are official minority languages; Low German, Danish, North Frisian, Sater Frisian, Lower Sorbian, Upper Sorbian, and Romani are recognized as regional languages | federal parliamentary republic | 1973-09-18 | Monogamy. An existing marriage or civil partnership prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Germany
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| GhanaGH | Accra | 238,533 sq km | 35,064,272 | cedis (GHC) | noun: Ghanaian(s); adjective: Ghanaian | Asante 16%, Ewe 14%, Fante 11.6%, Boron (Brong) 4.9%, Dagomba 4.4%, Dangme 4.2%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.9%, Kokomba 3.5%, Akyem 3.2%, Ga 3.1%, other 31.2% (2010 est.) | presidential republic | 1957-03-08 | Polygyny recognized under customary marriage law. |
Sources for Ghana
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| GreeceGR | Athens | 131,957 sq km | 10,413,962 | euros (EUR) | noun: Greek(s); adjective: Greek | Greek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1% | parliamentary republic | 1945-10-25 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Greece
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| GrenadaGJ | Saint George's | 344 sq km | 117,303 | East Caribbean dollars (XCD) | noun: Grenadian(s); adjective: Grenadian | English (official), French patois | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1974-09-17 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Grenada
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| GuatemalaGT | Guatemala City | 108,889 sq km | 18,687,881 | quetzales (GTQ) | noun: Guatemalan(s); adjective: Guatemalan | Spanish (official) 69.9%, Maya languages 29.7% (Q'eqchi' 8.3%, K'iche 7.8%, Mam 4.4%, Kaqchikel 3%, Q'anjob'al 1.2%, Poqomchi' 1%, other 4%), other 0.4% (includes Xinca and Garifuna) (2018 est.) | presidential republic | 1945-11-21 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Guatemala
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| GuineaGV | Conakry | 245,857 sq km | 15,099,727 | Guinean francs (GNF) | noun: Guinean(s); adjective: Guinean | French (official), Pular, Maninka, Susu, other native languages | presidential republic | 1958-12-12 | Monogamy is the default; polygyny permitted with the first wife's explicit agreement. |
Sources for Guinea
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| Guinea-BissauPU | Bissau | 36,125 sq km | 2,249,515 | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) | noun: Bissau-Guinean(s); adjective: Bissau-Guinean | Portuguese-based Creole, Portuguese (official; largely used as a second or third language), Pular (a Fula language), Mandingo | semi-presidential republic | 1974-09-17 | Monogamy under the Civil Code; customary plural unions are not civil marriages. |
Sources for Guinea-Bissau
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| GuyanaGY | Georgetown | 214,969 sq km | 835,986 | Guyanese dollars (GYD) | noun: Guyanese (singular and plural); adjective: Guyanese | English (official), Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages (including Caribbean and Arawak languages), Indian languages (including Caribbean Hindustani, a dialect of Hindi), Chinese (2014 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1966-09-20 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Guyana
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| HaitiHA | Port-au-Prince | 27,750 sq km | 11,906,095 | gourdes (HTG) | noun: Haitian(s); adjective: Haitian | French (official), Creole (official) | semi-presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. Polygamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Haiti
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| Holy SeeVT | Vatican City | 0 sq km | 1,000 (2024) | euros (EUR) | noun: none; adjective: none | Italian, Latin, French, various other languages | ecclesiastical elective monarchy; self-described as an "absolute monarchy" | Not a UN member | Monogamy under canon law; an existing marriage bond prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Holy See
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| HondurasHO | Tegucigalpa | 112,090 sq km | 11,005,850 | lempiras (HNL) | noun: Honduran(s); adjective: Honduran | Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects | presidential republic | 1945-12-17 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Honduras
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| HungaryHU | Budapest | 93,028 sq km | 9,514,251 | forints (HUF) | noun: Hungarian(s); adjective: Hungarian | Hungarian (official) 98.8%, English 25.3%, German 12.6%, Russian 2.1%, French 1.5%, Romanian 1.4%, other 5.1% (2022 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Hungary
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| IcelandIC | Reykjavik | 103,000 sq km | 392,404 | Icelandic kronur (ISK) | noun: Icelander(s); adjective: Icelandic | Icelandic, English, Polish, Nordic languages, German | unitary parliamentary republic | 1946-11-19 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Iceland
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| IndiaIN | New Delhi | 3,287,263 sq km | 1,463,865,525 | Indian rupees (INR) | noun: Indian(s); adjective: Indian | Hindi 43.6%, Bengali 8%, Marathi 6.9%, Telugu 6.7%, Tamil 5.7%, Gujarati 4.6%, Urdu 4.2%, Kannada 3.6%, Odia 3.1%, Malayalam 2.9%, Punjabi 2.7%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.1%, other 5.6%; English is the subsidiary official language but is the most important one for national, political, and commercial communication (2011 est.) | federal parliamentary republic | 1945-10-30 | Monogamy under general marriage laws; Muslim personal law permits polygyny, with state-specific exceptions. |
Sources for India
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| IndonesiaID | Jakarta | 1,904,569 sq km | 285,721,236 | Indonesian rupiah (IDR) | noun: Indonesian(s); adjective: Indonesian | Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (of which the most widely spoken is Javanese); note - more than 700 languages are used in Indonesia | presidential republic | 1950-09-28 | Monogamy is the general rule; polygyny permitted with court authorization and statutory conditions. |
Sources for Indonesia
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| IranIR | Tehran | 1,648,195 sq km | 92,417,681 | Iranian rials (IRR) | noun: Iranian(s); adjective: Iranian | Persian Farsi (official), Azeri and other Turkic dialects, Kurdish, Gilaki and Mazandarani, Luri, Balochi, Arabic | theocratic republic | 1945-10-24 | Polygyny permitted under personal-status law. |
Sources for Iran
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| IraqIZ | Baghdad | 438,317 sq km | 47,020,774 | Iraqi dinars (IQD) | noun: Iraqi(s); adjective: Iraqi | Arabic (official), Kurdish (official); Turkmen (a Turkish dialect) and Syriac (Neo-Aramaic) are recognized as official languages where native speakers of these languages are present | federal parliamentary republic | 1945-12-21 | Polygyny permitted; conditions depend on the applicable personal-status regime. |
Sources for Iraq
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| IrelandEI | Dublin | 70,273 sq km | 5,484,367 | euros (EUR) | noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural); adjective: Irish | English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken by approximately 37.7% of the population) | parliamentary republic | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Ireland
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| IsraelIS | Jerusalem | 21,937 sq km | 10,122,800 | new Israeli shekels (ILS) | noun: Israeli(s); adjective: Israeli | Hebrew (official), Arabic (special status under Israeli law), English (most commonly used foreign language) | parliamentary democracy | 1949-05-11 | Monogamy generally; the Penal Law prohibits polygamy with narrowly specified court-authorized exceptions. |
Sources for Israel
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| ItalyIT | Rome | 301,340 sq km | 58,915,656 | euros (EUR) | noun: Italian(s); adjective: Italian | Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German-speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area), Croatian (in Molise) | parliamentary republic | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. An existing marriage or civil union prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Italy
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| JamaicaJM | Kingston | 10,991 sq km | 2,837,077 | Jamaican dollars (JMD) | noun: Jamaican(s); adjective: Jamaican | English, Jamaican patois | parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1962-09-18 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Jamaica
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| JapanJA | Tokyo | 377,915 sq km | 123,366,734 | yen (JPY) | noun: Japanese (singular and plural); adjective: Japanese | Japanese | parliamentary constitutional monarchy | 1956-12-18 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Japan
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| JordanJO | Amman | 89,342 sq km | 11,520,684 | Jordanian dinars (JOD) | noun: Jordanian(s); adjective: Jordanian | Arabic (official), English (widely understood among upper and middle classes) | parliamentary constitutional monarchy | 1955-12-14 | Polygyny permitted. |
Sources for Jordan
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| KazakhstanKZ | Astana | 2,724,900 sq km | 20,843,754 | tenge (KZT) | noun: Kazakhstani(s); adjective: Kazakhstani | Kazakh (official, Qazaq) 80.1%, Russian 83.7%, English 35.1% (2021 est.) | presidential republic | 1992-03-02 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Kazakhstan
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| KenyaKE | Nairobi | 580,367 sq km | 57,532,493 | Kenyan shillings (KES) | noun: Kenyan(s); adjective: Kenyan | English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages | presidential republic | 1963-12-16 | Christian, Hindu and civil marriages are monogamous; customary and Islamic marriages may be polygynous. |
Sources for Kenya
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| KiribatiKR | Tarawa | 811 sq km | 136,488 | Australian dollars (AUD) | noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural); adjective: Kiribati | Gilbertese, English (official) | presidential republic | 1999-09-14 | Statutory marriage is monogamous; native customary marriages are treated separately in the bigamy provision. |
Sources for Kiribati
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| Korea, NorthKN | Pyongyang | 120,538 sq km | 26,571,036 | North Korean won (KPW) per US dollar (average market rate) | noun: Korean(s); adjective: Korean | Korean | dictatorship, single-party communist state | 1991-09-17 | Monogamy. Legal marriage requires a single man and a single woman and civil registration. |
Sources for Korea, North
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| Korea, SouthKS | Seoul | 99,720 sq km | 51,684,564 | South Korean won (KRW) | noun: Korean(s); adjective: Korean | Korean, English | presidential republic | 1991-09-17 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Korea, South
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| KosovoKV | Pristina (Prishtine, Prishtina) | 10,887 sq km | 1,576,876 | euros (EUR) | noun: Kosovan; adjective: Kosovan | Albanian (official) 94.5%, Bosnian 1.7%, Serbian (official) 1.6%, Turkish 1.1%, other 0.9% (includes Romani), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.) | parliamentary republic | Not a UN member | Monogamy. A person already married may not enter another marriage. |
Sources for Kosovo
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| KuwaitKU | Kuwait City | 17,818 sq km | 4,865,298 | Kuwaiti dinars (KD) | noun: Kuwaiti(s); adjective: Kuwaiti | Arabic (official), English widely spoken | constitutional monarchy (emirate) | 1963-05-14 | Polygyny permitted under Islamic personal-status law, subject to fair treatment of wives. |
Sources for Kuwait
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| KyrgyzstanKG | Bishkek | 199,951 sq km | 7,343,064 | soms (KGS) | noun: Kyrgyzstani(s); adjective: Kyrgyzstani | Kyrgyz (state language) 71.4%, Uzbek 14.4%, Russian (official language) 9%, other 5.2% (2009 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1992-03-02 | Monogamy. Bigamy and polygamy are criminalized. |
Sources for Kyrgyzstan
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| LaosLA | Vientiane (Viangchan) | 236,800 sq km | 7,873,046 | kips (LAK) | noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s); adjective: Lao or Laotian | Lao (official), French, English, various ethnic languages | communist party-led state | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. Polygamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Laos
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| LatviaLG | Riga | 64,589 sq km | 1,847,785 | euros (EUR) | noun: Latvian(s); adjective: Latvian | Latvian (official) 56.3%, Russian 33.8%, other 0.6% (includes Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian), unspecified 9.4% (2011 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1991-09-17 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Latvia
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| LebanonLE | Beirut | 10,400 sq km | 5,849,421 | Lebanese pounds (LBP) | noun: Lebanese (singular and plural); adjective: Lebanese | Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian | parliamentary democratic republic | 1945-10-24 | Polygyny recognized for Muslims under Sharia law; marriage rules depend on religious community. |
Sources for Lebanon
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| LesothoLT | Maseru | 30,355 sq km | 2,363,325 | maloti (LSL) | noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural); adjective: Basotho | Sesotho (official), English (official), Phuthi, Xhosa, Zulu | parliamentary constitutional monarchy | 1966-10-17 | Polygyny permitted under customary marriage rules. |
Sources for Lesotho
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| LiberiaLI | Monrovia | 111,369 sq km | 5,731,206 | Liberian dollars (LRD) | noun: Liberian(s); adjective: Liberian | English 20% (official) and 27 indigenous languages, including Liberian English variants | presidential republic | 1945-11-02 | Civil marriage is monogamous; customary marriages follow a separate legal regime. |
Sources for Liberia
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| LibyaLY | Tripoli (Tarabulus) | 1,759,540 sq km | 7,458,555 | Libyan dinars (LYD) | noun: Libyan(s); adjective: Libyan | Arabic (official), Italian, English (all widely understood in the major cities); Tamazight (Nafusi, Ghadamis, Suknah, Awjilah, Tamasheq) | in transition | 1955-12-14 | Polygyny permitted under personal-status law. |
Sources for Libya
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| LiechtensteinLS | Vaduz | 160 sq km | 41,024 | Swiss francs (CHF) | noun: Liechtensteiner(s); adjective: Liechtenstein | German 91.5% (official, Alemannic is the main dialect), Italian 1.5%, Turkish 1.3%, Portuguese 1.1%, other 4.6% (2015 est.) | constitutional monarchy | 1990-09-18 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Liechtenstein
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| LithuaniaLH | Vilnius | 65,300 sq km | 2,888,774 | euros (EUR) | noun: Lithuanian(s); adjective: Lithuanian | Lithuanian (official) 85.3%, Russian 6.8%, Polish 5.1%, other 1.1%, two mother tongues 1.7% (2021 est.) | semi-presidential republic | 1991-09-17 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Lithuania
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| LuxembourgLU | Luxembourg | 2,586 sq km | 686,970 | euros (EUR) | noun: Luxembourger(s); adjective: Luxembourg | Luxembourgish (official administrative, judicial, and national language) 48.9%, Portuguese 15.4%, French (official administrative, judicial, and legislative language) 14.9%, Italian 3.6%, English 3.6%, German (official administrative and judicial language) 2.9%, other 10.8% (2021 est.) | constitutional monarchy | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Luxembourg
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| MadagascarMA | Antananarivo | 587,041 sq km | 32,740,678 | Malagasy ariary (MGA) | noun: Malagasy (singular and plural); adjective: Malagasy | Malagasy (official) 99.9%, French (official) 23.6%, English 8.2%, other 0.6% (2018 est.) | semi-presidential republic | 1960-09-20 | Monogamy. Polygamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Madagascar
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| MalawiMI | Lilongwe | 118,484 sq km | 22,216,120 | Malawian kwachas (MWK) | noun: Malawian(s); adjective: Malawian | English (official), Chewa (dominant), Lambya, Lomwe, Ngoni, Nkhonde, Nyakyusa, Nyanja, Sena, Tonga, Tumbuka, Yao | presidential republic | 1964-12-01 | Civil marriage is monogamous; customary and religious marriages have separate rules. |
Sources for Malawi
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| MalaysiaMY | Kuala Lumpur | 329,847 sq km | 35,977,838 | ringgits (MYR) | noun: Malaysian(s); adjective: Malaysian | Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai | federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy | 1957-09-17 | Polygyny permitted for Muslims with prior Syariah Court approval; conditions depend on state law. |
Sources for Malaysia
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| MaldivesMV | Malé | 298 sq km | 529,676 | rufiyaa (MVR) | noun: Maldivian(s); adjective: Maldivian | Dhivehi (official, closely related to Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English (spoken by most government officials) | presidential republic | 1965-09-21 | Polygyny permitted with approval by the Registrar of Marriages, including a financial-capacity assessment. |
Sources for Maldives
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| MaliML | Bamako | 1,240,192 sq km | 25,198,821 | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) | noun: Malian(s); adjective: Malian | Bambara (official), French 17.2%, Peuhl/Foulfoulbe/Fulani 9.4%, Dogon 7.2%, Maraka/Soninke 6.4%, Malinke 5.6%, Sonrhai/Djerma 5.6%, Minianka 4.3%, Tamacheq 3.5%, Senoufo 2.6%, Bobo 2.1%, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.7% (2009 est.) | semi-presidential republic | 1960-09-28 | Monogamy or polygyny by marriage option; changing a monogamous option requires the wife's express consent. |
Sources for Mali
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| MaltaMT | Valletta | 316 sq km | 579,704 | euros (EUR) | noun: Maltese (singular and plural); adjective: Maltese | Maltese (official) 90.1%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.9% (2005 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1964-12-01 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Malta
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| Marshall IslandsRM | Majuro | 181 sq km | 36,282 | US dollar (USD) | noun: Marshallese (singular and plural); adjective: Marshallese | Marshallese (official) 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999) | mixed presidential-parliamentary system in free association with the US | 1991-09-17 | Statutory marriage is monogamous; marriages between citizens under recognized custom have separate rules. |
Sources for Marshall Islands
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| MauritaniaMR | Nouakchott | 1,030,700 sq km | 5,315,065 | ouguiyas (MRO) | noun: Mauritanian(s); adjective: Mauritanian | Arabic (official and national), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French | presidential republic | 1961-10-27 | Polygyny permitted under personal-status law. |
Sources for Mauritania
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| MauritiusMP | Port Louis | 2,040 sq km | 1,243,741 | Mauritian rupees (MUR) | noun: Mauritian(s); adjective: Mauritian | Creole 86.5%, Bhojpuri 5.3%, French 4.1%, two languages 1.4%, other 2.6% (includes English, one of the two official languages of the National Assembly, which is spoken by less than 1% of the population), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1968-04-24 | Monogamy. Polygamous marriages are not legally recognized. |
Sources for Mauritius
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| MexicoMX | Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico) | 1,964,375 sq km | 131,946,900 | Mexican pesos (MXN) | noun: Mexican(s); adjective: Mexican | Spanish only 93.8%, Spanish and indigenous languages (including Mayan, Nahuatl, and others) 5.4%, indigenous only 0.6%, unspecified 0.2% (2020 est.) | federal presidential republic | 1945-11-07 | Monogamy under the Federal Civil Code; an existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Mexico
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| Micronesia, Federated States ofFM | Palikir | 702 sq km | 113,683 | US dollar (USD) | noun: Micronesian(s); adjective: Micronesian; Chuukese, Kosraen(s), Pohnpeian(s), Yapese | English (official and common language), Chuukese, Kosrean, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi | federal republic in free association with the US | 1991-09-17 | Marriage rules vary by state; Pohnpei prohibits bigamy. There is no single uniform national marriage regime. |
Sources for Micronesia, Federated States of
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| MoldovaMD | Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian) | 33,851 sq km | 2,360,527 | Moldovan lei (MDL) | noun: Moldovan(s); adjective: Moldovan | Moldovan/Romanian 80.2% (official) (56.7% Moldovan; 23.5% Romanian), Russian 9.7%, Gagauz 4.2% (a Turkish language), Ukrainian 3.9%, Bulgarian 1.5%, Romani 0.3%, other 0.2% (2014) | parliamentary republic | 1992-03-02 | Monogamy under the Family Code. |
Sources for Moldova
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| MonacoMN | Monaco | 2 sq km | 38,341 | euros (EUR) | noun: Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s); adjective: Monegasque or Monacan | French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque | constitutional monarchy | 1993-05-28 | Monogamy for marriages celebrated in Monaco; some foreign polygamous marriages may have recognized effects. |
Sources for Monaco
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| MongoliaMG | Ulaanbaatar | 1,564,116 sq km | 3,568,978 | togrog/tugriks (MNT) | noun: Mongolian(s); adjective: Mongolian | Mongolian 90% (official, Khalkha dialect is predominant), Turkic, Russian (1999) | semi-presidential republic | 1961-10-27 | Monogamy. An existing legal marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Mongolia
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| MontenegroMJ | Podgorica | 13,812 sq km | 623,129 | euros (EUR) | noun: Montenegrin(s); adjective: Montenegrin | Serbian 42.9%, Montenegrin (official) 37%, Bosnian 5.3%, Albanian 5.3%, Serbo-Croat 2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 4% (2011 est.) | parliamentary republic | 2006-06-28 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Montenegro
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| MoroccoMO | Rabat | 716,550 sq km | 38,430,770 | Moroccan dirhams (MAD) | noun: Moroccan(s); adjective: Moroccan | Arabic (official), Tamazight languages (Tamazight (official), Tachelhit, Tarifit), French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy) | parliamentary constitutional monarchy | 1956-11-12 | Polygyny permitted for Islamic marriages, subject to judicial authorization. |
Sources for Morocco
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| MozambiqueMZ | Maputo | 799,380 sq km | 35,631,653 | meticais (MZM) | noun: Mozambican(s); adjective: Mozambican | Makhuwa 26.1%, Portuguese (official) 16.6%, Tsonga 8.6%, Nyanja 8.1, Sena 7.1%, Lomwe 7.1%, Chuwabo 4.7%, Ndau 3.8%, Tswa 3.8%, other Mozambican languages 11.8%, other 0.5%, unspecified 1.8% (2017 est.) | presidential republic | 1975-09-16 | Monogamy. A registered civil, religious or traditional marriage bars another marriage until dissolved. |
Sources for Mozambique
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| NamibiaWA | Windhoek | 824,292 sq km | 3,092,816 | Namibian dollars (NAD) | noun: Namibian(s); adjective: Namibian | Oshiwambo languages 49.7%, Nama/Damara 11%, Kavango languages 10.4%, Afrikaans 9.4%, Herero languages 9.2%, Zambezi languages 4.9%, English (official) 2.3%, other African languages 1.5%, other European languages 0.7%, other 1% (2016 est.) | presidential republic | 1990-04-23 | Civil marriage is monogamous; polygyny is recognized under customary law. |
Sources for Namibia
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| NauruNR | no official capital; government offices in the Yaren District | 21 sq km | 9,930 (2025 est.) | Australian dollars (AUD) | noun: Nauruan(s); adjective: Nauruan | Nauruan 93% (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English 2% (widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes), other 5% (includes Gilbertese 2% and Chinese 2%) (2011 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1999-09-14 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Nauru
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| NepalNP | Kathmandu | 147,181 sq km | 29,618,118 | Nepalese rupees (NPR) | noun: Nepali (singular and plural); adjective: Nepali | Nepali (official) 44.9%, Maithali 11.1%, Bhojpuri 6.2%, Tharu 5.9%, Tamang 4.9%, Bajjika 3.9%, Avadhi 3%, Nepalbhasha (Newari) 3%, Magar Dhut 2.8%, Doteli 1.7%, Urdu 1.4%, Yakthung/Limbu 1.2%, Gurung 1.1%, other 8.9% (2021 est.) | federal parliamentary republic | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. Polygyny and polyandry are prohibited. |
Sources for Nepal
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| NetherlandsNL | Amsterdam | 41,543 sq km | 18,087,633 | euros (EUR) | noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women); adjective: Dutch | Dutch (official), Frisian (official in Fryslan province) | parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands | 1945-12-10 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Netherlands
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| New ZealandNZ | Wellington | 268,838 sq km | 5,324,700 | New Zealand dollars (NZD) | noun: New Zealander(s); adjective: New Zealand | English (de facto official) 95.4%, Maori (de jure official) 4%, Samoan 2.2%, Northern Chinese 2%, Hindi 1.5%, French 1.2%, Yue 1.1%, New Zealand Sign Language (de jure official) 0.5%, other or not stated 17.2% (2018 est.) | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for New Zealand
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| NicaraguaNU | Managua | 130,370 sq km | 7,007,502 | cordobas (NIO) | noun: Nicaraguan(s); adjective: Nicaraguan | Spanish (official) 99.5%, Indigenous 0.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.1% (2020 est.) | presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Nicaragua
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| NigerNG | Niamey | 1.267 million sq km | 27,917,831 | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) | noun: Nigerien(s); adjective: Nigerien | Hausa, Zarma, French (official), Fufulde, Tamashek, Kanuri, Gurmancema, Tagdal | formerly, semi-presidential republic | 1960-09-20 | Polygyny permitted in religious and customary marriage; civil ceremonies are monogamous. |
Sources for Niger
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| NigeriaNI | Abuja | 923,768 sq km | 237,527,782 | nairas (NGN) | noun: Nigerian(s); adjective: Nigerian | English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languages | federal presidential republic | 1960-10-07 | Civil and Christian statutory marriages are monogamous; polygyny permitted under customary and Islamic law. |
Sources for Nigeria
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| NiueNE | Alofi | 260 sq km | 1,815 (2024 est.) | New Zealand dollars (NZD) | noun: Niuean(s); adjective: Niuean | Niuean 46% (official, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan), Niuean and English 32%, English (official) 11%, Niuean and others 5%, other 6% (2011 est.) | parliamentary democracy | Not a UN member | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Niue
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| North MacedoniaMK | Skopje | 25,713 sq km | 1,820,909 | Macedonian denars (MKD) | noun: Macedonian(s); adjective: Macedonian | Macedonian (official) 61.4%, Albanian (official) 24.3%, Turkish 3.4%, Romani 1.7%, other (includes Aromanian (Vlach) and Bosnian) 2%, unspecified 7.2% (2021 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1993-04-08 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for North Macedonia
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| NorwayNO | Oslo | 323,802 sq km | 5,610,870 | Norwegian kroner (NOK) | noun: Norwegian(s); adjective: Norwegian | Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities | parliamentary constitutional monarchy | 1945-11-27 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Norway
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| OmanMU | Muscat | 309,500 sq km | 5,494,691 | Omani rials (OMR) | noun: Omani(s); adjective: Omani | Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Swahili, Urdu, Indian dialects | absolute monarchy | 1971-10-07 | Polygyny permitted for Muslim men; up to four wives. |
Sources for Oman
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| PakistanPK | Islamabad | 796,095 sq km | 255,219,554 | Pakistani rupees (PKR) | noun: Pakistani(s); adjective: Pakistani | Punjabi 38.8%, Pashto (alternate name, Pashtu) 18.2%, Sindhi 14.6%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 12.2%, Urdu 7.1%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2.4%, Brahui 1.2%, other 2.4% | federal parliamentary republic | 1947-09-30 | Polygyny permitted for Muslims with prior Arbitration Council permission. |
Sources for Pakistan
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| PalauPS | Ngerulmud | 459 sq km | 17,663 | US dollar (USD) | noun: Palauan(s); adjective: Palauan | Palauan (official on most islands) 65.2%, other Micronesian 1.9%, English (official) 19.1%, Filipino 9.9%, Chinese 1.2%, other 2.8% (2015 est.) | presidential republic in free association with the US | 1994-12-15 | Marriage involving a noncitizen requires unmarried spouses; marriages between citizens may follow recognized custom. |
Sources for Palau
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| PanamaPM | Panama City | 75,420 sq km | 4,571,189 | balboas (PAB) | noun: Panamanian(s); adjective: Panamanian | Spanish (official), Indigenous languages (including Ngabere (Guaymi), Buglere, Kuna, Embera, Wounaan, Naso (Teribe), and Bri Bri), Panamanian English Creole (a mixture of English and Spanish with elements of Ngabere, also known as Guari Guari and Colon Creole), English, Chinese (Yue and Hakka), Arabic, French Creole, other (Yiddish, Hebrew, Korean, Japanese) | presidential republic | 1945-11-13 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Panama
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| Papua New GuineaPP | Port Moresby | 462,840 sq km | 10,762,817 | kina (PGK) | noun: Papua New Guinean(s); adjective: Papua New Guinean | Tok Pisin (official), English (official), Hiri Motu (official), some 839 living indigenous languages are spoken (about 12% of the world's total) | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1975-10-10 | Statutory marriage is monogamous; polygyny permitted under applicable customary marriage rules. |
Sources for Papua New Guinea
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| ParaguayPA | Asunción | 406,752 sq km | 7,013,078 | guarani (PYG) | noun: Paraguayan(s); adjective: Paraguayan | Spanish (official) and Guarani (official) 46.3%, only Guarani 34%, only Spanish 15.2%, other (includes Portuguese, German, other Indigenous languages) 4.1%, no response 0.4% (2012 est.) | presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Paraguay
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| PeruPE | Lima | 1,285,216 sq km | 34,576,665 | nuevo sol (PEN) | noun: Peruvian(s); adjective: Peruvian | Spanish (official) 82.9%, Quechua (official) 13.6%, Aymara (official) 1.6%, Ashaninka 0.3%, other native languages (includes many minor Amazonian languages) 0.8%, other 0.2%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.7% (2017 est.) | presidential republic | 1945-10-31 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Peru
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| PhilippinesRP | Manila | 300,000 sq km | 116,786,962 | Philippine pesos (PHP) | noun: Filipino(s); adjective: Philippine | Tagalog 39.9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 16%, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo 7.3%, Ilocano 7.1%, Cebuano 6.5%, Bikol/Bicol 3.9%, Waray 2.6%, Kapampangan 2.4%, Maguindanao 1.4%, Pangasinan/Panggalato 1.3%, other languages/dialects 11.2%, unspecified 0.4% (2020 est.) | presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy generally; Muslim personal law permits up to four wives subject to its conditions. |
Sources for Philippines
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| PolandPL | Warsaw | 312,685 sq km | 36,435,861 | zlotych (PLN) | noun: Pole(s); adjective: Polish | Polish (official) 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.2% (2011 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Poland
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| PortugalPO | Lisbon | 92,090 sq km | 10,804,871 | euros (EUR) | noun: Portuguese (singular and plural); adjective: Portuguese | Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official, but locally used) | semi-presidential republic | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Portugal
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| QatarQA | Doha | 11,586 sq km | 2,972,215 | Qatari rials (QAR) | noun: Qatari(s); adjective: Qatari | Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language | absolute monarchy | 1971-09-21 | Polygyny permitted under the Family Law; up to four wives. |
Sources for Qatar
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| RomaniaRO | Bucharest | 238,391 sq km | 19,020,271 | lei (RON) | noun: Romanian(s); adjective: Romanian | Romanian (official) 91.6%, Hungarian 6.3%, Romani 1.2%, other 0.7% (2021 est.) | semi-presidential republic | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Romania
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| RussiaRS | Moscow | 17,098,242 sq km | 143,513,328 | Russian rubles (RUB) | noun: Russian(s); adjective: Russian | Russian (official) 85.7%, Tatar 3.2%, Chechen 1%, other 10.1% (2010 est.) | semi-presidential federation | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing registered marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Russia
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| RwandaRW | Kigali | 26,338 sq km | 14,569,341 | Rwandan francs (RWF) | noun: Rwandan(s); adjective: Rwandan | Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, French (official) <0.1%, English (official) <0.1%, Swahili/Kiswahili (official, used in commercial centers) <0.1%, more than one language, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.) | presidential republic | 1962-09-18 | Monogamy. Only monogamous civil marriages are legally recognized. |
Sources for Rwanda
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| Saint Kitts and NevisSC | Basseterre | 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km) | 46,922 | East Caribbean dollars (XCD) | noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s); adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian | English (official) | federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1983-09-23 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Saint Kitts and Nevis
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| Saint LuciaST | Castries | 616 sq km | 180,149 | East Caribbean dollars (XCD) | noun: Saint Lucian(s); adjective: Saint Lucian | English (official), Saint Lucian Creole | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1979-09-18 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Saint Lucia
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| Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVC | Kingstown | 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km) | 99,924 | East Caribbean dollars (XCD) | noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s); adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian | English, Vincentian Creole English, French patois | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1980-09-16 | Marriage licensing requires proof that a previous marriage ended. |
Sources for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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| SamoaWS | Apia | 2,831 sq km | 219,306 | tala (SAT) | noun: Samoan(s); adjective: Samoan | Samoan (Polynesian) (official) 91.1%, Samoan/English 6.7%, English (official) 0.5%, other 0.2%, unspecified 1.6% (2006 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1976-12-15 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Samoa
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| San MarinoSM | San Marino (city) | 61 sq km | 34,109 | euros (EUR) | noun: Sammarinese (singular and plural); adjective: Sammarinese | Italian | parliamentary republic | 1992-03-02 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for San Marino
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| Sao Tome and PrincipeTP | Sao Tome | 964 sq km | 240,254 | dobras (STD) | noun: Sao Tomean(s); adjective: Sao Tomean | Portuguese 98.4% (official), Forro 36.2%, Cabo Verdian 8.5%, French 6.8%, Angolar 6.6%, English 4.9%, Lunguie 1%, other (including sign language) 2.4%; other Portuguese-based Creoles are also spoken (2012 est.) | semi-presidential republic | 1975-09-16 | Monogamy. An undissolved marriage or de facto union prevents marriage. |
Sources for Sao Tome and Principe
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| Saudi ArabiaSA | Riyadh | 2,149,690 sq km | 36,973,555 | Saudi riyals (SAR) | noun: Saudi(s); adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian | Arabic (official) | absolute monarchy | 1945-10-24 | Polygyny permitted under the Personal Status Law; up to four wives. |
Sources for Saudi Arabia
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| SenegalSG | Dakar | 196,722 sq km | 18,931,966 | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) | noun: Senegalese (singular and plural); adjective: Senegalese | French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka, Serer, Soninke | presidential republic | 1960-09-28 | Monogamy or polygyny; up to four wives, depending on the marriage option. |
Sources for Senegal
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| SerbiaRI | Belgrade (Beograd) | 77,474 sq km | 6,549,143 | Serbian dinars (RSD) | noun: Serb(s); adjective: Serbian | Serbian (official) 88.1%, Hungarian 3.4%, Bosnian 1.9%, Romani 1.4%, other 3.4%, undeclared or unknown 1.8% (2011 est.) | parliamentary republic | 2000-11-01 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Serbia
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| SeychellesSE | Victoria | 455 sq km | 122,730 | Seychelles rupees (SCR) | noun: Seychellois (singular and plural); adjective: Seychellois | Seychellois Creole (official) 89.1%, English (official) 5.1%, French (official) 0.7%, other 3.8%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.) | presidential republic | 1976-09-21 | Monogamy. An undissolved earlier marriage is a ground for nullity. |
Sources for Seychelles
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| Sierra LeoneSL | Freetown | 71,740 sq km | 8,819,794 | leones (SLL) | noun: Sierra Leonean(s); adjective: Sierra Leonean | English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves; a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%) | presidential republic | 1961-09-27 | Civil and Christian marriages are monogamous; Islamic and customary marriages may be polygynous. |
Sources for Sierra Leone
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| SingaporeSN | Singapore | 719 sq km | 6,111,175 | Singapore dollars (SGD) | noun: Singaporean(s); adjective: Singapore | English (official) 48.3%, Mandarin (official) 29.9%, other Chinese dialects (includes Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka) 8.7%, Malay (official) 9.2%, Tamil (official) 2.5%, other 1.4% (2020 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1965-09-21 | Civil marriage is monogamous; Muslim men may marry up to four wives through the Muslim marriage authorization process. |
Sources for Singapore
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| SlovakiaLO | Bratislava | 49,035 sq km | 5,413,813 | euros (EUR) | noun: Slovak(s); adjective: Slovak | Slovak (official) 81.8%, Hungarian 8.5%, Roma 1.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified 5.7% (2021 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1993-01-19 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Slovakia
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| SloveniaSI | Ljubljana | 20,273 sq km | 2,130,986 | euros (EUR) | noun: Slovene(s); adjective: Slovenian | Slovene (official) 87.7%, Croatian 2.8%, Serbo-Croatian 1.8%, Bosnian 1.6%, Serbian 1.6%, Hungarian 0.4% (official, only in municipalities where Hungarian nationals reside), Italian 0.2% (official, only in municipalities where Italian nationals reside), other or unspecified 3.9% (2002 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1992-05-22 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Slovenia
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| Solomon IslandsBP | Honiara | 28,896 sq km | 838,645 | Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) | noun: Solomon Islander(s); adjective: Solomon Islander | Melanesian pidgin (lingua franca in much of the country), English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1978-09-19 | Registered marriage is monogamous; unregistered customary marriages are treated separately under the bigamy provisions. |
Sources for Solomon Islands
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| SomaliaSO | Mogadishu | 637,657 sq km | 19,654,739 | Somali shillings (SOS) | noun: Somali(s); adjective: Somali | Somali (official), Arabic (official), Italian, English | federal parliamentary republic | 1960-09-20 | Polygyny permitted under Islamic marriage rules; the Family Code specifies conditions. |
Sources for Somalia
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| South AfricaSF | Pretoria (administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital) | 1,219,090 sq km | 64,747,319 | rand (ZAR) | noun: South African(s); adjective: South African | isiZulu or Zulu (official) 25.3%, isiXhosa or Xhosa (official) 14.8%, Afrikaans (official) 12.2%, Sepedi or Pedi (official) 10.1%, Setswana or Tswana (official) 9.1%, English (official) 8.1%, Sesotho or Sotho (official) 7.9%, Xitsonga or Tsonga (official) 3.6%, siSwati or Swati (official) 2.8%, Tshivenda or Venda (official) 2.5%, isiNdebele or Ndebele (official) 1.6%, other (includes South African sign language (official) and Khoi or Khoisan or Khoe languages) 2% (2018 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1945-11-07 | Polygyny recognized under customary marriage law. |
Sources for South Africa
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| South SudanOD | Juba | 644,329 sq km | 12,188,788 | South Sudanese pounds (SSP) | noun: South Sudanese (singular and plural); adjective: South Sudanese | English (official), Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants), ethnic languages include Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shilluk | presidential republic | 2011-07-14 | Polygyny recognized within the customary marriage system. |
Sources for South Sudan
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| SpainSP | Madrid | 505,370 sq km | 49,355,143 | euros (EUR) | noun: Spaniard(s); adjective: Spanish | Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan (official in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community) 17%, Galician (official in Galicia) 7%, Basque (official in the Basque Country and Navarre) 2%, Aranese (official in part of Catalonia) <5,000 speakers | parliamentary constitutional monarchy | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Spain
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| Sri LankaCE | Colombo (commercial capital); Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital) | 65,610 sq km | 21,756,000 | Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) | noun: Sri Lankan(s); adjective: Sri Lankan | Sinhala (official) 87%, Tamil (official) 28.5%, English 23.8% (2012 est.) | presidential republic | 1955-12-14 | Monogamy under general marriage law; polygyny permitted under Muslim marriage law. |
Sources for Sri Lanka
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| SudanSU | Khartoum | 1,861,484 sq km | 51,662,147 | Sudanese pounds (SDG) | noun: Sudanese (singular and plural); adjective: Sudanese | Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, Fur | presidential republic | 1956-11-12 | Polygyny permitted under Muslim personal-status law, subject to support and equal treatment. |
Sources for Sudan
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| SurinameNS | Paramaribo | 163,820 sq km | 639,850 | Surinamese dollars (SRD) | noun: Surinamer(s); adjective: Surinamese | Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is the native language of Creoles and much of the younger population), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese | presidential republic | 1975-12-04 | Monogamy. Polygamy and bigamy are prohibited. |
Sources for Suriname
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| SwedenSW | Stockholm | 450,295 sq km | 10,596,620 | Swedish kronor (SEK) | noun: Swede(s); adjective: Swedish | Swedish (official) | parliamentary constitutional monarchy | 1946-11-19 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Sweden
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| SwitzerlandSZ | Bern | 41,277 sq km | 9,092,436 | Swiss francs (CHF) | noun: Swiss (singular and plural); adjective: Swiss | German (or Swiss German) (official) 62.1%, French (official) 22.8%, Italian (official) 8%, English 5.7%, Portuguese 3.5%, Albanian 3.3%, Serbo-Croatian 2.3%, Spanish 2.3%, Romansh (official) 0.5%, other 7.9% (2019 est.) | federal republic (formally a confederation) | 2002-09-10 | Monogamy. An earlier marriage must be dissolved or annulled before remarriage. |
Sources for Switzerland
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| SyriaSY | Damascus | 187,437 sq km | 25,620,427 | Syrian pounds (SYP) | noun: Syrian(s); adjective: Syrian | Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French, English | transitional presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Polygyny permitted for Muslim men. |
Sources for Syria
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| TajikistanTI | Dushanbe | 144,100 sq km | 10,786,734 | Tajikistani somoni (TJS) | noun: Tajikistani(s); adjective: Tajikistani | Tajik (official) 84.4%, Uzbek 11.9%, Kyrgyz 0.8%, Russian 0.5%, other 2.4% (2010 est.) | presidential republic | 1992-03-02 | Monogamy. Plural marriage is prohibited. |
Sources for Tajikistan
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| TanzaniaTZ | Dodoma | 947,300 sq km | 70,545,865 | Tanzanian shillings (TZS) | noun: Tanzanian(s); adjective: Tanzanian | Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic, many local languages | presidential republic | 1961-12-14 | Monogamous and polygynous marriage systems recognized; the form of marriage determines whether another wife is permitted. |
Sources for Tanzania
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| ThailandTH | Bangkok | 513,120 sq km | 71,619,863 | baht | noun: Thai (singular and plural); adjective: Thai | Thai (official) only 90.7%, Thai and other languages 6.4%, only other languages 2.9% (includes Malay, Burmese); English is a secondary language among the elite (2010 est.) | constitutional monarchy | 1946-12-15 | Monogamy under the Civil and Commercial Code; Islamic family rules apply in four southern provinces. |
Sources for Thailand
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| Timor-LesteTT | Dili | 14,874 sq km | 1,418,517 | US dollar (USD) | noun: Timorese; adjective: Timorese | Tetun Prasa 30.6%, Mambai 16.6%, Makasai 10.5%, Tetun Terik 6.1%, Baikenu 5.9%, Kemak 5.8%, Bunak 5.5%, Tokodede 4%, Fataluku 3.5%, Waima'a 1.8%, Galoli 1.4%, Naueti 1.4%, Idate 1.2%, Midiki 1.2%, other 4.5% (2015 est.) | semi-presidential republic | 2002-09-27 | Monogamy under the Civil Code. |
Sources for Timor-Leste
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| TogoTO | Lome | 56,785 sq km | 8,591,626 | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) | noun: Togolese (singular and plural); adjective: Togolese | French (official, language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (in the north) | presidential republic | 1960-09-20 | Monogamy is the ordinary form; polygyny remains a legal exception. |
Sources for Togo
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| TongaTN | Nuku'alofa | 747 sq km | 103,742 | pa'anga (TOP) | noun: Tongan(s); adjective: Tongan | Tongan only 85%, Tongan and other language 13.9%, Tongan not used at home 1.1% (2021 est.) | constitutional monarchy | 1999-09-14 | Monogamy. Bigamy is prohibited. |
Sources for Tonga
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| Trinidad and TobagoTD | Port of Spain | 5,128 sq km | 1,367,764 | Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TTD) | noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s); adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian | English (official), Trinidadian Creole English, Tobagonian Creole English, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Trinidadian Creole French, Spanish, Chinese | parliamentary republic | 1962-09-18 | Monogamy across the legally recognized marriage systems. |
Sources for Trinidad and Tobago
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| TunisiaTS | Tunis | 163,610 sq km | 12,348,573 | Tunisian dinars (TND) | noun: Tunisian(s); adjective: Tunisian | Arabic (official, one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce), Tamazight | parliamentary republic | 1956-11-12 | Monogamy. Polygamy is expressly prohibited. |
Sources for Tunisia
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| TurkeyTU | Ankara | 783,562 sq km | 85,878,556 | Turkish liras (TRY) | noun: Turk(s); adjective: Turkish | Turkish (official), Kurdish, other minority languages | presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. Polygamy is prohibited; religious ceremonies alone do not establish legal marriage. |
Sources for Turkey
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| TurkmenistanTX | Ashgabat (Ashkhabad) | 488,100 sq km | 7,618,847 | Turkmenistani manat (TMM) | noun: Turkmenistani(s); adjective: Turkmenistani | Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7% | presidential republic; authoritarian | 1992-03-02 | Monogamy. Only registered civil marriage is legally recognized. |
Sources for Turkmenistan
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| TuvaluTV | Funafuti | 26 sq km | 9,492 | Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars (AUD) | noun: Tuvaluan(s); adjective: Tuvaluan | Tuvaluan (official), English (official), Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui) | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 2000-09-05 | Registered marriage is monogamous; the Penal Code treats native customary ceremonies separately for bigamy. |
Sources for Tuvalu
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| UgandaUG | Kampala | 241,038 sq km | 51,384,894 | Ugandan shillings (UGX) | noun: Ugandan(s); adjective: Ugandan | English (official), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages and the language used most often in the capital), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili (official), Arabic | presidential republic | 1962-10-25 | Polygyny permitted under customary marriage law. |
Sources for Uganda
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| UkraineUP | Kyiv (Kiev is the transliteration from Russian) | 603,550 sq km | 38,980,376 | hryvnia (UAH) | noun: Ukrainian(s); adjective: Ukrainian | Ukrainian (official) 67.5%, Russian (regional language) 29.6%, other (includes Crimean Tatar, Moldovan/Romanian, and Hungarian) 2.9% (2001 est.) | semi-presidential republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Ukraine
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| United Arab EmiratesAE | Abu Dhabi | 83,600 sq km | 11,513,149 | Emirati dirhams (AED) | noun: Emirati(s); adjective: Emirati | Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persian | federation of monarchies | 1971-12-09 | Polygyny permitted for Muslim men, up to four wives with equal support and treatment; separate civil-marriage rules apply. |
Sources for United Arab Emirates
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| United KingdomUK | London | 243,610 sq km | 69,487,000 | British pounds (GBP) | noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural); adjective: British | English | parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy for marriages formed in the UK. Some lawful overseas polygamous marriages receive limited recognition. |
Sources for United Kingdom
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| United StatesUS | Washington, D.C. | 9,833,517 sq km | 341,784,857 | US dollar (USD) | noun: American(s); adjective: American | English only (official) 78.2%, Spanish 13.4%, Chinese 1.1%, other 7.3% (2017 est.) | constitutional federal republic | 1945-10-24 | Monogamy. Polygamous marriages are not recognized under federal public policy. |
Sources for United States
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| UruguayUY | Montevideo | 176,215 sq km | 3,384,688 | Uruguayan pesos (UYU) | noun: Uruguayan(s); adjective: Uruguayan | Spanish (official, Rioplatense is the most widely spoken dialect) | presidential republic | 1945-12-18 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Uruguay
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| UzbekistanUZ | Tashkent (Toshkent) | 447,400 sq km | 37,053,428 | Uzbekistani soum (UZS) | noun: Uzbekistani; adjective: Uzbekistani | Uzbek (official) 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1% | presidential republic; highly authoritarian | 1992-03-02 | Monogamy. Polygamy is prohibited; religious ceremonies alone do not establish legal marriage. |
Sources for Uzbekistan
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| VanuatuNH | Port-Vila (on Efate) | 12,189 sq km | 335,169 | vatu (VUV) | noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural); adjective: Ni-Vanuatu | indigenous languages (more than 100) 82.6%, Bislama (official; creole) 14.5%, English (official) 2.1%, French (official) 0.8% (2020 est.) | parliamentary republic | 1981-09-15 | Customary marriage is recognized; polygyny is not prohibited. |
Sources for Vanuatu
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| VenezuelaVE | Caracas | 912,050 sq km | 28,516,896 | bolivars (VEB) | noun: Venezuelan(s); adjective: Venezuelan | Spanish (official) 98.2%, indigenous 1.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.4% (2023 est.) | federal presidential republic | 1945-11-15 | Monogamy. An existing marriage prevents another marriage. |
Sources for Venezuela
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| VietnamVM | Hanoi (Ha Noi) | 331,210 sq km | 101,598,527 | dong (VND) | noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural); adjective: Vietnamese | Vietnamese (official); English (often as a second language); some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain-area languages (including Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian) | communist party-led state | 1977-09-20 | Monogamy under the Marriage and Family Law. |
Sources for Vietnam
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| YemenYM | Sanaa | 527,968 sq km | 41,773,878 | Yemeni rials (YER) | noun: Yemeni(s); adjective: Yemeni | Arabic (official) | in transition | 1947-09-30 | Polygyny permitted. |
Sources for Yemen
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| ZambiaZA | Lusaka | 752,618 sq km | 21,913,874 | Zambian kwacha (ZMK) | noun: Zambian(s); adjective: Zambian | Bemba 33.4%, Nyanja 14.7%, Tonga 11.4%, Lozi 5.5%, Chewa 4.5%, Nsenga 2.9%, Tumbuka 2.5%, Lunda (North Western) 1.9%, Kaonde 1.8%, Lala 1.8%, Lamba 1.8%, English (official) 1.7%, Luvale 1.5%, Mambwe 1.3%, Namwanga 1.2%, Lenje 1.1%, Bisa 1%, other 9.7%, unspecified 0.2% (2010 est.) | presidential republic | 1964-12-01 | Statutory marriage is monogamous; polygyny permitted under customary law. |
Sources for Zambia
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| ZimbabweZI | Harare | 390,757 sq km | 16,950,795 | Zimbabwean dollars (ZWD) | noun: Zimbabwean(s); adjective: Zimbabwean | Shona (official, most widely spoken) 80.9%, Ndebele (official, second most widely spoken) 11.5%, English (official, traditionally used for official business) 0.3%, 13 minority languages (official; includes Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa) 7%, other 0.3% (2022 est.) | presidential republic | 1980-08-25 | Civil marriage is monogamous; customary marriage may be polygynous. |
Sources for Zimbabwe
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ZimbabweThe nation set and displayed names follow the current State Department Independent States in the World register, dated August 11, 2026. Language descriptions retain the final Factbook source wording; the Factbook data links identify the community-preserved snapshot plainly.