There are quite a few possibilities when it comes to systems of governance all over the world. These include presidential systems, semi-presidential systems, parliamentary systems, constitutional and absolute monarchies and a few more. Republics are the most wide-spread governing types, and republics can be presidential, semi-presidential, parliamentary and parliamentary with a ceremonial presidency.
Unless you are planning on going into a country where a military dictatorship is in place, you shouldn’t be too worried about the governing types of your destination countries. Make sure you are familiar with the laws of the country, if it has any that differ more from your own country’s, and you will be safe and sound.
| Country | Governing Type |
| Afghanistan | presidential Islamic republic |
| Albania | parliamentary republic |
| Algeria | presidential republic |
| American Samoa | republican form of government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches; unincorporated unorganized territory of the US with local self-government |
| Andorra | 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 |
| Angola | presidential republic |
| Anguilla | parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK |
| Antigua and Barbuda | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Argentina | presidential republic |
| Armenia | parliamentary democracy; note – constitutional changes adopted in December 2015 transformed the government to a parliamentary system |
| Aruba | parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Australia | federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Austria | federal parliamentary republic |
| Azerbaijan | presidential republic |
| Bahrain | constitutional monarchy |
| Bangladesh | parliamentary republic |
| Barbados | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Belarus | presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship |
| Belgium | federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy |
| Belize | parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Benin | presidential republic |
| Bermuda | parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK |
| Bhutan | constitutional monarchy |
| Bolivia | presidential republic |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | parliamentary republic |
| Botswana | parliamentary republic |
| Brazil | federal presidential republic |
| British Virgin Islands | parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK |
| Brunei | absolute monarchy or sultanate |
| Bulgaria | parliamentary republic |
| Burkina Faso | presidential republic |
| Burma | parliamentary republic |
| Burundi | presidential republic |
| Cabo Verde | parliamentary republic |
| Cambodia | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Cameroon | presidential republic |
| Canada | federal parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Canada) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm; federal and state authorities and responsibilities regulated in constitution |
| Cayman Islands | parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK |
| Central African Republic | presidential republic |
| Chad | presidential republic |
| Chile | presidential republic |
| China | communist party-led state |
| Christmas Island | non-self-governing overseas territory of Australia |
| Cocos Islands | non-self-governing overseas territory of Australia |
| Colombia | presidential republic |
| Comoros | federal presidential republic |
| Congo Republic | presidential republic |
| Cook Islands | parliamentary democracy |
| Costa Rica | presidential republic |
| Cote d’Ivoire | presidential republic |
| Croatia | parliamentary republic |
| Cuba | communist state |
| Curacao | parliamentary democracy |
| Cyprus | Republic of Cyprus – presidential republic; “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (self-declared) – parliamentary republic with enhanced presidency |
| Czechia | parliamentary republic |
| Denmark | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Djibouti | presidential republic |
| Dominica | parliamentary republic |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | semi-presidential republic |
| Ecuador | presidential republic |
| Egypt | presidential republic |
| El Salvador | presidential republic |
| Equatorial Guinea | presidential republic |
| Eritrea | presidential republic |
| Estonia | parliamentary republic |
| Eswatini | absolute monarchy |
| Ethiopia | federal parliamentary republic |
| Falkland Islands | parliamentary democracy (Legislative Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK |
| Faroe Islands | parliamentary democracy (Faroese Parliament); part of the Kingdom of Denmark |
| Fiji | parliamentary republic |
| Finland | parliamentary republic |
| France | semi-presidential republic |
| French Polynesia | parliamentary democracy (Assembly of French Polynesia); an overseas collectivity of France |
| Gabon | presidential republic |
| Gambia | presidential republic |
| Gaza Strip | n/a |
| Georgia | semi-presidential republic |
| Germany | federal parliamentary republic |
| Ghana | presidential republic |
| Gibraltar | parliamentary democracy (Parliament); self-governing overseas territory of the UK |
| Greece | parliamentary republic |
| Greenland | parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Greenland or Inatsisartut) |
| Grenada | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Guam | republican form of government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches; unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government |
| Guatemala | presidential republic |
| Guernsey | parliamentary democracy (States of Deliberation) |
| Guinea | presidential republic |
| Guinea-Bissau | semi-presidential republic |
| Guyana | parliamentary republic |
| Haiti | semi-presidential republic |
| Vatican City | ecclesiastical elective monarchy; self-described as an “absolute monarchy” |
| Honduras | presidential republic |
| Hong Kong | presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China |
| Hungary | parliamentary republic |
| Iceland | unitary parliamentary republic |
| India | federal parliamentary republic |
| Indonesia | presidential republic |
| Iran | theocratic republic |
| Iraq | federal parliamentary republic |
| Ireland | parliamentary republic |
| Isle of Man | parliamentary democracy (Tynwald) |
| Israel | parliamentary democracy |
| Italy | parliamentary republic |
| Jamaica | parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Japan | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Jersey | parliamentary democracy (Assembly of the States of Jersey) |
| Jordan | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Kazakhstan | presidential republic |
| Kenya | presidential republic |
| Kiribati | presidential republic |
| Kosovo | parliamentary republic |
| Kuwait | constitutional monarchy (emirate) |
| Kyrgyzstan | parliamentary republic |
| Laos | communist state |
| Latvia | parliamentary republic |
| Lebanon | parliamentary republic |
| Lesotho | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Liberia | presidential republic |
| Libya | in transition |
| Liechtenstein | constitutional monarchy |
| Lithuania | semi-presidential republic |
| Luxembourg | constitutional monarchy |
| Macau | executive-led limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China |
| Madagascar | semi-presidential republic |
| Malawi | presidential republic |
| Malaysia | federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Maldives | presidential republic |
| Mali | semi-presidential republic |
| Malta | parliamentary republic |
| Marshall Islands | mixed presidential-parliamentary system in free association with the US |
| Mauritania | presidential republic |
| Mauritius | parliamentary republic |
| Mexico | federal presidential republic |
| Micronesia | federal republic in free association with the US |
| Moldova | parliamentary republic |
| Monaco | constitutional monarchy |
| Mongolia | semi-presidential republic |
| Montenegro | parliamentary republic |
| Montserrat | parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK |
| Morocco | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Mozambique | presidential republic |
| Namibia | presidential republic |
| Nauru | parliamentary republic |
| Nepal | federal parliamentary republic |
| Netherlands | parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| New Caledonia | parliamentary democracy (Territorial Congress); an overseas collectivity of France |
| New Zealand | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Nicaragua | presidential republic |
| Niger | semi-presidential republic |
| Nigeria | federal presidential republic |
| Niue | parliamentary democracy |
| Norfolk Island | non-self-governing overseas territory of Australia; note – the Norfolk Island Regional Council, which began operations 1 July 2016, is responsible for planning and managing a variety of public services, including those funded by the Government of Australia |
| North Korea | dictatorship, single-party state; official state ideology of “Juche” or “national self-reliance” |
| North Macedonia | parliamentary republic |
| Northern Mariana Islands | republican form of government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches; a commonwealth in political union with and under the sovereignty of the US |
| Norway | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Oman | absolute monarchy |
| Pakistan | federal parliamentary republic |
| Palau | presidential republic in free association with the US |
| Panama | presidential republic |
| Papua New Guinea | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Paraguay | presidential republic |
| Peru | presidential republic |
| Philippines | presidential republic |
| Pitcairn Islands | parliamentary democracy |
| Poland | parliamentary republic |
| Portugal | semi-presidential republic |
| Puerto Rico | republican form of government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches; unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government |
| Qatar | absolute monarchy |
| Romania | semi-presidential republic |
| Russia | semi-presidential federation |
| Rwanda | presidential republic |
| Saint Barthelemy | parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France |
| Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | parliamentary democracy |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Saint Lucia | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Saint Martin | parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Samoa | parliamentary republic |
| San Marino | parliamentary republic |
| Sao Tome and Principe | semi-presidential republic |
| Saudi Arabia | absolute monarchy |
| Senegal | presidential republic |
| Serbia | parliamentary republic |
| Seychelles | presidential republic |
| Sierra Leone | presidential republic |
| Singapore | parliamentary republic |
| Sint Maarten | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy |
| Slovakia | parliamentary republic |
| Slovenia | parliamentary republic |
| Solomon Islands | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Somalia | federal parliamentary republic |
| South Africa | parliamentary republic |
| South Korea | presidential republic |
| South Sudan | presidential republic |
| Spain | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Sri Lanka | presidential republic |
| Sudan | presidential republic |
| Suriname | presidential republic |
| Svalbard | non-self-governing territory of Norway |
| Sweden | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Switzerland | federal republic (formally a confederation) |
| Syria | presidential republic; highly authoritarian regime |
| Taiwan | semi-presidential republic |
| Tajikistan | presidential republic |
| Tanzania | presidential republic |
| Thailand | constitutional monarchy |
| Bahamas | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Dominican Republic | presidential republic |
| Timor-Leste | semi-presidential republic |
| Togo | presidential republic |
| Tonga | constitutional monarchy |
| Trinidad and Tobago | parliamentary republic |
| Tunisia | parliamentary republic |
| Turkey | presidential republic |
| Turkmenistan | presidential republic; authoritarian |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | parliamentary democracy |
| Tuvalu | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Uganda | presidential republic |
| Ukraine | semi-presidential republic |
| United Arab Emirates | federation of monarchies |
| United Kingdom | parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| United States | constitutional federal republic |
| Uruguay | presidential republic |
| Uzbekistan | presidential republic; highly authoritarian |
| Vanuatu | parliamentary republic |
| Venezuela | federal presidential republic |
| Vietnam | communist state |
| Virgin Islands | republican form of government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches; unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government |
| Wallis and Futuna | parliamentary democracy (Territorial Assembly); overseas collectivity of France |
| West Bank | n/a |
| Western Sahara | legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), near Tindouf, Algeria, led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ until his death in May 2016; current President Brahim GHALI elected in July 2016; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976 when Spain withdrew, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario’s government-in-exile was seated as an Organization of African Unity (OAU) member in 1984; Morocco between 1980 and 1987 built a fortified sand berm delineating the roughly 75% of Western Sahara west of the barrier that currently is controlled by Morocco; guerrilla activities continued sporadically until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented on 6 September 1991 (Security Council Resolution 690) by the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) |
| Yemen | in transition |
| Zambia | presidential republic |
| Zimbabwe | presidential republic |
Former monarchy states might be interesting to visit, as royal residences or palaces might be open to the public if the country is now a republic and the government uses different buildings. Find a hotel room for your next trip and find the prettiest palaces around!
