| Field Listing :: Constitution |
| This entry includes the dates of adoption, revisions, and major amendments. | |
Country |
Constitution |
|---|
| Afghanistan | constitution drafted 14 December 2003-4 January 2004; signed 16 January 2004; ratified 26 January 2004 |
| Akrotiri | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document |
| Albania | approved by parliament 21 October 1998; adopted by popular referendum 22 November 1998; promulgated 28 November 1998 |
| Algeria | 8 September 1963; revised 19 November 1976; effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, 28 November 1996, 10 April 2002, and 12 November 2008 |
| American Samoa | ratified 2 June 1966; effective 1 July 1967 |
| Andorra | Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; approved by referendum 14 March 1993; effective 28 April 1993 |
| Angola | adopted by National Assembly 5 February 2010 |
| Anguilla | Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 1 November 1981 |
| Argentina | 1 May 1853; amended many times starting in 1860 |
| Armenia | adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995; amendments adopted through a nationwide referendum 27 November 2005 |
| Aruba | 1 January 1986 |
| Australia | 9 July 1900; effective 1 January 1901 |
| Austria | 1920; revised 1929; reinstated 1 May 1945; note - during the period 1 May 1934-1 May 1945 there was a fascist (corporative) constitution in place |
| Azerbaijan | adopted 12 November 1995; modified by referendum 24 August 2002 |
| Bahamas, The | 10 July 1973 |
| Bahrain | adopted 14 February 2002 |
| Bangladesh | 4 November 1972; effective 16 December 1972; suspended following coup of 24 March 1982; restored 10 November 1986; amended many times |
| Barbados | 30 November 1966 |
| Belarus | 15 March 1994; revised by national referendum 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers; became effective 27 November 1996; revised again 17 October 2004 removing presidential term limits |
| Belgium | 7 February 1831; revised 14 July 1993 to create a federal state; amended many times; |
| Belize | 21 September 1981 |
| Benin | adopted by referendum 2 December 1990 |
| Bermuda | 8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003 |
| Bhutan | ratified 18 July 2008 |
| Bolivia | 7 February 2009 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | the Dayton Peace Accords, signed 14 December 1995 in Paris, included a constitution; note - each of the entities also has its own constitution |
| Botswana | March 1965; effective 30 September 1966 |
| Brazil | 5 October 1988 |
| British Virgin Islands | 13 June 2007 |
| Brunei | 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984) |
| Bulgaria | adopted 12 July 1991 |
| Burkina Faso | approved by referendum 2 June 1991; formally adopted 11 June 1991; last amended January 2002 |
| Burma | 3 January 1974; suspended 18 September 1988; a new constitution was to take effect when the bicameral legislature convened 31 January 2011, but no announcement has been made |
| Burundi | ratified by popular referendum 28 February 2005 |
| Cambodia | promulgated 21 September 1993 |
| Cameroon | approved by referendum 20 May 1972; adopted 2 June 1972; revised January 1996; amended April 2008 |
| Canada | made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions; the written part of the constitution consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982, which transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments |
| Cape Verde | 25 September 1992; a major revision on 23 November 1995 substantially increased the powers of the president; a 1999 revision created the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica) |
| Cayman Islands | The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009, 6 November 2009 |
| Central African Republic | ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004 |
| Chad | passed by referendum 31 March 1996; a June 2005 referendum removed constitutional term limits |
| Chile | 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended several times |
| China | most recent promulgation 4 December 1982; amended several times |
| Christmas Island | Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 |
| Colombia | 5 July 1991; amended many times |
| Comoros | 23 December 2001 |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 18 February 2006 |
| Congo, Republic of the | approved by referendum 20 January 2002 |
| Cook Islands | 4 August 1965 |
| Costa Rica | 7 November 1949 |
| Cote d'Ivoire | approved by referendum 23 July 2000 |
| Croatia | adopted 22 December 1990; revised 2000, 2001 |
| Cuba | 24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002 |
| Curacao | Staatsregeling, 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom Charter pending |
| Cyprus |
16 August 1960
note: from December 1963, the Turkish Cypriots no longer participated in the government; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and for better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently since the mid-1960s; in 1975, following the 1974 Turkish intervention, Turkish Cypriots created their own constitution and governing bodies within the "Turkish Federated State of Cyprus," which they then called the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)" when the Turkish Cypriots declared independence in 1983; a new constitution for the "TRNC" passed by referendum on 5 May 1985, although the "TRNC" remains unrecognized by any country other than Turkey |
| Czech Republic | ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993; amended several times |
| Denmark | 5 June 1953; note - constitution allowed for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state |
| Dhekelia | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document |
| Djibouti | approved by referendum 4 September 1992; note - constitution allows for multiparties |
| Dominica | 3 November 1978 |
| Dominican Republic | 28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002 and January 2010 |
| Ecuador | 20 October 2008 |
| Egypt | 11 September 1971; amended 22 May 1980, 25 May 2005, and 26 March 2007; note - constitution dissolved by the military caretaker government 13 February 2011 |
| El Salvador | 20 December 1983 |
| Equatorial Guinea | approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995 |
| Eritrea | adopted 23 May 1997, but has not yet been fully implemented |
| Estonia | adopted 28 June 1992 |
| Ethiopia | ratified 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995 |
| European Union |
none
note: the EU legal order, although based on a series of treaties, has often been described as "constitutional" in nature; the Treaty on European Union (TEU), as modified by the Lisbon Treaty, states in Article 1 that "the HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES establish among themselves a EUROPEAN UNION ... on which the Member States confer competences to attain objectives they have in common"; Article 1 of the TEU states further that the EU is "founded on the present Treaty and on the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (hereinafter referred to as 'the Treaties')," both possessing the same legal value; Article 6 of the TEU provides that a separately adopted Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union "shall have the same legal value as the Treaties" |
| Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) | 1 January 2009 |
| Faroe Islands | 5 June 1953 (Danish Constitution) |
| Fiji | enacted 25 July 1997; effective 28 July 1998; note - constitution encourages multiculturalism and makes multiparty government mandatory |
| Finland | 1 March 2000 |
| France |
adopted by referendum 28 September 1958; effective 4 October 1958; amended many times
note: amended in 1962 concerning election of president; amended to comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht Treaty, 1997 Amsterdam Treaty, 2003 Treaty of Nice; amended in 1993 to tighten immigration laws; amended in 2000 to change the seven-year presidential term to a five-year term; amended in 2005 to make the EU constitutional treaty compatible with the Constitution of France and to ensure that the decision to ratify EU accession treaties would be made by referendum |
| French Polynesia | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
| Gabon | adopted 14 March 1991 |
| Gambia, The | approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; effective 16 January 1997 |
| Georgia | adopted 24 August 1995 |
| Germany | 23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united Germany 3 October 1990 |
| Ghana | approved 28 April 1992 |
| Gibraltar | 5 June 2006; came into force 2 January 2007 |
| Greece | 11 June 1975; amended March 1986 and April 2001 |
| Greenland | (November 2008) Act on Greenland Self Government |
| Grenada | 19 December 1973 |
| Guam | Organic Act of Guam, 1 August 1950 |
| Guatemala | 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; suspended 25 May 1993; reinstated 5 June 1993; amended November 1993 |
| Guernsey | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice |
| Guinea | 7 May 2010 (Loi Fundamentale) |
| Guinea-Bissau | 16 May 1984; amended several times |
| Guyana | 6 October 1980 |
| Haiti |
approved March 1987
note: suspended June 1988 with most articles reinstated March 1989; constitutional government ousted in a military coup in September 1991, although in October 1991 military government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned to constitutional rule in October 1994; constitution, while technically in force between 2004-2006, was not enforced; returned to constitutional rule in May 2006 |
| Holy See (Vatican City) | Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaced the first Fundamental Law of 1929) |
| Honduras | 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended many times |
| Hong Kong | Basic Law, approved March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's charter |
| Hungary |
18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949; revised 19 April 1972; 18 October 1989; and 1997
note: 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997 amendment streamlined the judicial system |
| Iceland | 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944; amended many times |
| India | 26 January 1950; amended many times |
| Indonesia | August 1945; abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959; series of amendments concluded in 2002 |
| Iran |
2-3 December 1979; revised 1989
note: the revision in 1989 expanded powers of the presidency and eliminated the prime ministership |
| Iraq | ratified 15 October 2005 (subject to review by the Constitutional Review Committee and a possible public referendum) |
| Ireland | adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 1937 |
| Isle of Man | unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution |
| Israel | no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law; note - since May 2003 the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee of the Knesset has been working on a draft constitution |
| Italy | passed 11 December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended many times |
| Jamaica | 6 August 1962 |
| Japan | 3 May 1947 |
| Jersey | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice |
| Jordan | 1 January 1952; amended many times |
| Kazakhstan | first post-independence constitution adopted 28 January 1993; new constitution adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995 |
| Kenya | 27 August 2010; the new constitution abolishes the position of prime minister and establishes a bicameral legislature; many details have yet to be finalized and will require significant legislative action |
| Kiribati | 12 July 1979 |
| Korea, North | adopted 1948; revised several times most recently in 2009 |
| Korea, South | 17 July 1948; note - amended or rewritten many times; current constitution approved 29 October 1987 |
| Kosovo | adopted by the Kosovo Assembly 9 April 2008; effective 15 June 2008 |
| Kuwait | approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 27 June 2010 |
| Laos | promulgated 14 August 1991; amended in 2003 |
| Latvia | 15 February 1922; restored to force by the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Latvia adopted by the Supreme Council 21 August 1991; multiple amendments since |
| Lebanon | 23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently in 1990 to include changes necessitated by the Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989 |
| Lesotho | 2 April 1993 |
| Liberia | 6 January 1986 |
| Libya | none; note - following the September 1969 military overthrow of the Libyan government, the Revolutionary Command Council replaced the existing constitution with the Constitutional Proclamation in December 1969; in March 1977, Libya adopted the Declaration of the Establishment of the People's Authority |
| Liechtenstein | 5 October 1921; amended 15 September 2003 |
| Lithuania | adopted 25 October 1992; last amended 13 July 2004 |
| Luxembourg | 17 October 1868; occasional revisions |
| Macau | Basic Law, approved 31 March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's charter |
| Macedonia |
adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991; amended November 2001, 2005 and in 2009
note: amended November 2001 by a series of new constitutional amendments strengthening minority rights, in 2005 with amendments related to the judiciary, and in 2009 with amendments related to the threshold required to elect the president |
| Madagascar | passed by referendum 17 November 2010; promulgated 11 December 2010 (2010) |
| Malawi | 18 May 1994 |
| Malaysia | 31 August 1957; amended many times the latest in 2007 |
| Maldives | new constitution ratified 7 August 2008 |
| Mali | adopted 12 January 1992 |
| Malta | 1964; amended many times |
| Marshall Islands | 1 May 1979 |
| Mauritania | 12 July 1991 |
| Mauritius | 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992 |
| Mexico | 5 February 1917 |
| Micronesia, Federated States of | 10 May 1979 |
| Moldova | adopted 29 July 1994; effective 27 August 1994; note - replaced 1979 Soviet Constitution |
| Monaco | 17 December 1962; modified 2 April 2002 |
| Mongolia | 13 January 1992 |
| Montenegro | approved 19 October 2007 (by the Assembly) |
| Montserrat | effective 19 December 1989 |
| Morocco |
10 March 1972; revised 4 September 1992, amended September 1996
note: the amendment of September 1996 created a bicameral legislature |
| Mozambique | 30 November 1990 |
| Namibia | ratified 9 February 1990, effective 12 March 1990 |
| Nauru | 29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968 |
| Nepal | 15 January 2007 (interim Constitution); note - in April 2008, a Constituent Assembly was elected to draft and promulgate a new constitution by May 2010, but the deadline has been extended to May 2011 |
| Netherlands | adopted 1815; amended many times, most recently in 2002 |
| New Caledonia | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
| New Zealand | consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand parliaments, as well as The Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal charter; adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January 1987 |
| Nicaragua | 9 January 1987; revised in 1995, 2000, and 2005 |
| Niger | adopted 31 October 2010 |
| Nigeria | adopted 5 May 1999; effective 29 May 1999 |
| Niue | 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act) |
| Norfolk Island | Norfolk Island Act of 1979 as amended in 2005 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978; Covenant Agreement fully effective 4 November 1986 |
| Norway | 17 May 1814; amended many times |
| Oman | none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal decree promulgating a basic law considered by the government to be a constitution which, among other things, clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the government, establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens |
| Pakistan | 12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in 2002; amended 31 December 2003; suspended 3 November 2007; restored 15 December 2007; amended 19 April 2010 |
| Palau | 1 January 1981 |
| Panama | 11 October 1972; revised several times |
| Papua New Guinea | 16 September 1975 |
| Paraguay | promulgated 20 June 1992 |
| Peru | 29 December 1993 |
| Philippines | 2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987 |
| Pitcairn Islands | The Pitcairn Constitution Order 2010, effective 4 March 2010 |
| Poland | adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 25 May 1997; effective 17 October 1997 |
| Portugal |
adopted 2 April 1976; subsequently revised
note: the revisions placed the military under strict civilian control, trimmed the powers of the president, and laid the groundwork for a stable, pluralistic liberal democracy; they allowed for the privatization of nationalized firms and government-owned communications media |
| Puerto Rico | ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952 |
| Qatar | ratified by public referendum 29 April 2003; endorsed by the Amir 8 June 2004, effective 9 June 2005 |
| Romania | 8 December 1991; revised 29 October 2003 |
| Russia | adopted 12 December 1993 |
| Rwanda | new constitution passed by referendum 26 May 2003 |
| Saint Barthelemy | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
| Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha | The Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009, effective 1 September 2009 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 19 September 1983 |
| Saint Lucia | 22 February 1979 |
| Saint Martin | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 27 October 1979 |
| Samoa | 1 January 1962 |
| San Marino | 8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution |
| Sao Tome and Principe | approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990 |
| Saudi Arabia | governed according to Islamic law; the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was promulgated by royal decree in 1992 |
| Senegal | adopted 7 January 2001; amended many times |
| Serbia | adopted 8 November 2006; effective 10 November 2006 |
| Seychelles | 18 June 1993 |
| Sierra Leone | 1 October 1991; amended several times |
| Singapore | 3 June 1959; amended 1965 (based on pre-independence State of Singapore Constitution) |
| Sint Maarten | Staatsregeling, 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom Charter pending |
| Slovakia |
ratified 1 September 1992, effective 1 January 1993; changed September 1998; amended February 2001
note: the change in September 1998 allowed direct election of the president; the amendment of February 2001 allowed Slovakia to apply for NATO and EU membership |
| Slovenia | adopted 23 December 1991, amended 14 July 1997 and 25 July 2000 |
| Solomon Islands | 7 July 1978 |
| Somalia |
25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the formation of transitional governing institutions, known as the Transitional Federal Government, is currently ongoing |
| South Africa | 10 December 1996; note - certified by the Constitutional Court 4 December 1996; was signed by then President MANDELA 10 December 1996; and entered into effect 4 February 1997 |
| Spain | approved by legislature 31 October 1978; passed by referendum 6 December 1978; signed by the king 27 December 1978 |
| Sri Lanka | adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978; amended 20 December 2001 |
| Sudan |
Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005
note: under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the Interim National Constitution was ratified 5 July 2005; Constitution of Southern Sudan was signed December 2005 |
| Suriname | ratified 30 September 1987; effective 30 October 1987 |
| Swaziland | signed by the King July 2005; went into effect 8 February 2006 |
| Sweden | 1 January 1975 |
| Switzerland | revision of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal Parliament 18 December 1998, adopted by referendum 18 April 1999, officially entered into force 1 January 2000 |
| Syria | 13 March 1973 |
| Taiwan | adopted 25 December 1946; promulgated 1 January 1947; effective 25 December 1947; amended many times |
| Tajikistan | 6 November 1994 |
| Tanzania | 25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984 |
| Thailand | 24 August 2007 |
| Timor-Leste | 20 May 2002 (effective date) |
| Togo | adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992 |
| Tokelau | administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended in 1970 |
| Tonga | 4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1 August 1976 |
| Tunisia | 1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002 |
| Turkey | 7 November 1982; amended several times; note - amendment passed by referendum 21 October 2007 concerning presidential elections |
| Turkmenistan | adopted 26 September 2008 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution (Interim Amendment) Order 2009, S.I. 2009/701 - effective 14 August 2009 - suspended Ministerial government, the House of Assembly, and the constitutional right to trial by jury, and imposed direct British rule |
| Tuvalu | 1 October 1978 |
| Uganda |
8 October 1995; amended 2005
note: the amendments in 2005 removed presidential term limits and legalized a multiparty political system |
| Ukraine | adopted 28 June 1996 |
| United Arab Emirates | 2 December 1971; made permanent in 1996 |
| United Kingdom | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice |
| United States | 17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789 |
| Uruguay | 27 November 1966; effective 15 February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973; revised 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997 |
| Uzbekistan | adopted 8 December 1992 |
| Vanuatu | 30 July 1980 |
| Venezuela | 30 December 1999 |
| Vietnam | 15 April 1992 |
| Virgin Islands | Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 |
| Wallis and Futuna | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
| Yemen | 16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994 and February 2001 |
| Zambia | 24 August 1991; amended in 1996 to establish presidential term limits |
| Zimbabwe | 21 December 1979 |