|
S.No.
|
Country Name
|
Demographics
|
Background
|
Current Governance
|
|
1.
|
Afghanistan
|
Sunni Muslim 84%
Shiate Muslim 15 %
Others 1%
|
Land of Taliban
|
After U.S overthrew
Taliban government, a fragile government is in place with the
support of American troops.
|
|
2.
|
Albania
|
Muslims 70%
(Mostly Sunni and about ¼
belong to Bektashi, supposed to be a unorthodox and ”tolerant “
sect)
Albanian Orthodox 20%
Roman Catholic 10%
|
The Communist government outlawed
all religions in 1967, making Albania the world’s first
officially atheist country. Places of worship were closed, church
property was confiscated, religious services were banned, and
religious practitioners were persecuted. The ban on religion was
lifted in 1990.
|
Emerging Democracy
|
|
3.
|
Algeria
|
Sunni Muslim 99%
Jewish and Christian 1%
|
French colony for more than a
century before gaining independence in 1962.
|
Radical Islamic group
called Islamic salvation front (FIS) gained popularity in late
80’s and early 90’s. FIS’s military wing Islamic salvation
Army became stronger that resulted insurgency that claimed more
that 100,000 lives between in the last decade.
|
|
4.
|
Azerbaijan
|
Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox
2.5%,
Armenian Orthodox 2.3%,
others 1.8%
(1995 est.)
note:
religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages
for actual practicing adherents are much lower
|
Former soviet republic
|
Infant democracy.
In November 1995, first elections
were held with restricted number of opposition parties. The UN
observers reported about the unfair election process.
|
|
5.
|
Bahrain
|
Shia Muslim 70%
Sunni Muslim 30%
|
Was under British control until 1971.
|
Monarchy
Ruled by Al-Khalifa family who are
Sunni Muslims.
|
|
6.
|
Bangladesh
|
Muslims 88%
(Mostly Sunni)
Hindus the reminder 12%
With small population of Buddhists and Christians.
|
Since the nation’s
formation in 1971, the government of Bangladesh has undergone many
changes. A secular parliamentary form of democracy was established
by the 1972 constitution, but it was suspended in late 1974 and
replaced in January 1975 by a presidential form of government. The
1972 constitution, as amended, was suspended again in 1982 after a
coup d’état. A ban on political activities was rescinded
and the constitution reinstated in 1986.
|
Infant democracy.
In February 1991 a parliament of
300 members was elected; 30 additional seats were subsequently
filled by indirect ballot. Constitutional provisions abolishing
presidential government and restoring a parliamentary democracy,
headed by a prime minister, were approved by parliament in August
1991 and ratified by popular referendum in September.
|
|
7.
|
Comoros
|
Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic
2%
|
Unstable Comoros has endured 19
coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in
1975.
|
In 1997, the islands of Anjouan
and Moheli declared their independence from Comoros. In 1999,
military chief Col. AZALI seized power.
|
|
8.
|
Djibouti
|
Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
|
The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in
1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON
installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve
as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led
to a civil war that ended in 2001 following the
conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated
government.
|
After 20 years of Autocratic rule,
democratic process has been in place recently.
|
|
9.
|
Egypt
|
Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%,
Coptic Christian and other 6%
|
|
|
|
10.
|
Gambia
|
Muslim 90%, Christian 9%,
indigenous beliefs 1%
|
The Gambia gained its independence
from the UK in 1965; it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia
with Senegal between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two
nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty. A military coup in 1994
overthrew the president and banned political
activity, but a 1996 constitution and presidential elections,
followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal
return to civilian rule
|
The country undertook another
round of presidential and legislative elections in late 2001 and
early 2002. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH, the leader of the coup, has
been elected president in all subsequent elections.
|
|
11.
|
Guinea
|
Muslim 85%, Christian 8%,
indigenous beliefs 7%
|
Guinea has had only two presidents
since gaining its independence from France in 1958. Lansana CONTE
came to power in 1984, when the military seized the government
after the death of the first president, Sekou TOURE.
|
Guinea did not hold democratic
elections until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head of the military
government) was elected president of the civilian government. He
was re-elected in 1998 and again in 2003. Unrest in Sierra Leone
and Liberia has spilled over into Guinea on several occasions over
the past decade, threatening stability and creating humanitarian
emergencies.
|
|
12.
|
Indonesia
|
Worlds largest Muslim country (by population)
Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman
Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1998)
|
The Dutch began to colonize
Indonesia in the early 17th century; the islands were occupied by Japan from
1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence after Japan's surrender,
but it required four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring
hostilities, and UN mediation before the
Netherlands agreed to relinquish its colony.
|
The transition to
popularly-elected governments after four decades of
authoritarianism
|
|
13.
|
Iran
|
Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%,
Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2%
|
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979
after the ruling monarchy was
overthrown and the shah was forced into exile.
|
Clerical forces established a
theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority
nominally vested in a learned religious scholar.
|
|
14.
|
Iraq
|
Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni
32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
|
Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by
Britain during the course of World
War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under
UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its
independence as a kingdom in 1932.
|
A "republic" was
proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of military strongmen ruled the
country, the latest was SADDAM Husayn.
|
|
15.
|
Jordan
|
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6%
(majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics,
Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and
Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shi'a Muslim
and Druze populations) (2001 est.)
|
For most of its history since
independence from British administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled
by King HUSSEIN (1953-99).
|
Recent democratic elections were
held.
|
|
16.
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%,
other 5%
|
Former Soviet Republic
|
Infant democracy.
|
|
17.
|
Kuwait
|
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%),
Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
|
Britain oversaw foreign relations
and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899
until independence in 1961
|
Monarchy
|
|
18.
|
Libya
|
Sunni Muslim 97%
|
From the earliest days of his rule following his 1969 military coup,
Col. Muammar Abu Minyar
al-QADHAFI has espoused his own political system, the Third Universal Theory.
The system is a combination of socialism and
Islam derived in part from tribal practices and is supposed to be
implemented by the Libyan people themselves in a unique form of
"direct democracy."
|
Dictatorship that organizes state
sponsored terrorism.
|
|
20.
|
Mauritania
|
Muslim 100%
|
Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third
of the former Spanish Sahara
(now Western Sahara) in 1976, but relinquished it after three years of
raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the
territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA siezed
power in a coup in 1984. Opposition parties were legalized and a new
constitution approved in 1991. Two multiparty presidential elections since
then were widely seen as flawed, but October 2001
legislative and municipal elections were generally free and open.
|
A bloodless coup in August 2005
deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council headed by
Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL.
|
|
21.
|
Morocco
|
Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%,
Jewish 0.2%
|
A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in
1956.
|
Emerging Democracy.
Gradual political reforms in the
1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature in 1997.
|
|
22.
|
Oman
|
Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim,
Shi'a Muslim, Hindu
|
In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al Said ousted his father and has ruled as
sultan ever since.
|
Monarchy
|
|
23.
|
Pakistan
|
Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%),
Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
|
The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of
Pakistan (with two sections West
and East) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and
India and Pakistan have fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the
disputed Kashmir territory.
|
Dictatorship
|
|
24.
|
Qatar
|
Muslim 95%
|
Ruled by the Al Thani family since
the mid-1800s
|
Monarchy
|
|
25.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
Muslim 100%
|
A very strong form of Islam known as Deobandi is majority.
|
Monarchy.
Ruled by the custodian of the holy mosques. (otherwise known as the king)
|
|
26.
|
Senegal
|
Muslim 94%, indigenous beliefs 1%,
Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic)
|
Independent from France in 1960
|
Democracy
|
|
27.
|
Somalia
|
Sunni Muslim
|
One of the poorest ethnic states
|
Anarchy
|
|
28.
|
Sudan
|
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north),
indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and
Khartoum)
|
Military regimes favoring
Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics
since independence from the UK in 1956.
|
Dictatorship.
|
|
29.
|
Syria
|
Muslims 90% Sunni Muslim 74%,
Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various
sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and
Aleppo)
|
republic under military regime
since March 1963
|
Dictatorship
|
|
30.
|
Tajikistan
|
Muslims 90% Sunni Muslim 85%,
Shi'a Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)
|
Former Soviet Republic
|
With civil war from 1992-1997, the country is struggling to strengthen
its infant democracy.
|
|
31.
|
Tunisia
|
Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish
and other 1%
|
Following independence from France
in 1956, President Habib BOURGUIBA established a strict one-party
state
|
One Party system.
|
|
32.
|
Turkey
|
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other
0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
|
After a period of one-party rule, an experiment with multi-party
politics led to the 1950 election
victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful transfer of
power.
|
Fragile Democracy.
4 military coups so far.
|
|
33.
|
Uzbekistan
|
Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
|
Former soviet republic
|
Dictatorship.
|
|
34.
|
United
Arab Emirates
|
Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian,
Hindu, and other 4%
|
Federation of 7
states, Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah
(Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn
|
Democratic
|
|
35.
|
Yemen
|
Predominently Muslim
|
The southern Yemen had a Marxist orientation. This resulted in
internal war
between north and south Yemen for 20 years.
|
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