Author Description

For this edition, the Handbook editors have attempted to cover national elections for all of 2011. This information is incorporated within the regular text wherever possible or in headnotes at the beginning of the country entries for elections that occurred in the latter part of the year. Each entry begins with information on a country's political status, area, population, major urban centers, languages, currency, and head of state and chief executive. Demographic and economic information is presented in the section titled "The Country," while political background, constitution and government, foreign relations, and current issues are examined in "Government and Politics." "Political Parties and Groups" provides an extensive analysis of formal parties, political groupings, and any antigovernment or illegal formations. Each entry ends with an overview of the nation's legislature, a current cabinet list, and a brief intergovernment representation section, including a membership list of intergovernment organizations for the respective country.