List of Countries and their Parliaments

A parliament is central to any form of democracy. It is a legislative body of the government that makes laws and can be categorized into two parts- Unicameral and Bicameral.Indian parliament is called Sansad which consists of two legislative houses known asthe Upper house (Rajya Sabha) and Lower house (Vidhan Sabha). Similarly, each country has its own parliament.

Let us take a closer look at some of the countries and their parliaments. Knowing parliaments of different countries may also help you in scoring good marks in general awareness section of competitive exams.

India – Sansad

India’s parliament is known as Sansad which consists of two houses, namely the Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Sabha. Rajya Sabha is also known as the Council of States and Vidhan Sabha is also known as the House of the people. According to India’s constitution, Rajya Sabha shall consist of 250 members and Lok Sabha shall consist of 552 members.

Canada – Parliament

The parliament of Canada comprises three parts, the monarch, the Senate, and the House of Commons. It is seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa. As per Canada’s constitution, the House of Commons holds more power. The Senatemay initiate some bills and keep an eye on legislation. The monarch holds the power to provide approval to make those bills into law.

The USA –Congress

The United States Congress is the legislative body of the USA. It is bicameral like India and comprises two bodies. The lower body is known as the House of Representatives and the Upper body is known as The Senate. The legislative body meets in Washington D.C. The members of both the bodies are chosen through direct election, though an exception being vacancies in the Senate, which can be appointed by the Governor.

Australia – Federal Parliament

The Federal Parliament is the legislative body of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament. The FP consists of three elements –the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Crown. The Senate, which is the upper house, consists of 76 members, while the lower house, the House of Representatives consists of 151 members.

Germany –Bundestag

German federal parliament is called the Bundestag. It is the sole federal body that is directly elected by the citizens of Germany. The Bundestag is not bound by any orders and its members are representatives of the German people as a whole and are elected every four years. The current Bundestag is the largest one to date consistingof 736 members.

Denmark – Folketing

The unicameral national legislature of Denmark is known as the Folketing. Folketing was considered a lower house of a bicameral parliament until 1953, known as Rigsdag, and the upper house was called Landstinget. The parliament meets in central Copenhagen, in Christiansborg Palace. The Folketing has 179 representatives that keep the government’s work in check, pass all the laws, and also approve the cabinet.

Egypt – People’s Assembly

The parliament of Egypt is a bicameral legislative body. It is composed of two houses, the Senate – which is the upper house, and the House of Representatives – whichis the lower house.The Parliament is located in Cairo, which is the capital city of Egypt. The parliament consists of 596 seats, out of which 448 are elected through individual candidacy, 120 through winner-take-all party lists, and the rest 28 members are elected by the president.

United Kingdom–Parliament

The Parliament of the United Kingdom is also a bicameral legislative body.It consists of the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. Although it’s bicameral, it consists of a third part known as the sovereign. The Parliament has more power over all the other political bodies in the UK. Both the houses meet in separate places in the capital city of London. They meet at the Palace of Westminster, in separate chambers.

Japan –Diet

The National Diet is the bicameral legislative body of Japan. It has a lower house calledthe House of Representatives and an upper house called the House of Councilors. The lower house is also known as Shugiin and the upper house is known as Sangiin. Both the houses are elected directly and meet in the National Diet Building, in Nagatacho, in the capital city of Tokyo.

China –National People’s Congress

The National People’s Congress is the unicameral legislature of China. It is the highest organ of power in China.It is also the largest parliamentary body in the world with 2980 members. It meets for approximately two weeks each year to vote on important pieces of legislation and other things.

List of Countries and their Parliaments