Islamic republic

Islamic Republic is the name given to forms of government of several states. These states have Islam as a state religion and are governed by the principles of the Islamic law called Sharia. Some of these countries have both Sharia and civil law. Laws made by the state cannot contradict Sharia in some of these countries, and in other countries civil law is more dominant than Sharia law.

Islamic republics shown in green.

The following states call themselves Islamic Republic (non-exhaustive list)

• Iran (after Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown in 1979)
• Pakistan (Since the constitution of 1956, state founded to provide a homeland for Muslims living in Colonial India, in 1947)
• Afghanistan (since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001)
• Mauritania (since 1958)
• Sudan
• Comoros (Federal Islamic Republic)
• The Gambia (since December 2015)

Despite the similar name the countries differ greatly in their governments and laws. Of the Islamic republics, only Iran is a theocracy.