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Freedom in the World facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
2016 Freedom House world map
Country ratings from Freedom House's Freedom in the World 2016 survey, showing the state of freedom in 2015.
  Free (86)   Partly Free (59)   Not Free (50)

Freedom in the World is a yearly report. It is created by an organization called Freedom House. This report tries to measure how much democracy and political freedom each country has. It looks at every nation and territory around the world.

What is Freedom in the World?

Freedom in the World is a special survey. It comes out every year. The survey checks how free people are in different countries. It also looks at how democratic their governments are.

This report helps us understand global freedom. It shows which countries are free. It also highlights places where freedom is limited.

Who is Freedom House?

Freedom House is an organization based in the United States. It works to support democracy and human rights. They believe that everyone should have basic freedoms.

They have been publishing the Freedom in the World report for many years. Their goal is to encourage freedom around the globe.

How is Freedom Measured?

Freedom House uses a special system to measure freedom. They look at two main things. These are political rights and civil liberties.

  • Political rights are about how much people can take part in their government. This includes voting in elections. It also means having a say in who leads the country.
  • Civil liberties are about personal freedoms. This includes freedom of speech. It also covers freedom of religion and assembly. It means people can express themselves and gather peacefully.

Experts study each country. They use a checklist of questions. Then, they give scores for political rights and civil liberties.

What Do the Ratings Mean?

Each country gets a score. These scores help decide if a country is "Free," "Partly Free," or "Not Free."

  • Free countries have strong political rights. Their citizens also enjoy many civil liberties. People can usually vote and speak freely.
  • Partly Free countries have some limits on rights. Elections might not be fully fair. People might not have complete freedom of speech.
  • Not Free countries have very few rights. Governments often control many parts of life. Citizens may not be able to vote or express their opinions safely.

The map above shows these ratings. Different colors represent different levels of freedom.

Why is This Survey Important?

The Freedom in the World survey is very important. It helps people understand global trends. It shows if freedom is growing or shrinking worldwide.

Governments and organizations use this report. They use it to make decisions. It helps them support human rights. It also encourages democracy in different parts of the world.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Libertad en el mundo para niños

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