Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is a government sanctioned practice whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime. The sentence that someone be punished in such a manner is referred to as a death sentence, whereas the act of carrying out the sentence is known as an execution. Crimes that are punishable by death are known as capital crimes or capital offences, and they commonly include offences such as murder, treason, espionage, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Etymologically, the term "capital" (lit. "of the head", derived via the Latin "capitalis" from "caput", "head") in this context alluded to execution by beheading.

Fifty-six countries retain capital punishment, 103 countries have completely abolished it "de jure" for all crimes, six have abolished it for ordinary crimes (while maintaining it for special circumstances such as war crimes), and 30 are abolitionist in practice.

Capital punishment is a matter of active controversy in various countries and states, and positions can vary within a single political ideology or cultural region. In the European Union, Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union prohibits the use of capital punishment. Also, the Council of Europe, which has 47 member states, prohibits the use of the death penalty by its members.

Answer this series of questions:

1. how many countries have outlawed the death penalty?
2. how many still use it?
3. what is it's definition?
4. is it called something else?
5. what?
6. what does one have to do to get this sentence?
7. are any specific crimes mentioned?
8. how many?
9. what are the first three?
10. what are the last 3?
11. is this a controversial issue?
12. where?
13. does the EU allow it?
14. is that spelled out somewhere?
15. where?
16. does anyone else ban it's use?
17. who?
18. is that a group of countries?
19. how many?

Numbered answers:
1. 103
2. Fifty-six countries
3. is a government sanctioned practice whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime
4. Yes
5. Capital punishment
6. commit a capital crime
7. Yes
8. Six
9. murder, treason,and espionage
10. war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide
11. Yes
12. in various countries and states
13. No
14. Yes
15. Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
16. Yes
17. the Council of Europe
18. Yes
19. 47