A unicameral legislature refers to a system of government that has only one house in its legislature. This means that there is only one chamber that makes laws and decisions for the entire system, as opposed to a bicameral legislature where there are two chambers. The term "uni" means "one," so unicameral literally means "one-chambered." Some countries, such as China and New Zealand, have unicameral legislatures, while others, such as the United States and Nigeria, have bicameral legislatures.