general assessment: foreign investment in the form of
joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; Internet
services available throughout most of the country; about 150,000
unfilled subscriber requests
domestic: local - the Ministry of Transport and Communications is
expanding cellular telephone services to form rural networks;
intercity - highly developed fiber-optic backbone (double loop)
system presently serving at least 16 major cities (1998)
international: fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and
Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; two international
switches are located in Tallinn
Ethiopia:
general assessment: open wire and microwave radio relay
system adequate for government use
domestic: open wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in
the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; two domestic satellites provide
the national trunk service
international: open wire to Sudan and Djibouti; microwave radio
relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat
(1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
general assessment: NA
domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB
radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all
points on both islands
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) with links through London to other countries
Faroe Islands:
general assessment: good international
communications; good domestic facilities
domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog)
and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic
submarine cable to the Shetland Islands, linking the Faroe Islands
with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic submarine cable connection to
Canada-Europe cable
Fiji:
general assessment: modern local, interisland, and
international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose
telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio
communications center
domestic: NA
international: access to important cable links between US and
Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; satellite earth station
- 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Finland:
general assessment: modern system with excellent service
domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular
net provide domestic needs
international: 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations - access
to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth
station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note -
Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic
countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)
France:
general assessment: highly developed
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive
introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (with total of
5 antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA
Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone
communications with more than 20 countries
French Guiana:
general assessment: NA
domestic: fair open wire and microwave radio relay system
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
French Polynesia:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Gabon:
general assessment: NA
domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay,
tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a
domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)
Gambia, The:
general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data
network is available
domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open wire
international: microwave radio relay links to Senegal and
Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Gaza Strip:
general assessment: NA
domestic: rudimentary telephone services provided by an open wire
system
international: NA
Georgia:
general assessment: NA
domestic: local - T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi have cellular telephone
networks; urban telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; rural
telephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilities
include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi;
nationwide pager service is available
international: Georgia and Russia are working on a fiber-optic line
between P'ot'i and Sochi (Russia); present international service is
available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow
switch; international electronic mail and telex service are available
Germany:
general assessment: Germany has one of the world's most
technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of
intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly
backward system of the eastern part of the country has been
modernized and integrated with that of the western part
domestic: Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic
telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic
cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic
satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available and
includes roaming service to many foreign countries
international: satellite earth stations - 14 Intelsat (12 Atlantic
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean
region), 2 Intersputnik (1 Atlantic Ocean region and 1 Indian Ocean
region); 7 submarine cable connections; 2 HF radiotelephone
communication centers; tropospheric scatter links
Ghana:
general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet
accessible; many rural communities not yet connected; expansion of
services is underway
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has
been installed
international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana
to its neighbors
Gibraltar:
general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system
and adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities
international: radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Greece:
general assessment: adequate, modern networks reach all
areas; good mobile telephone and international service
domestic: microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open wire
connections; submarine cable to offshore islands
international: tropospheric scatter; 8 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1
Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Greenland:
general assessment: adequate domestic and international
service provided by satellite, cables and microwave radio relay;
totally digitalized in 1995
domestic: microwave radio relay and satellite
international: satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat,
2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)
Grenada:
general assessment: automatic, islandwide telephone system
domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
international: new SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago
and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad
Guadeloupe:
general assessment: domestic facilities inadequate
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and
Martinique
Guam:
general assessment: modern system, integrated with US
facilities for direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers
domestic: modern digital system, including cellular mobile service
and local access to the Internet
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific
Ocean); submarine cables to US and Japan (Guam is a trans-Pacific
communications hub for MCI, Sprint, AT&T, IT&E, and GTE, linking the
US and Asia)
Guatemala:
general assessment: fairly modern network centered in
the city of Guatemala
domestic: NA
international: connected to Central American Microwave System;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Guernsey:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 1 submarine cable
Guinea:
general assessment: poor to fair system of open-wire lines,
small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio
relay system
domestic: microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Guinea-Bissau:
general assessment: small system
domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone, and cellular communications
international: NA
Guyana:
general assessment: fair system for long-distance calling
domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
international: tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Haiti:
general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate;
international facilities slightly better
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Holy See (Vatican City):
general assessment: automatic exchange
domestic: tied into Italian system
international: uses Italian system
Honduras:
general assessment: inadequate system
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System
Hong Kong:
general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent
domestic and international services
domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic
network
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; access
to 5 international submarine cables providing connections to ASEAN
member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western
Europe
Hungary:
general assessment: the telephone system has been
modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for
telecommunication service
domestic: the system is digitalized and highly automated; trunk
services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave
radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was
initiated in 1996; heavy use is made of mobile cellular telephones
international: Hungary has fiber-optic cable connections with all
neighboring countries; the international switch is in Budapest;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian
Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture terminal (VSAT)
system of ground terminals
Iceland:
general assessment: adequate domestic service
domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic
cables and microwave radio relay links
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note -
Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic
countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)
India:
general assessment: mediocre service; local and long
distance service provided throughout all regions of the country,
with services primarily concentrated in the urban areas; major
objective is to continue to expand and modernize long-distance
network in order to keep pace with rapidly growing number of local
subscriber lines; steady improvement is taking place with the recent
admission of private and private-public investors, but, with
telephone density at about two for each 100 persons and a waiting
list of over 2 million, demand for main line telephone service will
not be satisfied for a very long time
domestic: local service is provided by microwave radio relay and
coaxial cable, with open wire and obsolete electromechanical and
manual switchboard systems still in use in rural areas; starting in
the 1980s, a substantial amount of digital switch gear has been
introduced for local and long-distance service; long-distance
traffic is carried mostly by coaxial cable and low-capacity
microwave radio relay; since 1985 significant trunk capacity has
been added in the form of fiber-optic cable and a domestic satellite
system with 254 earth stations; mobile cellular service is provided
in four metropolitan cities
international: satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine gateway exchanges
operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta),
Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gaidhinagar, Hyderabad, and
Ernakulam; 4 submarine cables - LOCOM linking Chennai (Madras) to
Penang; Indo-UAE-Gulf cable linking Mumbai (Bombay) to Al Fujayrah,
UAE; India-SEA-ME-WE-3, SEA-ME-WE-2 with landing sites at Cochin and
Mumbai (Bombay); Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with
landing site at Mumbai (Bombay) (2000)
Indonesia:
general assessment: domestic service fair, international
service good
domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net;
domestic satellite communications system
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)
Iran:
general assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized
and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and
increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing
telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently
connected
domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system
since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave
radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been
brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems
has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular
subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the
system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital
switches
international: HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey,
Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with
access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan
through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion
to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and
4 Inmarsat; Internet service available but limited to electronic
mail to promote Iranian culture
Iraq:
general assessment: reconstitution of damaged
telecommunication facilities began after the Gulf war; most damaged
facilities have been rebuilt
domestic: the network consists of coaxial cables and microwave
radio relay links
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region),
and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; Kuwait line is probably
nonoperational
Ireland:
general assessment: modern digital system using cable and
microwave radio relay
domestic: microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Israel:
general assessment: most highly developed system in the
Middle East although not the largest
domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay;
all systems are digital
international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Italy:
general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully
automated telephone, telex, and data services
domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total
of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat; 21 submarine
cables
Jamaica:
general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone
network
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables
Japan:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
service
domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of
every kind
international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and
1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); submarine cables to
China, Philippines, Russia, and US (via Guam) (1999)
Jersey:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 3 submarine cables
Johnston Atoll:
general assessment: 13 outgoing and 10 incoming
commercial lines; adequate telecommunications
domestic: 60-channel submarine cable, 22 DSN circuits by satellite,
Autodin with standard remote terminal, digital telephone switch,
Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS station), UHF/VHF air-ground
radio, a link to the Pacific Consolidated Telecommunications Network
(PCTN) satellite
international: NA
Jordan:
general assessment: service has improved recently with the
increased use of digital switching equipment, but better access to
the telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access
to pay telephones is needed by the urban public
domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and
fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use is
made of mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat,
and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals; fiber-optic cable to
Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria;
connection to international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link
Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL; international links
total about 4,000
Kazakhstan:
general assessment: service is poor; equipment
antiquated
domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; mobile
cellular systems are available in most of Kazakhstan
international: international traffic with other former Soviet
republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay;
with other countries by satellite and by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE)
fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
Kenya:
general assessment: unreliable; little attempt to modernize
except for service to business
domestic: trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; business data
commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system
international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat
Kiribati:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
note: Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative
Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service
Korea, North:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Russian (Indian Ocean region); other international connections
through Moscow and Beijing
Korea, South:
general assessment: excellent domestic and
international services
domestic: NA
international: fiber-optic submarine cable to China; the
Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat
(Pacific Ocean region)
Kuwait:
general assessment: the quality of service is excellent
domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new
subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay,
coaxial cable, open wire, and fiber-optic cable; a cellular
telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well
supplied with pay telephones
international: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi
Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG)
cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2
Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2 Arabsat
Kyrgyzstan:
general assessment: poorly developed; about 100,000
unsatisfied applications for household telephones
domestic: principally microwave radio relay; one cellular provider,
probably limited to Bishkek region
international: connections with other CIS countries by landline or
microwave radio relay and with other countries by leased connections
with Moscow international gateway switch and by satellite; satellite
earth stations - 1 Intersputnik and 1 Intelsat; connected
internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line
Laos:
general assessment: service to general public is poor but
improving, with over 20,000 telephones currently in service and an
additional 48,000 expected by 2001; the government relies on a
radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas
domestic: radiotelephone communications
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian
Ocean region)
Latvia:
general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to
provide an international capability independent of the Moscow
international switch; more facilities are being installed for
individual use
domestic: expansion underway in intercity trunk line connections,
rural exchanges, and mobile systems; still many unsatisfied
subscriber applications
international: international connections are now available via
cable and a satellite earth station at Riga, enabling direct
connections for most calls (1998)
Lebanon:
general assessment: telecommunications system severely
damaged by civil war; rebuilding well underway
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay and cable
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (erratic operations); coaxial cable to
Syria; microwave radio relay to Syria but inoperable beyond Syria to
Jordan; 3 submarine coaxial cables
Lesotho:
general assessment: rudimentary system
domestic: consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio
relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Liberia:
general assessment: telephone and telegraph service via
microwave radio relay network; main center is Monrovia
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Libya:
general assessment: telecommunications system is being
modernized; mobile cellular telephone system became operational in
1996
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular,
tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth
stations
international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat, NA Arabsat,
and NA Intersputnik; submarine cables to France and Italy; microwave
radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece;
participant in Medarabtel (1999)
Liechtenstein:
general assessment: automatic telephone system
domestic: NA
international: linked to Swiss networks by cable and microwave
radio relay
Lithuania:
general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized
to provide an improved international capability and better
residential access
domestic: a national, fiber-optic cable, interurban, trunk system
is nearing completion; rural exchanges are being improved and
expanded; mobile cellular systems are being installed; access to the
Internet is available; still many unsatisfied telephone subscriber
applications
international: landline connections to Latvia and Poland; major
international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by
submarine cable for further transmission by satellite
Luxembourg:
general assessment: highly developed, completely
automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables
domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable
international: 3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable
(Europe to North America)
Macau:
general assessment: fairly modern communication facilities
maintained for domestic and international services
domestic: NA
international: HF radiotelephone communication facility; access to
international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and
China; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA
Madagascar:
general assessment: system is above average for the
region
domestic: open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay,
and tropospheric scatter links
international: submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations
- 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean
region)
Malawi:
general assessment: NA
domestic: fair system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
links, and radiotelephone communications stations
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Malaysia:
general assessment: modern system; international service
excellent
domestic: good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysia
mainly by microwave radio relay; adequate intercity microwave radio
relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; domestic
satellite system with 2 earth stations
international: submarine cables to India, Hong Kong, and Singapore;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific
Ocean) (2001)
Maldives:
general assessment: minimal domestic and international
facilities
domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all
inhabited islands are connected with telephone and fax service
international: satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Mali:
general assessment: domestic system poor but improving;
provides only minimal service
domestic: network consists of microwave radio relay, open wire, and
radiotelephone communications stations; expansion of microwave radio
relay in progress
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Malta:
general assessment: automatic system satisfies normal
requirements
domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Man, Isle of:
general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite
earth station, submarine cable
Marshall Islands:
general assessment: telex services
domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have
regular, seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands
interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for
government purposes)
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific
Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein
Martinique:
general assessment: domestic facilities are adequate
domestic: NA
international: microwave radio relay to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and
Saint Lucia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Mauritania:
general assessment: limited system of cable and
open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and
radiotelephone communications stations (improvements being made)
domestic: mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed
domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with
regional capitals
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) and 2 Arabsat
Mauritius:
general assessment: small system with good service
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean);
new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several
countries
Mayotte:
general assessment: small system administered by French
Department of Posts and Telecommunications
domestic: NA
international: microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone
communications to Comoros and other international connections
Mexico:
general assessment: low telephone density with about 11
main lines per 100 persons; privatized in December 1990; the opening
to competition in January 1997 has brightened prospects for
development
domestic: adequate telephone service for business and government,
but the population is poorly served; domestic satellite system with
120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network;
considerable use of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, and mobile
cellular service
international: satellite earth stations - 32 Intelsat, 2
Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central
America, and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic
communications), numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations; linked to
Central American Microwave System of trunk connections; high
capacity Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable with access to the
US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Morocco, Spain, and Italy (1997)
Micronesia, Federated States of:
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used
mostly for government purposes)
international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Moldova:
general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service
outside Chisinau, some effort to modernize is under way
domestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile
cellular telephone service being introduced
international: service through Romania and Russia via landline;
satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik
Monaco:
general assessment: modern automatic telephone system
domestic: NA
international: no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into
the French communications system
Mongolia:
general assessment: very low density: about 3.5
telephones for each thousand persons
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian
Ocean Region)
Montserrat:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA
Morocco:
general assessment: modern system with all important
capabilities; however density is low with only 4.6 main lines
available for each 100 persons
domestic: good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and
microwave radio relay links; Internet available but expensive;
principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national
network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved rural
service employs microwave radio relay
international: 7 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to
Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable and microwave
radio relay to Algeria; participant in Medarabtel; fiber-optic cable
link from Agadir to Algeria and Tunisia (1998)
Mozambique:
general assessment: fair system but not available
generally (telephone density is only 3.5 telephones for each 1,000
persons)
domestic: the system consists of open-wire lines and trunk
connection by microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatter
international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic
Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)
Namibia:
general assessment: good system; about 6 telephones for
each 100 persons
domestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radio
relay links major towns; connections to other populated places are
by open wire; 100% digital
international: fiber-optic cable to South Africa, microwave radio
relay link to Botswana, direct links to other neighboring countries;
connected to Africa ONE and South African Far East (SAFE) submarine
cables through South Africa; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat
Nauru:
general assessment: adequate local and international
radiotelephone communications provided via Australian facilities
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Nepal:
general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service;
fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular
telephone network
domestic: NA
international: radiotelephone communications; microwave landline to
India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Netherlands:
general assessment: highly developed and well
maintained
domestic: the existing system of multi-conductor cables is
gradually being replaced by fiber-optic cables; the density of
cellular telephone traffic is rapidly increasing and further
modernization of the system is expected in the year 2001, with the
introduction of the third generation of the Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM)
international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (1996)
Netherlands Antilles:
general assessment: generally adequate
facilities
domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
international: submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
New Caledonia:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
New Zealand:
general assessment: excellent domestic and
international systems
domestic: NA
international: submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Nicaragua:
general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by
foreign investment
domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being
expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic
Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Niger:
general assessment: small system of wire, radio telephone
communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the
southwestern area of Niger
domestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio
relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Nigeria:
general assessment: an inadequate system, further limited
by poor maintenance; major expansion is required and a start has
been made
domestic: intercity traffic is carried by coaxial cable, microwave
radio relay, a domestic communications satellite system with 19
earth stations, and a coastal submarine cable; mobile cellular
facilities and the Internet are available
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); coaxial submarine cable SAFE (South
African Far East)
Niue:
general assessment: primitive system
domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on
island
international: NA
Norfolk Island:
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: radiotelephone service with Sydney (Australia)
Northern Mariana Islands:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Norway:
general assessment: modern in all respects; one of the most
advanced telecommunications networks in Europe
domestic: Norway has a domestic satellite system; moreover the
prevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of cellular mobile
systems instead of fixed wire systems
international: 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 4 coaxial submarine
cables; satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean
regions); note - Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the
other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (1999)
Oman:
general assessment: modern system consisting of open wire,
microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited
coaxial cable
domestic: open wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and
a domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Arabsat
Pakistan:
general assessment: the domestic system is mediocre, but
improving; service is adequate for government and business use, in
part because major businesses have established their own private
systems; since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the
national telecommunications system on a priority basis,
significantly increasing network capacity; despite major
improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication services
are still not readily available to the majority of the rural
population
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable,
cellular, and satellite networks
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateway
exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay
to neighboring countries (1999)
Palau:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Panama:
general assessment: domestic and international facilities
well developed
domestic: NA
international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth stations
- 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to the Central American
Microwave System
Papua New Guinea:
general assessment: services are adequate and
being improved; facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph,
coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radio
communication services
domestic: mostly radiotelephone
international: submarine cables to Australia and Guam; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); international radio
communication service
Paraguay:
general assessment: meager telephone service; principal
switching center is Asuncion
domestic: fair microwave radio relay network
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Peru:
general assessment: adequate for most requirements
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic
satellite system with 12 earth stations
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); Pan American submarine cable
Philippines:
general assessment: good international radiotelephone
and submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service
adequate
domestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations
international: 9 international gateways; satellite earth stations -
3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to
Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan
Pitcairn Islands:
general assessment: only party line telephone
service is available for this small, closely related community
domestic: party line service only
international: radiotelephone
Poland:
general assessment: underdeveloped and outmoded system;
government aimed to have 10 million telephones in service by 2000;
the process of partial privatization of the state-owned telephone
monopoly has begun; in 1998 there were over 2 million applicants on
the waiting list for telephone service
domestic: cable, open wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellular
networks; local exchanges 56.6% digital
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat,
2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region)
Portugal:
general assessment: undergoing rapid development in
recent years, Portugal's telephone system, by the end of 1998,
achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed
capabilities and a main line telephone density of 53%
domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open wire,
microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations
international: 6 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat;
tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth station for Inmarsat
(Atlantic Ocean region) is planned
Puerto Rico:
general assessment: modern system, integrated with
that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with
high-speed data capability
domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine
cable to US
Qatar:
general assessment: modern system centered in Doha
domestic: NA
international: tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio
relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian
Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Reunion:
general assessment: adequate system; principal center is
Saint-Denis
domestic: modern open wire and microwave radio relay network
international: radiotelephone communication to Comoros, France,
Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Romania:
general assessment: poor domestic service, but improving
domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; trunk network is
mostly microwave radio relay, with some fiber-optic cable; about
one-third of exchange capacity is digital; roughly 3,300 villages
have no service
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; new digital,
international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest; note -
Romania is an active participant in several international
telecommunication network projects (1999)
Russia:
general assessment: the telephone system has undergone
significant changes in the 1990s; there are more than 1,000
companies licensed to offer communication services; access to
digital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet
and e-mail services are improving; Russia has made progress toward
building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a
market economy; however, a large demand for main line service
remains unsatisfied
domestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint
Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the
telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital
infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are
available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are
still outdated, inadequate, and low density
international: Russia is connected internationally by three
undersea fiber-optic cables; digital switches in several cities
provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls; satellite
earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat,
Inmarsat, and Orbita systems
Rwanda:
general assessment: telephone system primarily serves
business and government
domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the
prefectures by microwave radio relay; the remainder of the network
depends on wire and HF radiotelephone
international: international connections employ microwave radio
relay to neighboring countries and satellite communications to more
distant countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian
Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service)
Saint Helena:
general assessment: can communicate with any place in
the world
domestic: automatic network
international: HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena to Ascension
which is a major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South
Africa, Portugal, and UK ; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean)
Saint Kitts and Nevis:
general assessment: good interisland and
international connections
domestic: interisland links to Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin
(Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF
radiotelephone
international: international calls are carried by radiotelephone to
Antigua and Barbuda and switched there to submarine cable or to
Intelsat; or carried to Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands
Antilles) by radiotelephone and switched to Intelsat
Saint Lucia:
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: system is automatically switched
international: direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique
and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to
Barbados; international calls beyond these countries are carried by
Intelsat from Martinique
Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: radiotelephone communication with most countries in
the world; 1 earth station in French domestic satellite system
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
general assessment: adequate
system
domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF
radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the
Grenadines
international: VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to
Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to Saint Lucia;
access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia
Samoa:
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
San Marino:
general assessment: adequate connections
domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into
Italian system
international: connected to Italian international network
Sao Tome and Principe:
general assessment: adequate facilities
domestic: minimal system
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Saudi Arabia:
general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and
fiber-optic cable systems
international: microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait,
Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan;
submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth
stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1
Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Senegal:
general assessment: good system
domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay,
coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system
international: 4 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Seychelles:
general assessment: effective system
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the
archipelago
international: direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent
island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Sierra Leone:
general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph
service
domestic: national microwave radio relay trunk system, made
unserviceable by military activities, is now operating from Freetown
to Bo and Kenema (April 2001)
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Singapore:
general assessment: major consideration given to serving
business interests; excellent international service
domestic: excellent domestic facilities
international: submarine cables to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular
Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth stations
- 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat
(Pacific Ocean region)
Slovakia:
general assessment: a modernization and privatization
program is increasing accessibility to telephone service, reducing
the waiting time for new subscribers, and generally improving
service quality
domestic: predominantly an analog system that is now receiving
digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable,
especially in the larger cities; mobile cellular capability has been
added
international: three international exchanges (one in Bratislava and
two in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in
several international telecommunications projects that will increase
the availability of external services
Slovenia:
general assessment: NA
domestic: 100% digital (2000)
international: NA
Solomon Islands:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Somalia:
general assessment: the public telecommunications system
was completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions;
all relief organizations depend on their own private systems
domestic: recently, local cellular telephone systems have been
established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers
international: international connections are available from
Mogadishu by satellite
South Africa:
general assessment: the system is the best developed
and most modern in Africa
domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial
cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable,
radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key
centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port
Elizabeth, and Pretoria
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken
Spain:
general assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities;
teledensity is 44 main lines for each 100 persons
domestic: NA
international: 22 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA
Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Sri Lanka:
general assessment: very inadequate domestic service,
particularly in rural areas; some hope for improvement with
privatization of national telephone company and encouragement to
private investment; good international service (1999)
domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital
microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area
and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition
is strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains low
at 2.6 main lines per 100 persons (1999)
international: submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)
Sudan:
general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regional
standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in
1996 and have expanded substantially
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone
communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite
system with 14 earth stations
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)
Suriname:
general assessment: international facilities are good
domestic: microwave radio relay network
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)
Svalbard:
general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service
international: satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for
communication with Norwegian mainland only)
Swaziland:
general assessment: not a modern system
domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and
low-capacity, microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Sweden:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
facilities; automatic system
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice
traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some
additional telephone channels
international: 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations
- 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic
and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth
station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland,
and Norway)
Switzerland:
general assessment: excellent domestic and
international services
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean and Indian Ocean)
Syria:
general assessment: fair system currently undergoing
significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic
technology
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 1 submarine cable;
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,
and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel
Tajikistan:
general assessment: poorly developed and not well
maintained; many towns are not reached by the national network
domestic: cable and microwave radio relay
international: linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other
CIS republics and by leased connections to the Moscow international
gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to international gateway
switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 2
Intelsat
Tanzania:
general assessment: fair system operating below capacity
and being modernized for better service; VSAT (very small aperture
terminal) system under construction
domestic: trunk service provided by open wire, microwave radio
relay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links being
made digital
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Thailand:
general assessment: service to general public adequate,
but investment in technological upgrades reduced by recession; bulk
of service to government activities provided by multichannel cable
and microwave radio relay network
domestic: microwave radio relay and multichannel cable; domestic
satellite system being developed
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)
Togo:
general assessment: fair system based on a network of
microwave radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a
mobile cellular system
domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for
conventional system; cellular system has capacity of 10,000
telephones
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) and 1 Symphonie
Tokelau:
general assessment: adequate
domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
international: radiotelephone service to Samoa;
government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite
earth stations, established in 1997
Tonga:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Trinidad and Tobago:
general assessment: excellent international
service; good local service
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana
Tunisia:
general assessment: above the African average and
continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte,
and Tunis; Internet access available
domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial
cable, and microwave radio relay
international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave
radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two
international gateway digital switches
Turkey:
general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and
expansion, especially cellular telephones
domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid
increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of
technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both
fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitating
communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a
domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile
cellular telephone service is growing rapidly
international: international service is provided by three submarine
fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, linking
Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia, by
12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile satellite terminals in
the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems
Turkmenistan:
general assessment: poorly developed
domestic: NA
international: linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other
CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the
Moscow international gateway switch; a new telephone link from
Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new exchange in Ashgabat
switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat;
satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat
Turks and Caicos Islands:
general assessment: fair cable and
radiotelephone services
domestic: NA
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Tuvalu:
general assessment: serves particular needs for internal
communications
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
international: NA
Uganda:
general assessment: seriously inadequate; two cellular
systems have been introduced, but a sharp increase in the number of
main lines is essential; e-mail and Internet services are available
domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and
radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellular
systems for short range traffic
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and Tanzania
Ukraine:
general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication
development plan, running through 2005, emphasizes improving
domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile
cellular system
domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a
telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair;
more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be
satisfied; telephone density is now rising slowly and the domestic
trunk system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system
is expanding at a high rate
international: two new domestic trunk lines are a part of the
fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and three Ukrainian links
have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL)
project which connects 18 countries; additional international
service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR)
fiber-optic submarine cable and by earth stations in the Intelsat,
Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems
United Arab Emirates:
general assessment: modern system consisting
of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu
Dhabi and Dubai
domestic: microwave radio relay and coaxial cable
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; submarine cables to Qatar,
Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain;
microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia
United Kingdom:
general assessment: technologically advanced
domestic and international system
domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and
fiber-optic systems
international: 40 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth
stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large
international switching centers
United States:
general assessment: a very large, technologically
advanced, multipurpose communications system
domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio
relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of
telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile
telephone traffic throughout the country
international: 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite earth
stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5
Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and
Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)
Uruguay:
general assessment: some modern facilities
domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new
nationwide microwave radio relay network
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)
Uzbekistan:
general assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in
serious need of modernization
domestic: the domestic telephone system is being expanded and
technologically improved, particularly in Tashkent and Samarqand,
under contracts with prominent companies in industrialized
countries; moreover, by 1998, six cellular networks had been placed
in operation - four of the GSM type (Global System for Mobile
Communication), one D-AMPS type (Digital Advanced Mobile Phone
System), and one AMPS type (Advanced Mobile Phone System)
international: linked by landline or microwave radio relay with CIS
member states and to other countries by leased connection via the
Moscow international gateway switch; after the completion of the
Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable,
Uzbekistan will be independent of Russian facilities for
international communications; Inmarsat also provides an
international connection, albeit an expensive one; satellite earth
stations - NA (1998)
Vanuatu:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Venezuela:
general assessment: modern and expanding
domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent
substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas;
substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines;
installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of
digital multimedia services
international: 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations
- 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an
international fiber-optic network
Vietnam:
general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort
into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system,
but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern
neighbors
domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to
Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or
microwave radio relay networks; since 1991, main lines in use have
been substantially increased and the use of mobile telephones is
growing rapidly
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian
Ocean region)
Virgin Islands:
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
international: submarine cable and satellite communications;
satellite earth stations - NA
Wake Island:
general assessment: satellite communications; 1 DSN
circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
domestic: NA
international: NA
Wallis and Futuna:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA
West Bank:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA
note: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are
responsible for communication services in the West Bank
Western Sahara:
general assessment: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA
international: tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay,
tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco
World:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA
Yemen:
general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts have
been made to create a national telecommunications network
domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay,
cable, tropospheric scatter, and GSM cellular mobile telephone
systems
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian
Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region),
and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti
Yugoslavia:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Zambia:
general assessment: facilities are among the best in
Sub-Saharan Africa
domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger
towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation;
Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal
(VSAT) networks are operated by private firms
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Zimbabwe:
general assessment: system was once one of the best in
Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000
outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number
of installed but unused main lines
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop
installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internet
connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns
and for some of the smaller ones
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; two
international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
Taiwan:
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for
every business and private need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Pacific
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to Japan (Okinawa),
Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia,
Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)
======================================================================
@Telephones - main lines in use
Afghanistan:
29,000 (1996)
note: there were 21,000 main lines in service in Kabul in 1998
Albania:
87,000 (1997)
Algeria:
2.3 million (1998)
American Samoa:
13,000 (1997)
Andorra:
32,946 (December 1998)
Angola:
62,000 (1997)
Anguilla:
5,000 (1997)
Antarctica:
0
note: information for US bases only (2001)
Antigua and Barbuda:
28,000 (1996)
Argentina:
7.5 million (1998)
Armenia:
568,000 (1997)
Aruba:
33,000 (1997)
Australia:
9.58 million (1998)
Austria:
4 million (3,600,000 analog main lines plus 400,000 ISDN or
Integrated Services Digital Network connections) (1999)
Azerbaijan:
663,000 (1997)
Bahamas, The:
96,000 (1997)
Bahrain:
152,000 (1997)
Bangladesh:
500,000 (2000)
Barbados:
108,000 (1997)
Belarus:
2.313 million (1997)
Belgium:
4.769 million (1997)
Belize:
31,000 (1997)
Benin:
36,000 (1997)
Bermuda:
52,000 (1997)
Bhutan:
6,000 (1997)
Bolivia:
327,600 (1996)
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
303,000 (1997)
Botswana:
86,000 (1997)
Brazil:
17.039 million (1997)
British Indian Ocean Territory:
NA
British Virgin Islands:
10,000 (1996)
Brunei:
79,000 (1996)
Bulgaria:
3.255 million (2000)
Burkina Faso:
36,000 (1997)
Burma:
250,000 (2000)
Burundi:
16,000 (1997)
Cambodia:
21,800 (mid-1998)
Cameroon:
75,000 (1997)
Canada:
18.5 million (1999)
Cape Verde:
45,644 (2000)
Cayman Islands:
19,000 (1995)
Central African Republic:
10,000 (1997)
Chad:
7,000 (1997)
Chile:
2.603 million (1998)
China:
135 million (2000)
Christmas Island:
NA
Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
NA (1999)
Colombia:
5,433,565 (December 1997)
Comoros:
6,000 (1997)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
21,000 (1997)
Congo, Republic of the:
22,000 (1997)
Cook Islands:
5,000 (1997)
Costa Rica:
450,000 (1998)
note: 584,000 installed in 1997, but only about 450,000 were in use
1998
Cote d'Ivoire:
219,283 (31 December 1999)
Croatia:
1.488 million (1997)
Cuba:
473,031 (2000)
Cyprus:
Greek Cypriot area: 405,000 (1998); Turkish Cypriot area:
83,162 (1998)
Czech Republic:
3.869 million (2000)
Denmark:
4.785 million (1997)
Djibouti:
8,000 (1997)
Dominica:
19,000 (1996)
Dominican Republic:
709,000 (1997)
Ecuador:
899,000 (1997)
Egypt:
3,971,500 (December 1998)
El Salvador:
380,000 (1998)
Equatorial Guinea:
4,000 (1996)
Eritrea:
23,578 (2000)
Estonia:
476,078 (yearend 1998)
Ethiopia:
157,000 (1997)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
NA
Faroe Islands:
24,851 (1999)
Fiji:
72,000 (1997)
Finland:
2.861 million (1997)
France:
34.86 million (yearend 1998)
French Guiana:
47,000 (1997)
French Polynesia:
52,000 (1997)
Gabon:
37,000 (1997)
Gambia, The:
31,900 (2000)
Gaza Strip:
95,729 (total for Gaza Strip and West Bank) (1997)
Georgia:
620,000 (1997)
Germany:
45.2 million (1997)
note: 46.5 million main lines were installed by yearend 1998
Ghana:
200,000 (1998)
Gibraltar:
19,000 (1997)
Greece:
5.431 million (1997)
Greenland:
25,617 (end 1999)
Grenada:
27,000 (1997)
Guadeloupe:
171,000 (1996)
Guam:
84,134 (1998)
Guatemala:
665,061 (June 2000)
Guernsey:
44,000 (1996)
Guinea:
20,000 (1997)
Guinea-Bissau:
8,000 (1997)
Guyana:
70,000 (2000)
Haiti:
60,000 (1997)
Holy See (Vatican City):
NA
Honduras:
234,000 (1997)
Hong Kong:
3.839 million (1999)
Hungary:
3.095 million (1997)
Iceland:
168,000 (1997)
India:
27.7 million (October 2000)
Indonesia:
5,588,310 (1998)
Iran:
6.313 million (1997)
Iraq:
675,000 (1997)
Ireland:
1.59 million (2001)
Israel:
2.8 million (1999)
Italy:
25 million (1999)
Jamaica:
353,000 (1996)
Japan:
60.381 million (1997)
Jersey:
65,500 (1997)
Jordan:
403,000 (1997)
Kazakhstan:
1.818 million (1997)
Kenya:
290,000 (1998)
Kiribati:
2,000 (1997)
Korea, North:
1.1 million (1997)
Korea, South:
24 million (1999)
Kuwait:
412,000 (1997)
Kyrgyzstan:
351,000 (1997)
Laos:
25,000 (1997)
Latvia:
748,000 (1997)
Lebanon:
700,000 (1999)
Lesotho:
20,000 (1997)
Liberia:
6,000 (1997)
Libya:
380,000 (1996)
Liechtenstein:
20,000 (1997)
Lithuania:
1.048 million (1997)
Luxembourg:
314,700 (1999)
Macau:
176,837 (2000)
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
408,000 (1997)
Madagascar:
43,000 (1997)
Malawi:
37,000 (1997)
Malaysia:
4.5 million (1999)
Maldives:
21,000 (1999)
Mali:
23,000 (1997)
Malta:
187,000 (1997)
Man, Isle of:
51,000 (1999)
Marshall Islands:
3,000 (1996)
Martinique:
170,000 (1997)
Mauritania:
26,000 (2000)
Mauritius:
223,000 (1997)
Mayotte:
9,314 (1997)
Mexico:
9.6 million (1998)
Micronesia, Federated States of:
11,000 (2001)
Moldova:
627,000 (1997)
Monaco:
31,027 (1995)
Mongolia:
104,100 (1999)
Montserrat:
4,000 (1997)
Morocco:
1.391 million (1998)
Mozambique:
65,354 (2000)
Namibia:
100,848 (1997)
Nauru:
2,000 (1996)
Nepal:
236,816 (January 2000)
Netherlands:
9,132,400 (1999)
Netherlands Antilles:
76,000 (1995)
New Caledonia:
47,000 (1997)
New Zealand:
1.84 million (1997)
Nicaragua:
140,000 (1996)
Niger:
16,000 (1997)
Nigeria:
500,000 (2000)
Niue:
376 (1991)
Norfolk Island:
1,087 (1983)
Northern Mariana Islands:
21,000 (1996)
Norway:
2.735 million (1998)
Oman:
201,000 (1997)
Pakistan:
2.861 million (March 1999)
Palau:
1,500 (1988)
Panama:
396,000 (1997)
Papua New Guinea:
47,000 (1996)
Paraguay:
290,475 (2001)
Peru:
1.509 million (1998)
Philippines:
1.9 million (1997)
Pitcairn Islands:
1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line)
(1997)
Poland:
8.07 million (1998)
Portugal:
5.3 million (end 1998)
Puerto Rico:
1.322 million (1997)
Qatar:
142,000 (1997)
Reunion:
236,500 (1997)
Romania:
3.777 million (1997)
Russia:
30 million (1998)
Rwanda:
15,000 (1995)
Saint Helena:
2,000 (1997)
Saint Kitts and Nevis:
17,000 (1997)
Saint Lucia:
37,000 (1997)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
4,000 (1997)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
20,500 (1998)
Samoa:
8,000 (1997)
San Marino:
18,000 (1998)
Sao Tome and Principe:
3,000 (1997)
Saudi Arabia:
3.1 million (1998)
Senegal:
116,000 (1997)
Seychelles:
19,635 (1997)
Sierra Leone:
17,000 (1997)
Singapore:
1.928 million (November 2000)
Slovakia:
1,934,558 (1998)
Slovenia:
722,000 (1997)
Solomon Islands:
8,000 (1997)
Somalia:
NA
South Africa:
5.075 million (1999)
Spain:
17.336 million (1999)
Sri Lanka:
494,509 (1998)
Sudan:
400,000 (2000)
Suriname:
64,000 (1997)
Svalbard:
NA
Swaziland:
33,500 (2000)
Sweden:
6.017 million (December 1998)
Switzerland:
4.82 million (1998)
Syria:
1.313 million (1997)
Tajikistan:
363,000 (1997)
Tanzania:
127,000 (1998)
Thailand:
5.4 million (1998)
Togo:
25,000 (1997)
Tokelau:
NA
Tonga:
8,000 (1996)
Trinidad and Tobago:
243,000 (1997)
Tunisia:
654,000 (1997)
Turkey:
19.5 million (1999)
Turkmenistan:
363,000 (1997)
Turks and Caicos Islands:
3,000 (1994)
Tuvalu:
1,000 (1997)
Uganda:
50,074; however, 80,868 main lines were installed (1998)
Ukraine:
9.45 million (April 1999)
United Arab Emirates:
915,223 (1998)
United Kingdom:
34.878 million (1997)
United States:
194 million (1997)
Uruguay:
850,000 (2000)
Uzbekistan:
1.98 million (1999)
Vanuatu:
4,000 (1996)
Venezuela:
2,600,000.00; however, 3,500,000 were installed (1998)
Vietnam:
2.6 million (2000)
Virgin Islands:
62,000 (1997)
Wallis and Futuna:
1,125 (1994)
West Bank:
95,729 (total for West Bank and Gaza Strip) (1997)
Western Sahara:
about 2,000 (1999 est.)
World:
NA
Yemen:
291,359 (1999)
Yugoslavia:
2.017 million (1995)
Zambia:
77,935 (in addition there are about 40,000 fixed telephones
in wireless local loop connections) (1997)
Zimbabwe:
212,000 (in addition there are about 20,000 fixed
telephones in wireless local loop connections) (1997)
Taiwan:
12.49 million (September 2000)
======================================================================
@Telephones - mobile cellular
Afghanistan:
NA
Albania:
3,100 (1999)
Algeria:
33,500 (1999)
American Samoa:
2,550 (1997)
Andorra:
14,117 (December 1998)
Angola:
7,052 (1997)
Anguilla:
NA
Antarctica:
NA
Antigua and Barbuda:
1,300 (1996)
Argentina:
3 million (December 1999)
Armenia:
6,220 (1997)
Aruba:
3,402 (1997)
Australia:
6.4 million (1998)
Austria:
4.5 million (2000)
Azerbaijan:
40,000 (1997)
Bahamas, The:
6,152 (1997)
Bahrain:
58,543 (1997)
Bangladesh:
283,000 (2000)
Barbados:
8,013 (1997)
Belarus:
8,167 (1997)
Belgium:
974,494 (1997)
Belize:
3,023 (1997)
Benin:
4,295 (1997)
Bermuda:
7,980 (1996)
Bhutan:
NA
Bolivia:
116,000 (1997)
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
9,000 (1997)
Botswana:
NA
Brazil:
4.4 million (1997)
British Virgin Islands:
NA
Brunei:
43,524 (1996)
Bulgaria:
596,000 (2000)
Burkina Faso:
1,503 (1997)
Burma:
8,492 (1997)
Burundi:
619 (1997)
Cambodia:
80,000 (2000)
Cameroon:
4,200 (1997)
Canada:
4.207 million (1997)
Cape Verde:
19,729 (1997)
Cayman Islands:
2,534 (1995)
Central African Republic:
570 (1997)
Chad:
NA
Chile:
944,225 (1998)
China:
65 million (January 2001)
Christmas Island:
0 (1999)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
0 (1999)
Colombia:
1,800,229 (December 1998)
Comoros:
NA
Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
8,900 (1997)
Congo, Republic of the:
1,000 (1996)
Cook Islands:
0 (1994)
Costa Rica:
143,000 (2000)
Cote d'Ivoire:
322,500 (May 2000)
Croatia:
187,000 (yearend 1998)
Cuba:
2,994 (1997)
Cyprus:
Greek Cypriot area: 68,000 (1998); Turkish Cypriot area:
70,000 (1999)
Czech Republic:
4.346 million (2000)
Denmark:
1,444,016 (1997)
Djibouti:
203 (1997)
Dominica:
461 (1996)
Dominican Republic:
130,149 (1997)
Ecuador:
160,061 (1997)
Egypt:
380,000 (1999)
El Salvador:
40,163 (1997)
Equatorial Guinea:
NA
Eritrea:
NA
Estonia:
475,000 (yearend 2000)
Ethiopia:
4,000 (1999)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
NA
Faroe Islands:
10,761 (1999)
Fiji:
5,200 (1997)
Finland:
2,162,574 (1997)
France:
11.078 million (yearend 1998)
French Guiana:
NA
French Polynesia:
5,427 (1997)
Gabon:
9,500 (1997)
Gambia, The:
5,624 (2000)
Gaza Strip:
NA
Georgia:
30,000 (1997)
Germany:
15.318 million (April 1999)
Ghana:
30,000 (yearend 1998)
Gibraltar:
1,620 (1997)
Greece:
937,700 (1997)
Greenland:
12,676 (end 1999)
Grenada:
976 (1997)
Guadeloupe:
NA
Guam:
55,000 (1998)
Guatemala:
663,296 (September 2000)
Guernsey:
12,000 (1997)
Guinea:
2,868 (1997)
Guinea-Bissau:
NA
Guyana:
6,100 (2000)
Haiti:
0 (1995)
Holy See (Vatican City):
NA
Honduras:
14,427 (1997)
Hong Kong:
3.7 million (December 1999)
Hungary:
1.269 million (July 1999)
Iceland:
65,746 (1997)
India:
2.93 million (November 2000)
Indonesia:
1.07 million (1998)
Iran:
265,000 (August 1998)
Iraq:
NA; service available in northern Iraq (2001)
Ireland:
2 million (2001)
Israel:
2.5 million (1999)
Italy:
20.5 million (1999)
Jamaica:
54,640 (1996)
Japan:
63.88 million (2000)
Jersey:
4,400 (1997)
Jordan:
11,500 (1995)
Kazakhstan:
11,202 (1997)
Kenya:
5,345 (1997)
Kiribati:
NA
Korea, North:
NA
Korea, South:
27 million (June 2000)
Kuwait:
210,000 (1997)
Kyrgyzstan:
NA
Laos:
4,915 (1997)
Latvia:
77,100 (1997)
Lebanon:
580,000 (1999)
Lesotho:
1,262 (1996)
Liberia:
0 (1995)
Libya:
NA
Liechtenstein:
NA
Lithuania:
297,500 (November 1998)
Luxembourg:
215,741 (2000)
Macau:
120,957 (2000)
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
12,362 (1997)
Madagascar:
4,000 (1997)
Malawi:
7,000 (1997)
Malaysia:
2.698 million (1999)
Maldives:
1,290 (1997)
Mali:
2,842 (1997)
Malta:
17,691 (1997)
Man, Isle of:
NA
Marshall Islands:
365 (1996)
Martinique:
15,000 (1997)
Mauritania:
NA
Mauritius:
37,000 (1997)
Mayotte:
0 (2000)
Mexico:
2.02 million (1998)
Micronesia, Federated States of:
NA
Moldova:
2,200 (1997)
Monaco:
NA
Mongolia:
110,000 (2001)
Montserrat:
70 (1994)
Morocco:
116,645 (1998)
Mozambique:
18,500 (2000)
Namibia:
NA
Nauru:
450 (1994)
Nepal:
NA
Netherlands:
4,081,891 (April 1999)
Netherlands Antilles:
13,977 (1996)
New Caledonia:
13,040 (1998)
New Zealand:
588,000 (1998)
Nicaragua:
7,911 (1997)
Niger:
13,000 (1995)
Nigeria:
26,700 (1997)
Niue:
0 (1991)
Norfolk Island:
0 (1983)
Northern Mariana Islands:
1,200 (1995)
Norway:
2,080,408 (1998)
Oman:
59,822 (1997)
Pakistan:
158,000 (1998)
Palau:
0 (1988)
Panama:
17,000 (1997)
Papua New Guinea:
3,053 (1996)
Paraguay:
510,000 (2001)
Peru:
504,995 (1998)
Philippines:
1.959 million (1998)
Poland:
1.78 million (1998)
Portugal:
3,074,194 (1999)
Puerto Rico:
169,265 (1996)
Qatar:
43,476 (1997)
Reunion:
85,000 (1999)
Romania:
645,500 (1999)
Russia:
2.5 million (October 2000)
Rwanda:
NA
note: however, Rwanda has mobile cellular service between Kigali
and several prefecture capitals (2000)
Saint Helena:
0 (1997)
Saint Kitts and Nevis:
205 (1997)
Saint Lucia:
1,600 (1997)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
0 (1994)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
NA
Samoa:
1,545 (February 1998)
San Marino:
3,010 (1998)
Sao Tome and Principe:
6,942 (1997)
Saudi Arabia:
1 million
note: in 1998, the government contracted for the installation of
575,000 additional Group Speciale Mobile (GSM) cellular telephone
lines over 15 months to raise the total number of subscribers to
more than one million; Riyadh planned to further expand the GSM
system in 1999 by adding an additional one million lines (1998)
Senegal:
1,149 (1996)
Seychelles:
16,316 (1999)
Sierra Leone:
650 (1999)
Singapore:
2.333 million (November 2000)
Slovakia:
736,662 (April 1999)
Slovenia:
1 million (2000)
Solomon Islands:
658 (1997)
Somalia:
NA
South Africa:
over 2,000,000 (1999)
Spain:
8.394 million (1999)
Sri Lanka:
228,604 (1999)
Sudan:
20,000 (2000)
Suriname:
4,090 (1997)
Svalbard:
NA
Swaziland:
30,000 (2000)
Sweden:
3.835 million (October 1998)
Switzerland:
1.967 million (1999)
Syria:
NA
Tajikistan:
2,500 (1997)
Tanzania:
30,000 (1999)
Thailand:
2.3 million (1998)
Togo:
2,995 (1997)
Tokelau:
0 (2001)
Tonga:
302 (1996)
Trinidad and Tobago:
17,411 (1997)
Tunisia:
50,000 (1998)
Turkey:
12.1 million (1999)
Turkmenistan:
4,300 (1998)
Turks and Caicos Islands:
0 (1994)
Tuvalu:
0 (1994)
Uganda:
9,000 (1998)
Ukraine:
236,000 (1998)
United Arab Emirates:
1 million (1999)
United Kingdom:
13 million (yearend 1998)
United States:
69.209 million (1998)
Uruguay:
300,000 (2000)
Uzbekistan:
26,000 (1998)
Vanuatu:
154 (1996)
Venezuela:
2 million (1998)
Vietnam:
730,155 (2000)
Virgin Islands:
2,000 (1992)
Wallis and Futuna:
0 (1994)
West Bank:
NA
Western Sahara:
0 (1999)
World:
NA
Yemen:
32,042 (2000)
Yugoslavia:
87,000 (1997)
Zambia:
6,000 (1998)
Zimbabwe:
70,000 (1999)
Taiwan:
16 million (September 2000)
======================================================================
@Television broadcast stations
Afghanistan:
at least 10 (one government run central television
station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 30 provinces;
the regional stations operate on a reduced schedule; also, in 1997,
there was a station in Mazar-e Sharif reaching four northern
Afghanistan provinces) (1998)
Albania:
9 (plus 264 repeaters) (1995)
Algeria:
46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995)
American Samoa:
1 (1997)
Andorra:
0 (1997)
Angola:
7 (1999)
Anguilla:
1 (1997)
Antarctica:
1 (the US Navy Antarctic Support Group operates a cable
system with six channels for the American Forces Antarctic
Network-McMurdo)
note: information for US bases only (2000)
Antigua and Barbuda:
2 (1997)
Argentina:
42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)
Armenia:
4 (1998)
Aruba:
1 (1997)
Australia:
104 (1997)
Austria:
45 (plus 960 repeaters) (1995)
Azerbaijan:
2 (1997)
Bahamas, The:
1 (1997)
Bahrain:
4 (1997)
Bangladesh:
15 (1999)
Barbados:
1 (plus two cable channels) (1997)
Belarus:
47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)
Belgium:
25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997)
Belize:
2 (1997)
Benin:
2 (one privately-owned) (1997)
Bermuda:
3 (1997)
Bhutan:
0 (1997)
Bolivia:
48 (1997)
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)
Botswana:
0 (1997)
Brazil:
138 (1997)
British Indian Ocean Territory:
1 (1997)
British Virgin Islands:
1 (plus one cable company) (1997)
Brunei:
2 (1997)
Bulgaria:
96 (plus 1,030 repeaters) (1995)
Burkina Faso:
1 (1997)
Burma:
2 (1998)
Burundi:
1 (1999)
Cambodia:
5 (1999)
Cameroon:
1 (1998)
Canada:
80 (plus many repeaters) (1997)
Cape Verde:
1 (1997)
Cayman Islands:
NA
Central African Republic:
NA
Chad:
1 (1997)
Chile:
63 (plus 121 repeaters) (1997)
China:
3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television,
31 are provincial TV stations and nearly 3,000 are local city
stations) (1997)
Christmas Island:
NA
Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
0 (1997)
Colombia:
60 (includes seven low-power stations) (1997)
Comoros:
0 (1998)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
20 (1999)
Congo, Republic of the:
1 (1999)
Cook Islands:
2 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997)
Costa Rica:
6 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997)
Cote d'Ivoire:
14 (1999)
Croatia:
36 (plus 321 repeaters) (September 1995)
Cuba:
58 (1997)
Cyprus:
Greek Cypriot area: 4 (plus 225 low-power repeaters)
(September 1995); Turkish Cypriot area: 4 (plus 5 repeaters)
(September 1995)
Czech Republic:
150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000)
Denmark:
26 (plus 51 repeaters) (1998)
Djibouti:
1 (plus 5 low-power repeaters) (1998)
Dominica:
0 (however, there is one cable television company) (1997)
Dominican Republic:
25 (1997)
Ecuador:
15 (including one station on the Galapagos Islands) (1997)
Egypt:
98 (September 1995)
El Salvador:
5 (1997)
Equatorial Guinea:
1 (1997)
Eritrea:
1 (2000)
Estonia:
31 (plus five repeaters) (September 1995)
Ethiopia:
25 (1999)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
2 (operated by the British Forces
Broadcasting Service) (1997)
Faroe Islands:
3 (plus 43 low-power repeaters) (September 1995)
Fiji:
NA
Finland:
130 (plus 385 repeaters) (1995)
France:
584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)
French Guiana:
3 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997)
French Polynesia:
7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Gabon:
4 (plus five low-power repeaters) (1997)
Gambia, The:
1 (government-owned) (1997)
Gaza Strip:
2 (operated by the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation)
(1997)
Georgia:
12 (plus repeaters) (1998)
Germany:
373 (plus 8,042 repeaters) (1995)
Ghana:
11 (1999)
Gibraltar:
1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997)
Greece:
36 (plus 1,341 low-power repeaters); also two stations in
the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (1995)
Greenland:
1 publicly-owned station, some local low-power stations,
and three AFRTS (US Air Force) stations (1997)
Grenada:
2 (1997)
Guadeloupe:
5 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997)
Guam:
5 (1997)
Guatemala:
26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)
Guernsey:
1 (1997)
Guinea:
6 (1997)
Guinea-Bissau:
2 (1997)
Guyana:
3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US
satellite services) (1997)
Haiti:
2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997)
Holy See (Vatican City):
1 (1996)
Honduras:
11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)
Hong Kong:
4 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
Hungary:
35 (plus 161 low-power repeaters) (1995)
Iceland:
14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997)
India:
562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480
stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997)
Indonesia:
41 (1999)
Iran:
28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Iraq:
13 (1997)
Ireland:
4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001)
Israel:
17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995)
Italy:
358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995)
Jamaica:
7 (1997)
Japan:
7,108 (plus 441 repeaters; note - in addition, US Forces are
served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable services) (1999)
Jersey:
1 (1997)
Johnston Atoll:
commercial satellite television system, with 16
channels (1997)
Jordan:
20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995)
Kazakhstan:
12 (plus nine repeaters) (1998)
Kenya:
8 (1997)
Kiribati:
1 (1997)
Korea, North:
38 (1999)
Korea, South:
121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel
American Forces Korea Network) (1999)
Kuwait:
13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)
Kyrgyzstan:
NA (repeater stations throughout the country relay
programs from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey) (1997)
Laos:
4 (1999)
Latvia:
44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995)
Lebanon:
15 (plus 5 repeaters) (1995)
Lesotho:
1 (2000)
Liberia:
2 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2000)
Libya:
12 (plus one low-power repeater) (1998)
Liechtenstein:
NA (linked to Swiss networks) (1997)
Lithuania:
20 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995)
Luxembourg:
5 (1999)
Macau:
0 (receives Hong Kong broadcasts) (1997)
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
31 (plus 166 repeaters)
(1995)
Madagascar:
1 (plus 36 repeaters) (1997)
Malawi:
1 (1999)
Malaysia:
27 (plus 15 high-power repeaters) (1999)
Maldives:
1 (1997)
Mali:
1 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
Malta:
6 (2000)
Man, Isle of:
0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite)
(1999)
Marshall Islands:
3 (of which two are US military stations) (1997)
Martinique:
11 (plus nine repeaters) (1997)
Mauritania:
1 (1997)
Mauritius:
2 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997)
Mayotte:
3 (1997)
Mexico:
236 (plus repeaters) (1997)
Micronesia, Federated States of:
2 (1997)
Moldova:
1 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995)
Monaco:
5 (1998)
Mongolia:
4 (plus 18 provincial repeaters and many low powered
repeaters) (1999)
Montserrat:
1 (1997)
Morocco:
35 (plus 66 repeaters) (1995)
Mozambique:
1 (2000)
Namibia:
8 (plus about 20 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Nauru:
1 (1997)
Nepal:
1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)
Netherlands:
21 (plus 26 repeaters) (1995)
Netherlands Antilles:
3 (there is also a cable service which
supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and
two Venezuelan channels) (1997)
New Caledonia:
6 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1997)
New Zealand:
41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650
low-power repeaters) (1997)
Nicaragua:
3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997)
Niger:
10 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997)
Nigeria:
2 government-controlled; note - in addition, in 1993, 14
licenses to operate private television stations were granted (1999)
Niue:
1 (1997)
Norfolk Island:
1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that
bring in Australian programs by satellite) (1998)
Northern Mariana Islands:
1 (on Saipan and one station planned for
Rota; in addition, two cable services on Saipan provide varied
programming from satellite networks) (1997)
Norway:
360 (plus 2,729 repeaters) (1995)
Oman:
13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999)
Pakistan:
22 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997)
Palau:
1 (1997)
Panama:
38 (including repeaters) (1998)
Papua New Guinea:
3 (1997)
Paraguay:
4 (2001)
Peru:
13 (plus 112 repeaters) (1997)
Philippines:
31 (1997)
Pitcairn Islands:
0 (1997)
Poland:
179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995)
Portugal:
62 (plus 166 repeaters)
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands (1995)
Puerto Rico:
18 (plus three stations of the US Armed Forces Radio
and Television Service) (1997)
Qatar:
2 (plus three repeaters) (1997)
Reunion:
22 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Romania:
48 (plus 392 repeaters) (1995)
Russia:
7,306 (1998)
Rwanda:
2 (1997)
Saint Helena:
0 (1997)
Saint Kitts and Nevis:
1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)
Saint Lucia:
3 (of which two are commercial stations and one is a
community antenna television or CATV channel) (1997)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
0 (there are, however, two repeaters
which rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)
Samoa:
6 (1997)
San Marino:
1 (San Marino residents also receive broadcasts from
Italy) (1997)
Sao Tome and Principe:
2 (1997)
Saudi Arabia:
117 (1997)
Senegal:
1 (1997)
Seychelles:
2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)
Sierra Leone:
2 (1999)
Singapore:
6 (2000)
Slovakia:
38 (plus 864 repeaters) (1995)
Slovenia:
48 (2001)
Solomon Islands:
0 (1997)
Somalia:
1 (1997)
South Africa:
556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands:
0 (1997)
Spain:
224 (plus 2,105 repeaters)
note: these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 88
repeaters in the Canary Islands (1995)
Sri Lanka:
21 (1997)
Sudan:
3 (1997)
Suriname:
3 (plus seven repeaters) (2000)
Svalbard:
NA
Swaziland:
10 (2000)
Sweden:
169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995)
Switzerland:
115 (plus 1,919 repeaters) (1995)
Syria:
44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Tajikistan:
0 (there are, however, repeaters that relay programs
from Russia, Iran, and Turkey) (1997)
Tanzania:
3 (1999)
Thailand:
5 (all in Bangkok; plus 131 repeaters) (1997)
Togo:
3 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
Tokelau:
NA
Tonga:
1 (2001)
Trinidad and Tobago:
4 (1997)
Tunisia:
26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)
Turkey:
635 (plus 2,934 repeaters) (1995)
Turkmenistan:
3 (much programming relayed from Russia and Turkey)
(1997)
Turks and Caicos Islands:
0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are
received; cable television is established) (1997)
Tuvalu:
0 (1997)
Uganda:
8 (plus one low-power repeater) (1999)
Ukraine:
at least 33 (plus 21 repeaters that relay broadcasts from
Russia) (1997)
United Arab Emirates:
15 (1997)
United Kingdom:
228 (plus 3,523 repeaters) (1995)
United States:
more than 1,500 (including nearly 1,000 stations
affiliated with the five major networks - NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and
PBS; in addition, there are about 9,000 cable TV systems) (1997)
Uruguay:
26 (plus ten low-power repeaters for the Montevideo
station) (1997)
Uzbekistan:
4 (plus two repeaters that relay Russian, Kazakh,
Kyrgyz, and Tadzhik programs) (1997)
Vanuatu:
1 (1997)
Venezuela:
66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)
Vietnam:
at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998)
Virgin Islands:
2 (1997)
Wake Island:
0 (1997)
Wallis and Futuna:
2 (2000)
West Bank:
NA
Western Sahara:
NA
World:
NA
Yemen:
7 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997)
Yugoslavia:
more than 771 (including 86 strong stations and 685
low-power stations, plus 20 repeaters in the principal networks;
also numerous local or private stations in Serbia and Vojvodina)
(1997)
Zambia:
9 (1997)
Zimbabwe:
16 (1997)
Taiwan:
29 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
======================================================================
@Televisions
Afghanistan:
100,000 (1999)
Albania:
405,000 (1997)
Algeria:
3.1 million (1997)
American Samoa:
14,000 (1997)
Andorra:
27,000 (1997)
Angola:
150,000 (1997)
Anguilla:
1,000 (1997)
Antarctica:
several hundred at McMurdo Sound
note: information for US bases only (2001)
Antigua and Barbuda:
31,000 (1997)
Argentina:
7.95 million (1997)
Armenia:
825,000 (1997)
Aruba:
20,000 (1997)
Australia:
10.15 million (1997)
Austria:
4.25 million (1997)
Azerbaijan:
170,000 (1997)
Bahamas, The:
67,000 (1997)
Bahrain:
275,000 (1997)
Bangladesh:
770,000 (1997)
Barbados:
76,000 (1997)
Belarus:
2.52 million (1997)
Belgium:
4.72 million (1997)
Belize:
41,000 (1997)
Benin:
60,000 (1997)
Bermuda:
66,000 (1997)
Bhutan:
11,000 (1997)
Bolivia:
900,000 (1997)
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
NA
Botswana:
31,000 (1997)
Brazil:
36.5 million (1997)
British Indian Ocean Territory:
NA
British Virgin Islands:
4,000 (1997)
Brunei:
201,900 (1998)
Bulgaria:
3.31 million (1997)
Burkina Faso:
100,000 (1997)
Burma:
320,000 (2000)
Burundi:
25,000 (1997)
Cambodia:
94,000 (1997)
Cameroon:
450,000 (1997)
Canada:
21.5 million (1997)
Cape Verde:
2,000 (1997)
Cayman Islands:
7,000 (1997)
Central African Republic:
18,000 (1997)
Chad:
10,000 (1997)
Chile:
3.15 million (1997)
China:
400 million (1997)
Christmas Island:
600 (1997)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
NA
Colombia:
4.59 million (1997)
Comoros:
1,000 (1997)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
6.478 million (1997)
Congo, Republic of the:
33,000 (1997)
Cook Islands:
4,000 (1997)
Costa Rica:
525,000 (1997)
Cote d'Ivoire:
900,000 (1997)
Croatia:
1.22 million (1997)
Cuba:
2.64 million (1997)
Cyprus:
Greek Cypriot area: 248,000 (1997); Turkish Cypriot area:
52,300 (1994)
Czech Republic:
3,405,834 (December 2000)
Denmark:
3.121 million (1997)
Djibouti:
28,000 (1997)
Dominica:
6,000 (1997)
Dominican Republic:
770,000 (1997)
Ecuador:
1.55 million (1997)
Egypt:
7.7 million (1997)
El Salvador:
600,000 (1990)
Equatorial Guinea:
4,000 (1997)
Eritrea:
1,000 (1997)
Estonia:
605,000 (1997)
Ethiopia:
320,000 (1997)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
1,000 (1997)
Faroe Islands:
15,000 (1997)
Fiji:
21,000 (1997)
Finland:
3.2 million (1997)
France:
34.8 million (1997)
French Guiana:
30,000 (1997)
French Polynesia:
40,000 (1997)
Gabon:
63,000 (1997)
Gambia, The:
5,000 (2000)
Gaza Strip:
NA; note - most Palestinian households have televisions
(1997)
Georgia:
2.57 million (1997)
Germany:
51.4 million (1998)
Ghana:
1.73 million (1997)
Gibraltar:
10,000 (1997)
Greece:
2.54 million (1997)
Greenland:
30,000 (1998 est.)
Grenada:
33,000 (1997)
Guadeloupe:
118,000 (1997)
Guam:
106,000 (1997)
Guatemala:
1.323 million (1997)
Guernsey:
NA
Guinea:
85,000 (1997)
Guinea-Bissau:
NA
Guyana:
46,000 (1997)
Haiti:
38,000 (1997)
Holy See (Vatican City):
NA
Honduras:
570,000 (1997)
Hong Kong:
1.84 million (1997)
Hungary:
4.42 million (1997)
Iceland:
98,000 (1997)
India:
63 million (1997)
Indonesia:
13.75 million (1997)
Iran:
4.61 million (1997)
Iraq:
1.75 million (1997)
Ireland:
1.82 million (2001)
Israel:
1.69 million (1997)
Italy:
30.3 million (1997)
Jamaica:
460,000 (1997)
Japan:
86.5 million (1997)
Jersey:
NA
Jordan:
500,000 (1997)
Kazakhstan:
3.88 million (1997)
Kenya:
730,000 (1997)
Kiribati:
1,000 (1997)
Korea, North:
1.2 million (1997)
Korea, South:
15.9 million (1997)
Kuwait:
875,000 (1997)
Kyrgyzstan:
210,000 (1997)
Laos:
52,000 (1997)
Latvia:
1.22 million (1997)
Lebanon:
1.18 million (1997)
Lesotho:
54,000 (1997)
Liberia:
70,000 (1997)
Libya:
730,000 (1997)
Liechtenstein:
12,000 (1997)
Lithuania:
1.7 million (1997)
Luxembourg:
285,000 (1998 est.)
Macau:
49,000 (1997)
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
510,000 (1997)
Madagascar:
325,000 (1997)
Malawi:
0 (1999)
Malaysia:
10.8 million (1999)
Maldives:
10,000 (1999)
Mali:
45,000 (1997)
Malta:
280,000 (1997)
Man, Isle of:
27,490 (1999)
Marshall Islands:
NA
Martinique:
66,000 (1997)
Mauritania:
87,000 (1998)
Mauritius:
258,000 (1997)
Mayotte:
3,500 (1994)
Mexico:
25.6 million (1997)
Micronesia, Federated States of:
NA
Moldova:
1.26 million (1997)
Monaco:
25,000 (1997)
Mongolia:
168,800 (1999)
Montserrat:
3,000 (1997)
Morocco:
3.1 million (1997)
Mozambique:
67,600 (2000)
Namibia:
60,000 (1997)
Nauru:
500 (1997)
Nepal:
130,000 (1997)
Netherlands:
8.1 million (1997)
Netherlands Antilles:
69,000 (1997)
New Caledonia:
52,000 (1997)
New Zealand:
1.926 million (1997)
Nicaragua:
320,000 (1997)
Niger:
125,000 (1997)
Nigeria:
6.9 million (1997)
Niue:
NA
Norfolk Island:
1,200 (1996)
Northern Mariana Islands:
NA
Norway:
2.03 million (1997)
Oman:
1.6 million (1997)
Pakistan:
3.1 million (1997)
Palau:
11,000 (1997)
Panama:
510,000 (1997)
Papua New Guinea:
42,000 (1997)
Paraguay:
990,000 (2001)
Peru:
3.06 million (1997)
Philippines:
3.7 million (1997)
Pitcairn Islands:
NA
Poland:
13.05 million (1997)
Portugal:
3.31 million (1997)
Puerto Rico:
1.021 million (1997)
Qatar:
230,000 (1997)
Reunion:
127,000 (1997)
Romania:
5.25 million (1997)
Russia:
60.5 million (1997)
Rwanda:
NA; probably less than 1,000 (1997)
Saint Helena:
2,000 (1997)
Saint Kitts and Nevis:
10,000 (1997)
Saint Lucia:
32,000 (1997)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
4,000 (1997)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
18,000 (1997)
Samoa:
11,000 (1997)
San Marino:
9,000 (1997)
Sao Tome and Principe:
23,000 (1997)
Saudi Arabia:
5.1 million (1997)
Senegal:
361,000 (1997)
Seychelles:
11,000 (1997)
Sierra Leone:
53,000 (1997)
Singapore:
1.33 million (1997)
Slovakia:
2.62 million (1997)
Slovenia:
710,000 (1997)
Solomon Islands:
3,000 (1997)
Somalia:
135,000 (1997)
South Africa:
5.2 million (1997)
Spain:
16.2 million (1997)
Sri Lanka:
1.53 million (1997)
Sudan:
2.38 million (1997)
Suriname:
63,000 (1997)
Svalbard:
NA
Swaziland:
21,000 (1997)
Sweden:
4.6 million (1997)
Switzerland:
3.31 million (1997)
Syria:
1.05 million (1997)
Tajikistan:
860,000 (1991)
Tanzania:
103,000 (1997)
Thailand:
15.19 million (1997)
Togo:
73,000 (1997)
Tokelau:
NA
Tonga:
2,000 (1997)
Trinidad and Tobago:
425,000 (1997)
Tunisia:
920,000 (1997)
Turkey:
20.9 million (1997)
Turkmenistan:
820,000 (1997)
Turks and Caicos Islands:
NA
Tuvalu:
800
Uganda:
315,000 (1997)
Ukraine:
18.05 million (1997)
United Arab Emirates:
310,000 (1997)
United Kingdom:
30.5 million (1997)
United States:
219 million (1997)
Uruguay:
782,000 (1997)
Uzbekistan:
6.4 million (1997)
Vanuatu:
2,000 (1997)
Venezuela:
4.1 million (1997)
Vietnam:
3.57 million (1997)
Virgin Islands:
68,000 (1997)
Wallis and Futuna:
NA
West Bank:
NA; note - many Palestinian households have televisions
(1999)
Western Sahara:
6,000 (1997)
World:
NA
Yemen:
470,000 (1997)
Yugoslavia:
2.75 million (1997)
Zambia:
277,000 (1997)
Zimbabwe:
370,000 (1997)
Taiwan:
8.8 million (1998)
======================================================================
@Terrain
Afghanistan:
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Albania:
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Algeria:
mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow,
discontinuous coastal plain
American Samoa:
five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited
coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)
Andorra:
rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys
Angola:
narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau
Anguilla:
flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone
Antarctica:
about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren
rock, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters;
mountain ranges up to 5,140 meters; ice-free coastal areas include
parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic
Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers
form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice
shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent
Antigua and Barbuda:
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands,
with some higher volcanic areas
Arctic Ocean:
central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar
icepack that averages about 3 meters in thickness, although pressure
ridges may be three times that size; clockwise drift pattern in the
Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the
New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland
and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the
summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends
to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50%
continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the
remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges
(Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)
Argentina:
rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to
rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western
border
Armenia:
Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast
flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
Aruba:
flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Ashmore and Cartier Islands:
low with sand and coral
Atlantic Ocean:
surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador
Sea, Denmark Strait, and Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise
warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the northern
Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the southern Atlantic;
the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged
north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin
Australia:
mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in
southeast
Austria:
in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the
eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
Azerbaijan:
large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much
of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north,
Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron
Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea
Bahamas, The:
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Bahrain:
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central
escarpment
Baker Island:
low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow
fringing reef
Bangladesh:
mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Barbados:
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Bassas da India:
volcanic rock
Belarus:
generally flat and contains much marshland
Belgium:
flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills,
rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Belize:
flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Benin:
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Bermuda:
low hills separated by fertile depressions
Bhutan:
mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Bolivia:
rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano),
hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
mountains and valleys
Botswana:
predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari
Desert in southwest
Bouvet Island:
volcanic; maximum elevation about 800 m; coast is
mostly inaccessible
Brazil:
mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains,
hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
British Indian Ocean Territory:
flat and low (most areas do not
exceed four meters in elevation)
British Virgin Islands:
coral islands relatively flat; volcanic
islands steep, hilly
Brunei:
flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland
in west
Bulgaria:
mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Burkina Faso:
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in
west and southeast
Burma:
central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands
Burundi:
hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some
plains
Cambodia:
mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
Cameroon:
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected
plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north
Canada:
mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in
southeast
Cape Verde:
steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
Cayman Islands:
low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs
Central African Republic:
vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau;
scattered hills in northeast and southwest
Chad:
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in
northwest, lowlands in south
Chile:
low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes
in east
China:
mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains,
deltas, and hills in east
Christmas Island:
steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central
plateau
Clipperton Island:
coral atoll
Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
flat, low-lying coral atolls
Colombia:
flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes
Mountains, eastern lowland plains
Comoros:
volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to
low hills
Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
vast central basin is a low-lying
plateau; mountains in east
Congo, Republic of the:
coastal plain, southern basin, central
plateau, northern basin