general assessment: mobile cellular service is increasing
rapidly, but the number of main lines is still deficient; work
underway on a national backbone information and communications
technology infrastructure; international phone networks and Internet
connectivity provided through satellite and VSAT applications
domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and
radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile-cellular
systems for short-range traffic; mobile-cellular teledensity about
30 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and
Tanzania
Ukraine
general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development
plan 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 rising and the domestic trunk system
is being improved; about one-third of Ukraine's networks are digital
and a majority of regional centers now have digital switching
stations; improvements in local networks and local exchanges
continue to lag; the mobile-cellular telephone system's expansion
has slowed, largely due to saturation of the market which has
reached 120 mobile phones per 100 people
international: country code - 380; 2 new domestic trunk lines are a
part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and 3
Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic
Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries;
additional international service is provided by the
Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and
by an unknown number of earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat,
and Intersputnik satellite systems
United Arab Emirates
general assessment: modern fiber-optic
integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of
mobile-cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable
international: country code - 971; linked to the international
submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); landing
point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable
networks; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean
and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; 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: country code - 44; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US;
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 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: country code - 1; multiple ocean cable systems
provide international connectivity; 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: fully digitalized
domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new
nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line and
mobile-cellular teledensity is 135 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 598; the UNISOR submarine cable system
provides direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)
Uzbekistan
general assessment: digital exchanges in large cities but
still antiquated and inadequate in rural areas
domestic: the state-owned telecommunications company, Uzbektelecom,
owner of the fixed line telecommunications system, has used loans
from the Japanese government and the China Development Bank to
upgrade fixed-line services including conversion to digital
exchanges; mobile-cellular services are growing rapidly, with the
subscriber base exceeding 16 million in 2009
international: country code - 998; linked by fiber-optic cable 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 plans to establish a fiber-optic
connection to Afghanistan (2009)
Vanuatu
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 678; 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; combined fixed and mobile-cellular
telephone subscribership 130 per 100 persons
international: country code - 58; submarine cable systems provide
connectivity to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and US;
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 (2009)
Vietnam
general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort
into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system
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; main lines have been increased, and
the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly
international: country code - 84; a landing point for the
SEA-ME-WE-3, the C2C, and Thailand-Vietnam-Hong Kong submarine cable
systems; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable system, scheduled
for completion by the end of 2008, will provide new access links to
Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian
Ocean region)
Virgin Islands
general assessment: modern system with total digital
switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
domestic: full range of services available
international: country code - 1-340; submarine cable connections to
US, the Caribbean, Central and South America; satellite earth
stations - NA
Wake Island
general assessment: satellite communications; 2 DSN
circuits off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS); located in the
Hawaii area code - 808
domestic: NA
international: NA
Wallis and Futuna
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 681
West Bank
general assessment: continuing political and economic
instability has impeded significant liberalization of the
telecommunications industry
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL
are responsible for fixed line services; PALTEL plans to establish a
fiber-optic connection to Jordan to route domestic mobile calls; the
Palestinian JAWWAL company and WATANIYA PALESTINE provide cellular
services
international: country code - 970; 1 international switch in
Ramallah (2009) (2009)
Western Sahara
general assessment: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 212; 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, GSM and CDMA mobile-cellular telephone
systems; fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity remains low by
regional standards
international: country code - 967; landing point for the
international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe
(FLAG); 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
Zambia
general assessment: 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
and network coverage is improving; domestic satellite system being
installed to improve telephone service in rural areas; Internet
service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT)
networks are operated by private firms
international: country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 3 owned by Zamtel
Zimbabwe
general assessment: system was once one of the best in
Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance
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: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat; 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and
Gweru)
======================================================================
@2125
Field Listing :: Terrain
This entry contains a brief description of the topography.
Country
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 nearly 5,000 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, on average, is about 3 meters thick, although pressure
ridges may be three times that thickness; 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 coastal portions of the 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
Bangladesh
mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Barbados
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
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; 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 two 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
Cook Islands
low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in
south
Coral Sea Islands
sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays)
Costa Rica
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including
over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
Cote d'Ivoire
mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in
northwest
Croatia
geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border,
low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Cuba
mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains
in the southeast
Curacao
generally low, hilly terrain
Cyprus
central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered
but significant plains along southern coast
Czech Republic
Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains,
hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east
consists of very hilly country
Denmark
low and flat to gently rolling plains
Djibouti
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Dominica
rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Dominican Republic
rugged highlands and mountains with fertile
valleys interspersed
Ecuador
coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands
(sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
Egypt
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
El Salvador
mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central
plateau
Equatorial Guinea
coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are
volcanic
Eritrea
dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending
highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the
northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling
plains
Estonia
marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Ethiopia
high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great
Rift Valley
European Union
fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast;
mountainous in the central and southern areas
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
rocky, hilly, mountainous with
some boggy, undulating plains
Faroe Islands
rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of
coast
Fiji
mostly mountains of volcanic origin
Finland
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes
and low hills
France
metropolitan France: mostly flat plains or gently rolling
hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially
Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
French Guiana: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small
mountains
Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior
mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the
seven other islands are volcanic in origin
Martinique: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Reunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
French Polynesia
mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with
reefs
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et
Ile Saint-Paul): a volcanic island with steep coastal cliffs; the
center floor of the volcano is a large plateau
Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): triangular in
shape, the island is the top of a volcano, rocky with steep cliffs
on the eastern side; has active thermal springs
Iles Crozet: a large archipelago formed from the Crozet Plateau is
divided into two groups of islands
Iles Kerguelen: the interior of the large island of Ile Kerguelen is
composed of rugged terrain of high mountains, hills, valleys, and
plains with a number of peninsulas stretching off its coasts
Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): atoll, awash at high tide; shallow
(15 m) lagoon
Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: low, flat, and
sandy
Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): low, flat, sandy; likely volcanic
seamount
Gabon
narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Gambia, The
flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills
Gaza Strip
flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Georgia
largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the
north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi
(Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River
Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains,
foothills of Kolkhida Lowland
Germany
lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Ghana
mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Gibraltar
a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Greece
mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as
peninsulas or chains of islands
Greenland
flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow,
mountainous, barren, rocky coast
Grenada
volcanic in origin with central mountains
Guam
volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat
coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep
coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in
center, mountains in south
Guatemala
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling
limestone plateau
Guernsey
mostly level with low hills in southwest
Guinea
generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
Guinea-Bissau
mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Guyana
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Haiti
mostly rough and mountainous
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Heard Island - 80% ice-covered,
bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an
active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky
Holy See (Vatican City)
urban; low hill
Honduras
mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Hong Kong
hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Hungary
mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on
the Slovakian border
Iceland
mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields;
coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
India
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain
along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Indian Ocean
surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad,
circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique
reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low
atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer
air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast
winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from
cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and
northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated
by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian
Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge
Indonesia
mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior
mountains
Iran
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts,
mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Iraq
mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in
south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran
and Turkey
Ireland
mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged
hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
Isle of Man
hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Israel
Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central
mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Italy
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Jamaica
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Jan Mayen
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Japan
mostly rugged and mountainous
Jersey
gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Jordan
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great
Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River