ZWD (part 12)

Sri Lanka
All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC [G.PONNAMBALAM]; Ceylon
Workers Congress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party or CP
[D. GUNASEKERA]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP [Douglas
DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front or EPRLF
[Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Somawansa
AMARASINGHE]; Lanka Sama Samaja Party or LSSP [Tissa VITHARANA];
Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (People's United Front) or MEP [D.
GUNAWARDENE]; National Heritage Party or JHU [Ellawala METHANANDA];
National Unity Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Liberation
Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [D. SIDHARTHAN]; Sri Lanka
Freedom Party or SLFP [Mahinda RAJAPAKSA]; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress
or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO
[Selvam ADAIKALANATHAN]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA [R.
SAMPANTHAN]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [V.
ANANDASANGAREE]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil
WICKREMASINGHE]; Up-country People's Front or UPF [P. CHANDRASEKARAN]

Sudan
National Congress Party or NCP [Umar Hassan al-BASHIR]; Sudan
People's Liberation Movement or SPLM [Salva Mayardit KIIR]; and
elements of the National Democratic Alliance or NDA including
factions of the Democratic Union Party [Muhammad Uthman al-MIRGHANI]
and Umma Party [SADIQ Siddiq al-Mahdi]; note - all political parties
listed above in the Government of National Unity

Suriname
Alternative-1 or A-1 (a coalition of Amazone Party of
Suriname or APS [Kenneth VAN GENDEREN], Democrats of the 21st
Century or D-21 [Soewarto MOESTADJA], Nieuw Suriname or NS [Radjen
Nanan PANDAY], Political Wing of the FAL or PVF [Jiwan SITAL],
Trefpunt 2000 or T-2000 [Arti JESSURUN]); General Interior
Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK]; National Democratic
Party or NDP [Desire BOUTERSE]; New Front for Democracy and
Development or NF (a coalition that includes A-Combination or A-Com,
Democratic Alternative 1991 or DA-91, an independent,
business-oriented party [Winston JESSURUN], National Party Suriname
or NPS [Ronald VENETIAAN], United Reform Party or VHP [Ramdien
SARDJOE], Pertjaja Luhur or PL [Salam Paul SOMOHARDJO], Surinamese
Labor Party or SPA [Siegfried GILDS]); Party for Democracy and
Development in Unity or DOE [Marten SCHALKWIJK]; People's Alliance
for Progress or VVV (a coalition of Democratic National Platform
2000 or DNP-2000 [Jules WIJDENBOSCH], Grassroots Party for Renewal
and Democracy or BVD [Tjan GOBARDHAN], Party for National Unity and
Solidarity of the Highest Order or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA], Party for
Progression, Justice, and Perseverance or PPRS [Renee KAIMAN],
Pendawalima or PL [Raymond SAPOEN]); Progressive Laborers and
Farmers Union or PALU [Jim HOK]; Progressive Political Party or PPP
[Surinder MUNGRA]; Seeka [Paul ABENA]; Union of Progressive
Surinamers or UPS [Sheoradj PANDAY]

Swaziland
the status of political parties, previously banned, is
unclear under the new (2006) Constitution and currently being
debated - the following are considered political associations;
African United Democratic Party or AUDP [Stanley MAUNDZISA,
president]; Imbokodvo National Movement or INM; Ngwane National
Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's
United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]

Sweden
Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party
[Goran HAGGLUND]; Environment Party the Greens [no formal leader but
party spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left
Party or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Liberal People's Party
[Jan BJORKLUND]; Moderate Party (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT];
Social Democratic Party [Mona SAHLIN]

Switzerland
Green Party (Gruene Partei der Schweiz or Gruene, Parti
Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I
Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruth GENNER];
Christian Democratic People's Party (Christlichdemokratische
Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or
PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida
Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Christophe DARBELLAY];
Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der
Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio
Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Fulvio PELLI]; Social Democratic
Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti
Socialist Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida
Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Hans-Juerg FEHR]; Swiss
People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union
Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC,
Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER]; and other minor
parties

Syria
legal parties: National Progressive Front or NPF [President
Bashar al-ASAD, Dr. Suleiman QADDAH] (includes Arab Socialist
Renaissance (Ba'th) Party [President Bashar al-ASAD]; Socialist
Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr Al-DIN]; Syrian Arab
Socialist Union or ASU [Safwan QUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party (two
branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yusuf Rashid FAYSAL]; Syrian Social
Nationalist Party [Ali QANSU]; Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez
ISMAIL])
opposition parties not legally recognized:: Arab Democratic
Socialist Union Party [Hasan Abdul AZIM]; Arab Socialist Movement;
Democratic Ba'th Party [Ibrahim MAHKOS]; People's Democratic Party
[Riad al TURK]; Revolutionary Workers' Party [Abdul Hafeez al HAFEZ]
Kurdish parties (considered illegal): Kurdish Democratic Front
[Abdul Hamid DARWISH] (includes four parties); Kurdish Coordination
[Abdul Hakim BASHAR] (includes Azadi Party [Kheirudin MURAD], Future
Party [Masha'l TAMMO], Yekity Party [Hasam SALE])
other parties: Nahda Party [Abdul Aziz al MISLET]; Syrian Democratic
Party [Mustafa QALAAJI]

Taiwan
Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [TSAI Ing-wen];
Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [WU Po-hsiung]; Non-Partisan
Solidarity Union or NPSU [CHANG Po-ya]; People First Party or PFP
[James SOONG]

Tajikistan
Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Amir KARAKULOV];
Democratic Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV (imprisoned October
2005); Rahmatullo VALIYEV, deputy]; Islamic Revival Party [Muhiddin
KABIRI]; Party of Economic Reform or PER [Olimzon BOBOYEV]; People's
Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMON]; Social
Democratic Party or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOYIROV]; Socialist Party or
SPT [Mirhuseyn NARZIYEV]; Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi
SHABDOLOV]

Tanzania
Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party of Democracy and
Development) or CHADEMA [Bob MAKANI]; Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM
(Revolutionary Party) [Jakaya Mrisho KIKWETE]; Civic United Front or
CUF [Ibrahim LIPUMBA]; Democratic Party [Christopher MTIKLA]
(unregistered); Tanzania Labor Party or TLP [Augustine Lyatonga
MREME]; United Democratic Party or UDP [John CHEYO]

Thailand
Democrat Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [ABHISIT
Wetchachiwa, also spelled ABHISIT Vejjajiva]; Matchima Thippatai
(Middle Way Party) [ANONGWAN Therpsuthin] - disbanded; Motherland
Party (Peua Pandin Party); People's Power Party (Palang Prachachon
Party) or PPP [SOMCHAI Wongsawat, acting] - disbanded; Royalist
People's Party (Pracharaj) [SANOH Thienthong]; Ruam Jai Thai Party
(Thai Unity Party) [CHETTA Thanacharo, also spelled CHETTHA
Thanajaro]; Thai Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BARNHARN
SILPA-ARCHA] - disbanded

Timor-Leste
Democratic Party or PD [Fernando de ARAUJO]; National
Congress for Timorese Reconstruction or CNRT [Xanana GUSMAO];
National Democratic Union of Timorese Resistance or UNDERTIM
[Cornelio DA Conceicao GAMA]; National Unity Party or PUN [Fernanda
BORGES]; People's Party of Timor or PPT [Jacob XAVIER];
Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste or FRETILIN [Mari
ALKATIRI]; Social Democratic Association of Timor or ASDT [Francisco
Xavier do AMARAL]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Mario
CARRASCALAO]; Sons of the Mountain Warriors or KOTA [Manuel TILMAN]
(also known as Association of Timorese Heroes)

Togo
Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Yawovi AGBOYIBO];
Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA; Democratic Party
for Renewal or PDR; Juvento [Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the
Believers of Peace and Equality or MOCEP; Pan-African Patriotic
Convergence or CPP; Rally for the Support for Development and
Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO]; Rally of the Togolese People or
RPT [Faure GNASSINGBE]; Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR; Union for
Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU]; Union of Forces
for a Change or UFC [Gilchrist OLYMPIO]

Tokelau
none

Tonga
Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or THRDM [Uliti
UATA]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tesina FUKO]

Trinidad and Tobago
Congress of the People [Winston DOOKERAN];
Democratic Action Congress or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES] (only active in
Tobago); Democratic National Alliance or DNA [Gerald YETMING]
(coalition of NAR, DDPT, MND); Movement for National Development or
MND [Garvin NICHOLAS]; National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR
[Dr. Carson CHARLES]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick
MANNING]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]

Tunisia
Al-Tajdid Movement [Ahmed IBRAHIM]; Constitutional
Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique)
or RCD (official ruling party) [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI];
Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties or FDTL [Mustapha Ben
JAFAAR]; Green Party for Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI]; Liberal
Social Party or PSL [Mondher THABET]; Movement of Socialist
Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP
[Mohamed BOUCHIHA]; Progressive Democratic Party [Maya JERIBI];
Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]; note - the
Islamist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

Turkey
Anavatan Partisi (Motherland Party) or Anavatan [Erkan
MUMCU]; Democratic Left Party or DSP [Mehmet Zeki SEZER]; Democratic
Society Party or DTP [Nurettin DEMIRTAS]; Felicity Party or SP
[Recai KUTAN] (sometimes translated as Contentment Party); Justice
and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN]; Nationalist
Action Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI] (sometimes translated as
Nationalist Movement Party); People's Rise Party (Halkin Yukselisi
Partisi) or HYP [Yasar Nuri OZTURK]; Republican People's Party or
CHP [Deniz BAYKAL]; Social Democratic People's Party or SHP [Murat
KARAYALCIN]; True Path Party or DYP [Mehmet AGAR] (sometimes
translated as Correct Way Party); Young Party or GP [Cem Cengiz UZAN]
note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant of
the 49 parties that Turkey had on 1 December 2004

Turkmenistan
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Gurbanguly
BERDIMUHAMEDOW]
note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small
opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries; the
two most prominent opposition groups-in-exile have been National
Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan (NDMT) and the United Democratic
Party of Turkmenistan (UDPT); NDMT was led by former Foreign
Minister Boris SHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the
wake of the 25 November 2002 attack on President NYYAZOW's motorcade

Turks and Caicos Islands
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Floyd
SEYMOUR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]

Tuvalu
there are no political parties but members of Parliament
usually align themselves in informal groupings

Uganda
Conservative Party or CP [Ken LUKYAMUZI]; Democratic Party or
DP [Kizito SSEBAANA]; Forum for Democratic Change or FDC [Kizza
BESIGYE]; Justice Forum or JEEMA [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA];
National Resistance Movement or NRM [Yoweri MUSEVENI]; Peoples
Progressive Party or PPP [Bidandi SSALI]; Ugandan People's Congress
or UPC [Miria OBOTE]
note: a national referendum in July 2005 opened the way for Uganda's
transition to a multi-party political system

Ukraine
Christian Democratic Union [Volodymyr STRETOVYCH]; Communist
Party of Ukraine or CPU [Petro SYMONENKO]; European Party of Ukraine
[Mykola KATERYNCHUK]; Fatherland Party (Batkivshchyna) [Yuliya
TYMOSHENKO]; Forward Ukraine! [Viktor MUSIYAKA]; Labor Party of
Ukraine [Mykola SYROTA]; People's Union Our Ukraine [Vyacheslav
KYRYLENKO]; Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs [Anatoliy
KINAKH]; Party of the Defenders of the Fatherland [Yuriy Karmazin];
People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) [Borys TARASYUK]; People's Party
[Volodymyr LYTVYN]; PORA! (It's Time!) party [Vladyslav KASKIV];
Progressive Socialist Party [Natalya VITRENKO]; Reforms and Order
Party [Viktor PYNZENYK]; Party of Regions [Viktor YANUKOVYCH];
Republican Party [Yuriy BOYKO]; Sobor [Anatoliy MATVIYENKO]; Social
Democratic Party [Yevhen KORNICHUK]; Social Democratic Party
(United) or SDPU(o) [Yuriy ZAHORODNIY]; Socialist Party of Ukraine
or SPU [Oleksandr MOROZ]; Ukrainian People's Party [Yuriy KOSTENKO];
Viche [Inna BOHOSLOVSKA]

United Arab Emirates
none

United Kingdom
Conservative [David CAMERON]; Democratic Unionist
Party (Northern Ireland) [Peter ROBINSON]; Labor Party [Gordon
BROWN]; Liberal Democrats [Nick CLEGG]; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru)
[Ieuan Wyn JONES]; Scottish National Party or SNP [Alex SALMOND];
Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]; Social Democratic and
Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Mark DURKAN]; Ulster
Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Sir Reg EMPEY]

United States
Democratic Party [Howard DEAN]; Green Party;
Libertarian Party [William (Bill) REDPATH]; Republican Party [Robert
M. (Mike) DUNCAN]

Uruguay
Broad Front (Frente Amplio) - formerly known as the
Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or EP-FA [Jorge
BROVETTO] (a broad governing coalition that includes Movement of the
Popular Participation or MPP [Jose MUJICA], New Space Party (Nuevo
Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI], Progressive Alliance (Alianza
Progresista) [Rodolfo NIN NOVOA], Socialist Party [Eduardo
FERNANDEZ], the Communist Party [Marina ARISMENDI], Uruguayan
Assembly (Asamblea Uruguay) [Danilo ASTORI], and Vertiente
Artiguista [Mariano ARANA]); Colorado Party (Foro Batllista) [Julio
Maria SANGUINETTI]; National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto LACALLE
and Jorge LARRANAGA]

Uzbekistan
Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Dilorom
TASHMUHAMMEDOVA]; Democratic National Rebirth Party (Milly
Tiklanish) or MTP [Hurshid DOSMUHAMMEDOV]; Fidokorlar National
Democratic Party (Self-Sacrificers) [Ahtam TURSUNOV]; Liberal
Democratic Party of Uzbekistan or LDPU [Adham SHADMANOV; People's
Democratic Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party) [Asliddin
RUSTAMOV]

Vanuatu
Greens Confederation or GC [Moana CARCASSES]; Jon Frum
Movement or JF [Song KEASPAI]; Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP
[Barak SOPE]; Nagriamel movement or NAG [Havo MOLI]; Namangi Aute or
NA [Paul TELUKLUK]; National United Party or NUP [Ham LINI];
People's Action Party or PAP [Peter VUTA]; People's Progressive
Party or PPP [Sato KILMAN]; Shepherds Alliance Party [leader NA];
Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanuatu Family First
Party or VFFP [Eta RORI]; Vanuatu Labor Party or VLP [Joshua
KALSAKAU]; Vanuatu National Party or VNP [Issac HAMARILIU];
Vanua'aku Pati (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu
Republican Party or VRP [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]; Vanuatu Republican
Farmers Party or VPRFP [Jean RAVOU]

Venezuela
A New Time or UNT [Manuel ROSALES]; Christian Democrats or
COPEI [Cesar PEREZ Vivas]; Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV
[Jeronimo CARRERA]; Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS Allup];
Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Justice First [Julio
BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; United
Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Venezuela
Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]; We Can or PODEMOS [Ismael
GARCIA]

Vietnam
Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH]; other
parties proscribed

Virgin Islands
Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent
Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary
SPRAUVE]

Wallis and Futuna
Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des Radicaux
de Gauche or MRG; Rally for the Republic or RPR (UMP) [Clovis
LOGOLOGOFOLAU]; Socialist Party or PS; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni
UHILA]; Union Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la
Democratie Francaise or UDF

Yemen
General People's Congress or GPC [Abdul-Kader BAJAMMAL];
Islamic Reform Grouping or Islah [Mohammed Abdullah AL-YADOUMI
(acting)]; Nasserite Unionist Party [Abdal Malik al-MAKHLAFI];
National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Dr. Qasim SALAM]; Yemeni
Socialist Party or YSP [Ali Salih MUQBIL]; note - there are at least
seven more active political parties

Zambia
All Peoples Congress Party [Winright NGONDO]; Forum for
Democracy and Development or FDD [Edith NAWAKWI]; Heritage Party or
HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger
CHONGWE]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Levy MWANAWASA];
National Democratic Focus or NDF; Patriotic Front or PF [Michael
SATA]; Party of Unity for Democracy and Development or PUDD [Dan
PULE]; Reform Party [Nevers MUMBA]; United Democratic Alliance or
UDA; United Liberal Party or ULP [Sakwiba SIKOTA]; United National
Independence Party or UNIP [Tilyenji KAUNDA]; United Party for
National Development or UPND [Hakainde HICHILEMA]; Zambia Democratic
Congress or ZADECO [Langton SICHONE]; Zambian Republican Party or
ZRP [Benjamin MWILA]

Zimbabwe
African National Party or ANP [Egypt DZINEMUNHENZVA];
Movement for Democratic Change or MDC [Morgan TSVANGIRAI,
anti-Senate faction; Arthur MUTAMBARA, pro-Senate faction]; Peace
Action is Freedom for All or PAFA; United Parties [Abel MUZOREWA];
United People's Party or UPP [Daniel SHUMBA]; Zimbabwe African
National Union-Ndonga or ZANU-Ndonga [Wilson KUMBULA]; Zimbabwe
African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert Gabriel
MUGABE]; Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Agrippa MADLELA];
Zimbabwe Youth in Alliance or ZIYA

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

@2119 Population

Afghanistan
32,738,376 (July 2008 est.)

Akrotiri
approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of
Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 Service and
UK-based contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents

Albania
3,619,778 (July 2008 est.)

Algeria
33,769,668 (July 2008 est.)

American Samoa
64,827 (July 2008 est.)

Andorra
82,627 (July 2008 est.)

Angola
12,531,357 (July 2008 est.)

Anguilla
14,108 (July 2008 est.)

Antarctica
no indigenous inhabitants, but there are both permanent
and summer-only staffed research stations
note: 28 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, operate
through their National Antarctic Program a number of seasonal-only
(summer) and year-round research stations on the continent and its
nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the region
covered by the Antarctic Treaty); these stations' population of
persons doing and supporting science or engaged in the management
and protection of the Antarctic region varies from approximately
4,000 in summer to 1,000 in winter; in addition, approximately 1,000
personnel, including ship's crew and scientists doing onboard
research, are present in the waters of the treaty region; peak
summer (December-February) population - 4,219 total; Argentina 667,
Australia 200, Brazil 40, Bulgaria 15, Chile 237, China 70, Czech
Republic 20, Ecuador 26, Finland 20, France 100, France and Italy
jointly 45, Germany 90, India 65, Italy 90, Japan 125, South Korea
70, NZ 85, Norway 44, Peru 28, Poland 40, Romania 3, Russia 429,
South Africa 80, Spain 28, Sweden 20, Ukraine 24, UK 205, US 1,293,
Uruguay 60 (2007-2008); winter (June-August) station population -
1,088 total; Argentina 176, Australia 62, Brazil 12, Chile 96, China
29, France 26, France and Italy jointly 13, Germany 9, India 25,
Italy 2, Japan 40, South Korea 18, NZ 10, Norway 7, Poland 12,
Russia 148, South Africa 10, Ukraine 12, UK 37, US 337, Uruguay 9
(2008); research stations operated within the Antarctic Treaty area
(south of 60 degrees south latitude) by National Antarctic Programs:
year-round stations - 38 total; Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1,
Chile 4, China 2, France 1, France and Italy jointly 1, Germany 1,
India 1, Japan 1, South Korea 1, NZ 1, Norway 1, Poland 1, Russia 5,
South Africa 1, Ukraine 1, UK 2, US 3, Uruguay 1 (2008); a range of
seasonal-only (summer) stations, camps, and refuges - Argentina,
Australia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Ecuador,
Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, New
Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden,
Ukraine, UK, US, and Uruguay (2007-2008); in addition, during the
austral summer some nations have numerous occupied locations such as
tent camps, summer-long temporary facilities, and mobile traverses
in support of research (March 2008 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
84,522 (July 2008 est.)

Argentina
40.482 million (July 2008 est.)

Armenia
2,968,586 (July 2008 est.)

Aruba
101,541
note: estimate based on a revision of the base population,
fertility, and mortality numbers, as well as a revision of 1985-1999
migration estimates from outmigration to inmigration, which is
assumed to continue into the future; the new results are consistent
with the 2000 census (July 2008 est.)

Ashmore and Cartier Islands no indigenous inhabitants note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island; access to East and Middle Islands is by permit only

Australia
21,007,310 (July 2008 est.)

Austria
8,205,533 (July 2008 est.)

Azerbaijan
8,177,717 (July 2008 est.)

Bahamas, The
307,451
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Bahrain 718,306 note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2008 est.)

Bangladesh
153,546,896 (July 2008 est.)

Barbados
281,968 (July 2008 est.)

Belarus
9,685,768 (July 2008 est.)

Belgium
10,403,951 (July 2008 est.)

Belize
301,270 (July 2008 est.)

Benin
8,532,547
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Bermuda
66,536 (July 2008 est.)

Bhutan
682,321
note: the Factbook population estimate is consistent with the first
modern census of Bhutan, conducted in 2005; previous Factbook
population estimates for this country, which were on the order of
three times the total population reported here, were based on
Bhutanese government publications that did not include the census
(July 2008 est.)

Bolivia
9,247,816 (July 2008 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
4,590,310 (July 2008 est.)

Botswana
1,842,323
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Bouvet Island
uninhabited

Brazil
196,342,592
note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a
population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than
projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied
underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this
country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality
due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant
mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and
changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

British Indian Ocean Territory
no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in
the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois,
were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and
1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a
British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in
November 2004, approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and
civilian contractors were living on the island of Diego Garcia

British Virgin Islands
24,041 (July 2008 est.)

Brunei
381,371 (July 2008 est.)

Bulgaria
7,262,675 (July 2008 est.)

Burkina Faso
15,264,735
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Burma
47,758,180
note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of
excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Burundi
8,691,005
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Cambodia
14,241,640
note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of
excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Cameroon
18,467,692
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Canada
33,212,696 (July 2008 est.)

Cape Verde
426,998 (July 2008 est.)

Cayman Islands
47,862
note: most of the population lives on Grand Cayman (July 2008 est.)

Central African Republic
4,444,330
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Chad
10,111,337 (July 2008 est.)

Chile
16,454,143 (July 2008 est.)

China
1,330,044,544 (July 2008 est.)

Christmas Island
1,402 (July 2007 est.)

Clipperton Island
uninhabited

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
596 (July 2007 est.)

Colombia
45,013,672 (July 2008 est.)

Comoros
731,775 (July 2008 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
66,514,504
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
3,903,318
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Cook Islands
12,271 (July 2008 est.)

Coral Sea Islands
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological
station on Willis Island (July 2007 est.)

Costa Rica
4,195,914 (July 2008 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
20,179,602
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Croatia
4,491,543 (July 2008 est.)

Cuba
11,423,952 (July 2008 est.)

Cyprus
792,604 (July 2008 est.)

Czech Republic
10,220,911 (July 2008 est.)

Denmark
5,484,723 (July 2008 est.)

Dhekelia
approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of
Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 Service and UK
Based Contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents

Djibouti
506,221 (July 2008 est.)

Dominica
72,514 (July 2008 est.)

Dominican Republic
9,507,133 (July 2008 est.)

Ecuador
13,927,650 (July 2008 est.)

Egypt
81,713,520 (July 2008 est.)

El Salvador
7,066,403 (July 2008 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
616,459 (July 2008 est.)

Eritrea
5,502,026 (July 2008 est.)

Estonia
1,307,605 (July 2008 est.)

Ethiopia
82,544,840
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

European Union
491,018,683 (July 2008 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
3,140 (July 2008 est.)

Faroe Islands
48,668 (July 2008 est.)

Fiji
931,741 (July 2008 est.)

Finland
5,244,749 (July 2008 est.)

France
total: 64,057,792
note: 62,150,775 in metropolitan France (July 2008 est.)

French Polynesia
283,019 (July 2008 est.)

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
no indigenous inhabitants
Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): has no permanent
residents but has a meteorological station
Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): is uninhabited but
is frequently visited by fishermen and has a scientific research
cabin for short stays
Iles Crozet: are uninhabited except for 18 to 30 people staffing the
Alfred Faure research station on Ile del la Possession
Iles Kerguelen: 50 to 100 scientists are located at the main base at
Port-aux-Francais on Ile Kerguelen
Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): uninhabitable
Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses):
a small French military garrison and a few meteorologists on each
possession; visited by scientists
Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): uninhabited, except for visits by
scientists

Gabon
1,485,832
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Gambia, The
1,735,464 (July 2008 est.)

Gaza Strip
1,500,202 (July 2008 est.)

Georgia
4,630,841 (July 2008 est.)

Germany
82,369,552 (July 2008 est.)

Ghana
23,382,848
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Gibraltar
28,002 (July 2008 est.)

Greece
10,722,816 (July 2008 est.)

Greenland
57,564 (July 2008 est.)

Grenada
90,343 (July 2008 est.)

Guam
175,877 (July 2008 est.)

Guatemala
13,002,206 (July 2008 est.)

Guernsey
65,726 (July 2008 est.)

Guinea
9,806,509 (July 2008 est.)

Guinea-Bissau
1,503,182 (July 2008 est.)

Guyana
770,794
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Haiti
8,924,553
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
uninhabited

Holy See (Vatican City)
824 (July 2008 est.)

Honduras
7,639,327
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Hong Kong
7,018,636 (July 2008 est.)

Hungary
9,930,915 (July 2008 est.)

Iceland
304,367 (July 2008 est.)

India
1,147,995,904 (July 2008 est.)

Indonesia
237,512,352 (July 2008 est.)

Iran
65,875,224 (July 2008 est.)

Iraq
28,221,180 (July 2008 est.)

Ireland
4,156,119 (July 2008 est.)

Isle of Man
76,220 (July 2008 est.)

Israel
7,112,359
note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank,
about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and fewer than
177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2008 est.)

Italy
58,145,320 (July 2008 est.)

Jamaica
2,804,332 (July 2008 est.)

Jan Mayen
no indigenous inhabitants
note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and
the weather and coastal services radio station

Japan
127,288,416 (July 2008 est.)

Jersey
91,533 (July 2008 est.)

Jordan
6,198,677 (July 2008 est.)

Kazakhstan
15,340,533 (July 2008 est.)

Kenya
37,953,840
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Kiribati
110,356 (July 2008 est.)

Korea, North
23,479,088 (July 2008 est.)

Korea, South
48,379,392 (July 2008 est.)

Kosovo
2,126,708 (2007 est.)

Kuwait 2,596,799 note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2008 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
5,356,869 (July 2008 est.)

Laos
6,677,534 (July 2008 est.)

Latvia
2,245,423 (July 2008 est.)

Lebanon
3,971,941 (July 2008 est.)

Lesotho
2,128,180
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Liberia
3,334,587 (July 2008 est.)

Libya 6,173,579 note: includes 166,510 non-nationals (July 2008 est.)

Liechtenstein
34,498 (July 2008 est.)

Lithuania
3,565,205 (July 2008 est.)

Luxembourg
486,006 (July 2008 est.)

Macau
545,674 (July 2008 est.)

Macedonia
2,061,315 (July 2008 est.)

Madagascar
20,042,552 (July 2008 est.)

Malawi
13,931,831
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Malaysia
25,274,132 (July 2008 est.)

Maldives
385,925 (July 2008 est.)

Mali
12,324,029 (July 2008 est.)

Malta
403,532 (July 2008 est.)

Marshall Islands
63,174 (July 2008 est.)

Mauritania
3,364,940 (July 2008 est.)

Mauritius
1,274,189 (July 2008 est.)

Mayotte
216,306 (July 2008 est.)

Mexico
109,955,400 (July 2008 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of
107,665 (July 2008 est.)

Moldova
4,324,450 (July 2008 est.)

Monaco
32,796 (July 2008 est.)

Mongolia
2,996,081 (July 2008 est.)

Montenegro
678,177 (July 2008 est.)

Montserrat
5,079
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the
resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned
(July 2008 est.)

Morocco
34,343,220 (July 2008 est.)

Mozambique
21,284,700
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected; the 1997
Mozambican census reported a population of 16,099,246 (July 2008
est.)

Namibia
2,088,669
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Nauru
13,770 (July 2008 est.)

Navassa Island uninhabited note: transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island

Nepal
29,519,114 (July 2008 est.)

Netherlands
16,645,313 (July 2008 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
225,369 (July 2008 est.)

New Caledonia
224,824 (July 2008 est.)

New Zealand
4,173,460 (July 2008 est.)

Nicaragua
5,785,846 (July 2008 est.)

Niger
13,272,679 (July 2008 est.)

Nigeria
146,255,312
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Niue
1,444 (July 2008 est.)

Norfolk Island
2,128 (July 2008 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands
86,616 (July 2008 est.)

Norway
4,644,457 (July 2008 est.)

Oman 3,311,640 note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2008 est.)

Pakistan
172,800,048 (July 2008 est.)

Palau
21,093 (July 2008 est.)

Panama
3,309,679 (July 2008 est.)

Papua New Guinea
5,931,769 (July 2008 est.)

Paracel Islands no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons

Paraguay
6,831,306 (July 2008 est.)

Peru
29,180,900 (July 2008 est.)

Philippines
96,061,680 (July 2008 est.)

Pitcairn Islands
48 (July 2008 est.)

Poland
38,500,696 (July 2008 est.)

Portugal
10,676,910 (July 2008 est.)

Puerto Rico
3,958,128 (July 2008 est.)

Qatar
824,789 (July 2008 est.)

Romania
22,246,862 (July 2008 est.)

Russia
140,702,096 (July 2008 est.)

Rwanda
10,186,063
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Saint Barthelemy
7,492 (July 2008 est.)

Saint Helena
7,601
note: only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are
inhabited (July 2008 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
39,817 (July 2008 est.)

Saint Lucia
159,585 (July 2008 est.)

Saint Martin
29,376 (July 2008 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
7,044 (July 2008 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
118,432 (July 2008 est.)

Samoa
217,083
note: prior estimates used official net migration data by sex, but a
highly unusual pattern for 1993 lead to a significant imbalance in
the sex ratios (more men and fewer women) and a seeming reduction in
the female population; the revised total was calculated using a 1993
number that was an average of the 1992 and 1994 migration figures
(July 2008 est.)

San Marino
29,973 (July 2008 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
206,178 (July 2008 est.)

Saudi Arabia 28,146,656 note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2008 est.)

Senegal 12,853,259 (July 2008 est.)

Serbia 10,159,046 note: all population data includes Kosovo (July 2008 est.)

Seychelles
82,247 (July 2008 est.)

Sierra Leone
6,294,774 (July 2008 est.)

Singapore
4,608,167 (July 2008 est.)

Slovakia
5,455,407 (July 2008 est.)

Slovenia
2,007,711 (July 2008 est.)

Solomon Islands
581,318 (July 2008 est.)

Somalia
9,558,666
note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in
1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is
complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements
in response to famine and clan warfare (July 2008 est.)

South Africa
48,782,756
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
no indigenous
inhabitants
note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March
2001 replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the British
Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on Bird
Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited

Spain
40,491,052 (July 2008 est.)

Spratly Islands
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several
claimant states

Sri Lanka
21,128,772
note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and
armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand
Tamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamils
have sought refuge in the West (July 2008 est.)

Sudan
40,218,456 (July 2008 est.)

Suriname
475,996 (July 2008 est.)

Svalbard
2,165 (July 2008 est.)

Swaziland
1,128,814
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Sweden
9,045,389 (July 2008 est.)

Switzerland
7,581,520 (July 2008 est.)

Syria
19,747,586
note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied
Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and
about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2008 est.)

Taiwan
22,920,946 (July 2008 est.)

Tajikistan
7,211,884 (July 2008 est.)

Tanzania
40,213,160
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Thailand
65,493,296
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Timor-Leste
1,108,777
note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 (July 2008 est.)

Togo
5,858,673
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Tokelau
1,433 (July 2008 est.)

Tonga
119,009 (July 2008 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
1,047,366 (July 2008 est.)

Tunisia
10,383,577 (July 2008 est.)

Turkey
71,892,808 (July 2008 est.)

Turkmenistan
5,179,571 (July 2008 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
22,352 (July 2008 est.)

Tuvalu
12,177 (July 2008 est.)

Uganda
31,367,972
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Ukraine
45,994,288 (July 2008 est.)

United Arab Emirates
4,621,399
note: estimate is based on the results of the 2005 census that
included a significantly higher estimate of net inmigration of
non-citizens than previous estimates (July 2008 est.)

United Kingdom
60,943,912 (July 2008 est.)

United States
303,824,640 (July 2008 est.)

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
no indigenous
inhabitants
note: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and
Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and
educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service
Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military
and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005 all
US government personnel had left the island
Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish
and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the
atoll
Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife
staff, and researchers

Uruguay
3,477,778 (July 2008 est.)

Uzbekistan
27,345,026 (July 2008 est.)

Vanuatu
215,446 (July 2008 est.)

Venezuela
26,414,816 (July 2008 est.)

Vietnam
86,116,560 (July 2008 est.)

Virgin Islands
109,840 (July 2008 est.)

Wake Island
no indigenous inhabitants
note: since super typhoon IOKE, a small military contingent along
with 75 contractor personnel have returned to the island to conduct
clean-up and restore basic operations on the island (July 2008 est.)

Wallis and Futuna
15,237 (July 2008 est.)

West Bank
2,407,681
note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the
West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2008 est.)

Western Sahara
393,831
note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility,
mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data
from neighboring countries (July 2008 est.)

World
6,706,993,152 (July 2008 est.)

Yemen
23,013,376 (July 2008 est.)

Zambia
11,669,534
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

Zimbabwe
11,350,111
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

@2120 Ports and terminals

Afghanistan
Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

Albania
Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore

Algeria
Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel,
Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda

American Samoa
Pago Pago

Angola
Cabinda, Lobito, Luanda, Namibe

Anguilla
Blowing Point, Road Bay

Antarctica
there are no developed ports and harbors in Antarctica;
most coastal stations have offshore anchorages, and supplies are
transferred from ship to shore by small boats, barges, and
helicopters; a few stations have a basic wharf facility; US coastal
stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E), and Palmer (64 43 S,
64 03 W); government use only except by permit (see Permit Office
under "Legal System"); all ships at port are subject to inspection
in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; offshore anchorage
is sparse and intermittent; relevant legal instruments and
authorization procedures adopted by the states parties to the
Antarctic Treaty regulating access to the Antarctic Treaty area, to
all areas between 60 and 90 degrees of latitude south, have to be
complied with (see "Legal System"); The Hydrographic Committee on
Antarctica (HCA), a special hydrographic commission of International
Hydrographic Organization (IHO), is responsible for hydrographic
surveying and nautical charting matters in Antarctic Treaty area; it
coordinates and facilitates provision of accurate and appropriate
charts and other aids to navigation in support of safety of
navigation in region; membership of HCA is open to any IHO Member
State whose government has acceded to the Antarctic Treaty and which
contributes resources and/or data to IHO Chart coverage of the area;
members of HCA are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China,
Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, NZ, Norway, Russia,
South Africa, Spain, UK, and US (2007)

Antigua and Barbuda
Saint John's

Arctic Ocean
Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)

Argentina
Arroyo Seco, Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, La Plata, Punta
Colorada, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin

Aruba
Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
none; offshore anchorage only

Atlantic Ocean
Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp
(Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca
(Morocco), Colon (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal),
Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas
(Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal),
London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal
(Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran
(Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de
Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg
(Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)

Australia
Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point,
Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney

Austria
Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna

Azerbaijan
Baku (Baki)

Bahamas, The
Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point

Bahrain
Mina' Salman, Sitrah

Bangladesh
Chittagong, Mongla Port

Barbados
Bridgetown

Belarus
Mazyr

Belgium
Antwerp, Gent, Liege, Zeebrugge

Belize
Belize City, Big Creek

Benin
Cotonou

Bermuda
Hamilton, Saint George

Bolivia
Puerto Aguirre (inland port on the Paraguay/Parana waterway
at the Bolivia/Brazil border); Bolivia has free port privileges in
maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski
Samac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava), Orasje

Bouvet Island
none; offshore anchorage only

Brazil
Guaiba, Ilha Grande, Paranagua, Rio Grande, Santos, Sao
Sebastiao, Tubarao

British Indian Ocean Territory
Diego Garcia

British Virgin Islands
Road Town

Brunei
Lumut, Muara, Seria

Bulgaria
Burgas, Varna

Burma
Moulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe

Burundi
Bujumbura

Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville)

Cameroon
Douala, Limboh Terminal

Canada
Fraser River Port, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, Port-Cartier,
Quebec City, Saint John (New Brunswick), Sept-Isles, Vancouver

Cape Verde
Porto Grande

Cayman Islands
Cayman Brac, George Town

Central African Republic
Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga

Chile
Coronel, Huasco, Lirquen, Puerto Ventanas, San Antonio, San
Vicente, Valparaiso

China
Dalian, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai,
Shenzhen, Tianjin

Christmas Island
Flying Fish Cove

Clipperton Island
none; offshore anchorage only

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Port Refuge

Colombia
Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Turbo

Comoros
Mayotte, Mutsamudu

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma,
Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka

Congo, Republic of the
Brazzaville, Djeno, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo,
Pointe-Noire

Cook Islands
Avatiu

Coral Sea Islands
none; offshore anchorage only

Costa Rica
Caldera, Puerto Limon

Cote d'Ivoire
Abidjan, Espoir, San-Pedro

Croatia
Omisalj, Ploce, Rijeka, Sibenik, Vukovar (on Danube)

Cuba
Cienfuegos, Havana, Matanzas

Cyprus
area under government control: Larnaca, Limassol, Vasilikos;
area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Famagusta, Kyrenia

Czech Republic
Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem

Denmark
Aalborg, Aarhus, Copenhagen, Ensted, Esbjerg, Fredericia,
Kalundborg

Djibouti
Djibouti

Dominica
Portsmouth, Roseau

Dominican Republic
Boca Chica, Caucedo, Puerto Plata, Rio Haina,
Santo Domingo

Ecuador
Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, Manta, Puerto Bolivar

Egypt
Ayn Sukhnah, Alexandria, Damietta, El Dekheila, Sidi Kurayr,
Suez

El Salvador
Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco

Equatorial Guinea
Bata, Malabo

Eritrea
Assab, Massawa

Estonia
Kuivastu, Kunda, Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu

Ethiopia
Ethiopia is landlocked and uses ports of Djibouti in
Djibouti and Berbera in Somalia

European Union
Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Braila
(Romania), Bremen (Germany), Burgas (Bulgaria), Constanta (Romania),
Copenhagen (Denmark), Galati (Romania), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg
(Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain),
Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille
(France), Naples (Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga
(Latvia), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn
(Estonia), Tulcea (Romania), Varna (Bulgaria)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Stanley

Faroe Islands
Torshavn, Vagur

Fiji
Lautoka, Suva

Finland
Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Raahe,
Rauma, Turku

France
Bordeaux, Calais, Dunkerque, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes,
Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg

French Polynesia
Papeete

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
none; offshore anchorage only

Gabon
Gamba, Libreville, Lucinda, Port-Gentil

Gambia, The
Banjul

Gaza Strip
Gaza

Georgia
Bat'umi, P'ot'i

Germany
Bremen, Bremerhaven, Duisburg, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Lubeck,
Rostock, Wilhemshaven

Ghana
Tema

Gibraltar
Gibraltar

Greece
Agioitheodoroi, Aspropyrgos, Pachi, Piraeus, Thessaloniki

Greenland
Sisimiut

Grenada
Saint George's

Guam
Apra Harbor

Guatemala
Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

Guernsey
Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson

Guinea
Conakry, Kamsar

Guinea-Bissau
Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim

Guyana
Georgetown

Haiti
Cap-Haitien

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
none; offshore anchorage only

Honduras
La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela

Hong Kong
Hong Kong

Hungary
Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs
(2003)

Iceland
Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Reykjavik

India
Chennai, Haldia, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta),
Mormugao, Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam

Indian Ocean
Chennai (Madras; India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban
(South Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (Calcutta; India)
Melbourne (Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (South
Africa)

Indonesia
Banjarmasin, Belawan, Ciwandan, Kotabaru, Krueg Geukueh,
Palembang, Panjang, Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok

Iran
Assaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bandar-e-Eman Khomeyni

Iraq
Al Basrah, Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr

Ireland
Cork, Dublin, Shannon Foynes

Isle of Man
Douglas, Ramsey

Israel
Ashdod, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa

Italy
Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Ravenna, Sarroch, Taranto, Trieste,
Venice

Jamaica
Kingston, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Port Rhoades, Rocky
Point

Jan Mayen
none; offshore anchorage only

Japan
Chiba, Kawasaki, Kobe, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo,
Tomakomai, Yohohama

Jersey
Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier

Jordan
Al 'Aqabah

Kazakhstan
Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen
(Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)

Kenya
Mombasa

Kiribati
Betio

Korea, North
Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong,
Najin, Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang,
Wonsan

Korea, South
Inch'on, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan

Kuwait
Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina'
'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi

Kyrgyzstan
Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye)

Latvia
Riga, Ventspils

Lebanon
Beirut, Tripoli

Liberia
Buchanan, Monrovia

Libya
As Sidrah, Az Zuwaytinah, Marsa al Burayqah, Ra's Lanuf,
Tripoli, Zawiyah

Lithuania
Klaipeda

Luxembourg
Mertert

Macau
Macau

Madagascar
Antsiranana, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

Malawi
Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba

Malaysia
Bintulu, Johor Bahru, Kuantan, Labuan, George Town
(Penang), Port Kelang, Tanjung Pelepas

Maldives
Male

Mali
Koulikoro

Malta
Marsaxlokk (Malta Freeport), Valletta

Marshall Islands
Majuro

Mauritania
Nouadhibou, Nouakchott

Mauritius
Port Louis

Mayotte
Dzaoudzi

Mexico
Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Manzanillo, Morro Redondo, Salina
Cruz, Tampico, Veracruz

Micronesia, Federated States of
Tomil Harbor

Monaco
Monaco

Montenegro
Bar

Montserrat
Little Bay, Plymouth

Morocco
Agadir, Casablanca, Mohammedia, Safi

Mozambique
Beira, Maputo, Nacala

Namibia
Luderitz, Walvis Bay

Nauru
Nauru

Navassa Island
none; offshore anchorage only

Netherlands
Amsterdam, IJmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen

Netherlands Antilles
Bopec Terminal, Willemstad

New Caledonia
Noumea

New Zealand
Auckland, Lyttelton, Marsden Point, Tauranga,
Wellington, Whangarei

Nicaragua
Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff

Nigeria
Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos

Niue
none; offshore anchorage only

Norfolk Island
none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade

Northern Mariana Islands
Saipan, Tinian

Norway
Bergen, Borg Havn, Haugesund, Maaloy, Mongstad, Narvik, Oslo,
Sture

Oman
Mina' Qabus, Salalah

Pacific Ocean
Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong (China), Kao-hsiung
(Taiwan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South
Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China),
Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington
(NZ), Yokohama (Japan)

Pakistan
Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim

Palau
Koror

Panama
Balboa, Colon, Cristobal

Papua New Guinea
Kimbe, Lae, Madang, Rabaul, Wewak

Paracel Islands
small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and
Duncan Island being expanded

Paraguay
Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion

Peru
Callao, Iquitos, Matarani, Paita, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas; note -
Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are on the upper reaches of the
Amazon and its tributaries

Philippines
Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Liman, Manila, Nasipit
Harbor

Pitcairn Islands
Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)

Poland
Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie, Szczecin

Portugal
Leixoes, Lisbon, Setubal, Sines

Puerto Rico
Guayanilla, Mayaguez, San Juan

Qatar
Doha, Ra's Laffan

Romania
Braila, Constanta, Galati, Tulcea

Russia
Azov, Kaliningrad, Kavkaz, Nakhodka, Novorossiysk, Primorsk,
Saint Petersburg, Vostochnyy

Rwanda
Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye

Saint Helena
Saint Helena: Jamestown
Ascension Island: Georgetown
Tristan da Cunha: Calshot Harbor

Saint Kitts and Nevis
Basseterre

Saint Lucia
Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint-Pierre

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Kingstown

Samoa
Apia

Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome

Saudi Arabia
Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jiddah, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah

Senegal
Dakar

Seychelles
Victoria

Sierra Leone
Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands

Singapore
Singapore

Slovakia
Bratislava, Komarno

Slovenia
Koper

Solomon Islands
Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor

Somalia
Berbera, Kismaayo

South Africa
Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay,
Saldanha Bay

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Grytviken

Southern Ocean
McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica
note: few ports or harbors exist on southern side of Southern Ocean;
ice conditions limit use of most to short periods in midsummer; even
then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; most
Antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and,
except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private
vessels; vessels in any port south of 60 degrees south are subject
to inspection by observers under Article 7 of the Antarctic Treaty;
The Hydrographic Committee on Antarctica (HCA), a special
hydrographic commission of International Hydrographic Organization
(IHO), is responsible for hydrographic surveying and nautical
charting matters in Antarctic Treaty area; it coordinates and
facilitates provision of accurate and appropriate charts and other
aids to navigation in support of safety of navigation in region;
membership of HCA is open to any IHO Member State whose government
has acceded to the Antarctic Treaty and which contributes resources
and/or data to IHO Chart coverage of the area; members of HCA are
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, France,
Germany, Greece, India, Italy, NZ, Norway, Russia, South Africa,
Spain, UK, and US (2007)

Spain
Algeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Tarragona,
Valencia

Spratly Islands
none; offshore anchorage only

Sri Lanka
Colombo

Sudan
Port Sudan

Suriname
Paramaribo, Wageningen

Svalbard
Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden

Sweden
Brofjorden, Goteborg, Helsingborg, Lulea, Malmo, Stenungsund,
Stockholm, Trelleborg, Visby

Switzerland
Basel

Syria
Latakia, Tartus

Taiwan
Chilung (Keelung), Kaohsiung, Taichung

Tanzania
Dar es Salaam

Thailand
Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Prachuap Port, Si Racha

Timor-Leste
Dili

Togo
Kpeme, Lome

Tokelau
none; offshore anchorage only

Tonga
Nuku'alofa

Trinidad and Tobago
Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain

Tunisia
Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Rades, Sfax, Skhira

Turkey
Aliaga, Diliskelesi, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Mercin Limani,
Nemrut Limani

Turkmenistan
Turkmenbasy

Turks and Caicos Islands
Grand Turk, Providenciales

Tuvalu
Funafuti

Uganda
Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell

Ukraine
Feodosiya, Kerch, Kherson, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa,
Yuzhnyy

United Arab Emirates
Mina' Zayid (Abu Dhabi), Al Fujayrah, Mina'
Jabal 'Ali (Dubai), Mina' Rashid (Dubai), Mina' Saqr (Ra's al
Khaymah), Khawr Fakkan (Sharjah)

United Kingdom
Dover, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, London,
Southampton, Teesport (England), Forth Ports, Hound Point
(Scotland), Milford Haven (Wales)

United States
Corpus Christi, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long
Beach, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Texas City

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Baker, Howland, and
Jarvis Islands, and Kingman Reef: none; offshore anchorage only
Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island
Midway Islands: Sand Island
Palmyra Atoll: West Lagoon

Uruguay
Montevideo

Uzbekistan
Termiz (Amu Darya)

Vanuatu
Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

Venezuela
La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon

Vietnam
Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City

Virgin Islands
Charlotte Amalie, Limetree Bay

Wake Island
none; two offshore anchorages for large ships

Wallis and Futuna
Leava, Mata-Utu

Western Sahara
Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)

World
top ten container ports (TEUs): Singapore - 24,792,400; Hong
Kong - 23,539,000; Shanghai - 21,710,000; Shenzhen (China) -
18,468,890; Busan (South Korea) - 12,030,000; Kaohsiung (Taiwan) -
9,774,670; - Rotterdam - 9,603,000; Dubai (UAE) - 8,923,465; Hamburg
- 8,861,545; Los Angeles - 8,469,853 (2006)

Yemen
Aden, Hudaydah, Mukalla

Zambia
Mpulungu

Zimbabwe
Binga, Kariba

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

@2121 Railways (km)

Albania total: 447 km standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Algeria
total: 3,973 km
standard gauge: 2,888 km 1.435-m gauge (283 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2006)

Angola
total: 2,761 km
narrow gauge: 2,638 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2006)

Argentina
total: 31,902 km
broad gauge: 20,858 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km electrified)
standard gauge: 2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 7,922 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2006)

Armenia
total: 839 km
broad gauge: 839 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified)
note: some lines are out of service (2006)

Australia
total: 38,550 km
broad gauge: 3,727 km 1.600-m gauge
standard gauge: 20,519 km 1.435-m gauge (1,877 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 14,074 km 1.067-m gauge (2,453 km electrified)
dual gauge: 230 km dual gauge (2006)

Austria
total: 6,383 km
standard gauge: 5,924 km 1.435-m gauge (3,772 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 371 km 1.000-m gauge; 88 km 0.760-m gauge (25 km
electrified) (2006)

Azerbaijan
total: 2,122 km
broad gauge: 2,122 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2006)

Bangladesh
total: 2,768 km
broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Belarus
total: 5,512 km
broad gauge: 5,497 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)
standard gauge: 15 km 1.435 m (2006)

Belgium
total: 3,536 km
standard gauge: 3,536 km 1.435-m gauge (2,950 km electrified) (2006)

Benin
total: 758 km
narrow gauge: 758 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Bolivia
total: 3,504 km
narrow gauge: 3,504 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
total: 608 km
standard gauge: 608 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Botswana
total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Brazil
total: 29,295 km
broad gauge: 4,932 km 1.600-m gauge (939 km electrified)
standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
narrow gauge: 23,773 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified)
dual gauge: 396 km 1.000 m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km
electrified) (2006)

Bulgaria
total: 4,294 km
standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2006)

Burkina Faso
total: 622 km
narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge
note: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire
(2006)

Burma
total: 3,955 km
narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Cambodia
total: 602 km
narrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Cameroon
total: 987 km
narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Canada
total: 48,068 km
standard gauge: 48,068 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Chile
total: 6,585 km
broad gauge: 2,831 km 1.676-m gauge (1,317 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 3,754 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

China
total: 75,438 km
standard gauge: 75,438 km 1.435-m gauge (20,151 km electrified)
(2005)

Colombia
total: 3,304 km
standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
total: 5,138 km
narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km
1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2006)

Congo, Republic of the
total: 894 km
narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Costa Rica
total: 278 km
narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge
note: none of the railway network is in use (2007)

Cote d'Ivoire
total: 660 km
narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000 meter gauge
note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina
Faso (2006)

Croatia
total: 2,726 km
standard gauge: 2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (1,199 km electrified) (2006)

Cuba
total: 4,226 km
standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified)
note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations;
about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge
(2006)

Czech Republic
total: 9,597 km
standard gauge: 9,597 km 1.435-m gauge (3,041 km electrified) (2006)

Denmark
total: 2,644 km
standard gauge: 2,644 km 1.435-m gauge (636 km electrified) (2007)

Djibouti
total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti
railway)
narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but
remains largely inoperable (2006)

Dominican Republic
total: 517 km
standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge
note: additional 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076 m,
0.889 m, and 0.762-m gauges (2006)

Ecuador
total: 966 km
narrow gauge: 966 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Egypt
total: 5,063 km
standard gauge: 5,063 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2006)

El Salvador
total: 562 km
narrow gauge: 562 km 0.914-m gauge
note: railways not in operation since 2005 because of disuse and
high costs that led to a lack of maintenance (2007)

Eritrea
total: 306 km
narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2006)

Estonia
total: 968 km
broad gauge: 968 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (2006)

Ethiopia
total: 699 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis
Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
narrow gauge: 699 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but
remains largely inoperable (2006)

European Union
total: 236,436 km
broad gauge: 28,250 km
standard gauge: 200,401 km
narrow gauge: 7,771 km
other: 23 km (2007)

Fiji
total: 597 km
narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge
note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used
to haul sugarcane during harvest season (May to December) (2006)

Finland
total: 5,741 km
broad gauge: 5,741 km 1.524-m gauge (2,619 km electrified) (2006)

France
total: 29,370 km
standard gauge: 29,203 km 1.435-m gauge (14,778 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Gabon
total: 814 km
standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Georgia
total: 1,612 km
broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified)
narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2006)

Germany
total: 48,215 km
standard gauge: 47,962 km 1.435-m gauge (20,278 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 229 km 1.000-m gauge (16 km electrified); 24 km
0.750-m gauge (2006)

Ghana
total: 953 km
narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Greece
total: 2,571 km
standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge
dual gauge: 23 km combined 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail
system) (2006)

Guatemala
total: 886 km
narrow gauge: 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)

Guinea
total: 837 km
standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Honduras
total: 699 km
narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)

Hungary
total: 8,057 km
broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,802 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2006)

India
total: 63,221 km
broad gauge: 46,807 km 1.676-m gauge (17,343 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 13,290 km 1.000-m gauge (165 km electrified); 3,124 km
0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2006)

Indonesia
total: 6,458 km
narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km
0.750-m gauge (2006)

Iran
total: 8,367 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 8,273 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified) (2006)

Iraq
total: 2,272 km
standard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Ireland
total: 3,237 km
broad gauge: 1,872 km 1.600-m gauge (37 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat
Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants)
(2006)

Isle of Man
total: 65 km
standard gauge: 7 km 1.067-m gauge (7 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 58 km 0.914-m gauge (29 km electrified)
note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2006)

Israel
total: 853 km
standard gauge: 853 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Italy
total: 19,460 km
standard gauge: 18,038 km 1.435-m gauge (11,354 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (123 km electrified); 1,299 km
0.950-m gauge (161 km electrified) (2006)

Japan
total: 23,474 km
standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified); 20,182 km
1.067-m gauge (13,334 km electrified); 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km
electrified) (2006)

Jordan
total: 505 km
narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2006)

Kazakhstan
total: 13,700 km
broad gauge: 13,700 km 1.520-m gauge (3,700 km electrified) (2006)

Kenya
total: 2,778 km
narrow gauge: 2,778 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Korea, North
total: 5,235 km
standard gauge: 5,235 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2006)

Korea, South
total: 3,472 km
standard gauge: 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,342 km electrified) (2006)

Kosovo
total: 430 km (2005)

Kyrgyzstan
total: 470 km
broad gauge: 470 km 1.520-m gauge (2006)

Latvia
total: 2,303 km
broad gauge: 2,270 km 1.520-m gauge (257 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2006)

Lebanon
total: 401 km
standard gauge: 319 km 1.435 m
narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050 m
note: rail system became unusable because of damage done during
fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2006)

Liberia
total: 490 km
standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge
note: sections of railway are inoperable because of damage suffered
during the civil war (2008)

Libya
0 km
note: Libya has announced plans to build seven lines totaling 2,757
km of 1.435-m gauge track (2006)

Liechtenstein
9 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified)
note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and
Switzerland (2006)

Lithuania
total: 1,771 km
broad gauge: 1,749 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)
standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Luxembourg
total: 275 km
standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (243 km electrified) (2006)

Macedonia
total: 699 km
standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (223 km electrified) (2006)

Madagascar
total: 854 km
narrow gauge: 854 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Malawi
total: 797 km
narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Malaysia
total: 1,890 km
standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,833 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2006)

Mali
total: 729 km
narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Mauritania
717 km
standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Mexico
total: 17,665 km
standard gauge: 17,665 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Moldova
total: 1,138 km
broad gauge: 1,124 km 1.520-m gauge
standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Mongolia
total: 1,810 km
broad gauge: 1,810 km 1.524-m gauge (2006)

Montenegro
total: 250 km
standard gauge: 250 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 169 km) (2006)

Morocco
total: 1,907 km
standard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,003 km electrified) (2006)

Mozambique
total: 3,123 km
narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km 0.762-m gauge (2006)

Namibia
total: 2,382 km
narrow gauge: 2,382 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Nepal
total: 59 km
narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2006)

Netherlands
total: 2,797 km
standard gauge: 2,797 km 1.435-m gauge (2,064 km electrified) (2006)

New Zealand
total: 4,128 km
narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2006)

Nicaragua
total: 6 km
narrow gauge: 6 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Nigeria
total: 3,505 km
narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Norway
total: 4,114 km
standard gauge: 4,114 km 1.435-m gauge (2,552 km electrified) (2008)

Pakistan
total: 8,163 km
broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Panama
total: 355 km
standard gauge: 77 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 278 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)

Paraguay
total: 36 km
standard gauge: 36 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Peru
total: 1,989 km
standard gauge: 1,726 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 263 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)

Philippines
total: 897 km
narrow gauge: 897 km 1.067-m gauge (492 km are in operation) (2006)

Poland
total: 23,072 km
broad gauge: 629 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 22,443 km 1.435-m gauge (20,555 km operational;
11,910 km electrified) (2006)

Portugal
total: 2,786 km
broad gauge: 2,603 km 1.668-m gauge (1,351 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 183 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Puerto Rico
total: 96 km
narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Romania
total: 11,385 km
broad gauge: 60 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge (3,888 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2006)

Russia
total: 87,157 km
broad gauge: 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island)
note: an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serve
industries (2006)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
total: 50 km
narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2006)

Saudi Arabia
total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and
sidings) (2006)

Senegal
total: 906 km
narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000 meter gauge (2006)

Serbia
total: 3,379 km
standard gauge: 3,379 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 1,254 km) (2006)

Slovakia
total: 3,662 km
broad gauge: 100 km 1.520-m gauge
standard gauge: 3,512 km 1.435-m gauge (1,588 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 50 km (1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge) (2006)

Slovenia
total: 1,229 km
standard gauge: 1,229 km 1.435-m gauge (504 km electrified) (2006)

South Africa
total: 20,872 km
narrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,931 km electrified); 436 km
0.610-m gauge (2006)

Spain
total: 14,974 km
broad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)
standard gauge: 1,099 km 1.435-m gauge (1,054 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,928 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km
0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2006)

Sri Lanka
total: 1,449 km
broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2006)

Sudan
total: 5,978 km
narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for
cotton plantations (2006)

Swaziland
total: 301 km
narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Sweden
total: 11,528 km
standard gauge: 11,528 km 1.435-m gauge (7,527 km electrified) (2006)

Switzerland
total: 4,839 km
standard gauge: 3,561 km 1.435-m gauge (3,195 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,268 km 1.000-m gauge (1,274 km electrified); 10 km
0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2006)

Syria
total: 2,711 km
standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2006)

Taiwan
total: 1,588 km
standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,093 km 1.067-m gauge
note: 150 km .762-m gauge (belonging primarily to Taiwan Sugar
Corporation and Taiwan Forestry Bureau; some to other entities)
(2007)

Tajikistan
total: 482 km
broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge (2006)

Tanzania
total: 3,690 km
narrow gauge: 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,721 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Thailand
total: 4,071 km
narrow gauge: 4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Togo
total: 568 km
narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Tunisia
total: 2,153 km
standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
dual gauge: 8 km 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2006)

Turkey
total: 8,697 km
standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (1,920 km electrified) (2006)

Turkmenistan
total: 2,440 km
broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2006)

Uganda
total: 1,244 km
narrow gauge: 1,244 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Ukraine
total: 22,473 km
broad gauge: 22,473 km 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified) (2006)

United Kingdom
total: 16,567 km
broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland)
standard gauge: 16,264 km 1.435-m gauge (5,361 km electrified) (2006)

United States
total: 226,612 km
standard gauge: 226,612 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Uruguay
total: 2,073 km
standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge
note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in
partial use (2006)

Uzbekistan
total: 3,950 km
broad gauge: 3,950 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2006)

Venezuela
total: 682 km
standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Vietnam
total: 2,600 km
standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge
dual gauge: 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435 m and 1.000-m
gauges (2006)

World
total: 1,370,782 km (2006)

Zambia
total: 2,157 km
narrow gauge: 2,157 km 1.067-m gauge
note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority
(TAZARA) (2006)

Zimbabwe total: 3,077 km narrow gauge: 3,077 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2006)

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

@2122 Religions (%)

Afghanistan
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%

Albania
Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
note: percentages are estimates; there are no available current
statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were
closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November
1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice

Algeria
Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%

American Samoa
Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%,
Protestant and other 30%

Andorra
Roman Catholic (predominant)

Angola
indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15%
(1998 est.)

Anguilla
Anglican 29%, Methodist 23.9%, other Protestant 30.2%,
Roman Catholic 5.7%, other Christian 1.7%, other 5.2%, none or
unspecified 4.3% (2001 census)

Antigua and Barbuda
Anglican 25.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.3%,
Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Roman Catholic 10.4%, Methodist
7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%, other Christian 5.4%, other
2%, none or unspecified 5.8% (2001 census)

Argentina
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing),
Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%

Armenia
Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi
(monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%

Aruba
Roman Catholic 80.8%, Protestant 9%, other (includes Hindu,
Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 5.6%, none or unspecified 4.6%

Australia
Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%,
Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none
15.3% (2001 Census)

Austria
Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other
3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census)

Azerbaijan
Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox
2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.)
note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan;
percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower

Bahamas, The
Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%,
Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other
Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census)

Bahrain
Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8%
(2001 census)

Bangladesh
Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)

Barbados
Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%,
Methodist 5.1%, other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian
7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6% (2008 est.)

Belarus
Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic,
Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

Belgium
Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%

Belize
Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Pentecostal 7.4%,
Anglican 5.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Mennonite 4.1%, Methodist
3.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), other 14%, none 9.4% (2000)

Benin
Christian 42.8% (Catholic 27.1%, Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%,
other Protestant 2.2%, other 5.3%), Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%,
other 15.5% (2002 census)

Bermuda
Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist
Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%,
unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census)

Bhutan
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced
Hinduism 25%

Bolivia
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%,
other 14%

Botswana
Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%,
none 20.6% (2001 census)

Brazil
Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%,
Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%,
none 7.4% (2000 census)

British Virgin Islands
Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%,
Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, other 2%, none 2%
(1991)

Brunei
Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, other
(includes indigenous beliefs) 10%

Bulgaria
Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian
1.2%, other 4% (2001 census)

Burkina Faso
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly
Roman Catholic) 10%

Burma
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%),
Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%

Burundi
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%),
indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%

Cambodia
Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5%

Cameroon
indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Canada
Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United
Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other
Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16%
(2001 census)

Cape Verde
Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs),
Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene)

Cayman Islands
Church of God 26%, United Church 11.8% (Presbyterian
and Congregational), Roman Catholic 11%, Baptist 8.7%, Seventh Day
Adventist 8.2%, Anglican 5.7%, Pentacostal 5.3%, other Christian
2.7%, non-denominational 5.8%, other 3.8%, none 9.8%, unspecified
1.1% (1999 census)

Central African Republic
indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%,
Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the
Christian majority

Chad
Muslim 53.1%, Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.2%, animist 7.3%,
other 0.5%, unknown 1.7%, atheist 3.1% (1993 census)

Chile
Roman Catholic 70%, Evangelical 15.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%,
other Christian 1%, other 4.6%, none 8.3% (2002 census)

China
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2%
note: officially atheist (2002 est.)

Christmas Island
Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21%
(1997)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.)

Colombia
Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%

Comoros
Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant
20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other (includes syncretic sects
and indigenous beliefs) 10%

Congo, Republic of the
Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%

Cook Islands
Cook Islands Christian Church 55.9%, Roman Catholic
16.8%, Seventh-Day Adventists 7.9%, Church of Latter Day Saints
3.8%, other Protestant 5.8%, other 4.2%, unspecified 2.6%, none 3%
(2001 census)

Costa Rica
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

Cote d'Ivoire
Muslim 38.6%, Christian 32.8%, indigenous 11.9%, none
16.7% (2008 est)
note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim
(70%) and Christian (20%)

Croatia
Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, other Christian 0.4%,
Muslim 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.9%, none 5.2% (2001 census)

Cuba
nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power;
Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also
represented

Cyprus
Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, other (includes Maronite and
Armenian Apostolic) 4%

Czech Republic
Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%,
unspecified 8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census)

Denmark
Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes
Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%

Djibouti
Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Dominica
Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal
5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other or
unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1% (2001 census)

Dominican Republic
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

Ecuador
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

Egypt
Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90%, Coptic 9%, other Christian 1%

El Salvador
Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 21.2%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 1.9%, Mormon 0.7%, other religions 2.3%, none 16.8% (2003
est.)

Equatorial Guinea
nominally Christian and predominantly Roman
Catholic, pagan practices

Eritrea
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Estonia
Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, other Christian
(including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic,
Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliated 34.1%, other and unspecified 32%,
none 6.1% (2000 census)

Ethiopia
Christian 60.8% (Orthodox 50.6%, Protestant 10.2%), Muslim
32.8%, traditional 4.6%, other 1.8% (1994 census)

European Union
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Christian 67.2%, none 31.5%, other
1.3% (2006 census)

Faroe Islands
Evangelical Lutheran 83.8%, other and unspecified
16.2% (2006 administrative data)

Fiji
Christian 53% (Methodist 34.5%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Assembly
of God 3.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.6%, other 4.9%), Hindu 34%
(Sanatan 25%, Arya Samaj 1.2%, other 7.8%), Muslim 7% (Sunni 4.2%.
other 2.8%), other or unspecified 5.6%, none 0.3% (1996 census)

Finland
Lutheran Church of Finland 82.5%, Orthodox Church 1.1%,
other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 15.1% (2006)

France
Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim
5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%
overseas departments: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Muslim,
Buddhist, pagan

French Polynesia
Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no
religion 6%

Gabon
Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%

Gambia, The
Muslim 90%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 2%

Gaza Strip
Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99.3%, Christian 0.7%

Georgia
Orthodox Christian 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian
3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census)

Germany
Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%,
unaffiliated or other 28.3%

Ghana
Christian 68.8% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 24.1%, Protestant
18.6%, Catholic 15.1%, other 11%), Muslim 15.9%, traditional 8.5%,
other 0.7%, none 6.1% (2000 census)

Gibraltar
Roman Catholic 78.1%, Church of England 7%, other
Christian 3.2%, Muslim 4%, Jewish 2.1%, Hindu 1.8%, other or
unspecified 0.9%, none 2.9% (2001 census)

Greece
Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%

Greenland
Evangelical Lutheran

Grenada
Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%

Guam
Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)

Guatemala
Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs

Guernsey
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist,
Congregational, Methodist

Guinea
Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%

Guinea-Bissau
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10%

Guyana
Hindu 28.4%, Pentecostal 16.9%, Roman Catholic 8.1%, Anglican
6.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 5%, Methodist 1.7%, Jehovah Witness
1.1%, other Christian 17.7%, Muslim 7.2%, other 4.3%, none 4.3%
(2002 census)

Haiti
Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal
4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3%
note: roughly half of the population practices voodoo

Holy See (Vatican City)
Roman Catholic

Honduras
Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%

Hong Kong
eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

Hungary
Roman Catholic 51.9%, Calvinist 15.9%, Lutheran 3%, Greek
Catholic 2.6%, other Christian 1%, other or unspecified 11.1%,
unaffiliated 14.5% (2001 census)

Iceland
Lutheran Church of Iceland 82.1%, Roman Catholic Church
2.4%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.3%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.6%,
other Christian 2.8%, other religions 0.9%, unaffiliated 2.6%, other
or unspecified 5.5% (2006 est.)

India
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other
1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)

Indonesia
Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu
1.8%, other or unspecified 3.4% (2000 census)

Iran
Muslim 98% (Shia 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes Zoroastrian,
Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i) 2%

Iraq
Muslim 97% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%

Ireland
Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other
Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 census)

Isle of Man
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist,
Presbyterian, Society of Friends

Israel
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other
Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)

Italy
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third
practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish
communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)

Jamaica
Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal
9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church
of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of
Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic
2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census)

Japan
observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including
Christian 0.7%)

Jersey
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church,
Methodist, Presbyterian

Jordan
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but
some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox,
Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several
small Shia Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)

Kazakhstan
Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%

Kenya
Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, Muslim 10%, indigenous
beliefs 10%, other 2%
note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for
the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous
beliefs vary widely

Kiribati
Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, other
(includes Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints,
Church of God) 8% (1999)

Korea, North
traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian
and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent;
government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of
religious freedom

Korea, South
Christian 26.3% (Protestant 19.7%, Roman Catholic
6.6%), Buddhist 23.2%, other or unknown 1.3%, none 49.3% (1995
census)

Kosovo
Muslim, Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic

Kuwait
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shia 30%), other (includes Christian,
Hindu, Parsi) 15%

Kyrgyzstan
Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%

Laos
Buddhist 67%, Christian 1.5%, other and unspecified 31.5% (2005
census)

Latvia
Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other
0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006)

Lebanon
Muslim 59.7% (Shia, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or
Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite
Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic,
Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt,
Protestant), other 1.3%
note: 17 religious sects recognized

Lesotho
Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%

Liberia
Christian 40%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 40%

Libya
Sunni Muslim 97%, other 3%

Liechtenstein
Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 7%, unknown 10.6%,
other 6.2% (June 2002)

Lithuania
Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant
(including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other
or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5% (2001 census)

Luxembourg
Roman Catholic 87%, other (includes Protestant, Jewish,
and Muslim) 13% (2000)

Macau
Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997
est.)

Macedonia
Macedonian Orthodox 64.7%, Muslim 33.3%, other Christian
0.37%, other and unspecified 1.63% (2002 census)

Madagascar
indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%

Malawi
Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998
census)

Malaysia
Muslim 60.4%, Buddhist 19.2%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.3%,
Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 2.6%,
other or unknown 1.5%, none 0.8% (2000 census)

Maldives
Sunni Muslim

Mali
Muslim 90%, Christian 1%, indigenous beliefs 9%

Malta
Roman Catholic 98%

Marshall Islands
Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman
Catholic 8.4%, Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other Christian
3.6%, other 1%, none 1.5% (1999 census)

Mauritania
Muslim 100%

Mauritius
Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other
Christian 8.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)

Mayotte
Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) 3%

Mexico
Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6.3% (Pentecostal 1.4%,
Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other 3.8%), other 0.3%, unspecified
13.8%, none 3.1% (2000 census)

Micronesia, Federated States of
Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 47%,
other 3%

Moldova
Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5%
(2000)

Monaco
Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%

Mongolia
Buddhist Lamaist 50%, Shamanist and Christian 6%, Muslim
4%, none 40% (2004)

Montenegro
Orthodox 74.2%, Muslim 17.7%, Catholic 3.5%, other 0.6%,
unspecified 3%, atheist 1% (2003 census)

Montserrat
Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal,
Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations

Morocco
Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%

Mozambique
Catholic 23.8%, Muslim 17.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%,
other 17.8%, none 23.1% (1997 census)

Namibia
Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous
beliefs 10% to 20%

Nauru
Nauru Congregational 35.4%, Roman Catholic 33.2%, Nauru
Independent Church 10.4%, other 14.1%, none 4.5%, unspecified 2.4%
(2002 census)

Nepal
Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other
0.9% (2001 census)
note: only official Hindu state in the world

Netherlands
Roman Catholic 30%, Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%,
other Protestant 3%, Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2006)

Netherlands Antilles
Roman Catholic 72%, Pentecostal 4.9%,
Protestant 3.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, Methodist 2.9%,
Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, other Christian 4.2%, Jewish 1.3%, other
or unspecified 1.2%, none 5.2% (2001 census)

New Caledonia
Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%

New Zealand
Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian
10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other
Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 census)

Nicaragua
Roman Catholic 58.5%, Evangelical 21.6%, Moravian 1.6%,
Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 1.7%, none 15.7% (2005 census)

Niger
Muslim 80%, other (includes indigenous beliefs and Christian)
20%

Nigeria
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%

Niue
Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely
related to the London Missionary Society) 61.1%, Latter-Day Saints
8.8%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2.4%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 1.4%, other 8.4%, unspecified 8.7%, none 1.9% (2001 census)

Norfolk Island
Anglican 31.8%, Roman Catholic 11.5%, Uniting Church
in Australia 10.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.2%, other Christian
5.6%, none 19.9%, unspecified 16.6% (2006 census)

Northern Mariana Islands
Christian (Roman Catholic majority,
although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)

Norway
Church of Norway 85.7%, Pentecostal 1%, Roman Catholic 1%,
other Christian 2.4%, Muslim 1.8%, other 8.1% (2004)

Oman
Ibadhi Muslim 75%, other (includes Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim,
Hindu) 25%

Pakistan
Muslim 95% (Sunni 75%, Shia 20%), other (includes Christian
and Hindu) 5%

Palau
Roman Catholic 41.6%, Protestant 23.3%, Modekngei 8.8%
(indigenous to Palau), Seventh-Day Adventist 5.3%, Jehovah's Witness
0.9%, Latter-Day Saints 0.6%, other 3.1%, unspecified or none 16.4%
(2000 census)

Panama
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%

Papua New Guinea
Roman Catholic 27%, Evangelical Lutheran 19.5%,
United Church 11.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, Pentecostal 8.6%,
Evangelical Alliance 5.2%, Anglican 3.2%, Baptist 2.5%, other
Protestant 8.9%, Bahai 0.3%, indigenous beliefs and other 3.3% (2000
census)

Paraguay
Roman Catholic 89.6%, Protestant 6.2%, other Christian
1.1%, other or unspecified 1.9%, none 1.1% (2002 census)

Peru
Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other Christian
0.7%, other 0.6%, unspecified or none 16.3% (2003 est.)

Philippines
Roman Catholic 80.9%, Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%,
Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 4.5%, other
1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)

Pitcairn Islands
Seventh-Day Adventist 100%

Poland
Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox
1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002)

Portugal
Roman Catholic 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%,
unknown 9%, none 3.9% (2001 census)

Puerto Rico
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%

Qatar
Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)

Romania
Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%,
Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and
Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and
unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census)

Russia
Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2%
(2006 est.)
note: estimates are of practicing worshipers; Russia has large
populations of non-practicing believers and non-believers, a legacy
of over seven decades of Soviet rule

Rwanda
Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim
4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001)

Saint Barthelemy
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness

Saint Helena
Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist,
Roman Catholic

Saint Kitts and Nevis
Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Saint Lucia
Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%,
Pentecostal 5.7%, Rastafarian 2.1%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%,
other Christian 5.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001
census)

Saint Martin
Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman
Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other
Protestant) 12%

Samoa
Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%,
Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist
3.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.9%,
unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)

San Marino
Roman Catholic

Sao Tome and Principe
Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New
Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)

Saudi Arabia
Muslim 100%

Senegal
Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous
beliefs 1%

Serbia
Serbian Orthodox 85%, Catholic 5.5%, Protestant 1.1%, Muslim
3.2%, unspecified 2.6%, other, unknown, or atheist 2.6% (2002 census)

Seychelles
Roman Catholic 82.3%, Anglican 6.4%, Seventh Day
Adventist 1.1%, other Christian 3.4%, Hindu 2.1%, Muslim 1.1%, other
non-Christian 1.5%, unspecified 1.5%, none 0.6% (2002 census)

Sierra Leone
Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%

Singapore
Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%, Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%,
Catholic 4.8%, other Christian 9.8%, other 0.7%, none 14.8% (2000
census)

Slovakia
Roman Catholic 68.9%, Protestant 10.8%, Greek Catholic
4.1%, other or unspecified 3.2%, none 13% (2001 census)

Slovenia
Catholic 57.8%, Muslim 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian
0.9%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1% (2002
census)

Solomon Islands
Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South
Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church
10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other
2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)

Somalia
Sunni Muslim

South Africa
Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%,
Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%,
Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none
15.1% (2001 census)

Spain
Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%

Sri Lanka
Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%,
unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)

Sudan
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and
Khartoum), indigenous beliefs 25%

Suriname
Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian),
Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%

Swaziland
Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous
ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other (includes
Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish) 30%

Sweden
Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox,
Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13%

Switzerland
Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Muslim 4.3%,
Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%,
none 11.1% (2000 census)

Syria
Sunni Muslim 74%, other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%,
Christian (various denominations) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in
Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Taiwan
mixture of Buddhist and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%

Tajikistan
Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)

Tanzania
mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs
35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim

Thailand
Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1%
(2000 census)

Timor-Leste
Roman Catholic 98%, Muslim 1%, Protestant 1% (2005)

Togo
Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%

Tokelau
Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%,
other 2%
note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on
Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with
the Congregational Christian Church predominant

Tonga
Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)

Trinidad and Tobago
Roman Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%,
Baptist 7.2%, Pentecostal 6.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Seventh Day Adventist
4%, other Christian 5.8%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9%
(2000 census)

Tunisia
Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Turkey
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians
and Jews)

Turkmenistan
Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%

Turks and Caicos Islands
Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%,
Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)

Tuvalu
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Uganda
Roman Catholic 41.9%, Protestant 42% (Anglican 35.9%,
Pentecostal 4.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.5%), Muslim 12.1%, other
3.1%, none 0.9% (2002 census)

Ukraine
Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate 50.4%, Ukrainian
Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate 26.1%, Ukrainian Greek Catholic 8%,
Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 7.2%, Roman Catholic 2.2%,
Protestant 2.2%, Jewish 0.6%, other 3.2% (2006 est.)

United Arab Emirates
Muslim 96% (Shia 16%), other (includes
Christian, Hindu) 4%

United Kingdom
Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian,
Methodist) 71.6%, Muslim 2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or
none 23.1% (2001 census)

United States
Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%,
other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other
or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)

Uruguay
Roman Catholic 47.1%, non-Catholic Christians 11.1%,
nondenominational 23.2%, Jewish 0.3%, atheist or agnostic 17.2%,
other 1.1% (2006)

Uzbekistan
Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Vanuatu
Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Roman Catholic 13.1%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous
beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%,
unspecified 1.3% (1999 Census)

Venezuela
nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%

Vietnam
Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%,
Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8% (1999 census)

Virgin Islands
Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%,
other 7%

Wallis and Futuna
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

West Bank
Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian
and other 8%

Western Sahara
Muslim

World
Christians 33.32% (of which Roman Catholics 16.99%,
Protestants 5.78%, Orthodox 3.53%, Anglicans 1.25%), Muslims 21.01%,
Hindus 13.26%, Buddhists 5.84%, Sikhs 0.35%, Jews 0.23%, Baha'is
0.12%, other religions 11.78%, non-religious 11.77%, atheists 2.32%
(2007 est.)

Yemen
Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shia), small
numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu

Zambia
Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous
beliefs 1%

Zimbabwe
syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%,
Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

@2123 Suffrage

Afghanistan
18 years of age; universal

Albania
18 years of age; universal

Algeria
18 years of age; universal

American Samoa
18 years of age; universal

Andorra
18 years of age; universal

Angola
18 years of age; universal

Anguilla
18 years of age; universal

Antigua and Barbuda
18 years of age; universal

Argentina
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Armenia
18 years of age; universal

Aruba
18 years of age; universal

Australia
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Austria
16 years of age; universal; note - reduced from 18 years of
age in 2007

Azerbaijan
18 years of age; universal

Bahamas, The
18 years of age; universal

Bahrain
20 years of age; universal

Bangladesh
18 years of age; universal

Barbados
18 years of age; universal

Belarus
18 years of age; universal

Belgium
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Belize
18 years of age; universal

Benin
18 years of age; universal

Bermuda
18 years of age; universal

Bhutan
18 years of age; universal

Bolivia
18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21
years of age, universal and compulsory (single)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
18 years of age, universal

Botswana
18 years of age; universal

Brazil
voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70;
compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age; note - military
conscripts do not vote

British Virgin Islands
18 years of age; universal

Brunei
18 years of age for village elections; universal

Bulgaria
18 years of age; universal

Burkina Faso
universal

Burma
18 years of age; universal

Burundi
NA years of age; universal (adult)

Cambodia
18 years of age; universal

Cameroon
20 years of age; universal

Canada
18 years of age; universal

Cape Verde
18 years of age; universal

Cayman Islands
18 years of age; universal

Central African Republic
21 years of age; universal

Chad
18 years of age; universal

Chile
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

China
18 years of age; universal

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
NA

Colombia
18 years of age; universal

Comoros
18 years of age; universal

Congo, Democratic Republic of the 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Congo, Republic of the
18 years of age; universal

Cook Islands
NA years of age; universal (adult)

Costa Rica
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Cote d'Ivoire
18 years of age; universal

Croatia
18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Cuba
16 years of age; universal

Cyprus
18 years of age; universal

Czech Republic
18 years of age; universal

Denmark
18 years of age; universal

Djibouti
18 years of age; universal

Dominica
18 years of age; universal

Dominican Republic
18 years of age, universal and compulsory;
married persons regardless of age; note - members of the armed
forces and national police cannot vote

Ecuador
18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons
ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters

Egypt
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

El Salvador
18 years of age; universal

Equatorial Guinea
18 years of age; universal

Eritrea
18 years of age; universal

Estonia
18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens

Ethiopia
18 years of age; universal

European Union
18 years of age; universal

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
18 years of age; universal

Faroe Islands
18 years of age; universal

Fiji
21 years of age; universal

Finland
18 years of age; universal

France
18 years of age; universal

French Polynesia
18 years of age; universal

Gabon
21 years of age; universal

Gambia, The
18 years of age; universal

Georgia
18 years of age; universal

Germany
18 years of age; universal

Ghana
18 years of age; universal

Gibraltar
18 years of age; universal; and British citizens who have
been residents six months or more

Greece
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Greenland
18 years of age; universal

Grenada
18 years of age; universal

Guam
18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US
presidential elections

Guatemala
18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of
the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks
on election day

Guernsey
18 years of age; universal

Guinea
18 years of age; universal

Guinea-Bissau
18 years of age; universal

Guyana
18 years of age; universal

Haiti
18 years of age; universal

Holy See (Vatican City)
limited to cardinals less than 80 years old

Honduras
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Hong Kong
direct election - 18 years of age for a number of
non-executive positions; universal for permanent residents living in
the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect
election - limited to about 220,000 members of functional
constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad
regional groupings, central government bodies, and municipal
organizations

Hungary
18 years of age; universal

Iceland
18 years of age; universal

India
18 years of age; universal

Indonesia
17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless
of age

Iran
16 years of age; universal

Iraq
18 years of age; universal

Ireland
18 years of age; universal

Isle of Man
16 years of age; universal

Israel
18 years of age; universal

Italy
18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections,
where minimum age is 25)

Jamaica
18 years of age; universal

Japan
20 years of age; universal

Jersey
16 years of age; universal

Jordan
18 years of age; universal

Kazakhstan
18 years of age; universal

Kenya
18 years of age; universal

Kiribati
18 years of age; universal

Korea, North
17 years of age; universal

Korea, South
19 years of age; universal

Kosovo
18 years of age; universal

Kuwait
NA years of age; universal (adult); note - males in the
military or police are not allowed to vote; adult females were
allowed to vote as of 16 May 2005; all voters must have been
citizens for 20 years

Kyrgyzstan
18 years of age; universal

Laos
18 years of age; universal

Latvia
18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens

Lebanon
21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for
women at age 21 with elementary education

Lesotho
18 years of age; universal

Liberia
18 years of age; universal

Libya
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Liechtenstein
18 years of age; universal

Lithuania
18 years of age; universal

Luxembourg
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Macau
direct election 18 years of age for some non-executive
positions, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the
past seven years; indirect election limited to organizations
registered as "corporate voters" (257 are currently registered) and
a 300-member Election Committee drawn from broad regional groupings,
municipal organizations, and central government bodies

Macedonia
18 years of age; universal

Madagascar
18 years of age; universal

Malawi
18 years of age; universal

Malaysia
21 years of age; universal

Maldives
21 years of age; universal

Mali
18 years of age; universal

Malta
18 years of age; universal

Marshall Islands
18 years of age; universal

Mauritania
18 years of age; universal

Mauritius
18 years of age; universal

Mayotte
18 years of age; universal

Mexico
18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)

Micronesia, Federated States of
18 years of age; universal

Moldova
18 years of age; universal

Monaco
18 years of age; universal

Mongolia
18 years of age; universal

Montenegro
18 years of age; universal

Montserrat
18 years of age; universal

Morocco
18 years of age; universal (as of January 2003)

Mozambique
18 years of age; universal

Namibia
18 years of age; universal

Nauru
20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Nepal
18 years of age; universal

Netherlands
18 years of age; universal

Netherlands Antilles
18 years of age; universal

New Caledonia
18 years of age; universal

New Zealand
18 years of age; universal

Nicaragua
16 years of age; universal

Niger
18 years of age; universal

Nigeria
18 years of age; universal

Niue
18 years of age; universal

Norfolk Island
18 years of age; universal

Northern Mariana Islands 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Norway
18 years of age; universal

Oman
21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military and
security forces are not allowed to vote

Pakistan
18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved
parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims

Palau
18 years of age; universal

Panama
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Papua New Guinea
18 years of age; universal

Paraguay
18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75

Peru
18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70;
note - for the first time in recent elections, members of the
military and national police were eligible to vote in the 2006
elections

Philippines
18 years of age; universal

Pitcairn Islands 18 years of age; universal with three years residency

Poland
18 years of age; universal

Portugal
18 years of age; universal

Puerto Rico
18 years of age; universal; island residents are US
citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Qatar
18 years of age; universal

Romania
18 years of age; universal

Russia
18 years of age; universal

Rwanda
18 years of age; universal

Saint Barthelemy
18 years of age, universal

Saint Helena
NA years of age

Saint Kitts and Nevis
18 years of age; universal

Saint Lucia
18 years of age; universal

Saint Martin
18 years of age, universal

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
18 years of age; universal

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
18 years of age; universal

Samoa
21 years of age; universal

San Marino
18 years of age; universal

Sao Tome and Principe
18 years of age; universal

Saudi Arabia
21 years of age; male

Senegal
18 years of age; universal

Serbia
18 years of age; universal

Seychelles
17 years of age; universal

Sierra Leone
18 years of age; universal

Singapore
21 years of age; universal and compulsory

Slovakia
18 years of age; universal

Slovenia
18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Solomon Islands
21 years of age; universal

Somalia
18 years of age; universal

South Africa
18 years of age; universal

Spain
18 years of age; universal

Sri Lanka
18 years of age; universal

Sudan
17 years of age; universal

Suriname
18 years of age; universal

Swaziland
18 years of age

Sweden
18 years of age; universal

Switzerland
18 years of age; universal

Syria
18 years of age; universal

Taiwan
20 years of age; universal

Tajikistan
18 years of age; universal

Tanzania
18 years of age; universal

Thailand
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Timor-Leste
17 years of age; universal

Togo
NA years of age; universal (adult)

Tokelau
21 years of age; universal

Tonga
21 years of age; universal

Trinidad and Tobago
18 years of age; universal

Tunisia
18 years of age; universal except for active government
security forces (including the police and the military), people with
mental disabilities, people who have served more than three months
in prison (criminal cases only), and people given a suspended
sentence of more than six months

Turkey
18 years of age; universal

Turkmenistan
18 years of age; universal

Turks and Caicos Islands
18 years of age; universal

Tuvalu
18 years of age; universal

Uganda
18 years of age; universal

Ukraine
18 years of age; universal

United Arab Emirates
none

United Kingdom
18 years of age; universal

United States
18 years of age; universal

Uruguay
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Uzbekistan
18 years of age; universal

Vanuatu
18 years of age; universal

Venezuela
18 years of age; universal

Vietnam
18 years of age; universal

Virgin Islands
18 years of age; universal; island residents are US
citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Wallis and Futuna
18 years of age; universal

Western Sahara
none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign
not yet completed

Yemen
18 years of age; universal

Zambia
18 years of age; universal

Zimbabwe
18 years of age; universal

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

@2124 Telephone system

Afghanistan
general assessment: limited landline telephone service;
an increasing number of Afghans utilize mobile-cellular phone
networks in major cities
domestic: aided by the presence of multiple providers,
mobile-cellular telephone service is improving rapidly
international: country code - 93; five VSAT's installed in Kabul,
Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kandahar, and Jalalabad provide international
and domestic voice and data connectivity (2007)

Albania
general assessment: despite new investment in fixed lines,
the density of main lines remains low with roughly 10 lines per 100
people; cellular telephone use is widespread and generally
effective; combined fixed line and mobile telephone density is
approximately 75 telephones per 100 persons
domestic: offsetting the shortage of fixed line capacity, mobile
phone service has been available since 1996; by 2003, two companies
were providing mobile services at a greater density than some of
Albania's neighbors; Internet broadband services initiated in 2005;
Internet cafes are popular in Tirana and have started to spread
outside the capital
international: country code - 355; submarine cable provides
connectivity to Italy, Croatia, and Greece; the Trans-Balkan Line, a
combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system, provides
additional connectivity to Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Turkey;
international traffic carried by fiber-optic cable and, when
necessary, by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to
Italy and Greece (2007)

Algeria
general assessment: a weak network of fixed-main lines,
which remains low at less than 10 telephones per 100 persons, is
partially offset by the rapid increase in mobile cellular
subscribership; in 2007, combined fixed-line and mobile telephone
density surpassed 90 telephones per 100 persons
domestic: privatization of Algeria's telecommunications sector began
in 2000; three mobile cellular licenses have been issued and, in
2005, a consortium led by Egypt's Orascom Telecom won a 15-year
license to build and operate a fixed-line network in Algeria; the
license will allow Orascom to develop high-speed data and other
specialized services and contribute to meeting the large unfulfilled
demand for basic residential telephony; Internet broadband services
began in 2003 with approximately 200,000 subscribers in 2006
international: country code - 213; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4
fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe,
the Middle East, and Asia; microwave radio relay to Italy, France,
Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia;
participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 51 (Intelsat,
Intersputnik, and Arabsat) (2007)

American Samoa
general assessment: NA
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile, and cellular telephone
services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station
international: country code - 1-684; satellite earth station - 1
(Intelsat-Pacific Ocean)

Andorra
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections
between exchanges
international: country code - 376; landline circuits to France and
Spain

Angola
general assessment: system inadequate; fewer than one
fixed-line per 100 persons; combined fixed line and mobile telephone
density exceeded 25 telephones per 100 persons in 2007
domestic: state-owned telecom had monopoly for fixed-lines until
2005; demand outstripped capacity, prices were high, and services
poor; Telecom Namibia, through an Angolan company, became the first
private licensed operator in Angola's fixed-line telephone network;
Angola Telecom established mobile-cellular service in Luanda in 1993
and the network has been extended to larger towns; a
privately-owned, mobile-cellular service provider began operations
in 2001
international: country code - 244; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 29 (2007)

Anguilla
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern internal telephone system
international: country code - 1-264; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other
islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin
Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin
(Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) (2007)

Antarctica
general assessment: local systems at some research
stations
domestic: commercial cellular networks operating in a small number
of locations
international: country code - none allocated; via satellite
(including mobile Inmarsat and Iridium systems) to and from all
research stations, ships, aircraft, and most field parties (2007)

Antigua and Barbuda
general assessment: NA
domestic: good automatic telephone system
international: country code - 1-268; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other
islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin
Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 2; tropospheric
scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe (2007)

Argentina
general assessment: by opening the telecommunications
market to competition and foreign investment with the
"Telecommunications Liberalization Plan of 1998," Argentina
encouraged the growth of modern telecommunications technology;
fiber-optic cable trunk lines are being installed between all major
cities; major networks are entirely digital and the availability of
telephone service is improving; fixed-line telephone density is
gradually increasing reaching nearly 25 lines per 100 people in
2007; mobile telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly
and has reached a level of 100 telephones per 100 persons
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic
satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network;
more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone
use is rapidly expanding; broadband services are gaining ground
international: country code - 54; landing point for the Atlantis-2,
UNISUR, and South America-1 optical submarine cable systems that
provide links to Europe, Africa, South and Central America, and US;
satellite earth stations - 112; 2 international gateways near Buenos
Aires (2007)

Armenia
general assessment: telecommunications investments have made
major inroads in modernizing and upgrading the outdated
telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; now 100%
privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion;
mobile-cellular services monopoly terminated in late 2004 and a
second provider began operations in mid-2005
domestic: reliable modern landline and mobile-cellular services are
available across Yerevan in major cities and towns; significant but
ever-shrinking gaps remain in mobile-cellular coverage in rural areas
international: country code - 374; Yerevan is connected to the
Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional
international service is available by microwave radio relay and
landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of
Independent States, through the Moscow international switch, and by
satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 3
(2007)

Aruba
general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications
system
domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless
service providers are now licensed
international: country code - 297; landing site for the PAN-AM
submarine telecommunications cable system that extends from the US
Virgin Islands through Aruba to Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and the
west coast of South America; extensive interisland microwave radio
relay links (2007)

Australia
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
service
domestic: domestic satellite system; significant use of
radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of
mobile cellular telephones
international: country code - 61; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the
Middle East, and Europe; the Southern Cross fiber optic submarine
cable provides links to New Zealand and the United States; satellite
earth stations - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific
Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar,
5 other) (2007)

Austria
general assessment: highly developed and efficient
domestic: fixed-line subscribership has been in decline since the
mid-1990s with mobile-cellular subscribership eclipsing it by the
late 1990s; the fiber-optic net is very extensive; all telephone
applications and Internet services are available
international: country code - 43; satellite earth stations - 15; in
addition, there are about 600 VSATs (very small aperture terminals)
(2007)

Azerbaijan
general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable
expansion and modernization; teledensity of 15 main lines per 100
persons is low; mobile-cellular penetration is increasing and is
currently about 50 telephones per 100 persons
domestic: fixed-line telephony and a broad range of other telecom
services are controlled by a state-owned telecommunications monopoly
and growth has been stagnant; more competition exists in the
mobile-cellular market with three providers in 2006; satellite
service connects Baku to a modern switch in its exclave of Naxcivan
international: country code - 994; the old Soviet system of cable
and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations - 2
(2007)

Bahamas, The
general assessment: modern facilities
domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas
Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed
to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband internet
services
international: country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable
that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the
Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2007)

Bahrain
general assessment: modern system
domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network
with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones
international: country code - 973; landing point for the Fiber-Optic
Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides
links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to
Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite
earth station - 1 (2007)

Bangladesh
general assessment: inadequate for a modern country;
fixed-line telephone density remains less than 1 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly
and is approaching 25 per 100 persons
domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems
include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some
fiber-optic cable in cities
international: country code - 880; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4
fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe,
the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 6;
international radiotelephone communications and landline service to
neighboring countries (2007)

Barbados
general assessment: fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50
per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of about 85 per
100 persons
domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system
international: country code - 1-246; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other
islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin
Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat
-Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
(2007)

Belarus
general assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors in
upgrading telecommunications infrastructure; state-owned Beltelcom
is the sole provider of fixed-line local and long distance service;
fixed-line teledensity of roughly 35 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone density of about 60 per 100 persons;
modernization of the network progressing with roughly two-thirds of
switching equipment now digital
domestic: fixed-line penetration is improving although rural areas
continue to be underserved; 3 GSM wireless networks are experiencing
rapid growth; strict government controls on telecommunications
technologies
international: country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the
Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line,
and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); 3 fiber-optic
segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and
Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this
infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat,
Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations (2007)

Belgium
general assessment: highly developed, technologically
advanced, and completely automated domestic and international
telephone and telegraph facilities
domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; extensive cable
network; limited microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 32; landing point for a number of
submarine cables that provide links to Europe, the Middle East, and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2007)

Belize
general assessment: above-average system; fixed-line
teledensity of 12 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density
of about 40 per 100 persons
domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay
international: country code - 501; landing point for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic
telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and
Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth
station - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2007)

Benin
general assessment: inadequate; fixed-line network
characterized by aging, deteriorating equipment with fixed-line
teledensity stuck at 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone
subscribership is increasing
domestic: system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular
connections; multiple mobile-cellular providers
international: country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Bermuda
general assessment: good
domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic
trunk lines
international: country code - 1-441; landing point for the
Atlantica-1 telecommunications submarine cable that extends from the
US to Brazil; satellite earth stations - 3 (2007)

Bhutan
general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters
have telecommunications services
domestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poor
especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003
international: country code - 975; international telephone and
telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2007)

Bolivia
general assessment: privatization begun in 1995; reliability
has steadily improved; new subscribers face bureaucratic
difficulties; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other
cities; mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly; fixed-line
teledensity of 7 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density
of 35 per 100 persons
domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs
digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic
cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded
international: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
general assessment: post-war reconstruction
of the telecommunications network, aided by a internationally
sponsored program under ERBD, resulted in sharp increases in the
number of main telephone lines available; mobile cellular
subscribership has been increasing rapidly
domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 25 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone density exceeds 50 per 100 persons
international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations (2007)

Botswana
general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth
of mobile-cellular service and participation in regional
development; system is fully digital with fiber-optic cables linking
the major population centers in the east; fixed-line connections
declined in recent years and now stand at roughly 8 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone density currently is about 80 per 100
persons
domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations;
mobile-cellular service is growing fast
international: country code - 267; international calls are made via
satellite, using international direct dialing; 2 international
exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia,
Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean) (2007)

Brazil
general assessment: good working system; fixed-line
connections have remained relatively stable in recent years and
stand at about 20 per 100 persons; less expensive mobile cellular
technology is a major driver in expanding telephone service to the
low-income segment of the population with mobile-cellular telephone
density reaching nearly 65 per 100 persons
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic
satellite system with 64 earth stations; mobile-cellular usage has
more than tripled in the past 5 years
international: country code - 55; landing point for a number of
submarine cables that provide direct links to South and Central
America, the Caribbean, the US, Africa, and Europe; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean
region east), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur
Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station (2007)

British Indian Ocean Territory general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)

British Virgin Islands
general assessment: worldwide telephone
service
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable
to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable
provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean
(2007)

Brunei
general assessment: service throughout the country is
excellent; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle
East, Western Europe, and the US
domestic: every service available
international: country code - 673; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to
Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Asia-America Gateway
submarine cable network, scheduled for completion by late 2008, will
provide new links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2007)

Bulgaria
general assessment: an extensive but antiquated
telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; quality
has improved; the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line
monopoly terminated in 2005 when alternative fixed-line operators
were given access to its network; a drop in fixed-line connections
in recent years has been more than offset by a sharp increase in
mobile-cellular telephone use fostered by multiple service
providers; the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now
exceeds the population
domestic: a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects
switching centers in most of the regions; the others are connected
by digital microwave radio relay
international: country code - 359; submarine cable provides
connectivity to Ukraine and Russia; a combination submarine cable
and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to Italy, Albania,
and Macedonia; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intersputnik in the
Atlantic Ocean region, 2 Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean
regions) (2007)

Burkina Faso
general assessment: services only fair; in 2006 the
government sold a 51 percent stake in the national telephone company
and ultimately plans to retain only a 23 percent stake in the
company; fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular usage, fostered by multiple providers, is
increasing rapidly from a low base
domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone
communication stations
international: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Burma
general assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and
intercity service for business and government
domestic: system barely capable of providing basic service; cellular
phone system is grossly underdeveloped with a subscribership base of
less than 1 per 100 persons
international: country code - 95; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to
Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2,
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and ShinSat (2007)

Burundi
general assessment: primitive system; telephone density one
of the lowest in the world; fixed-line connections stand at well
less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is increasing but
remains at a meager 3 per 100 persons
domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications,
and low-capacity microwave radio relay
international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)

Cambodia
general assessment: mobile-phone systems are widely used in
urban areas to bypass deficiencies in the fixed-line network;
fixed-line connections stand at well less than 1 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular usage, aided by increasing competition among service
providers, is increasing and stands at nearly 20 per 100 persons
domestic: adequate landline and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh
and other provincial cities; mobile-phone coverage is rapidly
expanding in rural areas
international: country code - 855; adequate but expensive landline
and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and
major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik
(Indian Ocean region) (2007)

Cameroon
general assessment: fixed-line connections stand at less
than 1 per 100 persons; equipment is old and outdated, and
connections with many parts of the country are unreliable;
mobile-cellular usage, in part a reflection of the poor condition
and general inadequacy of the fixed-line network, increased more
than 6-fold between 2002 and 2007 reaching a subscribership base of
25 per 100 persons
domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter
international: country code - 237; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Canada
general assessment: excellent service provided by modern
technology
domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations
international: country code - 1; submarine cables provide links to
the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4
Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean, and 2 Intersputnik - Atlantic
Ocean region) (2007)

Cape Verde
general assessment: effective system, extensive
modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995
domestic: major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT);
fiber-optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing
Internet access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in
1998; broadband services launched in 2004
international: country code - 238; landing point for the Atlantis-2
fiber-optic transatlantic telephone cable that provides links to
South America, Senegal, and Europe; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and
Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
(2007)

Cayman Islands
general assessment: reasonably good system
domestic: liberalization of telecom market in 2003; introduction of
competition in the mobile-cellular market in 2004
international: country code - 1-345; landing point for the MAYA-1
submarine telephone cable network that provides links to the US and
parts of Central and South America; submarine cable provides
connectivity to Jamaica; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Central African Republic
general assessment: limited telephone
service; fixed-line connections for well less than 1 per 100 persons
coupled with mobile-cellular usage of only about 3 per 100 persons;
most fixed-line and cellular telephone services are concentrated in
Bangui
domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and
low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication
international: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Chad
general assessment: primitive system with high costs and low
telephone density; fixed-line connections for only about 1 per 1000
persons coupled with mobile-cellular usage of only about 9 per 100
persons
domestic: fair system of radiotelephone communication stations
international: country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Chile
general assessment: privatization begun in 1988; most advanced
telecommunications infrastructure in South America; modern system
based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities; fixed-line
connections have dropped in recent years as mobile-cellular usage
continues to increase, reaching a level of 85 telephones per 100
persons
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite
system with 3 earth stations
international: country code - 56; submarine cables provide links to
the US and to Central and South America; satellite earth stations -
2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

China
general assessment: domestic and international services are
increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed
domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and
many towns; nonetheless, by the end of 2006, more than 95% of
China's villages had been connected to the telephone network; China
continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure, and is
partnering with foreign providers to expand its global reach; 3 of
China's 6 major telecommunications operators are part of an
international consortium which, in December 2006, signed an
agreement with Verizon Business to build the first next-generation
fiber optic submarine cable system directly linking the US mainland
and China
domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular
telephone systems have been installed; mobile-cellular
subscribership is increasing rapidly; the number of Internet users
reached 253 million in 2008; a domestic satellite system with 55
earth stations is in place
international: country code - 86; a number of submarine cables
provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US;
satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Pacific Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean; 1 Intersputnik - Indian Ocean region; and 1 Inmarsat -
Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2007)

Christmas Island
general assessment: service provided by the
Australian network
domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system
in February 2005
international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth station - 1
(Intelsat provides telephone and telex service) (2005)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
general assessment: connected within
Australia's telecommunication system; a local mobile-cellular
network is in operation
domestic: NA
international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile
communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; satellite
earth station - 1 (Intelsat) (2001)

Colombia
general assessment: modern system in many respects;
telecommunications sector liberalized during the 1990s; multiple
providers of both fixed-line and mobile-cellular services;
fixed-line connections stand at about 18 per 100 persons; mobile
cellular usage is about 75 per 100 persons; competition among
cellular service providers is resulting in falling local and
international calling rates and contributing to the steep decline in
the market share of fixed line services
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic
satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking
50 cities
international: country code - 57; submarine cables provide links to
the US, parts of the Caribbean, and Central and South America;
satellite earth stations - 10 (6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 3 fully
digitalized international switching centers) (2007)

Comoros
general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay
and HF radiotelephone communication stations; fixed-line connections
only about 3 per 100 persons; mobile cellular usage about 5 per 100
persons
domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications
to Madagascar and Reunion

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
general assessment: inadequate;
state-owned fixed-line operator has been unable to expand fixed-line
connections and there are now fewer than 10,000 connections - less
than 1 per 1000 persons; given the backdrop of a wholly inadequate
fixed-line infrastructure, the use of cellular services has surged
and subscribership in 2007 reached 6.6 million - 10 per 100 persons
domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in
and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth
stations
international: country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Congo, Republic of the
general assessment: services barely adequate
for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire,
and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order; fixed-line
infrastructure inadequate providing less than 1 connection per 100
persons; in the absence of an adequate fixed line infrastructure,
mobile-cellular subscribership has surged reaching 35 per 100 persons
domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and
coaxial cable
international: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Cook Islands
general assessment: Telecom Cook Islands offers
international direct dialing, Internet, email, fax, and Telex
domestic: individual islands are connected by a combination of
satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF
radiotelephone; within the islands, service is provided by small
exchanges connected to subscribers by open-wire, cable, and
fiber-optic cable
international: country code - 682; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Costa Rica
general assessment: good domestic telephone service in
terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular telephone service;
state-run monopoly provider is struggling with the demand for new
lines, resulting in long waiting times
domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave,
fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is
available
international: country code - 506; landing point for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic
telecommunications submarine cable and the MAYA-1 submarine cable
that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the
Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave
System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Cote d'Ivoire
general assessment: well developed by African
standards; telecommunications sector privatized in late 1990s and
operational fixed-lines have more than quadrupled since that time;
with multiple cellular service providers competing in the market,
cellular usage has increased sharply to roughly 40 per 100 persons
domestic: open-wire lines and microwave radio relay; 90% digitalized
international: country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean) (2007)

Croatia
general assessment: the telecommunications network has
improved steadily since the mid-1990s; the number of fixed telephone
lines holding steady at about 40 per 100 persons; the number of
cellular telephone subscriptions exceeds the population
domestic: more than 90 percent of local lines are digital
international: country code - 385; digital international service is
provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in
the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project, which consists of 2
fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk
line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; the ADRIA-1 submarine cable
provides connectivity to Albania and Greece (2007)

Cuba
general assessment: greater investment beginning in 1994 and
the establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and
Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system;
wireless service is expensive and must be paid in convertible pesos
which effectively limits mobile cellular subscribership
domestic: national fiber-optic system under development; 95% of
switches digitized by end of 2006; fixed telephone line density
remains low, at less than 10 per 100 inhabitants; domestic cellular
service expanding but remains at only about 2 per 100 persons
international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not
linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region) (2007)

Cyprus
general assessment: excellent in both area under government
control and area administered by Turkish Cypriots
domestic: open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 357 (area administered by Turkish
Cypriots uses the country code of Turkey - 90); a number of
submarine cables, including the SEA-ME-WE-3, combine to provide
connectivity to Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia;
tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 8 (3 Intelsat - 1
Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1
Arabsat)

Czech Republic
general assessment: privatization and modernization
of the Czech telecommunication system got a late start but is
advancing steadily; access to the fixed-line telephone network
expanded throughout the 1990s but the number of fixed line
connections has been dropping since then; mobile telephone usage
increased sharply beginning in the mid-1990s and the number of
cellular telephone subscriptions now greatly exceeds the population
domestic: virtually all exchanges now digital; existing copper
subscriber systems enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
(ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals;
trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 6 (2
Intersputnik - Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions, 1 Intelsat, 1
Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar) (2007)

Denmark
general assessment: excellent telephone and telegraph
services
domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form
trunk network, 4 cellular mobile communications systems
international: country code - 45; a series of fiber-optic submarine
cables link Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland,
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and UK; satellite earth
stations - 18 (6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat
(Blaavand-Atlantic-East)); note - the Nordic countries (Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station
and the Eik, Norway, station for worldwide Inmarsat access

Djibouti
general assessment: telephone facilities in the city of
Djibouti are adequate, as are the microwave radio relay connections
to outlying areas of the country
domestic: microwave radio relay network; mobile cellular coverage is
primarily limited to the area in and around Djibouti city
international: country code - 253; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the
Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat -
Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat); Medarabtel regional microwave radio
relay telephone network (2007)

Dominica
general assessment: NA
domestic: fully automatic network
international: country code - 1-767; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13
other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British
Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF
radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF
radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia

Dominican Republic
general assessment: relatively efficient system
based on island-wide microwave radio relay network
domestic: fixed telephone line density is about 10 per 100 persons;
multiple providers of mobile cellular service with a subscribership
of roughly 60 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-809; landing point for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic
telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and
Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Ecuador
general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded
domestic: fixed-line services provided by three state-owned
enterprises; plans to transfer the state-owned operators to private
ownership have repeatedly failed; fixed-line density stands at about
13 per 100 persons; mobile cellular use has surged and has a
subscribership of nearly 75 per 100 persons
international: country code - 593; landing point for the PAN-AM
submarine telecommunications cable that provides links to the west
coast of South America, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and extending
onward to Aruba and the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Egypt
general assessment: large system; underwent extensive
upgrading during 1990s and is reasonably modern; Telecom Egypt, the
landline monopoly, has been increasing service availability and in
2007 fixed-line density stood at 14 per 100 persons; as of 2007
there were three mobile-cellular networks and service is expanding
rapidly
domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah,
Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay
international: country code - 20; landing point for both the
SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks; linked to the
international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the
Globe); satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean
and Indian Ocean, 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat); tropospheric scatter
to Sudan; microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in
Medarabtel (2007)

El Salvador
general assessment: multiple mobile-cellular service
providers are expanding services rapidly and in 2007 mobile-cellular
density stood at nearly 90 per 100 persons; growth in fixed-line
services has slowed in the face of mobile-cellular competition
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system
international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave
System (2007)

Equatorial Guinea
general assessment: digital fixed-line network in
most major urban areas and good mobile coverage
domestic: fixed-line density is about 2 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing and in 2007 stood
at about 40 percent of the population
international: country code - 240; international communications from
Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)

Eritrea
general assessment: inadequate; combined fixed-line and
mobile cellular subscribership is only about 2 per 100 persons
domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is
seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)
international: country code - 291; note - international connections
exist

Estonia
general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint
business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial
fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in
the digital mode; Internet services are widely available; schools
and libraries are connected to the Internet, a large percentage of
the population files income-tax returns online, and online voting
was used for the first time in the 2005 local elections
domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet
services is available throughout the country
international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland,
Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched
service; 2 international switches are located in Tallinn (2001)

Ethiopia
general assessment: inadequate telephone system; the number
of fixed lines and mobile telephones is increasing from a very small
base; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is only about 2
per 100 persons
domestic: open-wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in
the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; 2 domestic satellites provide the
national trunk service
international: country code - 251; 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)

European Union
note - see individual country entries of member states

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: country code - 500; 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: country code - 298; 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: telephone or radio telephone links to almost all inhabited
islands; most towns and large villages have automatic telephone
exchanges and direct dialing; combined fixed and mobile-cellular
density is about 60 per 100 persons
international: country code - 679; access to important cable links
between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; satellite
earth stations - 2 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean) (2007)

Finland
general assessment: modern system with excellent service
domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive
cellular network provide domestic needs
international: country code - 358; submarine cables provide links to
Estonia and Sweden; 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: country code - 33; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US;
satellite earth stations - more than 3 (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
overseas departments: country codes: French Guiana - 594; Guadeloupe
- 590; Martinique - 596; Reunion - 262

French Polynesia
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Gabon
general assessment: adequate service by African standards and
improving with the help of a growing mobile cell network system with
multiple providers; mobile-cellular subscribership reached 80 per
100 persons in 2007
domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay,
tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a
domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
international: country code - 241; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Gambia, The
general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data
network is available; two mobile-cellular service providers
domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open-wire;
combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity reached 50
telephones per 100 persons in 2007
international: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to
Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Gaza Strip
general assessment: NA
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL
are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL
company provides cellular services
international: country code - 970 (2004)

Georgia
general assessment: fixed-line telecommunications network
has only limited coverage outside Tbilisi; multiple mobile-cellular
providers provide services to an increasing subscribership
throughout the country
domestic: cellular telephone networks now cover the entire country;
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: country code - 995; the Georgia-Russia fiber optic
submarine cable provides connectivity to Russia; 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, dating back to
World War II, 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,
expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign
countries
international: country code - 49; Germany's international service is
excellent worldwide, consisting of extensive land and undersea cable
facilities as well as earth stations in the Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Eutelsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems (2001)

Ghana
general assessment: outdated and unreliable fixed-line
infrastructure heavily concentrated in Accra; competition among
multiple mobile-cellular providers has spurred growth with
subscribership about 35 per 100 persons and rising
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has
been installed
international: country code - 233; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its
neighbors (2007)

Gibraltar
general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system
and adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities
international: country code - 350; 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: country code - 30; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to
Europe, Middle East, and Asia; a number of smaller submarine cables
provide connectivity to various parts of Europe, the Middle East,
and Cyprus; tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 4 (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: country code - 299; satellite earth stations - 15 (12
Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)) (2000)

Grenada
general assessment: automatic, islandwide telephone system
domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
international: country code - 1-473; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13
other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British
Virgin Islands to Trinidad; SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and
Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad

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: country code - 1-671; major landing point for
submarine cables between Asia and the US (Guam is a trans-Pacific
communications hub for major carriers linking the US and Asia);
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Guatemala
general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the
city of Guatemala
domestic: state-owned telecommunications company privatized in the
late 1990s opening the way for competition; fixed-line teledensity
11 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity 80 per 100 persons
international: country code - 502; landing point for both the
Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the SAM-1 fiber
optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to
South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
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: inadequate system of open-wire lines,
small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio
relay system
domestic: Conakry reasonably well served; coverage elsewhere remains
inadequate and large companies tend to rely on their own systems for
nationwide links; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is
about 2 per 100 persons
international: country code - 224; 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; fixed-line teledensity
less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 20
per 100 in 2007
international: country code - 245

Guyana
general assessment: fair system for long-distance service
domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines; fixed-line
teledensity is about 15 per 100 persons; many areas still lack
fixed-line telephone services; mobile-cellular teledensity reached
37 per 100 persons in 2005
international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Haiti
general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate;
international facilities slightly better; telephone density in Haiti
remains the lowest in the Latin American and Caribbean region
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service;
combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 25 per 100
persons
international: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Holy See (Vatican City)
general assessment: automatic digital
exchange
domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network
international: country code - 39; uses Italian system

Honduras
general assessment: inadequate system
domestic: beginning in 2003, private sub-operators allowed to
provide fixed-lines in order to expand telephone coverage;
fixed-line teledensity has increased to about 10 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone service has been increasing rapidly and
subscribership in 2006 exceeded 30 per 100 persons
international: country code - 504; landing point for both the
Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 fiber
optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to
South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
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: country code - 852; multiple international submarine
cables provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East,
and Western Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China

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; competition among mobile-cellular service
providers has led to a sharp increase in the use of mobile cellular
phones since 2000 and a decrease in the number of fixed-line
connections
international: country code - 36; 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: telecommunications infrastructure is
modern and fully digitized, with satellite-earth stations,
fiber-optic cables, and an extensive broadband network
domestic: liberalization of the telecommunications sector beginning
in the late 1990s has led to increased competition especially in the
mobile services segment of the market
international: country code - 354; the CANTAT-3 and FARICE-1
submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Canada, the Faroe
Islands, UK, Denmark, and Germany; a planned new section of the
Hibernia-Atlantic submarine cable will provide additional
connectivity to Canada, US, and Ireland; 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: recent deregulation and liberalization of
telecommunications laws and policies have prompted rapid growth;
local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of
the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban
areas; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission
of private and private-public investors, but combined fixed and
mobile telephone density remains low at about 30 for each 100
persons nationwide and much lower for persons in rural areas; rapid
growth in cellular service with modest declines in fixed lines
domestic: mobile cellular service introduced in 1994 and organized
nationwide into four metropolitan areas and 19 telecom circles each
with about three private service providers and one state-owned
service provider; in recent years significant trunk capacity added
in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the world's largest
domestic satellite systems, the Indian National Satellite system
(INSAT), with 6 satellites supporting 33,000 very small aperture
terminals (VSAT)
international: country code - 91; a number of major international
submarine cable systems, including Sea-Me-We-3 with landing sites at
Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Sea-Me-We-4 with a landing site at
Chennai, Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with a landing
site at Mumbai (Bombay), South Africa - Far East (SAFE) with a
landing site at Cochin, the i2i cable network linking to Singapore
with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras), and Tata
Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras), provide a
significant increase in the bandwidth available for both voice and
data traffic; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); 9 gateway exchanges operating
from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai
(Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam
(2008)

Indonesia
general assessment: domestic service fair, international
service good
domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net;
domestic satellite communications system; coverage provided by
existing network has been expanded by use of over 200,000 telephone
kiosks many located in remote areas; mobile cellular subscribership
growing rapidly
international: country code - 62; landing point for both the
SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks that provide
links throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Iran
general assessment: 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: the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and
exchange systems installed by Iran's state-owned telecom company
have improved and expanded the main line network greatly; main line
availability has more than doubled to nearly 24 million lines since
2000; additionally, mobile service has increased dramatically
serving nearly 30 million subscribers in 2007
international: country code - 98; 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; HF radio and microwave radio relay to
Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria,
Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9
Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2007)

Iraq
general assessment: the 2003 liberation of Iraq severely
disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including international
connections; widespread government efforts to rebuild domestic and
international communications through fiber optic links are in
progress; the mobile cellular market has expanded rapidly with an
estimated 14 million current users in 2007
domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during 2003
continue; additional switching capacity is improving access;
cellular service is available and centered on 3 GSM networks which
are being expanded beyond their regional roots, improving
country-wide connectivity; wireless local loop licenses have been
issued with the hope of overcoming the lack of fixed-line
infrastructure
international: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 4 (2
Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Intersputnik -
Atlantic Ocean region, and 1 Arabsat (inoperative)); local microwave
radio relay connects border regions to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and
Turkey; planned international fiber-optic connections to Iran
(terrestrial) with a link to the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe
(FLAG) submarine fiber-optic cable (2007)

Ireland
general assessment: modern digital system using cable and
microwave radio relay
domestic: microwave radio relay
international: country code - 353; landing point for the
Hibernia-Atlantic submarine cable with links to the US, Canada, and
UK; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Isle of Man
general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite
earth station, submarine cable

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; four privately-owned mobile-cellular
service providers with countrywide coverage; mobile-cellular
teledensity is 140 per 100 persons
international: country code - 972; submarine cables provide links to
Europe, Cyprus, and parts of the Middle East; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2007)

Italy
general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully
automated telephone, telex, and data services
domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
international: country code - 39; a series of submarine cables
provide links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and US;
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

Jamaica
general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone
network
domestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market for
telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in
mobile-cellular telephone usage while the number of fixed-lines in
use has declined; combined mobile-cellular teledensity now exceeds
100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cable
network provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband traffic
and is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1)
submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1
provides seamless connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean,
Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2006)

Japan
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
service
domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of
every kind
international: country code - 81; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;
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

Jersey
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: submarine cable connectivity to Guernsey and UK

Jordan
general assessment: service has improved recently with
increased use of digital switching equipment; microwave radio relay
transmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk
lines; growing mobile-cellular usage in both urban and rural areas
is reducing use of fixed-line services; Internet penetration remains
modest and slow-growing
domestic: 1995 telecommunications law opened all non-fixed-line
services to private competition; in 2005, monopoly over fixed-line
services terminated and the entire telecommunications sector was
opened to competition; mobile-cellular usage is increasing rapidly
and teledensity reached 80 per 100 persons in 2007
international: country code - 962; landing point for the Fiber-Optic
Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides
links to Asia, Middle East, Europe; satellite earth stations - 33 (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; participant in Medarabtel (2007)

Kazakhstan
general assessment: inherited an outdated
telecommunications network from the Soviet era requiring
modernization
domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; number of
fixed-line connections is gradually increasing and fixed-line
teledensity is about 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is
increasing rapidly and subscriptions now exceed 80 per 100 persons
international: country code - 7; international traffic with other
former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave
radio relay and with other countries by satellite and by the
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations
- 2 Intelsat (2007)

Kenya
general assessment: inadequate; fixed-line telephone system is
small and inefficient; trunks are primarily microwave radio relay;
business data commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal
(VSAT) system
domestic: no recent growth in fixed-line infrastructure and the sole
provider, Telkom Kenya, is slated for privatization; multiple
providers in the mobile-cellular segment of the market fostering a
boom in mobile-cellular telephone usage
international: country code - 254; satellite earth stations - 4
Intelsat

Kiribati
general assessment: generally good quality national and
international service
domestic: wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati
(Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHF
radiotelephone; wireless service available in Tarawa since 1999
international: country code - 686; Kiribati is being linked to the
Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should
improve telephone service; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Pacific Ocean)

Korea, North
general assessment: inadequate system; currently no
mobile cellular telephone services
domestic: fiber-optic links installed between cities; telephone
directories unavailable; mobile cellular service, initiated in 2002,
terminated in 2004; in January 2008 Orascom Telecom, an Egyptian
company, announced that it had been granted a commercial license to
provide mobile telephone services in North Korea
international: country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 2 (1
Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Russian - Indian Ocean region); other
international connections through Moscow and Beijing (2008)

Korea, South
general assessment: excellent domestic and
international services featuring rapid incorporation of new
technologies
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone
subscribership exceeds 140 per 100 persons; rapid assimilation of a
full range of telecommunications technologies leading to a boom in
e-commerce
international: country code - 82; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;
satellite earth stations - 6 (3 Intelsat - 1 Pacific Ocean and 2
Indian Ocean; 3 Inmarsat - 1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean)

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, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular
telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well
supplied with pay telephones
international: country code - 965; linked to international submarine
cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); linked to Bahrain,
Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 6
(3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 1 Inmarsat -
Atlantic Ocean, and 2 Arabsat)

Kyrgyzstan
general assessment: telecommunications infrastructure is
growing; fixed line penetration remains low and concentrated in
urban areas
domestic: multiple mobile cellular service providers with growing
coverage; mobile cellular subscribership reached 40 per 100 persons
in 2007
international: country code - 996; 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 - 2 (1
Intersputnik, 1 Intelsat); connected internationally by the
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line (2007)

Laos
general assessment: service to general public is poor but
improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to
communicate with remote areas
domestic: multiple service providers; mobile cellular usage growing
rapidly; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership
about 25 per 100 persons
international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1
Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2007)

Latvia
general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing
competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed
lines is decreasing as wireless telephone service expands
domestic: number of telecommunications operators has grown rapidly
since the fixed-line market opened to competition in 2003; combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 125 per 100
persons
international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now
connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden
(2007)

Lebanon
general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system,
severely damaged during the civil war, now complete
domestic: two wireless networks provide good service; political
instability hampers privatization and deployment of new
technologies; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership
50 per 100 persons
international: country code - 961; submarine cable link to Cyprus;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic
Ocean); coaxial cable to Syria (2007)

Lesotho
general assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a
modest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio
relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system;
mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding
domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho tasked with providing
an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a
target not met; mobile-cellular service is expanding with a
subscribership approaching 25 per 100 persons; rural services are
scant
international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Liberia
general assessment: the limited services available are found
almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia; coverage extended to a
number of other towns and rural areas by four mobile-cellular
network operators
domestic: fixed line service stagnant and extremely limited;
mobile-cellular subscription base growing and teledensity
approaching 20 per 100 persons
international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Libya
general assessment: telecommunications system is being
modernized; mobile cellular telephone system became operational in
1996; combined fixed line and mobile telephone density approached 90
telephones per 100 persons in 2007
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular,
tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth
stations
international: country code - 218; 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 (2007)

Liechtenstein
general assessment: automatic telephone system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by cable
and microwave radio relay

Lithuania
general assessment: adequate; being modernized to provide
improved international capability and better residential access
domestic: rapid expansion of mobile-cellular services has resulted
in a steady decline in the number of main line subscriptions;
mobile-cellular teledensity has increased to about 135 per 100
persons while fixed-line teledensity has dropped to 22 per 100
persons
international: country code - 370; major international connections
to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for further
transmission by satellite; landline connections to Latvia and Poland
(2007)

Luxembourg
general assessment: highly developed, completely
automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables
domestic: fixed line teledensity over 50 per 100 persons; nationwide
cellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular phones
virtually saturated
international: country code - 352 (2007)

Macau
general assessment: fairly modern communication facilities
maintained for domestic and international services
domestic: termination of monopoly over mobile-cellular telephone
services in 2001 spurred sharp increase in subscriptions with
mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 190 per 100 persons in 2008;
fixed-line subscribership appears to have peaked and is now in
decline
international: country code - 853; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, the Middle
East, and Europe; HF radiotelephone communication facility;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2008)

Macedonia
general assessment: competition from the mobile-cellular
segment of the telecommunications market has led to a drop in
fixed-line telephone subscriptions
domestic: combined fixed line and mobile telephone density
approaching 100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 389 (2007)

Madagascar
general assessment: system is above average for the
region; Antananarivo's main telephone exchange modernized in the
late 1990s, but the rest of the analogue-based telephone system is
poorly developed; have added more than 50,000 new fixed lines since
2005
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile telephone density only
about 12 per 100 persons
international: country code - 261; submarine cable to Bahrain;
satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1
Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2007)

Malawi
general assessment: rudimentary
domestic: fixed-line subscribership about 1 per 100 persons;
privatization of Malawi Telecommunications (MTL), a necessary step
in bringing improvement to telecommunications services, completed in
2006; mobile-cellular services are expanding but cellular network
coverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas; mobile
cellular subscribership roughly 8 per 100 persons
international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 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; combined fixed-line and
mobile cellular teledensity exceeds 110 per 100 persons
international: country code - 60; landing point for several major
international submarine cable networks that provide connectivity to
Asia, Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2007)

Maldives
general assessment: telephone services have improved; each
island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile
cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership
approaching 90 per 100 persons
domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all
inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax
service
international: country code - 960; linked to international submarine
cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth
station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)

Mali
general assessment: domestic system unreliable but improving;
provides only minimal service
domestic: fixed-line availability is gradually increasing, but
subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; increasing use
of local radio loops to extend network coverage to remote areas;
mobile-cellular subscribership has increased sharply to 20 per 100
persons
international: country code - 223; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean) (2007)

Malta
general assessment: automatic system satisfies normal
requirements; fixed-line teledensity 50 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular teledensity about 90 per 100 persons
domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
international: country code - 356; submarine cable connects to
Italy; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Marshall Islands
general assessment: digital switching equipment;
modern services include telex, cellular, Internet, international
calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits
domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular,
seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by
high frequency radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes)
and mini-satellite telephones
international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications
system on Kwajalein (2005)

Mauritania
general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire
lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone
communications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly
domestic: Mauritel, the national telecommunications company, was
privatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-line
services; fixed-line teledensity 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity
approaching 40 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; a
domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with
regional capitals
international: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1
Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat)

Mauritius
general assessment: small system with good service
domestic: monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005;
fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
services launched in 1989 with teledensity in 2007 reaching 75 per
100 persons
international: country code - 230; landing point for the SAFE
submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where
it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides further
links to parts of East Africa, and Europe; 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: country code - 262; microwave radio relay and HF
radiotelephone communications to Comoros

Mexico
general assessment: adequate telephone service for business
and government, but the population is poorly served; mobile
subscribers far outnumber fixed-line subscribers; domestic satellite
system with 120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay
network; considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable
domestic: low telephone density with about 18 fixed lines per 100
persons; privatized in December 1990; despite the opening to
competition in January 1997, Telmex remains dominant; legal
challenges to Telmex's alleged anti-competitive behavior in the
mobile and fixed-line markets culminated in a World Trade
Organization ruling in 2004 against Mexico prompting some
strengthening of the powers granted Mexico's telecom regulator;
mobile cellular teledensity approaching 65 per 100 persons
international: country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine
cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain,
and Italy; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and
the MAYA-1 submarine cable system together provide access to Central
America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US;
satellite earth stations - 120 (32 Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving
Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and much
of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), 1 Panamsat,
numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations); linked to Central American
Microwave System of trunk connections (2007)

Micronesia, Federated States of general assessment: adequate system domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes), satellite (Intelsat) ground stations, and some coaxial and fiber-optic cable; cellular service available on Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap international: country code - 691; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2002)

Moldova
general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service
outside Chisinau; some modernization is under way
domestic: depending on location, new subscribers may face long wait
for service; multiple private operators of GSM mobile-cellular
telephone service are operating; GPRS system is being introduced; a
CDMA mobile telephone network began operations in 2007; combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 70 per 100
persons
international: country code - 373; service through Romania and
Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - at least 3
(Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik) (2007)

Monaco
general assessment: modern automatic telephone system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 377; no satellite earth stations;
connected by cable into the French communications system

Mongolia
general assessment: network is improving with international
direct dialing available in many areas
domestic: very low fixed-line density; there are multiple mobile
cellular service providers and subscribership is increasing rapidly;
a fiber-optic network is also being installed that will improve
broadband and communication services between major urban centers
international: country code - 976; satellite earth stations - 7

Montenegro
general assessment: modern telecommunications system with
access to European satellites
domestic: GSM wireless service, available through 2 providers with
national coverage, is growing rapidly
international: country code - 382; 2 international switches connect
the national system

Montserrat
general assessment: modern and fully digitalized
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-664; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13
other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British
Virgin Islands to Trinidad

Morocco
general assessment: modern system with all important
capabilities; however, density is low with only 7 fixed lines
available for each 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership is
approaching 60 per 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: country code - 212; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides
connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; 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 (2007)

Mozambique
general assessment: fair system with an extremely low
density of less than 1 fixed line per 100 persons
domestic: the telecommunications sector is shackled with a heavy
state presence, lack of competition, and high operating costs and
charges; stagnation in the fixed-line network contrasts with rapid
growth in the mobile-cellular network; mobile-cellular coverage now
includes all the main cities and key roads, including those from
Maputo to the South African and Swaziland borders, the national
highway through Gaza and Inhambane provinces, the Beira corridor,
and from Nampula to Nacala
international: country code - 258; satellite earth stations - 5
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)

Namibia
general assessment: good system with a combined fixed-line
and mobile-cellular teledensity of about 45 per 100 persons
domestic: core fiber-optic network links most centers and
connections are now digital; Namibia's first mobile-cellular
network, launched in 1994, provides coverage to 86 percent of
Namibia by area
international: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to South
Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to
other neighboring countries; connected to the South African Far East
(SAFE) submarine cable through South Africa; satellite earth
stations - 4 Intelsat (2007)

Nauru
general assessment: adequate local and international
radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities
domestic: NA
international: country code - 674; 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: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications;
microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean)

Netherlands
general assessment: highly developed and well maintained
domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; large cellular
telephone system with 5 major operators utilizing the third
generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
technology
international: country code - 31; submarine cables provide links to
the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1
Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (2007)

Netherlands Antilles
general assessment: generally adequate
facilities
domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
international: country code - 599; the Americas Region Caribbean
Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the Americas-2 submarine cable systems
provide connectivity to Central America, parts of South America and
the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean)

New Caledonia
general assessment: NA
domestic: a submarine cable network connection between New Caledonia
and Australia, completed in 2007, is expected to significantly
increase network capacity and improve high-speed connectivity and
access to international networks
international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2007)

New Zealand
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
systems
domestic: NA
international: country code - 64; the Southern Cross submarine cable
system provides links to Australia, Fiji, and the US; satellite
earth stations - 8 (1 Inmarsat - Pacific Ocean, 7 other)

Nicaragua
general assessment: system being upgraded by foreign
investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now
uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of
the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and
mobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lags
behind other Central American countries; connected to Central
American Microwave System
international: country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean
Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides
connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean,
and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic
Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Niger
general assessment: inadequate; small system of wire, radio
telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links
concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity only
about 7 per 100 persons; domestic satellite system with 3 earth
stations and 1 planned
international: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Nigeria
general assessment: further expansion and modernization of
the fixed-line telephone network is needed
domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002
resulted in faster growth but subscribership remains only about 1
per 100 persons; wireless telephony has grown rapidly, in part
responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple
service providers operate nationally; mobile-cellular teledensity
reached 30 per 100 persons in 2007
international: country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean) (2007)

Niue
domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on
island
international: country code - 683 (2001)

Norfolk Island
general assessment: adequate
domestic: free local calls
international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with
Australia and New Zealand; satellite earth station - 1

Northern Mariana Islands
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-670; 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: country code - 47; 2 buried coaxial cable systems;
submarine cables provide links to other Nordic countries and Europe;
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: fixed-line phone service gradually being introduced to
remote villages using wireless local loop systems; fixed-line and
mobile-cellular subscribership both increasing; open-wire,
microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellite
system with 8 earth stations
international: country code - 968; the Fiber-Optic Link Around the
Globe (FLAG) and the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable provide
connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2007)

Pakistan
general assessment: the telecommunications infrastructure
is improving dramatically with foreign and domestic investments into
fixed-line and mobile networks; mobile-cellular subscribership has
skyrocketed, reaching some 88 million in 2008, up from only about
300,000 in 2000; fiber systems are being constructed throughout the
country to aid in network growth; main line availability has risen
only marginally over the same period and there are still
difficulties getting main line service to rural areas
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable,
cellular, and satellite networks
international: country code - 92; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable systems that provide links to Asia,
the Middle East, and Europe; 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 (2008)

Palau
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Panama
general assessment: domestic and international facilities
well developed
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is
approaching 90 per 100 persons
international: country code - 507; landing point for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), the MAYA-1, and PAN-AM
submarine cable systems that together provide links to the US and
parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to
the Central American Microwave System (2007)

Papua New Guinea
general assessment: services are minimal;
facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio,
aeronautical radio, and international radio communication services
domestic: access to telephone services is not widely available;
combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is 6 per 100
persons
international: country code - 675; submarine cables to Australia and
Guam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean);
international radio communication service (2007)

Paraguay
general assessment: meager telephone service; principal
switching center is in Asuncion
domestic: the fixed-line market is a state monopoly; deficiencies in
provision of fixed-line service have resulted in a rapid expansion
of mobile-cellular services fostered by competition among multiple
providers
international: country code - 595; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Peru
general assessment: adequate for most requirements
domestic: fixed-line teledensity is only about 9 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular teledensity, spurred by competition among multiple
providers, has increased to roughly 55 telephones per 100 persons;
nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite
system with 12 earth stations
international: country code - 51; the South America-1 (SAM-1) and
Pan American (PAN-AM) submarine cable systems provide links to parts
of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Philippines
general assessment: good international radiotelephone
and submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service
adequate
domestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations; cellular
communications now dominate the industry; combined fixed-line and
mobile-cellular telephone density about 60 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 63; a series of submarine cables
together provide connectivity to Asia, US, the Middle East, and
Europe; multiple international gateways (2007)

Pitcairn Islands
general assessment: satellite phone services
domestic: domestic communication via radio (CB)
international: country code - 872; satellite earth station - 1
(Inmarsat)

Poland
general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications
network has accelerated with market based competition finalized in
2003; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned
company, is dwarfed by the growth in wireless telephony
domestic: mobile-cellular service available since 1993 and provided
by three nation-wide networks with a fourth provider beginning
operations in late 2006; cellular coverage is generally good with
some gaps in the east; fixed-line service is growing slowly and
still lags in rural areas
international: country code - 48; international direct dialing with
automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 with access to
Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik (2007)

Portugal
general assessment: Portugal's telephone system has
achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed
capabilities
domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave
radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations
international: country code - 351; a combination of submarine cables
provide connectivity to Europe, North and East Africa, South Africa,
the Middle East, Asia, and the US; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat;
tropospheric scatter to Azores (1998)

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: country code - 1-787, 939; submarine cables provide
connectivity to the US, Caribbean, Central and South America;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat

Qatar
general assessment: modern system centered in Doha
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone density
is roughly 165 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 974; landing point for the Fiber-Optic
Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides
links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and the US; tropospheric scatter
to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and the UAE;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian
Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Romania
general assessment: domestic and international service
improving rapidly, especially in wireless telephony
domestic: more than 90 percent of telephone network is automatic;
liberalization in 2003 is transforming telecommunications;
fixed-line teledensity is roughly 20 telephones per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular teledensity now slightly exceeds 100 telephones per
100 persons
international: country code - 40; the Black Sea Fiber Optic System
provides connectivity to Bulgaria and Turkey; satellite earth
stations - 10; digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate
in Bucharest (2007)

Russia
general assessment: the telephone system is experiencing
significant changes; 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;
the estimated number of mobile subscribers jumped from fewer than 1
million in 1998 to 170 million in 2007; a large demand for main line
service remains unsatisfied, but fixed-line operators continue to
grow their services
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: country code - 7; Russia is connected internationally
by 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: small, inadequate telephone system
primarily serves business and government
domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the
provinces by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellular
telephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HF
radiotelephone; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone
density is only about 7 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 250; 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 Barthelemy
general assessment: fully integrated access
domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems
international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable
provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe

Saint Helena
general assessment: can communicate worldwide
domestic: automatic digital network
international: country code (Saint Helena) - 290, (Ascension Island)
- 247; international direct dialing; satellite voice and data
communications; satellite earth stations - 5 (Ascension Island - 4,
Saint Helena - 1)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
general assessment: good interisland and
international connections
domestic: interisland links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic cable;
construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in
November 2004
international: country code - 1-869; connected internationally by
the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean
fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables

Saint Lucia
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: system is automatically switched
international: country code - 1-758; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic
System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF)
submarine cables, along with Intelsat from Martinique, carry calls
internationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique
and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to
Barbados

Saint Martin
general assessment: fully integrated access
domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems
international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable
provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with
most countries in the world; satellite earth station - 1 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; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 100 telephones per
100 persons
international: country code - 1-784; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic
System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF)
submarine cables carry international calls; connectivity also
provided by VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados;
SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat
earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia

Samoa
general assessment: adequate
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
roughly 50 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

San Marino
general assessment: adequate connections
domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into
Italian system; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
exceeds 130 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 378; connected to Italian
international network

Sao Tome and Principe
general assessment: local telephone network of
adequate quality with most lines connected to digital switches
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
approaching 20 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 239; 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; mobile-cellular subscribership has been
increasing rapidly
international: country code - 966; landing point for the
international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe
(FLAG) and for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable
networks providing connectivity to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and
US; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE,
Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; 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 with a fiber-optic network;
nearly two-thirds of all fixed-line connections are in Dakar where a
call-center industry is emerging; expansion of fixed-line services
in rural areas needed; mobile-cellular service is expanding rapidly;
microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk
system
international: country code - 221; the SAT-3/WASC fiber optic cable
provides connectivity to Europe and Asia while Atlantis-2 provides
connectivity to South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Serbia
general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications
network has been slow as a result of damage stemming from the 1999
war and transition to a competitive market-based system; network was
only 65% digitalized in 2005
domestic: teledensity remains below the average for neighboring
states; GSM wireless service, available through multiple providers
with national coverage, is growing very rapidly; best
telecommunications service limited to urban centers
international: country code - 381

Seychelles
general assessment: effective system
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is
nearly 125 telephones per 100 persons; radiotelephone communications
between islands in the archipelago
international: country code - 248; direct radiotelephone
communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal
countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Sierra Leone
general assessment: marginal telephone service
domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects
Freetown to Bo and Kenema; mobile-cellular service is growing
rapidly from a small base
international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Singapore
general assessment: excellent service
domestic: excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G wireless
service in February 2005; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular
teledensity is about 165 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 65; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;
satellite earth stations -4; supplemented by VSAT coverage (2007)

Slovakia
general assessment: Slovakia has a modern
telecommunications system that has expanded dramatically in recent
years with the growth in cellular services
domestic: analog system is now receiving digital equipment and is
being enlarged with fiber-optic cable, especially in the larger
cities; 3 companies provide nationwide cellular services
international: country code - 421; 3 international exchanges (1 in
Bratislava and 2 in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is
participating in several international telecommunications projects
that will increase the availability of external services

Slovenia
general assessment: well-developed telecommunications
infrastructure
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
roughly 140 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 386

Solomon Islands
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Somalia
general assessment: the public telecommunications system was
almost completely destroyed or dismantled during the civil war;
private wireless companies offer service in most major cities and
charge the lowest international rates on the continent
domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in
Mogadishu and in several other population centers
international: country code - 252; international connections are
available from Mogadishu by satellite (2001)

South Africa
general assessment: the system is the best developed
and most modern in Africa
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is
nearly 110 telephones per 100 persons; 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: country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiber
optic cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia;
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: well developed, modern facilities;
fixed-line teledensity is about 45 per 100 persons
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is
nearly 170 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 34; submarine cables provide
connectivity to Europe, Middle East, Asia, and US; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA
Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries

Sri Lanka
general assessment: telephone services have improved
significantly and are available in most parts of the country
domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital
microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area
and fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is
strong in mobile cellular systems and mobile cellular subscribership
is increasing; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
is about 50 per 100 persons
international: country code - 94; the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4
submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, Australia, Middle
East, Europe, US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian
Ocean)

Sudan
general assessment: 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: country code - 249; linked to international submarine
cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth
stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2000)

Suriname
general assessment: international facilities are good
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about
90 telephones per 100 persons; microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Svalbard
general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service
international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of
unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)

Swaziland
general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced
system
domestic: mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing; combined
fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity approaching 40 telephones
per 100 persons; telephone system consists of carrier-equipped,
open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay
international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Sweden
general assessment: highly developed telecommunications
infrastructure; ranked among leading countries for fixed-line,
mobile-cellular, Internet and broadband penetration
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice
traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some
additional telephone channels
international: country code - 46; submarine cables provide links to
other Nordic countries and Europe; 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: highly developed telecommunications
infrastructure with excellent domestic and international services
domestic: ranked among leading countries for fixed-line teledensity
and infrastructure; mobile-cellular subscribership roughly 100 per
100 persons; extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
international: country code - 41; 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: the number of fixed-line connections has increased
markedly since 2000; mobile-cellular service growing rapidly and
teledensity about 35 wireless telephones per 100 persons; coaxial
cable and microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 963; submarine cable connection to
Cyprus; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1
Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); coaxial cable and microwave
radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in
Medarabtel

Taiwan
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for
every business and private need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: country code - 886; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and the
US; satellite earth stations - 2

Tajikistan
general assessment: poorly developed and not well
maintained; many towns are not linked to the national network
domestic: the domestic telecommunications network has historically
been under funded and poorly maintained; main line availability has
not changed significantly since 1998; cellular telephone use is
growing but geographic coverage remains limited
international: country code - 992; 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 - 3 (2 Intelsat and 1 Orbita) (2006)

Tanzania
general assessment: telecommunications services are
inadequate; system operating below capacity and being modernized for
better service; small aperture terminal (VSAT) system under
construction
domestic: fixed-line telephone network inadequate with less than 1
connection per 100 persons; mobile-cellular service, aided by
multiple providers, is increasing; trunk service provided by
open-wire, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and
fiber-optic cable; some links being made digital
international: country code - 255; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Thailand
general assessment: high quality system, especially in
urban areas like Bangkok
domestic: fixed line system provided by both a government owned and
commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly and
outpacing fixed lines
international: country code - 66; connected to major submarine cable
systems providing links throughout Asia, Australia, Middle East,
Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean)

Timor-Leste
general assessment: rudimentary service limited to urban
areas
domestic: system suffered significant damage during the violence
associated with independence; extremely limited fixed-line services;
mobile-cellular services and coverage limited primarily to urban
areas
international: country code - 670; international service is
available in major urban centers

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; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly
15 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie

Tokelau
general assessment: modern satellite-based communications
system
domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa;
government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok); satellite earth
stations - 3

Tonga
general assessment: competition between Tonga
Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications
Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT
recently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service for
telephone, Internet, and television
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
roughly 40 telephones per 100 persons; fully automatic switched
network
international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)

Trinidad and Tobago
general assessment: excellent international
service; good local service
domestic: mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 125 telephones per 100
persons
international: country code - 1-868; submarine cable systems provide
connectivity to US and parts of the Caribbean and South America;
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: in an effort jumpstart expansion of the fixed-line
network, the government has awarded a concession to build and
operate a VSAT network with international connectivity; competition
between the two mobile-cellular service providers has resulted in
lower activation and usage charges and a strong surge in
subscribership; expansion of mobile-cellular services to include
multimedia messaging and e-mail and Internet to mobile phone
services also leading to a surge in subscribership; overall
fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 90 telephones
per 100 persons
international: country code - 216; a landing point for the
SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable system that provides links to Europe,
Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio
relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; 2
international gateway digital switches

Turkey
general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and
expansion especially with 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: country code - 90; international service is provided
by the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable and by submarine fiber-optic
cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas that link Turkey with
Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia; satellite
earth stations - 12 Intelsat; mobile satellite terminals - 328 in
the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)

Turkmenistan
general assessment: poorly developed
domestic: Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign investors, is
planning to upgrade the country's telephone exchanges and install a
new digital switching system; mobile-cellular usage remains limited
international: country code - 993; 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
(2006)

Turks and Caicos Islands
general assessment: fully digital system
with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service
available
international: country code - 1-649; the Americas Region Caribbean
Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic telecommunications submarine cable
provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the
Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean)

Tuvalu
general assessment: serves particular needs for internal
communications
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
international: country code - 688; international calls can be made
by satellite

Uganda
general assessment: seriously inadequate; mobile cellular
service is increasing rapidly, but the number of main lines is still
deficient; 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: 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 is expanding
rapidly
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 115 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) (2002)

Uzbekistan
general assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in serious
need of modernization
domestic: the main line telecommunications system is dilapidated and
telephone density is low; the state-owned telecommunications
company, Uzbektelecom, is working on improving main line services;
mobile services are growing swiftly, with the subscriber base more
than doubling in 2007 to 5.8 million
international: country code - 998; 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 (2007)

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; fixed-line teledensity 20 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular teledensity more than 90 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 (2007)

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; main lines have been substantially
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)
domestic: NA
international: NA

Wallis and Futuna
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 681

West Bank
general assessment: NA
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL
are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL
company provides cellular services
international: country code - 970 (2004)

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, and GSM 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: facilities are aging but still 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; 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)

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: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat; 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and
Gweru)

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

@2125 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

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

Kazakhstan
extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from
the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia

Kenya
low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift
Valley; fertile plateau in west

Kiribati
mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

Korea, North
mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow
valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east

Korea, South
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west
and south

Kosovo
flat fluvial basin with an elevation of 400-700 m above sea
level surrounded by several high mountain ranges with elevations of
2,000 to 2,500 m

Kuwait
flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Kyrgyzstan
peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins
encompass entire nation

Laos
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus

Latvia
low plain

Lebanon
narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates
Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

Lesotho
mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Liberia
mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling
plateau and low mountains in northeast

Libya
mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Liechtenstein
mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western
third

Lithuania
lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil

Luxembourg
mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow
valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope
down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast

Macau
generally flat

Macedonia
mountainous territory covered with deep basins and
valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country
bisected by the Vardar River

Madagascar
narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

Malawi
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills,
some mountains

Malaysia
coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Maldives
flat, with white sandy beaches

Mali
mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna
in south, rugged hills in northeast

Malta
mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal
cliffs

Marshall Islands
low coral limestone and sand islands

Mauritania
mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central
hills

Mauritius
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains
encircling central plateau

Mayotte
generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic
peaks

Mexico
high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus;
desert

Micronesia, Federated States of islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk

Moldova
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Monaco
hilly, rugged, rocky

Mongolia
vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains
in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central

Montenegro
highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain
backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus

Montserrat
volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal
lowland

Morocco
northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas
of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains

Mozambique
mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus
in northwest, mountains in west

Namibia
mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari
Desert in east

Nauru
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs
with phosphate plateau in center

Navassa Island
raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to
undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)

Nepal
Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill
region, rugged Himalayas in north

Netherlands
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders);
some hills in southeast

Netherlands Antilles
generally hilly, volcanic interiors

New Caledonia
coastal plains with interior mountains

New Zealand
predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains

Nicaragua
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central
interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by
volcanoes

Niger
predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling
plains in south; hills in north

Nigeria
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus;
mountains in southeast, plains in north

Niue
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Norfolk Island
volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains

Northern Mariana Islands
southern islands are limestone with level
terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic

Norway
glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken
by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply
indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north

Oman
central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south