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Compare Burma (2003) - Lesotho (2004)

Compare Burma (2003) z Lesotho (2004)

 Burma (2003)Lesotho (2004)
 BurmaLesotho
Administrative divisions 7 divisions* (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne); Chin State, Ayeyarwady*, Bago*, Kachin State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Magway*, Mandalay*, Mon State, Rakhine State, Sagaing*, Shan State, Tanintharyi*, Yangon* 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Age structure 0-14 years: 28.1% (male 6,091,220; female 5,840,968)


15-64 years: 67% (male 14,162,190; female 14,347,751)


65 years and over: 4.9% (male 916,702; female 1,151,706) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 37.3% (male 350,288; female 345,815)


15-64 years: 57.2% (male 521,434; female 545,183)


65 years and over: 5.5% (male 41,903; female 60,417) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock
Airports 80 (2002) 28 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 8


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2002)
total: 3


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 72


over 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 20


under 914 m: 34 (2002)
total: 25


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)
Area total: 678,500 sq km


land: 657,740 sq km


water: 20,760 sq km
total: 30,355 sq km


land: 30,355 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas slightly smaller than Maryland
Background Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; independence outside of the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as president, and later as political kingmaker. Despite multiparty elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party winning a decisive victory, the ruling military junta refused to hand over power. Key opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, under house arrest from 1989 to 1995, was again placed under house detention from September 2000 to May 2002 and again in May 2003; her supporters are routinely harassed or jailed. Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 23 years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody South African military intervention. Constitutional reforms have since restored political stability; peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002.
Birth rate 19.15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 26.91 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $7.9 billion


expenditures: $12.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.7 billion (FY96/97)
revenues: $625.4 million


expenditures: $675.2 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (2003 est.)
Capital Rangoon (regime refers to the capital as Yangon) Maseru
Climate tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April) temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Coastline 1,930 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); national convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft a new constitution; progress has since been stalled 2 April 1993
Country name conventional long form: Union of Burma


conventional short form: Burma


local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)


local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw


former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma


note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw
conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho


conventional short form: Lesotho


former: Basutoland
Currency kyat (MMK) loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR)
Death rate 12.17 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 24.79 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $6.1 billion (2002 est.) $735 million (2002)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Permanent Charge d'Affaires Carmen M. MARTINEZ


embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)


mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546


telephone: [95] (1) 379 880, 379 881


FAX: [95] (1) 256 018
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert G. LOFTIS


embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)


mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho


telephone: [266] 312666


FAX: [266] 310116
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador LINN MYAING


chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-9044


FAX: [1] (202) 332-9046


consulate(s) general: New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Molelekeng E. RAPOLAKI


chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536


FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
Disputes - international despite continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain with Thailand over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities none
Economic aid - donor - ODA $4.4 million
Economic aid - recipient $99 million (FY98/99) $41.5 million (2000)
Economy - overview Burma is a resource-rich country that suffers from abject rural poverty. The military regime took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism", but those efforts have since stalled. Burma has been unable to achieve monetary or fiscal stability, resulting in an economy that suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including a steep inflation rate and an official exchange rate that overvalues the Burmese kyat by more than 100 times the market rate. In addition, most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta suppressed the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently ignored the results of the 1990 election. Burma is data poor, and official statistics are often dated and inaccurate. Published estimates of Burma's foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and border trade - often estimated to be one to two times the official economy. Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government revenue, but the government has strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa, also generating royalties for Lesotho. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries and a rapidly growing apparel-assembly sector. The economy is still primarily based on subsistence agriculture, especially livestock, although drought has decreased agricultural activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF.
Electricity - consumption 5.709 billion kWh (2001) 40 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 40 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001)
Electricity - production 6.139 billion kWh (2001) 0 kWh NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 44.4%


hydro: 55.6%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
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Elevation extremes lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m


highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m
lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m


highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5% Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,
Exchange rates kyats per US dollar - 6.64 (2002), 6.75 (2001), 6.52 (2000), 6.29 (1999), 6.34 (1998) maloti per US dollar - 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000), 6.1095 (1999)
Executive branch chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)


head of government: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note - the appointed Prime Minister, Gen. KNIN NYUNT (since 25 August 2003), is not the head of government


cabinet: State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); military junta, so named 15 November 1997, which initially assumed power 18 September 1988 under the name State Law and Order Restoration Council; the SPDC oversees the cabinet


elections: none
chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995, while his father was in exile


head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998)


cabinet: Cabinet


elections: none; according to the constitution, the leader of the majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister; the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution, which came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to determine who is next in the line of succession, who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age, and may even depose the monarch
Exports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)
Exports - partners Thailand 31.4%, US 13%, India 7.4%, China 4.7% (2002) US 97.6%, Canada 1.5%, France 0.5% (2003)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 April - 31 March
Flag description red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, all in white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 14 administrative divisions divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white, bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner
GDP purchasing power parity - $73.69 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $5.583 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 60%


industry: 9%


services: 31% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 15.3%


industry: 43.3%


services: 41.4% (2003)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.3% (2002 est.) 4% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 22 00 N, 98 00 E 29 30 S, 28 30 E
Geography - note strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level
Heliports 1 (2002) -
Highways total: 28,200 km


paved: 3,440 km


unpaved: 24,760 km (1996 est.)
total: 5,940 km


paved: 1,087 km


unpaved: 4,853 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)
lowest 10%: 0.9%


highest 10%: 43.4%
Illicit drugs world's second largest producer of illicit opium (potential production in 2002 - 630 metric tons, down 27% due to drought and, to a lesser extent, eradication; cultivation in 2002 - 77,000 hectares, a 27% decline from 2001); surrender of drug warlord KHUN SA's Mong Tai Army in January 1996 was hailed by Rangoon as a major counternarcotics success, but lack of government will and ability to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption -
Imports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, crude oil; food products food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (2000)
Imports - partners China 27%, Singapore 19.5%, Thailand 12%, Malaysia 9.1%, Taiwan 6.3%, South Korea 5.3%, Japan 4.3% (2002) Hong Kong 36.6%, Taiwan 36.2%, China 12%, Germany 9.9% (2003)
Independence 4 January 1948 (from UK) 4 October 1966 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 15.5% (1999)
Industries agricultural processing; knit and woven apparel; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts; construction; tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 70.35 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 76.48 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 63.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
total: 85.22 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 90.19 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 80.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 53.7% (2002 est.) 6.1% (2003 est.)
International organization participation ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1


note: as of September 2000, Internet connections were legal only for the government, tourist offices, and a few large businesses (2000)
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Irrigated land 15,920 sq km (1998 est.) 10 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not independent of the executive High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court
Labor force 23.7 million (1999 est.) 838,000 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 70%, industry 7%, services 23% (2001 est.) 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa
Land boundaries total: 5,876 km


border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km
total: 909 km


border countries: South Africa 909 km
Land use arable land: 14.53%


permanent crops: 0.9%


other: 84.57% (1998 est.)
arable land: 10.87%


permanent crops: 0.13%


other: 89% (2001)
Languages Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Legal system has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NLD 392, SNLD 23, NUP 10, other 60
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (120 seats, 80 by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 80 to 120 in the May 2002 election


elections: last held 25 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 54%, BNP 21%, LPC 7%, other 18%; seats by party - LCD 76, BNP 21, LPC 5, other 18
Life expectancy at birth total population: 55.79 years


male: 54.12 years


female: 57.56 years (2003 est.)
total population: 36.81 years


male: 36.81 years


female: 36.81 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 83.1%


male: 88.7%


female: 77.7% (1995 est.)


note: these are official statistics; estimates of functional literacy are likely closer to 30% (1999 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 84.8%


male: 74.5%


female: 94.5% (2003 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Map references Southeast Asia Africa
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 352,765 GRT/536,396 DWT


ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 21, container 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 5, Japan 4 (2002 est.)
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Military - note - the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening in political affairs
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; with Army and Air Wing)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $39 million (FY97) $32.5 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.1% (FY97) 2.6% (2003)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 12,349,921


females age 15-49: 12,358,507


note: both sexes liable for military service (2003 est.)
males age 15-49: 465,827 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 6,566,122


females age 15-49: 6,553,458 (2003 est.)
males age 15-49: 253,974 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 453,420


females: 455,422 (2003 est.)
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National holiday Independence Day, 4 January (1948) Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Nationality noun: Burmese (singular and plural)


adjective: Burmese
noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)


adjective: Basotho
Natural hazards destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts periodic droughts
Natural resources petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals
Net migration rate -1.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines gas 2,056 km; oil 558 km (2003) -
Political parties and leaders National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; National Unity Party or NUP (proregime) [THA KYAW]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [KHUN TUN OO]; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (proregime, a social and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]; and other smaller parties Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Tseliso MAKHAKHE]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Phebe MOTEBANO, chairwoman; Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader] - the governing party; Lesotho People's Congress or LPC [Kelebone MAOPE]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Charles MOFELI]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP and Setlamo Alliance [Vincent MALEBO]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Chief Peete Nkoebe PEETE]; Sefate Democratic Party or SDP [Bofihla NKUEBE]
Political pressure groups and leaders All Burma Student Democratic Front or ABSDF; Kachin Independence Army or KIA; Karen National Union or KNU; National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB [Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals legitimately elected to the People's Assembly but not recognized by the military regime (the group fled to a border area and joined with insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel government); several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA NA
Population 42,510,537


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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.)
1,865,040


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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 25% (2000 est.) 49% (1999)
Population growth rate 0.52% (2003 est.) 0.14% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Bassein, Bhamo, Chauk, Mandalay, Moulmein, Myitkyina, Rangoon, Akyab (Sittwe), Tavoy none
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998) AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways total: 3,955 km


narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)
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Religions Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2% Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; international service is good


domestic: NA


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
general assessment: rudimentary system


domestic: consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system; a cellular mobile telephone system is growing


international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 250,000 (2000) 28,600 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8,492 (1997) 92,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 2 (1998) 1 (2000)
Terrain central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Total fertility rate 2.15 children born/woman (2003 est.) 3.44 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 5.1% (2001 est.) 45% (2002)
Waterways 12,800 km


note: 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels
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