Burma (2007) | Trinidad and Tobago (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | 7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne)
divisions: Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Yangon states: Chin State, Kachin State, Kayah State, Kayin State, Mon State, Rakhine State, Shan State |
8 counties, 3 municipalities*, and 1 ward**; Arima*, Caroni, Mayaro, Nariva, Port-of-Spain*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick, San Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 26.1% (male 6,277,073/female 6,084,001)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 16,089,764/female 16,425,299) 65 years and over: 5.3% (male 1,075,868/female 1,421,953) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years:
24.1% (male 143,730; female 138,160) 15-64 years: 69.2% (male 415,898; female 393,551) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 34,785; female 43,558) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products | cocoa, sugarcane, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry |
Airports | 86 (2007) | 6 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 25
over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
total:
3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 61
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 32 (2007) |
total:
3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 678,500 sq km
land: 657,740 sq km water: 20,760 sq km |
total:
5,128 sq km land: 5,128 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas | slightly smaller than Delaware |
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 from the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and subsequently transferred to house arrest, where she remains virtually incommunicado. In February 2006, the junta extended her detention for another year. Her supporters, as well as all those who promote democracy and improved human rights, are routinely harassed or jailed. | The islands came under British control in the 19th century; independence was granted in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing. |
Birth rate | 17.48 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 13.73 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $2.18 billion
expenditures: $2.36 billion (2006 est.) |
revenues:
$1.54 billion expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $117.3 million (1998) |
Capital | name: Rangoon (Yangon)
geographic coordinates: 16 48 N, 96 09 E time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Nay Pyi Taw is administrative capital |
Port-of-Spain |
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) | tropical; rainy season (June to December) |
Coastline | 1,930 km | 362 km |
Constitution | 3 January 1974; suspended since 18 September 1988; national convention convened in 1993 to draft a new constitution but collapsed in 1996; reconvened in 2004 but does not include participation of democratic opposition | 1 August 1976 |
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:
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago |
Currency | - | Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD) |
Death rate | 9.33 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $6.632 billion (2006 est.) | $2.8 billion (2000 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Shari VILLAROSA
embassy: 110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546 telephone: [95] (1) 556-509, 535-756 FAX: [95] (1) 650-306 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Edward E. SHUMAKER, III (until April, 2001) embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain telephone: [1] (868) 622-6371 through 6376, 6176 FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires MYINT LWIN
chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-3344 FAX: [1] (202) 332-4351 consulate(s) general: New York |
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant) chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490 FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York |
Disputes - international | over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups who have substantial numbers of kin in neighboring countries; Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic rebels, illegal cross-border activities, Karen and other refugees, and asylum seekers from Burma; Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween River near the border with Burma; in 2004, international environmentalist pressure prompted China to halt construction of 13 dams on the Salween River which flows through China, Burma, and Thailand; India seeks cooperation from Burma to keep Indian Nagaland separatists, such as the United Liberation Front of Assam, from hiding in remote Burmese Uplands; Burmese Rohingya Muslim refugees reside in two camps in Bangladesh | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $144.7 million (2005 est.) | $121.4 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies, and rural poverty. The junta took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism," but those efforts stalled, and some of the liberalization measures were rescinded. Lacking monetary or fiscal stability, the economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including rising inflation, fiscal deficits, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, a distorted interest rate regime, unreliable statistics, and an inability to reconcile national accounts to determine a realistic GDP figure. Most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to honor the results of the 1990 legislative elections. In response to the government of Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her convoy, the US imposed new economic sanctions in August 2003 against Burma - including a ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons. Further, a poor investment climate hampers attracting outside investment slowing the inflow of foreign exchange. The most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries, especially oil and gas, mining, and timber with the latter especially causing environmental degradation. Other areas, such as manufacturing and services, are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable import/export policies, deteriorating health and education systems, and endemic corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered the country's 20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2006, the largest private banks operate under tight restrictions limiting the private sector's access to formal credit. Official statistics are inaccurate. Published statistics on foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and unofficial border trade - often estimated to be as large as the official economy. Though the Burmese government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better investment and business climates and an improved political situation are needed to promote serious foreign investment, exports, and tourism. | Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. Successful economic reforms were implemented in 1995, and foreign investment and trade are flourishing. Persistently high unemployment remains one of the chief challenges of the government. The petrochemical sector has spurred growth in other related sectors, reinforcing the government's commitment to economic diversification. Tourism is growing, especially in the pleasure boat sector. New investment and construction also will continue to drive the economy. |
Electricity - consumption | 3.707 billion kWh (2005) | 4.557 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 5.806 billion kWh (2005) | 4.9 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
99.59% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0.41% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m
highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease | water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, 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, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5% | black 39.5%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%, mixed 18.4%, white 0.6%, Chinese and other 1.2% |
Exchange rates | kyats per US dollar - 1,280 (2006), 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004), 6.0764 (2003), 6.5734 (2002)
note: unofficial exchange rates ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US dollar to nearly 970 kyat/US dollar, and by yearend 2005, the unofficial exchange rate was 1,075 kyat/US dollar; data shown for 2002-05 are official exchange rates |
Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.2688 (January 2001), 6.2998 (2000), 6.2989 (1999), 6.2983 (1998), 6.2517 (1997), 6.0051 (1996) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister, Lt. Gen THEIN SEIN (since 24 October 2007) cabinet: Cabinet is overseen by SPDC; military junta assumed power 18 September 1988 under name State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) elections: none |
chief of state:
President Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON (since 19 March 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Basdeo PANDAY (since 9 November 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a five-year term; election last held 11 December 2000 (next to be held by NA 2005); prime minister appointed from among the members of Parliament; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives is usually appointed prime minister election results: Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON elected president; percent of electoral college vote - 69% |
Exports | 5,000 bbl/day (2006 est.) | $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
Exports - commodities | gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice, clothing, jade and gems | petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers |
Exports - partners | Thailand 48.8%, India 12.7%, China 5.2%, Japan 5.2% (2006) | US 39.3%, Caricom countries 26.1%, Latin America 9.5%, EU 5.7% (1999) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 October - 30 September |
Flag description | red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 14, white, five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the seven administrative divisions and seven states | red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $11.2 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 54.7%
industry: 10.6% services: 34.7% (2006 est.) |
agriculture:
2% industry: 44% services: 54% (1998 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $9,500 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3% (2006 est.) | 5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 22 00 N, 98 00 E | 11 00 N, 61 00 W |
Geography - note | strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes | - |
Heliports | 4 (2007) | - |
Highways | - | total:
8,320 km paved: 4,252 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 32.4% (1998) |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | remains world's second largest producer of illicit opium with an estimated production in 2005 of 380 metric tons, up 13% from 2004 and cultivation in 2005 was 40,000 hectares, a 10% increase from 2004; the decline in opium production in the United Wa State Army's areas of greatest control was more than offset by increases in south and east Shan state; lack of government will 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; currently under Financial Action Task Force countermeasures due to continued failure to address its inadequate money-laundering controls
(2005) |
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis |
Imports | 19,180 bbl/day (2004 est.) | $3 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | fabric, petroleum products, fertilizer, plastics, machinery, transport equipment; cement, construction materials, crude oil; food products, edible oil | machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals |
Imports - partners | China 35.1%, Thailand 22.1%, Singapore 16.4%, Malaysia 4.8% (2006) | US 39.8%, Venezuela 11.9%, EU 11%, Caricom 4.8% (1999) |
Independence | 4 January 1948 (from UK) | 31 August 1962 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 3.8% (2000) |
Industries | agricultural processing; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; cement, construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; natural gas; garments, jade and gems | petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles |
Infant mortality rate | total: 50.68 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 57.33 deaths/1,000 live births female: 43.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
24.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 20% (2006 est.) | 3.2% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 17 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 18,700 sq km (2003) | 220 sq km (1993 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 | Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court of Justice; Court of Appeals; The Majistracy (hears minor civil cases and summary criminal cases) |
Labor force | 28.49 million (2006 est.) | 558,700 (1998) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 70%
industry: 7% services: 23% (2001) |
construction and utilities 12.4%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 9.5%, services 64.1% (1997 est.) |
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 |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 14.92%
permanent crops: 1.31% other: 83.77% (2005) |
arable land:
15% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 2% forests and woodland: 46% other: 28% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages | English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese |
Legal system | based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; 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 allowed by junta to convene election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government), other 60 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; members appointed by the president for a maximum term of five years) and the House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 11 December 2000 (next to be held by December 2005) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - UNC 58.1%, PNM 40.8%, NAR 1.1%; seats by party - UNC 19, PNM 16, NAR 1 note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly, with 15 members serving four-year terms |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 62.49 years
male: 60.29 years female: 64.83 years (2007 est.) |
total population:
68.27 years male: 65.74 years female: 70.92 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89.9% male: 93.9% female: 86.4% (2000 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.9% male: 98.8% female: 97% (1995 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
contiguous zone:
24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 33 ships (1000 GRT or over) 364,447 GRT/549,310 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 20, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 8 (Germany 5, Japan 3) (2007) |
total:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,439 GRT/4,040 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1 (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (Tatmadaw Lay) (2007) | Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $83 million (FY94) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.1% (2005 est.) | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
346,043 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
247,297 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947) | Independence Day, 31 August (1962) |
Nationality | noun: Burmese (singular and plural)
adjective: Burmese |
noun:
Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian |
Natural hazards | destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts | outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms |
Natural resources | petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower | petroleum, natural gas, asphalt |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -9.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 2,224 km; oil 558 km (2006) | crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum products 19 km; natural gas 904 km |
Political parties and leaders | National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, AUNG SAN SUU KYI]; National Unity Party or NUP (pro-regime) [TUN YE]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [HKUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller parties | National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Hochay CHARLES]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [leader NA]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Ethnic Nationalities Council or ENC (based in Thailand); Federation of Trade Unions-Burma or FTUB (exile trade union and labor advocates); National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to the People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area and joined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallel government in exile); Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; Karen National Union or KNU; Karenni National People's Party or KNPP; National Council-Union of Burma or NCUB (exile coalition of opposition groups); several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-regime, a social and political mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, general secretary]; 88 Generation Students (pro-democracy movement) [MIN KO NAING] | Jamaat Al Musilmeen [Abu BAKR] |
Population | 47,373,958
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 growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.) |
1,169,682 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 25% (2000 est.) | 21% (1992 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.815% (2007 est.) | -0.51% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave NA (2004) | AM 2, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 680,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 3,955 km
narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2006) |
minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando; railway service was discontinued in 1968 |
Religions | Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2% | Roman Catholic 29.4%, Hindu 23.8%, Anglican 10.9%, Muslim 5.8%, Presbyterian 3.4%, other 26.7% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.032 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.757 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: barely meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; international service is fair
domestic: NA 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) |
general assessment:
excellent international service; good local service domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana |
Telephones - main lines in use | 503,900 (2005) | 243,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 214,200 (2006) | 17,411 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (2004) | 4 (1997) |
Terrain | central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands | mostly plains with some hills and low mountains |
Total fertility rate | 1.95 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.81 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 10.2% (2006 est.) | 12.8% (2000) |
Waterways | 12,800 km (2007) | none |