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Compare Costa Rica (2007) - Bangladesh (2008)

Compare Costa Rica (2007) z Bangladesh (2008)

 Costa Rica (2007)Bangladesh (2008)
 Costa RicaBangladesh
Administrative divisions 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose 6 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet
Age structure 0-14 years: 27.8% (male 587,395/female 560,408)


15-64 years: 66.4% (male 1,388,114/female 1,357,157)


65 years and over: 5.8% (male 111,758/female 129,052) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 33.1% (male 25,639,640/female 24,174,937)


15-64 years: 63.4% (male 48,659,087/female 46,712,687)


65 years and over: 3.5% (male 2,818,638/female 2,443,350) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry
Airports 151 (2007) 16 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 36


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 21


under 914 m: 11 (2007)
total: 15


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 5 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 115


914 to 1,523 m: 19


under 914 m: 96 (2007)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Area total: 51,100 sq km


land: 50,660 sq km


water: 440 sq km


note: includes Isla del Coco
total: 144,000 sq km


land: 133,910 sq km


water: 10,090 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than West Virginia slightly smaller than Iowa
Background Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including: disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread. Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of Bangladesh in the 16th century; eventually the British came to dominate the region and it became part of British India. In 1947, West Pakistan and East Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from India (largely Hindu) and jointly became the new country of Pakistan. East Bengal became East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward arrangement of a two-part country with its territorial units separated by 1,600 km left the Bengalis marginalized and dissatisfied. East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh. A military-backed caretaker regime suspended planned parliamentary elections in January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption; the regime has pledged new democratic elections by the end of 2008. About a third of this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic development.
Birth rate 18.02 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 29.36 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $3.129 billion


expenditures: $3.282 billion (2006 est.)
revenues: $7.078 billion


expenditures: $9.642 billion (2007 est.)
Capital name: San Jose


geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W


time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Dhaka


geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 24 E


time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)
Coastline 1,290 km 580 km
Constitution 7 November 1949 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972; suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986; amended many times
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica


conventional short form: Costa Rica


local long form: Republica de Costa Rica


local short form: Costa Rica
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh


conventional short form: Bangladesh


local long form: Gana Prajatantri Banladesh


local short form: Banladesh


former: East Bengal, East Pakistan
Death rate 4.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 8.13 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $6.332 billion (2006 est.) $20.25 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Mark LANGDALE


embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose


mailing address: APO AA 34020


telephone: [506] 519-2000


FAX: [506] 519-2305
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Geeta PASI


embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212


mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000


telephone: [880] (2) 885-5500


FAX: [880] (2) 882-3744
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Tomas DUENAS


chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945


FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Hammond (temporary location in Louisiana), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa (temporarily closed), Washington, DC


consulate(s): San Francisco
chief of mission: Ambassador M. Humayun KABIR


chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183


FAX: [1] (202) 244-7830/2771


consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Disputes - international in September 2005, Costa Rica took its case before the ICJ to advocate the navigation, security, and commercial rights of Costa Rican vessels using the Río San Juan over which Nicaragua retains sovereignty discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, exchange territory for 51 small Bangladeshi exclaves in India and 111 small Indian exclaves in Bangladesh, allocate divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh resists India's attempts to fence or wall off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a joint Bangladesh-India boundary inspection in 2005 revealed 92 pillars are missing; dispute with India over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; 21,000 Burmese Rohingya Muslim refugees reside in two camps in Bangladesh
Economic aid - recipient - $1.321 billion (2005)
Economy - overview Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has remained at roughly 20% for nearly 20 years, and the strong social safety net that had been put into place by the government has eroded due to increased financial constraints on government expenditures. Immigration from Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the government. The estimated 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans estimated to be in Costa Rica legally and illegally are an important source of (mostly unskilled) labor, but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high education levels, and tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange. The government continues to grapple with its large internal and external deficits and sizable internal debt. Reducing inflation remains a difficult problem because of rising import prices, labor market rigidities, and fiscal deficits. The country also needs to reform its tax system and its pattern of public expenditure. The current administration has made it a priority to pass the necessary reforms to implement the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). CAFTA implementation would result in an improved investment climate. The economy has grown 5-6% over the past few years despite inefficient state-owned enterprises, delays in exploiting natural gas resources, insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and inefficiently-governed nation. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. Garment exports and remittances from Bangladeshis working overseas, mainly in the Middle East and East Asia, fuel economic growth.
Electricity - consumption 7.776 billion kWh (2005) 19.49 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 70 million kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 81 million kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 8.349 billion kWh (2005) 21.35 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m
Environment - current issues deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; water-borne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1% Bengali 98%, other 2% (includes tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims) (1998)
Exchange rates Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004), 398.66 (2003), 359.82 (2002) taka per US dollar - 69.893 (2007), 69.031 (2006), 64.328 (2005), 59.513 (2004), 58.15 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President (vacant)


cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president


elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2010)


election results: Oscar ARIAS Sanchez elected president; percent of vote - Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (PLN) 40.9%; Otton SOLIS (PAC) 39.8%, Otto GUEVARA Guth (PML) 8%, Ricardo TOLEDO (PUSC) 3%
chief of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6 September 2002)


note: the country has a caretaker government until a general election is held; Iajuddin AHMED remains as President and Minister of Defense, and all other Cabinet portfolios are held by Caretaker Advisers (CAs); the Chief CA, Fakhruddin AHMED, is roughly equivalent to a prime minister


elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election scheduled for 16 September 2002 was not held since Iajuddin AHMED was the only presidential candidate; he was sworn in on 6 September 2002 (next election NA); following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually appointed prime minister by the president


election results: Iajuddin AHMED declared president-elect by the Election Commission; he ran unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote - NA
Exports NA bbl/day 1,100 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood (2001)
Exports - partners US 27.4%, Netherlands 12.2%, China 11.7%, UK 6.2%, Mexico 5.8% (2006) US 24.9%, Germany 12.8%, UK 9.8%, France 5% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 July - 30 June
Flag description five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk on the hoist side of the red band; above the coat of arms a light blue ribbon contains the words, AMERICA CENTRAL, and just below it near the top of the coat of arms is a white ribbon with the words, REPUBLICA COSTA RICA green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 8.7%


industry: 28.9%


services: 62.4% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 19%


industry: 28.7%


services: 52.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 7.9% (2006 est.) 6% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 10 00 N, 84 00 W 24 00 N, 90 00 E
Geography - note four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65 most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 1%


highest 10%: 37.4% (2003)
lowest 10%: 3.7%


highest 10%: 27.9% (2000 est.)
Illicit drugs transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis in remote areas; domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising; significant consumption of amphetamines transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries
Imports NA bbl/day 81,010 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement
Imports - partners US 41.2%, Venezuela 5.4%, Mexico 5.2%, Ireland 5%, Japan 4.9%, Brazil 4.3%, China 4.1% (2006) China 17.7%, India 12.5%, Kuwait 7.9%, Singapore 5.5%, Hong Kong 4.1% (2006)
Independence 15 September 1821 (from Spain) 16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is known as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh
Industrial production growth rate 8.4% (2006 est.) 9.5% (2007 est.)
Industries microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar
Infant mortality rate total: 9.45 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 10.32 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 8.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 59.12 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 60.13 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 58.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 11.5% (2006 est.) 8.8% (2007 est.)
International organization participation BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 1,080 sq km (2003) 47,250 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly) Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by the president)
Labor force 1.874 million


note: this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica (2006 est.)
69.4 million


note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $4.8 billion in 2005-06. (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 20%


industry: 22%


services: 58% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 63%


industry: 11%


services: 26% (FY95/96)
Land boundaries total: 639 km


border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
total: 4,246 km


border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
Land use arable land: 4.4%


permanent crops: 5.87%


other: 89.73% (2005)
arable land: 55.39%


permanent crops: 3.08%


other: 41.53% (2005)
Languages Spanish (official), English Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English
Legal system based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLN 25, PAC 17, PML 6, PUSC 5, other 4
unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies; members serve five-year terms; note - parliament not in session during the extended caretaker regime


elections: last held 1 October 2001 (the scheduled January 2007 election has been postponed till late 2008)


election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance partners 41%, AL 40%, other 19%; seats by party - BNP 193, AL 58, JI 17, JP (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 2, JP (Manzur) 4, other 12; note - the election of October 2001 brought to power a majority BNP government aligned with three other smaller parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 77.21 years


male: 74.61 years


female: 79.94 years (2007 est.)
total population: 62.84 years


male: 62.81 years


female: 62.86 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 96%


male: 95.9%


female: 96.1% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 43.1%


male: 53.9%


female: 31.8% (2003 est.)
Location Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 18 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin
Merchant marine total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,058 GRT/255 DWT


by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2007)
total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 328,530 GRT/468,509 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 27, container 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4


foreign-owned: 1 (China 1)


registered in other countries: 9 (Comoros 1, Honduras 1, Malta 3, Panama 1, Singapore 2, St Vincent and The Grenadines 1) (2007)
Military branches no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2006) Bangladesh Defense Force: Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force (Bangladesh Biman Bahini, BAF) (2008)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.4% (2006) 1.5% (2006)
National holiday Independence Day, 15 September (1821) Independence Day, 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh
Nationality noun: Costa Rican(s)


adjective: Costa Rican
noun: Bangladeshi(s)


adjective: Bangladeshi
Natural hazards occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season
Natural resources hydropower natural gas, arable land, timber, coal
Net migration rate 0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines refined products 242 km (2006) gas 2,644 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or PAC [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Vladimir DE LA CRUZ]; General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto FERNANDEZ Vega]; Homeland First or PP [Juan Jose VARGAS Fallas]; Independent Worker Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO Carmona]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Juan Carlos CHAVEZ Mora]; National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Liberation Party or PLN [Francisco Antonio PACHECO]; National Patriotic Party or PPN [Daniel Enrique REYNOLDS Vargas]; National Restoration Party or PRN [Carlos AVENDANO]; Nationalist Democratic Alliance or ADN [Jose Miguel VILLALOBOS Umana]; Patriotic Union or UP [Humberto ARCE Salas]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Luis FILMAN]; Union for Change Party or UPC [Antonio ALVAREZ Desanti]; United Leftist Coalition or IU [Humberto VARGAS Carbonel] Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or JIB [Matiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party (Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY and Oli AHMED]
Political pressure groups and leaders Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party affiliate); Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO; Costa Rican Solidarity Movement; Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprises or UCCAEP [Rafael CARRILLO]; Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association of Public and Private Employees or ANEP [Albino VARGAS]; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN] NA
Population 4,133,884 (July 2007 est.) 150,448,339 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 18% (2004 est.) 45% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate 1.412% (2007 est.) 2.056% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002) AM 15, FM 13, shortwave 2 (2006)
Railways total: 278 km


narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge


note: none of the railway network is in use (2007)
total: 2,768 km


broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge


narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Religions Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2% Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.023 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.866 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.061 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.042 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.154 male(s)/female


total population: 1.052 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system 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)
general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern country; fixed-line telephone density of less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of 13 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)
Telephones - main lines in use 1.351 million (2006) 1.134 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.444 million (2006) 19.131 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002) 15 (1999)
Terrain coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Total fertility rate 2.21 children born/woman (2007 est.) 3.09 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 6.6% (2006 est.) 2.5% (includes underemployment) (2007 est.)
Waterways 730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2007) 8,370 km


note: includes up to 3,060 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in dry season (2006)
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