Nicaragua (2003) | Brunei (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | 15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonomista); Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*, Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas | 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 37.7% (male 984,719; female 949,282)
15-64 years: 59.2% (male 1,510,352; female 1,527,991) 65 years and over: 3% (male 68,332; female 87,841) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 28.1% (male 54,411/female 52,134)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 138,129/female 123,017) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,584/female 6,169) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products | rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, eggs |
Airports | 176 (2002) | 2 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2002) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 165
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 141 (2002) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) |
Area | total: 129,494 sq km
land: 120,254 sq km water: 9,240 sq km |
total: 5,770 sq km
land: 5,270 sq km water: 500 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than the state of New York | slightly smaller than Delaware |
Background | The Pacific Coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. Free elections in 1990, 1996, and again in 2001 saw the Sandinistas defeated. The country has slowly rebuilt its economy during the 1990s, but was hard hit by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. | The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the developing world. |
Birth rate | 26.29 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 18.79 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $726 million
expenditures: $908 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
revenues: $3.765 billion
expenditures: $4.815 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2004 est.) |
Capital | Managua | name: Bandar Seri Begawan
geographic coordinates: 4 52 S, 114 55 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands | tropical; hot, humid, rainy |
Coastline | 910 km | 161 km |
Constitution | 9 January 1987, with reforms in 1995 and 2000 | 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984) |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
conventional short form: Nicaragua local long form: Republica de Nicaragua local short form: Nicaragua |
conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam local short form: Brunei |
Currency | gold cordoba (NIO) | - |
Death rate | 4.69 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 3.45 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $5.8 billion (2002 est.) | $0 $NA |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Calandra MOORE
embassy: Apartado Postal 327, Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua mailing address: APO AA 34021 telephone: [505] 266-6010, 266-2298, 266-6013 FAX: [505] 266-9074 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Emil SKODON
embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan, BS8811 mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam telephone: [673] 222-0384 FAX: [673] 222-5293 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Salvador STADTHAGEN (since 5 December 2003)
chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570 FAX: [1] (202) 939-6542 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York |
chief of mission: Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato PUTEH
chancery: 3520 International Court NW #300, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560 |
Disputes - international | territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank region; with respect to the maritime boundary question in the Golfo de Fonseca, the ICJ referred to the line determined by the 1900 Honduras-Nicaragua Mixed Boundary Commission and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua likely would be required; legal dispute over navigational rights of San Juan River on border with Costa Rica | in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds and negotiations have stalemated prompting consideration of international legal adjudication; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in southern Spratly Islands in 1984 but makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants |
Economic aid - recipient | Substantial foreign support | $770,000 (2004) |
Economy - overview | Nicaragua, one of the hemisphere's poorest countries, faces low per capita income, flagging socio-economic indicators, and huge external debt. Distribution of income is one of the most unequal on the globe. While the country has made progress toward macroeconomic stability over the past few years, a banking crisis and scandal has shaken the economy. Nicaragua will continue to be dependent on international aid and debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Donors have made aid conditional on the openness of government financial operation, poverty alleviation, and human rights. Nicaragua met the conditions for additional debt service relief in December 2000. Growth should move up moderately in 2003 because of increased private investment and exports. | This small, well-to-do economy encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for nearly half of GDP and more than 90% of government revenues. Per capita GDP is far above most other Third World countries, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and free education through the university level and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion, although it became a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas. |
Electricity - consumption | 2.388 billion kWh (2001) | 2.726 billion kWh (2004) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2004) |
Electricity - imports | 17 million kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2004) |
Electricity - production | 2.549 billion kWh (2001) | 2.906 billion kWh (2004) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 83.9%
hydro: 7.7% nuclear: 0% other: 8.4% (2001) |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution | seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
party to: Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5% | Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12% |
Exchange rates | gold cordobas per US dollar - 14.25 (2002), 13.37 (2001), 12.68 (2000), 11.81 (1999), 10.58 (1998) | Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January 2002); Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January 2002); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January 2002); Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January 2002); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 4 November 2001 (next to be held by November 2006) election results: Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (PLC) elected president - 56.3%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 42.3%, Alberto SABORIO (PC) 1.4%; Jose RIZO Castellon elected vice president |
chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises elections: none; the monarch is hereditary |
Exports | NA (2001) | 192,700 bbl/day (2005) |
Exports - commodities | coffee, shrimp and lobster, cotton, tobacco, bananas, beef, sugar, gold | crude oil, natural gas, refined products |
Exports - partners | US 59.4%, El Salvador 7.5%, Honduras 4.8% (2002) | Japan 36.8%, Indonesia 19.3%, South Korea 12.7%, US 9.5%, Australia 9.3% (2005) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band | yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $11.16 billion (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 30%
industry: 26% services: 44% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 56.1% services: 40.3% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 1.1% (2002 est.) | 1.7% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 13 00 N, 85 00 W | 4 30 N, 114 40 E |
Geography - note | largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua | close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave within Malaysia |
Heliports | - | 3 (2006) |
Highways | total: 19,032 km
paved: 2,094 km unpaved: 16,938 km (2000) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 48.8% (1998) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing | drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products, consumer goods | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals |
Imports - partners | US 23.7%, Costa Rica 10.3%, Venezuela 10.1%, Guatemala 7.8%, Mexico 6.7%, El Salvador 6%, South Korea 4.6% (2002) | Singapore 32.7%, Malaysia 23.3%, Japan 6.9%, UK 5.3%, Thailand 4.5%, South Korea 4.1% (2005) |
Independence | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) | 1 January 1984 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4.4% (2000 est.) | 7.3% (2003 est.) |
Industries | food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood | petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction |
Infant mortality rate | total: 31.39 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 35.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 27.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 12.25 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.46 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.7% (2002 est.) | 0.9% (2004) |
International organization participation | BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, C, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 3 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 880 sq km (1998 est.) | 10 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly) | Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by monarch for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London is final court of appeal for civil cases; Shariah courts deal with Islamic laws (2006) |
Labor force | 1.7 million (1999) | 146,300
note: includes foreign workers and military personnel; temporary residents make up about 40% of labor force (2003 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 43%, agriculture 42%, industry 15% (1999 est.) | agriculture: 2.9%
industry: 61.1% services: 36% (2003 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 1,231 km
border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km |
total: 381 km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km |
Land use | arable land: 20.24%
permanent crops: 2.38% other: 77.38% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 2.08%
permanent crops: 0.87% other: 97.05% (2005) |
Languages | Spanish (official)
note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast |
Malay (official), English, Chinese |
Legal system | civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts | based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (93 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 4 November 2001 (next to be held by November 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Alliance (ruling party - includes PLC, PALI, PLIUN, and PUCA) 46.03%, FSLN 36.55%, PCCN 3.73%, PCN 2.12%, MRS 1.33%; seats by party - Liberal Alliance 42, FSLN 36, PCCN 4, PCN 3, PRONAL 2, MRS 1, PRN 1, PC 1, PLI 1, AU 1, UNO-96 1 |
Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members; Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005
elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA) |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 69.68 years
male: 67.68 years female: 71.79 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 75.01 years
male: 72.57 years female: 77.59 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 67.5% male: 67.2% female: 67.8% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.9% male: 96.3% female: 91.4% (2002) |
Location | Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras | Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | continental shelf: natural prolongation
territorial sea: 200 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT
by type: liquefied gas 8 foreign-owned: 8 (UK 8) (2006) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force | Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2005) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $26 million (FY98) | $290.7 million (2003 est.) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.2% (FY98) | 5.1% (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,347,033 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 825,906 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 59,903 (2003 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) | National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection |
Nationality | noun: Nicaraguan(s)
adjective: Nicaraguan |
noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian |
Natural hazards | destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes | typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare |
Natural resources | gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish | petroleum, natural gas, timber |
Net migration rate | -1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | oil 54 km (2003) | gas 672 km; oil 463 km (2006) |
Political parties and leaders | Conservative Party of Nicaragua or PCN [Dr. Fernando AGUERO Rocha]; Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Virgilio GODOY]; Liberal Alliance (ruling alliance including Liberal Constitutional Party or PLC, New Liberal Party or PALI, Independent Liberal Party for National Unity or PLIUN, and Central American Unionist Party or PUCA) [leader NA]; National Conservative Party or PC [Pedro SOLARZANO, Noel VIDAURRE]; National Project or PRONAL [Benjamin LANZAS]; Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path or PCCN [Guillermo OSORNO, Roberto RODRIGUEZ]; Nicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN [Salvador TALAVERA]; Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]; Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [Sergio RAMIREZ]; Unity Alliance or AU [Alejandro SERRANO]; Union Nacional Opositora 96 or UNO-96 [Alfredo CESAR Aguirre] | Brunei Solidarity National Party (PPKB) [Haji Mohd HATTA bin Haji Zainal Abidin]; National Development Party (NDP) [YASSIN Affendi]; People's Awareness Party (PAKAR) [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad]
note: parties are small and have limited activity (2005) |
Political pressure groups and leaders | National Workers Front or FNT is a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions including - Farm Workers Association or ATC, Health Workers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional Associations or CONAPRO, National Association of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN, National Union of Employees or UNE, National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG, Sandinista Workers Central or CST, and Union of Journalists of Nicaragua or UPN; Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT is an umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions including - Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers Central or CTN-A, Confederation of Labor Unification or CUS, Independent General Confederation of Labor or CGT-I, and Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS; Nicaraguan Workers' Central or CTN is an independent labor union; Superior Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP is a confederation of business groups | NA |
Population | 5,128,517 (July 2003 est.) | 379,444 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 50% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.03% (2003 est.) | 1.87% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama, San Juan del Sur | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 63, FM 32, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2 (transmitting on 18 different frequencies), shortwave 0
note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) station transmits two FM signals with English and Nepali service (2006) |
Railways | total: 6 km
narrow gauge: 6 km 1.067-m gauge (2002) |
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Religions | Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant | Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 16 years of age; universal | none |
Telephone system | general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment
domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and the US
domestic: every service available international: country code - 673; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore (2001) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 140,000 (1996) | 90,000 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 7,911 (1997) | 205,900 (2004) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997) | 4; note - including two UHF stations broadcasting a subscription service (2006) |
Terrain | extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes | flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west |
Total fertility rate | 3 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 2.28 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 24% plus considerable underemployment (2002 est.) | 4.8% (2004) |
Waterways | 2,220 km (including 2 large lakes) | 209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2005) |