Compare Saudi Arabia (2002) - Cuba (2006)

Compare Saudi Arabia (2002) z Cuba (2006)

	Saudi Arabia (2002)	Cuba (2006)

Administrative divisions	13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk	14 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Ciudad de La Habana, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara
Age structure	0-14 years: 42.4% (male 5,086,541; female 4,883,942) 15-64 years: 54.8% (male 7,493,304; female 5,396,985) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 362,780; female 289,778) (2002 est.)	0-14 years: 19.1% (male 1,117,677/female 1,058,512) 15-64 years: 70.3% (male 4,001,161/female 3,999,303) 65 years and over: 10.6% (male 554,148/female 652,019) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk	sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
Airports	209 (2001)	170 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 71 70 over 3,047 m: 31 31 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24 23 914 to 1,523 m: 2 3 under 914 m: 2 2 (2002)	total: 78 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 37 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 138 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 79 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 13 (2002)	total: 92 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 62 (2006)
Area	total: 1,960,582 sq km land: 1,960,582 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 110,860 sq km land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background	In 1902 Abd al-Aziz Ibn SAUD captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. In the 1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all major governmental concerns.	The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and following its development as a Spanish colony during the next several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations, and Havana became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule, marked initially by neglect, became increasingly repressive, provoking an independence movement and occasional rebellions that were harshly suppressed. It was US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 that finally overthrew Spanish rule. The subsequent Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence, which was granted in 1902 after a three-year transition period. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the regime together since then. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in 1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or via the southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast Guard intercepted 2,712 individuals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in fiscal year 2005.
Birth rate	37.25 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	11.89 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $42 billion expenditures: $54 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.)	revenues: $22.11 billion expenditures: $23.65 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital	Riyadh	name: Havana geographic coordinates: 23 08 N, 82 22 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate	harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes	tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Coastline	2,640 km	3,735 km
Constitution	governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993	24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002
Country name	conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia conventional short form: Saudi Arabia local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah	conventional long form: Republic of Cuba conventional short form: Cuba local long form: Republica de Cuba local short form: Cuba
Currency	Saudi riyal (SAR)	-
Death rate	5.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	7.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$23.8 billion (2001 est.)	$12.56 billion (convertible currency); another $15-20 billion owed to Russia (2005 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. JORDAN embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693 telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800 FAX: [966] (1) 488-7360 consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)	none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Michael E. PARMLY; address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone: [53] (7) 833-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX: [53] (7) 833-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York	none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Bernardo GUANCHE Hernandez; address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518; FAX: [1] (202) 797-8521
Disputes - international	demarcation of delimited boundary with Yemen involves nomadic tribal affiliations; because details of 1974 and 1977 treaties have not been made public, the exact location of the Saudi Arabia-UAE boundary is unknown and status is considered de facto	US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease
Economic aid - donor	pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 1993, Saudi Arabia has committed $208 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in Afghanistan	-
Economic aid - recipient	-	$68.2 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview	This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (26% of the proved reserves), ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 25% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 4 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. Riyadh expects to have a budget deficit in 2002, in part because of increased spending for education and other social programs. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth will constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products.	The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has rolled back limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The government in 2005 strengthened its controls over dollars coming into the economy from tourism, remittances, and trade. External financing has helped growth in the mining, oil, construction, and tourism sectors.
Electricity - consumption	114.86 billion kWh (2000)	13.27 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2000)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2000)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	123.5 billion kWh (2000)	15.65 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Environment - current issues	desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills	air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups	Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%	mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Exchange rates	Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.7450 (fixed rate since June 1986)	Convertible pesos per US dollar - 0.93 note: Cuba has three currencies in circulation: the Cuban peso (CUP), the convertible peso (CUC), and the US dollar (USD), although the dollar is being withdrawn from circulation; in April 2005 the official exchange rate changed from $1 per CUC to $1.08 per CUC (0.93 CUC per $1), both for individuals and enterprises; individuals can buy 24 Cuban pesos (CUP) for each CUC sold, or sell 25 Cuban pesos for each CUC bought; enterprises, however, must exchange CUP and CUC at a 1:1 ratio.
Executive branch	chief of state: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members elections: none; the monarch is hereditary	chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976) cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the 31-member Council of State, elected by the Assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 6 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008) election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100%
Exports	$66.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	petroleum and petroleum products 90%	sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners	US 17.4%, Japan 17.3%, South Korea 11.7%, Singapore 5.3%, India (2000)	Netherlands 25.4%, Canada 20.7%, China 9.8%, Spain 6.8% (2005)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the traditional color of Islam	five equal horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center
GDP	purchasing power parity - $241 billion (2001 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 7% industry: 48% services: 45% (2000 est.)	agriculture: 5.5% industry: 26.1% services: 68.4% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $10,600 (2001 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	1.6% (2001 est.)	8% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	25 00 N, 45 00 E	21 30 N, 80 00 W
Geography - note	extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal	largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
Heliports	5 (2002)	-
Highways	total: 146,524 km paved: 44,104 km unpaved: 102,420 km (1997 est.)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish	territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999
Imports	$29.7 billion f.o.b. (2001)	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles	petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners	US 21.1%, Japan 9.4%, Germany 7.4%, UK 7.3% (2000)	China 14.9%, Spain 13.9%, Canada 8.6%, US 8.5%, Germany 7.4%, Italy 5.7%, Mexico 5.2%, Japan 4.1% (2005)
Independence	23 September 1932 (Unification of the Kingdom)	20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
Industrial production growth rate	1% (1997 est.)	5.1% (2005 est.)
Industries	crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics	sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals
Infant mortality rate	49.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	total: 6.22 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.99 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.7% (2001)	7% (2005 est.)
International organization participation	ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BIS, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)	ACP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	42 (2001)	-
Irrigated land	16,200 sq km (1998 est.)	8,700 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Council of Justice	People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)
Labor force	7 million note: 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)	4.6 million note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.)	agriculture: 21.2% industry: 14.4% services: 64.4% (2004)
Land boundaries	total: 4,431 km border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km	total: 29 km border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba
Land use	arable land: 1.72% permanent crops: 0.06% other: 98.22% (1998 est.)	arable land: 27.63% permanent crops: 6.54% other: 65.83% (2005)
Languages	Arabic	Spanish
Legal system	based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	a consultative council (90 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms)	unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats, elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 19 January 2003 (next to be held in 2008) election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 68.4 years male: 66.7 years female: 70.2 years (2002 est.)	total population: 77.41 years male: 75.11 years female: 79.85 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78% male: 84.2% female: 69.5% (2002 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 97.2% female: 96.9% (2003 est.)
Location	Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen	Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Map references	Middle East	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	contiguous zone: 18 NM continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 NM	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,071,315 GRT/1,412,125 DWT ships by type: cargo 11, chemical tanker 10, container 4, livestock carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 11, short-sea passenger 8 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Egypt 3, Finland 1, Greece 3, Kuwait 1, Sudan 1, United Arab Emirates 1, United Kingdom 3 (2002 est.)	total: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 33,932 GRT/48,791 DWT by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Spain 1) registered in other countries: 17 (Bahamas 1, Cyprus 2, Netherlands Antilles 1, Panama 11, Spain 1, unknown 1) (2006)
Military - note	-	Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
Military branches	Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)	Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR), Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army (EJT) (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$18.3 billion (FY00)	$694 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	13% (FY00)	1.8% (2005 est.)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 6,007,635 (2002 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 3,359,849 (2002 est.)	-
Military manpower - military age	17 years of age (2002 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 233,402 (2002 est.)	-
National holiday	Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)	Independence Day, 10 December (1898); note - 10 December 1898 is the date of independence from Spain, 20 May 1902 is the date of independence from US administration; Rebellion Day, 26 July (1953)
Nationality	noun: Saudi(s) adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian	noun: Cuban(s) adjective: Cuban
Natural hazards	frequent sand and dust storms	the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper	cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Net migration rate	1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	-1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
People - note	-	illicit migration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and over-land via the southwest border
Pipelines	crude oil 6,400 km; petroleum products 150 km; natural gas 2,200 km (includes natural gas liquids 1,600 km)	gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders	none allowed	only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders	none	NA
Population	23,513,330 note: includes 5,360,526 non-nationals (July 2002 est.)	11,382,820 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	3.27% (2002 est.)	0.31% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors	Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)	AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios	6.25 million (1997)	-
Railways	total: 1,392 km standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (724 km are double-tracked) (2001)	total: 4,226 km standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified) note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations; about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge (2005)
Religions	Muslim 100%	nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.39 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.25 male(s)/female total population: 1.22 male(s)/female (2002 est.)	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	none	16 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: modern system domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems international: microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)	general assessment: greater investment beginning in 1994 and the establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system; wireless service is expensive and remains restricted to foreigners and regime elites, many Cubans procure wireless service illegally with the help of foreigners domestic: national fiber-optic system under development; 85% of switches digitized by end of 2004; telephone line density remains low, at less than 10 per 100 inhabitants; domestic cellular service expanding international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use	3.1 million (1998)	849,900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1 million note: in 1998, the government contracted for the installation of 575,000 additional Group Speciale Mobile (GSM) cellular telephone lines over 15 months to raise the total number of subscribers to more than one million; Riyadh planned to further expand the GSM system in 1999 by adding an additional one million lines (1998)	134,500 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	117 (1997)	58 (1997)
Terrain	mostly uninhabited, sandy desert	mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Total fertility rate	6.21 children born/woman (2002 est.)	1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	1.9% (2005 est.)
Waterways	none	240 km (2005)

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