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Compare Syria (2002) - Czech Republic (2002)

Compare Syria (2002) z Czech Republic (2002)

 Syria (2002)Czech Republic (2002)
 SyriaCzech Republic
Administrative divisions 14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus 13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni mesto); Jihocesky Kraj, Jihomoravsky Kraj, Karlovarsky Kraj, Kralovehradecky Kraj, Liberecky Kraj, Moravskoslezsky Kraj, Olomoucky Kraj, Pardubicky Kraj, Plzensky Kraj, Praha*, Stredocesky Kraj, Ustecky Kraj, Vysocina, Zlinsky Kraj
Age structure 0-14 years: 39.3% (male 3,467,267; female 3,264,639)


15-64 years: 57.5% (male 5,052,841; female 4,817,662)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 267,803; female 285,602) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 15.7% (male 828,273; female 786,617)


15-64 years: 70.3% (male 3,605,766; female 3,603,058)


65 years and over: 14% (male 551,852; female 881,194) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry
Airports 99 (2001) 121 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 24


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
total: 44


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 9


1,524 to 2,437 m: 14


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 17 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 68


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 55 (2002)
total: 76


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 27


under 914 m: 48 (2002)
Area total: 185,180 sq km


land: 184,050 sq km


water: 1,130 sq km


note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory
total: 78,866 sq km


land: 77,276 sq km


water: 1,590 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than North Dakota slightly smaller than South Carolina
Background Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Syria was administered by the French until independence in 1946. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. Since 1976, Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon, ostensibly in a peacekeeping capacity. In recent years, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights. Following the First World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II, Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize Communist party rule and create "socialism with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Now a member of NATO, the Czech Republic has moved toward integration in world markets, a development that poses both opportunities and risks. In December 2002, the Czech Republic was invited to join the European Union (EU). It is expected that the Czech Republic will accede to the EU in 2004.
Birth rate 30.11 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 9.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $5 billion


expenditures: $7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues: $16.7 billion


expenditures: $18 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital Damascus Prague
Climate mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Coastline 193 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 13 March 1973 ratified 16 December 1992; effective 1 January 1993
Country name conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic


conventional short form: Syria


local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah


local short form: Suriyah


former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)
conventional long form: Czech Republic


conventional short form: Czech Republic


local long form: Ceska Republika


local short form: Ceska Republika
Currency Syrian pound (SYP) Czech koruna (CZK)
Death rate 5.12 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 10.76 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $22 billion (2001 est.) $24.6 billion (2001)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Theodore H. KATTOUF


embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansur Street, No. 2, Damascus


mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus


telephone: [963] (11) 333-1342


FAX: [963] (11) 331-9678
chief of mission: Ambassador Craig R. STAPLETON


embassy: Trziste 15, 118 #01 Prague 1


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [420] (2) 5753-0663


FAX: [420] (2) 5753-0583
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Rustum al-ZU'BI


chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313


FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548
chief of mission: Ambassador Martin PALOUS


chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 363-6315


FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540


consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Disputes - international Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied; dispute with upstream riparian Turkey over Turkish water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; Syrian troops in northern, central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976; Turkey is quick to rebuff any perceived Syrian claim to Hatay province Liechtenstein's royal family claims restitution for 1,600 sq km of land in the Czech Republic confiscated in 1918; individual Sudeten German claims for restitution of property confiscated in connection with their expulsion after World War II; Austria has minor dispute with Czech Republic over the Temelin nuclear power plant and post-World War II treatment of German-speaking minorities
Economic aid - recipient $199 million (1997 est.) $NA
Economy - overview Syria's predominantly statist economy has been growing slower than its 2.5% annual population growth rate, causing a persistent decline in per capita GDP. President Bashar AL-ASAD has made little progress on the economic front after one year in office, but does appear willing to permit a gradual strengthening of the private sector. His most obvious accomplishment to this end was the recent passage of legislation allowing private banks to operate in Syria, although a private banking sector will take years and further government cooperation to develop. ASAD's recent cabinet reshuffle may improve his chances of implementing further growth-oriented policies, although external factors such as the international war on terrorism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and downturn in oil prices could weaken the foreign investment and government revenues Syria needs to flourish. A long-run economic constraint is the pressure on water supplies caused by rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and increased water pollution. Basically one of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states, the Czech Republic has been recovering from recession since mid-1999. Growth in 2000-02 was led by exports to the EU, especially Germany, and foreign investment, while domestic demand is reviving. Uncomfortably high fiscal and current account deficits could be future problems. Unemployment is gradually declining as job creation continues in the rebounding economy. Inflation is moderate. The EU put the Czech Republic just behind Poland and Hungary in preparations for accession, which will give further impetus and direction to structural reform. Moves to complete banking, telecommunications, and energy privatization will encourage additional foreign investment, while intensified restructuring among large enterprises and banks and improvements in the financial sector should strengthen output growth.
Electricity - consumption 17.671 billion kWh (2000) 54.701 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 650 million kWh (2000) 18.74 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 8.725 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 19.7 billion kWh (2000) 69.589 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 64%


hydro: 36%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
fossil fuel: 78%


hydro: 3%


nuclear: 19%


other: 1% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m


highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
lowest point: Elbe River 115 m


highest point: Snezka 1,602 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Ethnic groups Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7% Czech 81.2%, Moravian 13.2%, Slovak 3.1%, Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%, Silesian 0.4%, Roma 0.3%, Hungarian 0.2%, other 0.5% (1991)
Exchange rates Syrian pounds per US dollar - 51 (December 2001), 46 (2000), 46 (1998), 41.9 (January 1997) koruny per US dollar - 36.325 (January 2002), 38.035 (2001), 38.598 (2000), 34.569 (1999), 32.281 (1998), 31.698 (1997)
Executive branch chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice Presidents Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM (since 11 March 1984) and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984)


head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa MIRU (since 13 March 2000), Deputy Prime Ministers Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March 1984), Farouk al-SHARA (since 13 December 2001), Dr. Muhammad al-HUSAYN (since 13 December 2001)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; referendum/election last held 10 July 2000 - after the death of President Hafez al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held NA 2007); vice presidents appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president


election results: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%


note: Hafiz al-ASAD died on 10 June 2000; on 20 June 2000, the Ba'th Party nominated Bashar al-ASAD for president and presented his name to the People's Council on 25 June 2000
chief of state: President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March 2003)


note: the Czech Republic's first president Vaclav HAVEL stepped down from office on 2 February 2003 having served exactly 10 years; parliament finally elected a successor after two inconclusive elections in January 2003 and three rounds of balloting on 28 February 2003


head of government: Prime Minister Vladimir SPIDLA (since 12 July 2002), Deputy Prime Ministers Pavel RYCHETSKY (since 22 July 1998), Cyril SVOBODA (since July 2002), Stanislav GROSS (since July 2002), Petr MARES (since July 2002)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; last successful election held 28 February 2003 (after earlier elections held 15 and 24 January 2003 were inconclusive); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: Vaclav KLAUS elected president on 28 February 2003; Vaclav KLAUS 142 votes, Jan SOKOL 124 votes (third round; combined votes of both chambers of parliament)
Exports $5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) $38 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities crude oil 68%, textiles 7%, fruits and vegetables 6%, raw cotton 4% (1998 est.) machinery and transport equipment 44%, intermediate manufactures 25%, chemicals 7%, raw materials and fuel 7% (2000)
Exports - partners Germany 27%, Italy 12%, France 10%, Turkey 10%, Saudi Arabia 7% (2000 est.) Germany 35.4%, Slovakia 7.3%, UK 5.5%, Austria 5.3%, Poland 5.2%, (2001)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, with two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, and of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia)
GDP purchasing power parity - $54.2 billion (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $155.9 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 27%


industry: 23%


services: 50% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 4%


industry: 41%


services: 56% (2001)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $15,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2% (2001 est.) 2.6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 35 00 N, 38 00 E 49 45 N, 15 30 E
Geography - note there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.) landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe
Heliports 7 (2002) 2 (2002)
Highways total: 41,451 km


paved: 9,575 km (including 877 km of expressways)


unpaved: 31,876 km (1997)
total: 55,432 km


paved: 55,432 km (including 499 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 4%


highest 10%: 22% (1996)
Illicit drugs a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western markets transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime
Imports $4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) $41.7 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment 21%, food and livestock 18%, metal and metal products 15%, chemicals and chemical products 10% (2000 est.) machinery and transport equipment 40%, intermediate manufactures 21%, raw materials and fuels 13%, chemicals 11% (2000)
Imports - partners Italy 9%, Germany 7%, France 5%, Lebanon 5%, China 4%, South Korea 4%, Turkey 4%, US 4% (2000 est.) Germany 32.9%, Slovakia 6.4%, Russia 6.0%, Italy 5.8%, Austria 4.6% (2001)
Independence 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration) 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 3.5% (2002)
Industries petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, glass, armaments
Infant mortality rate 32.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) 5.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 0.3% (2001 est.) 2.2% (2002 est.)
International organization participation AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) more than 300 (2000)
Irrigated land 12,130 sq km (1998 est.) 240 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Courts Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term
Labor force 4.7 million (1998 est.) 5.203 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1996 est.) agriculture 5%, industry 35%, services 60% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries total: 2,253 km


border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km
total: 1,881 km


border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 km
Land use arable land: 25.96%


permanent crops: 4.08%


other: 69.96% (1998 est.)
arable land: 40%


permanent crops: 3.04%


other: 56.96% (1998 est.)
Languages Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood Czech
Legal system based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring it in line with Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Legislative branch unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 30 November-1 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)


election results: percent of vote by party - NPF 67%, independents 33%; seats by party - NPF 167, independents 83; note - the constitution guarantees that the Ba'th Party (part of the NPF alliance) receives one-half of the seats
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 25-26 October and 1-2 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 14-15 June 2002 (next to be held by NA June 2006)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ODS 26, KDU-CSL 14, CSSD 11, US 9, KSCM 3, independents 18; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CSSD 30.2%, ODS 24.5%, KSCM 18.5%, KDU-CSL & US-DEU coalition 14.3%, other minor 12.5%; seats by party - CSSD 70, ODS 58, KSCM 41, KDU-CSL 21, US-DEU 10
Life expectancy at birth total population: 69.08 years


male: 67.9 years


female: 70.32 years (2002 est.)
total population: 74.95 years


male: 71.46 years


female: 78.65 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 70.8%


male: 85.7%


female: 55.8% (1997 est.)
definition: NA


total population: 99.9% (1999 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey Central Europe, southeast of Germany
Map references Middle East Europe
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 41 NM


territorial sea: 35 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 143 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 482,985 GRT/702,590 DWT


ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 126, livestock carrier 4, roll on/roll off 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Egypt 1, Greece 2, Italy 1, Lebanon 10 (2002 est.)
-
Military branches Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force (includes Air Defense Forces), Police and Security Force Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Territorial Defense Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $921 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending $1,190.2 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 5.9% (FY98) 2.1% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 4,550,496 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 2,637,128 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 2,539,342 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 2,012,779 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age (2002 est.) 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 200,859 (2002 est.) males: 69,393 (2002 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 17 April (1946) Czech Founding Day, 28 October (1918)
Nationality noun: Syrian(s)


adjective: Syrian
noun: Czech(s)


adjective: Czech
Natural hazards dust storms, sandstorms flooding
Natural resources petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km natural gas 3,550 km (2000)
Political parties and leaders National Progressive Front or NPF (includes the Ba'th Party, ASU, Arab Socialist Party, Socialist Unionist Democratic Party, ASP, SCP) [President Bashar al-ASAD, chairman]; Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party (governing party) [President Bashar al-ASAD, secretary general]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan KOUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party or SCP [Yusuf FAYSAL]; Syrian Social National Party [Jubran URAYJI] Christian and Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Cyril SVOBODA, chairman]; Civic Democratic Alliance or ODA [Michael ZANTOVSKY, chairman]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Vaclav KLAUS, chairman]; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [Miroslav GREBENICEK, chairman]; Communist Party of Czechoslovakia or KSC [Miroslav STEPAN, chairman]; Czech National Social Party of CSNS [Jan SULA, chairman]; Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Milos ZEMAN, chairman]; Democratic Union or DEU [Ratibor MAJZLIK, chairman]; Freedom Union or US [Petr MARES, chairman]; Quad Coalition [Karel KUHNL, chairman] (includes KDU-CSL, US, ODA, DEU)
Political pressure groups and leaders conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in Jordan and Yemen); non-Ba'th parties have little effective political influence Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions [Richard FALBR]
Population 17,155,814 (July 2002 est.)


note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (February 2003 est.)
10,256,760 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 15%-25% NA%
Population growth rate 2.5% (2002 est.) -0.07% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem
Radio broadcast stations AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 31, FM 304, shortwave 17 (2000)
Radios 4.15 million (1997) 3,159,134 (December 2000)
Railways total: 2,750 km


standard gauge: 2,423 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 327 km 1.050-m gauge


note: rail link between Syria and Iraq replaced in 2000 (2001)
total: 9,444 km


standard gauge: 9,350 km 1.435-m gauge (2,843 km electrified; 1,929 km double-track)


narrow gauge: 94 km 0.760-m gauge (2000 est.)
Religions Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo) atheist 39.8%, Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3%, other 13.4%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology


domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network


international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel
general assessment: privatization and modernization of the Czech telecommunication system got a late start but is advancing steadily; growth in the use of mobile cellular telephones is particularly vigorous


domestic: 86% of exchanges now digital; existing copper subscriber systems now being enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals; trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay


international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar
Telephones - main lines in use 1.313 million (1997) 3.869 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 4.346 million (2000)
Television broadcast stations 44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995) 150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000)
Terrain primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country
Total fertility rate 3.84 children born/woman (2002 est.) 1.18 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 20% (2000 est.) 8.5% (2002 est.)
Waterways 870 km (minimal economic importance) 303 km


note: (the Labe (Elbe) is the principal river) (2000)
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