Compare Tunisia (2006) - Cuba (2004)

Compare Tunisia (2006) z Cuba (2004)

	Tunisia (2006)	Cuba (2004)

Administrative divisions	24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)	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: 24.6% (male 1,293,235/female 1,212,994) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 3,504,283/female 3,478,268) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 327,521/female 358,713) (2006 est.)	0-14 years: 20% (male 1,163,741; female 1,102,391) 15-64 years: 69.8% (male 3,949,197; female 3,948,196) 65 years and over: 10.1% (male 528,162; female 617,077) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products	sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
Airports	30 (2006)	170 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 14 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)	total: 79 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 37 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2006)	total: 91 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 62 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 163,610 sq km land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km	total: 110,860 sq km land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Georgia	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background	Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. Tunisia has long taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising pressure for a more open political society.	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 was severe and exploitative and occasional rebellions 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. Some 2,500 Cubans attempted the crossing of the Straits of Florida in 2003; the US Coast Guard apprehended about 60% of the individuals.
Birth rate	15.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)	12.18 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $7.322 billion expenditures: $8.304 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2005 est.)	revenues: $17.21 billion expenditures: $18.28 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Capital	name: Tunis geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October	Havana
Climate	temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south	tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Coastline	1,148 km	3,735 km
Constitution	1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002	24 February 1976, amended July 1992 and June 2002
Country name	conventional long form: Tunisian Republic conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis	conventional long form: Republic of Cuba conventional short form: Cuba local long form: Republica de Cuba local short form: Cuba
Currency	-	Cuban peso (CUP)
Death rate	5.13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)	7.17 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$16.09 billion (2005 est.)	$12.52 billion (convertible currency); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador designate Robert F. GODEC embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] 71 107-000 FAX: [216] 71 107-090	none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer James C. CASON; 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 Nejib HACHANA chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858	none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Dagoberto RODRIGUEZ Barrera; address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518
Disputes - international	none	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 - recipient	$114.6 million (2002)	$68.2 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview	Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Progressive social policies also have helped raise living conditions in Tunisia relative to the region. Real growth slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought and lackluster tourism. Better rains in 2003 through 2005, however, helped push GDP growth to about 5% for these years. Tourism also recovered after the end of combat operations in Iraq. Tunisia is gradually removing barriers to trade with the EU. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, improvements in government efficiency, and reduction of the trade deficit are among the challenges ahead.	The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has undertaken limited reforms to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. A major feature of the economy is the dichotomy between relatively efficient export enclaves and inefficient domestic sectors. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the depression of the 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The government reluctantly allows a large dollar market sector, fueled by tourism and remittances from Cubans abroad.
Electricity - consumption	10.76 billion kWh (2003)	13.38 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	10 million kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	5 million kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	11.56 billion kWh (2003)	14.38 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Environment - current issues	toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification	air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
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, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation	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 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%	mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Exchange rates	Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004), 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001)	Cuban pesos per US dollar - 1.0000 (nonconvertible, official rate, for international transactions, pegged to the US dollar); convertible peso sold for domestic use at a rate of 27 pesos per US dollar by the Government of Cuba (2002)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987) head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%, Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%	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); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government 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	NA bbl/day	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons	sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners	France 30.9%, Italy 21.1%, Germany 9.4%, Spain 5.5%, Libya 4.5% (2005)	Netherlands 21.8%, Canada 16.2%, Russia 10.7%, Spain 8.7%, China 7.3% (2003)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam	five equal horizontal bands of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center; design influenced by the US flag
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $32.13 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 13.2% industry: 31.8% services: 55% (2005 est.)	agriculture: 5.5% industry: 26.9% services: 67.6% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	4.2% (2005 est.)	2.6% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates	34 00 N, 9 00 E	21 30 N, 80 00 W
Geography - note	strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration	largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
Highways	-	total: 60,858 km paved: 29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway) unpaved: 31,038 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs	-	territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for cocaine and heroin bound for the US and Europe; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999
Imports	NA bbl/day	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food	petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners	France 25.5%, Italy 22.9%, Germany 9.5%, Spain 5.5% (2005)	Spain 16.6%, Venezuela 12.5%, Italy 8.6%, US 8.5%, China 7.7%, Canada 5.4%, Mexico 5.3%, France 4.9% (2003)
Independence	20 March 1956 (from France)	20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
Industrial production growth rate	0.9% (2005 est.)	2.4% (2003 est.)
Industries	petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages	sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals
Infant mortality rate	total: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 20.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)	total: 6.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.1% (2005 est.)	4.1% (2003 est.)
International organization participation	ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC (suspended), OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	ACP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), 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
Irrigated land	3,940 sq km (2003)	870 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation	People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)
Labor force	3.41 million note: shortage of skilled labor (2005 est.)	4.58 million note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 55% industry: 23% services: 22% (1995 est.)	agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999)
Land boundaries	total: 1,424 km border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km	total: 29 km border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of Cuba
Land use	arable land: 17.05% permanent crops: 13.08% other: 69.87% (2005)	arable land: 33.05% permanent crops: 7.6% other: 59.35% (2001)
Languages	Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)	Spanish
Legal system	based on French civil law system and Shari'a law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session	based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85 members elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and professional associations and trade unions; 41 members are presidential appointees; members serve six-year terms) elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held July 2011) election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3, PSL 2; Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (boycotted))	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 NA 2008) election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 75.12 years male: 73.4 years female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)	total population: 77.04 years male: 74.77 years female: 79.44 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.3% male: 83.4% female: 65.3% (2004 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 97.2% female: 96.9% (2003 est.)
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya	Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Map references	Africa	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,759 GRT/115,118 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 4 (2006)	total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 54,818 GRT/81,850 DWT by type: bulk 3, cargo 4, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2 registered in other countries: 35 (2004 est.)
Military - note	-	Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
Military branches	Army, Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriyah At'tunisia) (2006)	Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary Navy (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Territorial Militia Troops (MTT), Youth Labor Army (EJT)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$356 million (FY99)	$572.3 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.5% (FY99)	1.8% (2003)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 3,134,622 females age 15-49: 3,075,534 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 1,929,370 females age 15-49: 1,888,498 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 83,992 females: 91,901 (2004 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 20 March (1956)	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: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian	noun: Cuban(s) adjective: Cuban
Natural hazards	NA	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, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt	cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Net migration rate	-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)	-1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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; some 2,500 Cubans took to the Straits of Florida in 2002; the US Coast Guard interdicted about 60% of these migrants; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US; some 1,500 Cubans arrived overland via the southwest border and direct flights to Miami in 2002
Pipelines	gas 2,945 km; oil 1,227 km; refined products 351 km (2006)	gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders	Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA]; Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]	only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders	the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed	NA
Population	10,175,014 (July 2006 est.)	11,308,764 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	7.4% (2005 est.)	NA
Population growth rate	0.99% (2006 est.)	0.34% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba
Radio broadcast stations	AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)	AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways	total: 2,153 km standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) dual gauge: 8 km 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2005)	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 (2003)
Religions	Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%	nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 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: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage	20 years of age; universal	16 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay international: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches	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; cellular service, initially restricted, was opened to public access in 2003 domestic: national fiber-optic system scheduled to be completed by end of 2003; 85% of switches digitized by end of 2002 with entire system by end 2003; telephone line density remains low; 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	1,257,500 (2005)	574,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	5.681 million (2005)	17,900 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)	58 (1997)
Terrain	mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara	mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Total fertility rate	1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)	1.66 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	14.2% (2005 est.)	2.6% (2003 est.)
Waterways	-	240 km (2004)

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