Chapter CII: Section 3: , telephone 886 (2) 2709-2000, FAX 886 (2) 2702-7675, (37)

Poland:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Portugal:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Puerto Rico:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female

total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Qatar:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 2.43 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 2.5 male(s)/female

total population: 1.92 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Reunion:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Romania:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Russia:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female

total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Rwanda:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Saint Helena:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis:
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: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Saint Lucia:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

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

65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Samoa:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.71 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female

total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

San Marino:
at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Saudi Arabia:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.41 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.22 male(s)/female

total population: 1.23 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Senegal:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Seychelles:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female

total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Sierra Leone:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Singapore:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Slovakia:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Slovenia:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Solomon Islands:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Somalia:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female

total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

South Africa:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Spain:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Sri Lanka:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Sudan:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

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

65 years and over: 1.29 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Suriname:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Swaziland:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Sweden:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Switzerland:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Syria:
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: 0.95 male(s)/female

total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Tajikistan:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Tanzania:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Thailand:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Togo:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Tonga:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Tunisia:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

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

65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Turkey:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Turkmenistan:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Tuvalu:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Uganda:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

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

65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Ukraine:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female

total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

United Arab Emirates:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.73 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 2.36 male(s)/female

total population: 1.5 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

United Kingdom:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

United States:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Uruguay:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Uzbekistan:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Vanuatu:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

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

65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female

total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Venezuela:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Vietnam:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Virgin Islands:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.83 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female

total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

West Bank:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female

total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

World:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Yemen:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female

total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Yugoslavia:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Zambia:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Zimbabwe:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Taiwan:
at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female

total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

======================================================================

@Suffrage

Afghanistan:
NA; previously males 15-50 years of age

Albania:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Algeria:
18 years of age; universal

American Samoa:
18 years of age; universal

Andorra:
18 years of age; universal

Angola:
18 years of age; universal

Anguilla:
18 years of age; universal

Antigua and Barbuda:
18 years of age; universal

Argentina:
18 years of age; universal and mandatory

Armenia:
18 years of age; universal

Aruba:
18 years of age; universal

Australia:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Austria:
19 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential
elections

Azerbaijan:
18 years of age; universal

Bahamas, The:
18 years of age; universal

Bahrain:
none

Bangladesh:
18 years of age; universal

Barbados:
18 years of age; universal

Belarus:
18 years of age; universal

Belgium:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Belize:
18 years of age; universal

Benin:
18 years of age; universal

Bermuda:
18 years of age; universal

Bhutan:
each family has one vote in village-level elections

Bolivia:
18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21
years of age, universal and compulsory (single)

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of
age, universal

Botswana:
18 years of age; universal

Brazil:
voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70;
compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age

British Virgin Islands:
18 years of age; universal

Brunei:
none

Bulgaria:
18 years of age; universal

Burkina Faso:
universal

Burma:
18 years of age; universal

Burundi:
NA years of age; universal adult

Cambodia:
18 years of age; universal

Cameroon:
20 years of age; universal

Canada:
18 years of age; universal

Cape Verde:
18 years of age; universal

Cayman Islands:
18 years of age; universal

Central African Republic:
21 years of age; universal

Chad:
18 years of age; universal

Chile:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

China:
18 years of age; universal

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
NA

Colombia:
18 years of age; universal

Comoros:
18 years of age; universal

Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
18 years of age; universal and
compulsory

Congo, Republic of the:
18 years of age; universal

Cook Islands:
NA years of age; universal adult

Costa Rica:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Cote d'Ivoire:
18 years of age; universal

Croatia:
18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Cuba:
16 years of age; universal

Cyprus:
18 years of age; universal

Czech Republic:
18 years of age; universal

Denmark:
18 years of age; universal

Djibouti:
NA years of age; universal adult

Dominica:
18 years of age; universal

Dominican Republic:
18 years of age, universal and compulsory;
married persons regardless of age

note: members of the armed forces and police cannot vote

Ecuador:
18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons
ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters

Egypt:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

El Salvador:
18 years of age; universal

Equatorial Guinea:
18 years of age; universal adult

Eritrea:
18 years of age; universal

Estonia:
18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens

Ethiopia:
18 years of age; universal

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
18 years of age; universal

Faroe Islands:
18 years of age; universal

Fiji:
21 years of age; universal

Finland:
18 years of age; universal

France:
18 years of age; universal

French Guiana:
18 years of age; universal

French Polynesia:
18 years of age; universal

Gabon:
21 years of age; universal

Gambia, The:
18 years of age; universal

Georgia:
18 years of age; universal

Germany:
18 years of age; universal

Ghana:
18 years of age; universal

Gibraltar:
18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who
have been residents six months or more

Greece:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Greenland:
18 years of age; universal

Grenada:
18 years of age; universal

Guadeloupe:
18 years of age; universal

Guam:
18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US
presidential elections

Guatemala:
18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the
armed forces may not vote)

Guernsey:
18 years of age; universal

Guinea:
18 years of age; universal

Guinea-Bissau:
18 years of age; universal

Guyana:
18 years of age; universal

Haiti:
18 years of age; universal

Holy See (Vatican City):
limited to cardinals less than 80 years old

Honduras:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Hong Kong:
direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent
residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven
years; indirect election limited to about 100,000 members of
functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn
from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central
government bodies

Hungary:
18 years of age; universal

Iceland:
18 years of age; universal

India:
18 years of age; universal

Indonesia:
17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless
of age

Iran:
15 years of age; universal

Iraq:
18 years of age; universal

Ireland:
18 years of age; universal

Israel:
18 years of age; universal

Italy:
18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections,
where minimum age is 25)

Jamaica:
18 years of age; universal

Japan:
20 years of age; universal

Jersey:
NA years of age; universal adult

Jordan:
20 years of age; universal

Kazakhstan:
18 years of age; universal

Kenya:
18 years of age; universal

Kiribati:
18 years of age; universal

Korea, North:
17 years of age; universal

Korea, South:
20 years of age; universal

Kuwait:
adult males who have been naturalized for 30 years or more
or have resided in Kuwait since before 1920 and their male
descendants at age 21

note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote; in 1996,
naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification but
have been naturalized for 30 years were eligible to vote for the
first time

Kyrgyzstan:
18 years of age; universal

Laos:
18 years of age; universal

Latvia:
18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens

Lebanon:
21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for
women at age 21 with elementary education

Lesotho:
18 years of age; universal

Liberia:
18 years of age; universal

Libya:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Liechtenstein:
20 years of age; universal

Lithuania:
18 years of age; universal

Luxembourg:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Macau:
direct election 18 years of age, universal for permanent
residents living in Macau for the past seven years; indirect
election limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters"
(257 are currently registered) and a 300-member Election Committee
drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and
central government bodies

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
18 years of age;
universal

Madagascar:
18 years of age; universal

Malawi:
18 years of age; universal

Malaysia:
21 years of age; universal

Maldives:
21 years of age; universal

Mali:
21 years of age; universal

Malta:
18 years of age; universal

Man, Isle of:
18 years of age; universal

Marshall Islands:
18 years of age; universal

Martinique:
18 years of age; universal

Mauritania:
18 years of age; universal

Mauritius:
18 years of age; universal

Mayotte:
18 years of age; universal

Mexico:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)

Micronesia, Federated States of:
18 years of age; universal

Moldova:
18 years of age; universal

Monaco:
21 years of age; universal

Mongolia:
18 years of age; universal

Montserrat:
18 years of age; universal

Morocco:
21 years of age; universal

Mozambique:
18 years of age; universal

Namibia:
18 years of age; universal

Nauru:
20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Nepal:
18 years of age; universal

Netherlands:
18 years of age; universal

Netherlands Antilles:
18 years of age; universal

New Caledonia:
18 years of age; universal

New Zealand:
18 years of age; universal

Nicaragua:
16 years of age; universal

Niger:
18 years of age; universal

Nigeria:
18 years of age; universal

Niue:
18 years of age; universal

Norfolk Island:
18 years of age; universal

Northern Mariana Islands:
18 years of age; universal; indigenous
inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential
elections

Norway:
18 years of age; universal

Oman:
in Oman's most recent elections in 2000, limited to
approximately 175,000 Omanis chosen by the government to vote in
elections for the Majlis ash-Shura

Pakistan:
21 years of age; universal; separate electorates and
reserved parliamentary seats for non-Muslims

Palau:
18 years of age; universal

Panama:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Papua New Guinea:
18 years of age; universal

Paraguay:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75

Peru:
18 years of age; universal

Philippines:
18 years of age; universal

Pitcairn Islands:
18 years of age; universal with three years
residency

Poland:
18 years of age; universal

Portugal:
18 years of age; universal

Puerto Rico:
18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are
US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Qatar:
suffrage is limited to municipal elections

Reunion:
18 years of age; universal

Romania:
18 years of age; universal

Russia:
18 years of age; universal

Rwanda:
18 years of age; universal adult

Saint Helena:
NA years of age

Saint Kitts and Nevis:
18 years of age; universal

Saint Lucia:
18 years of age; universal

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
18 years of age; universal

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
18 years of age; universal

Samoa:
21 years of age; universal

San Marino:
18 years of age; universal

Sao Tome and Principe:
18 years of age; universal

Saudi Arabia:
none

Senegal:
18 years of age; universal

Seychelles:
17 years of age; universal

Sierra Leone:
18 years of age; universal

Singapore:
21 years of age; universal and compulsory

Slovakia:
18 years of age; universal

Slovenia:
18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Solomon Islands:
21 years of age; universal

Somalia:
18 years of age; universal

South Africa:
18 years of age; universal

Spain:
18 years of age; universal

Sri Lanka:
18 years of age; universal

Sudan:
17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory

Suriname:
18 years of age; universal

Swaziland:
18 years of age

Sweden:
18 years of age; universal

Switzerland:
18 years of age; universal

Syria:
18 years of age; universal

Tajikistan:
18 years of age; universal

Tanzania:
18 years of age; universal

Thailand:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Togo:
NA years of age; universal adult

Tokelau:
21 years of age; universal

Tonga:
21 years of age; universal

Trinidad and Tobago:
18 years of age; universal

Tunisia:
20 years of age; universal

Turkey:
18 years of age; universal

Turkmenistan:
18 years of age; universal

Turks and Caicos Islands:
18 years of age; universal

Tuvalu:
18 years of age; universal

Uganda:
18 years of age; universal

Ukraine:
18 years of age; universal

United Arab Emirates:
none

United Kingdom:
18 years of age; universal

United States:
18 years of age; universal

Uruguay:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Uzbekistan:
18 years of age; universal

Vanuatu:
18 years of age; universal

Venezuela:
18 years of age; universal

Vietnam:
18 years of age; universal

Virgin Islands:
18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous
inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential
elections

Wallis and Futuna:
18 years of age; universal

Western Sahara:
none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign
has yet to be completed

Yemen:
18 years of age; universal

Yugoslavia:
16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal

Zambia:
18 years of age; universal

Zimbabwe:
18 years of age; universal

Taiwan:
20 years of age; universal

======================================================================

@Telephone system

Afghanistan:
general assessment: very limited telephone and
telegraph service

domestic: in 1997, telecommunications links were established
between Mazar-e Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, Jalalabad, and Kabul
through satellite and microwave systems

international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
linked only to Iran and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region);
commercial satellite telephone center in Ghazni

Albania:
general assessment: Albania has the poorest telephone
service in Europe with fewer than two telephones per 100
inhabitants; it is doubtful that every village has telephone service

domestic: obsolete wire system; no longer provides a telephone for
every village; in 1992, following the fall of the communist
government, peasants cut the wire to about 1,000 villages and used
it to build fences

international: inadequate; international traffic carried by
microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece

Algeria:
general assessment: telephone density in Algeria is very
low, not exceeding five telephones per 100 persons; the number of
fixed main lines has been increased in the last few years to a
little more than 2,000,000, but only about two-thirds of these have
subscribers; much of the infrastructure is outdated and inefficient

domestic: good service in north but sparse in south; domestic
satellite system with 12 earth stations (20 additional domestic
earth stations are planned)

international: 5 submarine cables; microwave radio relay to Italy,
France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and
Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik, and
1 Arabsat (1998)

American Samoa:
general assessment: NA

domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone
services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Andorra:
general assessment: NA

domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections
between exchanges

international: landline circuits to France and Spain

Angola:
general assessment: telephone service limited mostly to
government and business use; HF radiotelephone used extensively for
military links

domestic: limited system of wire, microwave radio relay, and
tropospheric scatter

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)

Anguilla:
general assessment: NA

domestic: modern internal telephone system

international: microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin
(Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)

Antarctica:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

Antigua and Barbuda:
general assessment: NA

domestic: good automatic telephone system

international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station -
1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Saba
(Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe

Argentina:
general assessment: by opening the telecommunications
market to competition and foreign investment with the
"Telecommunications Liberalization Plan of 1998", Argentina
encouraged the growth of modern telecommunication technology;
fiber-optic cable trunk lines are being installed between all major
cities; the major networks are entirely digital and the availability
of telephone service is being improved; however, telephone density
is presently minimal, and making telephone service universally
available will take some time

domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic
satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network;
more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone
use is rapidly expanding

international: satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables; two international
gateways near Buenos Aires (1999)

Armenia:
general assessment: system inadequate; now 90% privately
owned and undergoing modernization and expansion

domestic: the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment
are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service)

international: Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe
fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional international service is
available by microwave radio relay and landline connections to the
other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and
through the Moscow international switch and by satellite to the rest
of the world; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat

Aruba:
general assessment: NA

domestic: more than adequate

international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands
Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

Australia:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
service

domestic: domestic satellite system; much use of radiotelephone in
areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular
telephones

international: submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea,
and Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (4 Indian
Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat (Indian and Pacific Ocean
regions) (1998)

Austria:
general assessment: highly developed and efficient

domestic: there are 48 main lines for every 100 persons and the
system is nearly 100% digital; the fiber optic net is very
extensive; all telephone applications and Internet services are
available

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 2 Eutelsat (1999)

Azerbaijan:
general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable
expansion and modernization; teledensity of 8.6 main lines per 100
persons is very low

domestic: the majority of telephones are in Baku and other
industrial centers - about 700 villages still do not have public
telephone service; satellite service connects Baku to a modern
switch in its exclave of Naxcivan

international: the old Soviet system of cable and microwave is
still serviceable; a satellite connection to Turkey enables Baku to
reach about 200 additional countries, some of which are directly
connected to Baku by satellite providers other than Turkey (1997)

Bahamas, The:
general assessment: modern facilities

domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed

international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida;
3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) (1997)

Bahrain:
general assessment: modern system

domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network
with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones

international: tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave
radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and
Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (1997)

Bangladesh:
general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern
country

domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems
include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some
fiber-optic cable in cities

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian
Ocean); international radiotelephone communications and landline
service to neighboring countries (2000)

Barbados:
general assessment: NA

domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system

international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia

Belarus:
general assessment: the Ministry of Telecommunications
controls all telecommunications through its carrier (a joint stock
company) Beltelcom which is a monopoly

domestic: local - Minsk has a digital metropolitan network and a
cellular NMT-450 network; waiting lists for telephones are long;
local service outside Minsk is neglected and poor; intercity -
Belarus has a partly developed fiber-optic backbone system presently
serving at least 13 major cities (1998); Belarus's fiber optics form
synchronous digital hierarchy rings through other countries'
systems; an inadequate analog system remains operational

international: Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line
(TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to
the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); three fiber-optic segments provide
connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide
service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure;
additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and
Intersputnik earth stations

Belgium:
general assessment: highly developed, technologically
advanced, and completely automated domestic and international
telephone and telegraph facilities

domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; extensive cable
network; limited microwave radio relay network

international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat

Belize:
general assessment: above-average system

domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Benin:
general assessment: NA

domestic: fair system of open wire, microwave radio relay, and
cellular connections

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); submarine cable

Bermuda:
general assessment: NA

domestic: modern, fully automatic telephone system

international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Bhutan:
general assessment: NA

domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few
telephones in use

international: international telephone and telegraph service is by
landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)

Bolivia:
general assessment: new subscribers face bureaucratic
difficulties; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other
cities; mobile cellular telephone use expanding rapidly

domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs
digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic
cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
general assessment: telephone and telegraph
network is in need of modernization and expansion; many urban areas
are below average when compared with services in other former
Yugoslav republics

domestic: NA

international: no satellite earth stations

Botswana:
general assessment: sparse system

domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations

international: two international exchanges; digital microwave radio
relay links to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Brazil:
general assessment: good working system

domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic
satellite system with 64 earth stations

international: 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations
- 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region
east), connected by microwave relay system to MERCOSUR Brazilsat B3
satellite earth station

British Indian Ocean Territory:
general assessment: separate
facilities for military and public needs are available

domestic: all commercial telephone services are available,
including connection to the Internet

international: international telephone service is carried by
satellite (2000)

British Virgin Islands:
general assessment: worldwide telephone
service

domestic: NA

international: submarine cable to Bermuda

Brunei:
general assessment: service throughout country is
excellent; international service good to Europe, US, and East Asia

domestic: every service available

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to
Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines (2001)

Bulgaria:
general assessment: extensive but antiquated

domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential;
telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern
digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of
the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio
relay

international: direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth
stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat
(Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)

Burkina Faso:
general assessment: all services only fair

domestic: microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone
communication stations

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Burma:
general assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and
intercity service for business and government; international service
is good

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Burundi:
general assessment: primitive system

domestic: sparse system of open wire, radiotelephone
communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Cambodia:
general assessment: adequate landline and/or cellular
service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; rural areas have
little telephone service

domestic: NA

international: adequate but expensive landline and cellular service
available to all countries from Phnom Penh and major provincial
cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean
region)

Cameroon:
general assessment: available only to business and
government

domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)

Canada:
general assessment: excellent service provided by modern
technology

domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations

international: 5 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations
- 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and 2
Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

Cape Verde:
general assessment: effective system, being improved

domestic: interisland microwave radio relay system with both analog
and digital exchanges; work is in progress on a submarine
fiber-optic cable system which was scheduled for completion in 1998

international: 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF radiotelephone to
Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean)

Cayman Islands:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: 1 submarine coaxial cable; satellite earth station -
1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Central African Republic:
general assessment: fair system

domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and
low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Chad:
general assessment: primitive system

domestic: fair system of radiotelephone communication stations

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Chile:
general assessment: modern system based on extensive
microwave radio relay facilities

domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite
system with 3 earth stations

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)

China:
general assessment: domestic and international services are
increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed
domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and
many towns

domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular
telephone systems have been installed; a domestic satellite system
with 55 earth stations is in place

international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and
1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); several international
fiber-optic links to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and
Germany (2000)

Christmas Island:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth
station provides telephone and telex service

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with
Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of
NA type

Colombia:
general assessment: modern system in many respects

domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic
satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking
50 cities

international: satellite earth stations - 6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat; 3
fully digitalized international switching centers; 8 submarine cables

Comoros:
general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay
and HF radiotelephone communication stations

domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay

international: HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and
Reunion

Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
general assessment: NA

domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in
and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth
stations

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Congo, Republic of the:
general assessment: services barely
adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville,
Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out-of-order

domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and
coaxial cable

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Cook Islands:
general assessment: NA

domestic: the individual islands are connected by a combination of
satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF
radiotelephone; within the islands, service is provided by small
exchanges connected to subscribers by open wire, cable, and
fiber-optic cable

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Costa Rica:
general assessment: very good domestic telephone service

domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave,
fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is
available

international: connected to Central American Microwave System;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two
submarine cables (1999)

Cote d'Ivoire:
general assessment: well developed by African
standards but operating well below capacity

domestic: open-wire lines and microwave radio relay; 90% digitalized

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 coaxial submarine cables (June 1999)

Croatia:
general assessment: NA

domestic: reconstruction plan calls for replacement of all analog
circuits with digital and enlarging the network; a backup will be
included in the plan for the main trunk

international: digital international service is provided through
the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the
Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project which consists of two
fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk
line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; Croatia is also investing
in ADRIA 1, a joint fiber-optic project with Germany, Albania, and
Greece (2000)

Cuba:
general assessment: NA

domestic: principal trunk system, end to end of country, is coaxial
cable; fiber-optic distribution in Havana and on Isla de la
Juventud; 2 microwave radio relay installations (one is old,
US-built; the other newer, Soviet-built); both analog and digital
mobile cellular service established

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic
Ocean region)

Cyprus:
general assessment: excellent in both the Greek Cypriot and
Turkish Cypriot areas

domestic: open wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay

international: tropospheric scatter; 3 coaxial and 5 fiber-optic
submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat

Czech Republic:
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

Denmark:
general assessment: excellent telephone and telegraph
services

domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay
form trunk network, 4 cellular mobile communications systems

international: 18 submarine fiber-optic cables linking Denmark with
Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Faroe
Islands, Iceland, and Canada; satellite earth stations - 6 Intelsat,
10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat (Blaavand-Atlantic-East); note -
the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)
share the Danish earth station and the Eik, Norway, station for
worldwide Inmarsat access (1997)

Djibouti:
general assessment: telephone facilities in the city of
Djibouti are adequate as are the microwave radio relay connections
to outlying areas of the country

domestic: microwave radio relay network

international: submarine cable to Jiddah, Suez, Sicily, Marseilles,
Colombo, and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; Medarabtel regional microwave radio
relay telephone network

Dominica:
general assessment: NA

domestic: fully automatic network

international: microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links
to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to
Saint Lucia

Dominican Republic:
general assessment: NA

domestic: relatively efficient system based on islandwide microwave
radio relay network

international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station -
1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Ecuador:
general assessment: NA

domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Egypt:
general assessment: large system; underwent extensive
upgrading during 1990s and is reasonably modern; Internet access and
cellular service are available

domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah,
Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean and Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat; 5 coaxial
submarine cables; tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio
relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel and a signatory to
Project Oxygen (a global submarine fiber-optic cable system)

El Salvador:
general assessment: NA

domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

Equatorial Guinea:
general assessment: poor system with adequate
government services

domestic: NA

international: international communications from Bata and Malabo to
African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean)

Eritrea:
general assessment: NA

domestic: very inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara;
government is seeking international tenders to improve the system

international: NA

Estonia:
general assessment: foreign investment in the form of
joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; Internet
services available throughout most of the country; about 150,000
unfilled subscriber requests

domestic: local - the Ministry of Transport and Communications is
expanding cellular telephone services to form rural networks;
intercity - highly developed fiber-optic backbone (double loop)
system presently serving at least 16 major cities (1998)

international: fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and
Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; two international
switches are located in Tallinn

Ethiopia:
general assessment: open wire and microwave radio relay
system adequate for government use

domestic: open wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in
the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; two domestic satellites provide
the national trunk service

international: open wire to Sudan and Djibouti; microwave radio
relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat
(1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
general assessment: NA

domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB
radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all
points on both islands

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) with links through London to other countries

Faroe Islands:
general assessment: good international
communications; good domestic facilities

domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog)
and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed

international: satellite earth stations - 1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic
submarine cable to the Shetland Islands, linking the Faroe Islands
with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic submarine cable connection to
Canada-Europe cable

Fiji:
general assessment: modern local, interisland, and
international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose
telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio
communications center

domestic: NA

international: access to important cable links between US and
Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; satellite earth station
- 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Finland:
general assessment: modern system with excellent service

domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular
net provide domestic needs

international: 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations - access
to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth
station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note -
Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic
countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)

France:
general assessment: highly developed

domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive
introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (with total of
5 antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA
Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone
communications with more than 20 countries

French Guiana:
general assessment: NA

domestic: fair open wire and microwave radio relay system

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

French Polynesia:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Gabon:
general assessment: NA

domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay,
tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a
domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations

international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)

Gambia, The:
general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data
network is available

domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open wire

international: microwave radio relay links to Senegal and
Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Gaza Strip:
general assessment: NA

domestic: rudimentary telephone services provided by an open wire
system

international: NA

Georgia:
general assessment: NA

domestic: local - T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi have cellular telephone
networks; urban telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; rural
telephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilities
include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi;
nationwide pager service is available

international: Georgia and Russia are working on a fiber-optic line
between P'ot'i and Sochi (Russia); present international service is
available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow
switch; international electronic mail and telex service are available

Germany:
general assessment: Germany has one of the world's most
technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of
intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly
backward system of the eastern part of the country has been
modernized and integrated with that of the western part

domestic: Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic
telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic
cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic
satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available and
includes roaming service to many foreign countries

international: satellite earth stations - 14 Intelsat (12 Atlantic
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean
region), 2 Intersputnik (1 Atlantic Ocean region and 1 Indian Ocean
region); 7 submarine cable connections; 2 HF radiotelephone
communication centers; tropospheric scatter links

Ghana:
general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet
accessible; many rural communities not yet connected; expansion of
services is underway

domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has
been installed

international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana
to its neighbors

Gibraltar:
general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system
and adequate international facilities

domestic: automatic exchange facilities

international: radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Greece:
general assessment: adequate, modern networks reach all
areas; good mobile telephone and international service

domestic: microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open wire
connections; submarine cable to offshore islands

international: tropospheric scatter; 8 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1
Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

Greenland:
general assessment: adequate domestic and international
service provided by satellite, cables and microwave radio relay;
totally digitalized in 1995

domestic: microwave radio relay and satellite

international: satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat,
2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)

Grenada:
general assessment: automatic, islandwide telephone system

domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links

international: new SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago
and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad

Guadeloupe:
general assessment: domestic facilities inadequate

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and
Martinique

Guam:
general assessment: modern system, integrated with US
facilities for direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers

domestic: modern digital system, including cellular mobile service
and local access to the Internet

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific
Ocean); submarine cables to US and Japan (Guam is a trans-Pacific
communications hub for MCI, Sprint, AT&T, IT&E, and GTE, linking the
US and Asia)

Guatemala:
general assessment: fairly modern network centered in
the city of Guatemala

domestic: NA

international: connected to Central American Microwave System;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Guernsey:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: 1 submarine cable

Guinea:
general assessment: poor to fair system of open-wire lines,
small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio
relay system

domestic: microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Guinea-Bissau:
general assessment: small system

domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone, and cellular communications

international: NA

Guyana:
general assessment: fair system for long-distance calling

domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines

international: tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Haiti:
general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate;
international facilities slightly better

domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Holy See (Vatican City):
general assessment: automatic exchange

domestic: tied into Italian system

international: uses Italian system

Honduras:
general assessment: inadequate system

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

Hong Kong:
general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent
domestic and international services

domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic
network

international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; access
to 5 international submarine cables providing connections to ASEAN
member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western
Europe

Hungary:
general assessment: the telephone system has been
modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for
telecommunication service

domestic: the system is digitalized and highly automated; trunk
services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave
radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was
initiated in 1996; heavy use is made of mobile cellular telephones

international: Hungary has fiber-optic cable connections with all
neighboring countries; the international switch is in Budapest;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian
Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture terminal (VSAT)
system of ground terminals

Iceland:
general assessment: adequate domestic service

domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic
cables and microwave radio relay links

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note -
Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic
countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)

India:
general assessment: mediocre service; local and long
distance service provided throughout all regions of the country,
with services primarily concentrated in the urban areas; major
objective is to continue to expand and modernize long-distance
network in order to keep pace with rapidly growing number of local
subscriber lines; steady improvement is taking place with the recent
admission of private and private-public investors, but, with
telephone density at about two for each 100 persons and a waiting
list of over 2 million, demand for main line telephone service will
not be satisfied for a very long time

domestic: local service is provided by microwave radio relay and
coaxial cable, with open wire and obsolete electromechanical and
manual switchboard systems still in use in rural areas; starting in
the 1980s, a substantial amount of digital switch gear has been
introduced for local and long-distance service; long-distance
traffic is carried mostly by coaxial cable and low-capacity
microwave radio relay; since 1985 significant trunk capacity has
been added in the form of fiber-optic cable and a domestic satellite
system with 254 earth stations; mobile cellular service is provided
in four metropolitan cities

international: satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine gateway exchanges
operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta),
Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gaidhinagar, Hyderabad, and
Ernakulam; 4 submarine cables - LOCOM linking Chennai (Madras) to
Penang; Indo-UAE-Gulf cable linking Mumbai (Bombay) to Al Fujayrah,
UAE; India-SEA-ME-WE-3, SEA-ME-WE-2 with landing sites at Cochin and
Mumbai (Bombay); Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with
landing site at Mumbai (Bombay) (2000)

Indonesia:
general assessment: domestic service fair, international
service good

domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net;
domestic satellite communications system

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Iran:
general assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized
and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and
increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing
telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently
connected

domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system
since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave
radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been
brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems
has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular
subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the
system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital
switches

international: HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey,
Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with
access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan
through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion
to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and
4 Inmarsat; Internet service available but limited to electronic
mail to promote Iranian culture

Iraq:
general assessment: reconstitution of damaged
telecommunication facilities began after the Gulf war; most damaged
facilities have been rebuilt

domestic: the network consists of coaxial cables and microwave
radio relay links

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region),
and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; Kuwait line is probably
nonoperational

Ireland:
general assessment: modern digital system using cable and
microwave radio relay

domestic: microwave radio relay

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Israel:
general assessment: most highly developed system in the
Middle East although not the largest

domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay;
all systems are digital

international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Italy:
general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully
automated telephone, telex, and data services

domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks

international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total
of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat; 21 submarine
cables

Jamaica:
general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone
network

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables

Japan:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
service

domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of
every kind

international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and
1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); submarine cables to
China, Philippines, Russia, and US (via Guam) (1999)

Jersey:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: 3 submarine cables

Johnston Atoll:
general assessment: 13 outgoing and 10 incoming
commercial lines; adequate telecommunications

domestic: 60-channel submarine cable, 22 DSN circuits by satellite,
Autodin with standard remote terminal, digital telephone switch,
Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS station), UHF/VHF air-ground
radio, a link to the Pacific Consolidated Telecommunications Network
(PCTN) satellite

international: NA