Chapter CV: Front Matter (105)

Sweden
total: 11,481 km
standard gauge: 11,481 km 1.435-m gauge (7,527 km electrified) (2002)

Switzerland
total: 4,511 km
standard gauge: 3,483 km 1.435-m gauge (3,472 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 982 km 1.000-m gauge (975 km electrified); 46 km
0.800-m gauge (46 km electrified) (2002)

Syria
total: 2,743 km
standard gauge: 2,425 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 318 km 1.050-m gauge (2002)

Taiwan
total: 1,108 km
narrow gauge: 1,108 km 1.067-m gauge (519 km electrified)
note: there also are 1,255 km of 1.067-m gauge routes belonging to
the Taiwan Sugar Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau used
to haul products and limited numbers of passengers (2002)

Tajikistan
total: 482 km
broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge (2002)

Tanzania
total: 3,690 km
narrow gauge: 2,721 km 1.000-m gauge; 969 km 1.067-m gauge (2002)

Thailand
total: 4,071 km
narrow gauge: 4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Togo
total: 525 km
narrow gauge: 525 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Tokelau
0 km

Tonga
0 km

Trinidad and Tobago
minimal agricultural railroad system near San
Fernando; common carrier railway service was discontinued in 1968
(2001)

Tunisia
total: 2,152 km
standard gauge: 468 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
dual gauge: 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2002)

Turkey
total: 8,607 km
standard gauge: 8,607 km 1.435-m gauge (2,131 km electrified) (2002)

Turkmenistan
total: 2,440 km
broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2002)

Turks and Caicos Islands
0 km

Tuvalu
0 km

Uganda
total: 1,241 km
narrow gauge: 1,241 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Ukraine
total: 22,473 km
broad gauge: 22,473 km 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified) (2002)

United Arab Emirates
0 km

United Kingdom
total: 16,893 km
standard gauge: 16,536 km 1.435-m gauge (4,928 km electrified)
broad gauge: 357 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2002)

United States
total: 194,731 km mainline routes
standard gauge: 194,731 km 1.435-m gauge
note: represents the aggregate length of roadway of all line-haul
railroads including an estimate for class II and III railroads;
excludes 135,185 km of yard tracks, sidings, and parallel lines
(2000)

Uruguay
total: 2,073 km
standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge
note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in
partial use (2002)

Uzbekistan
total: 3,950 km
broad gauge: 3,950 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2002)

Vanuatu
0 km

Venezuela
total: 682 km
standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)

Vietnam
total: 3,142 km
standard gauge: 209 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 2,625 km 1.000-m gauge
dual gauge: 308 km three-rail track combining 1.435-m and 1.000-m
gauges (2002)

Virgin Islands
0 km

Wallis and Futuna
0 km

West Bank
0 km

Western Sahara
0 km

World
total: 1,122,650 km includes about 190,000 to 195,000 km of
electrified routes of which 147,760 km are in Europe, 24,509 km in
the Far East, 11,050 km in Africa, 4,223 km in South America, and
4,160 km in North America; note - fastest speed in daily service is
300 km/hr attained by France's Societe Nationale des Chemins-de-Fer
Francais (SNCF) Le Train a Grande Vitesse (TGV) - Atlantique line
broad gauge: 251,153 km
standard gauge: 710,754 km
narrow gauge: 239,430 km

Yemen
0 km

Zambia
total: 2,173 km
narrow gauge: 2,173 km 1.067-m gauge
note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority
(TAZARA) (2002)

Zimbabwe
total: 3,077 km
narrow gauge: 3,077 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified)
note: includes the 318 km Bulawayo-Beitbridge Railway Company line
(2002)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@2122 Religions (%)

Afghanistan
Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%

Albania
Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious
observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing
private religious practice

Algeria
Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%

American Samoa
Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%,
Protestant and other 30%

Andorra
Roman Catholic (predominant)

Angola
indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15%
(1998 est.)

Anguilla
Anglican 40%, Methodist 33%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%,
Baptist 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, other 12%

Antigua and Barbuda
Christian, (predominantly Anglican with other
Protestant, and some Roman Catholic)

Argentina
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing),
Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%

Armenia
Armenian Apostolic 94%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi
(Zoroastrian/animist) 2%

Aruba
Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian,
Jewish

Australia
Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%,
non-Christian 11%, other 12.6%

Austria
Roman Catholic 78%, Protestant 5%, Muslim and other 17%

Azerbaijan
Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox
2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.)
note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan;
percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower

Bahamas, The
Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%,
Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or
unknown 3%, other 2%

Bahrain
Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%

Bangladesh
Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)

Barbados
Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%,
other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%

Belarus
Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic,
Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

Belgium
Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%

Belize
Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Anglican 5.3%,
Methodist 3.5%, Mennonite 4.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%,
Pentecostal 7.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), none 9.4%, other 14%
(2000)

Benin
indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%

Bermuda
non-Anglican Protestant 39%, Anglican 27%, Roman Catholic
15%, other 19%

Bhutan
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced
Hinduism 25%

Bolivia
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%,
Protestant 4%, other 10%

Botswana
indigenous beliefs 85%, Christian 15%

Brazil
Roman Catholic (nominal) 80%

British Virgin Islands
Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%,
Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2%
(1991)

Brunei
Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%,
indigenous beliefs and other 10%

Bulgaria
Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic
1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3%
(1998)

Burkina Faso
indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly
Roman Catholic) 10%

Burma
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%),
Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%

Burundi
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%),
indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%

Cambodia
Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5%

Cameroon
indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Canada
Roman Catholic 46%, Protestant 36%, other 18%
note: based on the 1991 census

Cape Verde
Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs);
Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene)

Cayman Islands
United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational),
Anglican, Baptist, Church of God, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Central African Republic
indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%,
Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the
Christian majority

Chad
Muslim 51%, Christian 35%, animist 7%, other 7%

Chile
Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish NEGL%

China
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslim 1%-2%, Christian 3%-4%
note: officially atheist (2002 est.)

Christmas Island
Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21%
(1997)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.)

Colombia
Roman Catholic 90%

Comoros
Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant
20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and
indigenous beliefs 10%

Congo, Republic of the
Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%

Cook Islands
Christian (majority of populace are members of the Cook
Islands Christian Church)

Costa Rica
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

Cote d'Ivoire
Christian 20-30%, Muslim 35-40%, indigenous 25-40%
(2001)
note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim
(70%) and Christian (20%)

Croatia
Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, Muslim 1.3%, Protestant
0.3%, others and unknown 6.2% (2001)

Cuba
nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power;
Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also
represented

Cyprus
Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic,
and other 4%

Czech Republic
Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3%,
other 13.4%, atheist 39.8%

Denmark
Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Protestant and Roman
Catholic 3%, Muslim 2%

Djibouti
Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Dominica
Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%,
Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%),
none 2%, other 6%

Dominican Republic
Roman Catholic 95%

East Timor
Roman Catholic 90%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 3%, Hindu 0.5%,
Buddhist, Animist (1992 est.)

Ecuador
Roman Catholic 95%

Egypt
Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%

El Salvador
Roman Catholic 83%
note: there is extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout
the country; by the end of 1992, there were an estimated 1 million
Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea
nominally Christian and predominantly Roman
Catholic, pagan practices

Eritrea
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Estonia
Evangelical Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Estonian Orthodox,
Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic,
Pentecostal, Word of Life, Jewish

Ethiopia
Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%,
other 3%-8%

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
primarily Anglican, Roman
Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's
Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist

Faroe Islands
Evangelical Lutheran

Fiji
Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%,
Muslim 8%, other 2%
note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is
a Muslim minority (1986)

Finland
Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian Orthodox 1%, none 9%,
other 1%

France
Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim
5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%

French Guiana
Roman Catholic

French Polynesia
Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no
religion 6%

Gabon
Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%

Gambia, The
Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%

Gaza Strip
Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%,
Jewish 0.6%

Georgia
Georgian Orthodox 65%, Muslim 11%, Russian Orthodox 10%,
Armenian Apostolic 8%, unknown 6%

Germany
Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%,
unaffiliated or other 28.3%

Ghana
indigenous beliefs 21%, Muslim 16%, Christian 63%

Gibraltar
Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%,
Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991)

Greece
Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%

Greenland
Evangelical Lutheran

Grenada
Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%

Guadeloupe
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%,
Protestant 1%

Guam
Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)

Guatemala
Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs

Guernsey
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist,
Congregational, Methodist

Guinea
Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%

Guinea-Bissau
indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5%

Guyana
Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%

Haiti
Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal
4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)
note: roughly half of the population also practices Voodoo

Holy See (Vatican City)
Roman Catholic

Honduras
Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant minority

Hong Kong
eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

Hungary
Roman Catholic 67.5%, Calvinist 20%, Lutheran 5%, atheist
and other 7.5%

Iceland
Evangelical Lutheran 87.1%, other Protestant 4.1%, Roman
Catholic 1.7%, other 7.1% (2002)

India
Hindu 81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other
groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000)

Indonesia
Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%,
Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1998)

Iran
Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish,
Christian, and Baha'i 1%

Iraq
Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%

Ireland
Roman Catholic 91.6%, Church of Ireland 2.5%, other 5.9%
(1998)

Israel
Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian
2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 est.)

Italy
predominately Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish
communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community

Jamaica
Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%,
Anglican 5.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist
2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%,
Moravian 1.1%), Roman Catholic 4%, other, including some spiritual
cults 34.7%

Japan
observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including
Christian 0.7%)

Jersey
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church,
Methodist, Presbyterian

Jordan
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but
some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox,
Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several
small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)

Kazakhstan
Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%

Kenya
Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%,
Muslim 10%, other 2%
note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for
the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous
beliefs vary widely

Kiribati
Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some
Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, and Church
of God (1999)

Korea, North
traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian
and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent;
government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of
religious freedom

Korea, South
Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%,
Shamanist, Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%

Kuwait
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi,
and other 15%

Kyrgyzstan
Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%

Laos
Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various
Christian denominations 1.5%)

Latvia
Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox

Lebanon
Muslim 70% (including Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite,
Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 30% (including Orthodox Christian,
Catholic, Protestant), Jewish NEGL%

Lesotho
Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%

Liberia
indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Libya
Sunni Muslim 97%

Liechtenstein
Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 7%, unknown 10.6%,
other 6.2% (June 2002)

Lithuania
Roman Catholic (primarily), Lutheran, Russian Orthodox,
Protestant, Evangelical Christian Baptist, Muslim, Jewish

Luxembourg
87% Roman Catholic, 13% Protestants, Jews, and Muslims
(2000)

Macau
Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997
est.)

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonian Orthodox 67%,
Muslim 30%, other 3%

Madagascar
indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%

Malawi
Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous
beliefs 3%, other 2%

Malaysia
Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in
addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia

Maldives
Sunni Muslim

Mali
Muslim 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1%

Malta
Roman Catholic 98%

Man, Isle of
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist,
Presbyterian, Society of Friends

Marshall Islands
Christian (mostly Protestant)

Martinique
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 10.5%, Muslim 0.5%, Hindu
0.5%, other 3.5% (1997)

Mauritania
Muslim 100%

Mauritius
Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant
2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%

Mayotte
Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic)

Mexico
nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5%

Micronesia, Federated States of
Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 47%

Moldova
Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5%
(2000)

Monaco
Roman Catholic 90%

Mongolia
Tibetan Buddhist Lamaism 96%, Muslim (primarily in the
southwest), Shamanism, and Christian 4% (1998)

Montserrat
Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal,
Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations

Morocco
Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%

Mozambique
indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%

Namibia
Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous
beliefs 10% to 20%

Nauru
Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)

Nepal
Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%
note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995)

Netherlands
Roman Catholic 31%, Protestant 21%, Muslim 4.4%, other
3.6%, unaffiliated 40% (1998)

Netherlands Antilles
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day
Adventist

New Caledonia
Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%

New Zealand
Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%,
Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none
33% (1986)

Nicaragua
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant

Niger
Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christian

Nigeria
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%

Niue
Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely
related to the London Missionary Society) 75%, Latter-Day Saints
10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Seventh-Day Adventist)

Norfolk Island
Anglican 37.4%, Uniting Church in Australia 14.5%,
Roman Catholic 11.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, none 12.2%,
unknown 17.4%, other 3.9% (1996)

Northern Mariana Islands
Christian (Roman Catholic majority,
although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)

Norway
Evangelical Lutheran 86% (state church), other Protestant and
Roman Catholic 3%, other 1%, none and unknown 10% (1997)

Oman
Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu

Pakistan
Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and
other 3%

Palau
Christian (Roman Catholics 49%, Seventh-Day Adventists,
Jehovah's Witnesses, the Assembly of God, the Liebenzell Mission,
and Latter-Day Saints), Modekngei religion (one-third of the
population observes this religion, which is indigenous to Palau)

Panama
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%

Papua New Guinea
Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%,
Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%,
Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant
10%, indigenous beliefs 34%

Paraguay
Roman Catholic 90%, Mennonite, and other Protestant

Peru
Roman Catholic 90%

Philippines
Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist
and other 3%

Pitcairn Islands
Seventh-Day Adventist 100%

Poland
Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox,
Protestant, and other 5%

Portugal
Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995)

Puerto Rico
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%

Qatar
Muslim 95%

Reunion
Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995)

Romania
Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 87%,
Protestant 6.8%, Catholic 5.6%, other (mostly Muslim) 0.4%,
unaffiliated 0.2% (2002)

Russia
Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other

Rwanda
Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim
4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001)

Saint Helena
Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist,
Roman Catholic

Saint Kitts and Nevis
Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Saint Lucia
Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 3%, other Protestant 7%

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Roman Catholic 99%

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman
Catholic 13%, Hindu Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant

Samoa
Christian 99.7% (about one-half of population associated with
the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman
Catholic, Methodist, Latter-Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)

San Marino
Roman Catholic

Sao Tome and Principe
Christian 80% (Roman Catholic, Evangelical
Protestant, Seventh-Day Adventist)

Saudi Arabia
Muslim 100%

Senegal
Muslim 94%, indigenous beliefs 1%, Christian 5% (mostly
Roman Catholic)

Serbia and Montenegro
Orthodox 65%, Muslim 19%, Roman Catholic 4%,
Protestant 1%, other 11%

Seychelles
Roman Catholic 86.6%, Anglican 6.8%, other Christian
2.5%, other 4.1%

Sierra Leone
Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%

Singapore
Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu,
Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist

Slovakia
Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%,
Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%

Slovenia
Roman Catholic (Uniate 2%) 70.8%, Lutheran 1%, Muslim 1%,
atheist 4.3%, other 22.9%

Solomon Islands
Anglican 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United
(Methodist/Presbyterian) 12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%,
other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4%

Somalia
Sunni Muslim

South Africa
Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about
60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60%
of Indians), indigenous beliefs and animist 28.5%

Spain
Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%

Sri Lanka
Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)

Sudan
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian
5% (mostly in south and Khartoum)

Suriname
Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant
25.2% (predominantly Moravian), indigenous beliefs 5%

Swaziland
Zionist (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral
worship) 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai,
Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30%

Sweden
Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim,
Jewish, Buddhist

Switzerland
Roman Catholic 46.1%, Protestant 40%, other 5%, none
8.9% (1990)

Syria
Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%,
Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus,
Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Taiwan
mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian
4.5%, other 2.5%

Tajikistan
Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5%

Tanzania
mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs
35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim

Thailand
Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism
0.1%, other 0.6% (1991)

Togo
indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 29%, Muslim 20%

Tokelau
Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%,
other 2%
note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on
Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with
the Congregational Christian Church predominant

Tonga
Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)

Trinidad and Tobago
Roman Catholic 29.4%, Hindu 23.8%, Anglican
10.9%, Muslim 5.8%, Presbyterian 3.4%, other 26.7%

Tunisia
Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Turkey
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians
and Jews)

Turkmenistan
Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%

Turks and Caicos Islands
Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%,
Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)

Tuvalu
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Uganda
Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous
beliefs 18%

Ukraine
Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate, Ukrainian Orthodox
- Kiev Patriarchate, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox, Ukrainian
Catholic (Uniate), Protestant, Jewish

United Arab Emirates
Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and
other 4%

United Kingdom
Anglican and Roman Catholic 40 million, Muslim 1.5
million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 500,000,
Hindu 500,000, Jewish 350,000

United States
Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other
4%, none 10% (1989)

Uruguay
Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population
attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing
or other 31%

Uzbekistan
Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Vanuatu
Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Roman Catholic 15%,
indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of
Christ 3.8%, other 15.7% (including Jon Frum Cargo cult)

Venezuela
nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%

Vietnam
Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman
Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim

Virgin Islands
Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%,
other 7%

Wallis and Futuna
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

West Bank
Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian
and other 8%

Western Sahara
Muslim

World
Christians 32.79% (of which Roman Catholics 17.33%,
Protestants 5.62%, Orthodox 3.51%, Anglicans 1.31%), Muslims 19.6%,
Hindus 13.31%, Buddhists 5.88%, Sikhs 0.38%, Jews 0.24%, other
religions 12.83%, non-religious 12.53%, atheists 2.44% (2001 est.)

Yemen
Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small
numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu

Zambia
Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous
beliefs 1%

Zimbabwe
syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%,
Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@2123 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
18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential
elections

Azerbaijan
18 years of age; universal

Bahamas, The
18 years of age; universal

Bahrain
18 years of age; universal

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
18 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

East Timor
17 years of age; universal

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 and are restricted to their barracks on
election day)

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
formerly 18 years of age; universal; note - in transition
following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led
coalition

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
18 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
18 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
18 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
18 years of age; universal (as of January 2003)

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 al-Shura

Pakistan
18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved
parliamentary seats for women and 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
18 years of age; universal

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

Serbia and Montenegro
16 years of age, if employed; 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

Taiwan
20 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
not yet completed

Yemen
18 years of age; universal

Zambia
18 years of age; universal

Zimbabwe
18 years of age; universal

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@2124 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 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: local systems at some research
stations
domestic: NA
international: via satellite from some research stations

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 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 (2000)

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; 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 1 Eutelsat; in addition, there are
about 600 VSAT (very small aperture terminals) (2002)

Azerbaijan
general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable
expansion and modernization; teledensity of 10 main lines per 100
persons is low (2002)
domestic: the majority of telephones are in Baku and other
industrial centers - about 700 villages still without 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 needs modernization and expansion; many urban areas are
below average as contrasted with services in other former Yugoslav
republics
domestic: NA
international: no satellite earth stations

Botswana
general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth
of mobile cellular service and participation in regional development
domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile
cellular service is growing fast
international: two international exchanges; digital microwave radio
relay links to Namibia, 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 the country is
excellent; international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and
the US
domestic: every service available
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean
and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, the
Philippines, and Singapore (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 is scheduled for completion in 2003
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: service provided by the
Australian network
domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available
international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station
provides telephone and telex service (2000)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
general assessment: connected within
Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA
international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with
Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of
NA type (2002)

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: poor
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, built during the period of Soviet
support); 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)

East Timor
NA

Ecuador
general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded
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: inadequate
domestic: very inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government
is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)
international: NA; note - international connections exist

Estonia
general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint
business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial
fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in
the digital mode; internet services are available throughout most of
the country - only about 11,000 subscriber requests were unfilled by
September 2000
domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and internet
services is available throughout the country
international: fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and
Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; two international
switches are located in Tallinn (2001)

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