Chapter CXIX: Section 3: , Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: 886 (2) 2162-2000, FAX (50)

Namibia
general assessment: good system; about 6 telephones for each
100 persons
domestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radio
relay links major towns; connections to other populated places are
by open wire; 100% digital
international: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to South
Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to
other neighboring countries; connected to Africa ONE and South
African Far East (SAFE) submarine cables through South Africa;
satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2002)

Nauru
general assessment: adequate local and international
radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities
domestic: NA
international: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Nepal
general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair
radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone
network
domestic: NA
international: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications;
microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean)

Netherlands
general assessment: highly developed and well maintained
domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; cellular
telephone system is one of the largest in Europe with five major
network operators utilizing the third generation of the Global
System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
international: country code - 31; 9 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1
Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2004)

Netherlands Antilles
general assessment: generally adequate
facilities
domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
international: country code - 599; submarine cables - 2; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

New Caledonia
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

New Zealand
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
systems
domestic: NA
international: country code - 64; submarine cables to Australia and
Fiji; 8 satellite earth stations - 1 InMarSat (Pacific Ocean), 7
other

Nicaragua
general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by
foreign investment
domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being
expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
international: country code - 505; satellite earth stations - 1
Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Niger
general assessment: small system of wire, radio telephone
communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the
southwestern area of Niger
domestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio
relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned
international: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Nigeria
general assessment: expansion and modernization of the
fixed-line telephone network has been slow due to faltering efforts
at privatization
domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002
resulted in faster growth in this service; wireless telephony has
grown rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the
fixed-line network; four wireless (GSM) service providers operate
nationally; the combined growth resulted in a sharp increase in
teledensity reported to be over 18% in March 2006
international: country code - 234; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); fiber optic
submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Niue
domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on
island
international: country code - 683

Norfolk Island
general assessment: adequate
domestic: free local calls
international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with
Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite earth station

Northern Mariana Islands
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-670; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Norway
general assessment: modern in all respects; one of the most
advanced telecommunications networks in Europe
domestic: Norway has a domestic satellite system; moreover, the
prevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of cellular mobile
systems instead of fixed-wire systems
international: country code - 47; 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 4
coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean
regions); note - Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the
other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (1999)

Oman
general assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire,
microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited
coaxial cable
domestic: open-wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a
domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations
international: country code - 968; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Pakistan
general assessment: the domestic system is mediocre, but
improving; service is adequate for government and business use, in
part because major businesses have established their own private
systems; since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the
national telecommunications system on a priority basis,
significantly increasing network capacity; despite major
improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication services
are still not readily available to the majority of the rural
population
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable,
cellular, and satellite networks
international: country code - 92; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational
international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad);
microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (1999)

Palau
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Panama
general assessment: domestic and international facilities
well developed
domestic: NA
international: country code - 507; 1 coaxial submarine cable;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to
the Central American Microwave System

Papua New Guinea
general assessment: services are adequate;
facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio,
aeronautical radio, and international radio communication services
domestic: mostly radiotelephone
international: country code - 675; submarine cables to Australia and
Guam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean);
international radio communication service

Paraguay
general assessment: meager telephone service; principal
switching center is in Asuncion
domestic: fair microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 595; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Peru
general assessment: adequate for most requirements
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic
satellite system with 12 earth stations
international: country code - 51; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Pan American submarine cable

Philippines
general assessment: good international radiotelephone
and submarine cable services; domestic and inter-island service
adequate
domestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations
international: country code - 63; 9 international gateways;
satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Pacific
Ocean); submarine cables to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and
Japan

Pitcairn Islands
general assessment: satellite phone services
domestic: domestic communication via radio (CB)
international: country code - 872; satellite earth station (Inmarsat)

Poland
general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications
network has accelerated with market based competition finalized in
2003; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned
company, is dwarfed by the growth in wireless telephony
domestic: wireless service, available since 1993 (GSM service
available since 1996) and provided by three nation-wide networks,
has grown rapidly in response to the weak fixed-line coverage; third
generation UMTS service available in urban areas; cellular coverage
is generally good with more gaps in the east; fixed-line service is
growing slowly and still lags in rural areas
international: country code - 48; international direct dialing with
automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat,
Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik)

Portugal
general assessment: Portugal's telephone system has
achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed
capabilities
domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave
radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations
international: country code - 351; 6 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean),
NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth station
for Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region) is planned

Puerto Rico
general assessment: modern system integrated with that
of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with
high-speed data capability
domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service
international: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station -
1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US

Qatar
general assessment: modern system centered in Doha
domestic: NA
international: country code - 974; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain;
microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to
Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Reunion
general assessment: adequate system; principal center is
Saint-Denis
domestic: modern open-wire and microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 262; radiotelephone communication to
Comoros, France, Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); fiber optic
submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe
and Asia

Romania
general assessment: rapidly improving domestic and
international service, especially in wireless telephony
domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; liberalization in
2003 is transforming telecommunications; there has been 20% growth
in fixed lines with a penetration rate of 58% of households;
nation-wide wireless service is growing even faster with four major
providers and a penetration rate of 32%
international: country code - 40; satellite earth station - 10
(Intelsat 4); digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate
in Bucharest (2005)

Russia
general assessment: the telephone system underwent
significant changes in the 1990s; there are more than 1,000
companies licensed to offer communication services; access to
digital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet
and e-mail services are improving; Russia has made progress toward
building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a
market economy; however, a large demand for main line service
remains unsatisfied
domestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint
Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the
telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital
infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are
available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are
still outdated, inadequate, and low density
international: country code - 7; Russia is connected internationally
by three undersea fiber-optic cables; digital switches in several
cities provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls;
satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik,
Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems

Rwanda
general assessment: telephone system primarily serves
business and government
domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the
provinces by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellular
telephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HF
radiotelephone
international: country code - 250; international connections employ
microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite
communications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations -
1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax
service)

Saint Helena
general assessment: can communicate worldwide
domestic: automatic digital network
international: country code - 290; international direct dialing;
satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations -
5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
general assessment: good inter-island and
international connections
domestic: inter-island links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic
cable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in
November 2004
international: country code - 1-869; international calls are carried
by submarine cable or Intelsat

Saint Lucia
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: system is automatically switched
international: country code - 1-758; direct microwave radio relay
link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these
countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with
most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domestic
satellite system

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF
radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the
Grenadines
international: country code - 1-784; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from
Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to
Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through
Saint Lucia

Samoa
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

San Marino
general assessment: adequate connections
domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into
Italian system
international: country code - 378; connected to Italian
international network

Sao Tome and Principe
general assessment: adequate facilities
domestic: minimal system
international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Saudi Arabia
general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and
fiber-optic cable systems
international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain,
Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to
Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain;
satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian
Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

Senegal
general assessment: good system
domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial
cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system
international: country code - 221; 4 submarine cables; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Serbia
general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications
network has been slow as a result of damage stemming from the 1999
war and transition to a competitive market-based system; network was
only 65% digitalized in 2005
domestic: teledensity remains below the average for neighboring
states; GSM wireless service, available through two providers with
national coverage, is growing very rapidly; best telecommunications
service limited to urban centers
international: country code - 381

Seychelles
general assessment: effective system
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the
archipelago
international: country code - 248; direct radiotelephone
communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal
countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Sierra Leone
general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph
service
domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects
Freetown to Bo and Kenema
international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Singapore
general assessment: excellent service
domestic: excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G wireless
service in February 2005
international: country code - 65; 9 submarine cables provide direct
connection to more than 100 countries; 4 satellite earth stations,
supplemented by VSAT coverage

Slovakia
general assessment: a modernization and privatization
program is increasing accessibility to telephone service, reducing
the waiting time for new subscribers, and generally improving
service quality
domestic: predominantly an analog system that is now receiving
digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable,
especially in the larger cities; mobile cellular capability has been
added
international: country code - 421; three international exchanges
(one in Bratislava and two in Banska Bystrica) are available;
Slovakia is participating in several international
telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of
external services

Slovenia
general assessment: NA
domestic: 100% digital (2000)
international: country code - 386

Solomon Islands
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Somalia
general assessment: the public telecommunications system was
almost completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions;
private wireless companies offer service in most major cities and
charge the lowest international rates on the continent
domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in
Mogadishu and in several other population centers
international: country code - 252; international connections are
available from Mogadishu by satellite

South Africa
general assessment: the system is the best developed
and most modern in Africa
domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial
cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable,
radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key
centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port
Elizabeth, and Pretoria
international: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

Spain
general assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities;
teledensity is 45 main lines for each 100 persons
domestic: NA
international: country code - 34; 22 coaxial submarine cables;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian
Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries

Sri Lanka
general assessment: very inadequate domestic service,
particularly in rural areas; likely improvement with privatization
of national telephone company and encouragement to private
investment; good international service (1999)
domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital
microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area
and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition
is strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains low
(1999)
international: country code - 94; submarine cables to Indonesia and
Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)

Sudan
general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regional
standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in
1996 and have expanded substantially
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone
communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite
system with 14 earth stations
international: country code - 249; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)

Suriname
general assessment: international facilities are good
domestic: microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Svalbard
general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service
international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of
unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)

Swaziland
general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced
system
domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and
low-capacity, microwave radio relay
international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Sweden
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
facilities; automatic system
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice
traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some
additional telephone channels
international: country code - 46; 5 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat,
and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden
shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries
(Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway)

Switzerland
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
services
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
international: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)

Syria
general assessment: fair system currently undergoing
significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic
technology
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 963; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region);
1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq,
Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel

Taiwan
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for
every business and private need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: country code - 886; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to
Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)

Tajikistan
general assessment: poorly developed and not well
maintained; many towns are not linked to the national network
domestic: cable and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 992; linked by cable and microwave
radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the
Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to
international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth
stations - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat

Tanzania
general assessment: fair system operating below capacity
and being modernized for better service; very small aperture
terminal (VSAT) system under construction
domestic: trunk service provided by open-wire, microwave radio
relay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links being
made digital
international: country code - 255; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Thailand
general assessment: high quality system, especially in
urban areas like Bangkok; WTO requirement for privatization of
telecom sector is planned to be complete by 2006
domestic: fixed line system provided by both a government owned and
commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly and
outpacing fixed lines
international: country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); landing country for
APCN submarine cable

Togo
general assessment: fair system based on a network of microwave
radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile
cellular system
domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional
system
international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie

Tokelau
general assessment: modern satellite-based communications
system;
domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa;
government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite
earth stations

Tonga
general assessment: competition between Tonga
Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications
Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT
recently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service for
telephone, Internet, and television
domestic: fully automatic switched network
international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)

Trinidad and Tobago
general assessment: excellent international
service; good local service
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and
Guyana

Tunisia
general assessment: above the African average and continuing
to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis;
Internet access available
domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial
cable, and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial
cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in
Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

Turkey
general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and
expansion, especially with cellular telephones
domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid
increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of
technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both
fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitating
communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a
domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile
cellular telephone service is growing rapidly
international: country code - 90; international service is provided
by three submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black
Seas, linking Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania,
and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile
satellite terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)

Turkmenistan
general assessment: poorly developed
domestic: NA
international: country code - 993; linked by cable and microwave
radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased
connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a new
telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new
exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey
via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat

Turks and Caicos Islands
general assessment: fully digital system
with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service
available
international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Tuvalu
general assessment: serves particular needs for internal
communications
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
international: country code - 688; international calls can be made
by satellite

Uganda
general assessment: seriously inadequate; two cellular
systems have been introduced, but a sharp increase in the number of
main lines is essential; e-mail and Internet services are available
domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and
radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellular
systems for short-range traffic
international: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and
Tanzania

Ukraine
general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development
plan, running through 2005, emphasizes improving domestic trunk
lines, international connections, and the mobile cellular system
domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a
telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair;
more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be
satisfied; telephone density is rising slowly and the domestic trunk
system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system is
expanding at a high rate
international: country code - 380; two new domestic trunk lines are
a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and three
Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic
Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries;
additional international service is provided by the
Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and
by earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik
satellite systems

United Arab Emirates
general assessment: modern fiber-optic
integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of
mobile cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable
international: country code - 971; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan;
tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi
Arabia

United Kingdom
general assessment: technologically advanced domestic
and international system
domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and
fiber-optic systems
international: country code - 44; 40 coaxial submarine cables;
satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3
Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat;
at least 8 large international switching centers

United States
general assessment: a large, technologically advanced,
multipurpose communications system
domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio
relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of
telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile
telephone traffic throughout the country
international: country code - 1; 24 ocean cable systems in use;
satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16
Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4
Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)

Uruguay
general assessment: fully digitalized
domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new
nationwide microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 598; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)

Uzbekistan
general assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in serious
need of modernization
domestic: the domestic telephone system is being expanded and
technologically improved, particularly in Tashkent (Toshkent) and
Samarqand, under contracts with prominent companies in
industrialized countries; moreover, by 1998, six cellular networks
had been placed in operation - four of the GSM type (Global System
for Mobile Communication), one D-AMPS type (Digital Advanced Mobile
Phone System), and one AMPS type (Advanced Mobile Phone System)
international: country code - 998; linked by landline or microwave
radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased
connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; after the
completion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE)
fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russian
facilities for international communications; Inmarsat also provides
an international connection, albeit an expensive one; satellite
earth stations - NA (1998)

Vanuatu
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Venezuela
general assessment: modern and expanding
domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent
substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas;
substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines;
installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of
digital multimedia services
international: country code - 58; 3 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1
PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in
the construction of an international fiber-optic network

Vietnam
general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort
into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system,
but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern
neighbors
domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to
Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or
microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been substantially
increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly
international: country code - 84; satellite earth stations - 2
Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Virgin Islands
general assessment: modern system with total digital
switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
domestic: full range of services available
international: country code - 1-340; 2 submarine cable connections
(Taino Carib, Americas-1); satellite earth stations - NA

Wake Island
general assessment: satellite communications; 1 DSN
circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
domestic: NA
international: NA

Wallis and Futuna
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 681

West Bank
general assessment: NA
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL
are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the
Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services
international: country code - 970

Western Sahara
general assessment: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by
microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to
Rabat, Morocco

World
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA

Yemen
general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts have
been made to create a national telecommunications network
domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay,
cable, tropospheric scatter, and GSM cellular mobile telephone
systems
international: country code - 967; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to
Saudi Arabia and Djibouti

Zambia
general assessment: facilities are aging but still among the
best in Sub-Saharan Africa
domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger
towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation;
Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal
(VSAT) networks are operated by private firms
international: country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Zimbabwe
general assessment: system was once one of the best in
Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000
outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number
of installed but unused main lines
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop
installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internet
connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns
and for some of the smaller ones
international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and
Gweru)

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@2125 Terrain

Afghanistan
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Albania
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Algeria
mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow,
discontinuous coastal plain

American Samoa
five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited
coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)

Andorra
rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys

Angola
narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

Anguilla
flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone

Antarctica
about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock,
with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain
ranges up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include
parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic
Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers
form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice
shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent

Antigua and Barbuda
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands,
with some higher volcanic areas

Arctic Ocean
central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar
icepack that, on average, is about 3 meters thick, although pressure
ridges may be three times that thickness; clockwise drift pattern in
the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from
the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between
Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas
during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter
and extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about
50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the
remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges
(Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)

Argentina
rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to
rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western
border

Armenia
Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast
flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley

Aruba
flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
low with sand and coral

Atlantic Ocean
surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea,
Denmark Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October
to June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of
currents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre
in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire
Atlantic basin

Australia
mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Austria
in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the
eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping

Azerbaijan
large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much
of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north,
Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron
Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea

Bahamas, The
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Bahrain
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central
escarpment

Baker Island
low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow
fringing reef

Bangladesh
mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Barbados
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Bassas da India
volcanic rock

Belarus
generally flat and contains much marshland

Belgium
flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills,
rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

Belize
flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

Benin
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Bermuda
low hills separated by fertile depressions

Bhutan
mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna

Bolivia
rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano),
hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Bosnia and Herzegovina
mountains and valleys

Botswana
predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari
Desert in southwest

Bouvet Island
volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible

Brazil
mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills,
mountains, and narrow coastal belt

British Indian Ocean Territory
flat and low (most areas do not
exceed two meters in elevation)

British Virgin Islands
coral islands relatively flat; volcanic
islands steep, hilly

Brunei
flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland
in west

Bulgaria
mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Burkina Faso
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in
west and southeast

Burma
central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands

Burundi
hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some
plains

Cambodia
mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

Cameroon
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau
in center, mountains in west, plains in north

Canada
mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast

Cape Verde
steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic

Cayman Islands
low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs

Central African Republic
vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau;
scattered hills in northeast and southwest

Chad
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in
northwest, lowlands in south

Chile
low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in
east

China
mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains,
deltas, and hills in east

Christmas Island
steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central
plateau

Clipperton Island
coral atoll

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
flat, low-lying coral atolls

Colombia
flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes
Mountains, eastern lowland plains

Comoros
volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low
hills

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
vast central basin is a low-lying
plateau; mountains in east

Congo, Republic of the
coastal plain, southern basin, central
plateau, northern basin

Cook Islands
low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in
south

Coral Sea Islands
sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays)

Costa Rica
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including
over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes

Cote d'Ivoire
mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in
northwest

Croatia
geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border,
low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands

Cuba
mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains
in the southeast

Cyprus
central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered
but significant plains along southern coast

Czech Republic
Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains,
hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east
consists of very hilly country

Denmark
low and flat to gently rolling plains

Djibouti
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Dominica
rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Dominican Republic
rugged highlands and mountains with fertile
valleys interspersed

East Timor
mountainous

Ecuador
coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands
(sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Egypt
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta

El Salvador
mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central
plateau

Equatorial Guinea
coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are
volcanic

Eritrea
dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending
highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the
northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling
plains

Estonia
marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south

Ethiopia
high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great
Rift Valley

Europa Island
low and flat

European Union
fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast;
mountainous in the central and southern areas

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
rocky, hilly, mountainous with
some boggy, undulating plains

Faroe Islands
rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of
coast

Fiji
mostly mountains of volcanic origin

Finland
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes
and low hills

France
mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west;
remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east

French Guiana
low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small
mountains

French Polynesia
mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with
reefs

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
volcanic

Gabon
narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south

Gambia, The
flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills

Gaza Strip
flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain

Georgia
largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the
north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi
(Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River
Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains,
foothills of Kolkhida Lowland

Germany
lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south

Ghana
mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

Gibraltar
a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

Glorioso Islands
low and flat

Greece
mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as
peninsulas or chains of islands

Greenland
flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow,
mountainous, barren, rocky coast

Grenada
volcanic in origin with central mountains

Guadeloupe
Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior
mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the
seven other islands are volcanic in origin

Guam
volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat
coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep
coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in
center, mountains in south

Guatemala
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling
limestone plateau

Guernsey
mostly level with low hills in southwest

Guinea
generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior

Guinea-Bissau
mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east

Guyana
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

Haiti
mostly rough and mountainous

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Heard Island - 80% ice-covered,
bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an
active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky

Holy See (Vatican City)
urban; low hill

Honduras
mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Hong Kong
hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

Howland Island
low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island
surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area

Hungary
mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on
the Slovakian border

Iceland
mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields;
coast deeply indented by bays and fiords

Iles Eparses
Bassas da India: atoll, awash at high tide; shallow (15
m) lagoon
Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: low, flat, and
sandy
Tromelin Island: low, flat, sandy; likely volcanic seamount

India
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain
along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north

Indian Ocean
surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad,
circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique
reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low
atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer
air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast
winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from
cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and
northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated
by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian
Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge

Indonesia
mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior
mountains

Iran
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts,
mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

Iraq
mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in
south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran
and Turkey

Ireland
mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged
hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast

Isle of Man
hills in north and south bisected by central valley

Israel
Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central
mountains; Jordan Rift Valley

Italy
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands

Jamaica
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Jan Mayen
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers

Japan
mostly rugged and mountainous

Jarvis Island
sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing
reef

Jersey
gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast

Johnston Atoll
mostly flat

Jordan
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great
Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River

Juan de Nova Island
low and flat

Kazakhstan
extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from
the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia

Kenya
low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift
Valley; fertile plateau in west

Kingman Reef
low and nearly level

Kiribati
mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

Korea, North
mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow
valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east

Korea, South
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west
and south

Kuwait
flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Kyrgyzstan
peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins
encompass entire nation

Laos
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus

Latvia
low plain

Lebanon
narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates
Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

Lesotho
mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Liberia
mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling
plateau and low mountains in northeast

Libya
mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Liechtenstein
mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western
third

Lithuania
lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil

Luxembourg
mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow
valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope
down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast

Macau
generally flat

Macedonia
mountainous territory covered with deep basins and
valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country
bisected by the Vardar River

Madagascar
narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

Malawi
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills,
some mountains

Malaysia
coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Maldives
flat, with white sandy beaches

Mali
mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna
in south, rugged hills in northeast

Malta
mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal
cliffs

Marshall Islands
low coral limestone and sand islands

Martinique
mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano

Mauritania
mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central
hills

Mauritius
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains
encircling central plateau

Mayotte
generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic
peaks

Mexico
high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus;
desert

Micronesia, Federated States of
islands vary geologically from high
mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on
Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk

Midway Islands
low, nearly level

Moldova
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Monaco
hilly, rugged, rocky

Mongolia
vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains
in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central

Montenegro
highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain
backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus

Montserrat
volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal
lowland

Morocco
northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas
of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains

Mozambique
mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus
in northwest, mountains in west

Namibia
mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari
Desert in east

Nauru
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs
with phosphate plateau in center

Navassa Island
raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to
undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)

Nepal
Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill
region, rugged Himalayas in north

Netherlands
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders);
some hills in southeast

Netherlands Antilles
generally hilly, volcanic interiors

New Caledonia
coastal plains with interior mountains

New Zealand
predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains

Nicaragua
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central
interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by
volcanoes

Niger
predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling
plains in south; hills in north

Nigeria
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus;
mountains in southeast, plains in north

Niue
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Norfolk Island
volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains

Northern Mariana Islands
southern islands are limestone with level
terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic

Norway
glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken
by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply
indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north

Oman
central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south

Pacific Ocean
surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated
by a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents)
and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre;
in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of
Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica
reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the
eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the
western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana
Trench, which is the world's deepest

Pakistan
flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest;
Balochistan plateau in west

Palau
varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of
Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier
reefs

Palmyra Atoll
very low

Panama
interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland
plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills

Papua New Guinea
mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling
foothills

Paracel Islands
mostly low and flat

Paraguay
grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran
Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the
river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere

Peru
western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center
(sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)

Philippines
mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal
lowlands

Pitcairn Islands
rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with
cliffs

Poland
mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

Portugal
mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in
south

Puerto Rico
mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north;
mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most
coastal areas

Qatar
mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and
gravel

Reunion
mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast

Romania
central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of
Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from
the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps

Russia
broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous
forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern
border regions

Rwanda
mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with
altitude declining from west to east

Saint Helena
the islands of this group result from volcanic activity
associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge
Saint Helena: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
Ascension: surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44
dormant volcanoes; ground rises to the east
Tristan da Cunha: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly
circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply
dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the
coastal cliffs

Saint Kitts and Nevis
volcanic with mountainous interiors

Saint Lucia
volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
mostly barren rock

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
volcanic, mountainous

Samoa
two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands
and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky,
rugged mountains in interior

San Marino
rugged mountains

Sao Tome and Principe
volcanic, mountainous

Saudi Arabia
mostly uninhabited, sandy desert

Senegal
generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in
southeast

Serbia
extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the
east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient
mountains and hills

Seychelles
Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky,
hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs

Sierra Leone
coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country,
upland plateau, mountains in east

Singapore
lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water
catchment area and nature preserve

Slovakia
rugged mountains in the central and northern part and
lowlands in the south

Slovenia
a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain
region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys
with numerous rivers to the east

Solomon Islands
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Somalia
mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north

South Africa
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow
coastal plain

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
most of the islands,
rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South
Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains;
the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active
volcanoes

Southern Ocean
the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 meters
over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water;
the Antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually
deep, its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean
is 133 meters); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum
of 2.6 million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million
square kilometers in September, better than a sixfold increase in
area; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves
perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current,
transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100
times the flow of all the world's rivers

Spain
large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;
Pyrenees in north

Spratly Islands
flat

Sri Lanka
mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in
south-central interior

Sudan
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south,
northeast and west; desert dominates the north

Suriname
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Svalbard
wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west
coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and
north coasts

Swaziland
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains

Sweden
mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west

Switzerland
mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with
a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Syria
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain;
mountains in west

Taiwan
eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently
rolling plains in west

Tajikistan
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western
Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

Tanzania
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north,
south

Thailand
central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains
elsewhere

Togo
gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern
plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Tokelau
low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons

Tonga
most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral
formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base

Trinidad and Tobago
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Tromelin Island
low, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic

Tunisia
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south
merges into the Sahara

Turkey
high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain;
several mountain ranges

Turkmenistan
flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to
mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran;
borders Caspian Sea in west

Turks and Caicos Islands
low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and
mangrove swamps

Tuvalu
very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Uganda
mostly plateau with rim of mountains

Ukraine
most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and
plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians),
and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south

United Arab Emirates
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling
sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east

United Kingdom
mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to
rolling plains in east and southeast

United States
vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low
mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in
Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
low and nearly level
sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed
at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise
steeply from the ocean floor

Uruguay
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Uzbekistan
mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad,
flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya,
Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east
surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral
Sea in west

Vanuatu
mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow
coastal plains

Venezuela
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest;
central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

Vietnam
low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands;
hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest

Virgin Islands
mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little
level land

Wake Island
atoll of three low coral islands, Peale, Wake, and
Wilkes, built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former
crater, islands are part of the rim

Wallis and Futuna
volcanic origin; low hills

West Bank
mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west,
but barren in east