Moldovageneral assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor serviceoutside Chisinau; some effort to modernize is under waydomestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobilecellular telephone service being introducedinternational: country code - 373; service through Romania andRussia via landline; satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat,and Intersputnik
Monacogeneral assessment: modern automatic telephone systemdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 377; no satellite earth stations;connected by cable into the French communications system
Mongoliageneral assessment: network is improving with internationaldirect dialing available in many areasdomestic: very low density of about 6.5 telephones for each thousandpersons; two wireless providers cover all but two provincesinternational: country code - 976; satellite earth station - 1Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)
Montserratgeneral assessment: modern and fully digitalizeddomestic: NAinternational: country code - 1-664
Moroccogeneral assessment: modern system with all importantcapabilities; however, density is low with only 4.6 main linesavailable for each 100 personsdomestic: good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, andmicrowave radio relay links; Internet available but expensive;principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; nationalnetwork nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved ruralservice employs microwave radio relayinternational: country code - 212; 7 submarine cables; satelliteearth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara;coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria; participant inMedarabtel; fiber-optic cable link from Agadir to Algeria andTunisia (1998)
Mozambiquegeneral assessment: fair system but not availablegenerally (telephone density is only 16 telephones for each 1,000persons)domestic: the system consists of open-wire lines and trunkconnection by microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatterinternational: country code - 258; satellite earth stations - 5Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)
Namibiageneral assessment: good system; about 6 telephones for each100 personsdomestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radiorelay links major towns; connections to other populated places areby open wire; 100% digitalinternational: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to SouthAfrica, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links toother neighboring countries; connected to Africa ONE and SouthAfrican Far East (SAFE) submarine cables through South Africa;satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2002)
Naurugeneral assessment: adequate local and internationalradiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilitiesdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Nepalgeneral assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fairradiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephonenetworkdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications;microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat(Indian Ocean)
Netherlandsgeneral assessment: highly developed and well maintaineddomestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; cellulartelephone system is one of the largest in Europe with five majornetwork operators utilizing the third generation of the GlobalSystem for Mobile Communications (GSM)international: country code - 31; 9 submarine cables; satelliteearth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2004)
Netherlands Antillesgeneral assessment: generally adequatefacilitiesdomestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay linksinternational: country code - 599; submarine cables - 2; satelliteearth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
New Caledoniageneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
New Zealandgeneral assessment: excellent domestic and internationalsystemsdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 64; submarine cables to Australia andFiji; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Nicaraguageneral assessment: inadequate system being upgraded byforeign investmentdomestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system beingexpanded; connected to Central American Microwave Systeminternational: country code - 505; satellite earth stations - 1Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Nigergeneral assessment: small system of wire, radio telephonecommunications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in thesouthwestern area of Nigerdomestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radiorelay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 plannedinternational: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Nigeriageneral assessment: an inadequate system, further limited bypoor maintenance; major expansion is required and a start has beenmadedomestic: intercity traffic is carried by coaxial cable, microwaveradio relay, a domestic communications satellite system with 19earth stations, and a coastal submarine cable; mobile cellularfacilities and the Internet are availableinternational: country code - 234; satellite earth stations - 3Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); fiber opticsubmarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
Niuedomestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages onislandinternational: country code - 683
Norfolk Islandgeneral assessment: adequatedomestic: free local callsinternational: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links withAustralia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite earth station
Northern Mariana Islandsgeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 1-670; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Norwaygeneral assessment: modern in all respects; one of the mostadvanced telecommunications networks in Europedomestic: Norway has a domestic satellite system; moreover, theprevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of cellular mobilesystems instead of fixed-wire systemsinternational: country code - 47; 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 4coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NAIntelsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Oceanregions); note - Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with theother Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (1999)
Omangeneral assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire,microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limitedcoaxial cabledomestic: open-wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and adomestic satellite system with 8 earth stationsinternational: country code - 968; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Pakistangeneral assessment: the domestic system is mediocre, butimproving; service is adequate for government and business use, inpart because major businesses have established their own privatesystems; since 1988, the government has promoted investment in thenational telecommunications system on a priority basis,significantly increasing network capacity; despite majorimprovements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication servicesare still not readily available to the majority of the ruralpopulationdomestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable,cellular, and satellite networksinternational: country code - 92; satellite earth stations - 3Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operationalinternational gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad);microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (1999)
Palaugeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Panamageneral assessment: domestic and international facilitieswell developeddomestic: NAinternational: country code - 507; 1 coaxial submarine cable;satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected tothe Central American Microwave System
Papua New Guineageneral assessment: services are adequate;facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio,aeronautical radio, and international radio communication servicesdomestic: mostly radiotelephoneinternational: country code - 675; submarine cables to Australia andGuam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean);international radio communication service
Paraguaygeneral assessment: meager telephone service; principalswitching center is Asunciondomestic: fair microwave radio relay networkinternational: country code - 595; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Perugeneral assessment: adequate for most requirementsdomestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domesticsatellite system with 12 earth stationsinternational: country code - 51; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Pan American submarine cable
Philippinesgeneral assessment: good international radiotelephoneand submarine cable services; domestic and inter-island serviceadequatedomestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stationsinternational: country code - 63; 9 international gateways;satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 PacificOcean); submarine cables to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, andJapan
Pitcairn Islandsgeneral assessment: satellite phone servicesdomestic: domestic communication via radio (CB)international: country code - 872; satellite earth station (Inmarsat)
Polandgeneral assessment: underdeveloped and outmoded system in theprocess of being overhauled; partial privatization of thestate-owned telephone monopoly is underway; the long waiting listfor main line telephone service has resulted in a boom in mobilecellular telephone usedomestic: cable, open-wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellularnetworks; local exchanges 56.6% digitalinternational: country code - 48; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Oceanregions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Portugalgeneral assessment: Portugal's telephone system hasachieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speedcapabilities and a main line telephone density of 53%domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwaveradio relay, and domestic satellite earth stationsinternational: country code - 351; 6 submarine cables; satelliteearth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean),NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth stationfor Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region) is planned
Puerto Ricogeneral assessment: modern system integrated with thatof the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat withhigh-speed data capabilitydomestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone serviceinternational: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station -1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US
Qatargeneral assessment: modern system centered in Dohadomestic: NAinternational: country code - 974; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain;microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable toBahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 AtlanticOcean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Reuniongeneral assessment: adequate system; principal center isSaint-Denisdomestic: modern open-wire and microwave radio relay networkinternational: country code - 262; radiotelephone communication toComoros, France, Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius;satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); fiber opticsubmarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europeand Asia
Romaniageneral assessment: poor domestic service, but improvingdomestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; trunk network ismostly microwave radio relay, with some fiber-optic cable; aboutone-third of exchange capacity is digital; roughly 3,300 villageshave no serviceinternational: country code - 40; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat; new digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operatein Bucharest; note - Romania is an active participant in severalinternational telecommunication network projects (1999)
Russiageneral assessment: the telephone system underwentsignificant changes in the 1990s; there are more than 1,000companies licensed to offer communication services; access todigital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers; Internetand e-mail services are improving; Russia has made progress towardbuilding the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for amarket economy; however, a large demand for main line serviceremains unsatisfieddomestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from SaintPetersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; thetelephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digitalinfrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, areavailable in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services arestill outdated, inadequate, and low densityinternational: country code - 7; Russia is connected internationallyby three undersea fiber-optic cables; digital switches in severalcities provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls;satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik,Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems
Rwandageneral assessment: telephone system primarily servesbusiness and governmentdomestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of theprovinces by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellulartelephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HFradiotelephoneinternational: country code - 250; international connections employmicrowave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellitecommunications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations -1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefaxservice)
Saint Helenageneral assessment: can communicate worldwidedomestic: automatic networkinternational: country code - 290; HF radiotelephone from SaintHelena to Ascension Island, which is a major coaxial submarine cablerelay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK; satellite earthstations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Saint Kitts and Nevisgeneral assessment: good interisland andinternational connectionsdomestic: inter-island links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Opticcable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched inNovember 2004international: country code - 1-869; international calls are carriedby submarine cable or Intelsat
Saint Luciageneral assessment: adequate systemdomestic: system is automatically switchedinternational: country code - 1-758; direct microwave radio relaylink with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond thesecountries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique
Saint Pierre and Miquelongeneral assessment: adequatedomestic: NAinternational: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication withmost countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domesticsatellite system
Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesgeneral assessment: adequate systemdomestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHFradiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of theGrenadinesinternational: country code - 1-784; VHF/UHF radiotelephone fromSaint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and toSaint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique throughSaint Lucia
Samoageneral assessment: adequatedomestic: NAinternational: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
San Marinogeneral assessment: adequate connectionsdomestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated intoItalian systeminternational: country code - 378; connected to Italianinternational network
Sao Tome and Principegeneral assessment: adequate facilitiesdomestic: minimal systeminternational: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Saudi Arabiageneral assessment: modern systemdomestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, andfiber-optic cable systemsinternational: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain,Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable toKuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain;satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 IndianOcean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Senegalgeneral assessment: good systemdomestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxialcable and fiber-optic cable in trunk systeminternational: country code - 221; 4 submarine cables; satelliteearth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Serbia and Montenegrogeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 381; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Seychellesgeneral assessment: effective systemdomestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in thearchipelagointernational: country code - 248; direct radiotelephonecommunications with adjacent island countries and African coastalcountries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Sierra Leonegeneral assessment: marginal telephone and telegraphservicedomestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connectsFreetown to Bo and Kenemainternational: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Singaporegeneral assessment: excellent servicedomestic: excellent domestic facilitiesinternational: country code - 65; submarine cables to Malaysia(Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines;satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 PacificOcean), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)
Slovakiageneral assessment: a modernization and privatizationprogram is increasing accessibility to telephone service, reducingthe waiting time for new subscribers, and generally improvingservice qualitydomestic: predominantly an analog system that is now receivingdigital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable,especially in the larger cities; mobile cellular capability has beenaddedinternational: country code - 421; three international exchanges(one in Bratislava and two in Banska Bystrica) are available;Slovakia is participating in several internationaltelecommunications projects that will increase the availability ofexternal services
Sloveniageneral assessment: NAdomestic: 100% digital (2000)international: country code - 386
Solomon Islandsgeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Somaliageneral assessment: the public telecommunications system wasalmost completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions;private wireless companies offer service in most major cities andcharge the lowest international rates on the continentdomestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established inMogadishu and in several other population centersinternational: country code - 252; international connections areavailable from Mogadishu by satellite
South Africageneral assessment: the system is the best developedand most modern in Africadomestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxialcables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable,radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; keycenters are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, PortElizabeth, and Pretoriainternational: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satelliteearth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islandsgeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken
Spaingeneral assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities;teledensity is 44 main lines for each 100 personsdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 34; 22 coaxial submarine cables;satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 IndianOcean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Sri Lankageneral assessment: very inadequate domestic service,particularly in rural areas; likely improvement with privatizationof national telephone company and encouragement to privateinvestment; good international service (1999)domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digitalmicrowave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo areaand two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competitionis strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains lowat 2.6 main lines per 100 persons (1999)international: country code - 94; submarine cables to Indonesia andDjibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)
Sudangeneral assessment: large, well-equipped system by regionalstandards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in1996 and have expanded substantiallydomestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephonecommunications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellitesystem with 14 earth stationsinternational: country code - 249; satellite earth stations - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)
Surinamegeneral assessment: international facilities are gooddomestic: microwave radio relay networkinternational: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Svalbardgeneral assessment: probably adequatedomestic: local telephone serviceinternational: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 ofunknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)
Swazilandgeneral assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advancedsystemdomestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines andlow-capacity, microwave radio relayinternational: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Swedengeneral assessment: excellent domestic and internationalfacilities; automatic systemdomestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voicetraffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry someadditional telephone channelsinternational: 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 - Swedenshares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries(Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway)
Switzerlandgeneral assessment: excellent domestic and internationalservicesdomestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networksinternational: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)
Syriageneral assessment: fair system currently undergoingsignificant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optictechnologydomestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay networkinternational: country code - 963; satellite earth stations - 1Intelsat (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
Taiwangeneral assessment: provides telecommunications service forevery business and private needdomestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalizedinternational: country code - 886; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables toJapan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia,Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)
Tajikistangeneral assessment: poorly developed and not wellmaintained; many towns are not linked to the national networkdomestic: cable and microwave radio relayinternational: country code - 992; linked by cable and microwaveradio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to theMoscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat tointernational gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earthstations - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat
Tanzaniageneral assessment: fair system operating below capacityand being modernized for better service; VSAT (very small apertureterminal) system under constructiondomestic: trunk service provided by open-wire, microwave radiorelay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links beingmade digitalinternational: country code - 255; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Thailandgeneral assessment: high quality system, especially inurban areas like Bangkok; WTO requirement for privatization oftelecom sector is planned to be complete by 2006domestic: fixed line system provided by both a government owned andcommercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly andoutpacing fixed linesinternational: country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); landing country forAPCN submarine cable
Togogeneral assessment: fair system based on a network of microwaveradio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobilecellular systemdomestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventionalsystem; cellular system has capacity of 10,000 telephonesinternational: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie
Tokelaugeneral assessment: modern satellite-based communicationssystem;domestic: radiotelephone service between islandsinternational: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa;government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satelliteearth stations, established in 1997
Tongageneral assessment: competition between TongaTelecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline CommunicationsTonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCTrecently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service fortelephone, Internet, and televisiondomestic: fully automatic switched networkinternational: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)
Trinidad and Tobagogeneral assessment: excellent internationalservice; good local servicedomestic: NAinternational: country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados andGuyana
Tunisiageneral assessment: above the African average and continuingto be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis;Internet access availabledomestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxialcable, and microwave radio relayinternational: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satelliteearth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxialcable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant inMedarabtel; two international gateway digital switches
Turkeygeneral assessment: undergoing rapid modernization andexpansion, especially with cellular telephonesdomestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapidincrease in subscribers; the construction of a network oftechnologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using bothfiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitatingcommunication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by adomestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobilecellular telephone service is growing rapidlyinternational: country code - 90; international service is providedby three submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and BlackSeas, linking Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania,and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobilesatellite terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)
Turkmenistangeneral assessment: poorly developeddomestic: NAinternational: country code - 993; linked by cable and microwaveradio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leasedconnections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a newtelephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a newexchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkeyvia Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat
Turks and Caicos Islandsgeneral assessment: fully digital systemwith international direct dialingdomestic: full range of services availableinternational: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satelliteearth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Tuvalugeneral assessment: serves particular needs for internalcommunicationsdomestic: radiotelephone communications between islandsinternational: country code - 688; international calls can be madeby satellite
Ugandageneral assessment: seriously inadequate; two cellularsystems have been introduced, but a sharp increase in the number ofmain lines is essential; e-mail and Internet services are availabledomestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, andradiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellularsystems for short-range trafficinternational: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya andTanzania
Ukrainegeneral assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication developmentplan, running through 2005, emphasizes improving domestic trunklines, international connections, and the mobile cellular systemdomestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited atelephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair;more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not besatisfied; telephone density is now rising slowly and the domestictrunk system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone systemis expanding at a high rateinternational: country code - 380; two new domestic trunk lines area part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and threeUkrainian links have been installed in the fiber-opticTrans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries;additional international service is provided by theItaly-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable andby earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputniksatellite systems
United Arab Emiratesgeneral assessment: modern fiber-opticintegrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use ofmobile cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubaidomestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cableinternational: country code - 971; satellite earth stations - 3Intelsat (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 SaudiArabia
United Kingdomgeneral assessment: technologically advanced domesticand international systemdomestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, andfiber-optic systemsinternational: country code - 44; 40 coaxial submarine cables;satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat;at least 8 large international switching centers
United Statesgeneral assessment: a large, technologically advanced,multipurpose communications systemdomestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radiorelay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form oftelephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobiletelephone traffic throughout the countryinternational: country code - 1; 24 ocean cable systems in use;satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)
Uruguaygeneral assessment: fully digitalizeddomestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; newnationwide microwave radio relay networkinternational: country code - 598; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)
Uzbekistangeneral assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in seriousneed of modernizationdomestic: the domestic telephone system is being expanded andtechnologically improved, particularly in Tashkent (Toshkent) andSamarqand, under contracts with prominent companies inindustrialized countries; moreover, by 1998, six cellular networkshad been placed in operation - four of the GSM type (Global Systemfor Mobile Communication), one D-AMPS type (Digital Advanced MobilePhone System), and one AMPS type (Advanced Mobile Phone System)international: country code - 998; linked by landline or microwaveradio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leasedconnection via the Moscow international gateway switch; after thecompletion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE)fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russianfacilities for international communications; Inmarsat also providesan international connection, albeit an expensive one; satelliteearth stations - NA (1998)
Vanuatugeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Venezuelageneral assessment: modern and expandingdomestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recentsubstantial 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 ofdigital multimedia servicesinternational: country code - 58; 3 submarine coaxial cables;satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia inthe construction of an international fiber-optic network
Vietnamgeneral assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effortinto modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system,but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more modernneighborsdomestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected toHanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable ormicrowave radio relay networks; main lines have been substantiallyincreased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidlyinternational: country code - 84; satellite earth stations - 2Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
Virgin Islandsgeneral assessment: modern system with total digitalswitching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relaydomestic: full range of services availableinternational: country code - 1-340; 2 submarine cable connections(Taino Carib, Americas-1); satellite earth stations - NA
Wake Islandgeneral assessment: satellite communications; 1 DSNcircuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS)domestic: NAinternational: NA
Wallis and Futunageneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 681
West Bankgeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: NAnote: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL areresponsible for communication services in the West Bank
Western Saharageneral assessment: sparse and limited systemdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system bymicrowave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite;satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked toRabat, Morocco
Worldgeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: NA
Yemengeneral assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts havebeen made to create a national telecommunications networkdomestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay,cable, tropospheric scatter, and GSM cellular mobile telephonesystemsinternational: country code - 967; satellite earth stations - 3Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik(Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay toSaudi Arabia and Djibouti
Zambiageneral assessment: facilities are aging but still among thebest in Sub-Saharan Africadomestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most largertowns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation;Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal(VSAT) networks are operated by private firmsinternational: country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Zimbabwegeneral assessment: system was once one of the best inAfrica, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large numberof installed but unused main linesdomestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loopinstallations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internetconnection is available in Harare and planned for all major townsand for some of the smaller onesinternational: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare andGweru)
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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@2125 Terrain
Afghanistanmostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Albaniamostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Algeriamostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow,discontinuous coastal plain
American Samoafive volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limitedcoastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)
Andorrarugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys
Angolanarrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau
Anguillaflat and low-lying island of coral and limestone
Antarcticaabout 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock,with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountainranges up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas includeparts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the AntarcticPeninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciersform ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating iceshelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent
Antigua and Barbudamostly low-lying limestone and coral islands,with some higher volcanic areas
Arctic Oceancentral surface covered by a perennial drifting polaricepack that, on average, is about 3 meters thick, although pressureridges may be three times that thickness; clockwise drift pattern inthe Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement fromthe New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (betweenGreenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seasduring the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winterand extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with theremainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges(Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)
Argentinarich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat torolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along westernborder
ArmeniaArmenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fastflowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
Arubaflat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Ashmore and Cartier Islandslow with sand and coral
Atlantic Oceansurface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea,Denmark Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from Octoberto June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system ofcurrents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyrein the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by theMid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entireAtlantic basin
Australiamostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Austriain the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along theeastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
Azerbaijanlarge, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (muchof it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north,Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on AbseronYasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea
Bahamas, Thelong, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Bahrainmostly low desert plain rising gently to low centralescarpment
Baker Islandlow, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrowfringing reef
Bangladeshmostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Barbadosrelatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Bassas da Indiavolcanic rock
Belarusgenerally flat and contains much marshland
Belgiumflat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills,rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Belizeflat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Beninmostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Bermudalow hills separated by fertile depressions
Bhutanmostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Boliviarugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano),hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
Bosnia and Herzegovinamountains and valleys
Botswanapredominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; KalahariDesert in southwest
Bouvet Islandvolcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible
Brazilmostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills,mountains, and narrow coastal belt
British Indian Ocean Territoryflat and low (most areas do notexceed four meters in elevation)
British Virgin Islandscoral islands relatively flat; volcanicislands steep, hilly
Bruneiflat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowlandin west
Bulgariamostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Burkina Fasomostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills inwest and southeast
Burmacentral lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands
Burundihilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, someplains
Cambodiamostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
Cameroondiverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateauin center, mountains in west, plains in north
Canadamostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
Cape Verdesteep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
Cayman Islandslow-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs
Central African Republicvast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau;scattered hills in northeast and southwest
Chadbroad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains innorthwest, lowlands in south
Chilelow coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes ineast
Chinamostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains,deltas, and hills in east
Christmas Islandsteep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to centralplateau
Clipperton Islandcoral atoll
Cocos (Keeling) Islandsflat, low-lying coral atolls
Colombiaflat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high AndesMountains, eastern lowland plains
Comorosvolcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to lowhills
Congo, Democratic Republic of thevast central basin is a low-lyingplateau; mountains in east
Congo, Republic of thecoastal plain, southern basin, centralplateau, northern basin
Cook Islandslow coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands insouth
Coral Sea Islandssand and coral reefs and islands (or cays)
Costa Ricacoastal plains separated by rugged mountains includingover 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
Cote d'Ivoiremostly flat to undulating plains; mountains innorthwest
Croatiageographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border,low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Cubamostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountainsin the southeast
Cypruscentral plain with mountains to north and south; scatteredbut significant plains along southern coast
Czech RepublicBohemia in the west consists of rolling plains,hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the eastconsists of very hilly country
Denmarklow and flat to gently rolling plains
Djibouticoastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Dominicarugged mountains of volcanic origin
Dominican Republic rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
East Timormountainous
Ecuadorcoastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands(sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
Egyptvast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
El Salvadormostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and centralplateau
Equatorial Guineacoastal plains rise to interior hills; islands arevolcanic
Eritreadominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trendinghighlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on thenorthwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rollingplains
Estoniamarshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Ethiopiahigh plateau with central mountain range divided by GreatRift Valley
Europa Islandlow and flat
European Unionfairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast;mountainous in the central and southern areas
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)rocky, hilly, mountainous withsome boggy, undulating plains
Faroe Islandsrugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most ofcoast
Fijimostly mountains of volcanic origin
Finlandmostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakesand low hills
Francemostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west;remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
French Guianalow-lying coastal plains rising to hills and smallmountains
French Polynesiamixture of rugged high islands and low islands withreefs
French Southern and Antarctic Landsvolcanic
Gabonnarrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Gambia, Theflood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills
Gaza Stripflat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Georgialargely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in thenorth and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi(Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari RiverBasin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains,foothills of Kolkhida Lowland
Germanylowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Ghanamostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Gibraltara narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Glorioso Islandslow and flat
Greecemostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea aspeninsulas or chains of islands
Greenlandflat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow,mountainous, barren, rocky coast
Grenadavolcanic in origin with central mountains
GuadeloupeBasse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interiormountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of theseven other islands are volcanic in origin
Guamvolcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flatcoralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steepcoastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills incenter, mountains in south
Guatemalamostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rollinglimestone plateau (Peten)
Guernseymostly level with low hills in southwest
Guineagenerally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
Guinea-Bissaumostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Guyanamostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Haitimostly 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)low hill
Hondurasmostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Hong Konghilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Howland Islandlow-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral islandsurrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area
Hungarymostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains onthe Slovakian border
Icelandmostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields;coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
Indiaupland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plainalong the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Indian Oceansurface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad,circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; uniquereversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; lowatmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summerair results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeastwinds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia fromcold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon andnortheast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominatedby the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast IndianOcean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge
Indonesiamostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interiormountains
Iranrugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts,mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Iraqmostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border insouth with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iranand Turkey
Irelandmostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by ruggedhills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
IsraelNegev desert in the south; low coastal plain; centralmountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Italymostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Jamaicamostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Jan Mayenvolcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Japanmostly rugged and mountainous
Jarvis Islandsandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringingreef
Jerseygently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Johnston Atollmostly flat
Jordanmostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; GreatRift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Juan de Nova Islandlow and flat
Kazakhstanextends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and fromthe plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia
Kenyalow plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great RiftValley; fertile plateau in west
Kingman Reeflow and nearly level
Kiribatimostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
Korea, Northmostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrowvalleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
Korea, Southmostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in westand south
Kuwaitflat to slightly undulating desert plain
Kyrgyzstanpeaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basinsencompass entire nation
Laosmostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Latvialow plain
Lebanonnarrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separatesLebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Lesothomostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Liberiamostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rollingplateau and low mountains in northeast
Libyamostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
Liechtensteinmostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in westernthird
Lithuanialowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil
Luxembourgmostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallowvalleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slopedown to Moselle flood plain in the southeast
Macaugenerally flat
Macedoniamountainous territory covered with deep basins andvalleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; countrybisected by the Vardar River
Madagascarnarrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Malawinarrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills,some mountains
Malaysiacoastal plains rising to hills and mountains
Maldivesflat, with white sandy beaches
Malimostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savannain south, rugged hills in northeast
Maltamostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastalcliffs
Man, Isle ofhills in north and south bisected by central valley
Marshall Islandslow coral limestone and sand islands
Martiniquemountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Mauritaniamostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some centralhills
Mauritiussmall coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountainsencircling central plateau
Mayottegenerally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanicpeaks
Mexicohigh, 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 Islandslow, nearly level
Moldovarolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Monacohilly, rugged, rocky
Mongoliavast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountainsin west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central
Montserratvolcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastallowland
Morocconorthern coast and interior are mountainous with large areasof bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains
Mozambiquemostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateausin northwest, mountains in west
Namibiamostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; KalahariDesert in east
Naurusandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefswith phosphate plateau in center
Navassa Islandraised coral and limestone plateau, flat toundulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)
NepalTarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hillregion, rugged Himalayas in north
Netherlandsmostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders);some hills in southeast
Netherlands Antillesgenerally hilly, volcanic interiors
New Caledoniacoastal plains with interior mountains