The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

serving at least 13 major cities (1998); Belarus's fiber optics form

       synchronous digital hierarchy rings through other countries'

       systems; an inadequate analog system remains operational

       international: Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL),

       Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the

       Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); three fiber-optic segments provide

       connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide

       service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure;

       additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and

       Intersputnik earth stations

      Radio broadcast stations:

       AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998)

      Radios:

       3.02 million (1997)

      Television broadcast stations:

       47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)

      Televisions:

       2.52 million (1997)

      Internet country code:

       .by

      Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

       23 (2002)

      Internet users:

       422,000 (2002)

      Transportation Belarus

      Railways: total: 5,523 km broad gauge: 5,523 km 1.520-m gauge (875 km electrified) (2002)

      Highways: total: 74,385 km paved: 66,203 km unpaved: 8,182 km (2000)

      Waterways:

       NA km; note - Belarus has extensive and widely used canal and river

       systems

      Pipelines:

       gas 4,519 km; oil 1,811 km; refined products 1,686 km (2003)

      Ports and harbors:

       Mazyr

      Airports:

       124 (2002)

      Airports - with paved runways: total: 28 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2002)

      Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 96 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 67 (2002)

      Military Belarus

      Military branches:

       Army, Air Force (including air defense), Interior Ministry Troops,

       Border Guards

      Military manpower - military age:

       18 years of age (2003 est.)

      Military manpower - availability:

       males age 15–49: 2,756,572 (2003 est.)

      Military manpower - fit for military service:

       males age 15–49: 2,158,875 (2003 est.)

      Military manpower - reaching military age annually:

       males: 86,654 (2003 est.)

      Military expenditures - dollar figure:

       $176.1 million (FY02)

      Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

       1.4% (FY02)

      Transnational Issues Belarus

      Disputes - international:

       1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over

       unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and encouraging

       illegal border crossing; boundaries with Latvia and Lithuania remain

       undemarcated despite European Union financial support

      Illicit drugs:

       limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the

       domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via

       Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; lax money-laundering

       and banking regulations

      This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

      @Belgium

      Introduction Belgium

      Background:

       Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 and was

       occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. It has prospered in

       the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European

       state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the

       Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking

       Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional

       amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.

      Geography Belgium

      Location:

       Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the

       Netherlands

      Geographic coordinates:

       50 50 N, 4 00 E

      Map references:

       Europe

      Area:

       total: 30,510 sq km

       land: 30,230 sq km

       water: 280 sq km

      Area - comparative:

       about the size of Maryland

      Land boundaries:

       total: 1,385 km

       border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km,

       Netherlands 450 km

      Coastline:

       66 km

      Maritime claims:

       continental shelf: median line with neighbors

       territorial sea: 12 NM

       exclusive economic zone: median line with neighbors (extends about

       68 km from coast)

      Climate:

       temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

      Terrain:

       flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged

       mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

      Elevation extremes:

       lowest point: North Sea 0 m

       highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m

      Natural resources:

       coal, natural gas

      Land use:

       arable land: 25%

       permanent crops: 0%

       note: includes Luxembourg (1998 est.)

       other: 75%

      Irrigated land:

       40 sq km (includes Luxembourg) (1998 est.)

      Natural hazards:

       flooding is a threat in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected

       from the sea by concrete dikes

      Environment - current issues:

       the environment is exposed to intense pressures from human