The 2010 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

(2010) country comparison to the world: 71

      Internet users:

      2.643 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 69

      Transportation ::Belarus

      Airports:

      67 (2010) country comparison to the world: 74

      Airports - with paved runways:

      total: 35

      over 3,047 m: 2

      2,438 to 3,047 m: 22

      1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

      914 to 1,523 m: 1

      under 914 m: 7 (2010)

      Airports - with unpaved runways:

      total: 32

      2,438 to 3,047 m: 2

      1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

      914 to 1,523 m: 2

      under 914 m: 27 (2010)

      Heliports:

      1 (2010)

      Pipelines:

      gas 5,250 km; oil 1,528 km; refined products 1,730 km (2009)

      Railways:

      total: 5,537 km country comparison to the world: 32 broad gauge: 5,512 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)

      standard gauge: 25 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)

      Roadways:

      total: 94,797 km country comparison to the world: 49 paved: 84,028 km

      unpaved: 10,769 km (2005)

      Waterways:

      2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country and by shallowness) (2003) country comparison to the world: 36

      Ports and terminals:

      Mazyr

      Military ::Belarus

      Military branches:

      Belarus Armed Forces: Land Force, Air and Air Defense Force, Special

       Operations Force (2010)

      Military service age and obligation:

      18–27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12–18 months, depending on academic qualifications (2010)

      Manpower available for military service:

      males age 16–49: 2,435,318

      females age 16–49: 2,466,762 (2010 est.)

      Manpower fit for military service:

      males age 16–49: 1,708,634

      females age 16–49: 2,043,083 (2010 est.)

      Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

      male: 55,758

      female: 52,572 (2010 est.)

      Military expenditures:

      1.4% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 105

      Transnational Issues ::Belarus

      Disputes - international:

      Boundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuania in 2006; 1997 boundary delimitation treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing border security

      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; a small and lightly regulated financial center; anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards and was weakened further when know-your-customer requirements were curtailed in 2008; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities (2008)

      page last updated on January 20, 2011

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

      @Belgium (Europe)

      Introduction ::Belgium

      Background:

      Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country 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: 30,528 sq km country comparison to the world: 140 land: 30,278 sq km

      water: 250 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:

      66.5 km

      Maritime claims:

      territorial sea: 12 nm

      contiguous zone: 24 nm

      exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit

      continental shelf: median line with neighbors

      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: Botrange 694 m

      Natural resources:

      construction materials, silica sand, carbonates

      Land use:

      arable land: 27.42%

      permanent crops: 0.69%

      other: 71.89%

      note: includes Luxembourg (2005)

      Irrigated land:

      400 sq km (2003)

      Total renewable water resources:

      20.8 cu km (2005)

      Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

      total: 7.44 cu km/yr (13%/85%/1%)

      per capita: 714 cu m/yr (1998)

      Natural hazards:

      flooding is a threat along rivers and 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 activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding