rand per US dollar - 7.60 (March 2001), 6.93983
(2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935
(1996)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

South Africa Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 5.075 million (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular: over 2,000,000 (1999)

Telephone system: 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: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters),
shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 13.75 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 556 (plus 144 network repeaters)
(1997)

Televisions: 5.2 million (1997)

Internet country code: .za

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 44 (2000)

Internet users: 1.82 million (2000)

South Africa Transportation

Railways: total: 21,431 km

narrow gauge: 20,995 km 1.067-m gauge (9,087 km electrified); 436
km 0.610-m gauge (1995)

Highways: total: 358,596 km

paved: 59,753 km (including 1927 km of expressways)

unpaved: 298,843 km (1996)

Waterways: NA

Pipelines: crude oil 931 km; petroleum products 1,748 km; natural
gas 322 km

Ports and harbors: Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mosselbaai, Port
Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha

Merchant marine: total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
271,650 GRT/268,604 DWT

ships by type: container 6, petroleum tanker 2 (2000 est.)

Airports: 741 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 142

over 3,047 m: 9

2,438 to 3,047 m: 5

1,524 to 2,437 m: 47

914 to 1,523 m: 71

under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 599

1,524 to 2,437 m: 33

914 to 1,523 m: 304

under 914 m: 262 (2000 est.)

South Africa Military

Military branches: South African National Defense Force or SANDF
(includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services), South
African Police Service or SAPS

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 11,469,812 (2001
est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: ma