lable 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): 4 (2000)

Internet users: 10,000 (2000)

Belarus Transportation

Railways: total: 5,523 km

broad gauge: 5,523 km 1.520-m gauge (875 km electrified) (2000)

Highways: total: 63,355 km

paved: 60,567 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and
include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are
surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them
trafficable in all weather)

unpaved: 2,788 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and
are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1998)

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

Pipelines: crude oil 1,470 km; refined products 1,100 km; natural
gas 1,980 km (1992)

Ports and harbors: Mazyr

Airports: 136 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 33

over 3,047 m: 2

2,438 to 3,047 m: 19

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 103

over 3,047 m: 3

2,438 to 3,047 m: 10

1,524 to 2,437 m: 11

914 to 1,523 m: 14

under 914 m: 65 (2000 est.)

Belarus Military

Military branches: Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Interior
Ministry Troops, Border Guards

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,729,956 (2001
est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49:
2,138,743 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 86,396
(2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $156 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.2% (FY98)

Belarus Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

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

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@Belgium

Belgium Introduction

Background: Belgium became independent from the Netherlands