ess 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 hosts:
5,308 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
23 (2002)

Internet users:
1,391,900 (2003)

Transportation Belarus

Railways:
total: 5,512 km
broad gauge: 5,497 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)
standard gauge: 15 km 1.435-m (2004)

Highways:
total: 79,990 km
paved: 69,351 km
unpaved: 10,639 km (2002)

Waterways:
2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country and by
shallowness) (2003)

Pipelines:
gas 5,223 km; oil 2,443 km; refined products 1,686 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Mazyr

Airports:
133 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 50
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 83
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 64 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
1 (2004 est.)

Military Belarus

Military branches:
Army, Air and Air Defense Force

Military service age and obligation:
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 18 months (May 2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,520,644 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,657,984 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 85,202 (2005 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 diminishing
border security; boundary with Latvia remains undemarcated but a
third of the border with Lithuania was demarcated in 2004

Illicit drugs:
limited cultivation of opium poppy and canna