th station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC)
provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)

Radios:
660,000 (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (2001)

Televisions:
66,000 (2000)

Internet country code:
.bj

Internet hosts:
879 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
4 (2002)

Internet users:
70,000 (2003)

Transportation Benin

Railways:
total: 578 km
narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 6,787 km
paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,430 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Cotonou, Porto-Novo

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
5 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Military Benin

Military branches:
Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; in
practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes are
eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months
(2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,638,010
females age 15-49: 1,647,850 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 835,561
females age 15-49: 835,633 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 77,552
females: 81,841 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$98.3 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.7% (2003)

Transnational Issues Benin

Disputes - international:
two villages remain in dispute along the border with Burkina Faso;
accuses Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars; much of Benin-Niger
boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated, and
ICJ ad hoc judges have been selected to rule on disputed Niger and
Mekrou River islands; several villages along the Okpara River are in
dispute with Nigeria; a joint boundary commission continues to
resurvey the boundary with Togo to verify Benin's claim that Togo
moved boundary stones

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for narcotics associat