totaling 3,191,969
GRT/3,861,239 DWT
ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 21, chemical tanker 2, container 24,
liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 56, passenger 8, passenger-cargo
1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 12, short-sea passenger 14, specialized
tanker 1 (1995 est.)

Airports:
total: 388
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 9
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 29
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 103
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 59
with paved runways under 914 m: 166
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 22 (1995 est.)

Heliports: 10 (1995 est.)

Communications
--------------

Telephones: 29.5 million (1987 est.)

Telephone system: technologically advanced domestic and
international system
domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and
fiber-optic systems
international: 40 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations
- 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat
(Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large
international switching centers

Radio broadcast stations: AM 225, FM 525 (mostly repeaters),
shortwave 0

Radios: 70 million

Television broadcast stations: 207 (repeaters 3,210)

Televisions: 20 million

Defense
-------

Branches: Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air
Force

Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 14,515,077
males fit for military service: 12,102,431 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $35.1 billion,
3.1% of GDP (FY95/96)

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

@United States
-------------

Map
---

Location: 38 00 N, 97 00 W -- North America, bordering both the
North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and
Mexico

Flag
----

Description: thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and
bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the
upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small white five-pointed stars
arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and
bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent
the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies;
known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a
number of other flags including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto
Rico

Geography
---------

Location: North America, b