rate or average
annual rate of growth. The growth rate is a factor in determining how
great a burden would be imposed on a country by the changing needs of
its people for infrastructure (e.g., schools, hospitals, housing,
roads), resources (e.g., food, water, electricity), and jobs. Rapid
population growth can be seen as threatening by neighboring countries.

Ports and harbors: This entry lists the major ports and harbors
selected on the basis of overall importance to each country. This is
determined by evaluating a number of factors (e.g., dollar value of
goods handled, gross tonnage, facilities, military significance).

Radio broadcast stations: This entry includes the total number of AM,
FM, and shortwave broadcast stations.

Radios: This entry gives the total number of radio receivers.

Railways: This entry includes the total length of the railway network
and component parts by gauge: broad, dual, narrow, standard, and
other.

Reference maps: This section includes world, regional, and special or
current interest maps.

Religions: This entry includes a rank ordering of religions starting
with the largest and sometimes includes the percent of total
population.

Sex ratio: This entry includes the number of males for each female in
five age groups-at birth, under 15 years, 15-64 years, 65 years and
over, and for the total population. Sex ratio at birth has recently
emerged as an indicator of certain kinds of sex discrimination in some
countries. For instance, high sex ratios at birth in some Asian
countries are now attributed to sex-selective abortion and infanticide
due to a strong preference for sons. This will affect future marriage
patterns and fertility patterns. Eventually it could cause unrest
among young adult males who are unable to find partners. The sex ratio
at birth for the World is 1.06 (1998 est.).

Suffrage: This entry gives the age at enfranchisement and whether the
right to vote is universal or restricted.

Telephone numbers: All telephone numbers in the Factbook consist of
the country code in brackets, the city or area code (where required)
in parentheses, and the local number. The one component that is not
presented is the international access code, which varies from country
to country. For example, an international direct dial telephone call
placed from the US to Madrid, Spain, would be as follows:
011 [34] (1) 577-xxxx where
011 is the international access code for station-to-stati