e; 318,000 telephones; broadcast
stations - 272 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 39 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth station

*Ecuador, Defense Forces

Branches:
Army (Ejercito Ecuatoriano), Navy (Armada Ecuatoriana), Air Force (Fuerza
Aerea Ecuatoriana), National Police
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 2,655,520; fit for military service 1,798,122; reach
military age (20) annually 109,413 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

*Egypt, Geography

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, between
Sudan and Libya
Map references:
Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
1,001,450 km2
land area:
995,450 km2
comparative area:
slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total 2,689 km, Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 255 km, Libya 1,150 km, Sudan 1,273
km
Coastline:
2,450 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200 m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
not specified
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international
boundary creating the "Hala'ib Triangle," a barren area of 20,580 km2, the
dispute over this area escalated in 1993
Climate:
desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
Terrain:
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum,
talc, asbestos, lead, zinc
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
2%
meadows and pastures:
0%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
95%
Irrigated land:
25,850 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
Nile is only perennial water source; increasing soil salinization below
Aswan High Dam; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring;
water pollution; desertification
Note:
controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of
Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, shortest sea link between Indian
Ocean and Mediterranean; size and juxtaposition to Israel establish its
major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics

*Egypt, People

Population:
59,585,529 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.3% (1993 est.)
note:
the US Bureau of the Census has lowered its 1993 estimate of growth to 2.0%
on the ba