1995)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Maldives

Telephones - main lines in use: 21,000 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,290 (1997)

Telephone system: general assessment: minimal domestic and international
facilities domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links;
all inhabited islands are connected with telephone and fax service
international: Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 35,000 (1999)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)

Televisions: 10,000 (1999)

Internet country code: .mv

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)

Internet users: 6,000 (2001)

Transportation Maldives

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km; note - Male has
9.6 km of coral highways within the city (1988 est.)

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Gan, Male

Merchant marine: total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 51,532
GRT/71,298 DWT ships by type: cargo 13, short-sea passenger 1 (2002 est.)

Airports: 5 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m:
1 (2001)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2001)

Military Maldives

Military branches: National Security Service

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 74,893 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 41,672
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $34.5 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 8.6% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Maldives

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Mexico

Introduction

Mexico

Background: The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came
under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence
early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw
Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half
a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Ongoing
economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for
a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and
few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the
impoverished southern states. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first
time since the 1910 Mexican