rts - partners: Germany, US, UK, Japan

Debt - external: $25.7 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $676.3 million

Currency: 1 rand (R) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: rand (R) per US$1 - 6.12439 (January 2000), 6.10948
(1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996), 3.62709 (1995)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

@South Africa:Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 5.075 million (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular: over 2,000,000 (1999)

Telephone system: the system is the best developed and most modern in
Africa
domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial
cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone
communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are
Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and
Pretoria
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters),
shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 13.75 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 5.2 million (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 58 (1999)

@South Africa:Transportation

Railways:
total: 21,431 km
narrow gauge: 20,995 km 1.067-m gauge (9,087 km electrified); 436 km
0.610-m gauge (1995)

Highways:
total: 534,131 km
paved: 63,027 km (including 2,032 km of expressways)
unpaved: 471,104 km (1998 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 931 km; petroleum products 1,748 km; natural gas
322 km

Ports and harbors: Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mosselbaai, Port
Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha

Merchant marine:
total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 274,797 GRT/270,837 DWT
ships by type: container 6, petroleum tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off 1
(1999 est.)

Airports: 744 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 143
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 46
914 to 1,523 m: 73
under 914 m: 11 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 601
1,524 to 2,437 m: 33
914 to 1,523 m: 303
under 914 m: 265 (1999 est.)

@South Africa:Military

Military branches: South African National Defense Force or SANDF
(includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services), South African
Police Service or SAPS

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 11,345,031 (2000 est.)

Milit