(1997)

Television broadcast stations: 54 (of which 36 are low-power and
repeater stations) (1997)

Televisions: 1.05 million (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA

@Syria:Transportation

Railways:
total: 2,750 km
standard gauge: 2,423 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 327 km 1.050-m gauge (2000)

Highways:
total: 36,377 km
paved: 26,299 km (including 877 km of expressways)
unpaved: 10,078 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: 870 km; minimal economic importance

Pipelines: crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km

Ports and harbors: Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus

Merchant marine:
total: 137 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 429,005 GRT/626,069 DWT
ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 120, livestock carrier 5,
roll-on/roll-off 1 (1999 est.)

Airports: 104 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 24
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 80
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 63 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 2 (1999 est.)

@Syria:Military

Military branches: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air
Force, Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces, Police and Security Force

Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 4,220,578 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,358,973 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 196,616 (2000 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $800 million-$1 billion (FY97
est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual
spending

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.9% (FY98)

@Syria:Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; dispute
with upstream riparian Turkey over Turkish water development plans for
the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; Syrian troops in northern, central,
and eastern Lebanon since October 1976

Illicit drugs: a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for
regional and Western markets

______________________________________________________________________

TAIWAN

@Taiwan:Introduction

Background: In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to
Japan, however it reverted to Chinese control after World War II.
Following the communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million
Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a