6106 (1997),
0.6403 (1996); Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.5032 (January
2001), 1.4851 (2000), 1.4857 (1999), 1.4835 (1998), 1.3846 (1997),
1.3635 (1996); French francs per US dollar - 5.65 (January 1999),
5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520
(1994); Italian lire per US dollar - 1,668.7 (January 1999), 1,763.2
(1998), 1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4
(1994); Japanese yen per US dollar - 117.10 (January 2001), 107.77
(2000), 113.91 (1999), 130.91 (1998), 120.99 (1997), 108.78 (1996);
German deutsche marks per US dollar - 1.69 (January 1999), 1.9692
(1998), 1.7341 (1997), 1.5048 (1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994);
euros per US dollar - 1.06594 (January 2001), 1.08540 (2000),
0.93863 (1999)

note: financial institutions in France, Italy, and Germany and
eight other European countries started using the euro on 1 January
1999 with the euro replacing the local currency in consenting
countries for all transactions in 2002

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

United States Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 194 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 69.209 million (1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: a very large, technologically
advanced, multipurpose communications system

domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio
relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of
telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile
telephone traffic throughout the country

international: 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite earth
stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5
Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and
Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4,762, FM 5,542, shortwave 18 (1998)

Radios: 575 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: more than 1,500 (including nearly
1,000 stations affiliated with the five major networks - NBC, ABC,
CBS, FOX, and PBS; in addition, there are about 9,000 cable TV
systems) (1997)

Televisions: 219 million (1997)

Internet country code: .us

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 7,800 (2000 est.)

Internet users: 148 million (2000)

United States Transportation

Railways: total: 225,750 km mainline routes

standard gauge: 225,750 km 1.435-m gauge (1999)

Highways: total: 6,370,031 km

paved: 5,733,028 km (including 74,091 km of expressways