47 m: 2
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 36 (1995 est.)

Heliports: 15 (1995 est.)

Communications
--------------

Telephones: 9.8 million (1995)

Telephone system: probably the least adequate telephone system of
any of the industrializing countries; three of every four villages
have no telephone service; only 5% of India's villages have
long-distance service; poor telephone service significantly impedes
commercial and industrial growth and penalizes India in global
markets; slow improvement is taking place with the recent admission
of private and private-public investors, but demand for
communication services is also growing rapidly
domestic: local service is provided mostly by open wire and obsolete
electromechanical and manual switchboard systems; within the last 10
years a substantial amount of digital switch gear has been
introduced for local service; long-distance traffic is carried
mostly by open wire, coaxial cable, and low-capacity microwave radio
relay; since 1985, however, significant trunk capacity has been
added in the form of fiber-optic cable and a domestic satellite
system with over 100 earth stations
international: satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean Region); submarine cables to Malaysia
and UAE

Radio broadcast stations: AM 96, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios: 70 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 274 (government controlled)

Televisions: 33 million (1992 est.)

Defense
-------

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, various security or paramilitary
forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, and Coast
Guard)

Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 260,624,007
males fit for military service: 153,176,413
males reach military age (17) annually: 9,770,331 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $8.0 billion,
2.7% of GDP (FY95/96)

======================================================================

@Indian Ocean
------------

Map
---

Location: 30 00 S, 80 00 E -- body of water between Africa,
Antarctica, Asia, and Australia

Geography
---------

Location: body of water between Africa, Antarctica, Asia, and
Australia

Geographic coordinates: 30 00 S, 80 00 E

Map references: World

Area:
total area: 73.6 million sq km
comparative area: slig