runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 35
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 9

@Belize:Communications

Telephone system: 8,650 telephones; above-average system based on
microwave radio relay
local: NA
intercity: microwave radio relay
international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1
radios: NA

Television:
broadcast stations: 1
televisions: NA

@Belize:Defense Forces

Branches: Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Volunteer Guard), Belize National Police

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 50,499; males fit for military
service 30,040; males reach military age (18) annually 2,285 (1995
est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $11 million, 2.2% of
GDP (FY93/94)

________________________________________________________________________

BENIN

@Benin:Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Nigeria and Togo

Map references: Africa

Area:
total area: 112,620 sq km
land area: 110,620 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries: total 1,989 km, Burkina 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria
773 km, Togo 644 km

Coastline: 121 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble,
timber

Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 4%
meadows and pastures: 4%
forest and woodland: 35%
other: 45%

Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: recent droughts have severely affected marginal
agriculture in north; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching
threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in
winter
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Desertification,
Law of the Sea

Note: no natural harbors

@Benin:People

Population: 5,522,677 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (female 1,324,553; male 1,333,673)
15-6