ions: 4.72 million (1997)

Internet country code: .be

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 61 (2000)

Internet users: 2.807 million (2001)

Transportation Belgium

Railways: total: 3,422 km standard gauge: 3,422 km 1.435-m gauge (2,517
km electrified; 2,563 km double-tracked) (2001)

Highways: total: 145,774 km paved: 116,182 km (including 1,674 km of
expressways) unpaved: 29,592 km (1999)

Waterways: 1,570 km (route length in regular commercial use) (2001)

Pipelines: crude oil 161 km; petroleum products 1,167 km; natural gas
3,300 km

Ports and harbors: Antwerp (one of the world's busiest ports), Brugge,
Gent, Hasselt, Liege, Mons, Namur, Oostende, Zeebrugge

Merchant marine: total: 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,362
GRT/54,058 DWT ships by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 9, petroleum
tanker 5, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag
of convenience: Finland 1, Netherlands 3 (2002 est.)

Airports: 42 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 24 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047
m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 6 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m:
16 (2001)

Heliports: 1 (2001)

Military Belgium

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Components, National Gendarmerie

Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,508,557 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 2,070,016
(2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 63,247
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $3,076,500,000 (FY01/02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY01/02)

Transnational Issues Belgium

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: growing producer of synthetic drugs; transit point
for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American
cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish,
and marijuana entering Western Europe

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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

Bahamas, The

Introduction

Bahamas, The

Background: Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The
Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and
investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major
transship