relay links, fiber-optic cable, and
radiotelephone communication stations; key centers are Bloemfontein,
Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria
international: 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations--3
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 164, shortwave 1

Radios: 7.5 million (1999 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 556 (includes 156 network stations
and 400 privately-owned low-power stations; in addition, there are
144 network repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 7.5 million

Transportation

Railways:
total: 21,431 km
narrow gauge: 20,995 km 1.067-m gauge (9,087 km electrified); 436 km
0.610-m gauge (1995)

Highways:
total: 331,265 km
paved: 137,475 km (including 1,142 km of expressways)
unpaved: 193,790 km (1995 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 931 km; petroleum products 1,748 km; natural
gas 322 km

Ports and harbors: Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mosselbaai,
Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha

Merchant marine:
total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 274,797 GRT/270,837 DWT
ships by type: container 6, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
(1998 est.)

Airports: 749 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 144
over 3,047 m: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 45
914 to 1,523 m: 75
under 914 m: 10 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 605
1,524 to 2,437 m: 35
914 to 1,523 m: 304
under 914 m: 266 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: South African National Defense Force or SANDF
(includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services), South
African Police Service or SAPS

Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 11,330,692 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 6,889,631 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 453,610 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $2 billion (FY99/00)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2.2% (FY95/96)

Military--note: the National Defense Force continues to integrate
former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: Swaziland has asked South Africa to open
negotiations on reincorporating some nearby South African
territories that are populated by