Algeria map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Mediterranean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -140,7 +137,7 @@ "text": "Muslim (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Ahmadi Muslims, Shia Muslims, Ibadi Muslims) <1% (2012 est.)" }, "Demographic profile": { - "text": "For the first two thirds of the 20th century, Algeria's high fertility rate caused its population to grow rapidly. However, about a decade after independence from France in 1962, the total fertility rate fell dramatically from 7 children per woman in the 1970s to about 2.4 in 2000, slowing Algeria's population growth rate by the late 1980s. The lower fertility rate was mainly the result of women's rising age at first marriage (virtually all Algerian children being born in wedlock) and to a lesser extent the wider use of contraceptives. Later marriages and a preference for smaller families are attributed to increases in women's education and participation in the labor market; higher unemployment; and a shortage of housing forcing multiple generations to live together. The average woman's age at first marriage increased from about 19 in the mid-1950s to 24 in the mid-1970s to 30.5 in the late 1990s.
Algeria's fertility rate experienced an unexpected upturn in the early 2000s, as the average woman's age at first marriage dropped slightly. The reversal in fertility could represent a temporary fluctuation in marriage age or, less likely, a decrease in the steady rate of contraceptive use.
Thousands of Algerian peasants - mainly Berber men from the Kabylia region - faced with land dispossession and economic hardship under French rule migrated temporarily to France to work in manufacturing and mining during the first half of the 20th century. This movement accelerated during World War I, when Algerians filled in for French factory workers or served as soldiers. In the years following independence, low-skilled Algerian workers and Algerians who had supported the French (known as Harkis) emigrated en masse to France. Tighter French immigration rules and Algiers' decision to cease managing labor migration to France in the 1970s limited legal emigration largely to family reunification.
Not until Algeria's civil war in the 1990s did the country again experience substantial outmigration. Many Algerians legally entered Tunisia without visas claiming to be tourists and then stayed as workers. Other Algerians headed to Europe seeking asylum, although France imposed restrictions. Sub-Saharan African migrants came to Algeria after its civil war to work in agriculture and mining. In the 2000s, a wave of educated Algerians went abroad seeking skilled jobs in a wider range of destinations, increasing their presence in North America and Spain. At the same time, legal foreign workers principally from China and Egypt came to work in Algeria's construction and oil sectors. Illegal migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Malians, Nigeriens, and Gambians, continue to come to Algeria in search of work or to use it as a stepping stone to Libya and Europe.
Since 1975, Algeria also has been the main recipient of Sahrawi refugees from the ongoing conflict in Western Sahara (today part of Morocco). More than 1000,000 Sahrawis are estimated to be living in five refugee camps in southwestern Algeria near Tindouf.
" + "text": "For the first two thirds of the 20th century, Algeria's high fertility rate caused its population to grow rapidly. However, about a decade after independence from France in 1962, the total fertility rate fell dramatically from 7 children per woman in the 1970s to about 2.4 in 2000, slowing Algeria's population growth rate by the late 1980s. The lower fertility rate was mainly the result of women's rising age at first marriage (virtually all Algerian children being born in wedlock) and to a lesser extent the wider use of contraceptives. Later marriages and a preference for smaller families are attributed to increases in women's education and participation in the labor market; higher unemployment; and a shortage of housing forcing multiple generations to live together. The average woman's age at first marriage increased from about 19 in the mid-1950s to 24 in the mid-1970s to 30.5 in the late 1990s.
Algeria's fertility rate experienced an unexpected upturn in the early 2000s, as the average woman's age at first marriage dropped slightly. The reversal in fertility could represent a temporary fluctuation in marriage age or, less likely, a decrease in the steady rate of contraceptive use.
Thousands of Algerian peasants - mainly Berber men from the Kabylia region - faced with land dispossession and economic hardship under French rule migrated temporarily to France to work in manufacturing and mining during the first half of the 20th century. This movement accelerated during World War I, when Algerians filled in for French factory workers or served as soldiers. In the years following independence, low-skilled Algerian workers and Algerians who had supported the French (known as Harkis) emigrated en masse to France. Tighter French immigration rules and Algiers' decision to cease managing labor migration to France in the 1970s limited legal emigration largely to family reunification.
Not until Algeria's civil war in the 1990s did the country again experience substantial outmigration. Many Algerians legally entered Tunisia without visas claiming to be tourists and then stayed as workers. Other Algerians headed to Europe seeking asylum, although France imposed restrictions. Sub-Saharan African migrants came to Algeria after its civil war to work in agriculture and mining. In the 2000s, a wave of educated Algerians went abroad seeking skilled jobs in a wider range of destinations, increasing their presence in North America and Spain. At the same time, legal foreign workers principally from China and Egypt came to work in Algeria's construction and oil sectors. Illegal migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Malians, Nigeriens, and Gambians, continue to come to Algeria in search of work or to use it as a stepping stone to Libya and Europe.
Since 1975, Algeria also has been the main recipient of Sahrawi refugees from the ongoing conflict in Western Sahara (today part of Morocco). More than 100,000 Sahrawis are estimated to be living in five refugee camps in southwestern Algeria near Tindouf.
" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { @@ -314,7 +311,7 @@ } }, "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": { - "text": "(2020 est.) <.1%" + "text": "(2020 est.) <0.1%" }, "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": { "text": "18,000 (2020 est.)" @@ -435,7 +432,7 @@ "text": "17.4% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { - "text": "arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)" + "text": "arable land: 3.2% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)" @@ -600,11 +597,11 @@ "text": "Angola map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the South Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -229,7 +226,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.4 years (2015/16 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "241 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -626,7 +623,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (consists of the court president, vice president, and a minimum of 16 judges); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 11 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1114,7 +1111,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Angola’s telecom sector in recent years has benefited from political stability, which has encouraged foreign investment in the sector; the government and regulator have also set in train mechanisms to open up the telecom sector to new competitors, with Africell having secured a universal license and in so doing becoming the country’s fourth MNO; following an extensive investment program, the company launched mobile services in April 2022; the MNOs were slow to develop LTE services, instead relying on their GSM and 3G network capabilities; Angola Telecom did not launch LTE services until mid-2018; there has been slow progress in LTE network development, with only a small proportion of the country covered by network infrastructure; some progress has been made with 5G; the Ministry of Telecommunications in early 2021 set up a 5G hub to assess 5G user cases, while Unitel and the new MNO Africell since mid-2021 have contracted vendors to provide 5G-ready transmission networks; the regulator in November 2021 granted licenses to Africell, Movicel, and Unitel to enable them to offer 5G services; the government has continued to develop telecom infrastructure to help diversify the country’s economy and lessen its dependence on offshore crude oil production; by extending and upgrading telecom networks the government expects businesses to become more efficient and for e-commerce to become a more prominent feature of economic growth; networks will facilitate rural access to education and health care. (2022)" + "text": "Angola’s telecom sector in recent years has benefited from political stability, which has encouraged foreign investment in the sector; the government and regulator have also set in train mechanisms to open up the telecom sector to new competitors; following an extensive investment program, the company launched mobile services in April 2022; the MNOs were slow to develop LTE services, instead relying on their GSM and 3G network capabilities; there has been slow progress in LTE network development, with only a small proportion of the country covered by network infrastructure; some progress has been made with 5G; the Ministry of Telecommunications in early 2021 set up a 5G hub to assess 5G user cases; the government has continued to develop telecom infrastructure to help diversify the country’s economy and lessen its dependence on offshore crude oil production; by extending and upgrading telecom networks the government expects businesses to become more efficient and for e-commerce to become a more prominent feature of economic growth; networks will facilitate rural access to education and health care. (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "only about one fixed-line per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity about 45 telephones per 100 persons (2020)" diff --git a/africa/bc.json b/africa/bc.json index 8f404eb6..c8136b03 100644 --- a/africa/bc.json +++ b/africa/bc.json @@ -102,9 +102,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; population concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the country" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Botswana map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -614,7 +611,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal, High Court (each consists of a chief justice and a number of other judges as prescribed by the Parliament)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1099,7 +1096,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "effective regulatory reform has made Botswana’s telecom market one of the most liberalized in the region; there is a service-neutral licensing regime adapted to the convergence of technologies and services, and several operators now compete in all telecom sectors; Botswana has one of the highest mobile subscription rates in Africa, though with this growth in the number of subscribers has slowed sharply in recent years; the popular use of multiple SIM cards from different operators convinced that regulator that there was no need introduce mobile number portability, and although the government pursued the idea for some years, it accepted in April 2021 that it would not be implemented after all; in a bid to generate new revenue streams and secure market share, the three MNOs – Mascom Wireless (an affiliate of South Africa’s MTN), Orange Botswana (backed by Orange Group) and BTC – have entered the underdeveloped broadband sector by adopting of 3G, LTE, and WiMAX technologies; in the fixed-line broadband market they compete with a large number of ISPs, some of which have rolled out their own wireless access infrastructure; the landlocked country depends on satellites for international bandwidth, and on other countries for transit capacity to the landing points of international submarine cables; the landing of additional cables in the region in recent years has improved the competitive situation in this sector, while prices for connectivity have fallen dramatically; Paratus Teleco in mid-2021 completed the first stage of a private network covering the entire country, and linking to the company’s international cables (2022)" + "text": "effective regulatory reform has made Botswana’s telecom market one of the most liberalized in the region; there is a service-neutral licensing regime adapted to the convergence of technologies and services, and several operators now compete in all telecom sectors; Botswana has one of the highest mobile subscription rates in Africa, though with this growth in the number of subscribers has slowed sharply in recent years; the popular use of multiple SIM cards from different operators convinced that regulator that there was no need introduce mobile number portability, and although the government pursued the idea for some years, it accepted in April 2021 that it would not be implemented after all; in the fixed-line broadband market they compete with a large number of ISPs, some of which have rolled out their own wireless access infrastructure; the landlocked country depends on satellites for international bandwidth, and on other countries for transit capacity to the landing points of international submarine cables; the landing of additional cables in the region in recent years has improved the competitive situation in this sector, while prices for connectivity have fallen dramatically (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line teledensity has declined in recent years and now stands at roughly 6 telephones per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 162 telephones per 100 persons (2020)" diff --git a/africa/bn.json b/africa/bn.json index 29cd1483..4ff99178 100644 --- a/africa/bn.json +++ b/africa/bn.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Benin map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Bight of Benin.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -227,7 +224,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.5 years (2017/18 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "397 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -639,7 +636,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the chief justice and 16 justices organized into an administrative division, judicial chamber, and chamber of accounts); Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 7 members, including the court president); High Court of Justice (consists of the Constitutional Court members, 6 members appointed by the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court president); note - jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice is limited to cases of high treason by the national president or members of the government while in office" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1112,7 +1109,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Benin’s telecom market continues to be restricted by the poor condition of the country’s fixed-line infrastructure; this has hampered the development of fixed-line voice and internet services, and there is negligible revenue derived from these sectors; mobile networks account for almost all internet connections, and also carry most voice traffic; there is promise for considerable change in the mobile sector, which has been a duopoly between Moov and MTN since the closure of services from Glo Mobile and Libercom in 2018; slow progress is being made in developing competition in the mobile sector; the national infrastructure provider SBIN has been licensed to provide mobile services, and in mid-2021 Sonatel Group was awarded a five-year contract to oversee progress; in May 2021 the government sought foreign companies unaffiliated with MTN Group or Maroc Telecom to bid for a fourth mobile license; improved international internet connectivity has contributed to a reduction in end-user pricing, and provided the potential to transform many areas of the country’s economy, bringing a greater proportion of the population into the orbit of internet commerce and connectivity; a 2,000km fiber project started in 2016 was finally completed in mid-2021, prompting the government to secure a loan to build additional fiber infrastructure connecting four of the country’s 12 departments. (2022)" + "text": "Benin’s telecom market continues to be restricted by the poor condition of the country’s fixed-line infrastructure; this has hampered the development of fixed-line voice and internet services, and there is negligible revenue derived from these sectors; mobile networks account for almost all internet connections, and also carry most voice traffic; there is promise for considerable change in the mobile sector; slow progress is being made in developing competition in the mobile sector; in May 2021 the government sought foreign companies to bid for a fourth mobile license; improved international internet connectivity has contributed to a reduction in end-user pricing, and provided the potential to transform many areas of the country’s economy, bringing a greater proportion of the population into the orbit of internet commerce and connectivity; a 2,000km fiber project started in 2016 was finally completed in mid-2021, prompting the government to secure a loan to build additional fiber infrastructure connecting four of the country’s 12 departments (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line teledensity only about 1 per 100 persons; spurred by the presence of multiple mobile-cellular providers, cellular telephone subscribership has increased rapidly, nearing 92 per 100 persons (2020)" diff --git a/africa/by.json b/africa/by.json index 7ee1afa4..40f58638 100644 --- a/africa/by.json +++ b/africa/by.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Burundi map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -230,7 +227,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "21.5 years (2016/17 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "548 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -644,7 +641,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 9 judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and cassation chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/africa/cd.json b/africa/cd.json index 8f490891..ddf14754 100644 --- a/africa/cd.json +++ b/africa/cd.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: Chad is the largest of Africa's 16 landlocked countries
note 2: not long ago - geologically speaking - what is today the Sahara was green savannah teeming with wildlife; during the African Humid Period, roughly 11,000 to 5,000 years ago, a vibrant animal community, including elephants, giraffes, hippos, and antelope lived there; the last remnant of the \"Green Sahara\" exists in the Lakes of Ounianga (oo-nee-ahn-ga) in northern Chad, a series of 18 interconnected freshwater, saline, and hypersaline lakes now protected as a World Heritage site
note 3: Lake Chad, the most significant water body in the Sahel, is a remnant of a former inland sea, paleolake Mega-Chad; at its greatest extent, sometime before 5000 B.C., Lake Mega-Chad was the largest of four Saharan paleolakes that existed during the African Humid Period; it covered an area of about 400,000 sq km (150,000 sq mi), roughly the size of today's Caspian Sea
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Chad map showing major cities and towns as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -231,7 +228,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "18.1 years (2014/15 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "1,140 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -652,7 +649,7 @@ "note": "note: the National Assembly mandate was extended to 2020, reportedly due to a lack of funding for the scheduled 2015 election; the MPS has held a majority in the NA since 1997" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, 3 chamber presidents, and 12 judges or councilors and divided into 3 chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 3 judges and 6 jurists)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -671,7 +668,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador NGOTE GALI Koutou (since 22 June 2018)" + "text": "Ambassador Koutou NGOTE GALI (since 22 June 2018)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -1117,7 +1114,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom infrastructure is particularly poor; fixed, mobile and internet is well below African averages; Chad’s telecom market offers some potential for investors to develop services given the low starting base; the two main operators Moov Africa Chad and Airtel Chad have invested in infrastructure and have become the main providers of voice and data services; the mobile sector has developed steadily under the auspices of these two operators; the national telco and fixed-line operator Sotel Tchad operates the country’s third mobile network, as Salam Mobile, though it is mainly focused on voice services since it depends on GPRS and EDGE technologies (which can provide only basic mobile data services); the country’s first 3G/LTE mobile license was awarded in April 2014; Chad finally gained access to international fiber bandwidth in 2012 its national backbone infrastructure remains underdeveloped; the World Bank-funded Central African Backbone (CAB) project takes in Chad, while the country is also party to a Trans-Saharan Backbone project which will link a fiber cable to Nigeria and Algeria. (2022)" + "text": "the telecom infrastructure is particularly poor; fixed, mobile and internet is well below African averages; Chad’s telecom market offers some potential for investors to develop services given the low starting base; the country’s first 3G/LTE mobile license was awarded in April 2014; Chad finally gained access to international fiber bandwidth in 2012 its national backbone infrastructure remains underdeveloped; the World Bank-funded Central African Backbone (CAB) project takes in Chad, while the country is also party to a Trans-Saharan Backbone project which will link a fiber cable to Nigeria and Algeria (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line connections less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership base of about 53 per 100 persons (2020)" diff --git a/africa/cf.json b/africa/cf.json index b595d7a6..8bdca3dc 100644 --- a/africa/cf.json +++ b/africa/cf.json @@ -110,9 +110,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Republic of the Congo map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the South Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -238,7 +235,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.6 years (2011/12 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "378 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -647,7 +644,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); note - a High Court of Justice, outside the judicial authority, tries cases involving treason by the president of the republic" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/africa/cg.json b/africa/cg.json index 1c5f6094..c1bc17c5 100644 --- a/africa/cg.json +++ b/africa/cg.json @@ -112,9 +112,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: second largest country in Africa (after Algeria) and largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa; straddles the equator; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands; the narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River is the DRC's only outlet to the South Atlantic Ocean
note 2: because of its speed, cataracts, rapids, and turbulence the Congo River, most of which flows through the DRC, has never been accurately measured along much of its length; nonetheless, it is conceded to be the deepest river in the world; estimates of its greatest depth vary between 220 and 250 meters
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Democratic Republic of the Congo map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the South Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -240,7 +237,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.9 years (2013/14 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "473 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -671,7 +668,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (consists of 26 justices and organized into legislative and judiciary sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1143,7 +1140,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom system remains one of the least developed in the region; the government can only loosely regulate the sector, and since the national telco SCPT has little capital to invest, much of the investment made in infrastructure is derived from donor countries or from the efforts of foreign (particularly Chinese) companies and banks; efforts have been made to improve the regulation of the telecom sector; the limited fixed-line infrastructure has become the principal providers of basic telecom services; the development of the DRC’s internet and broadband market has been held back by the poorly developed national and international infrastructure; the country was finally connected to international bandwidth through the WACS submarine cable in 2013, while SCPT continues to roll out a fiber national backbone network with support from China; breakages in the WACS cable have exposed the vulnerability of international bandwidth, which is still limited; Liquid Intelligence Technologies has built a landing station for the Equiano submarine cable, and has also completed a 5,000km cable running through the DRC to link to cable systems landing in countries facing the Atlantic and Indian Oceans; the first commercial LTE networks were launched in May 2018 soon after LTE licenses were issued; mobile operators are keen to develop mobile data services, capitalizing on the growth of smartphones usage; there has been some progress with updating technologies, with Vodacom DRC having upgraded much of its GSM network to 3G by late 2021. (2022)" + "text": "the telecom system remains one of the least developed in the region; the government can only loosely regulate the sector; the investment made in infrastructure is derived from donor countries or from the efforts of foreign (particularly Chinese) companies and banks; efforts have been made to improve the regulation of the telecom sector; the limited fixed-line infrastructure has become the principal providers of basic telecom services; the development of the DRC’s internet and broadband market has been held back by the poorly developed national and international infrastructure; the country was finally connected to international bandwidth through the WACS submarine cable in 2013; breakages in the WACS cable have exposed the vulnerability of international bandwidth, which is still limited; the Equiano submarine cable, and has also completed a 5,000km cable running through the DRC to link to cable systems landing in countries facing the Atlantic and Indian Oceans; the first commercial LTE networks were launched in May 2018 soon after LTE licenses were issued; mobile operators are keen to develop mobile data services, capitalizing on the growth of smartphones usage; there has been some progress with updating technologies (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "inadequate fixed-line infrastructure with fixed-line connections less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscriptions over 45 per 100 persons (2019)" @@ -1333,7 +1330,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "211,953 (Central African Republic), 209,761 (Rwanda), 55,285 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 40,808 (Burundi) (2022)" + "text": "212,120 (Central African Republic), 209,761 (Rwanda), 56,653 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 41,836 (Burundi) (2022)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "5.53 million (fighting between government forces and rebels since mid-1990s; conflict in Kasai region since 2016) (2022)" diff --git a/africa/cm.json b/africa/cm.json index 22710d50..ef281849 100644 --- a/africa/cm.json +++ b/africa/cm.json @@ -109,9 +109,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa because of its central location on the continent and its position at the west-south juncture of the Gulf of Guinea; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Cameroon map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Bight of Benin.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -237,7 +234,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.1 years (2018 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "529 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -668,7 +665,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Cameroon (consists of 9 titular and 6 surrogate judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and audit chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 11 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1154,7 +1151,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Cameroon was for many years one of the few countries in Africa with only two competing mobile operators; after some delays, Viettel Cameroon launched a third network and has since grown its subscriber base rapidly; Camtel became the fourth mobile operator in early 2020 after securing three licenses, however it suspended the launch of services in early 2021; despite this, by the end of the year a launch under the Blue brand was imminent; the investment programs among operators over the next few years will considerably boost mobile broadband services in rural areas of the country, many of which are under served by fixed-line infrastructure; the ICT sector in Cameroon is making steady progress, enabling the country to make better use of the digital economy; about 95% of all electronic transactions are carried through the m-money services operated by MTN Cameroon and Orange Cameroon; the government has also been supportive, having launched its ‘Cameroon Digital 2020’ program, aimed at improving connectivity nationally. A large number of small ICT projects form part of the overall program; improved submarine and terrestrial cable connectivity has substantially increased international bandwidth, in turn leading to reductions in access prices for consumers; other projects such as Acceleration of the Digital Transformation of Cameroon are aimed at developing the digital economy, and accelerating the use of ICT in areas such as government services, agriculture, and commerce. (2022)" + "text": "Cameroon was for many years one of the few countries in Africa with only two competing mobile operators; the investment programs among operators over the next few years will considerably boost mobile broadband services in rural areas of the country, many of which are under served by fixed-line infrastructure; the ICT sector in Cameroon is making steady progress, enabling the country to make better use of the digital economy; the government has also been supportive, having launched its ‘Cameroon Digital 2020’ program, aimed at improving connectivity nationally. A large number of small ICT projects form part of the overall program; improved submarine and terrestrial cable connectivity has substantially increased international bandwidth, in turn leading to reductions in access prices for consumers; other projects such as Acceleration of the Digital Transformation of Cameroon are aimed at developing the digital economy, and accelerating the use of ICT in areas such as government services, agriculture, and commerce (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "only a little above 3 per 100 persons for fixed-line subscriptions; mobile-cellular usage has increased sharply, reaching a subscribership base of roughly 95 per 100 persons (2020)" diff --git a/africa/cn.json b/africa/cn.json index 7acfe079..610cacd2 100644 --- a/africa/cn.json +++ b/africa/cn.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel; the only Arab League country that lies entirely in the Southern Hemisphere" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Comoros map showing the three major islands that make up the country in the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -215,7 +212,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "23 years (2012 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "273 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -569,7 +566,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 7 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/africa/ct.json b/africa/ct.json index c2c3abe5..5ce82548 100644 --- a/africa/ct.json +++ b/africa/ct.json @@ -102,9 +102,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Central African Republic map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -626,7 +623,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, at least 3 of whom are women)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/africa/cv.json b/africa/cv.json index 44f64500..6bbe496d 100644 --- a/africa/cv.json +++ b/africa/cv.json @@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site; one of four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia; the others are Azores (Portugal), Canary Islands (Spain), and Madeira (Portugal)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Cabo Verde map showing the many islands that make up the country in the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -568,7 +565,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief justice and at least 7 judges and organized into civil, criminal, and administrative sections)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1045,7 +1042,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "LTE reaches almost 40% of the population; regulator awards commercial 4G licenses and starts 5G pilot; govt. extends USD 25 million for submarine fiber-optic cable project linking Africa to Portugal and Brazil; major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT) (2020)" + "text": "LTE reaches almost 40% of the population; regulator awards commercial 4G licenses and starts 5G pilot; govt. extends USD 25 million for submarine fiber-optic cable project linking Africa to Portugal and Brazil (2020)" }, "domestic": { "text": "a little over 10 per 100 fixed-line teledensity and nearly 98 per 100 mobile-cellular; fiber-optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing Internet access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in 1998; broadband services launched early in the decade (2020)" diff --git a/africa/dj.json b/africa/dj.json index 9207da89..11038826 100644 --- a/africa/dj.json +++ b/africa/dj.json @@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa and the saltiest lake in the world" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Djibouti map showing the capital and major towns, as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Gulf of Aden.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -600,7 +597,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA magistrates); Constitutional Council (consists of 6 magistrates)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1060,7 +1057,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Djibouti remains one of the last bastions where the national telco has a monopoly on all telecom services, including fixed lines, mobile, internet, and broadband; the lack of competition to Djibouti Telecom for such services has meant that the market has not lived up to its potential; despite the country benefiting from its location as a hub for international submarine cables, and with Djibouti Telecom being a partner in at least eight of them, prices for telecom services remain relatively high, and out of reach for a number of customers, weighing on market advancement; the government has long harbored plans to privatize Djibouti Telecom, though thus far such plans have been delayed repeatedly; it has been encouraged by the experience of neighboring Ethiopia, which recently licensed the Global Partnership for Ethiopia consortium (controlled by Safaricom) and so broke the monopoly held by Ethio Telecom; the Djibouti government is aiming to sell a minority stake in the incumbent telco (retaining some control of decisions) while securing the financial backing and the management acumen of a foreign operator; this is part of a larger plan to modernize the country’s economy more generally; the state expects to conduct of a sale of up to 40% of the company to an international investor by end-2022. (2022)" + "text": "Djibouti remains one of the last bastions where the national telco has a monopoly on all telecom services, including fixed lines, mobile, internet, and broadband; despite the country benefiting from its location as a hub for international submarine cables, and with Djibouti Telecom being a partner in at least eight of them, prices for telecom services remain relatively high, and out of reach for a number of customers, weighing on market advancement; the Djibouti government is aiming to sell a minority stake in the incumbent telco (retaining some control of decisions) while securing the financial backing and the management acumen of a foreign operator; this is part of a larger plan to modernize the country’s economy more generally; the state expects to conduct of a sale of up to 40% of the company to an international investor by end-2022 (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "about 4 per 100 fixed-line teledensity and nearly 44 per 100 mobile-cellular; Djibouti Telecom (DT) is the sole provider of telecommunications services and utilizes mostly a microwave radio relay network; fiber-optic cable is installed in the capital; rural areas connected via wireless local loop radio systems; mobile cellular coverage is primarily limited to the area in and around Djibouti city (2020)" diff --git a/africa/eg.json b/africa/eg.json index 665c48dc..96628d17 100644 --- a/africa/eg.json +++ b/africa/eg.json @@ -118,9 +118,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note: controls Sinai Peninsula, the only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees from Sudan and the Palestinian territories" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Egypt map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -246,7 +243,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "22.6 years (2014 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "37 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -639,7 +636,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) (consists of the court president and 10 justices); the SCC serves as the final court of arbitration on the constitutionality of laws and conflicts between lower courts regarding jurisdiction and rulings; Court of Cassation (CC) (consists of the court president and 550 judges organized in circuits with cases heard by panels of 5 judges); the CC is the highest appeals body for civil and criminal cases, also known as \"ordinary justices\"; Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) (consists of the court president and NA judges and organized in circuits with cases heard by panels of 5 judges); the SAC is the highest court of the State Council" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1132,7 +1129,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Egypt’s large telecom market is supported by a population of about 103 million and benefits from effective competition in most sectors; a liberal regulatory regime allows for unified licenses which permit operators to offer fixed-line as well as mobile services; in recent years the government has developed a number of digital migration projects aimed at increasing average broadband speeds, delivering fiber broadband to about 60% of the population, developing an in-house satellite program, and creating a knowledge-based economy through the greater adoption of ICTs; the New Administrative Capital being built is only one of more than a dozen smart city projects, which together are stimulating investment in 5G and fiber broadband, as well as the adoption of IoT and AI solutions; the country endeavor to be a significant ICT hub in the North Africa and Middle East regions; Egypt’s mature mobile market has one of the highest subscription rates in Africa; progress in the adoption of mobile data services has been hampered by the lack of sufficient spectrum; the regulator in September 2020 made available 60MHz in the 2.6GHz band, though the spectrum was not allocated until late 2021; the additional spectrum will go far to enabling the MNOs to improve the quality of mobile broadband services offered; further 5G trials are to be held later in 2022, focused on the New Administrative Capital; the international cable infrastructure remains an important asset for Egypt, which benefits from its geographical position; Telecom Egypt has become one of the largest concerns in this segment, being a participating member in numerous cable systems; in mid-2021 the telco announced plans to build the Hybrid African Ring Path system, connecting a number of landlocked countries in Africa with Italy, France, and Portugal; the system will partly use the company’s existing terrestrial and sub sea cable networks. (2022)" + "text": "Egypt’s large telecom market is supported by a population of about 103 million and benefits from effective competition in most sectors; a liberal regulatory regime allows for unified licenses which permit operators to offer fixed-line as well as mobile services; in recent years the government has developed a number of digital migration projects aimed at increasing average broadband speeds, delivering fiber broadband to about 60% of the population, developing an in-house satellite program, and creating a knowledge-based economy through the greater adoption of ICTs; the New Administrative Capital being built is only one of more than a dozen smart city projects, which together are stimulating investment in 5G and fiber broadband, as well as the adoption of IoT and AI solutions; the country endeavor to be a significant ICT hub in the North Africa and Middle East regions; Egypt’s mature mobile market has one of the highest subscription rates in Africa; progress in the adoption of mobile data services has been hampered by the lack of sufficient spectrum; the regulator in September 2020 made available 60MHz in the 2.6GHz band, though the spectrum was not allocated until late 2021; the additional spectrum will go far to enabling the MNOs to improve the quality of mobile broadband services offered; further 5G trials are to be held later in 2022, focused on the New Administrative Capital; the international cable infrastructure remains an important asset for Egypt, which benefits from its geographical position; Telecom Egypt has become one of the largest concerns in this segment, being a participating member in numerous cable systems; in mid-2021 the telco announced plans to build the Hybrid African Ring Path system, connecting a number of landlocked countries in Africa with Italy, France, and Portugal; the system will partly use the company’s existing terrestrial and sub sea cable networks (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line roughly 10 per 100, mobile-cellular 93 per 100 (2020)" diff --git a/africa/ek.json b/africa/ek.json index cbcc4263..30031272 100644 --- a/africa/ek.json +++ b/africa/ek.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "insular and continental regions widely separated; despite its name, no part of the Equator passes through Equatorial Guinea; the mainland part of the country is located just north of the Equator" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Equatorial Guinea map showing major cities and towns as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Gulf of Guinea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -569,7 +566,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief justice - who is also chief of state - and 9 judges organized into civil, criminal, commercial, labor, administrative, and customary sections); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 4 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/africa/er.json b/africa/er.json index 245c1369..65aca944 100644 --- a/africa/er.json +++ b/africa/er.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Eritrea map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Red Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -218,7 +215,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "21.3 years (2010 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "480 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -575,7 +572,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "High Court (consists of 20 judges and organized into civil, commercial, criminal, labor, administrative, and customary sections)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1025,7 +1022,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Eritrea’s telecom sector operates under a state-owned monopoly for fixed and mobile services; the country has the least developed telecommunications market in Africa; mobile subscriptions stands at only about 20%, while fixed-line internet use barely registers; this is exacerbated by the very low use of computers, with only about 4% of households having a computer, and most of these being in the capital, Asmara; the provision of internet services is open to competition, about 2% of households have access to the internet; the national telco, the Eritrean Telecommunication Services Corporation (EriTel), continues to roll out a 3G network which provides basic internet access to the majority or Eritreans; considerable investment in telecom infrastructure is still required to improve the quality of services; the government has embarked on a work program aimed at extending services to remote areas, improving the quality of services, and ensuring that more telecoms infrastructure is supported by solar power to compensate for the poor state of the electricity network; additional foreign investment in telecom infrastructure, as well as introduction of more competition, would help transform what remains a virtually untapped market. (2021)" + "text": "Eritrea’s telecom sector operates under a state-owned monopoly for fixed and mobile services; the country has the least developed telecommunications market in Africa; mobile subscriptions stands at only about 20%, while fixed-line internet use barely registers; this is exacerbated by the very low use of computers, with only about 4% of households having a computer, and most of these being in the capital, Asmara; the provision of internet services is open to competition, about 2% of households have access to the internet; considerable investment in telecom infrastructure is still required to improve the quality of services; the government has embarked on a work program aimed at extending services to remote areas, improving the quality of services, and ensuring that more telecoms infrastructure is supported by solar power to compensate for the poor state of the electricity network; additional foreign investment in telecom infrastructure, as well as introduction of more competition, would help transform what remains a virtually untapped market (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line subscribership is less than 2 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular is just over 20 per 100 (2019)" diff --git a/africa/et.json b/africa/et.json index 74cea80d..07392978 100644 --- a/africa/et.json +++ b/africa/et.json @@ -111,9 +111,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; Ethiopia is, therefore, the most populous landlocked country in the world; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest EthiopiaEthiopia map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -239,7 +236,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.3 years (2019 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "401 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -675,7 +672,7 @@ "note": "notes: House of Federation is responsible for interpreting the constitution and federal-regional issues and the House of People's Representatives is responsible for passing legislation; percent of vote percentages are calculated on the number of members actually seated versus on the constitutional maximums" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Federal Supreme Court (consists of 11 judges); note - the House of Federation has jurisdiction for all constitutional issues" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1168,7 +1165,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the slow process to open up Ethiopia’s telecom market was completed with the licensing of the Safaricom-led Global Partnership for Ethiopia consortium; the country had been one of the last in Africa to allow its national telco a monopoly on all telecom services including fixed, mobile, internet and data communications; this has stifled innovation, restricted network expansion, and limited the scope of services on offer; the consortium was in some respects a proxy for the wider influence over Ethiopia’s telecom sector between the interests of the US and China; only one of the two licenses on offer was secured, with uncertainty as to the timetable for issuing the second license; the government in mid-2021 began the process of selling a 45% stake in the incumbent telco Ethio Telecom; the World Bank in early 2021 provided a $200 million loan to help develop the country’s digital transformation, while the government has embarked on its 2020-2030 program as well as its Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy, both aimed at making better use of digital technologies to promote socioeconomic development; the country’s mobile platform has mostly been provided by ZTE and Huawei, which have offered vendor financing; Ethio Telecom has placed the expansion of LTE services as a cornerstone of its investment program to 2022; the new licensee has been barred from contracting Chinese vendors, thus opening the door to western vendors. (2021)" + "text": "the slow process to open up Ethiopia’s telecom market was completed with the licensing of the Safaricom-led Global Partnership for Ethiopia consortium; the country had been one of the last in Africa to allow its national telco a monopoly on all telecom services including fixed, mobile, internet and data communications; this has stifled innovation, restricted network expansion, and limited the scope of services on offer; the consortium was in some respects a proxy for the wider influence over Ethiopia’s telecom sector between the interests of the US and China; only one of the two licenses on offer was secured, with uncertainty as to the timetable for issuing the second license; the government in mid-2021 began the process of selling a 45% stake in the incumbent telco Ethio Telecom; the World Bank in early 2021 provided a $200 million loan to help develop the country’s digital transformation, while the government has embarked on its 2020-2030 program as well as its Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy, both aimed at making better use of digital technologies to promote socioeconomic development; the country’s mobile platform has mostly been provided by ZTE and Huawei, which have offered vendor financing (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line subscriptions at about 1 per 100 while mobile-cellular stands at a little over 37 per 100; the number of mobile telephones is increasing steadily (2019)" diff --git a/africa/ga.json b/africa/ga.json index 2eb4467a..43c5a677 100644 --- a/africa/ga.json +++ b/africa/ga.json @@ -110,9 +110,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the African mainland" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "The Gambia map showing the country surrounded by Senegal except to the west where the Gambia River empties into the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -233,7 +230,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.7 years (2019/20 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "597 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -629,7 +626,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of The Gambia (consists of the chief justice and 6 justices; court sessions held with 5 justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1095,7 +1092,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Gambia’s telecom market is dominated by the incumbent telco Gamtel, which retains a monopoly on fixed-line telephony services; there are five mobile networks providing effective competition, though Giraffe Telecom was only licensed in January 2022 and has not yet been allocated a frequency; the market leader is Africell, with about 62% of the market, while Comium and QCell compete closely for second and third place; Gamtel’s mobile unit Gamcel is by far the smallest network, having suffered from low investment in recent years; Comium has also suffered from financial difficulties: its failure to pay accumulated fees resulted in the government having sought a temporary suspension of its services in mid-2021; mobile subscriptions are well above the African average, itself a testament to the poor condition of the fixed-line infrastructure and the lack of availability of fixed services in many rural areas of the country; the incumbent has a relatively well-developed national fiber backbone network, low fixed-line subscriptions have hindered internet usage; there are only four licensed ISPs, which are small networks serving local areas, and so competition is minimal; their limited services are complemented by the fixed-wireless offerings of three of the MNOs; the government has embarked on a National Broadband Network program aimed at closing the digital divide affecting many parts of the country; Gamtel launched services based on this network in late 2019, though on a limited scale; despite efforts to improve internet connectivity, the country ranks among the lowest globally in terms of digital readiness. (2022)" + "text": "Gambia’s telecom market has five mobile networks providing effective competition; mobile subscriptions are well above the African average, itself a testament to the poor condition of the fixed-line infrastructure and the lack of availability of fixed services in many rural areas of the country; there are only four licensed ISPs, which are small networks serving local areas, and so competition is minimal; their limited services are complemented by the fixed-wireless offerings of three of the MNOs; the government has embarked on a National Broadband Network program aimed at closing the digital divide affecting many parts of the country; despite efforts to improve internet connectivity, the country ranks among the lowest globally in terms of digital readiness. (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line subscriptions nearly 2 per 100 with one dominant company and mobile-cellular teledensity nearly 111 per 100 persons (2020)" diff --git a/africa/gb.json b/africa/gb.json index e5289b50..bbd3a8c1 100644 --- a/africa/gb.json +++ b/africa/gb.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Gabon map showing major cities and towns as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -230,7 +227,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.6 years (2012 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "252 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -590,7 +587,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 4 permanent specialized supreme courts - Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation, Administrative Supreme Court or Conseil d'Etat, Accounting Supreme Court or Cour des Comptes, Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle, and the non-permanent Court of State Security, initiated only for cases of high treason by the president and criminal activity by executive branch officials)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1068,7 +1065,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom market was liberalized in 1999 when the government awarded three mobile telephony licenses and two ISP licenses and established an independent regulatory authority; Moov Gabon (known as Gabon Telecom before a rebranding exercise in January 2021), was privatized in 2007 when Maroc Telecom bought a 51% stake in the network; in June 2016 Maroc Telecom merged its two business in Gabon, thereby reducing the number of mobile networks from four to three; the 2009 entry of USAN (operated by Bintel Group under the brand name Azur) into a competitive market with high subscriptions triggered a price war that saw falling revenue and profits, forcing the networks to streamline their businesses and to look for new income streams; following more than a year of delays, a license to offer 3G mobile broadband services was awarded in late 2011; Azur failed and ceased trading in late 2017, encumbered by debts and fined by the regulator for failing to observe its quality of service obligations; in contrast with the mobile market, Gabon’s fixed-line and internet sectors have remained underdeveloped due to a lack of competition and high prices; the country has sufficient international bandwidth on the SAT-3/WASC/SAFE submarine cable but this facility is monopolized by Moov Gabon; the arrival of the ACE submarine cable, combined with progressing work on the CAB cable, has increased back haul capacity supporting mobile data traffic, and broke Moov Gabon’s monopoly on international internet traffic. (2022)" + "text": "the telecom market was liberalized in 1999 when the government awarded three mobile telephony licenses and two ISP licenses and established an independent regulatory authority; in contrast with the mobile market, Gabon’s fixed-line and internet sectors have remained underdeveloped due to a lack of competition and high prices; the country has sufficient international bandwidth on the SAT-3/WASC/SAFE submarine cable; the arrival of the ACE submarine cable, combined with progressing work on the CAB cable, has increased back haul capacity supporting mobile data traffic (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line is a little over 1 per 100 subscriptions; a growing mobile cellular network with multiple providers is making telephone service more widely available with mobile cellular teledensity at nearly 139 per 100 persons (2020)" diff --git a/africa/gh.json b/africa/gh.json index 29d28a68..65d9fc4c 100644 --- a/africa/gh.json +++ b/africa/gh.json @@ -110,9 +110,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake (manmade reservoir) by surface area (8,482 sq km; 3,275 sq mi); the lake was created following the completion of the Akosombo Dam in 1965, which holds back the White Volta and Black Volta Rivers" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Ghana map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Gulf of Guinea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -234,7 +231,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.7 years (2014 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "308 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -643,7 +640,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 13 justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1128,7 +1125,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "challenged by unreliable electricity and shortage of skilled labor, Ghana seeks to extend telecom services nationally; investment in fiber infrastructure and off-grid solutions provide data coverage to over 23 million people; launch of LTE has improved mobile data services, including m-commerce and banking; moderately competitive Internet market, most through mobile networks; international submarine cables, and terrestrial cables have improved Internet capacity; LTE services are widely available, only MTN Ghana has thus far signaled a willingness to invest in 5G; the relatively high cost of 5G-compatible devices also inhibits most subscribers from migrating from 3G and LTE platforms. (2022)" + "text": "challenged by unreliable electricity and shortage of skilled labor, Ghana seeks to extend telecom services nationally; investment in fiber infrastructure and off-grid solutions provide data coverage to over 23 million people; launch of LTE has improved mobile data services, including m-commerce and banking; moderately competitive Internet market, most through mobile networks; international submarine cables, and terrestrial cables have improved Internet capacity; LTE services are widely available; the relatively high cost of 5G-compatible devices also inhibits most subscribers from migrating from 3G and LTE platforms (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line data about 1 per 200 subscriptions; competition among multiple mobile-cellular providers has spurred growth with a voice subscribership of more than 130 per 100 persons (2022)" diff --git a/africa/gv.json b/africa/gv.json index b7d44b25..0f6dbcd3 100644 --- a/africa/gv.json +++ b/africa/gv.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the Niger and its important tributary the Milo River have their sources in the Guinean highlands" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Guinea map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -227,7 +224,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.9 years (2018 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "576 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -642,7 +639,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Administrative Chamber and Civil, Penal, and Social Chamber; court consists of the first president, 2 chamber presidents, 10 councilors, the solicitor general, and NA deputies); Constitutional Court - suspended on 5 September 2021" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1121,7 +1118,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Guinea’s telecom market is dominated by MTN and Orange; after the entry of these regional players, the number of mobile subscribers grew strongly while revenue also increased steadily; the debt-stricken incumbent fixed-line network Sotelgui provided a mobile service until it was closed down in late 2012, following a long period of mismanagement; the company itself was declared bankrupt in 2013, and stopped operating; the government since 2019 has sought to secure partners and investors to help launch a replacement operator, Guinea Telecom, but with no success; fixed broadband services are still very limited and expensive, though there have been some positive developments in recent years; the landing of the first international submarine cable in 2012, and the setting up of an IXP in mid-2013, increased the bandwidth available to the ISPs, and helped reduce the cost of internet services for end-users; a National Backbone Network was completed in mid-2020, connecting administrative centers across the country; almost all internet connections are made via mobile networks; GSM services account for a dwindling proportion of connections, in line with the greater reach of services based on 3G and LTE. (2022)" + "text": "the number of mobile subscribers grew strongly while revenue also increased steadily; fixed broadband services are still very limited and expensive, though there have been some positive developments in recent years; the landing of the first international submarine cable in 2012, and the setting up of an IXP in mid-2013, increased the bandwidth available to the ISPs, and helped reduce the cost of internet services for end-users; a National Backbone Network was completed in mid-2020, connecting administrative centers across the country; almost all internet connections are made via mobile networks; GSM services account for a dwindling proportion of connections, in line with the greater reach of services based on 3G and LTE (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "there is national coverage and Conakry is reasonably well-served; coverage elsewhere remains inadequate but is improving; fixed-line teledensity is less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership is just over 100 per 100 persons (2019)" diff --git a/africa/iv.json b/africa/iv.json index 324e3034..ecf58230 100644 --- a/africa/iv.json +++ b/africa/iv.json @@ -109,9 +109,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Cote d’Ivoire map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Gulf of Guinea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -238,7 +235,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.6 years (2011/12 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "617 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -658,7 +655,7 @@ "note": "Kenya map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -243,7 +240,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.3 years (2014 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "342 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -644,7 +641,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of chief and deputy chief justices and 5 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1149,7 +1146,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 254; landing point for the EASSy, TEAMS, LION2, DARE1, PEACE Cable, and SEACOM fiber-optic submarine cable systems covering East, North and South Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat; launched first micro satellites in 2018 (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "about a half-dozen large-scale privately owned media companies with TV and radio stations, as well as a state-owned TV broadcaster, provide service nationwide; satellite and cable TV subscription services available; state-owned radio broadcaster operates 2 national radio channels and provides regional and local radio services in multiple languages; many private radio stations broadcast on a national level along with over 100 private and non-profit regional stations broadcasting in local languages; TV transmissions of all major international broadcasters available, mostly via paid subscriptions; direct radio frequency modulation transmissions available for several foreign government-owned broadcasters (2019)" diff --git a/africa/li.json b/africa/li.json index 66133d0b..331e7a62 100644 --- a/africa/li.json +++ b/africa/li.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Liberia map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -226,7 +223,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.1 years (2019/20 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "661 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -617,7 +614,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 4 associate justices); note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction for all constitutional cases" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1095,7 +1092,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 231; landing point for the ACE submarine cable linking 20 West African countries and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "8 private and 1 government-owned TV station; satellite TV service available; 1 state-owned radio station; approximately 20 independent radio stations broadcasting in Monrovia, with approximately 80 more local stations operating in other areas; transmissions of 4 international (including the British Broadcasting Corporation and Radio France Internationale) broadcasters are available (2019)" diff --git a/africa/lt.json b/africa/lt.json index 6e8bd087..337d368c 100644 --- a/africa/lt.json +++ b/africa/lt.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked, an enclave of (completely surrounded by) South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Lesotho map showing major population centers of this landlocked country surrounded by South Africa.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -222,7 +219,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.9 years (2014 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "544 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -610,7 +607,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, such number of justices of appeal as set by Parliament, and the Chief Justice and the puisne judges of the High Court ex officio); High Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of puisne judges as set by Parliament); note - both the Court of Appeal and the High Court have jurisdiction in constitutional issues" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1099,7 +1096,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 266; Internet accessibility has improved with several submarine fiber optic cables that land on African east and west coasts, but the country's land locked position makes access prices expensive; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 state-owned TV station and 2 state-owned radio stations; government controls most private broadcast media; satellite TV subscription service available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters obtainable (2019)" diff --git a/africa/ly.json b/africa/ly.json index 9eb7141b..eca3990c 100644 --- a/africa/ly.json +++ b/africa/ly.json @@ -105,9 +105,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesertLibya map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Mediterranean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -563,7 +560,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Libya's judicial system consists of a supreme court, central high courts (in Tripoli, Benghazi, and Sabha), and a series of lower courts; the judicial system is factious given the ongoing tension between Libya's eastern and western regions; since 2011, Libyan political factions and armed groups have targeted judges and courthouses" } }, @@ -1017,7 +1014,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 218; landing points for LFON, EIG, Italy-Libya, Silphium and Tobrok-Emasaed submarine cable system connecting Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat, Arabsat, and Intersputnik; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-funded and private TV stations; some provinces operate local TV stations; pan-Arab satellite TV stations are available; state-funded radio (2019)" diff --git a/africa/ma.json b/africa/ma.json index 7a7294d2..58c38617 100644 --- a/africa/ma.json +++ b/africa/ma.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel; despite Madagascar’s close proximity to the African continent, ocean currents isolate the island resulting in high rates of endemic plant and animal species; approximately 90% of the flora and fauna on the island are found nowhere else" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Madagascar map showing major cities of this island country in the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -224,7 +221,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.5 years (2021 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "335 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -632,7 +629,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 11 members; addresses judicial administration issues only); High Constitutional Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 9 members); note - the judiciary includes a High Court of Justice responsible for adjudicating crimes and misdemeanors by government officials, including the president" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1109,7 +1106,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 261; landing points for the EASSy, METISS, and LION fiber-optic submarine cable systems connecting to numerous Indian Ocean Islands, South Africa, and Eastern African countries; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-owned Radio Nationale Malagasy (RNM) and Television Malagasy (TVM) have an extensive national network reach; privately owned radio and TV broadcasters in cities and major towns; state-run radio dominates in rural areas; relays of 2 international broadcasters are available in Antananarivo (2019)" diff --git a/africa/mi.json b/africa/mi.json index 23cf7bc3..60aa603f 100644 --- a/africa/mi.json +++ b/africa/mi.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature; it contains more fish species than any other lake on earth" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Malawi map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -231,7 +228,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.1 years (2015/16 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "349 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -642,7 +639,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1124,7 +1121,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "radio is the main broadcast medium; privately owned Zodiak radio has the widest national broadcasting reach, followed by state-run radio; numerous private and community radio stations broadcast in cities and towns around the country; the largest TV network is government-owned, but at least 4 private TV networks broadcast in urban areas; relays of multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)" diff --git a/africa/ml.json b/africa/ml.json index e18532be..47e53ded 100644 --- a/africa/ml.json +++ b/africa/ml.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Mali map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -230,7 +227,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.2 years (2018 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "562 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -656,7 +653,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 19 judges organized into judicial, administrative, and accounting sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -674,7 +671,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador (designate) Sékou BERTHE (since April 2022)" + "text": "Ambassador Sékou BERTHE (since 16 September 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -1138,7 +1135,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 223; satellite communications center and fiber-optic links to neighboring countries; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean) (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "national public TV broadcaster; 2 privately owned companies provide subscription services to foreign multi-channel TV packages; national public radio broadcaster supplemented by a large number of privately owned and community broadcast stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)" diff --git a/africa/mo.json b/africa/mo.json index e138457e..7dd386a5 100644 --- a/africa/mo.json +++ b/africa/mo.json @@ -110,9 +110,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar; the only African nation to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines; the waters off the Atlantic coast are particularly rich fishing areas" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Morocco map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Atlantic Ocean. Note that in 2020 the US recognized Western Sahara as part of Morocco.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -643,7 +640,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of 5-judge panels organized into civil, family matters, commercial, administrative, social, and criminal sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1143,7 +1140,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 212; landing point for the Atlas Offshore, Estepona-Tetouan, Canalink and SEA-ME-WE-3 fiber-optic telecommunications undersea cables that provide connectivity to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Australia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "2 TV broadcast networks with state-run Radio-Television Marocaine (RTM) operating one network and the state partially owning the other; foreign TV broadcasts are available via satellite dish; 3 radio broadcast networks with RTM operating one; the government-owned network includes 10 regional radio channels in addition to its national service (2019)" diff --git a/africa/mp.json b/africa/mp.json index 26079d85..d1587626 100644 --- a/africa/mp.json +++ b/africa/mp.json @@ -97,9 +97,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs; former home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Mauritius map showing major population centers on this island nation in the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -570,7 +567,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Mauritius (consists of the chief justice, a senior puisne judge, and 24 puisne judges); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) serves as the final court of appeal" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1052,7 +1049,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 230; landing points for the SAFE, MARS, IOX Cable System, METISS and LION submarine cable system that provides links to Asia, Africa, Southeast Asia, Indian Ocean Islands of Reunion, Madagascar, and Mauritius; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "the government maintains control over TV broadcasting through the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), which only operates digital TV stations since June 2015; MBC is a shareholder in a local company that operates 2 pay-TV stations; the state retains the largest radio broadcast network with multiple stations; several private radio broadcasters have entered the market since 2001; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2019)" diff --git a/africa/mr.json b/africa/mr.json index 01271c1e..9d139bc2 100644 --- a/africa/mr.json +++ b/africa/mr.json @@ -113,9 +113,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Mauritania is considered both a part of North Africa's Maghreb region and West Africa's Sahel region; most of the population is concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Mauritania map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -240,7 +237,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "21.8 years (2019/21)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "766 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -647,7 +644,7 @@ "note": "note: a referendum held in August 2017 approved a constitutional amendment to change the Parliament structure from bicameral to unicameral by abolishing the Senate and creating Regional Councils for local development" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (subdivided into 7 chambers: 2 civil, 2 labor, 1 commercial, 1 administrative, and 1 criminal, each with a chamber president and 2 councilors ); Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members); High Court of Justice (consists of 9 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1136,7 +1133,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 222; landing point for the ACE submarine cable for connectivity to 19 West African countries and 2 European countries; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "12 TV stations: 6 government-owned and 6 private (the 6th was started in early 2022, owed by the President of Mauritanian Businessmen); in October 2017, the government suspended most private TV stations due to non-payment of broadcasting fees, but they later negotiated payment options with the government and are back since 2019. There are 19 radio broadcasters: 15 government-owned, 4 (Radio Nouakchott Libre, Radio Tenwir, Radio Kobeni and Mauritanid) private; all 4 private radio stations broadcast from Nouakchott; of the 15 government stations, 4 broadcast from Nouakchott (Radio Mauritanie, Radio Jeunesse, Radio Koran and Mauritanid) and the other 12 broadcast from each of the 12 regions outside Nouakchott; Radio Jeunesse and Radio Koran are now also being re-broadcast in all the regions. (2022)" diff --git a/africa/mz.json b/africa/mz.json index bbc33f58..8592de13 100644 --- a/africa/mz.json +++ b/africa/mz.json @@ -109,9 +109,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the Zambezi River flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Mozambique map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -232,7 +229,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.2 years (2011 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "289 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -646,7 +643,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 5 judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 7 judges); note - the Higher Council of the Judiciary Magistracy is responsible for judiciary management and discipline" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1140,7 +1137,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 258; landing points for the EASSy and SEACOM/ Tata TGN-Eurasia fiber-optic submarine cable systems linking numerous east African countries, the Middle East and Asia ; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean); TdM contracts for Itelsat for satellite broadband and bulk haul services (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 state-run TV station supplemented by private TV station; Portuguese state TV's African service, RTP Africa, and Brazilian-owned TV Miramar are available; state-run radio provides nearly 100% territorial coverage and broadcasts in multiple languages; a number of privately owned and community-operated stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)" diff --git a/africa/ng.json b/africa/ng.json index 1057b192..48c0d3a9 100644 --- a/africa/ng.json +++ b/africa/ng.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world; northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Niger map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -229,7 +226,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "18.5 years (2012 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "509 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -650,7 +647,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges); High Court of Justice (consists of 7 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1136,7 +1133,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-run TV station; 3 private TV stations provide a mix of local and foreign programming; state-run radio has only radio station with national coverage; about 30 private radio stations operate locally; as many as 100 community radio stations broadcast; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available" diff --git a/africa/ni.json b/africa/ni.json index 6dad732f..1fd5af45 100644 --- a/africa/ni.json +++ b/africa/ni.json @@ -115,9 +115,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the Niger River enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Nigeria map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Gulf of Guinea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -239,7 +236,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.4 years (2018 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "917 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -661,7 +658,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 15 justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1163,7 +1160,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, NCSCS, MainOne, Glo-1 & 2, ACE, and Equiano fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and South and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "nearly 70 federal government-controlled national and regional TV stations; all 36 states operate TV stations; several private TV stations operational; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; network of federal government-controlled national, regional, and state radio stations; roughly 40 state government-owned radio stations typically carry their own programs except for news broadcasts; about 20 private radio stations; transmissions of international broadcasters are available; digital broadcasting migration process completed in three states in 2018 (2019)" diff --git a/africa/od.json b/africa/od.json index 54950a86..474e8543 100644 --- a/africa/od.json +++ b/africa/od.json @@ -91,9 +91,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; The Sudd is a vast swamp in the north central region of South Sudan, formed by the White Nile, its size is variable but can reach some 15% of the country's total area during the rainy season; it is one of the world's largest wetlands" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "South Sudan map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -556,7 +553,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of South Sudan - pending formation (will likely consist of a chief and deputy chief justices as well as 9 other justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -947,7 +944,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 211 (2017)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "a single TV channel and a radio station are controlled by the government; several community and commercial FM stations are operational, mostly sponsored by outside aid donors; some foreign radio broadcasts are available
(2019)" diff --git a/africa/pu.json b/africa/pu.json index d7df9cf6..d4096a9c 100644 --- a/africa/pu.json +++ b/africa/pu.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying inland" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Guinea-Bissau map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -600,7 +597,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (consists of 9 judges and organized into Civil, Criminal, and Social and Administrative Disputes Chambers); note - the Supreme Court has both appellate and constitutional jurisdiction" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/africa/rw.json b/africa/rw.json index c2281f2a..1441c480 100644 --- a/africa/rw.json +++ b/africa/rw.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; most of the country is intensively cultivated and rugged with the population predominantly rural" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Rwanda map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -232,7 +229,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "23 years (2019/20 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "248 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -624,7 +621,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 15 judges; normally organized into 3-judge panels); High Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and a minimum of 24 judges and organized into 5 chambers)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1104,7 +1101,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 250; international connections employ microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite communications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service); international submarine fiber-optic cables on the African east coast has brought international bandwidth and lessened the dependency on satellites" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "13 TV stations; 35 radio stations registered, including international broadcasters, government owns most popular TV and radio stations; regional satellite-based TV services available" diff --git a/africa/se.json b/africa/se.json index e50dbf36..b5ad2298 100644 --- a/africa/se.json +++ b/africa/se.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the smallest African country in terms of both area and population; the constitution of the Republic of Seychelles lists 155 islands: 42 granitic and 113 coralline; by far the largest island is Mahe, which is home to about 90% of the population and the site of the capital city of Victoria" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Seychelles map showing the major islands and atolls that comprise this country in the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -566,7 +563,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Seychelles Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices); Supreme Court of Seychelles (consists of the chief justice and 9 puisne judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 3 Supreme Court judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1038,7 +1035,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 248; landing points for the PEACE and the SEAS submarine cables providing connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia; direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "the national broadcaster, Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), which is funded by taxpayer money, operates the only terrestrial TV station, which provides local programming and airs broadcasts from international services; a privately owned Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) channel also provides local programming multi-channel cable and satellite TV are available through 2 providers; the national broadcaster operates 1 AM and 1 FM radio station; there are 2 privately operated radio stations; transmissions of 2 international broadcasters are accessible in Victoria
(2019)" diff --git a/africa/sf.json b/africa/sf.json index f46bcaba..3d958b8b 100644 --- a/africa/sf.json +++ b/africa/sf.json @@ -114,9 +114,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Eswatini" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "South Africa map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Indian and South Atlantic Oceans.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -634,7 +631,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Appeals (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 21 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1140,7 +1137,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 27; landing points for the WACS, ACE, SAFE, SAT-3, Equiano, SABR, SAEx1, SAEx2, IOX Cable System, METISS, EASSy, and SEACOM/ Tata TGN-Eurasia fiber-optic submarine cable systems connecting South Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, Asia, South America, Indian Ocean Islands, and the US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 4 TV stations, 3 are free-to-air and 1 is pay TV; e.tv, a private station, is accessible to more than half the population; multiple subscription TV services provide a mix of local and international channels; well-developed mix of public and private radio stations at the national, regional, and local levels; the SABC radio network, state-owned and controlled but nominally independent, operates 18 stations, one for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; more than 100 community-based stations extend coverage to rural areas" diff --git a/africa/sg.json b/africa/sg.json index 8b8cd25e..c3ed87f3 100644 --- a/africa/sg.json +++ b/africa/sg.json @@ -113,9 +113,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Senegal map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -235,7 +232,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "21.9 years (2019 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "315 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -655,7 +652,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the court president and 12 judges and organized into civil and commercial, criminal, administrative, and social chambers); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionel (consists of 7 members, including the court president, vice president, and 5 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1140,7 +1137,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 221; landing points for the ACE, Atlantis-2, MainOne and SAT-3/WASC submarine cables providing connectivity from South Africa, numerous western African countries, Europe and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-run Radiodiffusion Television Senegalaise (RTS) broadcasts TV programs from five cities in Senegal; in most regions of the country, viewers can receive TV programming from at least 7 private broadcasters; a wide range of independent TV programming is available via satellite; RTS operates a national radio network and a number of regional FM stations; at least 7 community radio stations and 18 private-broadcast radio stations are available; transmissions of at least 5 international broadcasters are accessible on FM in Dakar (2019)" diff --git a/africa/sh.json b/africa/sh.json index 2f1650cb..7e0da815 100644 --- a/africa/sh.json +++ b/africa/sh.json @@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown elsewhere in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominent landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha map showing the various islands that comprise this UK territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -436,7 +433,7 @@ "note": "note: the Constitution Order provides for separate Island Councils for both Ascension and Tristan da Cunha" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 2 justices); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice - a nonresident - and NA judges); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -754,7 +751,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code (Saint Helena) - 290, (Ascension Island) - 247; landing point for the SaEx1 submarine cable providing connectivity to South Africa, Brazil, Virginia Beach (US) and islands in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan de Cunha; international direct dialing; satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations - 5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "Saint Helena has no local TV station; 2 local radio stations, one of which is relayed to Ascension Island; satellite TV stations rebroadcast terrestrially; Ascension Island has no local TV station but has 1 local radio station and receives relays of broadcasts from 1 radio station on Saint Helena; broadcasts from the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) are available, as well as TV services for the US military; Tristan da Cunha has 1 local radio station and receives BFBS TV and radio broadcasts" diff --git a/africa/sl.json b/africa/sl.json index 206979c9..8906a3a5 100644 --- a/africa/sl.json +++ b/africa/sl.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Sierra Leone map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -229,7 +226,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.6 years (2019 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "1,120 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -629,7 +626,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Superior Court of Judicature (consists of the Supreme Court - at the apex - with the chief justice and 4 other judges, the Court of Appeal with the chief justice and 7 other judges, and the High Court of Justice with the chief justice and 9 other judges); note – the Judicature has jurisdiction in all civil, criminal, and constitutional matters" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1097,7 +1094,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 232; landing point for the ACE submarine cable linking to South Africa, over 20 western African countries and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 government-owned TV station; 3 private TV stations; a pay-TV service began operations in late 2007; 1 government-owned national radio station; about two-dozen private radio stations primarily clustered in major cities; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available
(2019)" diff --git a/africa/so.json b/africa/so.json index ac401044..4a9a7103 100644 --- a/africa/so.json +++ b/africa/so.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Somalia map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -591,7 +588,7 @@ "note": "note 1: the inaugural House of the People was appointed in September 2012 by clan elders; in 2016 and 2017, the Federal Parliament became bicameral with indirect elections scheduled for 10 October 2016 for the Upper House - renamed 'Senate' and 23 October to 10 November 2016 for the House of the People; while the elections were delayed, they were eventually held in most regions despite voting irregularities; on 27 December 2016, 41 Upper House senators and 242 House of the People Members of Parliament (MP) were sworn inSudan showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Red Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -631,7 +628,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "National Supreme Court (consists of 70 judges organized into panels of 3 judges and includes 4 circuits that operate outside the capital); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 justices including the court president); note - the Constitutional Court resides outside the national judiciary and has not been appointed since the signature of the 2019 Constitutional Declaration" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -649,7 +646,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Charge D’Affaires Ismat Kamil GABBANI (since 14 January 2022)" + "text": "Ambassador Mohamed Abdalla Idris MOHAMED (since 16 September 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -1107,7 +1104,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 249; landing points for the EASSy, FALCON and SAS-1,-2, fiber-optic submarine cable systems linking Africa, the Middle East, Indian Ocean Islands and Asia; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "Following the establishment of Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government in August 2019, government-owned broadcasters became increasingly independent from government and military control. Following the October 2021 military takeover, additional restrictions were imposed on these government-owned broadcasters, which now practice a heightened degree of self-censorship but still operate more independently than in the pre-2019 environment. (2022)" diff --git a/africa/to.json b/africa/to.json index 8266e98a..156da215 100644 --- a/africa/to.json +++ b/africa/to.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Togo map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Bight of Benin.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -225,7 +222,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "25 years (2017 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "396 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -641,7 +638,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into criminal and administrative chambers, each with a chamber president and advisors); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the court president)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1126,7 +1123,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 228; landing point for the WACS submarine cable, linking countries along the west coast of Africa with each other and with Portugal; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 state-owned TV station with multiple transmission sites; five private TV stations broadcast locally; cable TV service is available; state-owned radio network with two stations (in Lome and Kara); several dozen private radio stations and a few community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2019)" diff --git a/africa/tp.json b/africa/tp.json index 5c035326..1daf6ae1 100644 --- a/africa/tp.json +++ b/africa/tp.json @@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the second-smallest African country (after the Seychelles); the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are mountainous" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Sao Tome and Principe map showing the islands that make up this country in the Gulf of Guinea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -215,7 +212,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.4 years (2008/09 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "130 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -607,7 +604,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal Justica (consists of 5 judges); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 5 judges, 3 of whom are from the Supreme Court)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1073,7 +1070,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 239; landing points for the Ultramar GE and ACE submarine cables from South Africa to over 20 West African countries and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 government-owned TV station; 1 government-owned radio station; 3 independent local radio stations authorized in 2005 with 2 operating at the end of 2006; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available" diff --git a/africa/ts.json b/africa/ts.json index 428164fe..457f64fd 100644 --- a/africa/ts.json +++ b/africa/ts.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Tunisia map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Mediterranean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -582,14 +579,14 @@ "text": "note: on 25 July 2021, President SAIED suspended indefinitely the Assembly, and on 30 March 2022 he dissolved the AssemblyTanzania map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -242,7 +239,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.8 years (2015/16 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "524 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -663,7 +660,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal of the United Republic of Tanzania (consists of the chief justice and 14 justices); High Court of the United Republic for Mainland Tanzania (consists of the principal judge and 30 judges organized into commercial, land, and labor courts); High Court of Zanzibar (consists of the chief justice and 10 justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1145,7 +1142,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 255; landing points for the EASSy, SEACOM/Tata TGN-Eurasia, and SEAS fiber-optic submarine cable system linking East Africa with the Middle East; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "according to statistics from the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), Tanzania had 45 television stations as of 2020; 13 of those stations provided national content services (commercially broadcasting free-to-air television); there are 196 radio stations, most operating at the district level, but also including 5 independent nationally broadcasting stations and 1 state-owned national radio station; international broadcasting is available through satellite television which is becoming increasingly widespread; there are 3 major satellite TV providers (2020)" diff --git a/africa/ug.json b/africa/ug.json index f9c8feb5..15d6bb8b 100644 --- a/africa/ug.json +++ b/africa/ug.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers; Lake Victoria, the world's largest tropical lake and the second largest fresh water lake, is shared among three countries: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Uganda map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and Lake Victoria.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -224,7 +221,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.4 years (2016 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "375 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -640,7 +637,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Uganda (consists of the chief justice and at least 6 justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1140,7 +1137,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog and digital links to Kenya and Tanzania" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "public broadcaster, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), operates radio and TV networks; 31 Free-To-Air (FTA) TV stations, 2 digital terrestrial TV stations, 3 cable TV stations, and 5 digital satellite TV stations; 258 operational FM stations" diff --git a/africa/uv.json b/africa/uv.json index 1fbc96d3..39277f46 100644 --- a/africa/uv.json +++ b/africa/uv.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Burkina Faso map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -127,7 +124,7 @@ "text": "Muslim 63.2%, Roman Catholic 24.6%, Protestant 6.9%, traditional/animist 4.2%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.4% (2017-18 est.)" }, "Demographic profile": { - "text": "Burkina Faso has a young age structure – the result of declining mortality combined with steady high fertility – and continues to experience rapid population growth, which is putting increasing pressure on the country’s limited arable land. More than 65% of the population is under the age of 25, and the population is growing at 3% annually. Mortality rates, especially those of infants and children, have decreased because of improved health care, hygiene, and sanitation, but women continue to have an average of almost 6 children. Even if fertility were substantially reduced, today’s large cohort entering their reproductive years would sustain high population growth for the foreseeable future. Only about a third of the population is literate and unemployment is widespread, dampening the economic prospects of Burkina Faso’s large working-age population.
Migration has traditionally been a way of life for Burkinabe, with seasonal migration being replaced by stints of up to two years abroad. Cote d’Ivoire remains the top destination, although it has experienced periods of internal conflict. Under French colonization, Burkina Faso became a main labor source for agricultural and factory work in Cote d’Ivoire. Burkinabe also migrated to Ghana, Mali, and Senegal for work between the world wars. Burkina Faso attracts migrants from Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Mali, who often share common ethnic backgrounds with the Burkinabe. Despite its food shortages and high poverty rate, Burkina Faso has become a destination for refugees in recent years and hosts about 33,500 Malians as of May 2017.
(2018)" + "text": "Burkina Faso has a young age structure – the result of declining mortality combined with steady high fertility – and continues to experience rapid population growth, which is putting increasing pressure on the country’s limited arable land. More than 65% of the population is under the age of 25, and the population is growing at 3% annually. Mortality rates, especially those of infants and children, have decreased because of improved health care, hygiene, and sanitation, but women continue to have an average of almost 6 children. Even if fertility were substantially reduced, today’s large cohort entering their reproductive years would sustain high population growth for the foreseeable future. Only about a third of the population is literate and unemployment is widespread, dampening the economic prospects of Burkina Faso’s large working-age population.
Migration has traditionally been a way of life for Burkinabe, with seasonal migration being replaced by stints of up to two years abroad. Cote d’Ivoire remains the top destination, although it has experienced periods of internal conflict. Under French colonization, Burkina Faso became a main labor source for agricultural and factory work in Cote d’Ivoire. Burkinabe also migrated to Ghana, Mali, and Senegal for work between the world wars. Burkina Faso attracts migrants from Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Mali, who often share common ethnic backgrounds with the Burkinabe. Despite its food shortages and high poverty rate, Burkina Faso has become a destination for refugees in recent years and hosts about 26,000 Malian refugees as of July 2022.
(2018)" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { @@ -222,7 +219,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.4 years (2010 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "320 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -637,7 +634,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (consists of NA judges); Council of State (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of the council president and 9 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1240,20 +1237,21 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 12,000 personnel (7,000 Army; 500 Air Force; 4,500 National Gendarmerie) (2022)" + "text": "approximately 12,000 personnel (7,000 Army; 500 Air Force; 4,500 National Gendarmerie) (2022)", + "note": "note: in 2022, Burkina Faso announced a special recruitment for 3,000 additional soldiers to assist with its fight against terrorist groups operating in the country" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FABF has a mix of foreign-supplied weapons; since 2010, it has received limited amounts of mostly donated second-hand equipment from a variety of countries (2022)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women may serve in supporting roles (2022)" + "text": "18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women may serve in supporting roles (2022)" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "650 (plus about 180 police) Mali (MINUSMA) (May 2022)", "note": "note: Burkina Faso is part of a four (formerly five)-nation anti-jihadist task force known as the G4 Sahel Group, set up in 2014 with Chad, Mali (withdrew in 2022), Mauritania, and Niger; it has committed 550 troops and 100 gendarmes to the force; as of 2020, defense forces from each of the participating states were allowed to pursue terrorist fighters up to 100 km into neighboring countries; the force is backed by France, the UN, and the US" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "including the most recent in October 2022, the military has conducted eight coups since 1960; as of 2022, the military was also actively engaged in combat operations with terrorist groups linked to al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), particularly in the northern and eastern regions; in the north, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida linked militant groups, has exploited ethnic tensions and perceptions of state neglect, as well as grievances over corruption, patronage politics, social stratification, and land disputes; in 2022, JNIM conducted attacks in 10 of the country's 13 provinces; most of the attacks were assessed to be by the Macina Liberation Front (FLM) of the JNIM coalition; the ISIS-Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS) terrorist group operated in the eastern part of the country (2022)" + "text": "including the most recent in October 2022, the military has conducted eight coups since 1960; as of 2022, the military was also actively engaged in combat operations with terrorist groups linked to al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), particularly in the northern and eastern regions; in the north, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida linked militant groups, has exploited ethnic tensions and perceptions of state neglect, as well as grievances over corruption, patronage politics, social stratification, and land disputes; in 2022, JNIM conducted attacks in 10 of the country's 13 provinces; most of the attacks were assessed to be by the Macina Liberation Front (FLM) of the JNIM coalition; the ISIS-Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS) terrorist group operated in the eastern part of the country; in 2022, an estimated 40% of the country was not under government control (2022)" } }, "Terrorism": { diff --git a/africa/wa.json b/africa/wa.json index fdb20959..ea418702 100644 --- a/africa/wa.json +++ b/africa/wa.json @@ -110,9 +110,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the Namib Desert, after which the country is named, is considered to be the oldest desert in the world; Namibia is the first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip; Namib-Naukluft National Park (49,768 sq km), is the largest game park in Africa and one of the largest in the world" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Namibia map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the South Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -234,7 +231,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "21.6 years (2013 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "195 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -630,7 +627,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges in quorum sessions)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1127,7 +1124,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 264; landing points for the ACE and WACS fiber-optic submarine cable linking southern and western African countries to Europe; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 private and 1 state-run TV station; satellite and cable TV service available; state-run radio service broadcasts in multiple languages; about a dozen private radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available" diff --git a/africa/wz.json b/africa/wz.json index e0f0284a..09112396 100644 --- a/africa/wz.json +++ b/africa/wz.json @@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Eswatini map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -599,7 +596,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 4 justices) and the High Court (consists of the chief justice - ex officio - and 4 justices); note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in all constitutional matters" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1070,7 +1067,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Eswatini (or eSwatini) was one of the last countries in the world to open up its telecom market to competition; until 2011 the state-owned Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications also acted as the industry regulator and had a stake in the country’s sole mobile network, in an uneasy partnership with MTN Eswatini; a new independent regulatory authority was established in late 2013 and has since embarked on significant changes to the sector; Eswatini Telecom was provided with a unified license in early 2016, while MTN Eswatini secured spectrum in the 1800MHz band to provide LTE services; Eswatini Mobile has launched GSM, 3G and LTE services, supported by a network sharing agreement with MTN Eswatini; mobile market subscriptions have been affected by the common use among subscribers when they use SIM cards from different networks in order to access cheaper on-net calls; subscriber growth has slowed in recent years, but was expected to have reached 8% in 2021, as people adapted to the changing needs for connectivity caused by the pandemic; the internet sector has been open to competition with a small number of licensed ISPs; DSL services were introduced in 2008, development of the sector has been hampered by the limited fixed-line infrastructure and by a lack of competition in the access and backbone networks; Eswatini is landlocked and so depends on neighboring countries for international bandwidth; this has meant that access pricing is relatively high, and market subscriptions remains relatively low; prices have fallen recently in line with greater bandwidth availability resulting from several new submarine cable systems which have reached the region in recent years; in addition, Paratus in September 2020 completed a terrestrial cable linking Mozambique with Eswatini and South Africa. (2022)" + "text": "Eswatini was one of the last countries in the world to open up its telecom market to competition; until 2011 the state-owned Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications also acted as the industry regulator and had a stake in the country’s sole mobile network; a new independent regulatory authority was established in late 2013 and has since embarked on significant changes to the sector; mobile market subscriptions have been affected by the common use among subscribers when they use SIM cards from different networks in order to access cheaper on-net calls; subscriber growth has slowed in recent years, but was expected to have reached 8% in 2021, as people adapted to the changing needs for connectivity caused by the pandemic; the internet sector has been open to competition with a small number of licensed ISPs; DSL services were introduced in 2008, development of the sector has been hampered by the limited fixed-line infrastructure and by a lack of competition in the access and backbone networks; Eswatini is landlocked and so depends on neighboring countries for international bandwidth; this has meant that access pricing is relatively high, and market subscriptions remains relatively low; prices have fallen recently in line with greater bandwidth availability resulting from several new submarine cable systems which have reached the region in recent years; in September 2020 a terrestrial cable linked Mozambique with Eswatini and South Africa (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "Eswatini has 2 mobile-cellular providers; communication infrastructure has a geographic coverage of about 90% and a rising subscriber base; fixed-line stands at nearly 4 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 94 telephones per 100 persons; telephone system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay (2019)" diff --git a/africa/za.json b/africa/za.json index e2ca9cdd..4b954c16 100644 --- a/africa/za.json +++ b/africa/za.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe; Lake Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border forms the world's largest reservoir by volume (180 cu km; 43 cu mi)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Zambia map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -231,7 +228,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.2 years (2018 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "213 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -634,7 +631,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, deputy chief justice, and at least 11 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 11 judges); note - the Constitutional Court began operation in June 2016" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1133,7 +1130,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 260; multiple providers operate overland fiber optic routes via Zimbabwe/South Africa, Botswana/Namibia and Tanzania provide access to the major undersea cables" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "according to the Independent Broadcast Authority, there are 137 radio stations and 47 television stations in Zambia; out of the 137 radio stations, 133 are private (categorized as either commercial or community radio stations), while 4 are public-owned; state-owned Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) operates 2 television channels and 3 radio stations; ZNBC owns 75% shares in GoTV, 40% in MultiChoice, and 40% in TopStar Communications Company, all of which operate in-country
(2019)" diff --git a/africa/zi.json b/africa/zi.json index a3c673fb..4c021d6e 100644 --- a/africa/zi.json +++ b/africa/zi.json @@ -102,9 +102,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water; Lake Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border forms the world's largest reservoir by volume (180 cu km; 43 cu mi)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Zimbabwe map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -225,7 +222,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.3 years (2015 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "458 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -640,7 +637,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 4 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1121,7 +1118,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 263; fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 5 international digital gateway exchanges" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "government owns all local radio and TV stations; foreign shortwave broadcasts and satellite TV are available to those who can afford antennas and receivers; in rural areas, access to TV broadcasts is extremely limited; analog TV only, no digital service (2017)" diff --git a/antarctica/ay.json b/antarctica/ay.json index e4ea0d6d..aaf10197 100644 --- a/antarctica/ay.json +++ b/antarctica/ay.json @@ -66,9 +66,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent periodMap of Antarctica showing the continent and its major regions (Lands) surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Also shown are two of the US research stations, McMurdo and Amundsen-Scott, not shown is Palmer Station located on the Antarctic Peninsula.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/antarctica/bv.json b/antarctica/bv.json index 20d3fbfd..5ae6875c 100644 --- a/antarctica/bv.json +++ b/antarctica/bv.json @@ -83,9 +83,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "almost entirely covered by glacial ice (93%); declared a nature reserve by Norway; the distance from Bouvet Island to Norway is 12,776 km, which is almost one-third the circumference of the earth" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Bouvet Island map showing the island – a territory of Norway – situated in the South Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/antarctica/fs.json b/antarctica/fs.json index e0ef9064..40314f68 100644 --- a/antarctica/fs.json +++ b/antarctica/fs.json @@ -60,9 +60,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "islands' component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean
Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): atoll is a circular reef atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano;
Europa Island and Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): wildlife sanctuary for seabirds and sea turtles;
Glorioso Island (Iles Eparses): islands and rocks are surrounded by an extensive reef system;
Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones in the western Indian Ocean; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "French Southern and Antarctic Lands map showing the many scattered Indian Ocean islands that make up French territory in the South Pacific Ocean. The French Antarctic claim is not shown.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/antarctica/hm.json b/antarctica/hm.json index 6ca4af67..1c644d7e 100644 --- a/antarctica/hm.json +++ b/antarctica/hm.json @@ -74,9 +74,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Mawson Peak on Heard Island is the highest Australian mountain (at 2,745 meters, it is taller than Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia proper), and one of only two active volcanoes located in Australian territory, the other being McDonald Island; in 1992, McDonald Island broke its dormancy and began erupting; it has erupted several times since, most recently in 2005" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Heard Island and McDonald Islands map shows the position of this Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/aq.json b/australia-oceania/aq.json index af451383..9002a360 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/aq.json +++ b/australia-oceania/aq.json @@ -90,9 +90,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Map of American Samoa showing the islands that together comprise this US territory and its relative location in the South Pacific Ocean; an inset provides detail of the major island of Tutuila with the capital Pago Pago.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -450,7 +447,7 @@ "note": "note: American Samoa elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term as a delegate to the US House of Representatives; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote; election of delegate last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2022); Amata Coleman RADEWAGEN elected delegate; Amata Coleman RADEWAGEN (Republican Party) 83.5%, Oreta CHRICHTON (Democratic Party) 14.4%, Meleagi SUITONU-CHAPMAN (Democratic Party) 2.1%" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "High Court of American Samoa (consists of the chief justice, associate chief justice, and 6 Samoan associate judges and organized into trial, family, drug, and appellate divisions); note - American Samoa has no US federal courts" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/as.json b/australia-oceania/as.json index ffa72592..d9fdec17 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/as.json +++ b/australia-oceania/as.json @@ -119,9 +119,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; the largest country in Oceania, the largest country entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, and the largest country without land bordersAustralia map showing the major cities of the continent as well parts of surrounding seas.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -617,7 +614,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "High Court of Australia (consists of 7 justices, including the chief justice); note - each of the 6 states, 2 territories, and Norfolk Island has a Supreme Court; the High Court is the final appellate court beyond the state and territory supreme courts" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1105,7 +1102,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the Australian telecom market since 2020 has been impacted by the pandemic, which forced many people to school and work from home and thus adopt fixed-line broadband services; internet traffic, both fixed and mobile, increased substantially as a result; in the fixed sector, there is an ongoing migration from copper-based platforms to fiber; NBN Co increased the number of premises migrated from hybrid fiber/copper infrastructure to FttP; by the end of 2023 NBN Co is expected to deliver a 1Gb/s service across 75% of its fixed-line network; the extension of fixed wireless access will mean that up to 120,000 premises currently dependent on satellite broadband will be able to access 5G-based fixed services; the fixed-line market has been falling steadily over the past five years; in the Australian fixed broadband market, there is a dynamic shift among customers to fiber networks; this infrastructure is being built out by NBN Co (also known as nbn), the company responsible for deploying the national broadband network, which is based on a multi-technology mix including VDSL, fibre, HFC, fixed wireless, and satellite; the DSL sector is steadily shrinking as customers are migrated to the NBN, while subscribers on HFC infrastructure will continue to be provided by existing cable within the NBN’s multi-technology mix, with a steady migration to full fiber connectivity; the mobile market is dominated by the three MNOs Telstra, Optus, and TPG Telecom; these offer LTE services on a wholesale basis, thus encouraging growth in the LTE sector, while also deploying services based on 5G; Optus and (since mid-2022) Telstra provide 5G access to their MVNOs. (2022)" + "text": "the Australian telecom market since 2020 has been impacted by the pandemic, which forced many people to school and work from home and thus adopt fixed-line broadband services; internet traffic, both fixed and mobile, increased substantially as a result; in the fixed sector, there is an ongoing migration from copper-based platforms to fiber; the extension of fixed wireless access will mean that up to 120,000 premises currently dependent on satellite broadband will be able to access 5G-based fixed services; the fixed-line market has been falling steadily over the past five years; in the Australian fixed broadband market, there is a dynamic shift among customers to fiber networks; the DSL sector is steadily shrinking while subscribers on HFC infrastructure will continue to be provided by existing cable, with a steady migration to full fiber connectivity (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "roughly 24 per 100 fixed-line and 108 per 100 mobile-cellular; more subscribers to mobile services than there are people; 90% of all mobile device sales are now smartphones, growth in mobile traffic brisk (2020)" @@ -1258,8 +1255,11 @@ "note": "note: the Army includes a Special Operations Command, while the Navy includes a Naval Aviation Force" }, "Military expenditures": { + "Military Expenditures 2022": { + "text": "2% of GDP (2022 est.)" + }, "Military Expenditures 2021": { - "text": "2.1% of GDP (2021 est.)" + "text": "2.1% of GDP (2021)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "2.1% of GDP (2020)" @@ -1269,9 +1269,6 @@ }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "1.9% of GDP (2018) (approximately $29.8 billion)" - }, - "Military Expenditures 2017": { - "text": "2% of GDP (2017) (approximately $29.7 billion)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/at.json b/australia-oceania/at.json index e4ef5570..23f428c4 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/at.json +++ b/australia-oceania/at.json @@ -79,9 +79,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983; Cartier Island Marine Reserve established in 2000" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Ashmore and Cartier Islands map showing the islands and reefs that make up this Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/bp.json b/australia-oceania/bp.json index 135598e3..f1584b61 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/bp.json +++ b/australia-oceania/bp.json @@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; Rennell Island, the southernmost in the Solomon Islands chain, is one of the world’s largest raised coral atolls; the island’s Lake Tegano, formerly a lagoon on the atoll, is the largest lake in the insular Pacific (15,500 hectares)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Solomon Islands map showing the major islands of this archipelagic country in the South Pacific Ocean." } }, "People and Society": { @@ -215,7 +212,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "22.6 years (2015 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "104 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -568,7 +565,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and ex officio members including the High Court chief justice and its puisne judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice and puisne judges, as prescribed by the National Parliament)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -587,7 +584,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Janice Mose KEMAKEZA" + "text": "Ambassador Jane Mugafalu Kabui WAETARA (since 16 September 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "685 Third Avenue, 11th Floor, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10017" @@ -1036,7 +1033,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 677; landing points for the CSCS and ICNS2 submarine cables providing connectivity from Solomon Islands, to PNG, Vanuatu and Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) does not broadcast television; multi-channel pay-TV is available; SIBC operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; there are 2 local commercial radio stations; Radio Australia is available via satellite feed (since 2009) (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/ck.json b/australia-oceania/ck.json index f28551ba..8f11bc60 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/ck.json +++ b/australia-oceania/ck.json @@ -84,9 +84,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: there are 27 coral islands in the group; apart from North Keeling Island, which lies 30 km north of the main group, the islands form a horseshoe-shaped atoll surrounding a lagoon; North Keeling Island was declared a national park in 1995 and is administered by Parks Australia; the population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island; the islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetationCocos (Keeling) Island map showing the Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -328,7 +325,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "under the terms of the Territorial Law Reform Act 1992, Western Australia provides court services as needed for the island including the Supreme Court and subordinate courts (District Court, Magistrate Court, Family Court, Children's Court, and Coroners' Court)" } }, diff --git a/australia-oceania/cq.json b/australia-oceania/cq.json index 3865b264..1ea82b02 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/cq.json +++ b/australia-oceania/cq.json @@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Northern Mariana Islands map showing the major islands of this archipelago in the North Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -457,7 +454,7 @@ "note": "note: the Northern Mariana Islands delegate to the US House of Representatives can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the \"Committee of the Whole House\" but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) (consists of the chief justice and 2 associate justices); US Federal District Court (consists of 1 judge); note - US Federal District Court jurisdiction limited to US federal laws; appeals beyond the CNMI Supreme Court are referred to the US Supreme Court" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -772,7 +769,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 1-670; landing points for the Atisa and Mariana-Guam submarine cables linking Mariana islands to Guam; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 TV broadcast station on Saipan; multi-channel cable TV services are available on Saipan; 9 licensed radio broadcast stations (2009)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/cr.json b/australia-oceania/cr.json index 0d5cec8f..b60264f9 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/cr.json +++ b/australia-oceania/cr.json @@ -75,9 +75,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "important nesting area for birds and turtles" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Coral Sea Islands map showing the Australian territory in the Coral Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/cw.json b/australia-oceania/cw.json index 6f8b16b0..1982b051 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/cw.json +++ b/australia-oceania/cw.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Cook Islands map showing the islands positioned in the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -515,7 +512,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 3 judges of the High Court); High Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 4 judges and organized into civil, criminal, and land divisions); note - appeals beyond the Cook Islands Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/fj.json b/australia-oceania/fj.json index f9a83905..06b8f284 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/fj.json +++ b/australia-oceania/fj.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "consists of 332 islands, approximately 110 of which are inhabited, and more than 500 islets" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Fiji map showing the many islands that make up the country in the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -582,7 +579,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, all justices of the Court of Appeal, and judges appointed specifically as Supreme Court judges); Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, all puisne judges of the High Court, and judges specifically appointed to the Court of Appeal); High Court (chaired by the chief justice and includes a minimum of 10 puisne judges; High Court organized into civil, criminal, family, employment, and tax divisions)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1064,7 +1061,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Fiji is the leading market to watch in terms of both LTE and 5G development in the region; the market boasts relatively sophisticated, advanced digital infrastructure, with telcos’ heavy investment resulting in the country having the highest mobile and internet subscriptions in the Pacific Islands region; LTE, LTE-A, and fiber technologies have received the most investment by the Fijian mobile operators, which include Digicel Fiji, Vodafone Fiji, and Telecom Fiji. Notably, LTE now accounts for the largest share of connections in the mobile segment; concentrating on the more highly populated areas, the operators are preparing for the next growth area of high-speed data; they also have 5G in mind, and are preparing their networks to be 5G-ready, anticipating an easier migration to the technology based on the relatively high LTE subscription rate; the sale of Digicel to Telstra also passed a major hurdle when the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission approved the transaction in March 2022; Fiji presents a challenging geographic environment for infrastructure development due to its population being spread across more than 100 islands; the majority of Fijians live on the two main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu; in July 2018, the two islands were linked by the Savusavu submarine cable system, which provides a more secure link in times of emergency weather events such as the regular tropical cyclones that often cause massive destruction to the area, including destroying essential infrastructure such as electricity and telecommunications equipment; notably, the December 2021 eruption of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai submarine volcano in Tonga damaged the Tonga Cable which connects Fiji, and Tonga blocking the latter off from internet services; cable theft and damage of critical communications infrastructure has also become a concern in Fiji, prompting authorities to establish a joint task force to tackle the issue. (2022)" + "text": "Fiji is the leading market to watch in terms of both LTE and 5G development in the region; the market boasts relatively sophisticated, advanced digital infrastructure, with telcos’ heavy investment resulting in the country having the highest mobile and internet subscriptions in the Pacific Islands region; LTE, LTE-A, and fiber technologies have received the most investment by the Fijian mobile operators, LTE now accounts for the largest share of connections in the mobile segment; concentrating on the more highly populated areas, the operators are preparing for the next growth area of high-speed data; they also have 5G in mind, and are preparing their networks to be 5G-ready, anticipating an easier migration to the technology based on the relatively high LTE subscription rate; the sale of Digicel to Telstra also passed a major hurdle when the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission approved the transaction in March 2022; Fiji presents a challenging geographic environment for infrastructure development due to its population being spread across more than 100 islands; the majority of Fijians live on the two main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu; in July 2018, the two islands were linked by the Savusavu submarine cable system, which provides a more secure link in times of emergency weather events such as the regular tropical cyclones that often cause massive destruction to the area, including destroying essential infrastructure such as electricity and telecommunications equipment; notably, the December 2021 eruption of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai submarine volcano in Tonga damaged the Tonga Cable which connects Fiji, and Tonga blocking the latter off from internet services; cable theft and damage of critical communications infrastructure has also become a concern in Fiji, prompting authorities to establish a joint task force to tackle the issue (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line nearly 9 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 118 per 100 persons (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/fm.json b/australia-oceania/fm.json index 4b679373..db56ceca 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/fm.json +++ b/australia-oceania/fm.json @@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "composed of four major island groups totaling 607 islands" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Federated States of Micronesia map showing the major islands of this archipelagic country in the North Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -534,7 +531,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and not more than 5 associate justices and organized into appellate and criminal divisions)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -929,7 +926,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 691; landing points for the Chuukk-Pohnpei Cable and HANTRU-1 submarine cable system linking the Federated States of Micronesia and the US; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "no TV broadcast stations; each state has a multi-channel cable service with TV transmissions carrying roughly 95% imported programming and 5% local programming; about a half-dozen radio stations (2009)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/fp.json b/australia-oceania/fp.json index f3a64096..23e4681e 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/fp.json +++ b/australia-oceania/fp.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "includes five archipelagoes: four volcanic (Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) and one coral (Archipel des Tuamotu); the Tuamotu Archipelago forms the largest group of atolls in the world - 78 in total, 48 inhabited; Makatea in the Tuamotu Archipelago is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "French Polynesia map showing the many islands that make up the overseas French land in the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -493,7 +490,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (composition NA); note - appeals beyond the French Polynesia Court of Appeal are heard by the Court of Cassation (in Paris)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -902,7 +899,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "French Polynesia has one of the most advanced telecoms infrastructures in the Pacific Islands region; the remoteness of the country with its scattering of 130 islands and atolls has made connectivity vital for its inhabitants; Office des Postes et Télécommunications is the primary provider of domestic telecom services, mobile telephony, and internet services, while its subsidiary, Tahiti Nui Telecommunications, provides international voice services and manages the submarine cable infrastructure; the first submarine cable was deployed in 2010 and since then additional cables have been connected to the islands, vastly improving French Polynesia’s international connectivity; an additional domestic submarine cable, the Natitua Sud, will connect more remote islands by the end of 2022; French Polynesia is also a hub for satellite communications in the region; it hosts one of the up link systems of the Galileo satellite network, the Kacific-1 satellite and the Intelsat satellite network, for example; with improved international connectivity, fixed broadband subscriptions have become the highest in the region; a considerable number of consumers access FttP-based services; with the first data center in French Polynesia on the cards, the quality and price of broadband services is expected to improve as content will be able to be cached locally, reducing costs for consumers; for 2022, fixed broadband subscriptions reached an estimated 22%; about 43% of the country’s mobile connections are on 3G networks, while LTE accounts for 12%; by 2025, LTE is expected to account for more than half of all connections; it is also estimated that 77% of mobile subscribers will have smart phones by 2025. (2022)" + "text": "French Polynesia has one of the most advanced telecoms infrastructures in the Pacific Islands region; the remoteness of the country with its scattering of 130 islands and atolls has made connectivity vital for its inhabitants; the first submarine cable was deployed in 2010 and since then additional cables have been connected to the islands, vastly improving French Polynesia’s international connectivity; an additional domestic submarine cable, the Natitua Sud, will connect more remote islands by the end of 2022; French Polynesia is also a hub for satellite communications in the region; a considerable number of consumers access FttP-based services; with the first data center in French Polynesia on the cards, the quality and price of broadband services is expected to improve as content will be able to be cached locally, reducing costs for consumers; for 2022, fixed broadband subscriptions reached an estimated 22%; about 43% of the country’s mobile connections are on 3G networks, while LTE accounts for 12%; by 2025, LTE is expected to account for more than half of all connections; it is also estimated that 77% of mobile subscribers will have smart phones by 2025 (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line subscriptions nearly 22 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular density is roughly 104 per 100 persons (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/gq.json b/australia-oceania/gq.json index 648dec37..b2b1c2b5 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/gq.json +++ b/australia-oceania/gq.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago and the largest island in Micronesia; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Guam map showing the island and its major population centers in the North Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -471,7 +468,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Guam (consists of 3 justices); note - appeals beyond the Supreme Court of Guam are referred to the US Supreme Court" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -853,7 +850,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Guam’s telecommunications companies provide important services that allow other businesses on island to operate; Guam plays a larger, and growing role, in global telecommunications infrastructure, the submarine fiber optic cables that land on Guam benefit island residents and the local economy; in the Asia-Pacific region the demand for 4G, 5G, and broadband access is rapidly increasing; Echo and Bifrost will support further growth for hundreds of millions of people and millions of businesses; the 11 submarine cables that currently land on Guam, connecting the U.S. to the Asia-Pacific region, are some of the more than 400 cables that are the backbone of global telecommunications, providing nearly all of the world’s internet and phone service. (2021)" + "text": "Guam’s telecommunications companies provide important services that allow other businesses on island to operate; Guam plays a larger, and growing role, in global telecommunications infrastructure, the submarine fiber optic cables that land on Guam benefit island residents and the local economy; in the Asia-Pacific region the demand for 4G, 5G, and broadband access is rapidly increasing; the 11 submarine cables that currently land on Guam, connecting the U.S. to the Asia-Pacific region, are some of the more than 400 cables that are the backbone of global telecommunications, providing nearly all of the world’s internet and phone service (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "three major companies provide both fixed-line and mobile services, as well as access to the Internet; fixed-line subscriptions in 2018 were 42 per 100 and 62 per 100 mobile-cellular subscriptions in 2004 (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/kr.json b/australia-oceania/kr.json index da914823..3313c9d5 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/kr.json +++ b/australia-oceania/kr.json @@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru; Kiribati is the only country in the world to fall into all four hemispheres (northern, southern, eastern, and western)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Kiribati map showing the extent of the three island groups that comprise Kiribati and that straddle both sides of the Equator.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -215,7 +212,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "23.1 years (2009 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "92 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -583,7 +580,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "High Court (consists of a chief justice and other judges as prescribed by the president); note - the High Court has jurisdiction on constitutional issues" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1016,7 +1013,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 686; landing point for the Southern Cross NEXT submarine cable system from Australia, 7 Pacific Ocean island countries to the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "multi-channel TV packages provide access to Australian and US stations; 1 government-operated radio station broadcasts on AM, FM, and shortwave (2017)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/kt.json b/australia-oceania/kt.json index 0716b4b7..9014f62d 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/kt.json +++ b/australia-oceania/kt.json @@ -83,9 +83,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "located along major sea lanes of the Indian Ocean" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Christmas Island map showing the Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -324,7 +321,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "under the terms of the Territorial Law Reform Act 1992, Western Australia provides court services as needed for the island, including the Supreme Court and subordinate courts (District Court, Magistrate Court, Family Court, Children's Court, and Coroners' Court)" } }, diff --git a/australia-oceania/nc.json b/australia-oceania/nc.json index 2dd202b8..d00d9b39 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/nc.json +++ b/australia-oceania/nc.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "New Caledonia map showing the various islands that comprise this French territorial archipelago in the Coral Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -491,7 +488,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal in Noumea or Cour d'Appel; organized into civil, commercial, social, and pre-trial investigation chambers; court bench normally includes the court president and 2 counselors); Administrative Court (number of judges NA); note - final appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (in Paris); final appeals beyond the Administrative Court are referred to the Administrative Court of Appeal (in Paris)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -913,7 +910,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 687; landing points for the Gondwana-1 and Picot-1 providing connectivity via submarine cables around New Caledonia and to Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "the publicly owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which operates in France's overseas departments and territories, broadcasts over the RFO Nouvelle-Calédonie TV and radio stations; a small number of privately owned radio stations also broadcast" diff --git a/australia-oceania/ne.json b/australia-oceania/ne.json index d73c7ccc..9b7a4972 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/ne.json +++ b/australia-oceania/ne.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "one of world's largest coral islands; the only major break in the surrounding coral reef occurs in the central western part of the coast" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Niue map showing some population centers on this island in the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -457,7 +454,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and up to 3 judges); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) is the final appeal court beyond the Niue Court of Appeal" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -772,7 +769,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 683; landing point for the Manatua submarine cable linking Niue to several South Pacific Ocean Islands; expansion of satellite services (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 government-owned TV station with many of the programs supplied by Television New Zealand; 1 government-owned radio station broadcasting in AM and FM (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/nf.json b/australia-oceania/nf.json index c18c539c..65eba5e5 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/nf.json +++ b/australia-oceania/nf.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "most of the 32 km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Norfolk Island map shows a few population centers on this island in the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -386,7 +383,7 @@ "note": "note: following an administrative restructuring of local government, the Legislative Assembly was dissolved on 18 June 2015 and replaced by an interim Norfolk Island Advisory Council effective 1 July 2015; the Advisory Council consisted of 5 members appointed by the Norfolk Island administrator based on nominations from the community; following elections on 28 May 2016, the new Norfolk Island Regional Council (NIRC) commenced operations on 1 July 2016; on 20 December 2020 the NIRC was suspended for three months following a public audit and this suspension was extended on 3 February 2021 for an additional three months pending the outcome of a public inquiry; the council election previously scheduled for 13 March 2021 has been postponed 12 months" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Norfolk Island (consists of the chief justice and several justices); note - appeals beyond the Supreme Court of Norfolk Island are heard by the Federal Court and the High Court of Australia" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -424,7 +421,7 @@ "lyrics/music": { "text": "New Testament/John Prindle SCOTT" }, - "note": "note: the local anthem, whose lyrics consist of the words from Matthew 25:34-36, 40, is also known as \"The Pitcairn Anthem;\" the island does not recognize \"Advance Australia Fair\" (which other Australian territories use); instead \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)" + "note": "note: the local anthem, whose lyrics consist of the words from Matthew 25:34-36, 40, is also known as \"The Pitcairn Anthem;\" the island does not recognize \"Advance Australia Fair\" (which other Australian territories use); instead \"God Save the King\" is official (see United Kingdom)" } }, "Economy": { @@ -518,7 +515,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 672; submarine cable links with Australia and New Zealand; satellite earth station - 1" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 local radio station; broadcasts of several Australian radio and TV stations available via satellite (2009)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/nh.json b/australia-oceania/nh.json index 1984d1d4..8641d24d 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/nh.json +++ b/australia-oceania/nh.json @@ -100,9 +100,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes and there are several underwater volcanoes as well" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Vanuatu map showing the major islands that make up this archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -575,7 +572,7 @@ "note": "note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of culture and language" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of 2 or more judges of the Supreme Court designated by the chief justice); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 puisne judges - 3 local and 3 expatriate)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1035,7 +1032,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 678; landing points for the ICN1 & ICN2 submarine cables providing connectivity to the Solomon Islands and Fiji; cables helped end-users with Internet bandwidth; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 state-owned TV station; multi-channel pay TV is available; state-owned Radio Vanuatu operates 2 radio stations; 2 privately owned radio broadcasters; programming from multiple international broadcasters is available" diff --git a/australia-oceania/nr.json b/australia-oceania/nr.json index 22de13ca..76b5ed9a 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/nr.json +++ b/australia-oceania/nr.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world behind the Holy See (Vatican City) and Monaco; it is the smallest country in the Pacific Ocean, the smallest country outside Europe, the world's smallest island country, and the the world's smallest independent republic; situated just 53 km south of the Equator, Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Nauru map shows some features on this island in the South Pacific Ocean." } }, "People and Society": { @@ -530,7 +527,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and several justices); note - in late 2017, the Nauruan Government revoked the 1976 High Court Appeals Act, which had allowed appeals beyond the Nauruan Supreme Court, and in early 2018, the government formed its own appeals court" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -955,7 +952,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 government-owned TV station broadcasting programs from New Zealand sent via satellite or on videotape; 1 government-owned radio station, broadcasting on AM and FM, utilizes Australian and British programs (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/nz.json b/australia-oceania/nz.json index 7fb2d2a8..d1e78339 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/nz.json +++ b/australia-oceania/nz.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: consists of two main islands and a number of smaller islands; South Island, the larger main island, is the 12th largest island in the world and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps; North Island is the 14th largest island in the world and is not as mountainous, but it is marked by volcanism
note 2: New Zealand lies along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
note 3: almost 90% of the population lives in cities and over three-quarters on North Island; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "New Zealand map showing major cities and islands of this archipelagic country in the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -228,8 +225,7 @@ } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { - "text": "27.8 years (2009 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth" + "text": "27.8 years" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "9 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -590,7 +586,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 5 justices, including the chief justice); note - the Supreme Court in 2004 replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) as the final appeals court" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -608,7 +604,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Rosemary BANKS (since 11 January 2019)" + "text": "Ambassador Bede Gilbert CORRY (since 16 September 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -1087,7 +1083,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 64; landing points for the Southern Cross NEXT, Aqualink, Nelson-Levin, SCCN and Hawaiki submarine cable system providing links to Australia, Fiji, American Samoa, Kiribati, Samo, Tokelau, US and around New Zealand; satellite earth stations - 8 (1 Inmarsat - Pacific Ocean, 7 other) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-owned Television New Zealand operates multiple TV networks and state-owned Radio New Zealand operates 3 radio networks and an external shortwave radio service to the South Pacific region; a small number of national commercial TV and radio stations and many regional commercial television and radio stations are available; cable and satellite TV systems are available, as are a range of streaming services (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/pc.json b/australia-oceania/pc.json index 8514487b..0ba293b9 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/pc.json +++ b/australia-oceania/pc.json @@ -83,9 +83,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Britain's most isolated dependency; only the larger island of Pitcairn is inhabited but it has no port or natural harbor; supplies must be transported by rowed longboat from larger ships stationed offshore" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Pitcairn Islands map showing the scattered islands in the South Pacific Ocean and an inset of Pitcairn Island itself.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -391,7 +388,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Pitcairn Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, 2 judges, and the Supreme Court chief justice, an ex-officio member); Pitcairn Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 2 judges); note - appeals beyond the Pitcairn Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -508,7 +505,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 872; satellite earth station - 1 Inmarsat" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "satellite TV from Fiji-based Sky Pacific offering a wide range of international channels" diff --git a/australia-oceania/ps.json b/australia-oceania/ps.json index 75e1553a..e3449865 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/ps.json +++ b/australia-oceania/ps.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of six island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War II battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous Rock Islands" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Palau map showing the major islands of this archipelagic country in the North Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -554,7 +551,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 3 associate justices organized into appellate trial divisions; the Supreme Court organization also includes the Common Pleas and Land Courts)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -882,7 +879,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 680; landing point for the SEA-US submarine cable linking Palau, Philippines, Micronesia, Indonesia, Hawaii (US), Guam (US) and California (US); satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "no broadcast TV stations; a cable TV network covers the major islands and provides access to 4 local cable stations, rebroadcasts (on a delayed basis) of a number of US stations, as well as access to a number of real-time satellite TV channels; about a half dozen radio stations (1 government-owned) (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/rm.json b/australia-oceania/rm.json index 82f97e60..a17284fc 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/rm.json +++ b/australia-oceania/rm.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the islands of Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein atoll, famous as a World War II battleground, surrounds the world's largest lagoon and is used as a US missile test range; the island city of Ebeye is the second largest settlement in the Marshall Islands, after the capital of Majuro, and one of the most densely populated locations in the Pacific" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Marshall Islands map showing the major islands of this archipelagic country in the North Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -571,7 +568,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 2 associate justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -903,7 +900,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "no TV broadcast station; a cable network is available on Majuro with programming via videotape replay and satellite relays; 4 radio broadcast stations; American Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) provides satellite radio and television service to Kwajalein Atoll (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/tl.json b/australia-oceania/tl.json index b4661126..0ab4d491 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/tl.json +++ b/australia-oceania/tl.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "consists of three atolls (Atafu, Fakaofo, Nukunonu), each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over 3 m above sea level" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Tokelau map shows the three atolls that make up this New Zealand territory in the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -415,7 +412,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (in New Zealand) (consists of the court president and 8 judges sitting in 3- or 5-judge panels, depending on the case)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -581,7 +578,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 690; landing point for the Southern Cross NEXT submarine cable linking Australia, Tokelau, Samoa, Kiribati, Fiji, New Zealand and Los Angeles, CA (USA); radiotelephone service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok); satellite earth stations - 3 (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "Sky TV access for around 30% of the population; each atoll operates a radio service that provides shipping news and weather reports (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/tn.json b/australia-oceania/tn.json index e3cfb2ab..01f6fca0 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/tn.json +++ b/australia-oceania/tn.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the western islands (making up the Tongan Volcanic Arch) are all of volcanic origin; the eastern islands are nonvolcanic and are composed of coral limestone and sand" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Tonga map showing the major islands that make up this archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -215,7 +212,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "24.9 years (2012 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "52 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -594,7 +591,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and a number of judges determined by the monarch); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are brought before the King in Privy Council, the monarch's advisory organ that has both judicial and legislative powers" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1055,7 +1052,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 676; landing point for the Tonga Cable and the TDCE connecting to Fiji and 3 separate Tonga islands; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 state-owned TV station and 3 privately owned TV stations; satellite and cable TV services are available; 1 state-owned and 5 privately owned radio stations; Radio Australia broadcasts available via satellite (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/tv.json b/australia-oceania/tv.json index 5bb71cf6..823eb9a9 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/tv.json +++ b/australia-oceania/tv.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the nine coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Tuvalu map showing the major islands that make up this island group in the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -539,7 +536,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and not less than 3 appeals judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice); appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -879,7 +876,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "no TV stations; many households use satellite dishes to watch foreign TV stations; 1 government-owned radio station, Radio Tuvalu, includes relays of programming from international broadcasters (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/um.json b/australia-oceania/um.json index fcf33628..f8580d05 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/um.json +++ b/australia-oceania/um.json @@ -66,9 +66,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; closed to the public;
Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public;
Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public;
Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a National Wildlife Refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography;
Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island territories; supports a large undisturbed stand of Pisonia beach forest
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "United States Pacific Wildlife Refuges map showing the central Pacific Ocean with seven insets highlighting the many islands that make up the United States Pacific Wildlife Refuges.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/australia-oceania/wf.json b/australia-oceania/wf.json index 942c4457..868f2c1d 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/wf.json +++ b/australia-oceania/wf.json @@ -90,9 +90,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "both island groups have fringing reefs; Wallis contains several prominent crater lakes" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Wallis and Futuna map showing the islands that make up this French overseas collectivity in the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -455,7 +452,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Assizes or Cour d'Assizes (consists of 1 judge; court hears primarily serious criminal cases); note - appeals beyond the Court of Assizes are heard before the Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (in Noumea, New Caledonia)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -672,7 +669,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 681; landing point for the Tui-Samoa submarine cable network connecting Wallis & Futuna, Samoa and Fiji (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "the publicly owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which broadcasts to France's overseas departments, collectivities, and territories, is carried on the RFO Wallis and Fortuna TV and radio stations (2019)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/wq.json b/australia-oceania/wq.json index 73f95ae2..0c818f75 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/wq.json +++ b/australia-oceania/wq.json @@ -77,9 +77,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Wake Island map showing the three component islands and surrounding reef that make up the US territory in the North Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -314,7 +311,7 @@ "general assessment": { "text": "satellite communications; 2 Defense Switched Network circuits off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS); located in the Hawaii area code - 808 (2018)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "American Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) provides satellite radio/TV broadcasts (2018)" diff --git a/australia-oceania/ws.json b/australia-oceania/ws.json index e4ba8a9b..9a7b1e4c 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/ws.json +++ b/australia-oceania/ws.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "occupies an almost central position within Polynesia" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Samoa map showing the islands that comprise this archipelagic country in the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -213,10 +210,6 @@ "text": "1.03 male(s)/female (2022 est.)" } }, - "Mother's mean age at first birth": { - "text": "23.6 years (2009 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" - }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "43 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" }, @@ -585,7 +578,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 2 Supreme Court judges and meets once or twice a year); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and several judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1046,7 +1039,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 685; landing points for the Tui-Samo, Manatua, SAS, and Southern Cross NEXT submarine cables providing connectivity to Samoa, Fiji, Wallis & Futuna, Cook Islands, Niue, French Polynesia, American Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Kiribati, Los Angeles (US), and Tokelau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-owned TV station privatized in 2008; 4 privately owned television broadcast stations; about a half-dozen privately owned radio stations and one state-owned radio station; TV and radio broadcasts of several stations from American Samoa are available (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/aa.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/aa.json index 9b722170..656c26b9 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/aa.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/aa.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Aruba map showing the island situated in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -473,7 +470,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or \"Joint Court of Justice\" (sits as a 3-judge panel); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court in The Hague, Netherlands" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -889,7 +886,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one major casualty may be the region’s second largest telco operator, Digicel; the company filed for bankruptcy in the US in April 2020; it continues to operate in all of its Caribbean markets as it seeks to refinance billions of dollars of debt; the other major telco, regional incumbent Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), is experiencing similar drops in subscriber numbers and revenue; CWC is expanding and enhancing its fixed and mobile networks in many of the countries it serves around the Caribbean, despite many locations being small islands with very small populations; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" + "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "ongoing changes in regulations and competition improving teledensity; approximately 34 per 100 fixed-line and 135 per 100 mobile-cellular (2018)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json index f7b35e47..59ee1861 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/ac.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Antigua and Barbuda map showing the two islands situated in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -522,7 +519,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 assigned to Antigua and Barbuda" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -945,7 +942,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one major casualty may be the region’s second largest telco operator, Digicel; the company filed for bankruptcy in the US in April 2020; it continues to operate in all of its Caribbean markets as it seeks to refinance billions of dollars of debt; the other major telco, regional incumbent Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), is experiencing similar drops in subscriber numbers and revenue; CWC is expanding and enhancing its fixed and mobile networks in many of the countries it serves around the Caribbean, despite many locations being small islands with very small populations; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" + "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line teledensity roughly 25 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is about 193 per 100 persons (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/av.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/av.json index 6a1b239a..3b542a70 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/av.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/av.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Anguilla map showing the major island of Anguilla and its nearby small islands that comprise this UK territory in the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -422,7 +419,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, though none on Anguilla" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -694,7 +691,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one major casualty may be the region’s second largest telco operator, Digicel; the company filed for bankruptcy in the US in April 2020; it continues to operate in all of its Caribbean markets as it seeks to refinance billions of dollars of debt; the other major telco, regional incumbent Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), is experiencing similar drops in subscriber numbers and revenue; CWC is expanding and enhancing its fixed and mobile networks in many of the countries it serves around the Caribbean, despite many locations being small islands with very small populations; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" + "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line teledensity is about 42 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 182 per 100 persons (2018)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/bb.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/bb.json index b8484a6f..a8fa29b9 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/bb.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/bb.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "easternmost Caribbean island" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Barbados map showing the island situated in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -562,7 +559,7 @@ "note": "note: tradition dictates that the election is held within 5 years of the last election, but constitutionally it is 5 years from the first seating of Parliament plus a 90-day grace period" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the High Court with 8 justices) and the Court of Appeal (consists of the High Court chief justice and president of the court and 4 justices; note - in 2005, Barbados acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1031,7 +1028,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one major casualty may be the region’s second largest telco operator, Digicel; the company filed for bankruptcy in the US in April 2020; it continues to operate in all of its Caribbean markets as it seeks to refinance billions of dollars of debt; the other major telco, regional incumbent Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), is experiencing similar drops in subscriber numbers and revenue; CWC is expanding and enhancing its fixed and mobile networks in many of the countries it serves around the Caribbean, despite many locations being small islands with very small populations; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" + "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line teledensity of roughly 45 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density about 115 per 100 persons (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json index afef530c..3e98c97e 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/bf.json @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ }, "Geography": { "Location": { - "text": "chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba" + "text": "chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba; note - although The Bahamas does not border the Caribbean Sea, geopolitically it is often designated as a Caribbean nation" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "24 15 N, 76 00 W" @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "The Bahamas map showing the many islands and cays that make up the country in the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -510,7 +507,7 @@ "note": "note: the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices, organized in 3-member panels); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and a maximum of 11 and a minimum of 2 justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -980,7 +977,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one major casualty may be the region’s second largest telco operator, Digicel; the company filed for bankruptcy in the US in April 2020; it continues to operate in all of its Caribbean markets as it seeks to refinance billions of dollars of debt; the other major telco, regional incumbent Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), is experiencing similar drops in subscriber numbers and revenue; CWC is expanding and enhancing its fixed and mobile networks in many of the countries it serves around the Caribbean, despite many locations being small islands with very small populations; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" + "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "23 per 100 fixed-line, 109 per 100 mobile-cellular (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/bh.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/bh.json index f931d8d8..f81b6be0 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/bh.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/bh.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Belize map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -578,7 +575,7 @@ "note": " " }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with the court president and 3 justices, and the Supreme Court with the chief justice and 10 justices); note - in 2010, Belize acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -651,7 +648,7 @@ "lyrics/music": { "text": "Samuel Alfred HAYNES/Selwyn Walford YOUNG" }, - "note": "note: adopted 1981; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, \"God Save the Queen\" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)" + "note": "note: adopted 1981; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, \"God Save the King\" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)" }, "National heritage": { "total World Heritage Sites": { @@ -1063,7 +1060,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Belize’s fixed-line teledensity and mobile subscriptions remain lower than average for the region, a legacy of insufficient market competition and low investment in telecoms services, exacerbated by lax managerial standards within the incumbent telco Digi; Digi has undertaken significant investment in infrastructure, launching an LTE-A service at the end of 2016 and in mid-2017 completing a submarine cable to Ambergris Caye, enabling it to launch an FttP service in San Pedro; loans secured since 2017 enabled the company to migrate its infrastructure from legacy copper to fiber; BTL invested BZ$93 million dollars to provide high speed broadband to 80% of residences across Belize; the telecom market was liberalized in 2003 yet Digi continues to hold a monopoly in fixed-line services, and it remains the dominant provider of mobile and broadband services; the government has undertaken some measures to improve competition, notably by obliging Digi in mid-2013 to open its networks to VoIP services. (2021)" + "text": "Belize’s fixed-line teledensity and mobile subscriptions remain lower than average for the region, a legacy of insufficient market competition and low investment in telecoms services; the telecom market was liberalized in 2003; the government has undertaken some measures to improve competition and open its networks to VoIP services (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "roughly 5 per 100 fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity of 65 per 100 persons; mobile sector accounting for over 90% of all phone subscriptions (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/bq.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/bq.json index 195f0db6..5de22130 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/bq.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/bq.json @@ -71,9 +71,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock with numerous solution holes (limestone sinkholes) but with enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig trees, scattered cactus" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Navassa Island map shows some features on this island in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/cj.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/cj.json index eeea1310..f56e3d3d 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/cj.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/cj.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "important location between Cuba and Central America" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Cayman Islands map showing the islands that comprise the UK territory in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -460,7 +457,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and at least 2 judges); Grand Court (consists of the court president and at least 2 judges); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -860,7 +857,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one major casualty may be the region’s second largest telco operator, Digicel; the company filed for bankruptcy in the US in April 2020; it continues to operate in all of its Caribbean markets as it seeks to refinance billions of dollars of debt; the other major telco, regional incumbent Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), is experiencing similar drops in subscriber numbers and revenue; CWC is expanding and enhancing its fixed and mobile networks in many of the countries it serves around the Caribbean, despite many locations being small islands with very small populations; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" + "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "introduction of competition in the mobile-cellular market in 2004 boosted subscriptions; nearly 55 per 100 fixed-line and 153 per 100 mobile-cellular (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json index 6220d3ac..eb5c73bf 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/cs.json @@ -102,9 +102,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Costa Rica map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -614,7 +611,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice (consists of 22 judges organized into 3 cassation chambers each with 5 judges and the Constitutional Chamber with 7 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1101,7 +1098,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "in Aug 2021 Liberty Latin America (LLA) completed its acquisition of Telefónica Costa Rica (Movistar) — Costa Rica’s second-largest mobile network operator — for around $505 million; the deal followed on the heels of the failure of Millicom to buy Movistar earlier in the year, at a higher price; LLA’s local unit Cabletica will be able to combine its fixed telecom services with Movistar’s mobile offerings; a rebranding exercise is anticipated in 2022, with the Movistar brand likely to be phased out; the fixed broadband market is one of the few parts of Costa Rica’s telecom sector to experience solid growth in recent years, both in size and revenue; the country’s fiber network expanded by 56% in 2020, reaching about 176,200km; fixed-line broadband traffic volume also increased by more than 30%, year-on-year; other areas of the market have proven relatively lack luster, with slow or even negative growth; ome of this can be attributed to the economic and social impacts of the pandemic, but the fixed-line and mobile sectors have both been struggling to produce decent results since well before the start of the crisis; the rollout of 5G network infrastructure in Costa Rica is unlikely to occur to any scale before 2023, but this may be one of the few remaining areas of opportunity open to investors outside of fixed-line internet and pay TV services. (2021)" + "text": "the fixed broadband market is one of the few parts of Costa Rica’s telecom sector to experience solid growth in recent years, both in size and revenue; the country’s fiber network expanded by 56% in 2020, reaching about 176,200km; fixed-line broadband traffic volume also increased by more than 30%, year-on-year; other areas of the market have proven relatively lack luster, with slow or even negative growth; some of this can be attributed to the economic and social impacts of the pandemic, but the fixed-line and mobile sectors have both been struggling to produce decent results since well before the start of the crisis; the rollout of 5G network infrastructure in Costa Rica is unlikely to occur to any scale before 2023, but this may be one of the few remaining areas of opportunity open to investors outside of fixed-line internet and pay TV services (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "roughly 11 per 100 fixed-line and 148 per 100 mobile-cellular; point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available (2020)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json index d8836288..ec15d930 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/cu.json @@ -102,9 +102,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Cuba map showing the island country in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -612,7 +609,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "People's Supreme Court (consists of court president, vice president, 41 professional justices, and NA lay judges); organization includes the State Council, criminal, civil, administrative, labor, crimes against the state, and military courts)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/do.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/do.json index 2c14dd10..6ef34936 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/do.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/do.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "known as \"The Nature Island of the Caribbean\" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Dominica map showing the island country in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -489,7 +486,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 in Dominica; note - in 2015, Dominica acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in London" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -921,7 +918,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one major casualty may be the region’s second largest telco operator, Digicel; the company filed for bankruptcy in the US in April 2020; it continues to operate in all of its Caribbean markets as it seeks to refinance billions of dollars of debt; the other major telco, regional incumbent Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), is experiencing similar drops in subscriber numbers and revenue; CWC is expanding and enhancing its fixed and mobile networks in many of the countries it serves around the Caribbean, despite many locations being small islands with very small populations; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" + "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line connections continue to decline slowly with only two active operators providing about 4 fixed-line connections per 100 persons; subscribership among the three mobile-cellular providers is about 105 per 100 persons (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/dr.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/dr.json index 34b69e5e..422cb2e3 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/dr.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/dr.json @@ -110,9 +110,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds makes up the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti); the second largest country in the Antilles (after Cuba); geographically diverse with the Caribbean's tallest mountain, Pico Duarte, and lowest elevation and largest lake, Lago Enriquillo" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Dominican Republic map shows the country’s border with Haiti and its position in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -235,7 +232,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.9 years (2013 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "95 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -624,7 +621,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia (consists of a minimum of 16 magistrates); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 13 judges); note - the Constitutional Court was established in 2010 by constitutional amendment" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1112,7 +1109,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the Dominican Republic’s telecom sector continued its solid form throughout 2020 and into 2021, shrugging off the economic turmoil unleashed by the Covid-19 pandemic to maintain a decade-long run of low but positive growth across all areas of the market; the Dominican Republic remains behind most of its counterparts in the Latin American region, especially in terms of fixed-line network coverage; mobile subscriptions are on par with the regional average, but at subscription levels of around 88% there is still ample opportunity for growth; in terms of growth, the standout winner was once again the mobile broadband segment; the market is expected to see close to 8% growth in 2021, building further on the gains it already made in 2020 when lock downs and work-from-home rules encouraged many people to find ways to upgrade their internet access and performance; the limited coverage of fixed-line broadband networks makes mobile the first, if not only, choice for most people in the country. (2021)" + "text": "the Dominican Republic’s telecom sector continued its solid form throughout 2020 and into 2021, shrugging off the economic turmoil unleashed by the Covid-19 pandemic to maintain a decade-long run of low but positive growth across all areas of the market; the Dominican Republic remains behind most of its counterparts in the Latin American region, especially in terms of fixed-line network coverage; mobile subscriptions are on par with the regional average, but at subscription levels of around 88% there is still ample opportunity for growth; in terms of growth, the standout winner was once again the mobile broadband segment; the market is expected to see close to 8% growth in 2021, building further on the gains it already made in 2020 when lock downs and work-from-home rules encouraged many people to find ways to upgrade their internet access and performance; the limited coverage of fixed-line broadband networks makes mobile the first, if not only, choice for most people in the country (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line teledensity is about 11 per 100 persons; multiple providers of mobile-cellular service with a subscribership of nearly 83 per 100 persons (2020)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/es.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/es.json index e851fd10..126effd8 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/es.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/es.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "El Salvador map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -228,7 +225,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.8 years (2008 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "46 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -603,7 +600,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 15 judges, including its president, and 15 substitute judges organized into Constitutional, Civil, Penal, and Administrative Conflict Chambers)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1088,7 +1085,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "El Salvador is the smallest country in central America geographically, it has the fourth largest economy in the region; the country’s telecom sector has been restricted by poor infrastructure and unequal income distribution; there have been organizational delays which have slowed the development of telecom services; El Salvador’s fixed-line teledensity is substantially lower than the Latin American and Caribbean average; there has been a significant drop in the number of fixed lines since 2010, particularly in 2017, largely due to the substitution for mobile-only alternatives; about 94% of all telephony lines in the country are on mobile networks; mobile subscriptions are remarkably high considering El Salvador’s economic indicators, being about a third higher than average for Latin America and the Caribbean; the country was one of the last in the region to provide LTE services, mainly due to the inadequate provision of suitable spectrum; the multi-spectrum auction conducted at the end of 2019 has allowed MNOs to improve the reach and quality of their service offerings; El Salvador’s telecom legislation is one of the more liberal in Latin America, encouraging competition in most areas and permitting foreign investment; there are no regulations which promote wholesale broadband, and thus in the DSL market leader Claro retains a virtual monopoly; the only effective cross-platform competition in the broadband market comes from the few cable operators; there has been some market consolidation in recent years, including Telemóvil’s acquisition of the regional cable TV provider Caribena Cable; in May 2019, the competition authority began assessing the sale of Telefónica El Salvador to América Móvil, which operates in the country under the Claro brand; Telefónica sold the unit in October 2021, though at a considerably reduced price. (2021)" + "text": "El Salvador is the smallest country in central America geographically, it has the fourth largest economy in the region; the country’s telecom sector has been restricted by poor infrastructure and unequal income distribution; there have been organizational delays which have slowed the development of telecom services; El Salvador’s fixed-line teledensity is substantially lower than the Latin American and Caribbean average; there has been a significant drop in the number of fixed lines since 2010, particularly in 2017, largely due to the substitution for mobile-only alternatives; about 94% of all telephony lines in the country are on mobile networks; mobile subscriptions are remarkably high considering El Salvador’s economic indicators, being about a third higher than average for Latin America and the Caribbean; the country was one of the last in the region to provide LTE services, mainly due to the inadequate provision of suitable spectrum; the multi-spectrum auction conducted at the end of 2019 has allowed MNOs to improve the reach and quality of their service offerings; El Salvador’s telecom legislation is one of the more liberal in Latin America, encouraging competition in most areas and permitting foreign investment; there are no regulations which promote wholesale broadband; the only effective cross-platform competition in the broadband market comes from the few cable operators; there has been some market consolidation in recent years (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line services, roughly 14 per 100, has slowed in the face of mobile-cellular competition now at 161 subscribers per 100 inhabitants (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/gj.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/gj.json index 3c034f1b..e1526e97 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/gj.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/gj.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Grenada map showing the islands that make up this country in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -517,7 +514,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "regionally, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 in Grenada; appeals beyond the ECSC in civil and criminal matters are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -963,7 +960,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one major casualty may be the region’s second largest telco operator, Digicel; the company filed for bankruptcy in the US in April 2020; it continues to operate in all of its Caribbean markets as it seeks to refinance billions of dollars of debt; the other major telco, regional incumbent Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), is experiencing similar drops in subscriber numbers and revenue; CWC is expanding and enhancing its fixed and mobile networks in many of the countries it serves around the Caribbean, despite many locations being small islands with very small populations; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" + "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links; 29 per 100 for fixed-line and 102 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/gt.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/gt.json index 62477e93..f23b9df2 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/gt.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/gt.json @@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: despite having both eastern and western coastlines (Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean respectively), there are no natural harbors on the west coast
note 2: Guatemala is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Guatemala map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -233,7 +230,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.6 years (2014/15 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "95 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -613,7 +610,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 13 magistrates, including the court president and organized into 3 chambers); note - the court president also supervises trial judges countrywide; note - the Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitucionalidad of Guatemala resides outside the country's judicial system; its sole purpose is the interpretation of the constitution and to see that the laws and regulations are not superior to the constitution (consists of 5 titular magistrates and 5 substitute magistrates)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1111,7 +1108,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Guatemala’s telecom infrastructure has suffered from years of under investment from state and provincial government; the poor state of fixed-line infrastructure has led to Guatemala having one of the lowest fixed-line teledensities in the region; in many rural regions of the country there is no fixed-line access available, and so mobile services are adopted by necessity; private investment has been supported by government and regulatory efforts, resulting in a steady growth in the number of fixed lines which has supported growth in the fixed broadband segment; delays in launching LTE services left the country lagging behind in the development of mobile broadband and the benefits which it can bring to the country's social and economic growth; two new submarine cables are due for completion by 2022; improved international connectivity should drive further uptake of both fixed and mobile broadband services; key players including Millicom (operating as Tigo Guatemala) and América Móvil are regional and global powerhouses which can tap into expertise and financial resources to bolster their Guatemalan businesses; the acquisition of Telefónica’s Guatemala business by América Móvil in 2019 created a strong competitor to Millicom, which dominates the mobile sector; intense competition among the networks has helped to improve services and lower prices for end-users; given the commercial impetus of networks, insufficient government financial investment has resulted in many regional areas remaining with poor or non-existent services; the country benefits from one of the most open regulatory frameworks, with all telecom sectors having been open to competition since 1996; América Móvil controls about 85.1% of the fixed-lines market through its subsidiaries Claro and Movistar; mobile telephony is the most developed telecom market sector in Guatemala, accounting for 90% of connections in the country; mobile subscriptions are on par with the regional average, though the slower growth in the mobile subscriber base suggests a level of market saturation, with the emphasis among networks being on generating revenue via mobile data services. (2021)" + "text": "Guatemala’s telecom infrastructure has suffered from years of under investment from state and provincial government; the poor state of fixed-line infrastructure has led to Guatemala having one of the lowest fixed-line teledensities in the region; in many rural regions of the country there is no fixed-line access available, and so mobile services are adopted by necessity; private investment has been supported by government and regulatory efforts, resulting in a steady growth in the number of fixed lines which has supported growth in the fixed broadband segment; delays in launching LTE services left the country lagging behind in the development of mobile broadband and the benefits which it can bring to the country's social and economic growth; two new submarine cables are due for completion by 2022; improved international connectivity should drive further uptake of both fixed and mobile broadband services; intense competition among the networks has helped to improve services and lower prices for end-users; given the commercial impetus of networks, insufficient government financial investment has resulted in many regional areas remaining with poor or non-existent services; the country benefits from one of the most open regulatory frameworks, with all telecom sectors having been open to competition since 1996; mobile subscriptions are on par with the regional average, though the slower growth in the mobile subscriber base suggests a level of market saturation, with the emphasis among networks being on generating revenue via mobile data services (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line teledensity roughly 13 per 100 persons; fixed-line investments are concentrating on improving rural connectivity; mobile-cellular teledensity about 114 per 100 persons (2020)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json index 661e986c..14e92322 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/ha.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic); it is the most mountainous nation in the Caribbean" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Haiti map shows the country’s border with the Dominican Republic and its position in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -230,7 +227,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "22.4 years (2016/7 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "480 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -603,7 +600,7 @@ "note": "note: the Chamber of Deputies is currently defunct, and the Senate is only one-third filled (not enough seats for a quorum)" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Cour de cassation (consists of a chief judge and other judges); note 1 - the Cour de cassation currently has no chief judge and only 3 sitting members and is not functional; note 2 - Haiti is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice; Constitutional Court, called for in the 1987 constitution but not yet established; High Court of Justice, for trying high government officials - currently not functional" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1064,7 +1061,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Haiti is in desperate need of maintaining effective communication services to enable it to keep going through the countless natural disasters, the country’s telecoms sector is really only surviving on the back of international goodwill to repair and replace the systems destroyed in the latest upheaval; Haiti’s fixed-line infrastructure is now practically non-existent, having been torn apart by Hurricane Matthew in 2016; what aid and additional investment has been forthcoming has been directed towards mobile solutions; over half of the country can afford a mobile handset or the cost of a monthly subscription; and mobile broadband subscriptions is half of that again – an estimated 28% in 2022; international aid continues to flow in to try and help the country’s telecoms sector recover – the World Bank has released a further $120 million to go on top of the $60 million grant provided after the last major 7.2 earthquake in August 2021. (2022)" + "text": "Haiti is in desperate need of maintaining effective communication services to enable it to keep going through the countless natural disasters, the country’s telecoms sector is really only surviving on the back of international goodwill to repair and replace the systems destroyed in the latest upheaval; Haiti’s fixed-line infrastructure is now practically non-existent, having been torn apart by Hurricane Matthew in 2016; what aid and additional investment has been forthcoming has been directed towards mobile solutions; over half of the country can afford a mobile handset or the cost of a monthly subscription; and mobile broadband subscriptions is half of that again – an estimated 28% in 2022; international aid continues to flow in to try and help the country’s telecoms sector recover – the World Bank has released a further $120 million to go on top of the $60 million grant provided after the last major 7.2 earthquake in August 2021 (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line is less than 1 per 100; mobile-cellular telephone services have expanded greatly in the last decade due to low-cost GSM (Global Systems for Mobile) phones and pay-as-you-go plans; mobile-cellular teledensity is nearly 61 per 100 persons (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/ho.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/ho.json index c898dc59..11d54ef1 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/ho.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/ho.json @@ -109,9 +109,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Honduras map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -237,7 +234,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.3 years (2011/12 est.)", - "note": "note: median age a first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age a first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "65 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -607,7 +604,7 @@ "note": "Honduras is among the poorest countries in Central America and has long been plagued by an unstable political framework which has rendered telecom sector reform difficult; fixed-line teledensity, at only 4.9%, is significantly lower than the Latin American and Caribbean average; poor fixed-line infrastructure has been exacerbated by low investment and topographical difficulties which have made investment in rural areas unattractive or uneconomical; the internet has been slow to develop; DSL and cable modem technologies are available but are relatively expensive, while higher speed services are largely restricted to the major urban centers; the demand for broadband is steadily increasing and there has been some investment in network upgrades to fiber-based infrastructure; these factors have encouraged consumer take-up of mobile services, a sector where there is lively competition supported by international investment; mobile subscriptions are substantially below the regional average; revenue growth from the mobile sector looks promising in coming years as companies invest in their networks, expand their reach and upgrade their capabilities to accommodate mobile broadband services; mobile data as a proportion of overall mobile revenue has increased steadily, though low-end SMS services will continue to account for the bulk of data revenue for some years; political developments during the last few years have not facilitated the much-needed reform of legislation governing the telecoms sector; regulator frees up 3.5GHz fequencies for mobile use; Tigo and Amazon Web Services partner to offer cloud services.
(2021)" + "text": "
Honduras is among the poorest countries in Central America and has long been plagued by an unstable political framework which has rendered telecom sector reform difficult; fixed-line teledensity, at only 4.9%, is significantly lower than the Latin American and Caribbean average; poor fixed-line infrastructure has been exacerbated by low investment and topographical difficulties which have made investment in rural areas unattractive or uneconomical; the internet has been slow to develop; DSL and cable modem technologies are available but are relatively expensive, while higher speed services are largely restricted to the major urban centers; the demand for broadband is steadily increasing and there has been some investment in network upgrades to fiber-based infrastructure; these factors have encouraged consumer take-up of mobile services, a sector where there is lively competition supported by international investment; mobile subscriptions are substantially below the regional average; revenue growth from the mobile sector looks promising in coming years as companies invest in their networks, expand their reach and upgrade their capabilities to accommodate mobile broadband services; mobile data as a proportion of overall mobile revenue has increased steadily, though low-end SMS services will continue to account for the bulk of data revenue for some years; political developments during the last few years have not facilitated the much-needed reform of legislation governing the telecoms sector; regulator frees up 3.5GHz fequencies for mobile use
(2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "private sub-operators allowed to provide fixed lines in order to expand telephone coverage contributing to a fixed-line teledensity of slightly over 5 per 100; mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 70 per 100 persons (2020)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/jm.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/jm.json index da3e8b4d..536398a3 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/jm.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/jm.json @@ -102,9 +102,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "third largest island in the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola); strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Jamaica map showing major population centers of this island nation in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -221,7 +218,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "21.2 years (2008 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "80 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -566,7 +563,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of president of the court and a minimum of 4 judges); Supreme Court (40 judges organized in specialized divisions); note - appeals beyond Jamaica's highest courts are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) rather than to the Caribbean Court of Justice (the appellate court for member states of the Caribbean Community)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1065,7 +1062,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 1-876 and 1-658; landing points for the ALBA-1, CFX-1, Fibralink, East-West, and Cayman-Jamaican Fiber System submarine cables providing connections to South America, parts of the Caribbean, Central America and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "3 free-to-air TV stations, subscription cable services, and roughly 30 radio stations (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/mh.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/mh.json index a9fa328c..68b183fa 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/mh.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/mh.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Montserrat map showing some of the major features of this UK island territory in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -439,7 +436,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 1 assigned to Montserrat; Montserrat is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -825,7 +822,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 1-664; landing point for the ECFS optic submarine cable with links to 14 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "Radio Montserrat, a public radio broadcaster, transmits on 1 station and has a repeater transmission to a second station; repeater transmissions from the GEM Radio Network of Trinidad and Tobago provide another 2 radio stations; cable and satellite TV available (2007)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/nn.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/nn.json index 8be5da91..f3feb221 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/nn.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/nn.json @@ -73,9 +73,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: the northern border is shared with the French overseas collectivity of Saint Martin; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world shared by two self-governing states
note 2: Simpson Bay Lagoon (aka as Simson Bay Lagoon or The Great Pond) is one of the largest inland lagoons in the West Indies; the border between the French and Dutch halves of the island of Saint Martin runs across the center of the lagoon, which is shared by both of the island's entities
Sint Maarten map showing some of the major features of this part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -397,7 +394,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or \"Joint Court of Justice\" (consists of the presiding judge, other members, and their substitutes); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court (in The Hague, Netherlands); note - prior to 2010, the Joint Court of Justice was the Common Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -594,7 +591,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 1-721; landing points for SMPR-1 and the ECFS submarine cables providing connectivity to the Caribbean; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Internet country code": { "text": "
.sx; note - IANA has designated .sx for Sint Maarten, but has not yet assigned it to a sponsoring organization
" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json index 853eeef5..016bbf15 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/nu.json @@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Nicaragua map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -233,7 +230,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.2 years (2011/12 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "198 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -591,7 +588,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 16 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and constitutional chambers)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1093,7 +1090,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 505; landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "multiple terrestrial TV stations, supplemented by cable TV in most urban areas; nearly all are government-owned or affiliated; more than 300 radio stations, both government-affiliated and privately owned (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json index 9d3eb9d2..26f74f56 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/pm.json @@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Panama map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -611,7 +608,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 magistrates and 9 alternates and divided into civil, criminal, administrative, and general business chambers)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -629,7 +626,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Laura CASTRO Grimaldo (since 28 November 2021)" + "text": "Ambassador Ramón Eduardo MARTÍNEZ DE LA GUARDIA (since 16 September 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20007" @@ -1113,7 +1110,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 507; landing points for the PAN-AM, ARCOS, SAC, AURORA, PCCS, PAC, and the MAYA-1 submarine cable systems that together provide links to the US and parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to the Central American Microwave System (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "multiple privately owned TV networks and a government-owned educational TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; more than 100 commercial radio stations (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/rn.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/rn.json index 227fe64e..892f4bd2 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/rn.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/rn.json @@ -61,9 +61,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: the southern border is shared with Sint Maarten, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world shared by two self-governing statesSaint Martin map showing major population centers of this French overseas collectivity in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -495,7 +492,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 590; landing points for the SMPR-1, Southern Caribbean Fiber and the SSCS submarine cables providing connectivity to numerous Caribbean islands (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 local TV station; access to about 20 radio stations, including RFO Guadeloupe radio broadcasts via repeater" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/rq.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/rq.json index 224ac444..6782fc92 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/rq.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/rq.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Puerto Rico map showing major population centers and islands of this US territory in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -508,7 +505,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 8 associate justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -925,7 +922,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 1-787, 939; landing points for the GTMO-PR, AMX-1, BRUSA, GCN, PCCS, SAm-1, Southern Caribbean Fiber, Americas-II, Antillas, ARCOS, SMPR-1, and Taino-Carib submarine cables providing connectivity to the mainland US, Caribbean, Central and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "more than 30 TV stations operating; cable TV subscription services are available; roughly 125 radio stations" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/sc.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/sc.json index 7d1a9f48..2d152a70 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/sc.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/sc.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "smallest country in the Western Hemisphere both in terms of area and population; with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a 3-km-wide channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that of its sister island" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Saint Kitts and Nevis map shows a few of the major features on these two islands in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -533,7 +530,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 assigned to Saint Kitts and Nevis; note - the ECSC in 2003 replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) as the final court of appeal on Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Kitts and Nevis is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -551,7 +548,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Dr. Thelma Patricia PHILLIP-BROWNE (since 28 January 2016)" + "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charge d’Affaires Shanelle Natasha SIMMONDS (since 26 August 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1203 19th St. NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20036" @@ -961,7 +958,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 1-869; landing points for the ECFS, Southern Caribbean Fiber and the SSCS submarine cables providing connectivity for numerous Caribbean Islands (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "the government operates a national TV network that broadcasts on 2 channels; cable subscription services provide access to local and international channels; the government operates a national radio network; a mix of government-owned and privately owned broadcasters operate roughly 15 radio stations (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/st.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/st.json index 115b5fce..a5066da7 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/st.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/st.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Saint Lucia map showing major population centers on this island in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -544,7 +541,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states with 4 on Saint Lucia; Saint Lucia is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1005,7 +1002,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 1-758; landing points for the ECFS and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables providing connectivity to numerous Caribbean islands; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "3 privately owned TV stations; 1 public TV station operating on a cable network; multi-channel cable TV service available; a mix of state-owned and privately owned broadcasters operate nearly 25 radio stations including repeater transmission stations (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/tb.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/tb.json index 5650fca3..4d00fa13 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/tb.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/tb.json @@ -55,9 +55,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "a 1,200-hectare marine nature reserve, the Reserve Naturelle, is made up of five zones around the island that form a network to protect the island's coral reefs, seagrass, and endangered marine species" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Saint Barthelemy map showing the islands of this French overseas collectivity in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -438,7 +435,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 590; landing points for the SSCS and the Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables providing voice and data connectivity to numerous Caribbean Islands (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "2 local TV broadcasters; 5 FM radio channels (2021)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/td.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/td.json index 152fdc30..50a0bc49 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/td.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/td.json @@ -102,9 +102,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Trinidad and Tobago map showing the major population centers of these islands in the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -546,7 +543,7 @@ "note": "note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly (19 seats; 15 assemblymen directly elected by simple majority vote and 4 appointed councilors - 3 on the advice of the chief secretary and 1 on the advice of the minority leader; members serve 4-year terms)" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of the Judicature (consists of a chief justice for both the Court of Appeal with 12 judges and the High Court with 24 judges); note - Trinidad and Tobago can file appeals beyond its Supreme Court to the Caribbean Court of Justice, with final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1009,7 +1006,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 1-868; landing points for the EC Link, ECFS, Southern Caribbean Fiber, SG-SCS and Americas II submarine cable systems provide connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "6 free-to-air TV networks, 2 of which are state-owned; 24 subscription providers (cable and satellite); over 36 radio frequencies (2019)" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/tk.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/tk.json index 22c79feb..f2c52069 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/tk.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/tk.json @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ }, "Geography": { "Location": { - "text": "two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti" + "text": "two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti; note - although the Turks and Caicos Islands do not border the Caribbean Sea, geopolitically they are often designated as being Caribbean" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "21 45 N, 71 35 W" @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "include eight large islands and numerous smaller cays, islets, and reefs; only two of the Caicos Islands and six of the Turks group are inhabited" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Turks and Caicos Islands map showing the major islands that make up this UK territory in the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -450,7 +447,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and other judges, as determined by the governor); Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 2 justices); note - appeals beyond the Supreme Court are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -790,7 +787,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 1-649; landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable providing connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "no local terrestrial TV stations, broadcasts from the Bahamas can be received and multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; government-run radio network operates alongside private broadcasters with a total of about 15 stations" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/uc.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/uc.json index 70fb8bf0..656f59ef 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/uc.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/uc.json @@ -81,9 +81,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Curacao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group in the Lesser Antilles
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Curacao map showing the island country in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -434,7 +431,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or \"Joint Court of Justice\" (sits as a 3-judge panel); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court, in The Hague, Netherlands" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/vc.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/vc.json index 9453a4cf..ab715bcd 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/vc.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/vc.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Saint Vincent and the Grenadines map showing the islands that comprise this archipelagic country in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -520,7 +517,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 assigned to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; note - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -956,7 +953,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 1-784; landing points for the ECFS, CARCIP and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables providing connectivity to US and Caribbean Islands; connectivity also provided by VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "St. Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation operates 1 TV station and 5 repeater stations that provide near total coverage to the multi-island state; multi-channel cable TV service available; a partially government-funded national radio service broadcasts on 1 station and has 2 repeater stations; about a dozen privately owned radio stations and repeater stations" diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/vi.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/vi.json index e23a2d6f..0e626af1 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/vi.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/vi.json @@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "British Virgin Islands map showing the many islands that make up this UK territory in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -444,7 +441,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 3 in the British Virgin Islands" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/central-america-n-caribbean/vq.json b/central-america-n-caribbean/vq.json index d80efcbd..47c27d4c 100644 --- a/central-america-n-caribbean/vq.json +++ b/central-america-n-caribbean/vq.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Virgin Islands map showing the three major islands that make up the US territory in the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -451,7 +448,7 @@ "note": "note: the Virgin Islands to the US House of Representatives can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands (consists of the chief justice and 2 associate justices); note - court established by the US Congress in 2004 and assumed appellate jurisdiction in 2007" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -802,7 +799,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 1-340; landing points for the BSCS, St Thomas-ST Croix System, Southern Caribbean Fiber, Americas II, GCN, MAC, PAN-AM and SAC submarine cable connections to US, the Caribbean, Central and South America; satellite earth stations - NA (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "about a dozen TV broadcast stations including 1 public TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; 24 radio stations" diff --git a/central-asia/kg.json b/central-asia/kg.json index c6f0c1a3..4be01928 100644 --- a/central-asia/kg.json +++ b/central-asia/kg.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range; 94% of the country is 1,000 m above sea level with an average elevation of 2,750 m; many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Kyrgyzstan showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -607,7 +604,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 25 judges); Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (consists of the chairperson, deputy chairperson, and 9 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1097,7 +1094,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 996; connections with other CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States, 9 members post-Soviet Republics in EU) countries by landline or microwave radio relay and with other countries by leased connections with Moscow international gateway switch and by satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intersputnik, 1 Intelsat) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-funded public TV broadcaster KTRK has nationwide coverage; also operates Ala-Too 24 news channel which broadcasts 24/7 and 4 other educational, cultural, and sports channels; ELTR and Channel 5 are state-owned stations with national reach; the switchover to digital TV in 2017 resulted in private TV station growth; approximately 20 stations are struggling to increase their own content up to 50% of airtime, as required by law, instead of rebroadcasting primarily programs from Russian channels or airing unlicensed movies and music; 3 Russian TV stations also broadcast; state-funded radio stations and about 10 significant private radio stations also exist (2019)" diff --git a/central-asia/kz.json b/central-asia/kz.json index 6b8276fd..c07f9a2b 100644 --- a/central-asia/kz.json +++ b/central-asia/kz.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "world's largest landlocked country and one of only two landlocked countries in the world that extends into two continents (the other is Azerbaijan); Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baikonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004, Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Kazakhstan map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Caspian Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -615,7 +612,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of 44 members); Constitutional Council (consists of the chairperson and 6 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1114,7 +1111,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 7; international traffic with other former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay and with other countries by satellite and by the TAE fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "the state owns nearly all radio and TV transmission facilities and operates national TV and radio networks; there are 96 TV channels, many of which are owned by the government, and 4 state-run radio stations; some former state-owned media outlets have been privatized; households with satellite dishes have access to foreign media; a small number of commercial radio stations operate along with state-run radio stations; recent legislation requires all media outlets to register with the government and all TV providers to broadcast in digital format by 2018; broadcasts reach some 99% of the population as well as neighboring countries (2018)" diff --git a/central-asia/rs.json b/central-asia/rs.json index 0686da7c..c62915e0 100644 --- a/central-asia/rs.json +++ b/central-asia/rs.json @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ }, "Geography": { "Location": { - "text": "North Asia bordering the Arctic Ocean, extending from Europe (the portion west of the Urals) to the North Pacific Ocean" + "text": "North Asia bordering the Arctic Ocean, extending from Eastern Europe (the portion west of the Urals) to the North Pacific Ocean" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "60 00 N, 100 00 E" @@ -121,9 +121,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture
note 2: Russia's far east, particularly the Kamchatka Peninsula, lies along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
note 3: Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak; Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, is estimated to hold one fifth of the world's fresh surface water
note 4: Kaliningrad oblast is an exclave annexed from Germany following World War II (it was formerly part of East Prussia); its capital city of Kaliningrad - formerly Koenigsberg - is the only Baltic port in Russia that remains ice free in the winter
Tajikistan map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -599,7 +596,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, deputy chairmen, and 34 judges organized into civil, family, criminal, administrative offense, and military chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of the court chairman, deputy chairman, and 5 judges); High Economic Court (consists of 16 judicial positions)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1079,7 +1076,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 992; linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); 3 satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat and 1 Orbita" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-run TV broadcasters transmit nationally on 9 TV and 10 radio stations, and regionally on 4 stations; 31 independent TV and 20 radio stations broadcast locally and regionally; many households are able to receive Russian and other foreign stations via cable and satellite (2016)" diff --git a/central-asia/tx.json b/central-asia/tx.json index 57639ba3..8877a468 100644 --- a/central-asia/tx.json +++ b/central-asia/tx.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; the western and central low-lying desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Turkmenistan map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Caspian Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -596,7 +593,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Turkmenistan (consists of the court president and 21 associate judges and organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1056,7 +1053,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 993; linked by fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; an exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat (2018)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "broadcast media is government controlled and censored; 7 state-owned TV and 4 state-owned radio networks; satellite dishes and programming provide an alternative to the state-run media; officials sometimes limit access to satellite TV by removing satellite dishes" diff --git a/central-asia/uz.json b/central-asia/uz.json index 50d537a7..eacd693b 100644 --- a/central-asia/uz.json +++ b/central-asia/uz.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Uzbekistan map showing major population centers as well as parts of neighboring countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -583,7 +580,7 @@ "note": "note: all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 67 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and economic sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1067,7 +1064,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 998; linked by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; the country also has a link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; Uzbekistan has supported the national fiber-optic backbone project of Afghanistan since 2008" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "the government controls media; 17 state-owned broadcasters - 13 TV and 4 radio - provide service to virtually the entire country; about 20 privately owned TV stations, overseen by local officials, broadcast to local markets; privately owned TV stations are required to lease transmitters from the government-owned Republic TV and Radio Industry Corporation; in 2019, the Uzbek Agency for Press and Information was reorganized into the Agency of Information and Mass Communications and became part of the Uzbek Presidential Administration with recent appointment of the Uzbek President's elder daughter as it deputy director (2019)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json index 3e63bfac..3dbcfb1d 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json @@ -110,9 +110,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes; the north-south flowing Irrawaddy River is the country's largest and most important commercial waterway" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Burma map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Andaman Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -240,7 +237,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "24.7 years (2015/16 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "250 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -652,7 +649,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of the Union (consists of the chief justice and 7-11 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1289,7 +1286,7 @@ "text": "estimates vary widely, from approximately 300,000 to as many as 400,000 active duty personnel (2022)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { - "text": "the Burmese military inventory is comprised mostly of older Chinese and Russian/Soviet-era equipment with a smaller mix of more modern acquisitions; since 2010, China and Russia have been the leading suppliers of military hardware; Burma has a limited defense industry, including a growing shipbuilding capability (2021)" + "text": "the Burmese military inventory is comprised mostly of older Chinese and Russian/Soviet-era equipment with a smaller mix of more modern acquisitions; since 2010, China and Russia have been the leading suppliers of military hardware; Burma has a limited defense industry, including a growing shipbuilding capability (2022)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-35 years of age (men) and 18-27 years of age (women) for voluntary military service; no conscription (a 2010 law reintroducing conscription has not yet entered into force); 2-year service obligation; male (ages 18-45) and female (ages 18-35) professionals (including doctors, engineers, mechanics) serve up to 3 years; service terms may be stretched to 5 years in an officially declared emergency (2021)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/bx.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/bx.json index 88ec578b..3e4a1fd0 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/bx.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/bx.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; the eastern part, the Temburong district, is an exclave and is almost an enclave within Malaysia" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Brunei map showing major cities and towns as well as neighboring Malaysia and the North China Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -564,7 +561,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and the High Court, each with a chief justice and 2 judges); Sharia Court (consists the Court of Appeals and the High Court); note - Brunei has a dual judicial system of secular and sharia (religious) courts; the Judicial Committee of Privy Council (in London) serves as the final appellate court for civil cases only" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/cb.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/cb.json index 288b6c39..09b367a5 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/cb.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/cb.json @@ -115,9 +115,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap (Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Cambodia map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Gulf of Thailand.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -242,7 +239,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "22.4 years (2014 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "160 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -628,7 +625,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Council (organized into 5- and 9-judge panels and includes a court chief and deputy chief); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); note - in 1997, the Cambodian Government requested UN assistance in establishing trials to prosecute former Khmer Rouge senior leaders for crimes against humanity committed during the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime; the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia (also called the Khmer Rouge Tribunal) was established in 2006 and began hearings for the first case in 2009; court proceedings remain ongoing in 2021" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/ch.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/ch.json index 185d400e..710ac815 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/ch.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/ch.json @@ -121,9 +121,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US) and largest country situated entirely in Asia; Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak above sea levelChina map showing major cities as well as the many bordering East Asian countries and neighboring seas.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -646,7 +643,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme People's Court (consists of over 340 judges, including the chief justice and 13 grand justices organized into a civil committee and tribunals for civil, economic, administrative, complaint and appeal, and communication and transportation cases)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/hk.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/hk.json index ea7accce..c2539722 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/hk.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/hk.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "consists of a mainland area (the New Territories) and more than 200 islands" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Hong Kong map showing major districts of this special administrative region of China that extends into the South China Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -489,7 +486,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 20 non-permanent judges); note - a sitting bench consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 1 non-permanent judge" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -962,7 +959,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Hong Kong’s telecommunications sector continues to stay near the top of world rankings for the industry; it has kept its #1 spot in the Asian region in terms of the maturity of its telecom market – a reflection of the high subscription rates across mobile, mobile broadband, and fixed broadband; fixed-line teledensity in Hong Kong is impressive at over 50%, although it too has started a gradual decline in keeping with most other telecom markets around the world, as consumers slowly transition over to the mobile platform for all of their communication needs; concerns over national security prompted the US Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Defense to prevent the branch line of the newly completed Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) linking Los Angeles with Taiwan from being lit; and ongoing issues with the deployment of Huawei technology inside the core infrastructure of telecom networks (something that has been done extensively in Hong Kong, including in its 5G networks) means that the territory – along with its telecom sector – may become increasingly isolated from the rest of the world; Hong Kong is likely to drop back from its position as a regional and global leader in the telecom market. (2021)" + "text": "Hong Kong’s telecommunications sector continues to stay near the top of world rankings for the industry; it has kept its #1 spot in the Asian region in terms of the maturity of its telecom market – a reflection of the high subscription rates across mobile, mobile broadband, and fixed broadband; fixed-line teledensity in Hong Kong is impressive at over 50%, although it too has started a gradual decline in keeping with most other telecom markets around the world, as consumers slowly transition over to the mobile platform for all of their communication needs; concerns over national security prompted the US Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Defense to prevent the branch line of the newly completed Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) linking Los Angeles with Taiwan from being lit; and ongoing issues with the deployment of Huawei technology inside the core infrastructure of telecom networks (something that has been done extensively in Hong Kong, including in its 5G networks) means that the territory – along with its telecom sector – may become increasingly isolated from the rest of the world; Hong Kong is likely to drop back from its position as a regional and global leader in the telecom market (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network; fixed-line is over 52 per 100 and mobile-cellular is nearly 292 subscriptions per 100 (2020)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/id.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/id.json index 657e9ad0..d3199929 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/id.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/id.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: according to Indonesia's National Coordinating Agency for Survey and Mapping, the total number of islands in the archipelago is 13,466, of which 922 are permanently inhabited (Indonesia is the world's largest country comprised solely of islands); the country straddles the equator and occupies a strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean
note 2: Indonesia is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire; 80% of tsunamis, caused by volcanic or seismic events, occur within the \"Pacific Ring of Fire\"
note 3: despite having the fourth largest population in the world, Indonesia is the most heavily forested region on earth after the Amazon
note 4: two major food crops apparently developed on the island of New Guinea: bananas and sugarcane
Indonesia map showing major cities and islands of this archipelagic country as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -234,7 +231,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "22.4 years (2017 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "177 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -643,7 +640,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (51 judges divided into 8 chambers); Constitutional Court or Mahkamah Konstitusi (consists of 9 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1141,7 +1138,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Indonesia faces more than the usual number of obstacles in terms of enabling widespread access to quality telecommunications services for its population of more than 270 million; the geographical challenges have been further compounded by a variety of social, political, and economic problems over the years that have kept the country’s wealth distributed very thinly; the fixed-line (fiber) and mobile operators have continued to expand and upgrade their networks across the country; Indonesia’s 18,000 islands (many of which, however, are sparsely populated) makes the deployment of fixed-line infrastructure on a broad scale largely impractica; the relatively low subscription rate of 4.6% is also a by-product of years of under-investment by the previously state-owned incumbent Telkom; there has been renewed activity in fiber optic cable, but the bundling of fixed-line telephony with TV and internet services will see the country’s teledensity stabilize; mobile subscriptions have reached more than 130% and is projected to exceed 150% by 2026; with 4G LTE universally available, the major mobile companies have been busy launching 5G services in selected areas; Telkomsel was the first to go live in Jakarta in May 2021, followed by Indosat Ooredoo’s launch in the city of Solo a month later; the rollout of 5G will be hampered by the lack of availability of suitable frequencies; Telkomsel, for example, was forced to launch using limited frequencies in the 2.3-2.4GHz band, which is only supported by a small number of handsets; the 4G had to be reallocated from broadcasting services, and indications are that the same process is going to have to be followed in order to allow the expansion of 5G into its core frequency bands (3.3 to 4.2GHz). (2022)" + "text": "Indonesia faces more than the usual number of obstacles in terms of enabling widespread access to quality telecommunications services for its population of more than 270 million; the geographical challenges have been further compounded by a variety of social, political, and economic problems over the years that have kept the country’s wealth distributed very thinly; the fixed-line (fiber) and mobile operators have continued to expand and upgrade their networks across the country; Indonesia’s 18,000 islands (many of which, however, are sparsely populated) makes the deployment of fixed-line infrastructure on a broad scale difficult; there has been renewed activity in fiber optic cable, but the bundling of fixed-line telephony with TV and internet services will see the country’s teledensity stabilize; mobile subscriptions have reached more than 130% and is projected to exceed 150% by 2026; with 4G LTE universally available, the major mobile companies have been busy launching 5G services in selected areas; the rollout of 5G will be hampered by the lack of availability of suitable frequencies; the 4G had to be reallocated from broadcasting services, and indications are that the same process is going to have to be followed in order to allow the expansion of 5G into its core frequency bands (3.3 to 4.2GHz) (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line subscribership roughly 3 per 100 and mobile-cellular 130 per 100 persons; coverage provided by existing network has been expanded by use of over 200,000 telephone kiosks many located in remote areas; mobile-cellular subscribership growing rapidly (2020)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/ja.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/ja.json index 8dcc1b5d..1efd00f0 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/ja.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/ja.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "
note 1: strategic location in northeast Asia; composed of four main islands - from north: Hokkaido, Honshu (the largest and most populous), Shikoku, and Kyushu (the \"Home Islands\") - and 6,848 smaller islands and islets
note 2: Japan annually records the most earthquakes in the world; it is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Japan map showing major cities and islands of this archipelagic Pacific Ocean country as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -606,7 +603,7 @@ "note": "note: the Diet in June 2017 redrew Japan's electoral district boundaries and reduced from 475 to 465 seats in the House of Representatives; the amended electoral law, which cuts 6 seats in single-seat districts and 4 in multi-seat districts, was reportedly intended to reduce voting disparities between densely and sparsely populated voting districts" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Saiko saibansho (consists of the chief justice and 14 associate justices); note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in constitutional issues" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1106,7 +1103,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 81; numerous submarine cables with landing points for HSCS, JIH, RJCN, APCN-2, JUS, EAC-C2C, PC-1, Tata TGN-Pacific, FLAG North Asia Loop/REACH North Asia Loop, APCN-2, FASTER, SJC, SJC2, Unity/EAC-Pacific, JGA-N, APG, ASE, AJC, JUPITER, MOC, Okinawa Cellular Cable, KJCN, GOKI, KJCN, and SeaMeWE-3, submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa and US; satellite earth stations - 7 Intelsat (Pacific and Indian Oceans), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), 2 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions), and 8 SkyPerfect JSAT (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "a mixture of public and commercial broadcast TV and radio stations; 6 national terrestrial TV networks including 1 public broadcaster; the large number of radio and TV stations available provide a wide range of choices; satellite and cable services provide access to international channels (2019)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json index d918c828..ee60b9c1 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/kn.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "North Korea map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and water bodies.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -557,7 +554,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Central Court (consists of one judge and 2 \"People's Assessors\" or, for some cases, 3 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -960,7 +957,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Russian - Indian Ocean region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "no independent media; radios and TVs are pre-tuned to government stations; 4 government-owned TV stations; the Korean Workers' Party owns and operates the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, and the state-run Voice of Korea operates an external broadcast service; the government prohibits listening to and jams foreign broadcasts (2019)" @@ -1074,8 +1071,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Korean People's Army (KPA): KPA Ground Forces, KPA Navy, KPA Air Force and Air Defense Forces, KPA Strategic Forces (missile forces), KPA Special Forces (special operations forces); Security Guard Command (aka Bodyguard Command); Ministry of Public Security: Border Guards, civil security forces (2021)", - "note": "note 1: the Security Guard Command protects the Kim family, other senior leadership figures, and government facilitiesSouth Korea map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and water bodies.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -600,7 +597,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 13 justices); Constitutional Court (consists of a court head and 8 justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1097,7 +1094,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 82; landing points for EAC-C2C, FEA, SeaMeWe-3, TPE, APCN-2, APG, FLAG North Asia Loop/REACH North Asia Loop, KJCN, NCP, and SJC2 submarine cables providing links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia and US; satellite earth stations - 66 (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "multiple national TV networks with 2 of the 3 largest networks publicly operated; the largest privately owned network, Seoul Broadcasting Service (SBS), has ties with other commercial TV networks; cable and satellite TV subscription services available; publicly operated radio broadcast networks and many privately owned radio broadcasting networks, each with multiple affiliates, and independent local stations" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/la.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/la.json index 5e835479..80e073ed 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/la.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/la.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Laos map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -616,7 +613,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "People's Supreme Court (consists of the court president and organized into criminal, civil, administrative, commercial, family, and juvenile chambers, each with a vice president and several judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1107,7 +1104,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and a second to be developed by China" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "6 TV stations operating out of Vientiane - 3 government-operated and the others commercial; 17 provincial stations operating with nearly all programming relayed via satellite from the government-operated stations in Vientiane; Chinese and Vietnamese programming relayed via satellite from Lao National TV; broadcasts available from stations in Thailand and Vietnam in border areas; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems provide access to a wide range of foreign stations; state-controlled radio with state-operated Lao National Radio (LNR) broadcasting on 5 frequencies - 1 AM, 1 SW, and 3 FM; LNR's AM and FM programs are relayed via satellite constituting a large part of the programming schedules of the provincial radio stations; Thai radio broadcasts available in border areas and transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are also accessible" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/mc.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/mc.json index eb78f27e..da39b346 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/mc.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/mc.json @@ -78,9 +78,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring 5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands of Coloane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland peninsula by three bridges" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Macau map showing major districts of this special administrative region of China that extends into the South China Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -435,7 +432,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Final Appeal of Macau Special Administrative Region (consists of the court president and 2 associate justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -897,7 +894,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 853; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Africa, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe; HF radiotelephone communication facility; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "local government dominates broadcast media; 2 television stations operated by the government with one broadcasting in Portuguese and the other in Cantonese and Mandarin; 1 cable TV and 4 satellite TV services available; 3 radio stations broadcasting, of which 2 are government-operated (2019)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/mg.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/mg.json index ab22a6d3..6f738180 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/mg.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/mg.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Mongolia map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries – Russia to the north and China to the south.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -229,7 +226,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.5 years (2008 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-24" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-24" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "45 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -613,7 +610,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the Chief Justice and 24 judges organized into civil, criminal, and administrative chambers); Constitutional Court or Tsets (consists of the chairman and 8 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1110,7 +1107,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 976; satellite earth stations - 7 (2016)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "following a law passed in 2005, Mongolia's state-run radio and TV provider converted to a public service provider; also available are 68 radio and 160 TV stations, including multi-channel satellite and cable TV providers; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/my.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/my.json index 0619106f..fb77de53 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/my.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/my.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Malaysia map showing the major cities of the two main parts of the country along the South China Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -613,7 +610,7 @@ "note": "note: as of May 2022, seats by party/coalition - PH 90, PN 50, BN 42, GPS 18, WARISAN 7, PEJUANG 4, PBM 3, PSB 1, MUDA 1, independent 4, vacant 2" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Federal Court (consists of the chief justice, president of the Court of Appeal, chief justice of the High Court of Malaya, chief judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak, 8 judges, and 1 \"additional\" judge); note - Malaysia has a dual judicial hierarchy of civil and religious (sharia) courts" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1112,7 +1109,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 60; landing points for BBG, FEA, SAFE, SeaMeWe-3 & 4 & 5, AAE-1, JASUKA, BDM, Dumai-Melaka Cable System, BRCS, ACE, AAG, East-West Submarine Cable System, SEAX-1, SKR1M, APCN-2, APG, BtoBe, BaSICS, and Labuan-Brunei Submarine and MCT submarine cables providing connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean); launch of Kacific-1 satellite in 2019 (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-owned TV broadcaster operates 2 TV networks with relays throughout the country, and the leading private commercial media group operates 4 TV stations with numerous relays throughout the country; satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio broadcaster operates multiple national networks, as well as regional and local stations; many private commercial radio broadcasters and some subscription satellite radio services are available; about 55 radio stations overall (2019)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/pf.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/pf.json index fd1b2e73..88da778f 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/pf.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/pf.json @@ -72,9 +72,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Paracel Islands map showing the major islands of this archipelago in the South China Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/pg.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/pg.json index 9f8e3dbd..7031fc0f 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/pg.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/pg.json @@ -67,9 +67,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Spratly Islands map showing the major islands and reefs of this archipelago in the South China Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json index d7d06080..9feac759 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/pp.json @@ -105,9 +105,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; generally east-west trending highlands break up New Guinea into diverse ecoregions; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast
note 2: two major food crops apparently developed on the island of New Guinea: bananas and sugarcane
note 3: Papua New Guinea is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Papua New Guinea map showing major cities and islands of this archipelagic Pacific Ocean country as well as parts of neighboring countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -226,7 +223,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "21.9 years (2016/18)", - "note": "note: median age a first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age a first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "145 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -607,7 +604,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, deputy chief justice, 35 justices, and 5 acting justices); National Courts (consists of 13 courts located in the provincial capitals, with a total of 19 resident judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1077,7 +1074,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 675; landing points for the Kumul Domestic Submarine Cable System, PNG-LNG, APNG-2, CSCS and the PPC-1 submarine cables to Australia, Guam, PNG and Solomon Islands; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "4 TV stations: 1 commercial station operating since 1987, 1 state-run station launched in 2008, 1 digital free-to-view network launched in 2014, and 1 satellite network Click TV (PNGTV) launched in 2015; the state-run National Broadcasting Corporation operates 3 radio networks with multiple repeaters and about 20 provincial stations; several commercial radio stations with multiple transmission points as well as several community stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are accessible (2018)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json index 0b9a9509..308c8872 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/rp.json @@ -103,9 +103,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: for decades, the Philippine archipelago was reported as having 7,107 islands; in 2016, the national mapping authority reported that hundreds of new islands had been discovered and increased the number of islands to 7,641 - though not all of the new islands have been verified; the country is favorably located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main water bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, and Luzon Strait
note 2: Philippines is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
note 3: the Philippines sits astride the Pacific typhoon belt and an average of 9 typhoons make landfall on the islands each year - with about 5 of these being destructive; the country is the most exposed in the world to tropical storms
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Philippines map showing the major islands of this archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -230,7 +227,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "23.5 years (2017 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "121 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -633,7 +630,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 14 associate justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1136,7 +1133,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 63; landing points for the NDTN, TGN-IA, AAG, PLCN, EAC-02C, DFON, SJC, APCN-2, SeaMeWe, Boracay-Palawan Submarine Cable System, Palawa-Illoilo Cable System, NDTN, SEA-US, SSSFOIP, ASE and JUPITAR submarine cables that together provide connectivity to the US, Southeast Asia, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Australia (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "multiple national private TV and radio networks; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; more than 400 TV stations; about 1,500 cable TV providers with more than 2 million subscribers, and some 1,400 radio stations; the Philippines adopted Japan’s Integrated Service Digital Broadcast – Terrestrial standard for digital terrestrial television in November 2013 and is scheduled to complete the switch from analog to digital broadcasting by the end of 2023 (2019)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json index 4642d8c9..a7548915 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/sn.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes; consists of about 60 islands, by far the largest of which is Pulau Ujong; land reclamation has removed many former islands and created a number of new ones" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Singapore map showing major districts of this city-state surrounded by Malaysia and the Singapore Strait.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -220,7 +217,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "30.5 years (2015 est.)", - "note": "median age" + "note": "note: data represents median age" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "8 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -581,7 +578,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (although the number of judges varies - as of April 2019, the court totaled 20 judges, 7 judicial commissioners, 4 judges of appeal, and 16 international judges); the court is organized into an upper tier Appeal Court and a lower tier High Court" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1085,7 +1082,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 65; landing points for INDIGO-West, SeaMeWe -3,-4,-5, SIGMAR, SJC, i2icn, PGASCOM, BSCS, IGG, B3JS, SAEx2, APCN-2, APG, ASC, SEAX-1, ASE, EAC-C2C, Matrix Cable System and SJC2 submarine cables providing links throughout Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3, Bukit Timah, Seletar, and Sentosa; supplemented by VSAT coverage (2019 )" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state controls broadcast media; 6 domestic TV stations operated by MediaCorp which is wholly owned by a state investment company; broadcasts from Malaysian and Indonesian stations available; satellite dishes banned; multi-channel cable TV services available; a total of 19 domestic radio stations broadcasting, with MediaCorp operating 11, Singapore Press Holdings, also government-linked, another 5, 2 controlled by the Singapore Armed Forces Reservists Association and one owned by BBC Radio; Malaysian and Indonesian radio stations are available as is BBC; a number of Internet service radio stations are also available (2019)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/th.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/th.json index 72a028e3..50795882 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/th.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/th.json @@ -112,9 +112,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore; ideas for the construction of a canal across the Kra Isthmus that would create a bypass to the Strait of Malacca and shorten shipping times around Asia continue to be discussed" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Thailand map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Gulf of Thailand.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -640,7 +637,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the court president, 6 vice presidents, 60-70 judges, and organized into 10 divisions); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 8 judges); Supreme Administrative Court (number of judges determined by Judicial Commission of the Administrative Courts)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1141,7 +1138,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 66; landing points for the AAE-1, FEA, SeaMeWe-3,-4, APG, SJC2, TIS, MCT and AAG submarine cable systems providing links throughout Asia, Australia, Africa, Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "26 digital TV stations in Bangkok broadcast nationally, 6 terrestrial TV stations in Bangkok broadcast nationally via relay stations - 2 of the stations are owned by the military, the other 4 are government-owned or controlled, leased to private enterprise, and all are required to broadcast government-produced news programs twice a day; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services are available; radio frequencies have been allotted for more than 500 government and commercial radio stations; many small community radio stations operate with low-power transmitters (2017)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/tt.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/tt.json index bf709427..a84a82ed 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/tt.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/tt.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Timor comes from the Malay word for \"east\"; the island of Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands; the district of Oecussi is an exclave separated from Timor-Leste proper by Indonesia; Timor-Leste has the unique distinction of being the only Asian country located completely in the Southern Hemisphere" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Timor Leste map showing the major population centers of this country on the eastern end of the island of Timor in the Timor Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -221,7 +218,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "23 years (2016 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "142 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -598,7 +595,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeals (consists of the court president and NA judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1061,7 +1058,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 670; international service is available; partnership with Australia telecom companies for potential deployment of a submarine fiber-optic link (NWCS); geostationary earth orbit satellite" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "7 TV stations (3 nationwide satellite coverage; 2 terrestrial coverage, mostly in Dili; 2 cable) and 21 radio stations (3 nationwide coverage) (2019)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json index 32c337ee..68d801ba 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/tw.json @@ -90,9 +90,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Taiwan map showing major cities of this island in the Western Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -461,7 +458,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and approximately 100 judges organized into 8 civil and 12 criminal divisions, each with a division chief justice and 4 associate justices); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 13 justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -925,7 +922,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 886; landing points for the EAC-C2C, APCN-2, FASTER, SJC2, TSE-1, TPE, APG, SeaMeWe-3, FLAG North Asia Loop/REACH North Asia Loop, HKA, NCP, and PLCN submarine fiber cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "5 nationwide television networks operating roughly 22 TV stations; more than 300 satellite TV channels are available; about 60% of households utilize multi-channel cable TV; 99.9% of households subscribe to digital cable TV; national and regional radio networks with about 171 radio stations (2019)" diff --git a/east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json b/east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json index 8574b200..d48f5677 100644 --- a/east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json +++ b/east-n-southeast-asia/vm.json @@ -110,9 +110,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest pointVietnam map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and adjacent water bodies.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -617,7 +614,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme People's Court (consists of the chief justice and 13 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1118,7 +1115,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 84; landing points for the SeaMeWe-3, APG, SJC2, AAE-1, AAG and the TGN-IA submarine cable system providing connectivity to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "government controls all broadcast media exercising oversight through the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC); government-controlled national TV provider, Vietnam Television (VTV), operates a network of several channels with regional broadcasting centers; programming is relayed nationwide via a network of provincial and municipal TV stations; law limits access to satellite TV but many households are able to access foreign programming via home satellite equipment; government-controlled Voice of Vietnam, the national radio broadcaster, broadcasts on several channels and is repeated on AM, FM, and shortwave stations throughout Vietnam (2018)" diff --git a/europe/al.json b/europe/al.json index d9d53afb..748dc9e4 100644 --- a/europe/al.json +++ b/europe/al.json @@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Albania map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Adriatic Sea." } }, "People and Society": { @@ -611,7 +608,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 19 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/europe/an.json b/europe/an.json index 6d9db7ab..0f0ce8be 100644 --- a/europe/an.json +++ b/europe/an.json @@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Andorra map showing major towns as well as parts of neighboring France and Spain.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -527,7 +524,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or Tribunal Superior de la Justicia d'Andorra (consists of the court president and 8 judges organized into civil, criminal, and administrative chambers); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 4 magistrates)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/europe/au.json b/europe/au.json index 4994d8a6..550ad361 100644 --- a/europe/au.json +++ b/europe/au.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhereAustria map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -573,7 +570,7 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017)" + "text": "President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017); note - President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN was re-elected to a second six year term on 9 October 2022" }, "head of government": { "text": "Chancellor Karl NEHAMMER (since 6 December 2021); note - Chancellor Alexander SCHALLENBERG resigned on 2 December 2021" @@ -600,7 +597,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice or Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 85 judges organized into 17 senates or panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof (consists of 20 judges including 6 substitutes; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 2 judges plus other members depending on the importance of the case)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1092,7 +1089,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "mature telecom market, dominated by Telekom Austria, Magenta Telekom (formed from the merger of T-Mobile Austria and the cableco UPC Austria), and 3 Austria; the mobile market benefits from a growing number of Mobile Virtual Network Operators; the telcos as well as the government and regulator have been focused on delivering improved telecom infrastructure; the government has a program to provide a national gigabit service by 2030, delivered by private enterprise though with some state funding; this is based on fiber networks supported by 5G, with the Mobile Network Operators able to expand the reach of their 5G services following auctions held in March 2019 and September 2020; the fixed-line broadband market is still dominated by the DSL sector, while the cable broadband sector has held a steady share of connections in recent years; the fiber sector was slow to develop, and although fiber remains low there are plans to build out the network infrastructure; by February 2021, A1 Telekom’s fibre network reached more than 2.3 million premises; Magenta Telekom continues to invest in DOCSIS3.1 technology, and by mid-2021 about a third of premises (some 1.4 million) nationally could access the company’s gigabit service. (2021)" + "text": "mature telecom market; the mobile market benefits from a growing number of Mobile Virtual Network Operators; the telcos as well as the government and regulator have been focused on delivering improved telecom infrastructure; the government has a program to provide a national gigabit service by 2030, delivered by private enterprise though with some state funding; this is based on fiber networks supported by 5G, with the Mobile Network Operators able to expand the reach of their 5G services following auctions held in March 2019 and September 2020; the fixed-line broadband market is still dominated by the DSL sector, while the cable broadband sector has held a steady share of connections in recent years; the fiber sector was slow to develop, and although fiber remains low there are plans to build out the network infrastructure (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "developed and efficient; 42 per 100 fixed-line for households, 174 per 100 for companies; roughly 119 per 100 mobile-cellular; broadband: 138 per 100 on smartphones; roughly 29 per 100 fixed broadband and 107 per 100 mobile broadband (2020)" @@ -1274,7 +1271,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "57,887 (Syria), 41,037 (Afghanistan), 9,661 (Iraq), 8,212 (Somalia), 7,046 (Iran), 7,003 (Russia) (mid-year 2021); 83,684 (Ukraine) (as of 10 October 2022)" + "text": "57,887 (Syria), 41,037 (Afghanistan), 9,661 (Iraq), 8,212 (Somalia), 7,046 (Iran), 7,003 (Russia) (mid-year 2021); 84,076 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "3,229 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/ax.json b/europe/ax.json index ea8ed116..29dd0c03 100644 --- a/europe/ax.json +++ b/europe/ax.json @@ -39,9 +39,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area (SBA) land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Akrotiri map showing the UK Sovereign Base Area as well as the adjacent part of south Cyprus." } }, "People and Society": { @@ -198,7 +195,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Senior Judges' Court (consists of several visiting judges from England and Wales)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/europe/be.json b/europe/be.json index 3e83f36b..4c17071a 100644 --- a/europe/be.json +++ b/europe/be.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals are within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the EU and NATO" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Belgium map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -591,7 +588,7 @@ "note": "note: the 1993 constitutional revision that further devolved Belgium into a federal state created three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six governments, each with its own legislative assembly; changes above occurred since the sixth state reform" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Constitutional Court or Grondwettelijk Hof (in Dutch) and Cour Constitutionelle (in French) (consists of 12 judges - 6 Dutch-speaking and 6 French-speaking); Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) and Cour de Cassation (in French) (court organized into 3 chambers: civil and commercial; criminal; social, fiscal, and armed forces; each chamber includes a Dutch division and a French division, each with a chairperson and 5-6 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1080,7 +1077,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Belgium’s mobile market is served by the three network operators Proximus, Orange Belgium, and BASE, and by a good number of Mobile Virtual Network Operators; mobile networks have been upgraded to support growing mobile data use among subscribers, with near-comprehensive LTE coverage; operators have also trialed 5G in preparation for launching services; the auction of 5G-suitable spectrum has been delayed to the beginning of 2022, while the onerous restrictions on radiation have meant that some 5G trials have been suspended; there is effective competition in Belgium between the DSL and cable platforms, while in recent years government support has also encouraged investment in fiber networks; Telenet, supported by its parent Liberty Global, has extended the reach of services based on the DOCSIS3.1 standard, while Proximus also has extensive fiber/Very high-speed digital subscriber line and FttP deployments and is currently investing in $2.9 billion 'Fiber for Belgium' program through 2027; in a bid to encourage investment in under served areas, the regulator in 2018 amended the conditions by which market players grant wholesale access to copper and fiber infrastructure; in May 2019 it opened a further consultation on cost models for access to the networks of cablecos and those of Proximus’s fiber infrastructure. (2021)" + "text": "mobile networks have been upgraded to support growing mobile data use among subscribers, with near-comprehensive LTE coverage; operators have also trialed 5G in preparation for launching services; the auction of 5G-suitable spectrum has been delayed to the beginning of 2022, while the onerous restrictions on radiation have meant that some 5G trials have been suspended; there is effective competition in Belgium between the DSL and cable platforms, while in recent years government support has also encouraged investment in fiber networks; in a bid to encourage investment in under served areas, the regulator in 2018 amended the conditions by which market players grant wholesale access to copper and fiber infrastructure; in May 2019 it opened a further consultation on cost models for access to the networks of cablecos and those of Proximus’s fiber infrastructure. (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "about 31 per 100 fixed-line and 99 per 100 mobile-cellular; nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network (2020)" @@ -1264,7 +1261,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "18,493 (Syria), 5,094 (Iraq) (2020); 57,423 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "18,493 (Syria), 5,094 (Iraq) (2020); 58,019 (Ukraine) (as of 17 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "1,159 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/bk.json b/europe/bk.json index da9432ab..94812e0f 100644 --- a/europe/bk.json +++ b/europe/bk.json @@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Montenegro, and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Bosnia and Herzegovina map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Adriatic Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -590,7 +587,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); Court of BiH (consists of 44 national judges and 7 international judges organized into 3 divisions - Administrative, Appellate, and Criminal, which includes a War Crimes Chamber)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1078,7 +1075,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom market has been liberalized and a regulatory framework created based on the EU’s regulatory framework for communications; although Bosnia-Herzegovina remains an EU candidate country, in July 2017 it applied amended mobile roaming charges to fit in with changes introduced across the Union; further roaming agreements were made in 2019 with other western Balkan countries; the largest operator BH Telecom is the dominant provider, while Telekom Srpske operates in Republika Srpska and HT Mostar is active in Herzegovina; these three incumbent operators control 99% of the market; all three are subject to specific obligations designed to improve competition; the fixed-line broadband network is comparatively underdeveloped, with the result that investments made in mobile upgrades by BH Telecom and Telekom Srpske are facilitating broadband connectivity in the country to a greater extent than is common elsewhere in Europe; internet services are available through the incumbents and a number of alternative operators; DSL and cable are the main platforms for fixed-line connectivity, while fiber broadband as yet has only a small market presence; the three MNOs, each affiliated with one of the incumbent fixed-line operators, provide national coverage with 3G, though LTE coverage is only about 89%; their upgraded networks are helping to support broadband in rural areas where fixed-line infrastructure is insufficient; mobile data and mobile broadband offers will provide future revenue growth given the limited potential of mobile voice services; the MNOs tested LTE services under trial licenses from 2013, commercial launches were delayed until the award of spectrum in early 2019; the regulator stipulated that licenses must provide national coverage within five years; trials of 5G technology have been undertaken, though there are no plans to launch services commercially in the short term, given that the MNOs can continue to exploit the capacity of their existing LTE networks. (2021)" + "text": "the telecom market has been liberalized and a regulatory framework created based on the EU’s regulatory framework for communications; although Bosnia-Herzegovina remains an EU candidate country, in July 2017 it applied amended mobile roaming charges to fit in with changes introduced across the Union; further roaming agreements were made in 2019 with other western Balkan countries; the fixed-line broadband network is comparatively underdeveloped, with the result that investments made in mobile upgrades to facilitate broadband connectivity in the country to a greater extent than is common elsewhere in Europe; internet services are available; DSL and cable are the main platforms for fixed-line connectivity, while fiber broadband as yet has only a small market presence; the three MNOs, each affiliated with one of the incumbent fixed-line operators, provide national coverage with 3G, though LTE coverage is only about 89%; their upgraded networks are helping to support broadband in rural areas where fixed-line infrastructure is insufficient; mobile data and mobile broadband offers will provide future revenue growth given the limited potential of mobile voice services; the MNOs tested LTE services under trial licenses from 2013, commercial launches were delayed until the award of spectrum in early 2019; the regulator stipulated that licenses must provide national coverage within five years; trials of 5G technology have been undertaken, though there are no plans to launch services commercially in the short term, given that the MNOs can continue to exploit the capacity of their existing LTE networks. (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line teledensity roughly 22 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscribership stands at 107 telephones per 100 persons (2020)" @@ -1251,7 +1248,7 @@ "stateless persons": { "text": "149 (mid-year 2021)" }, - "note": "note: 103,219 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-October 2022)" + "note": "note: 104,030 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-October 2022)" }, "Trafficking in persons": { "current situation": { diff --git a/europe/bo.json b/europe/bo.json index db5d1a41..8d8bc71a 100644 --- a/europe/bo.json +++ b/europe/bo.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Belarus map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -606,7 +603,7 @@ "note": "note: the US does not recognize the legitimacy of the National Assembly" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chairman and deputy chairman and organized into several specialized panels, including economic and military; number of judges set by the president of the republic and the court chairman); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 judges, including a chairman and deputy chairman)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -624,7 +621,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador (vacant; recalled by Belarus in 2008); Charge d'Affaires Dmitry BASIK (since 9 July 2019)" + "text": "Ambassador (vacant; recalled by Belarus in 2008); Charge d'Affaires Pavel SHIDLOVSKY (since 9 August 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009" @@ -1256,7 +1253,7 @@ "note": "note: conscripts can be assigned to the military, to the Ministry of Interior as internal or border troops, or to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (alternative service); as of 2020, conscripts comprised an estimated 40% of the military" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "Belarus has close security ties with Russia, including an integrated air and missile defense system, joint training exercises, and the establishment of three joint training centers since 2020 (1 in Belarus, 2 in Russia); Russia is the principal supplier of arms to Belarus, and Belarusian troops reportedly train on Russian equipment; Russia leases from Belarus a strategic ballistic missile defense site operated by Russian Aerospace Forces and a global communications facility for the Russian Navy; in 2020, the countries signed an agreement allowing for close security cooperation between the Belarusian Ministry of Interior and the Russian National Guard, including protecting public order and key government facilities, and combating extremism and terrorism; in 2022, Belarus allowed Russian military forces to stage on its territory during its invasion of Ukraine
Belarus has been a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and contributes an airborne brigade to CSTO's rapid reaction force (KSOR)
Bulgaria map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Black Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -602,7 +599,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of a chairman and approximately 72 judges organized into penal, civil, and commercial colleges); Supreme Administrative Court (organized into 2 colleges with various panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 justices); note - Constitutional Court resides outside the judiciary" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1093,7 +1090,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Bulgaria’s telecom market was for some years affected by the difficult macroeconomic climate, as well as by relatively high unemployment and a shrinking population; these factors continue to slow investments in the sector, though revenue growth has returned since 2019; there still remains pressure on revenue growth, with consumers migrating from fixed-line voice telephony to mobile and VoIP alternatives, while the volume of SMS and MMS traffic has been affected by the growing use of alternative OTT messaging services; the mature mobile market has effective competition between A1 Bulgaria, Yettel (branded as Telenor Bulgaria before March 2022, the Telenor Group’s local unit that had been sold to the PPF Group in August 2018), and the incumbent telco Vivacom; competition intensified following the implementation of a streamlined mobile number portability process; customer preference for bundled services has put pressure on pricing and encouraged operators to offer generous voice and data packages; Vivacom was sold to United Group in April 2020, following European Commission approval; the company is investing in network upgrades and its development of services based on 5G have stimulated other market players to invest in their own service provision; A1 Bulgaria and Vivacom both launched commercial 5G services in 2020, and by the end of 2022 about 70% of the population is expected to be covered by 5G; the broadband market in Bulgaria enjoys excellent cross-platform competition; the share of the market held by DSL has fallen steadily as a result of customers being migrated to fiber networks, particularly those operated by the incumbent telco Vivacom; by early 2021 about 65% of fixed-line broadband subscribers were on fiber infrastructure; Bulgaria joins the U.S. State Department’s Clean Network initiative in a bid to protect its 5G communications networks
(2022)" + "text": "Bulgaria’s telecom market was for some years affected by the difficult macroeconomic climate, as well as by relatively high unemployment and a shrinking population; these factors continue to slow investments in the sector, though revenue growth has returned since 2019; there still remains pressure on revenue growth, with consumers migrating from fixed-line voice telephony to mobile and VoIP alternatives, while the volume of SMS and MMS traffic has been affected by the growing use of alternative OTT messaging services; investing in network upgrades and its development of services based on 5G have stimulated other market players to invest in their own service provision; by the end of 2022 about 70% of the population is expected to be covered by 5G; the broadband market in Bulgaria enjoys excellent cross-platform competition; the share of the market held by DSL has fallen steadily as a result of customers being migrated to fiber networks; by early 2021 about 65% of fixed-line broadband subscribers were on fiber infrastructure; Bulgaria joins the U.S. State Department’s Clean Network initiative in a bid to protect its 5G communications networks
(2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line over 12 per 100 persons, mobile-cellular teledensity, fostered by multiple service providers, is over 114 telephones per 100 persons (2020)" @@ -1270,7 +1267,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "19,014 (Syria) (mid-year 2021); 53,057 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "19,014 (Syria) (mid-year 2021); 54,878 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "1,143 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/cy.json b/europe/cy.json index b1b7454b..35451ef6 100644 --- a/europe/cy.json +++ b/europe/cy.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia); several small Cypriot enclaves exist within the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Cyprus map showing the island country in the Mediterranean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -228,7 +225,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "30 years (2020 est.)", - "note": "note: data represent only government-controlled areas" + "note": "note: data represents only government-controlled areas" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "6 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -596,7 +593,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Cyprus (consists of 13 judges, including the court president); note - the highest court in the \"TRNC\" is the \"Supreme Court\" (consists of 8 \"judges,\" including the \"court president\")" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1093,7 +1090,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Cyprus has suffered from the effects of the pandemic, which essentially closed down the tourism sector during 2020 and into 2021; the incumbent telco Cyta reported strong revenue growth in 2020, largely due to greater use of broadband and mobile services, though investment fell as a result of pandemic-related delays in completing planned projects; the mobile market is served by four mobile network operators, including Cablenet which initially offered services as an MVNO before becoming an MNO in its own right; Cyta has offered mobile services under the Cytamobile-Vodafone brand since 2004 following a partner agreement with Vodafone Group, while Epic was acquired by Monaco Telecom in mid-2018; in mid-2021 Monaco agreed to sell its entire passive infrastructure in Cyprus; the number of mobile subscribers fell in 2020, largely the result of subscribers scaling back on multiple SIM cards as an economic measure; the broadband market continues to develop steadily, providing the country with one of the highest broadband subscription rates in the region; DSL remains the dominant access platform, accounting for about two-thirds of fixed broadband connections; Cablenet is engaged in investment projects which will see its network pass about 80% of premises, compared to 50% as of early 2021; fiber infrastructure in Cyprus is minimal, in common with other markets in the region there are efforts underway (supported by the government and regulator) to extend an FttP service to about 200,000 premises; the number of DSL subscribers is set to fall steadily in coming years as customers are migrated to the fiber platform; regulator concludes multi-spectrum auction for 5G, issues licenses; Epic signs vendor agreement with Huawei to develop 5G (2021)" + "text": "Cyprus has suffered from the effects of the pandemic, which essentially closed down the tourism sector during 2020 and into 2021; the mobile market is served by four mobile network operators; in mid-2021 Monaco agreed to sell its entire passive infrastructure in Cyprus; the number of mobile subscribers fell in 2020, largely the result of subscribers scaling back on multiple SIM cards as an economic measure; the broadband market continues to develop steadily, providing the country with one of the highest broadband subscription rates in the region; DSL remains the dominant access platform, accounting for about two-thirds of fixed broadband connections; fiber infrastructure in Cyprus is minimal, in common with other markets in the region there are efforts underway (supported by the government and regulator) to extend an FttP service to about 200,000 premises; the number of DSL subscribers is set to fall steadily in coming years as customers are migrated to the fiber platform; regulator concludes multi-spectrum auction for 5G, issues licenses; Epic signs vendor agreement with Huawei to develop 5G (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line about 35 per 100 and about 139 per 100 for mobile-cellular teledensity; open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay (2020)" @@ -1255,7 +1252,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "9,820 (Syria) (mid-year 2021); 13,946 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "9,820 (Syria) (mid-year 2021); 14,380 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "242,000 (both Turkish and Greek Cypriots; many displaced since 1974) (2021)" @@ -1263,7 +1260,7 @@ "stateless persons": { "text": "66 (mid-year 2021)" }, - "note": "note: 43,014 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2022)" + "note": "note: 44,693 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-September 2022)" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "vulnerable to money laundering from illegal drugs
" diff --git a/europe/da.json b/europe/da.json index c5961484..5323d459 100644 --- a/europe/da.json +++ b/europe/da.json @@ -105,9 +105,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "composed of the Jutland Peninsula and a group of more than 400 islands (Danish Archipelago); controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Denmark map showing major cities and the country in relation to neighboring countries and water bodies.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -587,7 +584,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 18 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1262,7 +1259,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "19,833 (Syria), 5,634 (Eritrea) (mid-year 2021); 35,850 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "19,833 (Syria), 5,634 (Eritrea) (mid-year 2021); 36,174 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "11,608 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/dx.json b/europe/dx.json index b3bae615..b687cda4 100644 --- a/europe/dx.json +++ b/europe/dx.json @@ -39,9 +39,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; several small Cypriot enclaves exist within the Sovereign Base Area (SBA); of the SBA land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Dhekelia map showing the UK Sovereign Base Area as well as the adjacent part of southeast Cyprus.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -192,7 +189,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Senior Judges' Court (consists of several visiting judges from England and Wales)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/europe/ee.json b/europe/ee.json index e5ad01f3..f104c011 100644 --- a/europe/ee.json +++ b/europe/ee.json @@ -60,9 +60,6 @@ }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic Sea region" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "European Union map highlighting the member and candidate countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -376,7 +373,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Justice of the European Union, which includes the Court of Justice (informally known as the European Court of Justice or ECJ) and the General Court (consists of 27 judges, one drawn from each member state; the ECJ includes 11 Advocates General while the General Court can include additional judges; both the ECJ and the General Court may sit in a \"Grand Chamber\" of 15 judges in special cases but usually in chambers of 3 to 5 judges" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -850,7 +847,7 @@ "note": "note: in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU announced that it would develop a rapid deployment force consisting of up to 5,000 troops by 2025" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "EU Battlegroups are rapid reaction multinational military units that form a key part of the EU's capacity to respond to emerging crises and conflicts; their deployment is subject to a unanimous decision by the EU Council; the core of a battlegroup typically consists of one infantry battalion reinforced with combat and combat service support units (about 1,500 troops); the composition of the supporting units may differ depending on the mission; the troops and equipment are drawn from EU member states and under the direction of a lead nation; 2 battlegroups are always on standby for a period of 6 months; the battlegroups were declared operational in 2007 but have never been used operationally due to political and financial obstaclesIreland map showing major cities and the island’s setting in the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -577,7 +574,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Ireland (consists of the chief justice, 9 judges, 2 ex-officio members - the presidents of the High Court and Court of Appeal - and organized in 3-, 5-, or 7-judge panels, depending on the importance or complexity of an issue of law)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1067,7 +1064,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Ireland’s telecom market has rebounded from a long period in which fiscal constraints inhibited investment in the sector; significant infrastructure projects are underway, including the NBN which aims to deliver a fiber-based service of at least 150Mb/s nationally by the end of 2022; the renewed optimism has been seen in company investment in extending fiber-based networks providing 1Gb/s services; the incumbent telco eir is investing €1 billion in infrastructure, part of which is earmarked for its Ireland’s Fiber Network which will deliver a 1Gb/s service to 85% of premises; the mobile market is dominated by Vodafone Ireland and 3 Ireland, followed by eir; there is room for a small number of MVNOs, the largest of which is Tesco Mobile, though stiff competition and the deployment of low-cost sub-brands by the MNOs has made the MVNO model a difficult proposition and a few players have been forced to exit the market; the mobile sector is preparing for a multi-frequency availibility later in 2021 which will greatly increase the amount of frequencies available, and provide a boost for 5G services; the MNOs are rapidly expanding the reach of 5G, with eir alone covering about 57% of the population by March 2021; Vodafone launches a commercial NB-IoT service, extend 5G services to more cities (2021)" + "text": "Ireland’s telecom market has rebounded from a long period in which fiscal constraints inhibited investment in the sector; significant infrastructure projects are underway, including the NBN which aims to deliver a fiber-based service of at least 150Mb/s nationally by the end of 2022; the renewed optimism has been seen in company investment in extending fiber-based networks providing 1Gb/s services; the mobile sector is preparing for a multi-frequency availability later in 2021 which will greatly increase the amount of frequencies available, and provide a boost for 5G services; the MNOs are rapidly expanding the reach of 5G (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "increasing levels of broadband access particularly in urban areas; fixed-line 34 per 100 and mobile-cellular 106 per 100 subscriptions; digital system using cable and microwave radio relay (2020)" diff --git a/europe/en.json b/europe/en.json index 3fff9476..6c21d88c 100644 --- a/europe/en.json +++ b/europe/en.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Estonia map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Baltic Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -600,7 +597,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 19 justices, including the chief justice, and organized into civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional review chambers)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1089,7 +1086,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the competitive telecom market continues to progress with a range of regulatory measures which have enabled alternative operators to chip away at the fixed-line market share of the incumbent telco Telia Estonia; fixed-line infrastructure upgrades have been focused on fiber, and the legacy DSL network has gradually been replaced; the MNOs Telia, Elisa and Tele2 have comprehensive LTE infrastructure in place; limited commercial 5G deployments have been made though an expansion of service availability awaits the delayed auction of spectrum in the 3.5GHz band, which is expected to be held later in 2021. (2021)" + "text": "the competitive telecom market continues to progress with a range of regulatory measures which have enabled alternative operators to chip away at the fixed-line market share; fixed-line infrastructure upgrades have been focused on fiber, and the legacy DSL network has gradually been replaced; limited commercial 5G deployments have been made though an expansion of service availability awaits the delayed auction of spectrum in the 3.5GHz band, which is expected to be held later in 2021 (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "just under 23 per 100 for fixed-line subscribership and approximately 145 per 100 for mobile-cellular; substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in the digital mode; Internet services are widely available; schools and libraries are connected to the Internet, a large percentage of the population files income tax returns online, and online voting - in local and parliamentary elections - has climbed steadily since first being introduced in 2005; a large percent of Estonian households have broadband access (2020)" @@ -1257,7 +1254,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "60,002 (Ukraine) (as of 10 October 2022)" + "text": "60,302 (Ukraine) (as of 14 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "71,873 (mid-year 2021); note - following independence in 1991, automatic citizenship was restricted to those who were Estonian citizens prior to the 1940 Soviet occupation and their descendants; thousands of ethnic Russians remained stateless when forced to choose between passing Estonian language and citizenship tests or applying for Russian citizenship; one reason for demurring on Estonian citizenship was to retain the right of visa-free travel to Russia; stateless residents can vote in local elections but not general elections; stateless parents who have been lawful residents of Estonia for at least five years can apply for citizenship for their children before they turn 15 years old" diff --git a/europe/ez.json b/europe/ez.json index ea239fab..f8679ea9 100644 --- a/europe/ez.json +++ b/europe/ez.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central EuropeCzechia map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -592,7 +589,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (organized into Civil Law and Commercial Division, and Criminal Division each with a court chief justice, vice justice, and several judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 15 justices); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 36 judges, including the court president and vice president, and organized into 6-, 7-, and 9-member chambers)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -610,7 +607,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Hynek KMONICEK (since 24 April 2017)" + "text": "Ambassador Miloslav STASEK (since 16 September 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "3900 Spring of Freedom Lane NW, Washington, DC 20008-3803" @@ -1081,7 +1078,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom market has attracted investment from among the key regional telcos, including Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica, and Vodafone, as also investors such as PPF Group; O2 Czech Republic remains the dominant telco in all segments, though there is effective competition, particularly in the mobile sector; telcos in the Czech Republic have become multi-service providers, offering a full range of fixed and mobile services; O2 CR has struggled to improve revenue growth in recent years, and in response it has transitioned itself to face market challenges; among the changes was its reorganization into separate business divisions and the spinning off of CETIN as a separate unit to manage the fixed and mobile networks while also operating as a national wholesale network provider; CETIN’s owner, PPF Group, in early 2021 considered an IPO for CETIN; the mobile sector is concentrated among the three MNOs, despite the regulator having made efforts to facilitate the entry of a new market player by providing spectrum at the multi-band auction held in November 2020; the auction has enabled the licensees to expand the reach of their 5G networks; this process has also been assisted by them closing down 3G networks and refarming spectrum for 5G and LTE use. (2021)" + "text": "the telecom market has attracted investment from among the key regional telcos; telcos in the Czech Republic have become multi-service providers, offering a full range of fixed and mobile services; the auction has enabled the licensees to expand the reach of their 5G networks; this process has also been assisted by them closing down 3G networks and reforming spectrum for 5G and LTE use (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "roughly 12 fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants and mobile telephone usage of about 121 per 100 inhabitants (2020)" @@ -1252,7 +1249,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "442,440 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "448,807 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "1,498 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/fi.json b/europe/fi.json index 1ab63de9..624afe94 100644 --- a/europe/fi.json +++ b/europe/fi.json @@ -109,9 +109,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Finland map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Baltic Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -603,7 +600,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (consists of the court president and 18 judges); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 21 judges, including the court president and organized into 3 chambers); note - Finland has a dual judicial system - courts with civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with jurisdiction for litigation between individuals and administrative organs of the state and communities" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1093,7 +1090,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Finland’s telecom market is among the more progressive in Europe, with operators having been at the forefront in deploying technologies and with the regulator being among the first to auction spectrum for 5G use; these efforts have been supported by the government which is working towards its target of providing a broadband service of at least 100Mb/s by 2025; 5G services were available to more than 40% of the population by early 2021, and take-up among subscribers has been strong although most will remain with LTE in the short term; the country enjoys one of the highest broadband and mobile subscription rates in the region, with customers able to make use of the latest iterations of technologies including DOCSIS3.1, LTE-A, 5G, and GPON fiber infrastructure; Finland has emerged as one of the pioneers in 5G; the auction of spectrum in the 700MHz and 3.5GHh bands has enabled network operators to extend the availability of LTE services nationally and to prepare for 5G services; Spectrum in the 2.5GHz band was auctioned in mid-2020 and has since enabled the MNOs to widen their 5G footprint considerably; the incumbent telco Telia remains the dominant player in the DSL sector, but there is an ongoing shift away from DSL to fiber and mobile networks. (2021)" + "text": "Finland’s telecom market is among the more progressive in Europe, with operators having been at the forefront in deploying technologies and with the regulator being among the first to auction spectrum for 5G use; these efforts have been supported by the government which is working towards its target of providing a broadband service of at least 100Mb/s by 2025; 5G services were available to more than 40% of the population by early 2021, and take-up among subscribers has been strong although most will remain with LTE in the short term; the country enjoys one of the highest broadband and mobile subscription rates in the region, with customers able to make use of the latest iterations of technologies including DOCSIS3.1, LTE-A, 5G, and GPON fiber infrastructure; Finland has emerged as one of the pioneers in 5G; the auction of spectrum in the 700MHz and 3.5GHh bands has enabled network operators to extend the availability of LTE services nationally and to prepare for 5G services; Spectrum in the 2.5GHz band was auctioned in mid-2020 and has since enabled the MNOs to widen their 5G footprint considerably; there is an ongoing shift away from DSL to fiber and mobile networks (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line 4 per 100 subscriptions and nearly 129 per 100 mobile-cellular (2020)" @@ -1271,7 +1268,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "9,053 (Iraq) (mid-year 2021); 38,588 (Ukraine) (as of 9 October 2022)" + "text": "9,053 (Iraq) (mid-year 2021); 38,588 (Ukraine) (as of 16 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "3,416 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/fo.json b/europe/fo.json index 81f08fc9..4a66f697 100644 --- a/europe/fo.json +++ b/europe/fo.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Faroe Islands map showing the many islands that make up this part of Denmark in the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -471,7 +468,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Faroese Court or Raett (Rett - Danish) decides both civil and criminal cases; the Court is part of the Danish legal system" }, "subordinate courts": { diff --git a/europe/fr.json b/europe/fr.json index 23cf633e..3d22cab7 100644 --- a/europe/fr.json +++ b/europe/fr.json @@ -128,9 +128,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "largest West European nation; most major French rivers - the Meuse, Seine, Loire, Charente, Dordogne, and Garonne - flow northward or westward into the Atlantic Ocean, only the Rhone flows southward into the Mediterranean Sea" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "France map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and water bodies.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -638,7 +635,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (consists of the court president, 6 divisional presiding judges, 120 trial judges, and 70 deputy judges organized into 6 divisions - 3 civil, 1 commercial, 1 labor, and 1 criminal); Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1136,7 +1133,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "France's telecom market is one of the largest in Europe; telecom revenue, at about €30 billion annually, has declined in recent years and came under particular pressure during 2020 when a sequence of local and national lock downs, as well as restrictions on international travel, resulted in a sharp drop in revenue from roaming and device sales; this was partly offset by growth in data traffic and the migration of subscribers to faster fixed-line broadband packages, mostly based on fiber; the incumbent telco Orange Group is one of the world’s major players, with interests in markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa; the company has embarked on a new multi-year Engage 2025 plan which is focused on growth in the developing markets, and on the greater use of artificial intelligence and data; the mobile phone market, worth about €13 billion annually, is dominated by Orange, SFR Group (owned by Altice Group), Bouygues Telecom, and Free Mobile (Iliad); there are many MVNOs in the market, though their share of subscribers fell at the end of 2020 when one of the largest of them was acquired by its host network operator; LTE networks provide near universal coverage, and carry about 95% of mobile data traffic; operators have launched 5G services, and these have been supported by the late-2020 auction of spectrum in the 3.5GHz range; France’s fixed broadband market is increasingly focused on fiber, which accounted for 71% of all fixed lines at the beginning of 2021; growth in the fiber sector has been stimulated by households securing faster data packages during the pandemic; the number of DSL lines has fallen sharply as customers migrate to fiber infrastructure. (2021)" + "text": "France's telecom market is one of the largest in Europe; telecom revenue, at about €30 billion annually, has declined in recent years and came under particular pressure during 2020 when a sequence of local and national lock downs, as well as restrictions on international travel, resulted in a sharp drop in revenue from roaming and device sales; this was partly offset by growth in data traffic and the migration of subscribers to faster fixed-line broadband packages, mostly based on fiber; there is a multi-year Engage 2025 plan which is focused on growth in the developing markets, and on the greater use of artificial intelligence and data; the mobile phone market, worth about €13 billion annually; there are many MVNOs in the market, though their share of subscribers fell at the end of 2020 when one of the largest of them was acquired by its host network operator; LTE networks provide near universal coverage, and carry about 95% of mobile data traffic; operators have launched 5G services, and these have been supported by the late-2020 auction of spectrum in the 3.5GHz range; France’s fixed broadband market is increasingly focused on fiber, which accounted for 71% of all fixed lines at the beginning of 2021; growth in the fiber sector has been stimulated by households securing faster data packages during the pandemic; the number of DSL lines has fallen sharply as customers migrate to fiber infrastructure (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "nearly 58 per 100 persons for fixed-line and over 111 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2020)" diff --git a/europe/gi.json b/europe/gi.json index afcd66e5..9920c4ed 100644 --- a/europe/gi.json +++ b/europe/gi.json @@ -77,9 +77,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
note 2: one of only two British territories where traffic drives on the right, the other being the island of Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Gibraltar map showing major populated areas and significant features on this UK peninsular territory that projects into the Mediterranean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -414,7 +411,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of at least 3 judges, including the court president); Supreme Court of Gibraltar (consists of the chief justice and 3 judges); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/europe/gk.json b/europe/gk.json index dcf3cdf6..d14303dd 100644 --- a/europe/gk.json +++ b/europe/gk.json @@ -70,9 +70,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Guernsey map showing the islands that make up this British crown dependency in the English Channel.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -398,7 +395,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Guernsey Court of Appeal (consists of the Bailiff of Guernsey, who is the ex-officio president of the Guernsey Court of Appeal, and at least 12 judges); Royal Court (organized into 3 divisions - Full Court sits with 1 judge and 7 to 12 jurats acting as judges of fact, Ordinary Court sits with 1 judge and normally 3 jurats, and Matrimonial Causes Division sits with 1 judge and 4 jurats); note - appeals beyond Guernsey courts are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/europe/gm.json b/europe/gm.json index 9ada4e5c..c1ea4478 100644 --- a/europe/gm.json +++ b/europe/gm.json @@ -115,9 +115,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea; most major rivers in Germany - the Rhine, Weser, Oder, Elbe - flow northward; the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest, flows eastward" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Germany showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North and Baltic Seas.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -619,7 +616,7 @@ "note": "note - due to Germany's recognition of the concepts of \"overhang\" (when a party's share of the nationwide votes would entitle it to fewer seats than the number of individual constituency seats won in an election under Germany's mixed member proportional system) and \"leveling\" (whereby additional seats are elected to supplement the members directly elected by each constituency in order to ensure that each party's share of the total seats is roughly proportional to the party's overall shares of votes at the national level), the 20th Bundestag is the largest to date" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels); Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1112,7 +1109,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "with one of Europe’s largest telecom markets, Germany hosts a number of significant operators which offer effective competition in the mobile and broadband sectors; Telekom Deutschland remains the dominant provider in the fixed-line segment, though there is increasing competition from operators including Freenet, Vodafone Germany, and Telefónica Germany, each of which is making use of regulatory measures aimed at facilitating wholesale network access to provide fiber-based broadband services; the German mobile market is driven by mobile data, with the number of mobile broadband subscribers having increased rapidly in recent years; with LTE now effectively universally available, considerable progress has recently been made in building out 5G networks; Telekom’s 5G service provided about 80% population coverage by March 2021; this was expected to be increased to 90% coverage by the end of the year. (2022)" + "text": "with one of Europe’s largest telecom markets, Germany hosts a number of significant operators which offer effective competition in the mobile and broadband sectors; the German mobile market is driven by mobile data, with the number of mobile broadband subscribers having increased rapidly in recent years; with LTE now effectively universally available, considerable progress has recently been made in building out 5G networks (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available, expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign countries; approximately 46 per 100 for fixed-line and 128 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2020)" diff --git a/europe/gr.json b/europe/gr.json index 3765502a..e888f783 100644 --- a/europe/gr.json +++ b/europe/gr.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Greece map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and water bodies.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -590,7 +587,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Civil and Criminal Court or Areios Pagos (consists of 56 judges, including the court presidents); Council of State (supreme administrative court) (consists of the president, 7 vice presidents, 42 privy councilors, 48 associate councilors and 50 reporting judges, organized into six 5- and 7-member chambers; Court of Audit (government audit and enforcement) consists of the president, 5 vice presidents, 20 councilors, and 90 associate and reporting judges" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1085,7 +1082,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Greece’s telecom market is susceptible to the country’s volatile economy, and as a result revenue among the key networks has been variable; the incumbent telco OTE, supported by the organizational and financial clout of its parent Deutsche Telekom, reported a 16.6% fall in revenue for 2020, and the economic fallout of the pandemic continued to reduce revenue into 2021; broadband subscriptions in Greece are developing steadily despite the difficult economic conditions; the main networks are concentrating investment on fiber-based next generation networks, enabling them to reach the European broadband targets for 2025; their work is also supported by government ultra-fast broadband projects, largely funded by the EC and aimed at delivering a service of at least 100Mb/s to under served areas; Greece’s well-developed mobile market is dominated by the three MNOs Wind Hellas, Vodafone Greece, and Cosmote; Networks continue to invest in LTE infrastructure and technologies to provide networks capable of meeting customer demand for data services; after extensive trials of 5G, the MNOs were able to launch commercial services in early 2021 following the December 2020 allocation of frequencies in a range of bands; the rapid rollout of 5G encouraged Cosmote to close down its 3G network (a process expected to be completed by the end of 2021) and reallocate for LTE and 5G. (2022)" + "text": "Greece’s telecom market is susceptible to the country’s volatile economy, and as a result revenue among the key networks has been variable; broadband subscriptions in Greece are developing steadily despite the difficult economic conditions; the main networks are concentrating investment on fiber-based next generation networks, enabling them to reach the European broadband targets for 2025; their work is also supported by government ultra-fast broadband projects, largely funded by the EC and aimed at delivering a service of at least 100Mb/s to under served areas; Greece’s well-developed mobile market is dominated by the three MNOs; Networks continue to invest in LTE infrastructure and technologies to provide networks capable of meeting customer demand for data services; after extensive trials of 5G, the MNOs were able to launch commercial services in early 2021 following the December 2020 allocation of frequencies in a range of bands; the rapid rollout of 5G encouraged the shut down of the 3G network (a process expected to be completed by the end of 2021) and reallocate for LTE and 5G. (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open-wire connections; submarine cable to offshore islands; nearly 46 per 100 subscribers for fixed-line and 110 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2020)" @@ -1252,7 +1249,7 @@ }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "19-45 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 12-month obligation for all services (note - as an exception, the duration of the full military service is 9 instead of 12 months if conscripts, after the initial training, serve the entire remaining time in certain areas of the eastern borders, in Cyprus, or in certain military units); 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (2022)", - "note": "note 1: up to 50% of the Greek military is comprised of conscriptsCroatia map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Adriatic Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -618,7 +615,7 @@ "note": "note: seats by party as of March 2021 - HDZ 62, SDP 33, DP 9, Most 6, Croatian Sovereignists 4, We Can! 4, IDS 3, SDSS 3, HSS 2, HSLS 2, BZH 1, Center 1, FOKUS 1, GLAS 1, HDS 1, HSU 1, NL 1, Reformists 1, SSIP 1, RF 1, independent 12" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the court president and vice president, 25 civil department justices, and 16 criminal department justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1110,7 +1107,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Croatia’s telecom market is dominated by the incumbent telco Hrvatski Telekom and the local units of United Group and Telekom Austria, there is effective competition from a number of smaller operators; the regulator has helped promote competition via measures encouraging network access, as well as regional licensing; this has been seen most recently with two 5G licenses having been reserved for regional rather than national operations; the mobile market is served by three MNOs, supplemented by a number of MVNOs; the network operators have focused on improving ARPU by encouraging prepaid subscribers to migrate to postpaid plans, and on developing revenue from mobile data services; 5G services are widely available, though the sector will only show its full potential later in 2021 following the award of licenses in several bands; this will contribute towards the government’s national broadband plan to 2027, which is tied to the EC’s two allied projects aimed at providing gigabit connectivity by the end of 2025; the broadband sector benefits from effective competition between the DSL and cable platforms, while there are also numerous fiber deployments in urban areas; the number of FttP subscribers broached 134,000 in March 2021. (2021)" + "text": "the mobile market is served by three MNOs, supplemented by a number of MVNOs; the network operators have focused on improving ARPU by encouraging prepaid subscribers to migrate to postpaid plans, and on developing revenue from mobile data services; 5G services are widely available, though the sector will only show its full potential later in 2021 following the award of licenses in several bands; this will contribute towards the government’s national broadband plan to 2027, which is tied to the EC’s two allied projects aimed at providing gigabit connectivity by the end of 2025; the broadband sector benefits from effective competition between the DSL and cable platforms, while there are also numerous fiber deployments in urban areas; the number of FttP subscribers broached 134,000 in March 2021. (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line teledensity has dropped somewhat to about 32 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions are about 107 per 100 (2020)" @@ -1290,12 +1287,12 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "18,619 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "18,400 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "2,910 (mid-year 2021)" }, - "note": "note: 748,975 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2022)" + "note": "note: 759,830 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-September 2022)" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "drug trafficking groups are major players in the procurement and transportation of large quantities of cocaine destined for European markets
" diff --git a/europe/hu.json b/europe/hu.json index 20d1d616..c55f0a43 100644 --- a/europe/hu.json +++ b/europe/hu.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Hungary map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -617,7 +614,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Curia or Supreme Judicial Court (consists of the president, vice president, department heads, and has a maximum of 113 judges, and is organized into civil, criminal, and administrative-labor departments; Constitutional Court (consists of 15 judges, including the court president and vice president)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1107,7 +1104,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Hungary benefits from having a developed telecom infrastructure, with a focus among operators to develop the 5G sector and upgrade fixed networks to provide a 1Gb/s service; services based on 5G have been supported by the January 2021 multi-spectrum auction for spectrum in the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands; Digi Mobile failed to secure spectrum, which prompted the operator’s parent company to sell the unit to 4iG; the number of fixed-lines continues to fall as subscribers migrate to the mobile platform for voice and data services; operators have bundled packages to boost revenue and retain subscribers; this strategy encouraged Vodafone Group to acquire UPC Hungary in mid-2019; the broadband market has effective infrastructure-based competition, with an extensive cable network competing against DSL services and a vibrant and rapidly expanding fiber sector.; the regulator has also introduced a number of measures aimed at promoting market competition, which is pushing the drive for higher speed platforms and encouraging operators to invest in technology upgrades; Hungary now has the highest fixed broadband penetration rate in Eastern Europe; by the beginning of 2021, the incumbent telco Maygar Telekom provided a 1Gb/s service to about 2.5 million premises across the country; the number of superfast broadband connections (above 30Mb/s) accounted for 78% of all fixed broadband connections; Maygar Telekom is at the forefront of 5G developments, supported by the government, universities, other telcos and vendors forming the Hungarian 5G Coalition; by March 2021, Vodafone Hungary managed about 300 5G base stations in Budapest and its surrounds, as well as in a number of other cities. (2021)" + "text": "Hungary benefits from having a developed telecom infrastructure, with a focus among operators to develop the 5G sector and upgrade fixed networks to provide a 1Gb/s service; services based on 5G have been supported by the January 2021 multi-spectrum auction for spectrum in the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands; the number of fixed-lines continues to fall as subscribers migrate to the mobile platform for voice and data services; operators have bundled packages to boost revenue and retain subscribers; the broadband market has effective infrastructure-based competition, with an extensive cable network competing against DSL services and a vibrant and rapidly expanding fiber sector.; the regulator has also introduced a number of measures aimed at promoting market competition, which is pushing the drive for higher speed platforms and encouraging operators to invest in technology upgrades; Hungary now has the highest fixed broadband penetration rate in Eastern Europe; the number of super fast broadband connections (above 30Mb/s) accounted for 78% of all fixed broadband connections (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "competition among mobile-cellular service providers has led to a sharp increase in the use of mobile-cellular phones, and a decrease in the number of fixed-line connections, with just under 31 fixed per 100 persons and 107 mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 (2020)" @@ -1293,7 +1290,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "30,000 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "30,000 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "130 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/ic.json b/europe/ic.json index 835c30d1..9ff0dfd2 100644 --- a/europe/ic.json +++ b/europe/ic.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Iceland map showing the North Atlantic Ocean island and its major population centers.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -575,7 +572,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Haestirettur (consists of 9 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1058,7 +1055,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Iceland has one of the smallest yet most progressive telecom markets in Europe; the country in 2020 became the top in Europe for fiber subscriptions; it aims to provide a fixed broadband service of at least 100Mb/s to 99.9% of the population by the end of 2021, an ambitious target by international standards and one which it is likely to achieve given the progress which operators have made in extending the reach of fiber networks; there is effective competition in the mobile and broadband markets, with a number of players having emerged to challenge the dominance of the two leading operators Síminn and Sýn, which have interests across the telecom sectors; Sýn was formerly Vodafone Iceland before being rebranded to reflect the company’s move into broadband and broadcasting following its December 2017 acquisition of most of the telecoms and media interests of 365 Media; Nova has become the leading player in the mobile market and has quickly expanded its presence in the fixed-line segment, particularly in fiber; the telecom market has shown some resilience in recent years following the significant economic downturn a decade ago, supported by continuing investment in mobile and fixed-line broadband infrastructure by operators and well as by the government’s Telecommunications Fund which is supporting Next Generation Access networks, particularly in rural areas; Síminn contracts Ericsson to build its 5G RAN, aiming for national 5G coverage by end-2022 (2021)" + "text": "Iceland has one of the smallest yet most progressive telecom markets in Europe; the country in 2020 became the top in Europe for fiber subscriptions; it aims to provide a fixed broadband service of at least 100Mb/s to 99.9% of the population by the end of 2021, an ambitious target by international standards and one which it is likely to achieve given the progress which operators have made in extending the reach of fiber networks; there is effective competition in the mobile and broadband markets; the telecom market has shown some resilience in recent years following the significant economic downturn a decade ago, supported by continuing investment in mobile and fixed-line broadband infrastructure by operators and well as by the government’s Telecommunications Fund which is supporting Next Generation Access networks, particularly in rural areas (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "liberalization of the telecommunications sector beginning in the late 1990s has led to increased competition especially in the mobile services segment of the market; roughly 31 per 100 for fixed line and nearing 124 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2020)" @@ -1178,7 +1175,7 @@ "text": "the Icelandic Coast Guard's inventory consists of equipment from mostly European suppliers (2022)" }, "Military - note": { - "text": "Iceland was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949; Iceland is the only NATO member that has no standing military force; defense of Iceland remains a NATO commitment and NATO maintains an air policing presence in Icelandic airspace; Iceland participates in international peacekeeping missions with the civilian-manned Icelandic Crisis Response Unit (ICRU)Isle of Man map showing the major population centers of this UK crown dependency in the Irish Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -467,7 +464,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Isle of Man High Court of Justice (consists of 3 permanent judges or \"deemsters\" and 1 judge of appeal; organized into the Staff of Government Division or Court of Appeal and the Civil Division); the Court of General Gaol Delivery is not formally part of the High Court but is administered as though part of the High Court and deals with serious criminal cases; note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/europe/it.json b/europe/it.json index cc25ba69..657038d9 100644 --- a/europe/it.json +++ b/europe/it.json @@ -102,9 +102,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Italy map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and water bodies.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -543,7 +540,7 @@ "text": "previous 1848 (originally for the Kingdom of Sardinia and adopted by the Kingdom of Italy in 1861); latest enacted 22 December 1947, adopted 27 December 1947, entered into force 1 January 1948" }, "amendments": { - "text": "proposed by both houses of Parliament; passage requires two successive debates and approval by absolute majority of each house on the second vote; a referendum is only required when requested by one fifth of the members of either house, by voter petition, or by five Regional Councils (elected legislative assemblies of the 15 first-level administrative regions and 5 autonomous regions of Italy); referendum not required if an amendment has been approved by a two-thirds majority in each house in the second vote; amended many times, last in 2020" + "text": "proposed by both houses of Parliament; passage requires two successive debates and approval by absolute majority of each house on the second vote; a referendum is only required when requested by one fifth of the members of either house, by voter petition, or by 5 Regional Councils (elected legislative assemblies of the 15 first-level administrative regions and 5 autonomous regions of Italy); referendum not required if an amendment has been approved by a two-thirds majority in each house in the second vote; amended many times, last in 2020" } }, "Legal system": { @@ -574,7 +571,7 @@ "text": "President Sergio MATTARELLA (since 3 February 2015)" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Mario DRAGHI (since 13 February 2021); the prime minister's official title is President of the Council of Ministers; note - Prime Minister Mario DRAGHI resigned on 21 July 2022 but will remain caretaker prime minister until 25 September 2022 parliamentary elections" + "text": "Prime Minister Giorgia MELONI (since 22 October 2022); the prime minister's official title is President of the Council of Ministers" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, known officially as the President of the Council of Ministers and locally as the Premier; nominated by the president; the current deputy prime ministers, known officially as vice presidents of the Council of Ministers, are Matteo SALVINI (L) and Luigi Di MAIO (M5S) (since 1 June 2018)" @@ -599,7 +596,7 @@ "note": "note: in October 2019, Italy's Parliament voted to reduce the number of Senate seats from 315 to 200 and the number of Chamber of Deputies seats from 630 to 400; a referendum to reduce the membership of Parliament held on 20-21 September 2020 was approved, effective for the September 2022 snap election" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Cassation or Corte Suprema di Cassazione (consists of the first president (chief justice), deputy president, 54 justices presiding over 6 civil and 7 criminal divisions, and 288 judges; an additional 30 judges of lower courts serve as supporting judges; cases normally heard by 5-judge panels; more complex cases heard by 9-judge panels); Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (consists of the court president and 14 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1095,7 +1092,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Italy’s large telecom market has one of the most progressive fiber sectors in Europe, with regulatory measures encouraging network sharing; the incumbent telco continues to invest in fiber, despite its recent financial difficulties, while the Open Fiber wholesale provider now has a number of retail contracts which have greatly broadened competition in the sector; plans to merge Open Fiber with TIM’s fixed infrastructure are ongoing; regulatory measures have also been introduced to facilitate access to NGNs, and a number of deals have been brokered which enable the main telcos to provide bundled services to large numbers of the population; Italy’s vibrant mobile market has one of the highest subscription rates in Europe, though the number of subscribers has fallen in recent years as customers respond to attractive off-net pricing which has reduced the financial benefit of having SIM cards from different providers; the market underwent considerable changes following the merger of Wind and 3 Italia (becoming Wind Tre), which resulted in a new entrant in the form of Iliad; in mid-2019 Fastweb was recognized as an MNO in its own right, having been an MVNO for some 11 years; the company has secured frequencies in the 3.5GHz and 26GHz bands and has a ten-year deal with Wind Tre providing it with national roaming as well as a partner with which to develop a 5G network; network companies were among the first in Europe to trial services based on 5G; the high cost also encouraged the regulator in early 2021 to consider extending the licenses by an additional six years. (2021)" + "text": "Italy’s large telecom market has one of the most progressive fiber sectors in Europe, with regulatory measures encouraging network sharing; regulatory measures have also been introduced to facilitate access to NGNs, and a number of deals have been brokered which enable the main telcoms to provide bundled services to large numbers of the population; Italy’s vibrant mobile market has one of the highest subscription rates in Europe, though the number of subscribers has fallen in recent years as customers respond to attractive off-net pricing which has reduced the financial benefit of having SIM cards from different providers; network companies were among the first in Europe to trial services based on 5G; the high cost also encouraged the regulator in early 2021 to consider extending the licenses by an additional six years (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks; 32 per 100 for fixed-line and nearly 128 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2020)" @@ -1289,12 +1286,12 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "19,441 (Nigeria), 15,337 (Pakistan), 12,962 (Afghanistan), 10,609 (Mali), 7,901 (Somalia), 5,845 (Gambia), 5,079 (Iraq) (mid-year 2021); 170,646 (Ukraine) (as of 27 September 2022)" + "text": "19,441 (Nigeria), 15,337 (Pakistan), 12,962 (Afghanistan), 10,609 (Mali), 7,901 (Somalia), 5,845 (Gambia), 5,079 (Iraq) (mid-year 2021); 171,546 (Ukraine) (as of 19 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "3,000 (mid-year 2021)" }, - "note": "note: 665,060 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-October 2022)" + "note": "note: 666,087 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-October 2022)" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "important gateway for drug trafficking; organized crime groups allied with Colombian and Spanish groups trafficking cocaine to Europe" diff --git a/europe/je.json b/europe/je.json index 6a3de1c3..6c9b8f23 100644 --- a/europe/je.json +++ b/europe/je.json @@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Jersey map showing this British crown dependency island in the English Channel.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -113,7 +110,7 @@ "text": "Jersey 44.4%, British 30.5%, Portuguese/Madeiran 9.4%, Polish 3%, Irish 2.1%, other 10.6% (2021 est.)" }, "Languages": { - "text": "English (official) 94.5%, Portuguese 4.6%, other .9% (includes French (official) and Jerriais)
(2001 est.)", + "text": "English (official) 94.5%, Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (includes French (official) and Jerriais)
(2001 est.)", "note": "note: data represent main spoken language; the traditional language of Jersey is Jerriais or Jersey French (a Norman language), which was spoken by fewer than 3,000 people as of 2001; two thirds of Jerriais speakers are aged 60 and over" }, "Religions": { @@ -441,7 +438,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Jersey Court of Appeal (consists of the bailiff, deputy bailiff, and 12 judges); Royal Court (consists of the bailiff, deputy bailiff, 6 commissioners and lay people referred to as jurats, and is organized into Heritage, Family, Probate, and Samedi Divisions); appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -675,7 +672,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 44; landing points for the INGRID, UK-Channel Islands-8, and Guernsey-Jersey-4, submarine cable connectivity to Guernsey, the UK, and France (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "multiple UK terrestrial TV broadcasts are received via a transmitter in Jersey; satellite packages available; BBC Radio Jersey and 1 other radio station operating" diff --git a/europe/jn.json b/europe/jn.json index 7333eef1..63b7d485 100644 --- a/europe/jn.json +++ b/europe/jn.json @@ -84,9 +84,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "barren volcanic spoon-shaped island with some moss and grass flora; island consists of two parts: a larger northeast Nord-Jan (the spoon \"bowl\") and the smaller Sor-Jan (the \"handle\"), linked by a 2.5 km-wide isthmus (the \"stem\") with two large lakes, Sorlaguna (South Lagoon) and Nordlaguna (North Lagoon)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Jan Mayen map showing the island – a territory of Norway – situated in the Greenland Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/europe/kv.json b/europe/kv.json index 10538f47..6ee5f6d3 100644 --- a/europe/kv.json +++ b/europe/kv.json @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ }, "Geography": { "Location": { - "text": "Southeast Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia" + "text": "Southeastern Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "42 35 N, 21 00 E" @@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the 41-km long Nerodimka River divides into two branches each of which flows into a different sea: the northern branch flows into the Sitnica River, which via the Ibar, Morava, and Danube Rivers ultimately flows into the Black Sea; the southern branch flows via the Lepenac and Vardar Rivers into the Aegean Sea" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Kosovo map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -471,7 +468,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 18 judges and organized into Appeals Panel of the Kosovo Property Agency and Special Chamber); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 7 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -957,7 +954,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 383" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".xk; note - assigned as a temporary code under UN Security Council resolution 1244/99Latvia map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Baltic Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -606,7 +603,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the Senate with 36 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1100,7 +1097,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 371; the Latvian network is now connected via fiber-optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "several national and regional commercial TV stations are foreign-owned, 2 national TV stations are publicly owned; system supplemented by privately owned regional and local TV stations; cable and satellite multi-channel TV services with domestic and foreign broadcasts available; publicly owned broadcaster operates 4 radio networks with dozens of stations throughout the country; dozens of private broadcasters also operate radio stations" @@ -1265,7 +1262,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "39,561 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "39,854 (Ukraine) (as of 14 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "209,168 (mid-year 2021); note - individuals who were Latvian citizens prior to the 1940 Soviet occupation and their descendants were recognized as Latvian citizens when the country's independence was restored in 1991; citizens of the former Soviet Union residing in Latvia who have neither Latvian nor other citizenship are considered non-citizens (officially there is no statelessness in Latvia) and are entitled to non-citizen passports; children born after Latvian independence to stateless parents are entitled to Latvian citizenship upon their parents' request; non-citizens cannot vote or hold certain government jobs and are exempt from military service but can travel visa-free in the EU under the Schengen accord like Latvian citizens; non-citizens can obtain naturalization if they have been permanent residents of Latvia for at least five years, pass tests in Latvian language and history, and know the words of the Latvian national anthem" diff --git a/europe/lh.json b/europe/lh.json index 9f061401..8a50b667 100644 --- a/europe/lh.json +++ b/europe/lh.json @@ -100,9 +100,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Lithuania map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Baltic Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -609,7 +606,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 37 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1106,7 +1103,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 370; landing points for the BCS East, BCS East-West Interlink and NordBalt connecting Lithuania to Sweden, and Latvia ; further transmission by satellite; landline connections to Latvia and Poland (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "public broadcaster operates 3 channels with the third channel - a satellite channel - introduced in 2007; various privately owned commercial TV broadcasters operate national and multiple regional channels; many privately owned local TV stations; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services available; publicly owned broadcaster operates 3 radio networks; many privately owned commercial broadcasters, with repeater stations in various regions throughout the country" @@ -1278,7 +1275,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "67,793 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "68,396 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "2,721 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/lo.json b/europe/lo.json index 1a36dd43..87436ca8 100644 --- a/europe/lo.json +++ b/europe/lo.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes and valleys" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Slovakia map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -588,7 +585,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of the Slovak Republic (consists of the court president, vice president, and approximately 80 judges organized into criminal, civil, commercial, and administrative divisions with 3- and 5-judge panels); Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic (consists of 13 judges organized into 3-judge panels)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1086,7 +1083,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 421; 3 international exchanges (1 in Bratislava and 2 in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in several international telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of external services; connects to DREAM cable (2017)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-owned public broadcaster, Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS), operates 2 national TV stations and multiple national and regional radio networks; roughly 50 privately owned TV stations operating nationally, regionally, and locally; about 40% of households are connected to multi-channel cable or satellite TV; 32 privately owned radio stations" @@ -1238,7 +1235,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "97,085 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "97,935 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "1,532 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/ls.json b/europe/ls.json index 6694209b..3ae794c8 100644 --- a/europe/ls.json +++ b/europe/ls.json @@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Liechtenstein map showing major population centers of this landlocked country surrounded by Switzerland and Austria.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -124,7 +121,7 @@ } }, "Religions": { - "text": "Roman Catholic (official) 73.4%, Protestant Reformed 6.3%, Muslim 5.9%, Christian Orthodox 1.3%, Lutheran 1.2%, other Protestant .7%, other Christian .3%, other .8%, none 7%, unspecified 3.3% (2015 est.)" + "text": "Roman Catholic (official) 73.4%, Protestant Reformed 6.3%, Muslim 5.9%, Christian Orthodox 1.3%, Lutheran 1.2%, other Protestant 0.7%, other Christian 0.3%, other 0.8%, none 7%, unspecified 3.3% (2015 est.)" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { @@ -515,7 +512,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 5 judges); Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgericht (consists of 5 judges and 5 alternates)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -566,7 +563,7 @@ "lyrics/music": { "text": "Jakob Joseph JAUCH/Josef FROMMELT" }, - "note": "note: adopted 1850, revised 1963; uses the tune of \"God Save the Queen\"" + "note": "note: adopted 1850, revised 1963; uses the tune of \"God Save the King\"" } }, "Economy": { @@ -775,7 +772,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by cable and microwave radio relay" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "relies on foreign terrestrial and satellite broadcasters for most broadcast media services; first Liechtenstein-based TV station established August 2008; Radio Liechtenstein operates multiple radio stations; a Swiss-based broadcaster operates one radio station in Liechtenstein" diff --git a/europe/lu.json b/europe/lu.json index 99f88867..e76c9b95 100644 --- a/europe/lu.json +++ b/europe/lu.json @@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; the only grand duchy in the world" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Luxembourg map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries." } }, "People and Society": { @@ -574,7 +571,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice includes Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation (consists of 27 judges on 9 benches); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1072,7 +1069,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 352" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "Luxembourg has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services for pan-European audiences and is home to Europe's largest privately owned broadcast media group, the RTL Group, which operates 46 TV stations and 29 radio stations in Europe; also home to Europe's largest satellite operator, Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES); domestically, the RTL Group operates TV and radio networks; other domestic private radio and TV operators and French and German stations available; satellite and cable TV services available" @@ -1213,7 +1210,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "6,756 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "6,756 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "194 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/md.json b/europe/md.json index b474693a..bc03604a 100644 --- a/europe/md.json +++ b/europe/md.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Moldova map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -594,7 +591,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief judge, 3 deputy-chief judges, 45 judges, and 7 assistant judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 6 judges); note - the Constitutional Court is autonomous to the other branches of government; the Court interprets the Constitution and reviews the constitutionality of parliamentary laws and decisions, decrees of the president, and acts of the government" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -612,7 +609,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Eugen CARAS (since 17 July 2020)" + "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Carolina PEREBINOS (since 27 July 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -1083,7 +1080,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 373; service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - at least 3 - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-owned national radio-TV broadcaster operates 1 TV and 1 radio station; a total of nearly 70 terrestrial TV channels and some 50 radio stations are in operation; Russian and Romanian channels also are available (2019)" @@ -1235,7 +1232,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "94,252 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "94,535 (Ukraine) (as of 17 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "3,372 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/mj.json b/europe/mj.json index 0f67e9b2..40211d16 100644 --- a/europe/mj.json +++ b/europe/mj.json @@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location along the Adriatic coast" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Montenegro map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Adriatic Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -634,7 +631,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Vrhovni Sud (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 15 judges); Constitutional Court or Ustavni Sud (consists of the court president and 7 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1128,7 +1125,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 382; 2 international switches connect the national system" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-funded national radio-TV broadcaster operates 2 terrestrial TV networks, 1 satellite TV channel, and 2 radio networks; 4 local public TV stations and 14 private TV stations; 14 local public radio stations, 35 private radio stations, and several on-line media (2019)" @@ -1277,7 +1274,7 @@ "stateless persons": { "text": "458 (mid-year 2021)" }, - "note": "note: 26,520 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-October 2022)" + "note": "note: 26,801 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-October 2022)" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "drug trafficking groups are major players in the procurement and transportation of large quantities of cocaine destined for European markets
" diff --git a/europe/mk.json b/europe/mk.json index 23f405bd..a28027d7 100644 --- a/europe/mk.json +++ b/europe/mk.json @@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "North Macedonia map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -585,7 +582,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 22 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1079,7 +1076,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 389" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "public service TV broadcaster Macedonian Radio and Television operates 3 national terrestrial TV channels and 2 satellite TV channels; additionally, there are 10 regional TV stations that broadcast nationally using terrestrial transmitters, 54 TV channels with concession for cable TV, 9 regional TV stations with concessions for cable TV; 4 satellite TV channels broadcasting on a national level, 21 local commercial TV channels, and a large number of cable operators that offer domestic and international programming; the public radio broadcaster operates over 3 stations; there are 4 privately owned radio stations that broadcast nationally; 17 regional radio stations, and 49 local commercial radio stations (2019)" @@ -1206,12 +1203,12 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "6,031 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "6,123 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "553 (mid-year 2021)" }, - "note": "note: 542,907 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2022)" + "note": "note: 545,889 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-September 2022)" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe; although not a financial center and most criminal activity is thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement" diff --git a/europe/mn.json b/europe/mn.json index e1a699e5..05075dd2 100644 --- a/europe/mn.json +++ b/europe/mn.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "second-smallest independent state in the world (after the Holy See); smallest country with a coastline; almost entirely urban" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Monaco map identifies some of the major sites of the microstate surrounded by France and the Mediterranean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -517,7 +514,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 5 permanent members and 2 substitutes)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -788,7 +785,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 377; landing points for the EIG and Italy-Monaco submarine cables connecting Monaco to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia; no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "TV Monte-Carlo operates a TV network; cable TV available; Radio Monte-Carlo has extensive radio networks in France and Italy with French-language broadcasts to France beginning in the 1960s and Italian-language broadcasts to Italy beginning in the 1970s; other radio stations include Riviera Radio and Radio Monaco" @@ -831,7 +828,8 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "no regular military forces; Ministry of Interior: Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince (Prince’s Company of Carabiniers (Palace Guard)), Corps des Sapeurs-pompiers de Monaco (Fire and Emergency), Police Department (2022)" + "text": "no regular military forces; Ministry of Interior: Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince (Prince’s Company of Carabiniers), Corps des Sapeurs-pompiers de Monaco (Fire and Emergency), Police Department (2022)", + "note": "note: the primary responsibility for the Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince is guarding the palace" }, "Military - note": { "text": "defense is the responsibility of France" diff --git a/europe/mt.json b/europe/mt.json index 055e804f..07a74ef2 100644 --- a/europe/mt.json +++ b/europe/mt.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are discussing oil exploration on the continental shelf between their countries, although no commercially viable reserves have been found as of 2017" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Malta map showing the major population centers of this archipelagic country in the Mediterranean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -217,7 +214,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "29.3 years (2020 est.)", - "note": "note: data refer to the average of the different childbearing ages of first-order births" + "note": "note: data refers to the average of the different childbearing ages of first-order births" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "6 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -579,7 +576,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 3 judges); Court of Criminal Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1070,7 +1067,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 356; landing points for the Malta-Gozo Cable, VMSCS, GO-1 Mediterranean Cable System, Malta Italy Interconnector, Melita-1, and the Italy-Malta submarine cable connections to Italy; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "2 publicly owned TV stations, Television Malta broadcasting nationally plus an educational channel; several privately owned national television stations, 2 of which are owned by political parties; Italian and British broadcast programs are available; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; publicly owned radio broadcaster operates 3 stations; roughly 20 commercial radio stations (2019)" diff --git a/europe/nl.json b/europe/nl.json index 89187e84..c221fff5 100644 --- a/europe/nl.json +++ b/europe/nl.json @@ -108,9 +108,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde); about a quarter of the country lies below sea level and only about half of the land exceeds one meter above sea level" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Netherlands map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -603,7 +600,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (consists of 41 judges: the president, 6 vice presidents, 31 justices or raadsheren, and 3 justices in exceptional service, referred to as buitengewone dienst); the court is divided into criminal, civil, tax, and ombuds chambers" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1103,7 +1100,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 31; landing points for Farland North, TAT-14, Circe North, Concerto, Ulysses 2, AC-1, UK-Netherlands 14, and COBRAcable submarine cables which provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "more than 90% of households are connected to cable or satellite TV systems that provide a wide range of domestic and foreign channels; public service broadcast system includes multiple broadcasters, 3 with a national reach and the remainder operating in regional and local markets; 2 major nationwide commercial television companies, each with 3 or more stations, and many commercial TV stations in regional and local markets; nearly 600 radio stations with a mix of public and private stations providing national or regional coverage" diff --git a/europe/no.json b/europe/no.json index 53e5db70..6e255db1 100644 --- a/europe/no.json +++ b/europe/no.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much-indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of the most rugged and longest coastlines in the world" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Norway map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Norwegian and North Seas.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -591,7 +588,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (consists of the chief justice and 18 associate justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -660,7 +657,7 @@ "lyrics/music": { "text": "lyrics/music: Bjornstjerne BJORNSON/Rikard NORDRAAK" }, - "note": "note: adopted 1864; in addition to the national anthem, \"Kongesangen\" (Song of the King), which uses the tune of \"God Save the Queen,\" serves as the royal anthem" + "note": "note: adopted 1864; in addition to the national anthem, \"Kongesangen\" (Song of the King), which uses the tune of \"God Save the King,\" serves as the royal anthem" }, "National heritage": { "total World Heritage Sites": { @@ -1089,7 +1086,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 47; landing points for the Svalbard Undersea Cable System, Polar Circle Cable, Bodo-Rost Cable, NOR5KE Viking, Celtic Norse, Tempnet Offshore FOC Network, England Cable, Denmark-Norwary6, Havfrue/AEC-2, Skagerrak 4, and the Skagenfiber West & East submarine cables providing links to other Nordic countries, Europe and the US; satellite earth stations - Eutelsat, Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-owned public radio-TV broadcaster operates 3 nationwide TV stations, 3 nationwide radio stations, and 16 regional radio stations; roughly a dozen privately owned TV stations broadcast nationally and roughly another 25 local TV stations broadcasting; nearly 75% of households have access to multi-channel cable or satellite TV; 2 privately owned radio stations broadcast nationwide and another 240 stations operate locally; Norway is the first country in the world to phase out FM radio in favor of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), a process scheduled for completion in late 2017 (2019)" @@ -1223,21 +1220,22 @@ } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { - "text": "approximately 23,000 active personnel (8,000 Army; 4,000 Navy; 4,000 Air Force; 7,000 other, including special operations, cyber, joint staff, intelligence, logistics support, active Home Guard, etc.); approximately 40,000 Home Guard (2022)" + "text": "approximately 27,000 active personnel (9,000 Army; 4,300 Navy; 4,700 Air Force; 9,000 other, including special operations, cyber, joint staff, intelligence, logistics support, active Home Guard, etc.); approximately 40,000 Home Guard (2022)", + "note": "note: active personnel includes about 10,000 conscripts" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory includes a mix of imported European, US, and domestically-produced weapons systems and equipment; since 2010, the US has been the leading supplier of weapons systems to Norway (2021)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "19-35 years of age for selective compulsory military service for men and women; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18 years of age for women volunteers; 12-19 month service obligation; conscripts first serve 12 months between the ages of 19 and 28, and then up to 4-5 refresher training periods until age 35, 44, 55, or 60 depending on rank and function (2022)", - "note": "note 1: Norway conscripts about 8,000 individuals annually; it has had compulsory military service since 1907Poland map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Baltic Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -626,7 +623,7 @@ "note": "note: the designation National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the 2 houses meet jointly" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Sad Najwyzszy (consists of the first president of the Supreme Court and 120 justices organized in criminal, civil, labor and social insurance, and extraordinary appeals and public affairs and disciplinary chambers); Constitutional Tribunal (consists of 15 judges, including the court president and vice president)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1127,7 +1124,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 48; landing points for the Baltica and the Denmark-Poland2 submarine cables connecting Poland, Denmark and Sweden; international direct dialing with automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 with access to Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-run public TV operates 2 national channels supplemented by 16 regional channels and several niche channels; privately owned entities operate several national TV networks and a number of special interest channels; many privately owned channels broadcasting locally; roughly half of all households are linked to either satellite or cable TV systems providing access to foreign television networks; state-run public radio operates 5 national networks and 17 regional radio stations; 2 privately owned national radio networks, several commercial stations broadcasting to multiple cities, and many privately owned local radio stations (2019)" @@ -1318,7 +1315,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "9,870 (Russia) (2019); 1,436,558 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "9,870 (Russia) (2019); 1,449,214 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "1,389 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/po.json b/europe/po.json index 3bdd35c2..ac693604 100644 --- a/europe/po.json +++ b/europe/po.json @@ -105,9 +105,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; they are two of the four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia; the others are the Canary Islands (Spain) and Cabo Verde" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Portugal map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding Spain and the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -590,7 +587,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (consists of 12 justices); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 13 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1093,7 +1090,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 351; landing points for the Ella Link, BUGIO, EIG, SAT-3/WASC, SeaMeWe-3, Equino, MainOne, Tat TGN-Western Europe, WACS, ACE, Atlantis2 and Columbus-III submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, South America and the US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP), the publicly owned TV broadcaster, operates 4 domestic channels and external service channels to Africa; overall, roughly 40 domestic TV stations; viewers have widespread access to international broadcasters with more than half of all households connected to multi-channel cable or satellite TV systems; publicly owned radio operates 3 national networks and provides regional and external services; several privately owned national radio stations and some 300 regional and local commercial radio stations" diff --git a/europe/ri.json b/europe/ri.json index 8d32bebd..ea51cff2 100644 --- a/europe/ri.json +++ b/europe/ri.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the Near East" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Serbia map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -228,7 +225,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "28.2 years (2020 est.)", - "note": "note: data do not cover Kosovo or Metohija" + "note": "note: data does not cover Kosovo or Metohija" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "12 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -627,7 +624,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of 36 judges, including the court president); Constitutional Court (consists of 15 judges, including the court president and vice president)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1123,7 +1120,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 381" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".rs" @@ -1263,7 +1260,7 @@ }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished January 2011 (2021)", - "note": "note: as of 2019, women made up about 6% of the military's full-time personnel 2011" + "note": "note: as of 2019, women made up about 6% of the military's full-time personnel " }, "Military deployments": { "text": "175 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (May 2022)" @@ -1278,7 +1275,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "17,336 (Croatia), 7,997 (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (mid-year 2021); 20,568 (Ukraine) (includes Ukrainian refugees in Kosovo; as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "17,336 (Croatia), 7,997 (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (mid-year 2021); 20,967 (Ukraine) (includes Ukrainian refugees in Kosovo; as of 18 October 2022)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "196,995 (most are Kosovar Serbs, some are Roma, Ashkalis, and Egyptian (RAE); some RAE IDPs are unregistered) (2021)" diff --git a/europe/ro.json b/europe/ro.json index 8ac7937e..033f2433 100644 --- a/europe/ro.json +++ b/europe/ro.json @@ -110,9 +110,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "controls the most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine; the Carpathian Mountains dominate the center of the country, while the Danube River forms much of the southern boundary with Serbia and Bulgaria" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Romania map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Black Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -607,7 +604,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "High Court of Cassation and Justice (consists of 111 judges organized into civil, penal, commercial, contentious administrative and fiscal business, and joint sections); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1105,7 +1102,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 40; landing point for the Diamond Link Global submarine cable linking Romania with Georgia; satellite earth stations - 10; digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "a mixture of public and private TV stations; there are 7 public TV stations (2 national, 5 regional) using terrestrial broadcasting and 187 private TV stations (out of which 171 offer local coverage) using terrestrial broadcasting, plus 11 public TV stations using satellite broadcasting and 86 private TV stations using satellite broadcasting; state-owned public radio broadcaster operates 4 national networks and regional and local stations, having in total 20 public radio stations by terrestrial broadcasting plus 4 public radio stations by satellite broadcasting; there are 502 operational private radio stations using terrestrial broadcasting and 26 private radio stations using satellite broadcasting" @@ -1281,7 +1278,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "82,127 (Ukraine) (as of 9 October 2022)" + "text": "83,748 (Ukraine) (as of 16 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "314 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/si.json b/europe/si.json index e1c1706b..1131e6fa 100644 --- a/europe/si.json +++ b/europe/si.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some of Europe's major transit routes" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Slovenia map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Gulf of Venice.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -587,7 +584,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 37 judges organized into civil, criminal, commercial, labor and social security, administrative, and registry departments); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 7 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1084,7 +1081,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 386 (2016)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "public TV broadcaster, Radiotelevizija Slovenija (RTV), operates a system of national and regional TV stations; 35 domestic commercial TV stations operating nationally, regionally, and locally; about 60% of households are connected to multi-channel cable TV; public radio broadcaster operates 3 national and 4 regional stations; more than 75 regional and local commercial and non-commercial radio stations" @@ -1241,7 +1238,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "8,255 (Ukraine) (as of 11 October 2022)" + "text": "8,302 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "10 (2020)" diff --git a/europe/sm.json b/europe/sm.json index 7834f2e5..b89953c2 100644 --- a/europe/sm.json +++ b/europe/sm.json @@ -87,9 +87,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; an enclave of (completely surrounded by) Italy; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennine Mountains" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "San Marino map showing the major population centers in this microstate surrounded by Italy.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -511,7 +508,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII (consists of 12 members); note - the College of Guarantors for the Constitutionality and General Norms functions as San Marino's constitutional court" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -838,7 +835,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 378; connected to Italian international network" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-owned public broadcaster operates 1 TV station and 3 radio stations; receives radio and TV broadcasts from Italy (2019)" diff --git a/europe/sp.json b/europe/sp.json index 3d3d148c..75a4c8cd 100644 --- a/europe/sp.json +++ b/europe/sp.json @@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco including the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas; Spain's Canary Islands are one of four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia; the others are Azores (Portugal), Madeira (Portugal), and Cabo Verde" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Spain map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Mediterranean Sea and Bay of Biscay.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -617,7 +614,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo (consists of the court president and organized into the Civil Room, with a president and 9 judges; the Penal Room, with a president and 14 judges; the Administrative Room, with a president and 32 judges; the Social Room, with a president and 12 judges; and the Military Room, with a president and 7 judges); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional de Espana (consists of 12 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1117,7 +1114,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 34; landing points for the MAREA, Tata TGN-Western Europe, Pencan-9, SAT-3/WASC, Canalink, Atlantis-2, Columbus -111, Estepona-Tetouan, FEA, Balalink, ORVAL and PENBAL-5 submarine cables providing connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, Asia, Southeast Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "
a mixture of both publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations; overall, hundreds of TV channels are available including national, regional, local, public, and international channels; satellite and cable TV systems available; multiple national radio networks, a large number of regional radio networks, and a larger number of local radio stations; overall, hundreds of radio stations
(2019)" @@ -1303,12 +1300,12 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "14,823 (Syria) (mid-year 2021); 418,200 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2021); 147,113 (Ukraine) (as of 10 October 2022)" + "text": "14,823 (Syria) (mid-year 2021); 418,200 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2021); 147,930 (Ukraine) (as of 10 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "692 (mid-year 2021)" }, - "note": "note: 267,630 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals, including Canary Islands (January 2015-October 2022)" + "note": "note: 272,837 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals, including Canary Islands (January 2015-October 2022)" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "primary transit point in Europe for cocaine from South America and for hashish from Morocco; cocaine is shipped in raw or liquid form with mixed cargo to avoid detection; traffickers ship methamphetamine via express mail; increasing number of indoor cannabis production; illegal labs cutting, mixing, and reconstituting cocaine, and heroin and methamphetamine labs; synthetic drugs, including ketamine and MDMA (ecstasy) transit from Spain to the United States" diff --git a/europe/sv.json b/europe/sv.json index 433fb010..48183253 100644 --- a/europe/sv.json +++ b/europe/sv.json @@ -84,9 +84,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area; Spitsbergen Island is the site of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a seed repository established by the Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Norwegian Government" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Svalbard map showing the major population centers and islands of this Norwegian territory in the Arctic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -338,7 +335,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "none; note - Svalbard is subordinate to Norway's Nord-Troms District Court and Halogaland Court of Appeal, both located in Tromso" } }, @@ -425,7 +422,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 47-790; the Svalbard Undersea Cable System is a twin communications cable that connects Svalbard to mainland Norway; the system is the sole telecommunications link to the archipelago (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) began direct TV transmission to Svalbard via satellite in 1984; Longyearbyen households have access to 3 NRK radio and 2 TV stations" diff --git a/europe/sw.json b/europe/sw.json index e0bb1f4e..b1da8d3b 100644 --- a/europe/sw.json +++ b/europe/sw.json @@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas; Sweden has almost 100,000 lakes, the largest of which, Vanern, is the third largest in Europe" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Sweden map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Baltic Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -594,7 +591,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Sweden (consists of 16 justices, including the court chairman); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 18 justices, including the court president)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1091,7 +1088,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 46; landing points for Botina, SFL, SFS-4, Baltic Sea Submarine Cable, Eastern Light, Sweden-Latvia, BCS North-Phase1, EE-S1, LV-SE1, BCS East-West Interlink, NordBalt, Baltica, Denmark-Sweden-15,-17,-18, Scandinavian Ring -North,-South, IP-Only Denmark-Sweden, Donica North, Kattegate-1,-2, Energinet Laeso-Varberg and GC2 submarine cables providing links to other Nordic countries and Europe; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "publicly owned TV broadcaster operates 2 terrestrial networks plus regional stations; multiple privately owned TV broadcasters operating nationally, regionally, and locally; about 50 local TV stations; widespread access to pan-Nordic and international broadcasters through multi-channel cable and satellite TV; publicly owned radio broadcaster operates 3 national stations and a network of 25 regional channels; roughly 100 privately owned local radio stations with some consolidating into near national networks; an estimated 900 community and neighborhood radio stations broadcast intermittently" @@ -1264,7 +1261,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "114,995 (Syria), 28,744 (Afghanistan), 26,911 (Eritrea), 11,574 (Somalia), 11,153 (Iraq), 7,516 (Iran) (2020); 46,579 (Ukraine) (as of 7 October 2022)" + "text": "114,995 (Syria), 28,744 (Afghanistan), 26,911 (Eritrea), 11,574 (Somalia), 11,153 (Iraq), 7,516 (Iran) (2020); 46,983 (Ukraine) (as of 7 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "50,098 (mid-year 2021); note - the majority of stateless people are from the Middle East and Somalia" diff --git a/europe/sz.json b/europe/sz.json index fb0b58db..9d14e061 100644 --- a/europe/sz.json +++ b/europe/sz.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Switzerland map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -604,7 +601,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Federal Supreme Court (consists of 38 justices and 19 deputy justices organized into 7 divisions)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1107,7 +1104,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "the publicly owned radio and TV broadcaster, Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG/SSR), operates 8 national TV networks, 3 broadcasting in German, 3 in French, and 2 in Italian; private commercial TV stations broadcast regionally and locally; TV broadcasts from stations in Germany, Italy, and France are widely available via multi-channel cable and satellite TV services; SRG/SSR operates 17 radio stations that, along with private broadcasters, provide national to local coverage )
(2019)" @@ -1198,8 +1195,7 @@ }, "narrow gauge": { "text": "1,630 km (2015) 1.200-m gauge (2 km electrified) (includes 19 km in neighboring countries)" - }, - "note": "1188 km 1.000-mm gauge (1,167.3 km electrified)United Kingdom map showing the British Isles (including Northern Ireland) situated in the North Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -223,7 +220,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "29 years (2018 est.)", - "note": "note: data represent England and Wales only" + "note": "note: data represents England and Wales only" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "7 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -579,7 +576,7 @@ "text": "King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); Heir Apparent Prince WILLIAM (son of the king, born 21 June 1982); note - CHARLES succeeded his mother, Queen ELIZABETH II, after serving as Prince of Wales (heir apparent) for over 64 years - the longest such tenure in British history" }, "head of government": { - "text": "Prime Minister Mary Elizabeth TRUSS (Conservative) (since 6 September 2022)" + "text": "Prime Minister Rishi SUNAK (Conservative) (since 25 October 2022)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the prime minister" @@ -601,7 +598,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 12 justices, including the court president and deputy president); note - the Supreme Court was established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and implemented in 2009, replacing the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords as the highest court in the United Kingdom" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1104,7 +1101,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 44; Landing points for the GTT Atlantic, Scotland-Northern Ireland -1, & -2, Lanis 1,-2, &-3, Sirius North, BT-MT-1, SHEFA-2, BT Highlands and Islands Submarine Cable System, Northern Lights, FARICE-1, Celtic Norse, Tampnet Offshore FOC Network, England Cable, CC-2, E-LLan, Sirius South, ESAT -1 & -2, Rockabill, Geo-Eirgrid, UK-Netherlands-14, Circle North & South, Ulysses2, Conceto, Farland North, Pan European Crossing, Solas, Swansea-Bream, GTT Express, Tata TGN-Atlantic & -Western Europe, Apollo, EIG, Glo-1, TAT-14, Yellow, Celtic, FLAG Atlantic-1, FEA, Isle of Scilly Cable, UK-Channel Islands-8 and SeaMeWe-3 submarine cables providing links throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, and US; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "public service broadcaster, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world; BBC operates multiple TV networks with regional and local TV service; a mixed system of public and commercial TV broadcasters along with satellite and cable systems provide access to hundreds of TV stations throughout the world; BBC operates multiple national, regional, and local radio networks with multiple transmission sites; a large number of commercial radio stations, as well as satellite radio services are available (2018)" @@ -1296,7 +1293,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "21,011 (Iran), 14,503 (Eritrea), 11,251 (Sudan), 11,412 (Syria), 9,469 (Afghanistan), 8,357 (Pakistan), 6,933 (Iraq), 5,200 (Sri Lanka) (2020); 136,600 (Ukraine) (as of 10 October 2022)" + "text": "21,011 (Iran), 14,503 (Eritrea), 11,251 (Sudan), 11,412 (Syria), 9,469 (Afghanistan), 8,357 (Pakistan), 6,933 (Iraq), 5,200 (Sri Lanka) (2020); 138,400 (Ukraine) (as of 18 October 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "3,968 (mid-year 2021)" diff --git a/europe/up.json b/europe/up.json index df3cf012..88a1bb8e 100644 --- a/europe/up.json +++ b/europe/up.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine achieved a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and endured a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although Ukraine achieved independence in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties.
A peaceful mass protest referred to as the \"Orange Revolution\" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary (Rada) elections, become prime minister in August 2006, and be elected president in February 2010. In October 2012, Ukraine held Rada elections, widely criticized by Western observers as flawed due to use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates, interference with media access, and harassment of opposition candidates. President YANUKOVYCH's backtracking on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU in November 2013 - in favor of closer economic ties with Russia - and subsequent use of force against students, civil society activists, and other civilians in favor of the agreement led to a three-month protest occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's use of violence to break up the protest camp in February 2014 led to all out pitched battles, scores of deaths, international condemnation, a failed political deal, and the president's abrupt departure for Russia. New elections in the spring allowed pro-West president Petro POROSHENKO to assume office in June 2014; he was succeeded by Volodymyr ZELENSKY in May 2019.
Shortly after YANUKOVYCH's departure in late February 2014, Russian President PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula falsely claiming the action was to protect ethnic Russians living there. Two weeks later, a \"referendum\" was held regarding the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation. The \"referendum\" was condemned as illegitimate by the Ukrainian Government, the EU, the US, and the UN General Assembly (UNGA). In response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, 100 members of the UN passed UNGA resolution 68/262, rejecting the \"referendum\" as baseless and invalid and confirming the sovereignty, political independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. In mid-2014, Russia began supplying proxies in two of Ukraine's eastern provinces with manpower, funding, and materiel driving an armed conflict with the Ukrainian Government that continues to this day. Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the unrecognized Russian proxy republics signed the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum in September 2014 to end the conflict. However, this agreement failed to stop the fighting or find a political solution. In a renewed attempt to alleviate ongoing clashes, leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany negotiated a follow-on Package of Measures in February 2015 to implement the Minsk agreements. Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the unrecognized Russian proxy republics, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also meet regularly to facilitate implementation of the peace deal. By early 2022, more than 14,000 civilians were killed or wounded as a result of the Russian intervention in eastern Ukraine.
On 24 February 2022, Russia escalated its conflict with Ukraine by invading the country on several fronts in what has become the largest conventional military attack on a sovereign state in Europe since World War II. The invasion has received near universal international condemnation, and many countries have imposed sanctions on Russia and also supplied humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine. The invasion has also created Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. As of 11 October, approximately 14.03 million people had fled Ukraine, and 6.24 million people were internally displaced as of 26 September. Nearly 15,600 civilian casualties had been reported, as of 9 October. The invasion of Ukraine remains one of the two largest displacement crises worldwide (the other is the conflict in Syria).
" + "text": "
Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine achieved a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and endured a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although Ukraine achieved independence in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties.
A peaceful mass protest referred to as the \"Orange Revolution\" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary (Rada) elections, become prime minister in August 2006, and be elected president in February 2010. In October 2012, Ukraine held Rada elections, widely criticized by Western observers as flawed due to use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates, interference with media access, and harassment of opposition candidates. President YANUKOVYCH's backtracking on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU in November 2013 - in favor of closer economic ties with Russia - and subsequent use of force against students, civil society activists, and other civilians in favor of the agreement led to a three-month protest occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's use of violence to break up the protest camp in February 2014 led to all out pitched battles, scores of deaths, international condemnation, a failed political deal, and the president's abrupt departure for Russia. New elections in the spring allowed pro-West president Petro POROSHENKO to assume office in June 2014; he was succeeded by Volodymyr ZELENSKY in May 2019.
Shortly after YANUKOVYCH's departure in late February 2014, Russian President PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula falsely claiming the action was to protect ethnic Russians living there. Two weeks later, a \"referendum\" was held regarding the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation. The \"referendum\" was condemned as illegitimate by the Ukrainian Government, the EU, the US, and the UN General Assembly (UNGA). In response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, 100 members of the UN passed UNGA resolution 68/262, rejecting the \"referendum\" as baseless and invalid and confirming the sovereignty, political independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. In mid-2014, Russia began supplying proxies in two of Ukraine's eastern provinces with manpower, funding, and materiel driving an armed conflict with the Ukrainian Government that continues to this day. Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the unrecognized Russian proxy republics signed the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum in September 2014 to end the conflict. However, this agreement failed to stop the fighting or find a political solution. In a renewed attempt to alleviate ongoing clashes, leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany negotiated a follow-on Package of Measures in February 2015 to implement the Minsk agreements. Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the unrecognized Russian proxy republics, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also meet regularly to facilitate implementation of the peace deal. By early 2022, more than 14,000 civilians were killed or wounded as a result of the Russian intervention in eastern Ukraine.
On 24 February 2022, Russia escalated its conflict with Ukraine by invading the country on several fronts in what has become the largest conventional military attack on a sovereign state in Europe since World War II. The invasion has received near universal international condemnation, and many countries have imposed sanctions on Russia and also supplied humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine. The invasion has also created Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. As of 18 October, approximately 14.33 million people had fled Ukraine, and 6.24 million people were internally displaced as of 26 September. More than 15,900 civilian casualties had been reported, as of 16 October. The invasion of Ukraine remains one of the two largest displacement crises worldwide (the other is the conflict in Syria).
" } }, "Geography": { @@ -108,9 +108,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe after Russia" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Ukraine map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Black Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -618,7 +615,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Ukraine or SCU (consists of 100 judges, organized into civil, criminal, commercial and administrative chambers, and a grand chamber); Constitutional Court (consists of 18 justices); High Anti-Corruption Court (consists of 39 judges, including 12 in the Appeals Chamber)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -630,7 +627,7 @@ "note": "note: specialized courts were abolished as part of Ukraine's judicial reform program; in November 2019, President ZELENSKYY signed a bill on legal reforms" }, "Political parties and leaders": { - "text": "Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) [Yuliya TYMOSHENKO]Ukraine television serves as the principal source of news; the largest national networks are controlled by oligarchs: TRK Ukraina is owned by Rinat Akhmetov; Studio 1+1 is owned by Ihor Kolomoyskyy; Inter is owned by Dmytro Firtash and Serhiy Lyovochkin; and StarlightMedia channels (ICTV, STB, and Novyi Kanal) are owned by Victor Pinchuk; a set of 24-hour news channels also have clear political affiliations: pro-Ukrainian government Channel 5 and Pryamyi are linked to President Petro Poroshenko; 24 is owned by opposition, but not pro-Russian, politicians; UA: Suspilne is a public television station under the umbrella of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine; while it is often praised by media experts for balanced coverage, it lags in popularity; Ukrainian Radio, institutionally linked to UA: Suspilne, is one of only two national talk radio networks, with the other being the privately owned Radio NV
(2021)" @@ -1282,7 +1279,7 @@ "text": "the Ukrainian military is equipped mostly with Russian-origin and Soviet-era weapons systems; since the Russian invasion in February 2022, it has received considerable quantities of weapons, including more modern Western systems, from European countries and the US; Ukraine has a broad defense industry capable of building, maintaining, and upgrading a variety of Soviet-era weapons systems, including armored vehicles, combat aircraft, missiles, and air defense systems (2022)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "conscription abolished in 2012, but reintroduced in 2014; 20-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 12-18 months, depending on the service (2022)", + "text": "conscription abolished in 2012, but reintroduced in 2014; 20-27 years of age for compulsory military service; prior to the Russian invasion, conscript service obligation was 12-18 months, depending on the service (2022)", "note": "note 1: following the Russian invasion of February 2022, all nonexempt men ages 18 to 60 were required to register with their local recruitment offices and undergo medical screening for possible service; the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) accepts volunteers, 18-60 years of age; since the invasion, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have volunteered for the regular armed forces, the TDF, or to work in civilian defense activitiesHoly See (Vatican City) map identifies some of the major structures in this entity surrounded by Italy (Rome).
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -363,7 +360,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura (consists of the cardinal prefect, who serves as ex-officio president of the court, and 2 other cardinals of the Prefect Signatura); note - judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio, papal directive, of Pope PIUS XII on 1 May 1946; most Vatican City criminal matters are handled by the Republic of Italy courts" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/middle-east/ae.json b/middle-east/ae.json index 1185958b..02516b6f 100644 --- a/middle-east/ae.json +++ b/middle-east/ae.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "United Arab Emirates map showing major population centers as well as parts of neighboring countries and the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -588,7 +585,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Federal Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 4 judges; jurisdiction limited to federal cases)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1079,7 +1076,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 971; landing points for the FLAG, SEA-ME-WE-3 ,-4 & -5, Qater UAE Submarine Cable System, FALCON, FOG, Tat TGN-Gulf, OMRAN/EPEG Cable System, AAE-1, BBG, EIG, FEA, GBICS/MENA, IMEWE, Orient Express, TEAMS, TW1 and the UAE-Iran submarine cables, linking to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian) (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "except for the many organizations now operating in media free zones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, most TV and radio stations remain government-owned; widespread use of satellite dishes provides access to pan-Arab and other international broadcasts; restrictions since June 2017 on some satellite channels and websites originating from or otherwise linked to Qatar (2018)" @@ -1231,7 +1228,7 @@ }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for men (compulsory service initiated in 2014); 17 years of age for volunteers with parental approval; men can volunteer up to age 40; 24-month general service obligation, 16 months for secondary school graduates; women can volunteer to serve for 9 months regardless of education (2022)", - "note": "note: compulsory service may be completed in the uniformed military, the Ministry of Interior, the State Security Service, or other institutions designated by the military leadership" + "note": "note 1: compulsory service may be completed in the uniformed military, the Ministry of Interior, the State Security Service, or other institutions designated by the military leadership" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "estimates vary; reportedly a few hundred remain in Yemen; maintains military bases in Eritrea and Somalia (2022)" diff --git a/middle-east/aj.json b/middle-east/aj.json index 5ec0d9ef..59a1ead0 100644 --- a/middle-east/aj.json +++ b/middle-east/aj.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Azerbaijan map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Caspian Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -596,7 +593,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, vice chairman, and 23 judges in plenum sessions and organized into civil, economic affairs, criminal, and rights violations chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/middle-east/am.json b/middle-east/am.json index 7951c0f0..25cc7241 100644 --- a/middle-east/am.json +++ b/middle-east/am.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Armenia map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -597,7 +594,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Cassation (consists of the Criminal Chamber with a chairman and 5 judges and the Civil and Administrative Chamber with a chairman and 10 judges – with both civil and administrative specializations); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/middle-east/ba.json b/middle-east/ba.json index 8ad57ca3..6ceeb0fe 100644 --- a/middle-east/ba.json +++ b/middle-east/ba.json @@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Bahrain map showing the islands that make up the country in the Gulf of Bahrain.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -575,14 +572,14 @@ "text": "bicameral National Assembly consists of:Georgia map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Black Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -224,7 +221,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "25.9 years (2019 est.)", - "note": "note: data do not cover Abkhazia and South Ossetia" + "note": "note: data does not cover Abkhazia and South Ossetia" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "25 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -593,7 +590,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 28 judges organized into several specialized judicial chambers; number of judges determined by the president of Georgia); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges); note - the Abkhazian and Ajarian Autonomous republics each have a supreme court and a hierarchy of lower courts" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1079,7 +1076,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom sector has been attempting for many years to overcome the decades of under-investment in its fixed-line infrastructure during the Soviet era; concerted efforts to privatize state-owned enterprises and open up the telecom market have been mostly successful, with a large number of networks now competing in both the fixed-line and the mobile segments; more needs to be done, however, to give investors the confidence to enter a market that has barely moved in terms of revenue growth over the last decade, and where regulatory overreach has sometimes come perilously close to arresting further development; Georgia’s government moved fast following the collapse of the Soviet Union to liberalize the country’s telecom market; this resulted in a relatively high number of networks competing in the under-developed fixed-line segment as well as in the emerging mobile market; both segments remain dominated by just a few companies, with SilkNet and MagtiCom holding the lion’s share. (2022)" + "text": "the telecom sector has been attempting for many years to overcome the decades of under-investment in its fixed-line infrastructure during the Soviet era; concerted efforts to privatize state-owned enterprises and open up the telecom market have been mostly successful, with a large number of networks now competing in both the fixed-line and the mobile segments; more needs to be done, however, to give investors the confidence to enter a market that has barely moved in terms of revenue growth over the last decade, and where regulatory overreach has sometimes come perilously close to arresting further development; Georgia’s government moved fast following the collapse of the Soviet Union to liberalize the country’s telecom market; this resulted in a relatively high number of networks competing in the under-developed fixed-line segment as well as in the emerging mobile market; both segments remain dominated by just a few companies (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line subscriptions over 9 per 100, cellular telephone networks cover the entire country; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 128 per 100 persons; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi; the mobile and mobile broadband segments have both demonstrated solid growth in 2021, (2020)" diff --git a/middle-east/gz.json b/middle-east/gz.json index f42337c9..90a71004 100644 --- a/middle-east/gz.json +++ b/middle-east/gz.json @@ -70,9 +70,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "once a strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes that has experienced an incredibly turbulent history; the town of Gaza itself has been besieged countless times in its history; Israel evacuated its civilian settlements and soldiers from the Gaza Strip in 2005" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Gaza Strip showing major populated areas as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Mediterranean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/middle-east/ir.json b/middle-east/ir.json index a48da1e3..fe7f3627 100644 --- a/middle-east/ir.json +++ b/middle-east/ir.json @@ -115,9 +115,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Iran map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -636,7 +633,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and organized into 42 two-bench branches, each with a justice and a judge)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1075,7 +1072,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Iran’s telecom infrastructure has suffered from sanctions in recent years, which prevented the import of equipment and devices and encouraged widespread smuggling, with a consequent loss of tax revenue; to address this, the government introduced a device registration scheme, and bolstered the capacity for domestically manufactured mobile phones; companies have invested in broadening the reach of their LTE networks, which has increased network capacity and improved the quality of mobile broadband services; the country is also looking to 5G, with services having been launched by MCI and MTN Irancell in early 2021; the sector is still limited by low frequency bands; the government is addressing this with plans to reallocate the 3.5GHz band for 5G use; Iran is keen to grow its Iran’s digital economy and the National Internet Network (NIN) is pivotal to Iran’s fixed broadband infrastructure plans and overall Smart City progress; from a broad perspective, Iran offers significant opportunities for growth in the telecoms sector; the country has one of the largest populations in the Middle East, and there is a high proportion of youthful, tech savvy users having considerable demand for both fixed and mobile telecom services; companies are offering national roaming to improve services in rural areas; TCI is allowing infrastructure sharing of its fiber network with competitors; (2022)" + "text": "Iran’s telecom infrastructure has suffered from sanctions in recent years, which prevented the import of equipment and devices and encouraged widespread smuggling, with a consequent loss of tax revenue; to address this, the government introduced a device registration scheme, and bolstered the capacity for domestically manufactured mobile phones; companies have invested in broadening the reach of their LTE networks, which has increased network capacity and improved the quality of mobile broadband services; the country is also looking to 5G, with services having been launched by MCI and MTN Irancell in early 2021; the sector is still limited by low frequency bands; the government is addressing this with plans to reallocate the 3.5GHz band for 5G use; Iran is keen to grow its Iran’s digital economy and the National Internet Network (NIN) is pivotal to Iran’s fixed broadband infrastructure plans and overall Smart City progress; from a broad perspective, Iran offers significant opportunities for growth in the telecoms sector; the country has one of the largest populations in the Middle East, and there is a high proportion of youthful, tech savvy users having considerable demand for both fixed and mobile telecom services; companies are offering national roaming to improve services in rural areas (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "approximately 35 per 100 for fixed-line and 152 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions; investment by Iran's state-owned telecom company has greatly improved and expanded both the fixed-line and mobile cellular networks; a huge percentage of the cell phones in the market have been smuggled into the country (2020)" diff --git a/middle-east/is.json b/middle-east/is.json index a0ebc239..612c7e17 100644 --- a/middle-east/is.json +++ b/middle-east/is.json @@ -103,9 +103,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source; the Dead Sea is the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lake Assal in Djibouti)Israel map showing major cities and significant features including - but not limited to - Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank. Note that in 2017 the US recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and in 2019 recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -604,7 +601,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the president, deputy president, 13 justices, and 2 registrars) and normally sits in panels of 3 justices; in special cases, the panel is expanded with an uneven number of justices" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1117,7 +1114,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Israel’s developed economy largely revolves around high technology products, primarily used in the medical, biotechnology, agricultural, materials, and military industries; the country also attracts investment in its cyber-security industry, and has established itself as a hub for thousands of start-up companies; to underpin these developments, Israel has developed a robust telecoms sector; household broadband subscriptions is high, with a focus on fiber-network deployment; Bezeq offers FttP services with data rates of up to 2.5Gb/s; LTE services are almost universally available, while the August 2020 multi-frequency bands also enabled the MNOs to provide services based on 5G; 5G will be supported by moves to close down GSM and 3G networks in stages through to the end of 2025, with the physical assets and frequencies to be repurposed for LTE and 5G use. (2022)" + "text": "Israel’s developed economy largely revolves around high technology products, primarily used in the medical, biotechnology, agricultural, materials, and military industries; the country also attracts investment in its cyber-security industry, and has established itself as a hub for thousands of start-up companies; to underpin these developments, Israel has developed a robust telecoms sector; household broadband subscriptions is high, with a focus on fiber-network deployment; LTE services are almost universally available, while the August 2020 multi-frequency bands also enabled the MNOs to provide services based on 5G; 5G will be supported by moves to close down GSM and 3G networks in stages through to the end of 2025, with the physical assets and frequencies to be repurposed for LTE and 5G use (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital; competition among both fixed-line and mobile cellular providers results in good coverage countrywide; fixed-line nearly 36 per 100 and nearly 132 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2020)" diff --git a/middle-east/iz.json b/middle-east/iz.json index 8cda1e60..b9aa4dd0 100644 --- a/middle-east/iz.json +++ b/middle-east/iz.json @@ -112,9 +112,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Iraq map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Persian Gulf.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -625,7 +622,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Federal Supreme Court or FSC (consists of 9 judges); note - court jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues, application of federal laws, ratification of election results for the COR, judicial competency disputes, and disputes between regions or governorates and the central government; Court of Cassation (consists of a court president, 5 vice presidents, and at least 24 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1108,7 +1105,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Iraq continues to face a number of political and economic challenges, though increasing civil stability has made it easier for mobile and fixed-line operators to rebuild telecom services and infrastructure damaged during the last few years; the government extended the licenses held by the MNOs for an additional three years to compensate for the chaos and destruction caused between 2014 and 2017 when Islamic State held sway in many areas of the country; the three major MNOs are Zain Iraq, Asiacell, and Korek Telecom, which together control over 90% of the mobile market; the companies have struggled to develop LTE services; with LTE services being very low, there is little chance for 5G to be available in the short term; most services are still based on GSM and 3G, except in the Kurdish region where LTE is more widely available. (2022)" + "text": "Iraq continues to face a number of political and economic challenges, though increasing civil stability has made it easier for mobile and fixed-line operators to rebuild telecom services and infrastructure damaged during the last few years; the government extended the licenses held by the MNOs for an additional three years to compensate for the chaos and destruction caused between 2014 and 2017 when Islamic State held sway in many areas of the country; the three major MNOs are Zain Iraq, Asiacell, and Korek Telecom, which together control over 90% of the mobile market; the companies have struggled to develop LTE services; with LTE services being very low, there is little chance for 5G to be available in the short term; most services are still based on GSM and 3G, except in the Kurdish region where LTE is more widely available (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "3G services offered by three major mobile operators; 4G offered by one operator in Iraqi; conflict has destroyed infrastructure in areas; about 10 per 100 for fixed-line and 92 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2020)" diff --git a/middle-east/jo.json b/middle-east/jo.json index 85dfbe8a..2ed52251 100644 --- a/middle-east/jo.json +++ b/middle-east/jo.json @@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank; the Dead Sea, the lowest point in Asia and the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lac Assal in Djibouti), lies on Jordan's western border with Israel and the West Bank; Jordan is almost landlocked but does have a 26 km southwestern coastline with a single port, Al 'Aqabah (Aqaba)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Jordan map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -232,7 +229,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "24.6 years (2017/18 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "46 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -622,7 +619,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (consists of 15 members, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1111,7 +1108,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 962; landing point for the FEA and Taba-Aqaba submarine cable networks providing connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Asia; satellite earth stations - 33 (3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "radio and TV dominated by the government-owned Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) that operates a main network, a sports network, a film network, and a satellite channel; first independent TV broadcaster aired in 2007; international satellite TV and Israeli and Syrian TV broadcasts are available; roughly 30 radio stations with JRTV operating the main government-owned station; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are available" diff --git a/middle-east/ku.json b/middle-east/ku.json index 00d6a29f..b0ff5f53 100644 --- a/middle-east/ku.json +++ b/middle-east/ku.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location at head of Persian Gulf" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Kuwait map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Persian Gulf.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -572,14 +569,14 @@ "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (65 seats; 50 members directly elected from 5 multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 15 ex-officio members (cabinet ministers) appointed by the amir; members serve 4-year terms)" }, "elections": { - "text": "last held on 5 December 2020 (next to be held NA)" + "text": "last held on 29 September 2022 (next to be held in 2026)" }, "election results": { - "text": "all candidates ran as independents, though nearly one-half were oppositionists; composition of elected members - men 50, women 0, percent of women 0%" + "text": "50 nonpartisans elected, of which 28 were opposition candidates; composition - men 48, women 2, percent of women 4%" } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Constitutional Court (consists of 5 judges); Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (organized into several circuits, each with 5 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1050,7 +1047,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 965; landing points for the FOG, GBICS, MENA, Kuwait-Iran, and FALCON submarine cables linking Africa, the Middle East, and Asia; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 6 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 1 Inmarsat - Atlantic Ocean, and 2 Arabsat) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-owned TV broadcaster operates 4 networks and a satellite channel; several private TV broadcasters have emerged; satellite TV available and pan-Arab TV stations are especially popular; state-owned Radio Kuwait broadcasts on a number of channels in Arabic and English; first private radio station emerged in 2005; transmissions of at least 2 international radio broadcasters are available (2019)" @@ -1183,7 +1180,7 @@ "text": "the military's inventory consists of weapons from a wide variety of sources, including Western Europe, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and the US; the US has been the leading supplier of arms to Kuwait since 2010 (2022)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; Kuwait reintroduced 12-month mandatory service for men aged 18-35 in May 2017 after having suspended conscription in 2001; mandatory service is divided in two phases – 4 months for training and 8 months for military service; women were allowed to volunteer in 2021 (2022)Lebanon map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Mediterranean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -602,7 +599,7 @@ "note": "note: Lebanon’s constitution states the Lebanese Parliament cannot conduct regular business until it elects a president when the position is vacant" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (organized into 8 chambers, each with a presiding judge and 2 associate judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 10 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1088,7 +1085,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 961; landing points for the IMEWE, BERYTAR AND CADMOS submarine cable links to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "7 TV stations, 1 of which is state owned; more than 30 radio stations, 1 of which is state owned; satellite and cable TV services available; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible through partner stations (2019)" @@ -1252,7 +1249,7 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "479,537 (Palestinian refugees) (2020); 831,053 (Syria) (2022)" + "text": "479,537 (Palestinian refugees) (2020); 825,081 (Syria) (2022)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "7,000 (2020)" diff --git a/middle-east/mu.json b/middle-east/mu.json index c2cde26e..6d1a608a 100644 --- a/middle-east/mu.json +++ b/middle-east/mu.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "consists of Oman proper and two northern exclaves, Musandam and Al Madhah; the former is a peninsula that occupies a strategic location adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Oman map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -579,7 +576,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 5 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1060,7 +1057,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 968; landing points for GSA, AAE-1, SeaMeWe-5, Tata TGN-Gulf, FALCON, GBICS/MENA, MENA/Guld Bridge International, TW1, BBG, EIG, OMRAN/EPEG, and POI submarine cables providing connectivity to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "1 state-run TV broadcaster; TV stations transmitting from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, and Yemen available via satellite TV; state-run radio operates multiple stations; first private radio station began operating in 2007 and several additional stations now operating (2019)" diff --git a/middle-east/qa.json b/middle-east/qa.json index 52451456..c6aae401 100644 --- a/middle-east/qa.json +++ b/middle-east/qa.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the peninsula occupies a strategic location in the central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Qatar map showing major population centers and neighboring countries of this peninsular country that extends into the Persian Gulf.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -584,7 +581,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of the court president and several judges); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1067,7 +1064,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 974; landing points for the Qatar-UAE Submarine Cable System, AAE-1, FOG, GBICS/East North Africa MENA and the FALCON submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Southeast Asia; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and the UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; retains full ownership of two commercial satellites, Es'hailSat 1 and 2 (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "TV and radio broadcast licensing and access to local media markets are state controlled; home of the satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera, which was originally owned and financed by the Qatari government but has evolved to independent corporate status; Al-Jazeera claims editorial independence in broadcasting; local radio transmissions include state, private, and international broadcasters on FM frequencies in Doha; in August 2013, Qatar's satellite company Es'hailSat launched its first communications satellite Es'hail 1 (manufactured in the US), which entered commercial service in December 2013 to provide improved television broadcasting capability and expand availability of voice and Internet; Es'hailSat launched its second commercial satellite in 2018 with aid of SpaceX (2019)" diff --git a/middle-east/sa.json b/middle-east/sa.json index 1a2b0cd5..0d15a215 100644 --- a/middle-east/sa.json +++ b/middle-east/sa.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river; extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea allow for considerable shipping (especially of crude oil) through the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Saudi Arabia map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and water bodies.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -586,7 +583,7 @@ "note": "note: composition as of 2021 - men 121, women 30, percent of women 19.9%" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "High Court (consists of the court chief and organized into circuits with 3-judge panels, except for the criminal circuit, which has a 5-judge panel for cases involving major punishments)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1085,7 +1082,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 966; landing points for the SeaMeWe-3, -4, -5, AAE-1, EIG, FALCON, FEA, IMEWE, MENA/Gulf Bridge International, SEACOM, SAS-1, -2, GBICS/MENA, and the Tata TGN-Gulf submarine cables providing connectivity to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "broadcast media are state-controlled; state-run TV operates 4 networks; Saudi Arabia is a major market for pan-Arab satellite TV broadcasters; state-run radio operates several networks; multiple international broadcasters are available" diff --git a/middle-east/sy.json b/middle-east/sy.json index f5000d1d..3737764a 100644 --- a/middle-east/sy.json +++ b/middle-east/sy.json @@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the capital of Damascus - located at an oasis fed by the Barada River - is thought to be one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities; there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights (2017)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Syria map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Mediterranean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -584,7 +581,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Cassation (organized into civil, criminal, religious, and military divisions, each with 3 judges); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of 7 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1043,7 +1040,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 963; landing points for the Aletar, BERYTAR and UGART submarine cable connections to Egypt, Lebanon, and Cyprus; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-run TV and radio broadcast networks; state operates 2 TV networks and 5 satellite channels; roughly two-thirds of Syrian homes have a satellite dish providing access to foreign TV broadcasts; 3 state-run radio channels; first private radio station launched in 2005; private radio broadcasters prohibited from transmitting news or political content (2018)" diff --git a/middle-east/tu.json b/middle-east/tu.json index 2cd99cea..ede1e40f 100644 --- a/middle-east/tu.json +++ b/middle-east/tu.json @@ -113,9 +113,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link the Black and Aegean Seas; the 3% of Turkish territory north of the Straits lies in Europe and goes by the names of European Turkey, Eastern Thrace, or Turkish Thrace; the 97% of the country in Asia is referred to as Anatolia; Istanbul, which straddles the Bosporus, is the only metropolis in the world located on two continents; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Turkey (Turkiye) map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -618,7 +615,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Constitutional Court or Anayasa Mahkemesi (consists of the president, 2 vice presidents, and 12 judges); Court of Cassation (consists of about 390 judges and is organized into civil and penal chambers); Council of State (organized into 15 divisions - 14 judicial and 1 consultative - each with a division head and at least 5 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1122,7 +1119,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 90; landing points for the SeaMeWe-3 & -5, MedNautilus Submarine System, Turcyos-1 & -2 submarine cables providing connectivity to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia ; satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat; mobile satellite terminals - 328 in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) operates multiple TV and radio networks and stations; multiple privately owned national television stations and 567 private regional and local television stations; multi-channel cable TV subscriptions available; 1,007 private radio broadcast stations
(2019)" diff --git a/middle-east/we.json b/middle-east/we.json index 25dbb658..5fb98c6b 100644 --- a/middle-east/we.json +++ b/middle-east/we.json @@ -97,9 +97,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are about 380 Israeli civilian sites, including about 213 settlements and 132 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 35 sites in East Jerusalem (2017)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "West Bank map showing its major population centers as well as parts of the two countries that surround it – Israel to the west and Jordan to the east.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -862,7 +859,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code 970 or 972; 1 international switch in Ramallah" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "the Palestinian Authority operates 1 TV and 1 radio station; about 20 private TV and 40 radio stations; both Jordanian TV and satellite TV are accessible" diff --git a/middle-east/ym.json b/middle-east/ym.json index b64be54f..0420a2cc 100644 --- a/middle-east/ym.json +++ b/middle-east/ym.json @@ -105,9 +105,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Yemen map showing major population centers as well as parts of neighboring countries and the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -229,7 +226,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.8 years (2013 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "164 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -627,7 +624,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the court president, 2 deputies, and nearly 50 judges; court organized into constitutional, civil, commercial, family, administrative, criminal, military, and appeals scrutiny divisions)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1102,7 +1099,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 967; landing points for the FALCON, SeaMeWe-5, Aden-Djibouti, and the AAE-1 international submarine cable connecting Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Southeast Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-run TV with 2 stations; state-run radio with 2 national radio stations and 5 local stations; stations from Oman and Saudi Arabia can be accessed" @@ -1217,7 +1214,7 @@ }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { - "text": "Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG) forces; Ministry of Defense: Yemeni National Army, Air Force and Air Defense, Navy and Coastal Defense Forces, Border Guard, Strategic Reserve Forces (includes Special Forces and Presidential Protection Brigades, which are under the Ministry of Defense but responsible to the president), Popular Committee Forces (government-backed tribal militia); Ministry of Interior: Special Security Forces (paramilitary; formerly known as Central Security Forces), Political Security Organization (state security), National Security Bureau (intelligence), Counterterrorism UnitBermuda map showing the many islands that make up the country in the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -491,7 +488,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and at least 2 justices); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, 4 puisne judges, and 1 associate justice); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) is the court of final appeal" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -936,7 +933,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one major casualty may be the region’s second largest telco operator, Digicel; the company filed for bankruptcy in the US in April 2020; it continues to operate in all of its Caribbean markets as it seeks to refinance billions of dollars of debt; the other major telco, regional incumbent Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), is experiencing similar drops in subscriber numbers and revenue; CWC is expanding and enhancing its fixed and mobile networks in many of the countries it serves around the Caribbean, despite many locations being small islands with very small populations; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" + "text": "the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "the system has a high fixed-line teledensity nearing 35 per 100, coupled with a mobile-cellular teledensity of roughly 103 per 100 persons (2019)" diff --git a/north-america/ca.json b/north-america/ca.json index 8aef8d52..f89cd4c7 100644 --- a/north-america/ca.json +++ b/north-america/ca.json @@ -120,9 +120,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: second-largest country in world (after Russia) and largest in the Americas; strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km (100 mi) of the US border
note 2: Canada has more fresh water than any other country and almost 9% of Canadian territory is water; Canada has at least 2 million and possibly over 3 million lakes - that is more than all other countries combined
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Canada map showing the country positioned in northern North America between the North Pacific, Arctic, and North Atlantic Oceans.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -612,7 +609,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Canada (consists of the chief justice and 8 judges); note - in 1949, Canada abolished all appeals beyond its Supreme Court, which prior to that time, were heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1117,7 +1114,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the Canadian telecom market continues to show steady development as operators invest in network upgrades; much of the investment among telcos has been channelled into LTE infrastructure to capitalize on consumer demand for mobile data services, while there has also been further investment in 5G; investment programs have also been supported by regulatory efforts to ensure that operators have spectrum available to develop 5G services; spectrum in the 600MGz and 3.5GHz ranges has already been auctioned, while other auctions are planned through to 2024; in the 3.5GHz range the regulator set aside 50MHz for new entrants to encourage competition in the wireless segment; an investment in fixed-line infrastructure, focused on FttP and, among cable broadband providers, upgrades to the DOCSIS3.1 standard; the DSL segment is losing market share as customers are migrated to fiber; Telus expected to have completely decommissioned its copper network by the end of 2022; government policy has encouraged the extension of broadband to rural and regional areas, with the result that services are almost universally available and the emphasis now is on improving service speeds to enable the entire population to benefit from the digital economy and society; cable broadband is the principal access platform, followed by DSL; the main cablecos are upgrading their networks to the DOCSIS3.1 standard, which can deliver data at 1Gb/s and above; fiber deployments are also gaining momentum, with a growing number of Gigabit towns now connected; the mobile rate remains comparatively low by international standards, and so the market offers further room for growth; Canadians have provided for LTE and LTE-A infrastructure; despite topographical challenges and the remoteness of many areas, the major players effectively offer 99% population coverage with LTE. In the 5G segment, Telus and Bell Wireless were early triallists, followed by Shaw Communications in May 2018; operators now provide up to 70% population coverage with 5G. (2022)" + "text": "the Canadian telecom market continues to show steady development as operators invest in network upgrades; much of the investment among telcos has been channelled into LTE infrastructure to capitalize on consumer demand for mobile data services, while there has also been further investment in 5G; investment programs have also been supported by regulatory efforts to ensure that operators have spectrum available to develop 5G services; spectrum in the 600MGz and 3.5GHz ranges has already been auctioned, while other auctions are planned through to 2024; in the 3.5GHz range the regulator set aside 50MHz for new entrants to encourage competition in the wireless segment; an investment in fixed-line infrastructure, focused on FttP and, among cable broadband providers, upgrades to the DOCSIS3.1 standard; the DSL segment is losing market share as customers are migrated to fiber; government policy has encouraged the extension of broadband to rural and regional areas, with the result that services are almost universally available and the emphasis now is on improving service speeds to enable the entire population to benefit from the digital economy and society; cable broadband is the principal access platform, followed by DSL; the main cablecos are upgrading their networks to the DOCSIS3.1 standard, which can deliver data at 1Gb/s and above; fiber deployments are also gaining momentum, with a growing number of Gigabit towns now connected; the mobile rate remains comparatively low by international standards, and so the market offers further room for growth; Canadians have provided for LTE and LTE-A infrastructure; despite topographical challenges and the remoteness of many areas, the major players effectively offer 99% population coverage with LTE; operators now provide up to 70% population coverage with 5G (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "Nearly 37 per 100 fixed-line and 96 per 100 mobile-cellular teledensity; domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations (2020)" diff --git a/north-america/gl.json b/north-america/gl.json index 26bacf45..e38be3a6 100644 --- a/north-america/gl.json +++ b/north-america/gl.json @@ -95,9 +95,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast; close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice sheet after that of Antarctica covering an area of 1.71 million sq km (660,000 sq mi) or about 79% of the island, and containing 2.85 million cu km (684 thousand cu mi) of ice (this is almost 7% of all of the world's fresh water); if all this ice were converted to liquid water, one estimate is that it would be sufficient to raise the height of the world's oceans by 7.2 m (24 ft)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Greenland map showing the massive island that makes up this part of Denmark in the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -473,7 +470,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "High Court of Greenland (consists of the presiding professional judge and 2 lay assessors); note - appeals beyond the High Court of Greenland can be heard by the Supreme Court (in Copenhagen)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/north-america/ip.json b/north-america/ip.json index c67dba00..8f5d711a 100644 --- a/north-america/ip.json +++ b/north-america/ip.json @@ -77,9 +77,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the atoll reef is approximately 12 km (7.5 mi) in circumference; an attempt to colonize the atoll in the early 20th century ended in disaster and was abandoned in 1917" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Clipperton Island map showing the French possession in the North Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/north-america/mx.json b/north-america/mx.json index 77492df4..f4f2f795 100644 --- a/north-america/mx.json +++ b/north-america/mx.json @@ -121,9 +121,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: strategic location on southern border of the US; Mexico is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
note 2: some of the world's most important food crops were first domesticated in Mexico; the \"Three Sisters\" companion plants - winter squash, maize (corn), and climbing beans - served as the main agricultural crops for various North American Indian groups; all three apparently originated in Mexico but then were widely disseminated through much of North America; avocado, amaranth, and chili peppers also emanate from Mexico, as does vanilla, the world's most popular aroma and flavor spice; although cherry tomatoes originated in Ecuador, their domestication in Mexico transformed them into the larger modern tomato
note 3: the Sac Actun cave system at 348 km (216 mi) is the longest underwater cave in the world and the second longest cave worldwide, after Mammoth Cave in the United States (see \"Geography - note\" under United States)
note 4: the prominent Yucatan Peninsula that divides the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea is shared by Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize; just on the northern coast of Yucatan, near the town of Chicxulub (pronounce cheek-sha-loob), lie the remnants of a massive crater (some 150 km in diameter and extending well out into the Gulf of Mexico); formed by an asteroid or comet when it struck the earth 66 million years ago, the impact is now widely accepted as initiating a worldwide climate disruption that caused a mass extinction of 75% of all the earth's plant and animal species - including the non-avian dinosaurs
Mexico map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and bodies of water.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -664,7 +661,7 @@ "note": "note: as of the 2018 election, senators will be eligible for a second term and deputies up to 4 consecutive terms" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nacion (consists of the chief justice and 11 justices and organized into civil, criminal, administrative, and labor panels) and the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (organized into the superior court, with 7 judges including the court president, and 5 regional courts, each with 3 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1171,7 +1168,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain, and Italy; the ARCOS-1 and the MAYA-1 submarine cable system together provide access to Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the U.S.; Pan-American Crossing (PAC) submarine cable system provides access to Panama, California, U.S., and Costa Rica; Lazaro Cardenas-Manzanillo Santiago submarines cable system (LCMSSCS) provides access to Michoacan, Guerrero, and Colima, Mexico; AMX-1 submarine cable system with access to Colombia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Gulf of California Cable submarine cable systems that connects La Paz, Baja California Sur and Topolobambo, Sinaloa; and Aurora submarine cable system provides access to Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, and the U.S. satellite earth stations - 124 (36 Intelsat, 1 Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), 9 Panamsat, numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations); linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk connections (2022)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "telecom reform in 2013 enabled the creation of new broadcast television channels after decades of a quasi-monopoly; Mexico has 885 TV stations and 1,841 radio stations and most are privately owned; the Televisa group once had a virtual monopoly in TV broadcasting, but new broadcasting groups and foreign satellite and cable operators are now available; in 2016, Mexico became the first country in Latin America to complete the transition from analog to digital transmissions, allowing for better image and audio quality and a wider selection of programming from networks (2022)" diff --git a/north-america/sb.json b/north-america/sb.json index 0be9ad7b..85e838f0 100644 --- a/north-america/sb.json +++ b/north-america/sb.json @@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "vegetation scanty; the islands are actually part of the northern Appalachians along with Newfoundland" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Saint Pierre and Miquelon map showing the two islands that make up this French territorial overseas collectivity in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -448,7 +445,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel (composition NA)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -783,7 +780,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 508; landing point for the St Pierre and Miquelon Cable connecting Saint Pierre & Miquelon and Canada; radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; satellite earth station - 1 in French domestic satellite system (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "8 TV stations, all part of the French Overseas Network, and local cable provided by SPM Telecom; 3 of 4 radio stations on St. Pierre and on Miquelon are part of the French Overseas Network (2021)" diff --git a/north-america/us.json b/north-america/us.json index d4ad9f75..ec5ba392 100644 --- a/north-america/us.json +++ b/north-america/us.json @@ -126,9 +126,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Denali (Mt. McKinley) is the highest point (6,190 m) in North America and Death Valley the lowest point (-86 m) on the continent
note 2: the western coast of the United States and southern coast of Alaska lie along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
note 3: the Aleutian Islands are a chain of volcanic islands that divide the Bering Sea (north) from the main Pacific Ocean (south); they extend about 1,800 km westward from the Alaskan Peninsula; the archipelago consists of 14 larger islands, 55 smaller islands, and hundreds of islets; there are 41 active volcanoes on the islands, which together form a large northern section of the Ring of Fire
note 4: Mammoth Cave, in west-central Kentucky, is the world's longest known cave system with more than 650 km (405 miles) of surveyed passageways, which is nearly twice as long as the second-longest cave system, the Sac Actun underwater cave in Mexico - the world's longest underwater cave system (see \"Geography - note\" under Mexico);
note 5: Kazumura Cave on the island of Hawaii is the world's longest and deepest lava tube cave; it has been surveyed at 66 km (41 mi) long and 1,102 m (3,614 ft) deep
note 6: Bracken Cave outside of San Antonio, Texas is the world's largest bat cave; it is the summer home to the largest colony of bats in the world; an estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost in the cave from March to October making it the world's largest known concentration of mammals
note 7: the US is reliant on foreign imports for 100% of its needs for the following strategic resources - Arsenic, Cesium, Fluorspar, Gallium, Graphite, Indium, Manganese, Niobium, Rare Earths, Rubidium, Scandium, Tantalum, Yttrium; see Appendix H: Strategic Materials for further details
note 8: three food crops are generally acknowledged to be native to areas of what is now the United States: cranberries, pecans, and sunflowers
United States map showing the United States – including Alaska and Hawaii – within northern North America. Most major US cities are indicated.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -629,7 +626,7 @@ "note": "note: in addition to the regular members of the House of Representatives there are 6 non-voting delegates elected from the District of Columbia and the US territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands; these are single seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term (except for the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico who serves a 4-year term); the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote; election of delegates last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 8 November 2022)" }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "US Supreme Court (consists of 9 justices - the chief justice and 8 associate justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1097,7 +1094,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 1; landing points for the Quintillion Subsea Cable Network, TERRA SW, AU-Aleutian, KKFL, AKORN, Alaska United -West, & -East & -Southeast, North Star, Lynn Canal Fiber, KetchCar 1, PC-1, SCCN, Tat TGN-Pacific & -Atlantic, Jupiter, Hawaiki, NCP, FASTER, HKA, JUS, AAG, BtoBE, Currie, Southern Cross NEXT, SxS, PLCN, Utility EAC-Pacific, SEA-US, Paniolo Cable Network, HICS, HIFN, ASH, Telstra Endeavor, Honotua, AURORA, ARCOS, AMX-1, Americas -I & -II, Columbus IIb & -III, Maya-1, MAC, GTMO-1, BICS, CFX-1, GlobeNet, Monet, SAm-1, Bahamas 2, PCCS, BRUSA, Dunant, MAREA, SAE x1, TAT 14, Apollo, Gemini Bermuda, Havfrue/AEC-2, Seabras-1, WALL-LI, NYNJ-1, FLAG Atalantic-1, Yellow, Atlantic Crossing-1, AE Connect -1, sea2shore, Challenger Bermuda-1, and GTT Atlantic submarine cable systems providing international connectivity to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific, & Atlantic, and Indian Ocean Islands, Central and South America, Caribbean, Canada and US; 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) (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "4 major terrestrial TV networks with affiliate stations throughout the country, plus cable and satellite networks, independent stations, and a limited public broadcasting sector that is largely supported by private grants; overall, thousands of TV stations broadcasting; multiple national radio networks with many affiliate stations; while most stations are commercial, National Public Radio (NPR) has a network of some 900 member stations; satellite radio available; in total, over 15,000 radio stations operating (2018)" diff --git a/oceans/oo.json b/oceans/oo.json index a2c19765..65691720 100644 --- a/oceans/oo.json +++ b/oceans/oo.json @@ -62,9 +62,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the cold polar surface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Southern Ocean map showing the extent of the Ocean – up to 60 degrees south latitude - surrounding Antarctica.
" } }, "Environment": { diff --git a/oceans/xo.json b/oceans/xo.json index 8c4bb868..89d6f7c8 100644 --- a/oceans/xo.json +++ b/oceans/xo.json @@ -62,9 +62,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Indian Ocean map highlights the Ocean in relation to surrounding continents and shows the major chokepoints.
" } }, "Environment": { diff --git a/oceans/xq.json b/oceans/xq.json index 17bcf7f0..07220c21 100644 --- a/oceans/xq.json +++ b/oceans/xq.json @@ -62,9 +62,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Arctic Ocean map centered on the North Pole showing the major sea routes along the outer edges of the Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/oceans/zh.json b/oceans/zh.json index 29684c21..96ec84ed 100644 --- a/oceans/zh.json +++ b/oceans/zh.json @@ -62,9 +62,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Atlantic Ocean map highlights the Ocean in relation to surrounding continents and shows the major chokepoints.
" } }, "Environment": { diff --git a/oceans/zn.json b/oceans/zn.json index 3d5078a7..1f21146f 100644 --- a/oceans/zn.json +++ b/oceans/zn.json @@ -62,9 +62,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean; much of the Pacific Ocean's rim lies along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters that accounts for up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes; the Pacific Ocean is the deepest ocean basin averaging 4,000 m in depth" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Pacific Ocean map highlights the Ocean in relation to surrounding continents and shows the major chokepoints.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/south-america/ar.json b/south-america/ar.json index 6f7ffb70..813f5fa6 100644 --- a/south-america/ar.json +++ b/south-america/ar.json @@ -121,9 +121,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere; shares Iguazu Falls, the world's largest waterfalls system, with BrazilArgentina map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the South Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -625,7 +622,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of the court president, vice president, 2 judges, 1 vacancy)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1119,7 +1116,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Argentina’s ongoing hyperinflation continues to distort the telecom market’s performance, which shows strong growth in revenue but only modest gains in subscriber numbers each year; fixed-line teledensity continues on its slow, gradual decline year upon year, the fixed broadband segment has increased levels only slightly higher than the fixed-line teledensity; nearly a quarter of the country’s broadband connections are via DSL, although fiber is increasing it's share of that market as networks expand across most of the main cities; mobile broadband continues to be the preferred platform for internet access, supported by high mobile levels and nationwide LTE coverage; the first 5G service was launched in February 2021 using re-farmed LTE frequencies; the various fixed, mobile, and cable operators are expanding and enhancing their services, the government is also making an active contribution towards boosting broadband connectivity around the country; its national connectivity plan ‘Plan Conectar’, launched in September 2020, provides funding for a range of programs to increase coverage; in August 2021, the telecom regulator announced the release of a further ARS671.6 million in funding to help operators accelerate the rollout of their broadband infrastructure and services. (2021)" + "text": "Argentina’s ongoing hyperinflation continues to distort the telecom market’s performance, which shows strong growth in revenue but only modest gains in subscriber numbers each year; fixed-line teledensity continues on its slow, gradual decline year upon year, the fixed broadband segment has increased levels only slightly higher than the fixed-line teledensity; nearly a quarter of the country’s broadband connections are via DSL, although fiber is increasing it's share of that market as networks expand across most of the main cities; mobile broadband continues to be the preferred platform for internet access, supported by high mobile levels and nationwide LTE coverage; the first 5G service was launched in February 2021 using re-farmed LTE frequencies; the various fixed, mobile, and cable operators are expanding and enhancing their services, the government is also making an active contribution towards boosting broadband connectivity around the country; its national connectivity plan ‘Plan Conectar’, launched in September 2020, provides funding for a range of programs to increase coverage (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "roughly 16 per 100 fixed-line and 121 per 100 mobile-cellular; microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network (2020)" diff --git a/south-america/bl.json b/south-america/bl.json index 523b6026..d1579967 100644 --- a/south-america/bl.json +++ b/south-america/bl.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with PeruBrazil map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -655,7 +652,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Federal Court or Supremo Tribunal Federal (consists of 11 justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1151,7 +1148,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Brazil is one of the largest mobile and broadband markets in Latin America with healthy competition and pricing; the development of 5G, was scheduled for March 2020 but was delayed due to interference issues with satellite TV broadcasts and the pandemic; the auction was completed November 2021; the licenses are obliged to provide 5G services to all capital cities by July 2022, as well as about 35,500km of the national highway network; the country also has one of the largest fixed line broadband markets in Latin America, though broadband subscriptions is only slightly above the regional average, trailing behind Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay; amendments to the licensing regime adopted in October 2019 also require that ISPs which have switched to authorizations invest money saved from lighter regulations in the expansion of broadband services; the fixed line broadband market has seen rapid growth for a number of years, with a growing focus on fiber broadband; in 2019 the number of fiber accesses overtook DSL connections; Vivo has the largest share of the fiber market, followed by Oi and Claro; the country is a key landing point for a number of important submarine cables connecting to the US, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa; several new cable systems are due to come into service through to 2022, which will increase bandwidth and push down broadband prices for end-users; investments have also been made into terrestrial fiber cables between Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. (2021)" + "text": "Brazil is one of the largest mobile and broadband markets in Latin America with healthy competition and pricing; the development of 5G, was scheduled for March 2020 but was delayed due to interference issues with satellite TV broadcasts and the pandemic; the auction was completed November 2021; the licenses are obliged to provide 5G services to all capital cities by July 2022, as well as about 35,500km of the national highway network; the country also has one of the largest fixed line broadband markets in Latin America, though broadband subscriptions is only slightly above the regional average, trailing behind Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay; amendments to the licensing regime adopted in October 2019 also require that ISPs which have switched to authorizations invest money saved from lighter regulations in the expansion of broadband services; the fixed line broadband market has seen rapid growth for a number of years, with a growing focus on fiber broadband; in 2019 the number of fiber accesses overtook DSL connections; the country is a key landing point for a number of important submarine cables connecting to the US, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa; several new cable systems are due to come into service through to 2022, which will increase bandwidth and push down broadband prices for end-users; investments have also been made into terrestrial fiber cables between Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line connections stand at roughly 14 per 100 persons; less-expensive mobile-cellular technology has been a major impetus broadening telephone service to the lower-income segments of the population with mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 97 per 100 persons (2020)" diff --git a/south-america/ci.json b/south-america/ci.json index b1b343da..716b98b2 100644 --- a/south-america/ci.json +++ b/south-america/ci.json @@ -110,9 +110,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: the longest north-south trending country in the world, extending across 39 degrees of latitude; strategic location relative to sea lanes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)
note 2: Chile is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
note 3: the Atacama Desert - the driest desert in the world - spreads across the northern part of the country; Ojos del Salado (6,893 m) in the Atacama Desert is the highest active volcano in the world, Chile's tallest mountain, and the second highest in the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere - its small crater lake (at 6,390 m) is the world's highest lake
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Chile map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -604,7 +601,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of a court president and 20 members or ministros); Constitutional Court (consists of 10 members and is independent of the rest of the judiciary); Elections Qualifying Court (consists of 5 members)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1093,7 +1090,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the market for fixed and mobile telephony is highly competitive and rapidly evolving; the mobile rate is among the highest in South America; Movistar and Entel remain the market leaders, followed by Claro and WOM; LTE infrastructure is extensive and 5G spectrum auctions which took place in February 2021 are expected to prompt the deployment of 5G networks by the end of the year, following extensive trials held by the MNOs; fixed broadband is relatively high for the region, with services among the fastest and least expensive in Latin America; government initiatives such as the National Fiber Optic project and Fibra Óptica Austral are providing high-capacity connectivity across the country and will further increase fixed-line broadband; there is a strong focus on fiber broadband, with the number of fiber subscribers having increased 61.7% in 2020, year-on-year; Movistar dominates the fiber broadband market, with a 49.7% market share at the end of 2020; technological improvements have allowed operators to provide a variety of services via their networks, giving rise to a number of bundled packages at competitive prices, including access to video on demand services which in turn is increasing fixed-line broadband; the leading fixed broadband operators are Telefónica Chile, trading as Movistar, VTR Globalcom (VTR), the GTD Group, Entel, Claro, and WOM; traditional fixed-line teledensity continues to fall as consumers switch to mobile networks and to fixed broadband for voice and data connectivity; Humboldt submarine cable project to link Chile with New Zealand and Australia; more than 8,300 schools receive free broadband as part of the ‘Connectivity for Education 2030’ project; regulator completes multi-band 5G spectrum auction, agrees to SpaceX providing its Starlink satellite broadband service (2021)" + "text": "the market for fixed and mobile telephony is highly competitive and rapidly evolving; the mobile rate is among the highest in South America; LTE infrastructure is extensive and 5G spectrum auctions which took place in February 2021 are expected to prompt the deployment of 5G networks by the end of the year, following extensive trials held by the MNOs; fixed broadband is relatively high for the region, with services among the fastest and least expensive in Latin America; government initiatives such as the National Fiber Optic project and Fibra Óptica Austral are providing high-capacity connectivity across the country and will further increase fixed-line broadband; there is a strong focus on fiber broadband, with the number of fiber subscribers having increased 61.7% in 2020, year-on-year; technological improvements have allowed operators to provide a variety of services via their networks, giving rise to a number of bundled packages at competitive prices, including access to video on demand services which in turn is increasing fixed-line broadband; traditional fixed-line teledensity continues to fall as consumers switch to mobile networks and to fixed broadband for voice and data connectivity; Humboldt submarine cable project to link Chile with New Zealand and Australia; more than 8,300 schools receive free broadband as part of the ‘Connectivity for Education 2030’ project; regulator completes multi-band 5G spectrum auction (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "number of fixed-line connections have dropped to about 13 per 100 in recent years as mobile-cellular usage continues to increase, reaching 131 telephones per 100 persons; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations (2020)" diff --git a/south-america/co.json b/south-america/co.json index 6bb4d4eb..e56a3e9c 100644 --- a/south-america/co.json +++ b/south-america/co.json @@ -111,9 +111,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Colombia map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -238,7 +235,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "21.7 years (2015 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "83 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -630,7 +627,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of the Civil-Agrarian and Labor Chambers each with 7 judges, and the Penal Chamber with 9 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 magistrates); Council of State (consists of 27 judges); Superior Judiciary Council (consists of 13 magistrates)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -649,7 +646,7 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Juan Carlos PINZON Bueno (since August 2021)" + "text": "Ambassador Luis Gilberto MURILLO URRUTIA (since 16 September 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1724 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036" @@ -1130,7 +1127,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the telecom sector had a solid year thanks to positive performances in the fixed-line broadband, mobile broadband, and mobile voice and data market; fixed-line remained stable by the end of 2020, though began to increase into 2021 as a result of the particular demands on households resulting from government measures associated with addressing the pandemic; at less than 15% it is well below the Latin American average; the mobile market, by contrast, reached a penetration rate of 136% (an increase of over three percentage points on 2019) and managed to keep the same upward growth trajectory that it has sustained over the last ten years; the fixed-line broadband market also expanded, with the number of subscribers increasing 11.4%, and with revenue increasing 9.9% thanks to increased data usage as many customers were forced to work or study from home during the year; the mobile broadband market was the standout performer in 2020, with a 13% increase in the number of subscribers year-on-year, albeit the subscription rate is relatively low compared to other Latin American countries; the surge in mobile broadband traffic — a 51% increase over the previous year — which was again a reflection of the strict lock downs that Colombians had to endure for much of 2020; market leader Claro continued to expand its dominance of the mobile broadband market, increasing its share over the last decade by 10% to reach 54% at the start of 2021; Tigo has seen its share halved over the same period of time, yet its subscriber base has still managed to grow on the back of a strong overall market. Tigo also suffered the most from Colombia’s imposed lock downs in 2020, severely impacting its retail sales (a 20% decline in revenue) with nearly half of its stores being forced to close; Movistar and Claro awarded spectrum in the 3.5GHz band for 5G trials (2021)" + "text": "the telecom sector had a solid year thanks to positive performances in the fixed-line broadband, mobile broadband, and mobile voice and data market; fixed-line remained stable by the end of 2020, though began to increase into 2021 as a result of the particular demands on households resulting from government measures associated with addressing the pandemic; at less than 15% it is well below the Latin American average; the mobile market, by contrast, reached a penetration rate of 136% (an increase of over three percentage points on 2019) and managed to keep the same upward growth trajectory that it has sustained over the last ten years; the fixed-line broadband market also expanded, with the number of subscribers increasing 11.4%, and with revenue increasing 9.9% thanks to increased data usage as many customers were forced to work or study from home during the year; the mobile broadband market was the standout performer in 2020, with a 13% increase in the number of subscribers year-on-year, albeit the subscription rate is relatively low compared to other Latin American countries; the surge in mobile broadband traffic — a 51% increase over the previous year — which was again a reflection of the strict lock downs that Colombians had to endure for much of 2020 (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line connections stand at about 14 per 100 persons; mobile cellular telephone subscribership is 133 per 100 persons; Partners Telecom Colombia's (WOM) market entrance in June 2021 increased competition among cellular service providers and is resulting in falling local and international calling rates and contributing to the steep decline in the market share of fixed-line services; domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations (2021)" diff --git a/south-america/ec.json b/south-america/ec.json index 1d7f1fb2..4b92fbd2 100644 --- a/south-america/ec.json +++ b/south-america/ec.json @@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in worldEcuador map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -626,7 +623,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "National Court of Justice or Corte Nacional de Justicia (consists of 21 judges, including the chief justice and organized into 5 specialized chambers); Constitutional Court or Corte Constitucional (consists of the court president and 8 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1116,7 +1113,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "Ecuador’s remote and mountainous geography lends challenges to tele-density; government-owned provider to improve fixed-line and LTE infrastructure, with emphasis on fiber expansion from urban to rural areas and installation of a 5G network; small telecom market dominated by the non-competitive mobile sector; inadequate fixed-line infrastructure and slowed fixed-line broadband services (2020). (2020)" + "text": "Ecuador’s remote and mountainous geography lends challenges to tele-density; government-owned provider to improve fixed-line and LTE infrastructure, with emphasis on fiber expansion from urban to rural areas and installation of a 5G network; small telecom market dominated by the non-competitive mobile sector; inadequate fixed-line infrastructure and slowed fixed-line broadband services (2020) (2020)" }, "domestic": { "text": "according to 2021 statistics from the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society, 50 percent of Ecuadorian homes do not have access to fixed internet. Ecuador’s telecoms regulator, ARCOTEL is currently evaluating and reorganizing the 3.5GHz, 2.5 GHz, 700 MHz and AWS spectrum for future government tenders. 2G/3G technologies have a 91.11 percent of penetration and 4G technologies has 60.74 percent (2021). (2021)" diff --git a/south-america/fk.json b/south-america/fk.json index a71fdb67..3f9af901 100644 --- a/south-america/fk.json +++ b/south-america/fk.json @@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) map showing the islands that make up this UK territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -405,7 +402,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, the chief justice as an ex officio non-resident member, and 2 justices of appeal); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/south-america/gy.json b/south-america/gy.json index e7688ce5..a2ff869f 100644 --- a/south-america/gy.json +++ b/south-america/gy.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively; contains some of the largest unspoiled rainforests on the continent" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Guyana map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -227,7 +224,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.8 years (2009 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "667 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -608,7 +605,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with a chief justice and 3 justices, and the High Court with a chief justice and 10 justices organized into 3- or 5-judge panels); note - in 2009, Guyana acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal in civil and criminal cases, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1074,7 +1071,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "After many years of delays and legal challenges, the 2016 Telecommunications Act was brought into force in October 2020 by the newly elected government of the People’s Party Progressive (PPP); the end of the 31-year monopoly held by the fixed-line incumbent Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) occurred just two months after the PPP took power from the APNU+AFC coalition, which had signed a non-binding agreement with GTT in 2019 to liberalise Guyana’s telecoms market but failed to take any concrete action to make it happen; the Telecommunications Act sets out a framework for enabling competition across all segments of the telecommunications sector in Guyana; the mobile market has been open to competition since 2001, but only one operator, Digicel Guyana, has successfully launched competing GSM and 3G services; while Digicel quickly built a small lead in the mobile market, it remains a duopoly, and subscription levels are well below those of other countries in the region; the Telecommunications Act presents the country with the potential to benefit from a more level playing field that may attract new players, but nevertheless Guyana’s relatively small size and low GDP may restrict it from reaching its full potential for some more years to come. (2021)" + "text": "after many years of delays and legal challenges, the 2016 Telecommunications Act was brought into force in October 2020 by the newly elected government of the People’s Party Progressive (PPP); the Telecommunications Act sets out a framework for enabling competition across all segments of the telecommunications sector in Guyana; the mobile market has been open to competition since 2001; the Telecommunications Act presents the country with the potential to benefit from a more level playing field that may attract new players, but nevertheless Guyana’s relatively small size and low GDP may restrict it from reaching its full potential for some more years to come (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line teledensity is about 18 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity about 83 per 100 persons (2019)" diff --git a/south-america/ns.json b/south-america/ns.json index 765ece24..10008b1a 100644 --- a/south-america/ns.json +++ b/south-america/ns.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Suriname map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -594,7 +591,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "High Court of Justice of Suriname (consists of the court president, vice president, and 4 judges); note - appeals beyond the High Court are referred to the Caribbean Court of Justice; human rights violations can be appealed to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights with judgments issued by the Inter-American Court on Human Rights" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1079,7 +1076,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 597; landing point for the SG-SCS submarine cable linking South America with the Caribbean; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "2 state-owned TV stations; 1 state-owned radio station; multiple private radio and TV stations (2019)" diff --git a/south-america/pa.json b/south-america/pa.json index 38e72ba7..b9c8b7e1 100644 --- a/south-america/pa.json +++ b/south-america/pa.json @@ -102,9 +102,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in eastern and southern part of countryParaguay map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -229,7 +226,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "22.9 years (2008 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "84 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -613,7 +610,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 justices divided 3 each into the Constitutional Court, Civil and Commercial Chamber, and Criminal Division)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1107,7 +1104,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 595; Paraguay's landlocked position means they must depend on neighbors for interconnection with submarine cable networks, making it cost more for broadband services; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "6 privately owned TV stations; about 75 commercial and community radio stations; 1 state-owned radio network (2019)" diff --git a/south-america/pe.json b/south-america/pe.json index 53dd4f5e..a1692360 100644 --- a/south-america/pe.json +++ b/south-america/pe.json @@ -115,9 +115,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak, is the ultimate source of the Amazon River
note 2: Peru is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
note 3: on 19 February 1600, Mount Huaynaputina in the southern Peruvian Andes erupted in the largest volcanic explosion in South America in historical times; intermittent eruptions lasted until 5 March 1600 and pumped an estimated 16 to 32 million metric tons of particulates into the atmosphere reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the earth's surface and affecting weather worldwide; over the next two and a half years, millions died around the globe in famines from bitterly cold winters, cool summers, and the loss of crops and animals
note 4: the southern regions of Peru and the extreme northwestern part of Bolivia are considered to be the place of origin for the common potato
Peru map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the South Pacific Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -242,7 +239,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "21.9 years (2013 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "88 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -649,7 +646,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 16 judges and divided into civil, criminal, and constitutional-social sectors)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1155,7 +1152,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 51; landing points for the SAM-1, IGW, American Movil-Telxius, SAC and PAN-AM submarine cable systems that provide links to parts of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "10 major TV networks of which only one, Television Nacional de Peru, is state owned; multi-channel cable TV services are available; in excess of 5,000 radio stations including a substantial number of indigenous language stations (2021)" diff --git a/south-america/sx.json b/south-america/sx.json index 56a1a785..d760caa1 100644 --- a/south-america/sx.json +++ b/south-america/sx.json @@ -75,9 +75,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands map showing the islands that make up this UK territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/south-america/uy.json b/south-america/uy.json index fe0abd06..c9124840 100644 --- a/south-america/uy.json +++ b/south-america/uy.json @@ -115,9 +115,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Uruguay map showing major population centers as well as parts of neighboring countries and the South Atlantic Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -613,7 +610,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Justice (consists of 5 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1111,7 +1108,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 598; landing points for the Unisor, Tannat, and Bicentenario submarine cable system providing direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; Bicentenario 2012 and Tannat 2017 cables helped end-users with Internet bandwidth; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "mixture of privately owned and state-run broadcast media; more than 100 commercial radio stations and about 20 TV channels; cable TV is available; many community radio and TV stations; adopted the hybrid Japanese/Brazilian HDTV standard (ISDB-T) in December 2010 (2019)" diff --git a/south-america/ve.json b/south-america/ve.json index 9fa8be61..05b25208 100644 --- a/south-america/ve.json +++ b/south-america/ve.json @@ -115,9 +115,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: the country lies on major sea and air routes linking North and South America
note 2: Venezuela has some of the most unique geology in the world; tepuis are massive table-top mountains of the western Guiana Highlands that tend to be isolated and thus support unique endemic plant and animal species; their sheer cliffsides account for some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world including Angel Falls, the world's highest (979 m) that drops off Auyan Tepui
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Venezuela map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Caribbean Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -603,7 +600,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Tribunal of Justice (consists of 32 judges organized into constitutional, political-administrative, electoral, civil appeals, criminal appeals, and social divisions)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1085,7 +1082,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 58; landing points for the Venezuela Festoon, ARCOS, PAN-AM, SAC, GlobeNet, ALBA-1 and Americas II submarine cable system providing connectivity to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat (2020)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "Venezuela has a mixture of state-run and private broadcast media that are subject to high levels of regime control, including the shuttering of opposition-leaning media outlets; 13 public service networks, 61 privately owned TV networks, a privately owned news channel with limited national coverage, and a regime-backed Pan-American channel; 3 regime-run radio networks officially control roughly 65 news stations and another 30 stations targeted at specific audiences; regime-sponsored community broadcasters include 235 radio stations and 44 TV stations; the number of private broadcast radio stations has been declining, but many still remain in operation (2021)" diff --git a/south-asia/af.json b/south-asia/af.json index d603bd05..af430a0b 100644 --- a/south-asia/af.json +++ b/south-asia/af.json @@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor)" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Afghanistan map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -229,7 +226,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.9 years (2015 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "638 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -637,7 +634,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "the Taliban’s so-called “interim government” has a “Supreme Court” (consisting of a supreme court chief and an unknown number of justices); before 15 August, 2021, Afghanistan had a Supreme Court (consisting of a supreme court chief and 8 justices organized into criminal, public security, civil, and commercial divisions)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/south-asia/bg.json b/south-asia/bg.json index ca0eedd3..6cdb0868 100644 --- a/south-asia/bg.json +++ b/south-asia/bg.json @@ -110,9 +110,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Bangladesh map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Bay of Bengal.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -232,7 +229,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "18.6 years (2017/18 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 20-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "173 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -646,7 +643,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Bangladesh (organized into the Appellate Division with 7 justices and the High Court Division with 99 justices)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { diff --git a/south-asia/bt.json b/south-asia/bt.json index 7871e099..d35be4cb 100644 --- a/south-asia/bt.json +++ b/south-asia/bt.json @@ -90,9 +90,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Bhutan map showing major towns as well as parts of surrounding countries.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -547,7 +544,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 4 associate justices); note - the Supreme Court has sole jurisdiction in constitutional matters" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1001,7 +998,7 @@ }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "the small land-locked Kingdom of Bhutan has only recently emerged from decades of isolation from the modern world; that, and its mountainous terrain, left the country far back in the field in terms of teledensity as well as access to the Internet; over the last decade, the country has undergone a significant transformation due to the opening of its borders, liberalization of its telecom sector, and the active support from the government towards increased competition in the mobile, broadband, and ISP segments; a lack of investment in fixed-line infrastructure over the years by the national (state-owned) telco Bhutan Telecom means that fixed-line telephony and fixed broadband subscripotions will forever stay low (estimated to be 3.0% and 0.4%, respectively, in 2021); the relatively widespread availability of the mobile platform has caused an explosion in mobile broadband subscriber numbers, growing from zero to over 100% penetration in just ten years (between 2010 and 2019).; the onset of the Covid-19 crisis in 2020 caused the subscription rates to drop back a little – even though Bhutan has successfully managed to keep its case numbers and mortality very low; growth is projected to return in 2022 (along with the broader mobile market) as the overall economy recovers; the government opens up more to foreign investment, trade, and tourism; and network expansion continues – the recent (December 2021) launch of 5G services by both of the country’s mobile operators being particularly noteworthy (2022)" + "text": "the small land-locked Kingdom of Bhutan has only recently emerged from decades of isolation from the modern world; that, and its mountainous terrain, left the country far back in the field in terms of teledensity as well as access to the Internet; over the last decade, the country has undergone a significant transformation due to the opening of its borders, liberalization of its telecom sector, and the active support from the government towards increased competition in the mobile, broadband, and ISP segments; the relatively widespread availability of the mobile platform has caused an explosion in mobile broadband subscriber numbers, growing from zero to over 100% penetration in just ten years (between 2010 and 2019).; the onset of the Covid-19 crisis in 2020 caused the subscription rates to drop back a little; growth is projected to return in 2022 (along with the broader mobile market) as the overall economy recovers; the government opens up more to foreign investment, trade, and tourism; and network expansion continues – the recent (December 2021) launch of 5G services by both of the country’s mobile operators being particularly noteworthy (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "approximately 3 to 100 fixed-line and 97 to 100 mobile cellular; domestic service inadequate, notably in rural areas (2020)" diff --git a/south-asia/ce.json b/south-asia/ce.json index 592fb488..06f24396 100644 --- a/south-asia/ce.json +++ b/south-asia/ce.json @@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes; Adam's Bridge is a chain of limestone shoals between the southeastern coast of India and the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka; geological evidence suggests that this 50-km long Bridge once connected India and Sri Lanka; ancient records seem to indicate that a foot passage was possible between the two land masses until the 15th century when the land bridge broke up in a cyclone" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Sri Lanka map showing major cities of this island country in the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -221,7 +218,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "25.6 years (2016 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 30-34" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 30-34" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "36 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -625,7 +622,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of the chief justice and 9 justices); note - the court has exclusive jurisdiction to review legislation" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1122,7 +1119,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 94; landing points for the SeaMeWe -3,-5, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Network, WARF Submarine Cable, Bharat Lanka Cable System and the Bay of Bengal Gateway submarine cables providing connectivity to Asia, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "government operates 5 TV channels and 19 radio channels; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services available; 25 private TV stations and about 43 radio stations; 6 non-profit TV stations and 4 radio stations" diff --git a/south-asia/in.json b/south-asia/in.json index 0ac4bb6c..734f28ec 100644 --- a/south-asia/in.json +++ b/south-asia/in.json @@ -118,9 +118,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "India map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -242,7 +239,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "21.2 years (2019/21)", - "note": "note: median age a first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age a first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "145 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -663,7 +660,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of 28 judges, including the chief justice)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -675,7 +672,7 @@ "note": "note: in mid-2011, India’s Cabinet approved the \"National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reform\" to eliminate judicial corruption and reduce the backlog of cases" }, "Political parties and leaders": { - "text": "Aam Aadmi Party or AAP [Arvind KEJRIWAL]note 1: archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, the largest and southernmost island, occupies a strategic location in the central Indian Ocean; the island is the site of a joint US-UK military facility
note 2: Diego Garcia is the only inhabited island of the BIOT and one of only two British territories where traffic drives on the right, the other being Gibraltar
" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "British Indian Ocean Territory map showing the six island groups and the island of Diego Garcia that make up this UK Territory in the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { diff --git a/south-asia/mv.json b/south-asia/mv.json index 469538ba..9449403c 100644 --- a/south-asia/mv.json +++ b/south-asia/mv.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "smallest Asian country; archipelago of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "Madives map showing this archipelagic country in the Indian Ocean.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -218,7 +215,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "23.2 years (2016/17 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "53 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -582,7 +579,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 justices" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1031,7 +1028,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 960; landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-owned radio and TV monopoly until recently; 4 state-operated and 7 privately owned TV stations and 4 state-operated and 7 privately owned radio stations (2019)" diff --git a/south-asia/np.json b/south-asia/np.json index 98bcd0f6..da224656 100644 --- a/south-asia/np.json +++ b/south-asia/np.json @@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest mountains - on the borders with China and India respectively" - }, - "Map description": { - "text": "
Nepal map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries – China to the north, India to the south.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -224,7 +221,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.4 years (2016 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "186 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -609,14 +606,14 @@ "text": "bicameral Federal Parliament consists of:Pakistan map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Arabian Sea.
" } }, "People and Society": { @@ -238,7 +235,7 @@ }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "22.8 years (2017/18 est.)", - "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-49" + "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "140 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" @@ -655,7 +652,7 @@ } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest courts": { + "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court of Pakistan (consists of the chief justice and 16 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -1165,7 +1162,7 @@ "international": { "text": "country code - 92; landing points for the SEA-ME-WE-3, -4, -5, AAE-1, IMEWE, Orient Express, PEACE Cable, and TW1 submarine cable systems that provide links to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (2019)" }, - "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" + "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "television is the most popular and dominant source of news in Pakistan with over 120 satellite tv stations licensed by the country’s electronic media regulatory body, PEMRA ,and 40 media companies/channels with landing rights permission; state-run Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) is the largest television network in the country and serves over 90% of the population with the largest terrestrial infrastructure of the country; PTV consists of nine TV Channels and PTV networks give special coverage to Kashmir; Pakistanis have access to over 100 private cable and satellite channels; 6 channels are considered the leaders for news reporting and current affairs programing in the country; state-owned Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC or Radio Pakistan) has the largest radio audience in the country, particularly in the rural areas; Radio Pakistan’s AM/SW/FM stations cover 98 percent of the population and 80 percent of the total area in the country; all major newspapers have online editions and all major print publications operate websites; freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the country are fragile (2021)" diff --git a/world/xx.json b/world/xx.json index 064550f5..b30ae44c 100644 --- a/world/xx.json +++ b/world/xx.json @@ -102,9 +102,6 @@ }, "Geography - note": { "text": "note 1: the world is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old, just about one-third of the 13.8-billion-year age estimated for the universe; the earliest widely accepted date for life appearing on earth is 3.48 billion years ago, but this date is conservative and may get pushed back further
note 2: although earthquakes can strike anywhere at any time, the vast majority occur in three large zones of the earth; the world's greatest earthquake belt, the Circum-Pacific Belt (popularly referred to as the Ring of Fire), is the zone of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; about 90% of the world's earthquakes (81% of the largest earthquakes) and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire; the belt extends northward from Chile, along the South American coast, through Central America, Mexico, the western US, southern Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, to Japan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, island groups in the southwestern Pacific, and New Zealand
the second prominent belt, the Alpide, extends from Java to Sumatra, northward along the mountains of Burma, then eastward through the Himalayas, the Mediterranean, and out into the Atlantic Ocean; it accounts for about 17% of the world's largest earthquakes; the third important belt follows the long Mid-Atlantic Ridge
note 3: information on the origin sites for many of the world's major food crops may be found in the \"Geography - note\" for the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, and the United States