Natural resources: petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper,
tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones,
natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 15%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 1%
forest and woodland: 49%
other: 34%
Irrigated land: 10,180 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil,
and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to
disease
natural hazards: destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and
landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic
droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea, Tropical
Timber 94
Geographic note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean
shipping lanes
People ———
Population: 45,975,625 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 37% (male 8,637,102; female 8,308,282)
15-64 years: 59% (male 13,577,232; female 13,571,312)
65 years and over: 4% (male 853,403; female 1,028,294) (July 1996
est.)
Population growth rate: 1.84% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 30.01 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)