Environment—current issues: deforestation; industrial pollution
of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment
contribute to disease
Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography—note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes
People
Population: 48,081,302 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 8,883,099; female 8,542,087)
15-64 years: 60% (male 14,343,888; female 14,293,233)
65 years and over: 4% (male 906,517; female 1,112,478) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.61% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 28.48 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 12.39 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)