The armies with the exception of the Congolese government's are small, none of them over 20, 000 strong, and they are spread out over a sparsely-populated area the size of Western Europe, much of it covered in jungle.

ECONOMIST: In Congo, war gets serious

This is a sparsely populated semi-desert area roughly 80 miles east of San Diego.

FORBES: Smacked In The Face By A Headline

But in such a sparsely populated area the access costs for high-speed data services are still too steep for most small businesses, to say nothing of individuals.

FORBES: Local heroes

But in such a sparsely populated area the access costs for high-speed data services are still way too prohibitive for most small businesses, to say nothing of individuals.

FORBES: Local heroes

North-eastern Kenya, bordered by Ethiopia and Somalia, is a remote and sparsely populated area where lack of security is a problem.

BBC: British special constable shot dead by bandits in Kenya