Exchange rates:
taka per US dollar - 58.15 (2003), 57.888 (2002), 55.8067 (2001),
52.1417 (2000), 49.0854 (1999)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Communications Bangladesh
Telephones - main lines in use:
740,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.365 million (2003)
Telephone system:
general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern country
domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems
include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some
fiber-optic cable in cities
international: country code - 880; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Indian Ocean); international radiotelephone communications
and landline service to neighboring countries (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12, FM 12, shortwave 2 (1999)
Radios:
6.15 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
15 (1999)
Televisions:
770,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.bd
Internet hosts:
1 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
10 (2000)
Internet users:
243,000 (2003)
Transportation Bangladesh
Railways:
total: 2,706 km
broad gauge: 884 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)
Highways:
total: 207,486 km
paved: 19,773 km
unpaved: 187,713 km (1999)
Waterways: 8,372 km note: includes 2,575 km main cargo routes (2004)
Pipelines:
gas 2,012 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Chittagong, Dhaka, Mongla Port, Narayanganj
Merchant marine:
total: 40 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 319,897 GRT/440,575 DWT
by type: bulk 2, cargo 24, container 10, passenger 1, petroleum
tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1
foreign-owned: China 1, Singapore 9
registered in other countries: 10 (2004 est.)
Airports:
16 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 6 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Military Bangladesh
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower - military age and obligation: 16 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15–49: 39,523,128 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 23,441,482 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$606.8 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.2% (2003)
Transnational Issues Bangladesh
Disputes - international:
discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of
river boundary, exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries,
allocate divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade,
migration, and violence; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to
fence off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; dispute with
India over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of
Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; Burmese Muslim
refugees strain Bangladesh's meager resources
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 61,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2004)
Illicit drugs:
transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@Barbados
Introduction Barbados
Background:
The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in
1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island
until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily
dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the
20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political
reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the
UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the
sugar industry in economic importance.
Geography Barbados
Location:
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of
Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
13 10 N, 59 32 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 431 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 431 sq km
Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
97 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain:
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
Natural resources: