countries (1970–89), $1.5 billion
Currency:
1 taka (Tk) = 100 poiska
Exchange rates:
taka (Tk) per US$1 - 40.064 (January 1994), 39.567 (1993), 38.951
(1992), 36.596 (1991), 34.569 (1990), 32.270 (1989)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
@Bangladesh, Communications
Railroads:
2,892 km total (1986); 1,914 km 1.000 meter gauge, 978 km 1.676 meter
broad gauge
Highways:
total:
7,240 km
paved:
3,840 km
unpaved:
3,400 km (1985)
Inland waterways:
5,150–8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575–3,058 km main cargo
routes)
Pipelines:
natural gas 1,220 km
Ports:
Chittagong, Chalna
Merchant marine:
41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 312,172 GRT/458,131 DWT, bulk 3,
cargo 33, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 3
Airports:
total:
16
usable:
12
with permanent-surface runways:
12
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440–3,659 m:
4
with runways 1,220–2,439 m:
6
Telecommunications:
adequate international radio communications and landline service; poor
domestic telephone service; 241.250 telephones - only one telephone
for each 522 persons; fair broadcast service; broadcast stations - 9
AM, 6 FM, 11 TV; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth stations
@Bangladesh, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force
paramilitary forces:
Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Defense
Parties, National Cadet Corps
Manpower availability:
males age 15–49 31,955,948; fit for military service 18,967,602
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $355 million, 1.5% of GDP (FY92/93)
@Barbados, Geography
Location:
Caribbean, in the extreme eastern Caribbean Sea, about 375 km
northeast of Venezuela
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones
of the World
Area:
total area:
430 sq km
land area:
430 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
97 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain:
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Natural resources:
petroleum, fishing, natural gas
Land use:
arable land:
77%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
9%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
14%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil
erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of
aquifers
natural hazards:
subject to hurricanes (especially June to October); periodic
landslides
international agreements:
party to - Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection;
signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity
Note:
easternmost Caribbean island
@Barbados, People
Population:
255,827 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.21% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
15.63 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
8.4 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
−5.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
73.83 years
male:
71.11 years
female:
76.76 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.78 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Barbadian(s)
adjective:
Barbadian
Ethnic divisions:
African 80%, European 4%, other 16%
Religions:
Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other
12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)
Languages: