broad gauge: 978 km 1.676-m gaugenarrow gauge: 1,914 km 1.000-m gauge (1992)
Highways:
total: 13,627 km
paved: 8,546 km
unpaved: 5,081 km (1992)
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, Dhaka, Chalna Port (Mongla)
Merchant marine:
total: 37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 296,503 GRT/423,274 DWT
ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 29, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 3
(1995 est.)
Airports:
total: 15
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 2
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 4
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 6 (1995 est.)
Communications———————
Telephones: 249,800 (1994 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: poor domestic telephone service
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean);
international radiotelephone communications and landline service to
neighboring countries
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 11
Televisions: 350,000 (1993 est.)
Defense———
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces (includes
Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Village
Defense Parties, National Cadet Corps)
Manpower availability:
males age 15–49: 31,795,848
males fit for military service: 18,814,818 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $481 million,
1.7% of GDP (FY95/96)
======================================================================
@Barbados————
Map—
Location: 13 10 N, 59 32 W—Caribbean, island between the
Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Flag——
Description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)
Geography————
Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates: 13 10 N, 59 32 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area: 430 sq km
land area: 430 sq km
comparative area: 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 lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, 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: hurricanes (especially June to October); periodic
landslides
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
Hazardous Wastes
Geographic note: easternmost Caribbean island
People———
Population: 257,030 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 24% (male 31,263; female 29,822)
15–64 years: 66% (male 83,565; female 86,697)
65 years and over: 10% (male 9,929; female 15,754) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.26% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 15.29 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 8.21 deaths/1,000 population (1996
