aterways:
8,372 km
note: includes 5,635 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200
km in dry season (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 42 ships (1000 GRT or over) 341,733 GRT/485,840 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 29, container 6, passenger/cargo 1,
petroleum tanker 3
foreign-owned: 1 (China 1)
registered in other countries: 10 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Comoros 1,
Malta 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Chittagong, Mongla Port

Military Bangladesh

Military branches:
Bangladesh Defense Force: Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy,
Bangladesh Air Force (Bangladesh Biman Bahini, BAF) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 35,170,019 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 26,841,255 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.01 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.8% (2005 est.)

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, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous
border; Bangladesh resists India's attempts to fence or wall off
high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a joint
Bangladesh-India boundary inspection in 2005 revealed 92 pillars are
missing; 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:
refugees (country of origin): 21,053 (Burma)
IDPs: 65,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2006)

Illicit drugs:
transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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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