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 12, FM 12, shortwave 2 (one of
Bangladesh's two shortwave stations, Bangladesh Betar or Radio
Bangladesh, transmits its programs to the world in six languages on
four frequencies) (1998)

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 11 (1997)

Televisions: 350,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 2,745 km
broad gauge: 923 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (1998 est.)

Highways:
total: 204,022 km
paved: 25,095 km
unpaved: 178,927 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes
2,575-3,058 km main cargo routes)

Pipelines: natural gas 1,220 km

Ports and harbors: Chittagong, Dhaka, Mongla Port

Merchant marine:
total: 40 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 315,855 GRT/453,002 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 33, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1998 est.)

Airports: 16 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 7 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces
(includes Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Village Defense
Parties, National Cadet Corps)

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 33,374,195 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 19,772,013 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $559 million (FY96/97)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.8% (FY96/97)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: a portion of the boundary with India is
indefinite; dispute with India over South Talpatty/New Moore Island

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

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@Barbados
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Geography

Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Geographic co