large-scale unemployment, and a limited infrastructure; furthermore,
it is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite these constraints,
real GDP growth averaged about 3.5% annually during 1985-89. A strong
agricultural performance in FY90 pushed the growth rate up to 5.5%.
Alleviation of poverty remains the cornerstone of the government's
development strategy.

_#_GDP: $20.4 billion, per capita $180; real growth rate 4.0%
(1990 est.)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (FY90 est.)

_#_Unemployment rate: 30% (FY90 est.)

_#_Budget: revenues $2.2 billion; expenditures $3.9 billion, including
capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (FY90)

_#_Exports: $1.5 billion (FY90 est.);

commodities--jute, tea, leather, shrimp, textiles;

partners--US 25%, Western Europe 22%, Middle East 9%, Japan 8%,
Eastern Europe 7%

_#_Imports: $3.6 billion (FY90 est.);

commodities--food, petroleum and other energy, nonfood consumer
goods, semiprocessed goods, and capital equipment;

partners--Western Europe 18%, Japan 14%, Middle East 9%, US 8%

_#_External debt: $10.9 billion (FY90 est.)

_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.1% (FY90 est.); accounts
for 15% of GDP

_#_Electricity: 1,990,000 kW capacity; 5,700 million kWh produced,
50 kWh per capita (1990)

_#_Industries: jute manufacturing, base metals, food processing,
cotton textiles, tobacco processing, chemicals

_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP, 60% of
employment, and one third of exports; imports 10% of food grain
requirements; world's largest exporter of jute; commercial
products--jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk,
poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils and cotton; fish catch
778,000 metric tons in 1986

_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4
billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1980-88), $10.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $652 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $1.5 billion

_#_Currency: taka (plural--taka); 1 taka (Tk) = 100 paise

_#_Exchange rates: taka (Tk) per US$1--35.790 (January 1991), 34.567
(1990), 32.270 (1989), 31.733 (1988), 30.950 (1987), 30.407 (1986),
27.995 (1985)

_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

_*_Communications
_#_Railroads: 2,892 km total (1986); 1,914 km 1.000 meter gauge,
978 km 1.676 meter broad gauge

_#_Highways: 7,240 km total (1985); 3,840 km paved, 3,400 km unpave