Map of Bangladesh | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan. A third of this desperately poor country annually floods during the monsoon rainy season hampering normal economic development.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 580 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 18 nm
Continental shelf: up to outer limits of continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March; hot, humid summer (March to June; cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)

Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Elevation

Natural resources: natural gas, uranium, arable land, timber

Land use: arable land: 67%; permanent crops: 2%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 16%; other 11%; includes irrigated 14%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: almost completely surrounded by India


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Population: 116,601,424 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)

Nationality: noun--Bangladeshi(s; adjective--Bangladesh

Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, and tribals less than 1 million

Languages: Bangla (official), English widely used

Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, and other less than 1%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 36 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 13 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: vulnerable to droughts; much of country routinely flooded during summer monsoon season; overpopulation; deforestation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 118 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 52 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 35% (male 47%, female 22%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh

Government type: republic

Capital: Dhaka

Administrative divisions: 64 districts (zillagulo, singular--zilla; Bagerhat, Bandarban, Barguna, Barisal, Bhola, Bogra, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Chapai Nawabganj, Chattagram, Chuadanga, Comilla, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka, Dinajpur, Faridpur, Feni, Gaibandha, Gazipur, Gopalganj, Habiganj, Jaipurhat, Jamalpur, Jessore, Jhalakati, Jhenaidah, Khagrachari, Khulna, Kishorganj, Kurigram, Kushtia, Laksmipur, Lalmonirhat, Madaripur, Magura, Manikganj, Meherpur, Moulavibazar, Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Naogaon, Narail, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Nator, Netrakona, Nilphamari, Noakhali, Pabna, Panchagar, Parbattya Chattagram, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Satkhira, Shariyatpur, Sherpur, Sirajganj, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Tangail, Thakurgaon

Dependent areas

Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan; formerly East Pakistan)

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971)

Constitution: 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended NA March 1991

Legal system: based on English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991) Head of Government--Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman (since 20 March 1991)

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary forces--Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Coastal Police

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WCL, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador A. H. S. Ataul KARIM; Chancery at 2,201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,007; telephone (202) 342-8,372 through 8,376; there is a Bangladesh Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador William B. MILAM; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka (mailing address is G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212; telephone [880] (2) 884,700-22

Flag description: green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; green is the traditional color of Islam Bangladesh BangladeshBangladesh

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations in the world. The economy is based on the output of a narrow range of agricultural products, such as jute, which is the main cash crop and major source of export earnings. Bangladesh is hampered by a relative lack of natural resources, population growth of more than 2% a year, 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 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

Industries: jute manufacturing, base metals, food processing, cotton textiles, tobacco processing, chemicals

Industrial production growth rate: 4.1% (FY90 est.), accounts for 15% of GDP

Labor force: 35,100,000; agriculture 74%, services 15%, industry and commerce 11% (FY86; extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)

Unemployment rate: 30% (FY90 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

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

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

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%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $10.9 billion (FY90 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

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)


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Electricity
Capacity: 1,990,000 kW capacity; 5,700 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1990)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $319 million, 1.5% of GDP (FY91)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 16 total, 12 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines: 1,220 km natural gas

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 339,081 GRT/500,008 DWT; includes 38 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 3 bulk

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: a portion of the boundary with India is in dispute; water sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Ganges

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs