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: South Asia, at the head of the Bay of Bengal, almost completely surrounded by India

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 144,000 km²
Land: 133,910 km²

Land boundaries: total 4,246 km, Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Coastline: 580 km
Contiguous zone: 18 nm
Continental shelf: up to outer limits of continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

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, arable land, timber

Land use
Arable land: 67%
Permanent crops: 2%
Meadows and pastures: 4%
Forest and woodland: 16%
Other: 11%

Irrigated land: 27,380 km² (1989)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population
Growth rate: 2.35% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Bangladeshi(s)
Adjective: Bangladesh

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

Languages: Bangla (official), English

Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, other

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.35% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 35.41 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 11.94 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

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: 109.2 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 54.7 years
Male: 55 years
Female: 54.38 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.55 children born/woman (1993 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 35%
Male: 47%
Female: 22%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
Conventional short form: Bangladesh
Former: East Pakistan

Government type

Capital: Dhaka

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 16 December 1971 (from 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: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Abul AHSAN
In the us chancery: 2,201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: (202) 342-8,372 through 8,376
In the us consulate general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador William B. MILAM
From the us embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka
From the us mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212
From the us telephone: 880 (2) 884,700-22
From the us fax: 880 (2) 883,648

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Bangladesh is one of the world's poorest, most densely populated, and least developed nations. Its economy is overwhelmingly agricultural. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, government interference with the economy, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, a low level of industrialization, failure to fully exploit energy resources (natural gas), and inefficient and inadequate power supplies. An excellent rice crop and expansion of the export garment industry helped growth in FY91/92. Policy reforms intended to reduce government regulation of private industry and promote public-sector efficiency have been announced but are being implemented only slowly.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.8% (FY92)

Real gdp per capita: $200 (FY92)

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-fifth 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, cotton; fish catch 778,000 metric tons in 1986

Industries: jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing, steel, fertilizer

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 4.0% (FY92 est.), accounts for less than 10% of GDP

Labor force: 35.1 million
By occupation agriculture: 74%
By occupation services: 15%
By occupation industry and commerce:

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $2.5 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92)

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: $2.0 billion (FY92)
Commodoties: garments, jute and jute goods, leather, shrimp
Partners: Japan 10.0%, Western Europe 17%, US 5.0% (FY91)

Imports: $3.4 billion (FY91/92)
Commodoties: capital goods, petroleum, food, textiles

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: taka (Tk) per US$1 - 39.000 (January 1993), 38.951 (1992), 36.596 (1991), 34.569 (1990), 32.270 (1989), 31.733 (1988)


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Electricity
Production: 2,400,000 kW capacity; 9,000 million kWh produced, 75 kWh per capita (1992)

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: exchange rate conversion - $355 million, 1.5% of GDP (FY92/93)

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
With permanentsurface runways: 12
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 4
With runways 1220-2439 m: 6

Heliports

Pipelines: natural gas 1,220 km

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine:

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: transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries