Map of Bangladesh | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

top of page


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.


top of page


Location: Southern 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 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

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, 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: vulnerable to droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely flooded during the summer monsoon season

Geography


top of page


Population: 125,149,469 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 2.33% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Bangladeshi(s)

Ethnic groups

Languages: Bangla (official), English

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.33% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 35.02 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 11.68 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; limited access to potable water; water-borne diseases prevalent; water pollution especially of fishing areas results from the use of commercial pesticides; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation; deforestation; severe overpopulation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 106.9 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 55.08 years
Male: 55.35 years
Female: 54.8 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.47 children born/woman (1994 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 est.)
Total population: 35%
Male: 47%
Female: 22%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


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

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)

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 many times

Legal system: based on English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991); election last held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by NA October 1996); results - Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote
Head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN (since 20 March 1991)

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force
National Parliament Jatiya Sangsad: elections last held 27 February 1991 (next to be held NA February 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved for women) BNP 168, AL 93, JP 35, JI 20, BCP 5, National Awami Party (Muzaffar) 1, Workers Party 1, JSD 1, Ganotantri Party 1, Islami Oikya Jote 1, NDP 1, independents 3

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, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMIG, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador David MERRILL
From the us chancery: 2,201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,007
From the us telephone: [880] (2) 884,700-22
From the us consulates general: New York
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 FAX: [880] (2) 883-744

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


top of page


Economy overview: Bangladesh is one of the world's poorest, most densely populated, and least developed nations. Its economy is overwhelmingly agricultural, with the cultivation of rice the single most important activity in the economy. 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. Excellent rice crops and expansion of the export garment industry helped growth in FY92 and FY93. 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: 4.3% (FY93)

Real gdp per capita: $1,000 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 33% of GDP, 65% of employment, and one-fifth of exports; world's largest exporter of jute; commercial products - jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils, cotton

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

Industrial production growth rate: 6.9% (FY93 est.), accounts for 9.4% of GDP

Labor force: 50.1 million
By occupation agriculture: 65%
By occupation services: 21%
By occupation industry and mining: 14% (1989)
By occupation note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)

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

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: $2.1 billion (FY93)
Commodities: garments, jute and jute goods, leather, shrimp
Partners: US 33%, Western Europe 39% (Germany 8.4%, Italy 6%) (FY92 est.)

Imports: $3.5 billion (FY93)
Commodities: capital goods, petroleum, food, textiles
Partners: Hong Kong 7.5%, Singapore 7.4%, China 7.4%, Japan 7.1% (FY92 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $13.5 billion (June 1993)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: taka (Tk) per US$1 - 40.064 (January 1994), 39.567 (1993), 38.951 (1992), 36.596 (1991), 34.569 (1990), 32.270 (1989)


top of page


Electricity
Capacity: 2,400,000 kW
Production: 9 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 75 kWh (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


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

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 16
Usable: 12
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: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 312,172 GRT/458,131 DWT, bulk 3, cargo 33, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 3

Ports and terminals


top of page


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