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

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Background: Muslim conversions and settlement in the region now referred to as Bangladesh began in the 10th century primarily from Arab and Persian traders and preachers. Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area in the 16th century. Eventually the area known as Bengal primarily Hindu in the western section and mostly Muslim in the eastern half became part of British India. Partition in 1947 resulted in an eastern wing of Pakistan in the Muslim-majority area which became East Pakistan. Calls for greater autonomy and animosity between the eastern and western wings of Pakistan led to a Bengali independence movement. That movement led by the Awami League (AL) won independence for Bangladesh in 1971 with India's assistance and after the death of at least 300,000 civilians. The post-independence AL government faced daunting challenges and in 1975 was overthrown by the military triggering a series of military coups that resulted in a military-backed government and subsequent creation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). That government also ended in a coup in 1981 followed by military-backed rule until democratic elections in 1991. The BNP and AL have alternated in power since then with the exception of a military-backed emergency caretaker regime that suspended parliamentary elections planned for January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption. That government returned the country to fully democratic rule in December 2008 with the election of the AL and Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA. With the help of international development assistance Bangladesh has made great progress in food security since independence and the economy has grown at an average of about 6 percent over the last two decades.


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Location: Southern Asia bordering the Bay of Bengal between Burma and India

Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N 90 00 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 95
Comparative: slightly smaller than Iowa

Land boundaries

Coastline: 580 km

Maritime claims

Climate: tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot humid summer (March to June); humid warm rainy monsoon (June to October)

Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Elevation

Natural resources: natural gas arable land: timber coal

Land use

Irrigated land: 50,500 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 1210.6 km³ (1999)

Natural hazards: droughts; cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season

Geography
Note: most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal


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Population: 161,083,804 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 8
Growth rate: 1.579% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 75
Below poverty line: 31.51% (2010 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Bengali 98% other 2% (includes tribal groups non-Bengali Muslims) (1998)

Languages: Bangla (official also known as Bengali) English

Religions: Muslim 89.5% Hindu 9.6% other 0.9% (2004)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.579% (2012 est.)
Rank: 75

Birth rate: 22.53 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 74

Death rate: 5.71 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 172

Net migration rate: -1.04 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 152

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; waterborne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution especially of fishing areas results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 45

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 148

Total fertility rate: 2.55 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 83

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.295 physicians/1000 population (2007)

Hospital bed density: 0.4 beds/1000 population (2005)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 112
People living with hivaids: 6,300 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 116
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 101

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 41.3% (2007)
Rank: 3

Education expenditures: 2.4% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 148

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital

Administrative divisions: 7 divisions; Barisal Chittagong Dhaka Khulna Rajshahi Rangpur Sylhet

Dependent areas

Independence: 16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan)

National holiday: Independence Day 26 March (1971); Victory Day; note - March 1971 is the date of the Awami League's declaration of an independent Bangladesh and 16 December known as Victory Day memorializes the military victory over Pakistan and the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

Constitution: enacted 4 November 1972; effective 16 December 1972; suspended following coup of 24 March 1982; restored 10 November 1986; amended many times

Legal system: mixed legal system of mostly English common law and Islamic law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats (45 reserved for women) elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies; members serve five-year terms

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders: Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Communist Party of Bangladesh or CPB [Manjurul A. KHAN]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]; Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh or BDB [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [multiple leaders]; Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or JIB [Matiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Oli AHMED]

International organization participation: ADB ARF BIMSTEC C CD CICA (observer) CP D-8 FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINURSO MONUSCO NAM OIC OPCW PCA SAARC SACEP UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNISFA UNMIL UNMISS UNMIT UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh

National symbols: Bengal tiger

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: In real terms Bangladesh's economy has grown 5.8% per year since 1996 despite political instability poor infrastructure corruption insufficient power supplies and slow implementation of economic reforms. Bangladesh remains a poor overpopulated and inefficiently-governed nation. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector 45% of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector with rice as the single-most-important product. Bangladesh's growth was resilient during the 2008-09 global financial crisis and recession. Garment exports totaling $12.3 billion in FY09 and remittances from overseas Bangladeshis totaling $11 billion in FY10 accounted for almost 12% of GDP.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 44

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 39

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 191

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: rice jute tea wheat sugarcane potatoes tobacco pulses oilseeds spices fruit; beef milk poultry

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: 7.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 37

Labor force: 77 million
Rank: 7

Unemployment rate: 5% (2011 est.)
Rank: 49

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 31.51% (2010 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index: 33.6 (1996)
Rank: 97

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -4.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 151

Taxes and other revenues: 11.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 202

Public debt: 33.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 109

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 10.7% (2011 est.)
Rank: 189

Central bank discount rate: 5% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 70

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 13.25% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 64

Stock of narrow money: $13.19 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 69

Stock of broad money: $66.14 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 64

Stock of domestic credit: $68.57 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 57

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 65

Current account balance: $243.6 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 109

Exports: $24.56 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 70
Commodities: garments knitwear agricultural products frozen food (fish and seafood) jute and jute goods leather
Partners: US 19.4% Germany 16.5% UK 10% France 7.3% Italy 4.4% Spain 4.2% Netherlands 4.2% (2011)

Imports: $32.58 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 63
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals iron and steel textiles foodstuffs petroleum products cement
Partners: China 18.2% India 13.5% Malaysia 4.9% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $9.192 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 72

Debt external: $33.84 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 65

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $6.85 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 85

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $92.9 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 83

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 35.7 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 64
Consumption: 34.83 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 58
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 164
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 161
Installed generating capacity: 5.819 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 70
Generation sources fossil fuels: 95.8% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 67
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 49
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 4% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 126
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 78

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 5,200 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 89
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 83
Crude oil imports: 26,460 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 66
Crude oil proven reserves: 28 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 86

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 24,790 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 93
Products consumption: 108,900 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 75
Products exports: 2,928 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 102
Products imports: 77,340 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 54

Natural gas
Production: 20.13 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 33
Consumption: 20.13 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 37
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 160
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 161
Proven reserves: 183.7 billion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 47

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 56.74 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 58

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 977,700 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 79
Mobile cellular: 84.369 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 15

Telephone system

Broadcast media: state-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) operates 1 terrestrial TV station 3 radio networks and about 10 local stations; 8 private satellite TV stations and 3 private radio stations also broadcasting; foreign satellite TV stations are gaining audience share in the large cities; several international radio broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .bd
Hosts: 71,164 (2012)
Hosts rank: 87
Users: 617,300 (2009)
Users rank: 112

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.3% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 115

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 17-19 years of age for voluntary enlisted military service; Bangladeshi birth and 10th grade education required; intial obligation 15 years (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 18 (2012)
Rank: 141

Heliports: 3 (2012)

Pipelines: gas 2,714 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 64

Roadways
Rank: 105

Waterways: 8,370 km (includes up to 3,060 km of main cargo routes; the network is reduced to 5,200 km in the dry season) (2011)
Rank: 17

Merchant marine
Rank: 64

Ports and terminals: Chittagong Mongla Port


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Disputes international: Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea; Prime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh which had called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over undemarcated areas and the exchange of territorial enclaves but which had never been implemented; Bangladesh struggles to accommodate 29,000 Rohingya Burmese Muslim minority from Arakan State living as refugees in Cox's Bazar; Burmese border authorities are constructing a 200 km (124 mi) wire fence designed to deter illegal cross-border transit and tensions from the military build-up along border

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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