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) and supported by India won independence for Bangladesh in a brief war in 1971 during which at least 300,000 civilians died. 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 alternately held 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. In January 2014 the AL won the national election by an overwhelming majority after the BNP boycotted extending HASINA's term as prime minister. 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
Land: 130,168 km²
Water: 13,830 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Iowa

Land boundaries
Border countries: (2) Burma 271 km; India 4,142 km

Coastline: 580 km

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

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
Extremes highest point: Keokradong 1230 m

Natural resources: natural gas arable land: timber coal

Land use
Permanent crops: 6.25%
Other: 40.78% (2011)

Irrigated land: 50,500 km² (2008)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 1227 km³ (2011)

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: 166,280,712 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 9
Growth rate: 1.6% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 77
Below poverty line: 31.5% (2010 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Bangladeshi

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
15-24 years: 18.8% (male 14,637,526/female 16,630,766)
25-54 years: 38% (male 29,853,531/female 33,266,733)
55-64 years: 5.9% (male 4,964,130/female 4,870,447)
65 years and over: 5% (male 4,082,544/female 4,237,592) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 44.9 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.3 %
Potential support ratio: 13.6 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 23.8 years
Female: 24.8 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.6% (2014 est.)
Rank: 77

Birth rate: 21.61 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 76

Death rate: 5.64 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 174

Net migration rate: -0.02 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 110

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 2.96% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: DHAKA (capital) 15.391 million; Chittagong 5.239 million; Khulna 1.781 million; Rajshahi 932,000 (2011)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.88 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 18.1

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 45
Male: 48.15 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 43.09 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 149
Male: 68.75 years
Female: 72.63 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.45 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 83

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 61.2% (2011/12)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.36 physicians/1000 population (2011)

Hospital bed density: 0.6 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2012 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 126
People living with hivaids: 8,000 (2012 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 113
Deaths: 400 (2012 est.)
Deaths rank: 97

Major infectious diseases
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and E and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations
Water contact disease: leptospirosis
Animal contact disease: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 1.1% (2008)
Rank: 190

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 36.8% (2011)
Rank: 5

Education expenditures: 2.2% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 161

Literacy
Total population: 57.7%
Male: 62%
Female: 53.4% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 10 years
Female: 10 years (2011)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional short form: Bangladesh
Local long form: Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh
Local short form: Bangladesh
Former: East Bengal East Pakistan

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 23 43 N 90 24 E
Time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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: previous 1935 1956 1962 (preindependence); latest enacted 4 November 1972 effective 16 December 1972 suspended March 1982 restored November 1986; amended many times last in 2011 (2011)

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
Head of government: Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA (since 6 January 2009; reelected 5 January 2014)
Cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last election held on 29 April 2013 (next must be held by 2018)
Election results: President Abdul HAMID was elected by the National Parliament unopposed

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
Elections: last held on 5 January 2014 (next to be held by January 2019); note - the 5 January 2014 poll was marred by widespread violence boycotts general strikes and low voter turnout
Election results: percent of vote by party - AL-led Alliance 79% JP 34%; seats by party - AL 234 JP 34 other 32

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice and justices appointed by the president; justices serve until retirement at age 67
Subordinate courts: civil courts include: Assistant Judge's Court; Joint District Judge's Court; Additional District Judge's Court; District Judge's Court; criminal courts include: Court of Sessions; Court of Metropolitan Sessions; special courts/tribunals; Metropolitan Magistrate Courts; Magistrate Court

Political parties and leaders:

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 MINUSMA 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
In the us chancery: 3,510 International Drive NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 244-7,830/2,771
In the us consulate general: Los Angeles New York
From the us embassy: Madani Avenue Baridhara Dhaka 1212
From the us mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323 Dhaka 1000
From the us telephone: [880] (2) 885-5,500
From the us FAX: [880] (2) 882-3,744

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 water lily

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Rabindranath TAGORE

National heritage


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Economy overview: Bangladesh's economy has grown roughly 6% per year since 1996 despite political instability poor infrastructure corruption insufficient power supplies slow implementation of economic reforms and the 2008-09 global financial crisis and recession. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector almost half of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector with rice as the single-most-important product. Garment exports the backbone of Bangladesh’s industrial sector and 80% of total exports surpassed $21 billion last year 18% of GDP. The sector has remained resilient in recent years amidst a series of factory accidents that have killed over 1000 workers and crippling strikes that shut down virtually all economic activity. Steady garment export growth combined with remittances from overseas Bangladeshis which totaled almost $15 billion and 13% of GDP IN 2013 are the largest contributors to Bangladesh’s current account surplus and record foreign exchange holdings.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 44

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 42

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 194

Gross national saving:
Rank: 34

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 5.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 25.6%
Investment in inventories: 3.6%
Exports of goods and services: 24.5%
Imports of goods and services: -34.7%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 28.9%
Services: 53.9% (2013 est.)

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

Industries: jute cotton garments paper leather fertilizer iron and steel cement petroleum products tobacco pharmaceuticals ceramics tea salt sugar edible oils soap and detergent fabricated metal products electricity natural gas

Industrial production growth rate: 9% (2013 est.)
Rank: 20

Labor force: 78.62 million
Rank: 7
By occupation industry: 13%
By occupation services: 40% (2010 est.)

Unemployment rate: 5% (2012 est.)
Rank: 48

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 31.5% (2010 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 27% (2010 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 33.6 (1996)
Rank: 106

Budget
Expenditures: $24.02 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -4.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 164

Taxes and other revenues: 12.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 203

Public debt: 32.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 118

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.6% (2012 est.)
Rank: 191

Central bank discount rate: 5% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 69

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 13% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 58

Stock of narrow money: $14.85 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 67

Stock of broad money: $70.87 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 58

Stock of domestic credit: $79.32 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 53

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 60

Current account balance: $1.754 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 32

Exports: $24.92 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 68
Commodities: garments knitwear agricultural products frozen food (fish and seafood) jute and jute goods leather
Partners: US 18.7% Germany 15.8% UK 10.2% France 6.2% Spain 4.6% Canada 4.3% Italy 4% (2013 est.)

Imports: $32.29 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 64
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals iron and steel textiles foodstuffs petroleum products cement
Partners: China 21.7% India 16.3% Malaysia 5.2% Republic of Korea 4.5% Japan 4.1% (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $12.75 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 68

Debt external: $29.53 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 72

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $6.64 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 88

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $108.1 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 85

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 40.08 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 58
Consumption: 38.89 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 55
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 105
Imports: 500,000 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 108
Installed generating capacity: 10.26 million kW (2013 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 55
Generation sources fossil fuels: 97.7% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 59
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 48
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 2.3% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 135
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 157

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 5,452 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 97
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 85
Crude oil imports: 23,620 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 66
Crude oil proven reserves: 28 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 82

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 22,710 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 90
Products consumption: 108,900 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 74
Products exports: 3,288 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 97
Products imports: 84,490 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 54

Natural gas
Production: 20.11 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 32
Consumption: 19.91 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 35
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 65
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 160
Proven reserves: 183.7 billion m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 47

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 58.81 million Mt (2011 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 962,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 78
Mobile cellular: 97.18 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 15

Telephone system
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity remains only about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly and now exceeds 50 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 880; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe the Middle East and Asia; satellite earth stations - 6; international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries (2011)

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:
Rank: 76

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 16-19 years of age for voluntary military service; Bangladeshi birth and 10th grade education required; initial obligation 15 years (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 18 (2013)
Rank: 139
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways: 1 (2013)

Heliports: 3 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 2,950 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 65
Broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 1676 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 106
Paved: 1063 km
Unpaved: 20,206 km (2010)

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
By type: bulk carrier 25 cargo 28 chemical tanker 1 container 5 petroleum tanker 3
Foreign owned: 8 (China 1 Singapore 7)
Registered in other countries: 10 (Comoros 1 Hong Kong 1 Panama 5 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 Sierra Leone 1 Singapore 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals
River port: Mongla Port (Sela River)
Container port: Chittagong (1,392,104) (2011)


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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; Indian 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
IDPs: up to 280,000 (violence human rights violations religious persecution natural disasters) (2013)

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