Background: Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of Bangladesh in the 16th century; eventually the British came to dominate the region and it became part of British India. In 1947 West Pakistan and East Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from India (largely Hindu) and jointly became the new country of Pakistan. East Bengal became East Pakistan in 1955 but the awkward arrangement of a two-part country with its territorial units separated by 1600 km left the Bengalis marginalized and dissatisfied. East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh. About a third of this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season hampering economic development.

Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N 90 00 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 144,000 km²
Land: 133,910 km²
Water: 10,090 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Iowa

Land boundaries
Total: 4,246 km
Border countries: (2) Burma 193 km; , India 4,053 km

Coastline: 580 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
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 lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m

Natural resources: natural gas arable land: timber coal

Land use
Arable land: 55.39%
Permanent crops: 3.08%
Other: 41.53% (2005)

Irrigated land: 47,250 km² (2003)

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

Population: 150,448,339 (July 2007 est.)
Growth rate: 2.056% (2007 est.)
Below poverty line: 45% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Bangladeshi
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 83% Hindu 16% other 1% (1998)

Age structure
0-14 years: 33.1% (male 25,639,640/female 24,174,937)
15-64 years: 63.4% (male 48,659,087/female 46,712,687)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 2,818,638/female 2,443,350) (2007 est.)

Median age
Total: 22.5 years
Male: 22.5 years
Female: 22.5 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.056% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 29.36 births/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 8.13 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.66 migrant(s)/1000 population (2007 est.)

Environment
Current issues: many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; water-borne 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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.061 male/female
15-64 years: 1.042 male/female
65 years and over: 1.154 male/female
Total population: 1.052 male/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 59.12 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 60.13 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 58.05 deaths/1000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.84 years
Male: 62.81 years
Female: 62.86 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.09 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 13,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 650 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial 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
Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 43.1%
Male: 53.9%
Female: 31.8% (2003 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
Conventional short form: Bangladesh
Local long form: Gana Prajatantri Banladesh
Local short form: Banladesh
Former: East Bengal, East Pakistan

Government type: parliamentary democracy

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

Administrative divisions: 6 divisions; Barisal Chittagong Dhaka Khulna Rajshahi Sylhet

Independence: 16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan 16 December 1971 is known as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

National holiday: Independence Day 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan 16 December 1971 is Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6 September 2002)
Note: the country has a caretaker government until a general election is held; Iajuddin AHMED remains as President and Minister of Defense, and all other Cabinet portfolios are held by Caretaker Advisers (CAs); the Chief CA, Fakhruddin AHMED, is roughly equivalent to a prime minister
Elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election scheduled for 16 September 2002 was not held since Iajuddin AHMED was the only presidential candidate; he was sworn in on 6 September 2002 (next election NA); following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually appointed prime minister by the president
Election results: Iajuddin AHMED declared president-elect by the Election Commission; he ran unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote - NA

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 1 October 2001 (the scheduled January 2007 election has been postponed)
Election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance partners 41%, AL 40%, other 19%; seats by party - BNP 193, AL 58, JI 17, JP (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 2, JP (Manzur) 4, other 12; note - the election of October 2001 brought to power a majority BNP government aligned with three other smaller parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)

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]; Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or JIB [Matiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party (Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY and Oli AHMED]

International organization participation: ARF AsDB BIMSTEC C CP FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt (signatory) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA MINURSO MONUC NAM OIC OPCW SAARC SACEP UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMEE UNMIL UNMIS UNOCI UNOMIG UNWTO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador M. Humayun KABIR
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) 244-5,366
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Geeta PASI
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

Economy overview: Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects Bangladesh remains a poor overpopulated and inefficiently-governed nation. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector with rice as the single-most-important product. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods inefficient state-owned enterprises inadequate port facilities a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas) insufficient power supplies and slow implementation of economic reforms. Reform is stalled in many instances by political infighting and corruption at all levels of government. Opposition from the bureaucracy public sector unions and other vested interest groups also have blocked progress. The BNP government led by Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA has the parliamentary strength to push through needed reforms but the party's political will to do so has been lacking in key areas. On an encouraging note growth has been a steady 5-6% for the past several years.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $336.1 billion (2006 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6.4% (2006 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2,300 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 19.7%
Industry: 28%
Services: 52.3% (2006 est.)

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

Industries: cotton textiles jute garments tea processing paper newsprint cement chemical fertilizer light engineering sugar

Industrial production growth rate: 7.2% (2006 est.)

Labor force
Note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $4.8 billion in 2005-06. (2006 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 63%
By occupation industry: 11%
By occupation services: 26% (FY95/96)

Unemployment rate: 2.5% (includes underemployment) (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line: 45% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.7%
Highest 10: 27.9% (2000 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 33.4 (2000)

Budget
Revenues: $6.633 billion
Expenditures: $9.34 billion (2006 est.)

Public debt: 39.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.8% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $3.61 billion (2006)

Current account balance: $60 million (2006 est.)

Exports: $11.16 billion (2006 est.)
Commodities: garments jute and jute goods leather frozen fish and seafood (2001)
Partners: US 25% Germany 12.6% UK 9.8% France 4.9% (2006)

Imports: $14.75 billion (2006 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals iron and steel textiles foodstuffs petroleum products cement
Partners: China 17.7% India 12.5% Kuwait 7.9% Singapore 5.5% Hong Kong 4.1% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.877 billion (2006 est.)

Debt external: $19.59 billion (2006 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $4.208 billion (2006 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $105 million (2006 est.)

Exchange rates: taka per US dollar - 69.031 (2006) 64.328 (2005) 59.513 (2004) 58.15 (2003) 57.888 (2002)

Electricity
Production: 21.35 billion kWh (2005)
Consumption: 19.49 billion kWh (2005)
Exports: 0 kWh (2005)
Imports: 0 kWh (2005)

Natural gas
Production: 13.43 billion m³ (2005 est.)
Consumption: 13.43 billion m³ (2005 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2005)
Proven reserves: 135.8 billion m³ (1 January 2006 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.134 million (2006)
Mobile cellular: 19.131 million (2006)

Telephone system
General assessment: totally inadequate for a modern country; fixed-line telephone density of less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of 13 per 100 persons
Domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some fiber-optic cable in cities
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 (2007)

Internet
Country code: .bd
Hosts: 376 (2007)
Users: 450,000 (2006)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 1.5% (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2005)

Airports: 16 (2007)
With paved runways total: 15
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 2,604 km (2006)

Railways
Total: 2,768 km
Broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways
Total: 239,226 km
Paved: 22,726 km
Unpaved: 216,500 km (2003)

Waterways
Note: includes up to 3,060 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in dry season (2006)

Merchant marine
Total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 328,530 GRT/468,509 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 27, container 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4
Foreign owned: 1 (China 1)
Registered in other countries: 9 (Comoros 1, Honduras 1, Malta 3, Panama 1, Singapore 2, St Vincent and The Grenadines 1) (2007)

Ports and terminals: Chittagong Mongla Port

Disputes international: discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary exchange territory for 51 small Bangladeshi exclaves in India and 111 small Indian exclaves in Bangladesh allocate divided villages and stop illegal cross-border trade migration violence and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh resists India's attempts to fence or wall off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a joint Bangladesh-India boundary inspection in 2005 revealed 92 pillars are missing; dispute with India over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; 21,000 Burmese Rohingya Muslim refugees reside in two camps in Bangladesh

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 21,053 (Burma)
Idps: 65,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2006)

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