Legend:
Definition of Term
 Arranged
by Countries Field Listing
| Background: |
Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali East Pakistan
seceded from its union with West Pakistan. About a third of this
extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy
season, hampering economic development. |
| Location: |
Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and
India |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
24 00 N, 90 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Asia |
| Area: |
total: 144,000 sq km
land: 133,910 sq
km
water: 10,090 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than Iowa |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 4,246 km
border countries: Burma
193 km, India 4,053 km |
| Coastline: |
580 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous zone: 18 NM
territorial sea:
12 NM
continental shelf: up to the outer limits of
the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200
NM |
| 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
highest point:
Keokradong 1,230 m |
| Natural
resources: |
natural gas, arable land, timber, coal |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 60.7%
permanent crops: 2.61%
other: 36.69% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
38,440 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during
the summer monsoon season |
| 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 |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none
of the selected agreements |
| 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: |
133,376,684 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 33.8% (male 23,069,242; female 21,995,457)
15-64 years: 62.8% (male 42,924,778; female 40,873,077)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 2,444,314; female 2,069,816)
(2002 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.59% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
25.12 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
8.47 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-0.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.18 male(s)/female
total
population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
68.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 60.92 years
female:
60.74 years (2002 est.)
male: 61.08 years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.72 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.02% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
13,000 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
1,000 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Bangladeshi(s)
adjective: Bangladeshi
|
| Ethnic
groups: |
Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998) |
| Religions: |
Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998) |
| Languages: |
Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 56%
male: 63%
female:
49% (2000 est.)
|
| Country
name: |
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form: Bangladesh
former:
East Pakistan |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary democracy |
| Capital: |
Dhaka |
| Administrative
divisions: |
5 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi; note
- there may be one additional division named 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 |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6
Sepember 2002); note - the president's duties are normally ceremonial,
but with the 13th amendment to the constitution ("Caretaker Government
Amendment"), the president's role becomes significant at times
when Parliament is dissolved and a caretaker government is installed
- at presidential direction - to supervise the elections
head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA (since 10
October 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime
minister and appointed by the president
elections:
president elected by National Parliament for a five-year 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 to be held by NA 2007); 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 by the Election
Commission elected unopposed as president; percent of National
Parliament vote - NA% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected
by popular vote from single territorial constituencies (the constitutional
amendment reserving 30 seats for women over and above the 300
regular parliament seats expired in May 2001); members serve five-year
terms
elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to
be held before October 2006)
election results: percent
of vote by party - BNP and alliance partners 46%, AL 42%; seats
by party - BNP 201, AL 62, JI 18, JP (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ
2, JP (Naziur) 1, other 4; note - the election of October 2001
brought a majority BNP government aligned with three other smaller
parties - Jamaat-i-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote, and Jatiya Party
(Naziur) |
| 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, chairperson]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti
Fazlul Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-E-Islami or JI [Motiur Rahman NIZAMI];
Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD];
Jatiya Party (Manzur faction) [[Naziur Rahman MANZUR] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN,
UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH,
UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Syed Hasan AHMAD
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
FAX:
[1] (202) 244-5366
telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
|
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Ann PETERS
embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212
mailing
address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000
telephone:
[880] (2) 8824700 through 8824722
FAX: [880] (2) 8823744
|
| Flag
description: |
green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center;
the red sun of freedom represents the blood shed to achieve independence;
the green field symbolizes the lush countryside, and secondarily,
the traditional color of Islam
|
| Economy
- overview: |
Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve
economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor,
overpopulated, and ill-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. Economic reform is stalled
in many instances by political infighting and corruption at all
levels of government. Progress also has been blocked by opposition
from the bureaucracy, public sector unions, and other vested interest
groups. The BNP government, led by Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA,
has the parliamentary strength to push through needed reforms,
but the party's level of political will to do so has been lacking.
|
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $230 billion (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
5.6% (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $1,750 (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 30%
industry: 18%
services:
52% (2000 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
36% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 4%
highest 10%: 29% |
| Distribution
of family income - Gini index: |
34 (1995-96 ) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
5.8% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
64.1 million (1998)
note: extensive export of labor
to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers'
remittances estimated at $1.71 billion in 1998-99 (1998) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 63%, services 26%, industry 11% (FY95/96) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
35% (2001 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $4.9 billion
expenditures: $6.8
billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00 est.)
|
| Industries: |
cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint,
cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
6.2% (2001 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
13.493 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 92%
hydro: 8%
other:
0% (2000)
nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
12.548 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses,
oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry |
| Exports: |
$6.6 billion (2001) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood
|
| Exports
- partners: |
US 31.8%, Germany 10.9%, UK 7.9%, France 5.2%, Netherlands 5.2%,
Italy 4.42% (2000) |
| Imports: |
$8.7 billion (2001) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles,
raw cotton, food, crude oil and petroleum products, cement |
| Imports
- partners: |
India 10.5%, EU 9.5%, Japan 9.5%, Singapore 8.5%, China 7.4% (2000)
|
| Debt
- external: |
$17 billion (2000) (2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$1.575 billion |
| Currency: |
taka (BDT) |
| Currency
code: |
BDT |
| Exchange
rates: |
taka per US dollar - 57.756 (January 2002), 55.807 (2001), 52.142
(2000), 49.085 (1999), 46.906 (1998), 43.892 (1997) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 July - 30 June
|
| Railways: |
total: 2,745 km
broad gauge: 923 km 1.676-m
gauge
narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2000 est.)
|
| Highways: |
total: 201,182 km
paved: 19,112 km
unpaved: 182,070 km (1997) |
| Waterways: |
up to 8,046 km depending on season
note: includes
3,058 km main cargo routes |
| Pipelines: |
natural gas 1,250 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Chittagong, Dhaka, Mongla Port, Narayanganj (2001) |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 269,932
GRT/379,271 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 26, container
3, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1, includes s foreign-owned
ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Singapore 5 (2002
est.) |
| Airports: |
18 (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438
to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914
to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 6 (2002) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under
914 m: 2 (2002)
|
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, paramilitary forces (includes
Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Village Defense Parties,
Armed Police Battalions, National Cadet Corps) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 37,303,372 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49: 22,139,736 (2002 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$559 million (FY96/97) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.8% (FY96/97)
|
|
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