from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Bangladesh
Introduction
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 1,600 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.
Geography
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between
Burma and India
Geographic 24 00 N, 90 00 E
coordinates:
Map Asia
references:
Area: total: 144,000 sq km
land: 133,910 sq km
water: 10,090 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Iowa
comparative:
Land total: 4,246 km
boundaries: border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
Coastline: 580 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
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 lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m
Natural natural gas, arable land, timber, coal
resources:
Land use: arable land: 55.39%
permanent crops: 3.08%
other: 41.53% (2005)
Irrigated 47,250 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely
hazards: inundated during the summer monsoon season
Environment - many people are landless and forced to live on and
current cultivate flood-prone land; water-borne diseases
issues: 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 - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - most of the country is situated on deltas of large
note: 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
People
Population: 147,365,352 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.9% (male 24,957,997/female 23,533,894)
15-64 years: 63.6% (male 47,862,774/female 45,917,674)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 2,731,578/female
2,361,435) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 22.2 years
male: 22.2 years
female: 22.2 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.09% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 29.8 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 8.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 60.83 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 61.87 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 59.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 62.46 years
expectancy at male: 62.47 years
birth: female: 62.45 years (2006 est.)
Total 3.11 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 13,000 (2001 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 650 (2001 est.)
deaths:
Major degree of risk: high
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea,
diseases: 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 (2005)
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: 43.1%
male: 53.9%
female: 31.8% (2003 est.)
Government
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 parliamentary democracy
type:
Capital: name: Dhaka
geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 25 E
time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
Administrative 6 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna,
divisions: 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 Independence Day, 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971
holiday: 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 chief of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6
branch: September 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 (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 to be
held by 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 unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300
branch: 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 no
later than January 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and
alliance partners 41%, AL 40%; 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 a majority BNP government aligned with
three other smaller parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party
(Manzur)
Judicial Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are
branch: appointed by the president)
Political Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh
parties and Communist Party or BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK];
leaders: Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA];
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 NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ARF, AsDB, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
organization ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
participation: IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW,
SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE,
UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Shamsher Mobin CHOWDHURY
representation chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
FAX: [1] (202) 244-5366
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia A. BUTENIS
representation embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212
from the US: mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000
telephone: [880] (2) 885-5500
FAX: [880] (2) 882-3744
Flag green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to
description: 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
Economy - Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to
overview: improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh
remains a poor, overpopulated, and
inefficiently-governed nation. Although 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.
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 political
will to do so has been lacking in key areas. One
encouraging note: growth has been a steady 5% for the
past several years.
GDP $305.9 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $63.56 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 6.4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $2,100 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 19.9%
composition by industry: 19.8%
sector: services: 60.3% (2004 est.)
Labor force: 66.6 million
note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers'
remittances estimated at $1.71 billion in 1998-99 (2005
est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 63%
by occupation: industry: 11%
services: 26% (FY95/96)
Unemployment 2.5% (includes underemployment) (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 45% (2004 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 3.9%
income or highest 10%: 28.6% (1995-96 est.)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 31.8 (2000)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 7% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 24.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $5.993 billion
expenditures: $8.598 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 44.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco,
products: pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry
Industries: cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper
newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light
engineering, sugar
Industrial 6.7% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 17.42 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 93.7%
production by hydro: 6.3%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 16.2 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 6,825 bbl/day (2003)
production:
Oil - 84,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Oil - proved 28.45 million bbl (1 January 2002)
reserves:
Natural gas - 11.9 billion cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 11.9 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 300.2 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
proved
reserves:
Current $37 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $9.372 billion (2005 est.)
Exports - garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and
commodities: seafood (2001)
Exports - US 23.6%, Germany 13.5%, UK 9.4%, France 6.4% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $12.97 billion (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel,
commodities: textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement (2000)
Imports - India 14.1%, China 13.5%, Kuwait 8.5%, Singapore 6.2%,
partners: Japan 4.1%, Hong Kong 4.1% (2005)
Reserves of $2.825 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $20.63 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $1.575 billion (2000 est.)
recipient:
Currency taka (BDT)
(code):
Currency code: BDT
Exchange taka per US dollar - 64.328 (2005), 59.513 (2004),
rates: 58.15 (2003), 57.888 (2002), 55.807 (2001)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications
Telephones - 1.07 million (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 9 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern
system: country
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; satellite earth
stations - 6; international radiotelephone
communications and landline service to neighboring
countries (2005)
Radio AM 15, FM 13, shortwave 2 (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 6.15 million (1997)
Television 15 (1999)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 770,000 (1997)
Internet .bd
country code:
Internet 469 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 10 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 300,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 16 (2006)
Airports - total: 15
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 5 (2006)
Airports - total: 1
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
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 (2005)
Roadways: total: 239,226 km
paved: 22,726 km
unpaved: 216,500 km (2003)
Waterways: 8,372 km
note: includes 5,635 km main cargo routes; network
reduced to 5,200 km in dry season (2005)
Merchant total: 42 ships (1000 GRT or over) 341,733 GRT/485,840
marine: DWT
by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 29, container 6,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3
foreign-owned: 1 (China 1)
registered in other countries: 10 (Antigua and Barbuda
4, Comoros 1, Malta 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1, Singapore 1) (2006)
Ports and Chittagong, Mongla Port
terminals:
Military
Military Bangladesh Defense Force: Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh
branches: Navy, Bangladesh Air Force (Bangladesh Biman Bahini,
BAF) (2006)
Military 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
service age conscription (2005)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 35,170,019 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 26,841,255 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Military $1.01 billion (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.8% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a
international: small section of river boundary, exchange 162 miniscule
enclaves in both countries, 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;
Burmese Muslim refugees strain Bangladesh's meager
resources
Refugees and refugees (country of origin): 20,402 (Burma)
internally IDPs: 61,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution)
displaced (2005)
persons:
Illicit drugs: transit country for illegal drugs produced in
neighboring countries