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Guide
Introduction
| |
| 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 annually
floods 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 |
| Area: |
total: 144,000
sq km
land: 133,910 sq km
water: 10,090 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than
Wisconsin |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 4,246 km
border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous zone:
18 NM
continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the
continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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: 73%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 15%
other: 5% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
31,000 sq km (1993 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, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Population: |
131,269,860 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
35.04% (male 23,550,607; female 22,451,006)
15-64 years: 61.6% (male 41,432,123; female 39,434,633)
65 years and over: 3.36% (male 2,389,639; female 2,011,852)
(2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.59% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
25.3 births/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
8.6 deaths/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-0.76 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 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: 1.19 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
69.85 deaths/1,000 live
births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
60.54 years
male: 60.74 years
female: 60.33 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.78 children born/woman
(2001 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 |
| 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 Shahabuddin AHMED (since 9 October 1996); 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 Sheikh HASINA (since 13
July 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and
appointed by the president
elections: president elected by National Parliament for a
five-year term; election last held 24 July 1996 (next to be held by NA
October 2001); following legislative elections, the leader of the party
that wins the most seats is usually appointed prime minister by the
president
election results: Shahabuddin AHMED elected president
without opposition; percent of National Parliament vote - NA% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral National
Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad (330 seats; 300 elected by popular vote
from single territorial constituencies, 30 seats reserved for women;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 June 1996 (next to be held before
13 October 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party - AL 33.87%, BNP
30.87%; seats by party - AL 178, BNP 113, JP 33, JI 3, other 3; note -
the elections of 12 June 1996 brought to power an Awami League
government for the first time in twenty-one years; held under a neutral,
caretaker administration, the elections were characterized by a
peaceful, orderly process and massive voter turnout, ending a bitter
two-year impasse between the former BNP and opposition parties that had
paralyzed National Parliament and led to widespread street violence |
| 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 ZIAur Rahman]; Islami Oikya
Jote or IOJ [Azizol HAQ]; Jamaat-E-Islami or JI [Motiur Rahman NIZAMI];
Jatiya Party or JP [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD] |
| 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 (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UN Security
Council (temporary), 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-designate A. Tariq KARIM
chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Mary Ann PETERS
embassy: Road 27, House 110, Banani, Dhaka
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 one of the world's poorest, most densely populated,
and least developed nations. 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. Even so, Prime Minister Sheikh
HASINA's Awami League government has made some headway improving the
climate for foreign investors and liberalizing the capital markets.
Progress on other economic reforms has been halting because of
opposition from the bureaucracy, public sector unions, and other vested
interest groups. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity -
$203 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
5.3% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$1,570 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 30%
industry: 18%
services: 52% (2000 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
35.6% (FY95/96 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 3.9%
highest 10%: 28.6% (1995-96 est.) |
| 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 |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 63%, services
26%, industry 11% (FY95/96) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
35.2% (1996) |
| 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: |
6.1% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
12.06 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
93.7%
hydro: 6.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
11.216 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
rice, jute, tea, wheat,
sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef,
milk, poultry |
| Exports: |
$5.9 billion (2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
garments, jute and jute
goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 31.2%, Germany 9.95%, UK
8.06%, France 5.82%, Italy 4.42% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$8.1 billion (2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and equipment,
chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, raw cotton, food, crude oil and
petroleum products, cement |
| Imports
- partners: |
India 12.2%, Singapore 7.8%,
Japan 6.7%, China 6.4%, US 5.3% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$17 billion (2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$1.575 billion (2000 est.) |
| Exchange
rates: |
taka per US dollar - 54.000
(January 2001), 52.142 (2000), 49.085 (1999), 46.906 (1998), 43.892
(1997), 41.794 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 July - 30 June |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
500,000 (2000) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
283,000 (2000) |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
totally inadequate for a modern country
domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk
systems include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some
fiber-optic cable in cities
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean); international radiotelephone communications and landline
service to neighboring countries (2000) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 12, FM 12, shortwave 2
(1999) |
| Radios: |
6.15 million (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
15 (1999) |
| Televisions: |
770,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.bd |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
10 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
30,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total: 2,745 km
broad gauge: 923 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2000) |
| 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: 35 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 268,566 GRT/375,110 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 25, container 3, petroleum
tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 5 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air
Force, paramilitary forces (includes Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh
Ansars, Village Defense Parties, National Cadet Corps), Armed Police
battalions |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
36,005,553 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
21,362,279 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$559 million (FY96/97) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.8% (FY96/97) |
| Disputes
- international: |
a portion of the boundary
with India is indefinite; exchange of 151 enclaves along border with
India subject to ratification by Indian parliament; dispute with India
over South Talpatty/New Moore Island |
| Illicit
drugs: |
transit country for illegal
drugs produced in neighboring countries |
|
