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Communications

Airports [time series]

16 total, 13 usable; 13 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

15 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

7,240 km total (1985); 3,840 km paved, 3,400 km unpaved

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km main cargo routes)

Merchant marine [time series]

47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 331,568 GRT/493,935 DWT; includes 38 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 3 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

650 km natural gas

Ports [time series]

Chittagong, Chalna

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

2,892 km total (1986); 1,914 km 1.000 meter gauge, 978 km 1.676 meter broad gauge

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

adequate international radio communications and landline service; fair domestic wire and microwave service; fair broadcast service; 182,000 telephones; stations--9 AM, 6 FM, 11 TV; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth stations

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary forces--Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Coastal Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

1.5% of GDP, or $309 million (FY90 est.)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 28,110,802; 16,686,644 fit for military service

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for about 50% of GDP and 74% of both employment and exports; imports 10% of food grain requirements; world's largest exporter of jute; commercial products--jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils and cotton; fish catch 778,000 metric tons in 1986

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $3.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $9.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $652 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $1.5 billion

Budget [time series]

revenues $1.8 billion; expenditures $3.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.7 billion (FY89)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

taka (plural--taka); 1 taka (Tk) = 100 paise

Electricity [time series]

1,700,000 kW capacity; 4,900 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

taka (Tk) per US$1--32.270 (January 1990), 32.270 (1989), 31.733 (1988), 30.950 (1987), 30.407 (1986), 27.995 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$1.3 billion (f.o.b., FY89 est.); commodities--jute, tea, leather, shrimp, manufacturing; partners--US 25%, Western Europe 22%, Middle East 9%, Japan 8%, Eastern Europe 7%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$10.4 billion (December 1989)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July-30 June

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$20.6 billion, per capita $180; real growth rate 2.1% (FY89 est.)

Imports [time series]

$3.1 billion (c.i.f., FY89 est.); commodities--food, petroleum and other energy, nonfood consumer goods, semiprocessed goods, and capital equipment; partners--Western Europe 18%, Japan 14%, Middle East 9%, US 8%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 5.4% (FY89 est.)

Industries [time series]

jute manufacturing, food processing, cotton textiles, petroleum, urea fertilizer

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

8-10% (FY89 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The economy is based on the output of a narrow range of agricultural products, such as jute, which is the main cash crop and major source of export earnings. Bangladesh is hampered by a relative lack of natural resources, a rapid population growth of 2.8% a year and a limited infrastructure, and it is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite these constraints, real GDP averaged about 3.8% annually during 1985-88. One of the poorest nations in the world, alleviation of poverty remains the cornerstone of the government's development strategy. The agricultural sector contributes over 50% to GDP and 75% to exports, and employs over 74% of the labor force. Industry accounts for about 10% of GDP.

Unemployment rate [time series]

30% (FY88 est.)

Geography

Climate [time series]

tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)

Coastline [time series]

580 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Contiguous zone [time series]

18 nm;

Continental shelf [time series]

up to outer limits of continental margin;

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

a portion of the boundary with India is in dispute; water sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Ganges

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

vulnerable to droughts; much of country routinely flooded during summer monsoon season; overpopulation; deforestation

Extended economic zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

4,246 km total; Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Land use [time series]

67% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 16% forest and woodland; 11% other; includes 14% irrigated

Natural resources [time series]

natural gas, uranium, arable land, timber

Note [time series]

almost completely surrounded by India

Terrain [time series]

mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

144,000 km2; land area: 133,910 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

64 districts (zillagulo, singular--zilla); Bagerhat, Bandarban, Barisal, Bhola, Bogra, Borguna, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Chapai Nawabganj, Chattagram, Chuadanga, Comilla, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka, Dinajpur, Faridpur, Feni, Gaibandha, Gazipur, Gopalganj, Habiganj, Jaipurhat, Jamalpur, Jessore, Jhalakati, Jhenaidah, Khagrachari, Khulna, Kishorganj, Kurigram, Kushtia, Laksmipur, Lalmonirhat, Madaripur, Magura, Manikganj, Meherpur, Moulavibazar, Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Naogaon, Narail, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Nator, Netrakona, Nilphamari, Noakhali, Pabna, Panchagar, Parbattya Chattagram, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Satkhira, Shariyatpur, Sherpur, Sirajganj, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Tangail, Thakurgaon

Capital [time series]

Dhaka

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

5,000 members (1987 est.)

Constitution [time series]

4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador A. H. S. Ataul KARIM; Chancery at 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 342-8372 through 8376; there is a Bangladesh Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador-designate William B. MILAM; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara Model Town, Dhaka (mailing address is G. P. O. Box 323, Ramna, Dhaka); telephone [88] (2) 608170

Executive branch [time series]

president, vice president, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; green is the traditional color of Islam

Independence [time series]

16 December 1971 (from Pakistan; formerly East Pakistan)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court Chief of State--President Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD (since 11 December 1983, elected 15 October 1986); Vice President Moudad AHMED (since 12 August 1989); Head of Government--Prime Minister Qazi Zafar AHMED (since 12 August 1989)

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

People's Republic of Bangladesh

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WFTU, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 26 March (1971)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Jatiyo Party, Hussain Mohammad Ershad; Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Begum Ziaur Rahman; Awami League, Sheikh Hasina Wazed; United People's Party, Kazi Zafar Ahmed; Democratic League, Khondakar Mushtaque Ahmed; Muslim League, Khan A. Sabur; Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal (National Socialist Party), M. A. Jalil; Bangladesh Communist Party (pro-Soviet), Saifuddin Ahmed Manik; Jamaat-E-Islami, Ali Khan

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 President--last held 15 October 1986 (next to be held October 1991); results--President Hussain Mohammad Ershad received 83.5% of vote; Parliament--last held 3 March 1988 (next to be held March 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved for women) Jatiyo Party won 256 out of 300 seats

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

42 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

98% Bengali; 250,000 Biharis, and less than 1 million tribals

Infant mortality rate [time series]

136 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

35,100,000; 74% agriculture, 15% services, 11% industry and commerce; extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Kuwait (FY86)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Bangla (official), English widely used

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

54 years male, 53 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

29% (39% men, 18% women)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Bangladeshi(s); adjective--Bangladesh

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

3% of labor force belongs to 2,614 registered unions (1986 est.)

Population [time series]

118,433,062 (July 1990), growth rate 2.8% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

83% Muslim, about 16% Hindu, less than 1% Buddhist, Christian, and other

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.7 children born/woman (1990)