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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 16 usable: 12 with permanent-surface runways: 12 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 6

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]

42 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 314,228 GRT/461,607 DWT; includes 34 cargo, 2 oil tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo, 3 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

natural gas 1,220 km

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; 241,250 telephones; broadcast 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, Defense Parties, National Cadet Corps

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $355 million, 1.5% of GDP (FY92/93)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 30,909,597; fit for military service 18,348,702 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for about 40% of GDP, 60% of employment, and one-fifth of 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, cotton; fish catch 778,000 metric tons in 1986

Budget [time series]

revenues $2.5 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 taka (Tk) = 100 paise

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $11.65 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6.52 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.5 billion

Electricity [time series]

2,400,000 kW capacity; 9,000 million kWh produced, 75 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

taka (Tk) per US$1 - 39.000 (January 1993), 38.951 (1992), 36.596 (1991), 34.569 (1990), 32.270 (1989), 31.733 (1988)

Exports [time series]

$2.0 billion (FY92) commodities: garments, jute and jute goods, leather, shrimp partners: US 28%, Western Europe 39% (FY91)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$11.8 billion (FY92 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

Illicit drugs [time series]

transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries

Imports [time series]

$3.4 billion (FY91/92) commodities: capital goods, petroleum, food, textiles partners: Japan 10.0%, Western Europe 17%, US 5.0% (FY91)

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

growth rate 4.0% (FY92 est.); accounts for less than 10% of GDP

Industries [time series]

jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing, steel, fertilizer

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

5.09% (FY92)

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

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $23.8 billion (FY92)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$200 (FY92)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

3.8% (FY92)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Bangladesh is one of the world's poorest, most densely populated, and least developed nations. Its economy is overwhelmingly agricultural. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, government interference with the economy, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, a low level of industrialization, failure to fully exploit energy resources (natural gas), and inefficient and inadequate power supplies. An excellent rice crop and expansion of the export garment industry helped growth in FY91/92. Policy reforms intended to reduce government regulation of private industry and promote public-sector efficiency have been announced but are being implemented only slowly.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 144,000 km2 land area: 133,910 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin

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

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

27,380 km2 (1989)

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

arable land: 67% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 16% other: 11%

Location [time series]

South Asia, at the head of the Bay of Bengal, almost completely surrounded by India

Map references [time series]

Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: up to outer limits of continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

natural gas, arable land, timber

Terrain [time series]

mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

64 districts (zillagulo, singular - zilla); Bagerhat, Bandarban, Barguna, Barisal, Bhola, Bogra, 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

Constitution [time series]

4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended NA March 1991

Digraph [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Abul AHSAN chancery: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: (202) 342-8372 through 8376 consulate general: New York

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

National Parliament: last held 27 February 1991 (next to be held NA February 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved for women) BNP 168, AL 93, JP 35, JI 20, BCP 5, National Awami Party (Muzaffar) 1, Workers Party 1, JSD 1, Ganotantri Party 1, Islami Oikya Jote 1, NDP 1, independents 3 President: last held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by NA October 1996); results - Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, 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)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991) Head of Government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAur Rahman (since 20 March 1991)

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMOZ, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UNPROFOR, UPU, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WCL, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh conventional short form: Bangladesh former: East Pakistan

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 26 March (1971)

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

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda ZIAur Rahman; Awami League (AL), Sheikh Hasina WAJED; Jatiyo Party (JP), Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD (in jail); Jamaat-E-Islami (JI), Ali KHAN; Bangladesh Communist Party (BCP), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK; National Awami Party (Muzaffar); Workers Party, leader NA; Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (JSD), Serajul ALAM KHAN; Ganotantri Party, leader NA; Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA; National Democratic Party (NDP), leader NA; Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR; Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; United People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador William B. MILAM embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212 telephone: [880] (2) 884700-22 FAX: [880] (2) 883648

People

Birth rate [time series]

35.41 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

11.94 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

109.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

35.1 million by occupation: agriculture 74%, services 15%, industry and commerce 11% (FY86) note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)

Languages [time series]

Bangla (official), English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 54.7 years male: 55 years female: 54.38 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 35% male: 47% female: 22%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Bangladeshi(s) adjective: Bangladesh

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

122,254,849 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.35% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, other

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.55 children born/woman (1993 est.)