Bangladesh

Internet country code

.bd

Internet hosts

4,209 (2009) country comparison to the world: 135

Internet users

556,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 104

Radio broadcast stations

AM 15, FM 13, shortwave 2 (2006)

Telephone system

general assessment: inadequate for a modern country; fixed-line telephone density remains less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly and has reached 30 per 100 persons 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; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 6; international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use

1.39 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 67

Telephones - mobile cellular

45.75 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 22

Television broadcast stations

15 (1999)

Agriculture - products

rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry

Budget

revenues: $8.825 billion expenditures: $12.54 billion (2008 est.)

Central bank discount rate

5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 99 5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

16.38% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 37 16% (31 December 2007)

Current account balance

$1.032 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 $856.8 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$22.83 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 $21.23 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

33.2 (2005) country comparison to the world: 94 33.6 (1996)

Economy - overview

The economy has grown 5-6% per year since 1996 despite inefficient state-owned enterprises, delays in exploiting natural gas resources, insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and inefficiently-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. Garment exports and remittances from Bangladeshis working overseas, mainly in the Middle East and East Asia, fuel economic growth. In 2008 Bangladesh pursued a monetary policy aimed at maintaining high employment, but created higher inflation in the process.

Electricity - consumption

21.38 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 66

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

22.99 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 68

Exchange rates

taka (BDT) per US dollar - 68.554 (2008 est.), 69.893 (2007), 69.031 (2006), 64.328 (2005), 59.513 (2004)

Exports

$15.44 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 $12.47 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood

Exports - partners

US 21%, Germany 13.2%, UK 8.6%, France 6.3%, Netherlands 4.7% (2008)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$84.2 billion (2008 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$226.4 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50 $214 billion (2007 est.) $201.5 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 19.1% industry: 28.6% services: 52.3% (2008 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 197 $1,400 (2007 est.) $1,300 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

5.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67 6.2% (2007 est.) 6.4% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 4.3% highest 10%: 26.6% (2005)

Imports

$21.51 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 $16.67 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement

Imports - partners

China 14.7%, India 14.7%, Kuwait 7.5%, Singapore 7.1%, Japan 4.1% (2008)

Industrial production growth rate

6.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31

Industries

cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 9.1% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

24.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55

Labor force

70.86 million country comparison to the world: 8 note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $4.8 billion in 2005-06. (2008 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 63% industry: 11% services: 26% (FY95/96)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$6.671 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 78 $6.793 billion (31 December 2007) $3.61 billion (31 December 2006)

Natural gas - consumption

17.9 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 52

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78

Natural gas - production

17.9 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31

Natural gas - proved reserves

141.6 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 48

Oil - consumption

95,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76

Oil - exports

2,612 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 110

Oil - imports

87,660 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 69

Oil - production

6,426 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92

Oil - proved reserves

28 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81

Population below poverty line

45% (2004 est.)

Public debt

39.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 57 43% of GDP (2004 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$5.789 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 $5.278 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$97 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$5.971 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $5.261 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$47.03 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 50 $40.1 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$9.294 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 46 $8.444 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$37.98 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 30 $32.35 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

2.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 27 2.5% (2007 est.)

Area

total: 143,998 sq km country comparison to the world: 94 land: 130,168 sq km water: 13,830 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Iowa

Climate

tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)

Coastline

580 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m

Environment - current issues

many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; waterborne 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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 79.4 cu km/yr (3%/1%/96%) per capita: 560 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates

24 00 N, 90 00 E

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

Irrigated land

47,250 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 4,246 km border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Land use

arable land: 55.39% permanent crops: 3.08% other: 41.53% (2005)

Location

Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

droughts; cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season

Natural resources

natural gas, arable land, timber, coal

Terrain

mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Total renewable water resources

1,210.6 cu km (1999)

Administrative divisions

6 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet

Capital

name: Dhaka geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 24 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

4 November 1972; effective 16 December 1972; suspended following coup of 24 March 1982; restored 10 November 1986; amended many times

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212 mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000 telephone: [880] (2) 885-5500 FAX: [880] (2) 882-3744

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183 FAX: [1] (202) 244-7830/2771 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Zillur RAHMAN (since 12 February 2009) head of government: Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wajed (since 6 January 2009) 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); last election held on 11 February 2009 (next scheduled election to be held in 2014) election results: Zillur RAHMAN declared president-elect by the Election Commission on 11 February 2009 (sworn in on 12 February); he ran unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote - NA

Flag description

green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to 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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

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

International organization participation

ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by the president)

Legal system

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies; members serve five-year terms elections: last held 29 December 2008 (next to be held in 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - AL 49%, BNP 33.2%, JP 7%, JIB 4.6%, other 6.2%; seats by party - AL 230, BNP 30, JP 27, JIB 2, other 11

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

Political parties and leaders

Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP [Manjurul A. KHAN]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or JIB [Matiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party (Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY and Oli AHMED]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Advocacy to End Gender-based Violence through the MoWCA (Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs) other: environmentalists; Islamist groups; religious leaders; teachers; union leaders

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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. A military-backed, emergency caretaker regime suspended parliamentary elections planned for January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption. In contrast to the strikes and violent street rallies that had marked Bangladeshi politics in previous years, the parliamentary elections finally held in late December 2008 were mostly peaceful. Sheikh HASINA Wajed was reappointed prime minister. About a third of this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic development.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 41,199,340 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 24,946,041 females age 16-49: 31,409,069 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 1,538,865 female: 1,666,670 (2009 est.)

Military branches

Bangladesh Defense Force: Bangladesh Army (Sena Bahini), Bangladesh Navy (Noh Bahini, BN), Bangladesh Air Force (Biman Bahini, BAF) (2009)

Military expenditures

1.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 105

Military service age and obligation

16 years of age for voluntary military service; 17 years of age for officers (both with parental consent); conscription legally possible in emergency, but has never been implemented (2008)

Age structure

0-14 years: 34.6% (male 27,065,625/female 26,913,961) 15-64 years: 61.4% (male 45,222,182/female 50,537,052) 65 years and over: 4% (male 3,057,255/female 3,254,808) (2009 est.)

Birth rate

24.68 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

Death rate

9.23 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81

Education expenditures

2.7% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 151

Ethnic groups

Bengali 98%, other 2% (includes tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims) (1998)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 140

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 82

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

12,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 95

Infant mortality rate

total: 59.02 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 39 male: 66.12 deaths/1,000 live births female: 51.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Languages

Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 60.25 years country comparison to the world: 183 male: 57.57 years female: 63.03 years (2009 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 47.9% male: 54% female: 41.4% (2001 Census)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, 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 note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

Median age

total: 23.3 years male: 22.9 years female: 23.5 years (2009 est.)

Nationality

noun: Bangladeshi(s) adjective: Bangladeshi

Net migration rate

-2.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 144

Population

156,050,883 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 7

Population growth rate

1.292% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 104

Religions

Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 8 years male: 8 years female: 8 years (2004)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.74 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 82

Urbanization

urban population: 27% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Disputes - international

discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, exchange territory for 51 small Bangladeshi exclaves in India and 111 small Indian exclaves in Bangladesh, allocate divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's fencing and walling off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a joint Bangladesh-India boundary commission resurveyed and reconstructed 92 missing pillars in 2007; dispute with India over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; after 21 years, Bangladesh resumes talks with Burma on delimiting a maritime boundary

Illicit drugs

transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 26,268 (Burma) IDPs: 65,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2007)

Airports

17 (2009) country comparison to the world: 139

Airports - with paved runways

total: 15 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2009)

Merchant marine

total: 40 country comparison to the world: 77 by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 27, container 5, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4 foreign-owned: 1 (China 1) registered in other countries: 10 (Comoros 2, Honduras 1, Malta 2, Panama 2, Singapore 2, Togo 1) (2008)

Pipelines

gas 2,597 km (2008)

Ports and terminals

Chittagong, Mongla Port

Railways

total: 2,768 km country comparison to the world: 60 broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways

total: 239,226 km country comparison to the world: 21 paved: 22,726 km unpaved: 216,500 km (2003)

Transportation - note

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of Bangladesh as high risk for armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

Waterways

8,370 km country comparison to the world: 17 note: includes up to 3,060 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in dry season (2007)