_#_Disputes: a portion of the boundary with India is in dispute;
water sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Ganges
_#_Climate: tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid
summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)
_#_Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
_#_Natural resources: natural gas, uranium, arable land, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 67%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and
pastures 4%; forest and woodland 16%; other 11%; includes irrigated
14%
_#_Environment: vulnerable to droughts; much of country routinely
flooded during summer monsoon season; overpopulation; deforestation
_#_Note: almost completely surrounded by India
_*_People
_#_Population: 116,601,424 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 118 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 52 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Bangladeshi(s); adjective--Bangladesh
_#_Ethnic divisions: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, and tribals less
than 1 million
_#_Religion: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, and other
less than 1%
_#_Language: Bangla (official), English widely used
_#_Literacy: 35% (male 47%, female 22%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 35,100,000; agriculture 74%, services 15%, industry
and commerce 11% (FY86); extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE,
and Oman (1991)
_#_Organized labor: 3% of labor force belongs to 2,614 registered
unions (1986 est.)
_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: People's Republic of Bangladesh
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Dhaka
_#_Administrative divisions: 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
_#_Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan; formerly East
Pakistan)
_#_Constitution: 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972,
suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986,
amended NA March 1991
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since
8 October 1991)
Head of Government--Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman
(since 20 March 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman;
Awami League, Sheikh Hasina WAZED;
Jatiyo Party, Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD;
Jamaat-E-Islami, Ali KHAN;
Bangladesh Communist Party (pro-Soviet), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK;
National Awami Party (Muzaffar);
Workers Party, leader NA;
Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (National Socialist Party--SIRAJ), M. A. JALIL;
Ganotantri Party, leader NA;
Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA;
National Democratic Party, leader NA;
Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR;
Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed;
United People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by October
1996);
results--Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote
National Parliament--last held 27 February 1991 (next to be held
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, CBP 5, National Awami Party (Muzaffar) 1,
Workers Party 1, SIRAJ 1, Ganotantri Party 1, Islami Oikya Jote 1,
NDP 1, independents 3
_#_Communists: 5,000 members (1987 est.)
_#_Member of: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG,
UPU, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WCL, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: 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 William B. MILAM; Embassy at Diplomatic
Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka (mailing address
is G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212); telephone [880] (2) 884700-22
_#_Flag: green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of
center; green is the traditional color of Islam
_*_Economy
_#_Overview: Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations in the world.
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, population growth of more than 2% a year,
large-scale unemployment, and a limited infrastructure; furthermore,
it is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite these constraints,
real GDP growth averaged about 3.5% annually during 1985-89. A strong
agricultural performance in FY90 pushed the growth rate up to 5.5%.
Alleviation of poverty remains the cornerstone of the government's
development strategy.
_#_GDP: $20.4 billion, per capita $180; real growth rate 4.0%
(1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (FY90 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 30% (FY90 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $2.2 billion; expenditures $3.9 billion, including
capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (FY90)
_#_Exports: $1.5 billion (FY90 est.);
commodities--jute, tea, leather, shrimp, textiles;
partners--US 25%, Western Europe 22%, Middle East 9%, Japan 8%,
Eastern Europe 7%
_#_Imports: $3.6 billion (FY90 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%
_#_External debt: $10.9 billion (FY90 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.1% (FY90 est.); accounts
for 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,990,000 kW capacity; 5,700 million kWh produced,
50 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: jute manufacturing, base metals, food processing,
cotton textiles, tobacco processing, chemicals
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP, 60% of
employment, and one third 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 and cotton; fish catch
778,000 metric tons in 1986
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4
billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1980-88), $10.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $652 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $1.5 billion
_#_Currency: taka (plural--taka); 1 taka (Tk) = 100 paise
_#_Exchange rates: taka (Tk) per US$1--35.790 (January 1991), 34.567
(1990), 32.270 (1989), 31.733 (1988), 30.950 (1987), 30.407 (1986),
27.995 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*_Communications
_#_Railroads: 2,892 km total (1986); 1,914 km 1.000 meter gauge,
978 km 1.676 meter broad gauge
_#_Highways: 7,240 km total (1985); 3,840 km paved, 3,400 km unpaved
_#_Inland waterways: 5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes
2,575-3,058 km main cargo routes)
_#_Ports: Chittagong, Chalna
_#_Merchant marine: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
339,081 GRT/500,008 DWT; includes 38 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 3 bulk
_#_Pipelines: 1,220 km natural gas
_#_Civil air: 15 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 16 total, 12 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with
runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate international radio communications and
landline service; fair domestic wire and microwave service; fair
broadcast service; 241,250 telephones; stations--9 AM, 6 FM, 11 TV;
2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth stations
_*_Defense Forces
_#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary forces--Bangladesh
Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Coastal Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 28,896,632; 17,154,593 fit for
military service
_#_Defense expenditures: $319 million, 1.5% of GDP (FY91)
_%_
_@_Barbados
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 430 km2; land area: 430 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of
Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 97 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;