country comparison to the world: 148
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
26.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Public debt:
59.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
38.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
2.8% (2009 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)
NA% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$6.372 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 80
$5.74 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$21.02 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
$18.93 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$18.46 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
$16.34 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$16.93 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 60
$21.18 billion (31 December 2008)
$28.13 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
Industries:
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron
pelletization, fertilizers, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance,
ship repairing, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
1.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
Electricity - production:
10.25 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Electricity - consumption:
10.1 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
48,560 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Oil - consumption:
39,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
Oil - exports:
238,300 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
Oil - imports:
228,400 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
Oil - proved reserves:
124.6 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
Natural gas - production:
12.64 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
Natural gas - consumption:
12.64 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Natural gas - proved reserves:
92.03 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
Current account balance:
$589 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
$560.2 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$15.13 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
$12.05 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles
Exports - partners:
India 4.2%, Saudi Arabia 2.78% (2009)
Imports:
$12.14 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
$9.613 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
crude oil, machinery, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 22.91%, France 9.76%, US 7.95%, China 6.4%, South Korea
5.26%, Japan 5.19%, Germany 5.01%, UK 4.34% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.766 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
$3.54 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$14.68 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
$10.55 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$15.77 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
$15 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$8.399 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
$7.549 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Bahraini dinars (BHD) per US dollar - 0.376 (2010), 0.376 (2009),
0.376 (2008), 0.376 (2007), 0.376 (2006)
Communications ::Bahrain
Telephones - main lines in use:
238,400 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 123
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.578 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 137
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system
domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network
with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones
international: country code - 973; landing point for the Fiber-Optic
Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides
links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to
Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite
earth station - 1 (2007)
Broadcast media:
state-run broadcast media; Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation
(BRTC) operates 5 terrestrial TV networks; satellite TV systems
provide access to international broadcasts; state-run BRTC
broadcasts over several radio stations; 1 private FM station directs
broadcasts to Indian listeners; radio and TV broadcasts from
countries in the region are available (2007)
Internet country code:
.bh
Internet hosts:
53,944 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 86
Internet users:
419,500 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 122
Transportation ::Bahrain
Airports:
4 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 183
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 20 km; oil 32 km (2009)
Roadways:
total: 3,851 km
country comparison to the world: 158
paved: 3,121 km
unpaved: 730 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 7
country comparison to the world: 126
by type: bulk carrier 2, container 4, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 5 (Kuwait 5)
registered in other countries: 6 (Honduras 5, Saint Kitts and Nevis
1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Mina' Salman, Sitrah
Military ::Bahrain
Military branches:
Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense),
Naval Force, Air Force, National Guard
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for
NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 208,365
females age 16-49: 174,375 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 170,633
females age 16-49: 146,243 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 6,590
female: 6,475 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 19
Transnational Issues ::Bahrain
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on January 19, 2011
======================================================================
@Bangladesh (South Asia)
Introduction ::Bangladesh
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 and Sheikh HASINA Wajed was
elected prime minister. About a third of this extremely poor country
floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic
development.
Geography ::Bangladesh
Location:
Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India
Geographic coordinates:
24 00 N, 90 00 E
Map references:
Asia
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
Land boundaries:
total: 4,246 km
border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
Coastline:
580 km
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
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: 55.39%
permanent crops: 3.08%
other: 41.53% (2005)
Irrigated land:
47,250 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
1,210.6 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 79.4 cu km/yr (3%/1%/96%)
per capita: 560 cu m/yr (2000)
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; 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
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
People ::Bangladesh
Population:
156,118,464 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
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) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.9 years
male: 22.4 years
female: 23.4 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.55% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
Birth rate:
23.43 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
Death rate:
5.81 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
Net migration rate:
-2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
Urbanization:
urban population: 27% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 52.54 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 48
male: 55.04 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 49.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.44 years
country comparison to the world: 148
male: 67.64 years
female: 71.3 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.65 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
12,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
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)
Nationality:
noun: Bangladeshi(s)
adjective: Bangladeshi
Ethnic groups:
Bengali 98%, other 2% (includes tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims)
(1998)
Religions:
Muslim 89.5%, Hindu 9.6%, other 0.9% (2004)
Languages:
Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47.9%
male: 54%
female: 41.4% (2001 Census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male: 8 years
female: 8 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
2.4% of GDP (2008)
country comparison to the world: 163
Government ::Bangladesh
Country name:
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form: Bangladesh
local long form: Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh
local short form:
former: East Bengal, East Pakistan
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Dhaka
geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 24 E
time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
7 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur,
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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
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
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year
term (eligible for a second term); last election held on 11 February
2009 (next 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
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 on 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
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 [Manjurul A. KHAN]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda
ZIA]; Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh or BDB [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY]; Islami
Oikya Jote or IOJ [multiple leaders]; Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or
JIB [Matiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction)
[Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [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
International organization participation:
ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,
MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNWTO,
UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Akramul QADER
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
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
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
National anthem:
name: "Amar Shonar Bangla" (My Golden Bengal)
lyrics/music: Rabindranath TAGORE
note: adopted 1971; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also
wrote India's national anthem
Economy ::Bangladesh
Economy - overview:
The economy has grown 5-6% per year since 1996 despite political
instability, poor infrastructure, corruption, 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, 45% of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector,
with rice as the single-most-important product. Bangladesh's growth
was resilient during the 2008-09 global financial crisis and
recession. Garment exports, totaling $12.3 billion in FY09 and
remittances from overseas Bangladeshis totaling $9.7 billion in FY09
accounted for almost 25% of GDP.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$259.3 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
$244.6 billion (2009 est.)
$231.4 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$105.4 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
5.7% (2009 est.)
6% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,700 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
$1,600 (2009 est.)
$1,500 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 18.4%
industry: 28.7%
services: 52.9% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
73.87 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 $10.9 billion
in 2009-10 (2010 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 45%
industry: 30%
services: 25% (2008)
Unemployment rate:
5.1% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
5.1% (2009 est.)
note: about 40% of the population is underemployed; many
participants in the labor force work only a few hours a week, at low
wages
Population below poverty line:
36.3% (2008 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 8.8%
highest 10%: 26.6% (2008 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33.2 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 94
33.6 (1996)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Public debt:
39.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
39.7% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.1% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
5.4% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
5% (31 October 2010)
country comparison to the world: 86
5% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.6% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
16.38% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$13.98 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 67
$10.92 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$57.21 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
$63.03 billion (31 December 2009)
Stock of domestic credit:
$62.2 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
$53.77 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$7.068 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 74
$6.671 billion (31 December 2008)
$6.793 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses,
oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry
Industries:
cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint,
cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar
Industrial production growth rate:
6.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Electricity - production:
25.62 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
Electricity - consumption:
23.94 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
5,733 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Oil - consumption:
96,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
Oil - exports:
2,612 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
Oil - imports:
87,660 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
Oil - proved reserves:
28 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
Natural gas - production:
19.7 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
Natural gas - consumption:
19.7 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Natural gas - proved reserves:
195.4 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Current account balance:
$3.734 billion (2010)
country comparison to the world: 34
$2.416 billion (2009)
Exports:
$16.24 billion (2010)
country comparison to the world: 73
$15.58 billion (2009)
Exports - commodities:
garments, frozen fish and seafood, jute and jute goods, leather
Exports - partners:
US 22.5%, Germany 14.2%, UK 9.6%, France 7%, Netherlands 6.4% (2009)
Imports:
$21.34 billion (2010)
country comparison to the world: 68
$20.3 billion (2009)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles,
foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement
Imports - partners:
China 16.16%, India 12.61%, Singapore 7.55%, Japan 4.63%, Malaysia
4.46% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$10.79 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
$10.34 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$24.46 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
$24.22 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$6.72 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
$5.617 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$82 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
$81 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
taka (BDT) per US dollar - 70.59 (2010), 69.039 (2009), 68.554
(2008), 69.893 (2007), 69.031 (2006)
Communications ::Bangladesh
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.522 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 63