BANGLADESH                                                                      
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 144,000 km2; land area: 133,910 km2                                 
                                                                                
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin                               
                                                                                
Land boundaries: 4,246 km total; Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km                   
                                                                                
Coastline: 580 km                                                               
                                                                                
Maritime claims:                                                                
                                                                                
Contiguous zone: 18 nm;                                                         
                                                                                
Continental shelf: up to outer limits of continental margin;                    
                                                                                
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;                                                
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 12 nm                                                          
                                                                                
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)                          
