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National Map
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Bangladesh |
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National Flag
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Bangladesh |
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Flag Description:
green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of
center; the red sun of freedom represents the blood shed to
achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush
countryside, and secondarily, the traditional color of Islam
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National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
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Bangladesh |
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National Anthem
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Bangladesh |
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Categories National Symbol Of |
Bangladesh |
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Background:
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Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali East
Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan.
About a third of this extremely poor country floods
annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering
economic development. |
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Location:
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Southern
Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and
India |
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Geographic coordinates:
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24 00 N,
90 00 E |
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Map references:
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Asia |
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Area:
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total:
144,000 sq km
land: 133,910 sq km
water: 10,090 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Iowa |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
4,246 km
border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
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Coastline:
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580 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the
continental margin |
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Climate:
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tropical;
mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March
to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)
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Terrain:
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mostly
flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m |
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Natural resources:
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natural
gas, arable land, timber, coal |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 62.11%
permanent crops: 3.07%
other: 34.82% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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38,440 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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droughts,
cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during
the summer monsoon season |
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Environment - current issues:
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many
people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate
flood-prone land; water-borne 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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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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
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Population:
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144,319,628 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 33.1% (male 24,590,207/female 23,162,420)
15-64 years: 63.5% (male 46,764,824/female
44,868,733)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 2,650,683/female
2,282,761) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
21.87 years
male: 21.88 years
female: 21.85 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.09%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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30.01
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.4
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.69
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
62.6 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 63.65 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 61.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 62.08 years
male: 62.13 years
female: 62.02 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.13
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than
0.1% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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13,000
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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650 (2001
est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree
of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial 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 (2004) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Bangladeshi(s)
adjective: Bangladeshi |
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Ethnic groups:
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Bengali
98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998) |
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Religions:
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Muslim
83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998) |
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Languages:
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Bangla
(official, also known as Bengali), English |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 43.1%
male: 53.9%
female: 31.8% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: People's Republic of
Bangladesh
conventional short form: Bangladesh
former: East Pakistan |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Dhaka
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Administrative divisions:
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6
divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi,
and Sylhet |
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Independence:
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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 |
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National holiday:
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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 |
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Constitution:
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4
November 1972, effective 16 December 1972; suspended
following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November
1986; amended many times |
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Legal system:
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based on
English common law |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6
September 2002); note - the president's duties are
normally ceremonial, but with the 13th amendment to the
constitution ("Caretaker Government Amendment"), the
president's role becomes significant at times when
Parliament is dissolved and a caretaker government is
installed - at presidential direction - to supervise the
elections
head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA
(since 10 October 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister
and appointed by the president
elections: president elected by National
Parliament for a five-year term; election scheduled for
16 September 2002 was not held since Iajuddin AHMED was
the only presidential candidate; he was sworn in on 6
September 2002 (next election to be held by NA 2007);
following legislative elections, the leader of the party
that wins the most seats is usually appointed prime
minister by the president
election results: Iajuddin AHMED declared by the
Election Commission elected unopposed as president;
percent of National Parliament vote - NA |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300
seats elected by popular vote from single territorial
constituencies (the constitutional amendment reserving
30 seats for women over and above the 300 regular
parliament seats expired in May 2001); members serve
five-year terms
elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to be
held no later than January 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - BNP
and alliance partners 41%, AL 40%; seats by party - BNP
193, AL 58, JI 17, JP (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 2, JP (Manzur)
4, other 8; note - the election of October 2001 brought
a majority BNP government aligned with three other
smaller parties - Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote,
and Jatiya Party (Manzur) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed
by the president) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Awami
League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party
or BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK]; Bangladesh Nationalist
Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ
[Mufti Fazlul Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-e-Islami or JI [Motiur
Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain
Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party (Manzur faction) [Naziur
Rahman MANZUR] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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AsDB, C,
CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory),
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC,
NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Shamsher Mobin CHOWDHURY
chancery: 3510 International Drive NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
FAX: [1] (202) 244-5366
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Charge d'Affaires Ms. Judith Chammas
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 |
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Flag description:
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green
with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of
center; the red sun of freedom represents the blood shed
to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the
lush countryside, and secondarily, the traditional color
of Islam |
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Economy - overview:
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Despite
sustained domestic and international efforts to improve
economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a
poor, overpopulated, and ill-governed nation. Although
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. Major impediments to
growth include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient
state-owned enterprises, inadequate port facilities, a
rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by
agriculture, delays in exploiting energy resources
(natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and slow
implementation of economic reforms. Economic reform is
stalled in many instances by political infighting and
corruption at all levels of government. Progress also
has been blocked by opposition from the bureaucracy,
public sector unions, and other vested interest groups.
The BNP government, led by Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA,
has the parliamentary strength to push through needed
reforms, but the party's political will to do so has
been lacking in key areas. One encouraging note: growth
has been a steady 5% for the past several years. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$299.9
billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$64.85
billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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5.2%
(2005 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 20.5%
industry: 26.7%
services: 52.8% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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66.6
million
note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers'
remittances estimated at $1.71 billion in 1998-99 (2005
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 63%, industry 11%, services 26% (FY95/96)
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Unemployment rate:
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2.5%
(includes underemployment) (2005 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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45% (2004
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 3.9%
highest 10%: 28.6% (1995-96 est.) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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31.8
(2000) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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6.7%
(2005 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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24.6% of
GDP (2005 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $5.993 billion
expenditures: $8.598 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2005 est.) |
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Public debt:
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46.1% of
GDP (2005 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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rice,
jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses,
oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry |
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Industries:
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cotton
textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper
newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light
engineering, sugar |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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6.7%
(2005 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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17.42
billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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16.2
billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2003) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2003) |
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Oil - production:
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6,825
bbl/day (2003) |
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Oil - consumption:
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84,000
bbl/day (2003 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - proved reserves:
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28.45
million bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production:
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9.9
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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9.9
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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150.3
billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Current account balance:
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$-591
million (2005 est.) |
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Exports:
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$9.372
billion (2005 est.) |
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Exports - partners:
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US 22.4%,
Germany 14.5%, UK 11.2%, France 6.9%, Italy 4% (2004)
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Imports:
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$12.97
billion (2005 est.) |
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Imports - partners:
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India
15.1%, China 12.5%, Singapore 7.5%, Kuwait 5.5%, Japan
5.3%, Hong Kong 4.5% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$3.45
billion (2005 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$21.25
billion (2005 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$1.575
billion (2000 est.) |
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Currency (code):
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taka (BDT)
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Exchange rates:
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taka per
US dollar - 64.26 (2005), 59.513 (2004), 58.15 (2003),
57.888 (2002), 55.807 (2001) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 July -
30 June |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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740,000
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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1.365
million (2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern
country
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; satellite
earth stations - 6; international radiotelephone
communications and landline service to neighboring
countries (2005) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 12, FM
12, shortwave 2 (1999) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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15 (1999)
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Internet country code:
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.bd |
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Internet hosts:
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1 (2003)
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Internet users:
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243,000
(2003) |
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Airports:
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16 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
15
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 5 (2005 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2005 est.) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 2,012
km (2004) |
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Railways:
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total:
2,706 km
broad gauge: 884 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) |
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Roadways:
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total:
239,226 km
paved: 22,726 km
unpaved: 216,500 km (2003) |
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Waterways:
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8,372 km
note: includes 2,575 km main cargo routes (2004)
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Merchant marine:
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total:
41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 319,897 GRT/440,575 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 28, container 6,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4
foreign-owned: 10 (China 1, Singapore 9)
registered in other countries: 14 (2005) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Chittagong, Mongla Port |
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Military branches:
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Army,
Navy, Air Force |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2005) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 35,170,019 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 26,841,255 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$995.3
million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.8%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small
section of river boundary, exchange 162 miniscule
enclaves in both countries, allocate divided villages,
and stop illegal cross-border trade, migration,
violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous
border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence
off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a
joint Bangladesh-India boundary inspection in 2005
revealed 92 pillars are missing; dispute with India over
New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of
Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; Burmese
Muslim refugees strain Bangladesh's meager resources
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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
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IDPs:
61,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2004)
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Illicit drugs:
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transit
country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring
countries |
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