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more about bangladesh
bangladesh |
2 definitions found From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: Bangladesh n : a Moslem Republic in southern Asia bordered by India to the north and west and east and the Bay of Bengal to the south; formerly part of India and then part of Pakistan; it achieved independence in 1971 [syn: {Bangladesh}, {Bangla Desh}, {East Pakistan}] From The CIA World Factbook (1995) [world95]: Bangladesh Bangladesh:Geography Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India Map references: Asia Area: total area: 144,000 sq km land area: 133,910 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin Land boundaries: total 4,246 km Burma 193 km India 4,053 km Coastline: 580 km Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International 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, arable land, timber Land use: arable land: 67% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 16% other: 11% Irrigated land: 27,380 sq km (1989) Environment: current issues: many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; limited access to potable water; water-borne diseases prevalent; water pollution especially of fishing areas results from the use of commercial pesticides; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation; deforestation; severe overpopulation natural hazards: droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely flooded during the summer monsoon season international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification Law of the Sea Bangladesh:People Population: 128,094,948 (July 1995 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 40% (female 25,195,262; male 26,352,299) 15-64 years: 57% (female 34,862,105; male 37,867,705) 65 years and over: 3% (female 1,761,336; male 2,056,241) (July 1995 est.) Population growth rate: 2.32% (1995 est.) Birth rate: 34.62 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) Death rate: 11.43 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) Infant mortality rate: 104.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.46 years male: 55.69 years female: 55.22 years (1995 est.) Total fertility rate: 4.39 children born/woman (1995 est.) Nationality: noun: Bangladeshi(s) adjective: Bangladesh Ethnic divisions: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribals less than 1 million Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, other Languages: Bangla (official), English Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 35% male: 47% female: 22% Labor force: 50.1 million by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 21%, industry and mining 14% (1989) note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991) Bangladesh:Government Names: conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh conventional short form: Bangladesh former: East Pakistan Digraph: BG Type: republic Capital: Dhaka Administrative divisions: 4 divisions; Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna Rajshahi Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan) National holiday: Independence Day 26 March (1971) 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 Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991); election last held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by NA October 1996); results - Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN (since 20 March 1991) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad): elections last held 27 February 1991 (next to be held by 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, BCP 5, National Awami Party Muzaffar 1, Workers Party 1, JSD 1, Ganotantri Party 1, Islami Oikya Jote 1, NDP 1, independents 3 Judicial branch: Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN; Awami League (AL), Sheikh Hasina WAJED; Jatiyo Party (JP), Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD (in jail); Jamaat-E-Islami (JI), Ali KHAN; Bangladesh Communist Party (BCP), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK; National Awami Party (Muzaffar); Workers Party, leader NA Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (JSD), Serajul ALAM KHAN; Ganotantri Party, leader NA Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA National Democratic Party (NDP), leader NA Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR; Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed United People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed Member of: AsDB C, CCC, CP ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO NAM, OIC, SAARC UN UNAMIR UNCTAD UNESCO, UNIDO UNIKOM UNOMIG UNOMIL UNOMOZ UNOMUR UNOSOM UNPROFOR UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU WHO WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Humayun KABIR chancery: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-8372 through 8376 consulate(s) general: New York US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador David N. MERRILL embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara Dhaka mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212 telephone: [880] (2) 884700 through 884722 FAX: [880] (2) 883-744 Flag: green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; green is the traditional color of Islam Economy Overview: Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains one of the world's poorest, most densely populated, and least developed nations. Its economy is overwhelmingly agricultural, with the cultivation of rice the single most important activity in the economy. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, the inefficiency of state-owned enterprises, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas), and inadequate power supplies. Excellent rice crops and expansion of the export garment industry led to real growth of 4% in 1992 and again in 1993. Policy measures intended to reduce government regulation of private industry, to curb population growth, and to expand employment opportunities have had only partial success given the serious nature of Bangladesh's basic problems. National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $130.1 billion (1994 est.) National product real growth rate: 4.5% (1994 est.) National product per capita: $1,040 (1994 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (1992 est.) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues: $2.8 billion expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (FY92/93) Exports: $2.38 billion (1993) commodities: garments, jute and jute goods, leather, shrimp partners: US 33%, Western Europe 39% (Germany 8.4%, Italy 6%) (FY91/92 est.) Imports: $3.99 billion (1993) commodities: capital goods, petroleum, food, textiles partners: Hong Kong 7.5%, Singapore 7.4%, China 7.4%, Japan 7.1% (FY91/92 est.) External debt: $13.5 billion (June 1993) Industrial production: growth rate 6.9% (FY92/93 est.); accounts for 9.4% of GDP Electricity: capacity: 2,740,000 kW production: 9.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 70 kWh (1993) Industries: jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing, steel, fertilizer Agriculture: accounts for 33% of GDP, 65% of employment, and one-fifth of exports; world's largest exporter of jute; commercial products - jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils, cotton Illicit drugs: transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $11.65 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6.52 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.5 billion Currency: 1 taka Tk = 100 poiska Exchange rates: taka Tk per US$1 - 40.250 (January 1995), 40.212 (1994), 39.567 (1993), 38.951 (1992), 36.596 (1991), 34.569 (1990) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June Bangladesh:Transportation Railroads: total: 2,892 km broad gauge: 978 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,914 km 1.000-m gauge (1992) Highways: total: 7,240 km paved: 3,840 km unpaved: 3,400 km (1985) Inland waterways: 5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km main cargo routes) Pipelines: natural gas 1,220 km Ports: Barisal Chandpur Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Dacca, Khulna Mongla (includes Chalna), Narayanganj Merchant marine: total: 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 293,304 GRT/428,013 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 31, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 3 Airports: total: 16 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 7 Bangladesh:Communications Telephone system: 241,250 telephones; 1 telephone/522 persons; poor domestic telephone service local: NA intercity: NA international: 2 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth stations; adequate international radio communications and landline service Radio: broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 0 radios: NA Television: broadcast stations: 11 televisions: NA Bangladesh:Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force paramilitary forces: Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars Armed Police Reserve, Village Defense Parties, National Cadet Corps Manpower availability: males age 15-49 33,039,035; males fit for military service 19,607,817 (1995 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $448 million, 1.7% of GDP (FY93/94)
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