The World Factbook Bangladesh

TheWorldFactbookBangladeshIntroductionBangladeshBackground:EuropeansbegantosetuptradingpostsintheareaofBangladeshinthe16thcentury;eventuallytheBritishcametodominatetheregionanditbecamepartofBritishIndia.In1947,WestPakistanandEastBengal(bothprimarilyMuslim)separatedfromIndia(largelyHindu)andjointlybecamethenewcountryofPakistan.EastBengalbecameEastPakistanin1955,buttheawkwardarrangementofatwo-partcountrywithitsterritorialunitsseparatedby1,600kmlefttheBengalismarginalizedanddissatisfied.EastPakistansecededfromitsunionwithWestPakistanin1971andwasrenamedBangladesh.Amilitary-backedcaretakerregimesuspendedplannedparliamentaryelectionsinJanuary2007inanefforttoreformthepoliticalsystemandrootoutcorruption;theregimehaspledgednewdemocraticelectionsbytheendof2008.Aboutathirdofthisextremelypoorcountryfloodsannuallyduringthemonsoonrainyseason,hamperingeconomicdevelopment.GeographyBangladeshLocation:SouthernAsia,borderingtheBayofBengal,betweenBurmaandIndiaGeographiccoordinates:2400N,9000EMapreferences:AsiaArea:total:144,000sqkmland:133,910sqkmwater:10,090sqkmArea-comparative:slightlysmallerthanIowaLandboundaries:total:4,246kmbordercountries:Burma193km,India4,053kmCoastline:580kmMaritimeclaims:territorialsea:12nmcontiguouszone:18nmexclusiveeconomiczone:200nmcontinentalshelf:uptotheouterlimitsofthecontinentalmarginClimate:tropical;mildwinter(OctobertoMarch);hot,humidsummer(MarchtoJune);humid,warmrainymonsoon(JunetoOctober)Terrain:mostlyflatalluvialplain;hillyinsoutheastElevationextremes:lowestpoint:IndianOcean0mhighestpoint:Keokradong1,230mNaturalresources:naturalgas,arableland,timber,coalLanduse:arableland:55.39%permanentcrops:3.08%other:41.53%(2005)Irrigatedland:47,250sqkm(2003)Totalrenewablewaterresources:1,210.6cukm(1999)Freshwaterwithdrawal(domestic/industrial/agricultural):total:79.4cukm/yr(3%/1%/96%)percapita:560cum/yr(2000)Naturalhazards:droughts,cyclones;muchofthecountryroutinelyinundatedduringthesummermonsoonseasonEnvironment-currentissues:manypeoplearelandlessandforcedtoliveonandcultivateflood-proneland;water-bornediseasesprevalentinsurfacewater;waterpollution,especiallyoffishingareas,resultsfromtheuseofcommercialpesticides;groundwatercontaminatedbynaturallyoccurringarsenic;intermittentwatershortagesbecauseoffallingwatertablesinthenorthernandcentralpartsofthecountry;soildegradationanderosion;deforestation;severeoverpopulationEnvironment-internationalagreements:partyto:Biodiversity,ClimateChange,ClimateChange-KyotoProtocol,Desertification,EndangeredSpecies,EnvironmentalModification,HazardousWastes,LawoftheSea,OzoneLayerProtection,ShipPollution,Wetlandssigned,butnotratified:noneoftheselectedagreementsGeography-note:mostofthecountryissituatedondeltasoflargeriversflowingfromtheHimalayas:theGangesuniteswiththeJamuna(mainchanneloftheBrahmaputra)andlaterjoinstheMeghnatoeventuallyemptyintotheBayofBengalPeopleBangladeshPopulation:153,546,901(July2008est.)Agestructure:0-14years:33.4%(male26,364,370/female24,859,792)15-64years:63.1%(male49,412,903/female47,468,013)65yearsandover:3.5%(male2,912,321/female2,529,502)(2008est.)Medianage:total:22.8yearsmale:22.8yearsfemale:22.9years(2008est.)Populationgrowthrate:2.022%(2008est.)Birthrate:28.86births/1,000population(2008est.)Deathrate:8deaths/1,000population(2008est.)Netmigrationrate:-0.65migrant(s)/1,000population(2008est.)Sexratio:atbirth:1.06male(s)/femaleunder15years:1.06male(s)/female15-64years:1.04male(s)/female65yearsandover:1.15male(s)/femaletotalpopulation:1.05male(s)/female(2008est.)Infantmortalityrate:total:57.45deaths/1,000livebirthsmale:58.44deaths/1,000livebirthsfemale:56.41deaths/1,000livebirths(2008est.)Lifeexpectancyatbirth:totalpopulation:63.21yearsmale:63.14yearsfemale:63.28years(2008est.)Totalfertilityrate:3.08childrenborn/woman(2008est.)HIV/AIDS-adultprevalencerate:lessthan0.1%(2001est.)HIV/AIDS-13,000(2001est.)peoplelivingwithHIV/AIDS:HIV/AIDS-deaths:650(2001est.)Majorinfectiousdiseases:degreeofrisk:highfoodorwaterbornediseases:bacterialandprotozoaldiarrhea,hepatitisAandE,andtyphoidfevervectorbornediseases:denguefeverandmalariaarehighrisksinsomelocationswatercontactdisease:leptospirosisanimalcontactdisease:rabiesnote:highlypathogenicH5N1avianinfluenzahasbeenidentifiedinthiscountry;itposesanegligibleriskwithextremelyrarecasespossibleamongUScitizenswhohaveclosecontactwithbirds(2008)Nationality:noun:Bangladeshi(s)adjective:BangladeshiEthnicgroups:Bengali98%,other2%(includestribalgroups,non-BengaliMuslims)(1998)Religions:Muslim83%,Hindu16%,other1%(1998)Languages:Bangla(official,alsoknownasBengali),EnglishLiteracy:definition:age15andovercanreadandwritetotalpopulation:43.1%male:53.9%female:31.8%(2003est.)Schoollifeexpectancy(primarytotertiaryeducation):total:8yearsmale:8yearsfemale:8years(2004)EducationaspercentofGDP:2.7%(2005)GovernmentBangladeshCountryname:conventionallongform:People'sRepublicofBangladeshconventionalshortform:Bangladeshlocallongform:GanaPrajatantriBanladeshlocalshortform:Banladeshformer:EastBengal,EastPakistanGovernmenttype:parliamentarydemocracy