humid summer (March to June); cool, 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
Land use:
arable land: 73%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 15%
other: 5% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 31,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely flooded during the summer monsoon season
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
Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
People
Population: 127,117,967 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 38% (male 24,516,722; female 23,346,904)
15–64 years: 59% (male 38,441,064; female 36,586,743)
65 years and over: 3% (male 2,303,613; female 1,922,921) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.59% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 25.2 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 8.5 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: −0.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.2 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 69.68 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 60.6 years male: 60.73 years female: 60.46 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.86 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bangladeshi(s) adjective: Bangladesh
Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribals less than 1 million
Religions: Muslim 88.3%, Hindu 10.5%, other 1.2%
Languages: Bangla (official), English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.1%
male: 49.4%
female: 26.1% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form: Bangladesh
former: East Pakistan
Data code: BG
Government type: republic
Capital: Dhaka
Administrative divisions: 5 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi note: there may be one additional division named Sylhet
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 Shahabuddin AHMED (since 9 October 1996);
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 Sheikh HASINA Wajed (since 23
June 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the
president
elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year
term; election last held 24 July 1996 (next to be held by NA October
2001); following legislative elections, the leader of the party that
wins the most seats is usually appointed prime minister by the
president
election results: Shahabuddin AHMED elected president without
opposition; percent of National Parliament vote—NA
Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya
Sangsad (330 seats; 300 elected by popular vote from single
territorial constituencies, 30 seats reserved for women; members
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 June 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party—AL 33.87%, BNP 30.87%;
seats by party—AL 178, BNP 113, JP 33, JI 3, other 2, election still
to be held 1; note—the elections of 12 June 1996 brought to power an
Awami League government for the first time in twenty-one years; held
under a neutral, caretaker administration, the elections were
characterized by a peaceful, orderly process and massive voter
turnout, ending a bitter two-year impasse between the former BNP and
opposition parties that had paralyzed National Parliament and led to
widespread street violence
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, the Chief Justices and other
judges are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Bangladesh Nationalist Party or
International organization participation: AsDB, C, CCC, CP,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OIC,
OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH,
UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNPREDEP, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: