Information of Bangladesh Location:Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and IndiaGeographic coordinates:24 00 N, 90 00 EArea:total: 144,000 sq km
land: 133,910 sq km
water: 10,090 sq km
Size comparison: slightly smaller than Iowa
Land Boundaries:total: 4,246 km
Border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 kmCoastline:580 kmMaritimeclaims:territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental marginClimate:tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)Terrain:mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeastElevation extremes:lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Keokradong 1,230 mNatural resources:natural gas, arable land, timber, coalLand use:arable land: 55.39%
permanent crops: 3.08%
other: 41.53% (2005)Irrigated land:47,250 sq km (2003)Natural hazards:droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon seasonCurrent Environment Issues:many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; waterborne 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 overpopulationInternational Environment Agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements^Back to Top PeoplePopulation:156,050,883 (July 2009 est.)Age structure:0-14 years: 34.6% (male 27,065,625/female 26,913,961)
15-64 years: 61.4% (male 45,222,182/female 50,537,052)
65 years and over: 4% (male 3,057,255/female 3,254,808) (2009 est.)Median age:total: 23.3 years
male: 22.9 years
female: 23.5 years (2008 est.)Population growth rate:1.292% (2009 est.)Birth rate:28.86 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)Death rate:8 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)Net migration rate:-2.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)Sex ratio:at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)Infant mortality rate:total: 59.02 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 66.12 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 51.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)Life expectancy at birth:total population: 60.25 years
male: 57.57 years
female: 63.03 years (2009 est.)Total fertility rate:2.74 children born/woman (2009 est.)HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:less than 0.1% (2001 est.)HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:12,000 (2007 est.)HIV/AIDS - deaths:fewer than 500 (2007 est.)Nationality:noun: Bangladeshi(s)
adjective: BangladeshiEthnic groups:Bengali 98%, other 2% (includes tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims) (1998)Religions:Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)Languages:Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), EnglishLiteracy:definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 43.1%
male: 53.9%
female: 31.8% (2003 est.)^Back to Top GovernmentCountry name:conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form: Bangladesh
local long form: Gana Prajatantri Banladesh
local short form: Banladesh
former: East Bengal, East PakistanGovernment type:parliamentary democracyCapital:name: Dhaka
geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 24 E
time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)Administrative divisions:6 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, SylhetIndependence: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 BangladeshNational holiday: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 BangladeshConstitution:4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972; suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986; amended many timesLegal system:based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdictionSuffrage:18 years of age; universalExecutive branch:chief of state: President Zillur RAHMAN (since 12 February 2009)
head of government: Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wajed (since 6 January 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president
elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last electon held on 11 February 2009 (next scheduled election to be held in 2014)
election results: Zillur RAHMAN declared president-elect by the Election Commission on 11 February 2009 (sworn in on 12 February); he ran unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote - NALegislative branch:unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies; members serve five-year terms
elections: last held 29 December 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - AL 49%, BNP 33.2%, JP 7%, JIB 4.6%, other 6.2%; seats by party - AL 230, BNP 30, JP 27, JIB 2, other 11Judicial branch:Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by the president)Political parties and leaders:Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP [Manjurul A. KHAN]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or JIB [Matiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party (Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY and Oli AHMED]Political pressure groups and leaders:Advocacy to End Gender-based Violence through the MoWCA (Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs)
other: environmentalists; Islamist groups; religious leaders; teachers; union leadersInternational organization participation:ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTODiplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador M. Humayun KABIR
chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
FAX: [1] (202) 244-7830/2771
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New YorkDiplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY
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