The 2001 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin

      exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

      territorial sea: 12 NM

      Climate: 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 southeast

      Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

      highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m

      Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber, coal

      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 inundated during the summer monsoon season

      Environment - current issues: 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

      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

      Bangladesh People

      Population: 131,269,860 (July 2001 est.)

      Age structure: 0–14 years: 35.04% (male 23,550,607; female 22,451,006)

      15–64 years: 61.6% (male 41,432,123; female 39,434,633)

      65 years and over: 3.36% (male 2,389,639; female 2,011,852) (2001 est.)

      Population growth rate: 1.59% (2001 est.)

      Birth rate: 25.3 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

      Death rate: 8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

      Net migration rate: −0.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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: 1.19 male(s)/female

      total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

      Infant mortality rate: 69.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth: total population: 60.54 years

      male: 60.74 years

      female: 60.33 years (2001 est.)

      Total fertility rate: 2.78 children born/woman (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.02% (1999 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 13,000 (1999 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,000 (1999 est.)

      Nationality: noun: Bangladeshi(s)

      adjective: Bangladeshi

      Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998)

      Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)

      Languages: Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English

      Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

      total population: 56%

      male: 63%

      female: 49% (2000 est.)

      Bangladesh Government

      Country name: conventional long form: People's Republic of

       Bangladesh

      conventional short form: Bangladesh

      former: East Pakistan

      Government type: parliamentary democracy

      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 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

      National 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 Bangladesh

      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 (since 13 July 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 before 13 October 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 3; 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: Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA];

       Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK];

       Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIAur Rahman]; Islami

       Oikya Jote or IOJ [Azizol HAQ]; Jamaat-E-Islami or JI [Motiur Rahman

       NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]