Location:Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India
Area:144,000 sq km
Climate: Tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)
Natural resources: Natural gas, arable land, timber, coal
Population:133,376,684 (July 2002 est.)
Ethnic groups:Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998)
Languages:Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English
Economy:Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and ill-governed nation. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single most important product. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient state-owned enterprises, inadequate port facilities, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Economic reform is stalled in many instances by political infighting and corruption at all levels of government.
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
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
Religions:Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)
Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber
