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Bangladesh emerged as an independent and
sovereign country in 1971 following a nine month war of liberation. It
is one of the largest deltas of the world with a total area of 147,570
sq. km. With a unique communal harmony, Bangladesh has a population of
about 152.51 million, making it one of the densely populated countries
of the world. The majority (over 88%) of the people are Muslim. Over 98%
of the people speak in Bangla. English, however, is widely spoken. The
country is covered with a network of rivers and canals forming a maze of
interconnecting channels. Being an active partner, Bangladesh plays
vital role in the international and regional forum, particularly in the
UN, Commonwealth and South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation
(SAARC).
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General information
| Official Name: |
The People's Republic of Bangladesh
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| Political system: |
Parliamentary democracy
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| Capital name: |
Dhaka
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| Time zone: |
GMT + 6 hours
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| Major cities: |
Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal, Rangpur
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| Principal rivers: |
Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Teesta, Surma and Karnaphuli.(total 310 rivers including tributaries).
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| Principal industries: |
Ready made garments, pharmaceuticals,
cements, garment accessories, chemicals, fertilizers, newsprint, leather
and leather goods, paper, sugar, jute, ship building.
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| Principal exports: |
Readymade garments, frozen foods
(shrimps), leather, leather products, jute, jute products, tea, ceramic,
textile fabrics, home textile, chemical product, light engineering
products including bi-cycle.
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Source: Statistical Pocket Book Bangladesh-2010, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics |
Geography
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Location:
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Between 200 34' and 260 38' north latitude and between 880 01'
and 920 41' east longitude.
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| Boundary: |
North: India
West: India
South: Bay of Bengal
East: India and Myanmar
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| Area: | 56,977 sq. miles or 147,570 sq. km. | ||||
| Territorial water: | 12 nautical miles | ||||
| Main seasons: |
Summer (March-May), rainy season (June-September) and winter (December-February)
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| Climate variations: |
Season
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Temperature
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Rainfall
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Relative humidity
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maximum
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minimum
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| Pre monsoon |
32.60C
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22.40C
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453 mm
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74%
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| Monsoon |
31.50C
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25.50C
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1,733 mm
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86%
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| Post monsoon |
30.50C
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21.40C
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210 mm
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80%
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| Winter |
26.50C
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13.90C
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44 mm
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73%
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| Annual |
30.40C
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21.20C
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203 mm
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78%
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| Principal seasonal crops and fruits: | Paddy, jute, wheat, tobacco, pulses, oil seeds, spices, vegetables, jack-fruit, banana, mango, coconut, pineapple etc. | ||||
| Natural resources: | Natural gas, coal, lime, white clay, granite, glass sand. | ||||
Source:Statistical Pocket Book Bangladesh-2010, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics |
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National Demographics
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Total population (m*)
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152.51
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Male (m)
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76.35
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Female (m)
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76.16
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Annual growth rate
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1.37%
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Sex ratio (males per 100 females)
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100.3
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Density (per sq km)
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1015 |
*=million
Source: Population & Housing Census Report 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
Source: Projections as per previous report, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
Source: Population & Housing Census Report 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
Economy
Overview
| GDP total: | $112.00 bn (at current prices 2011-12) |
| GDP per capita: | $848 (at current prices 2011-12) |
| GDP growth rate (%): | 6.32 (at constant prices 2011-12) |
| Total exports: | $24.287 bn (2011-12) |
| Total imports: | $35.44 bn (2011-12) |
| Total FDI: | $1.136 bn (2011), $462.77 m (Jan-June,2012) |
| Forex reserves: | $12.35 bn (Nov, 2012) |
| Currency: | BDT (1 BDT=$0.0121) (avg 2011-12) |