BANGLADESH AT A GLANCE

Introduction

Bangladesh emerged as an independent and sovereign country in 1971 following a nine-month war of liberation. It is one of the largest deltas in 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 in 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 a vital role in the international and regional forum, particularly in the UN, Commonwealth, and South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

General information

Official Name:	The People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Political system:	Parliamentary democracy
Capital name:	Dhaka
Time zone:	GMT + 6 hours
Major cities:	Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal, Rangpur
Principal rivers:	Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Teesta, Surma, and Karnaphuli. (total 310 rivers including tributaries).
Principal industries:	Ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals, cement, garment accessories, chemicals, fertilizers, newsprint, leather and leather goods, paper, sugar, jute, shipbuilding.
Principal exports:	Readymade garments, frozen foods (shrimps), leather, leather products, jute, jute products, tea, ceramic, textile fabrics, home textile, chemical products, light engineering products including bicycles.

Geography

Location:	Between 200 34′ and 260 38′ north latitude and between 880 01′ and 920 41′ east longitude.
Boundary:	North: India
West:	India
South:	Bay of Bengal
East:	India and Myanmar
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)
Principal seasonal crops and fruits:	Paddy, jute, wheat, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, vegetables, jack-fruit, banana, mango, coconut, pineapple, etc.
Natural resources:	Natural gas, coal, lime, white clay, granite, glass sand.

Climate variations:

	Season Temperature		Rainfall (mm)	Relative humidity (%)
	Max	Min	Rainfall (mm)	Relative humidity (%)
Pre-monsoon	32.60C	22.40C	453	74
Monsoon	31.50C	25.50C	1733	86
Post monsoon	30.50C	21.40C	210	80
Winter	26.50C	13.90C	44	73
Annual	30.40C	21.20C	203	78

National demographics

Total population (m*)	152.51
Male (m*)	76.35
Female (m*)	76.16
Annual growth rate	1.37%
Sex ratio (males per 100 females)	100.3
Density (per sq km)	1015

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)