About
Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan. About a third of
this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic development.
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Source: The World Factbook
Population: 144,319,628 (July 2005 est.)
Capital: Dhaka
Languages: Bangla
(official, also known as Bengali), English
Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)
Government: parliamentary democracy
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
Geography: most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with
the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal
Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998)
Economy: Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and
demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and ill-governed nation. Although 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. Progress also has been
blocked by opposition from the bureaucracy, public sector unions, and other vested interest groups. The BNP government, led by
Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA, has the parliamentary strength to push through needed reforms, but the party's political will to
do so has been lacking in key areas. One encouraging note: growth has been a steady 5% for the past several years.
GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2005 est.)
GDP real growth: 5.2% (2005
est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.5% (includes underemployment) (2005 est.)
Internet country code: .bd
Dial code: +880
Cities
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Find a flight to any city in Bangladesh
Local currency is the Bangladesh Taka
Airlines based in Bangladesh
Airlines flying to Bangladesh
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