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Bangladesh Profile
Name of the Country: |
People's Republic of Bangladesh |
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Conventional short form:
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Bangladesh
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Area:
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144,000 sq km (55,599 sq miles)
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Population:
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164.4 million (UN, 2010)
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Capital City:
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Dhaka, 6.7 million population (approx)
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People:
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Bengalis (98%), and small numbers of tribes People
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Languages:
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Bangla, and some tribal languages. English is quite
widely spoken by those with education.
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Religion(s):
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Islam (89%), Hinduism (10%). Buddhists and
Christians make up about 1% of the population
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Major political
parties:
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Bangladesh Awami
League (AL), Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami
Bangladesh, Jatiya Party (N) (JPN)
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Government:
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Parliamentary
Republic. Bangladesh is a Parliamentary Democracy with a non executive
President elected by Parliament. Parliament and President are both elected
for five years.
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Head of State:
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President Zillur
Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
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Membership of
international groupings/organizations:
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Commonwealth, South
Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), UN,
Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC).
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Independence Day:
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26 March, 1971
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Victory Day:
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16 December 1971 and commemorates the official creation of the
state of Bangladesh.
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National Flag:
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bottle green with a large red disc slightly to the hoist side of
center; the red disc represents the sun rising over Bangladesh and the blood
shed to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lushness
of the land of Bangladesh. Flag ratio 10:6
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Legal system:
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based on English common law.
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Capital City:
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Dhaka.
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Nationality:
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Bangladeshi.
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Currency: Taka:
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Currency Code: BDT
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Notes: 1000: 500: 100: 50: 20: 10: 5: 2: Coins: 5: 2: 1
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Fiscal Year:
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1 July - 30 June.
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Languages:
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Bengali (official), English is widely spoken and used.
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Int. Mother Language Day: 21st February
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Religions: Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism and others.
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National Anthem:
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Amar Sonar Bangla (My Golden Bengal) First 10 lines.
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Military: Army, Navy and Air Force, Coastal Guard,
Paramilitary Forces (BGB, Bangladesh Ansar, Village Defense Parties,
Armed Police Battalions, National Cadet Corps)
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Local Time: GMT + 6 hours.
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Geographical Location: In South Asia; between 20º 34' and 26º 38' North latitude
and between 88º 01' and 92° 41' East longitude; consists of flat fertile
alluvial land.
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Location & Boundary: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma
and India. North - India (W. Bengal and Meghalaya); West - India (W. Bengal);
East - India (Tripura and Assam) and Myanmar; South - Bay of Bengal.
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Coastline: 580 km. [the total length of the boundary between the land
area including islands and the sea]
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Border countries : Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
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Humidity: Highest-98 % (July & August)
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Maritime claims : territorial sea: 12 nautical miles, continental shelf: up
to the outer limits of the continental margin, contiguous zone: 18 nautical
miles, exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles
Resources (Natural): natural gas, coal, hard rock, lime stones, ceramic clay, glass
sand timber and arable land.
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Climate: Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate. Rainy season of
the southwest monsoon from June to September the rainfall is heavy and
frequent ranges between 1,500 -- 2,500 mm/60--100 inches of rain a year. The
cool season starts from November to February and hot season from March until
early June. Humidity is high.
Rainfall : Monsoon - Average Rainfall: 1194 mm to 3454 mm; 120-345 cm
(47"- 136") (Average during the monsoon)
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Average Temperature: Winter (November - February),Temperature: Maximum 28º C,
Minimum 09º C
Summer (April - September), Temperature: Maximum 35º C, Minimum
21º C
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Area Information
143,998 square km. Land:
130168 sq km and Water: 13,830 sq km; mostly flat fertile alluvial land replete
with mangrove forests and tropical rain forests with a few hilly areas in the
east and southeast. The highest point in the country stands in the Chittagong
Hill Tracts (Keokradong) reaching 4,035 ft. [1,230 m.] Bangladesh is a land of
rivers; the three major rivers are Padma, Meghna and Jamuna.The total forest
area covers about 9% of the land area. The country produces timber, bamboo and
cane. Bamboos grow in almost all areas but quality timber grows mostly in the
valleys. Among the timber sal, gamari, chaplish, telsu, jarui, teak, garjan,
chandon and sundori are important. Sundari trees grow in the Sundarbans located
in the South Western part of the country bordering the Bay of Bengal.Varieties
of wild animals are found in the forest areas. Sundarban is the home of the
world famous “Royal Bengal Tiger”. Of other animals’ elephants, bears, deer,
monkeys, boars, leopard and crocodiles are worth mentioning. A few hundred
species and sub-species of bird are found in the country.
Some of them are
seasonal and migratory types.Except the hilly regions the Northeast and the
Southeast, some areas of high lands in the North and North Western part, the
country consists of low, flat and fertile land. A network of rivers of which
the Padma, the Jamuna, the Teesta, the Brahmaputra, the Surma, the Meghna and
the Karnaphuli are important, and their tributaries numbering about 310 with a
total length of about 24140 km. Covering the country flow down to the Bay of
Bengal. Heavy silts deposited by rivers during the rainy season are thus
continuously enriching the alluvial soil.
