Part 58

Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber

Land use: arable land: 67% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 16% other: 11%

Irrigated land: 27,380 sq km (1989)

Environment: current issues: many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; limited access to potable water; water-borne diseases prevalent; water pollution especially of fishing areas results from the use of commercial pesticides; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation; deforestation; severe overpopulation natural hazards: droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely flooded during the summer monsoon season international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

People ------

Population: 123,062,800 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 39% (male 24,434,219; female 23,436,359) 15-64 years: 58% (male 36,607,942; female 34,603,628) 65 years and over: 3% (male 2,175,017; female 1,805,635) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.85% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 30.5 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 11.21 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.2 male(s)/female all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 102.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.86 years male: 56.02 years female: 55.69 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.57 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Bangladeshi(s) adjective: Bangladesh

Ethnic divisions: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribals less than 1 million

Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, other

Languages: Bangla (official), English

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 38.1% male: 49.4% female: 26.1%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh conventional short form: Bangladesh former: East Pakistan

Data code: BG

Type of government: republic

Capital: Dhaka

Administrative divisions: 4 divisions; Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi note: there may be two new divisions named Barisal and Sylhet

Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971)