Part 77

@Bangladesh:Geography

Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India

Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N, 90 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 144,000 sq km land: 133,910 sq km water : 10,090 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Land boundaries: total : 4,246 km border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Coastline: 580 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone : 18 nm continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)

Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Reng Tlang 957 m

Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber

Land use: arable land: 73% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures : 5% forests and woodland: 15% other: 5% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 31,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely flooded during the summer monsoon season

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

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

@Bangladesh:People

Population: 125,340,261 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 38% (male 24,397,316; female 23,417,919) 15-64 years : 59% (male 37,758,378; female 35,715,343) 65 years and over: 3% (male 2,204,445; female 1,846,860) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.82% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 29.8 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 10.9 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 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: 1.19 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 100 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 56.26 years male: 56.35 years female : 56.16 years (1997 est.)