Name: Republic of Bangladesh
President: Iajuddin Ahmed (2002)
Prime Minister: Khaleda Zia (2001)
Area: 55,598 sq mi (144,000 sq km)

Population (2005 est.): 144,319,628
- growth rate: 2.1%;
- birth rate: 30.0/1000;
- infant mortality rate: 62.6/1000;
- life expectancy: 62.1;
- density per sq mi: 2,596

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Dhaka, 10,356,500 (metro.area), 8,942,300 (city proper)
Other large cities: Chittagong, 2,592,400; Khulna, 1,211,500
Monetary unit: Taka
Principal Languages: Bangla (official), English

 Ethnicity/race:
- Bengali 98%,
- tribal groups,
- non-Bengali Muslims (1998)

Religions:
- Islam 83%,
- Hindu 16%,
- other 1%

Literacy rate: 43% (2003 est.)

Economic summary:
- GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $275.7 billion; per capita $2,000.
- Real growth rate: 4.9%.
- Inflation: 6%.
- Unemployment: 40% (includes underemployment).
- Arable land: 62%.
- Agriculture: rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry.
- Labor force: 65.49 million; note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; agriculture, 63%, services 26%, industry 11% (FY95/96).
- Industries: cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar.
- Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber, coal.
- Exports: $6.713 billion (2003 est.): garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood (2001).
- Imports: $9.459 billion (2003 est.): machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement (2000).
- Major trading partners: U.S., Germany, UK, France, Italy, India, China, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea.

Communications:
- Telephones: main lines in use: 500,000 (2000); mobile cellular: 283,000 (2000).
- Radio broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 12, shortwave 2 (1999).
- Radios: 6.15 million (1997). - Television broadcast stations: 15 (1999).
- Televisions: 770,000 (1997).   
- Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 10 (2000).
- Internet users: 150,000 (2002).

Transportation:
- Railways: total: 2,706 km (2002).
- Highways: total: 207,486 km; paved: 19,773 km; unpaved: 187,713 km (1999).
- Waterways: up to 8,046 km depending on season.
- Ports and harbors: Chittagong, Dhaka, Mongla Port, Narayanganj.
- Airports: 18 (2002).