Bangladesh is a low-lying country with a total area of 147,570 Kilometers. It stretches attitudinally between 200 34′ and 260 38′ north and longitudinally between 880 01′ and 920 41′ east. It is mostly surrounded by Indian Territory except for a small strip in the southeast of Myanmar. The Bay of Bengal lies in the south. Most of the area is relatively flat lying in the deltaic plain of the Ganges- Brahmaputra-Meghna River system. The only significant uplands are in the northeast and southeast of the country with an average elevation of 244 m and 610 m respectively. The country is covered with a network of rivers and canals forming a maze of interconnecting channels.
Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate marked by sweltering temperatures and high humidity. The country has four seasons, winter (Dec-Feb), summer (Mar-May), monsoon (Jun-Sept), and autumn (Oct-Nov). During summer and monsoon tropical cyclones, storms and tidal bores are not uncommon. The population of Bangladesh is about 165 million. The majority of the population are Muslims. Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians make up 13 percent of the entire population. Over 98 percent of the people speak Bengali. English however, is widely used. The lowest administrative unit is the union run by an elected council. Each union comprises a number of villages and about 8-10 unions cluster into an Upazila. Government services are concentrated at the Upazila level. There are about 488 Upazila in Bangladesh. Several Upazila form a district. The total number of districts stands at 64. The entire country is broadly divided into seven administrative divisions, namely, Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Barishal and Sylhet.
DEMOGRAPHICAL FEATURES:
Population: 165 million,
Density of population: 1203 persons /square km.
Population Growth Rate: 1.2% annual change (2013).
Life expectancy: 70.65 Years (2014 EST.).
Adult Literacy Rate: 55%. UN HDI Ranking: 142; Medium Human Development (2014 EST.).
Women’s participation in the parliament: 18.9 %.
Languages: Mother tongue- Bangla (98%) and tribal dialects.
Major Religion: Muslims (88.3%). Hindus (10.5%), Buddhists (0.6%), Christians (0.3%), Tribal ((0.1%).
MAJOR CROPS AND NATURAL RESOURCES:
Principle Crops: Rice, Jute, Wheat, Tea, Tobacco, Sugarcane.
Principle Minerals: Natural Gas, Lignite, Coal, Limestone, hard rock, Silica, Sand, White Clay, radio-active sand.
THE ECONOMY AND COMMERCE:
Currency: Bangladesh Taka.
GDP : 129.86 Billion US $.
GDP Per Capita : 957.8 US $ (2013).
GDP real growth rate: 6.71%. Major Export Markets: US, EU, and Japan.
Major Industries: Readymade Garment, Jute, Tea, Textiles, Paper, Newsprint, Fertilizer, Leather and Leather Goods, Sugar, Cement, Fish Processing, Pharmaceuticals, Chemical industries.
Traditional Export Items: Raw-jute, jute manufacturers and jute products, Tea, Leather & Leather products.
Non-traditional Export Items: Ready-made Garment, Frozen shrimps, other fish products, newsprint, paper, Naphtha, Furnace oil, Urea, and Ceramic products.
Major imports: Wheat, Oil Seeds, Crude petroleum, Raw cotton, Edible oil, Petroleum products, Fertilizer, Staple fibers, Yarn, Iron, and Steel.
Major Trade Partners: USA, EU countries, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, UAE.
AIR, SEA, AND RIVER PORTS International Airports :
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Dhaka, Shah Amanatsha International Airport Chittagong, and Osmani International Airport Sylhet.
Domestics Airports: Dhaka, Chittagong, Jessore, Rajshahi, Iswardi, Sylhet, Barisal, Cox’s Bazaar, and Syedpur.
Seaports: Chittagong and Mongla.
COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE:
Country Domain: .bd
International dialling code : +880
Radio Broadcast Station: Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Comilla, Rangamati, and Thakurgaon.
TV Broadcasting Station: Dhaka, Natore, Chittagong, Brahmanbaria, Patuakhali, Noakhali.
Satellite Stations: Betbunia, (Chittagong) and Talibabad (Gazipur), Mohakhali(Dhaka), Sylhet for international telecommunication
Wearing Apparels: Tropical in summer and light woolen in winter.
Major festivals: New Year Eave, Eid-ul-Fitar & Eid – ul-Azha, Independence Day, Victory Day, Durga Puja etc.
Games& Sports: Ha-du-du, football, Cricket, etc.
Food choice: Rice, ruti, fish, meat, vegetables etc.
Tourist Season: October to March.
Main Tourist Attractions: Colorful tribal life of Hill Tracts, the world’s longest sea beach at Cox’s bazaar, centuries-old historical sites at Dhaka, Paharpur, mainamati, Mohastangar, Sundarban the home of the Royal Bengal Tiger, largest tea garden, riverine life, etc.