Terrain
Mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Climate
Tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)
People
Nationality: Bangladeshi (s)
Population: 163,654,860 (July 2013 est.)
Languages: Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English
Religions
Muslim 89.5%, Hindu 9.6%, other 0.9% (2004)
Economy
In real terms, Bangladesh’s economy has grown 5.8% per year since 1996 despite political instability, poor infrastructure, corruption, insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated and inefficiently-governed nation. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, 45% of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector with rice as the single-most important product.
TEXTILE INDUSTRY/POPULATION (:55)
Living Conditions
Bangladesh is desperately poor. Its living conditions reflect this fact. Life expectancy in 1995 was fifty-seven years—almost twenty years less than in the United States. Bangladesh's infant mortality rate is the highest in South Asia. More than one of every ten babies dies during birth. Bangladeshis are a rural people. About 80 percent of the population lives in villages. Rural houses and construction materials depend on local conditions. Reeds are used in the delta.
Government
Parliamentary democracy
US Military Presence/Support
Except for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Bangladesh receives more funding and assistance from the United States than any other Asian country. Billions of dollars have supported food, anti-terrorism and infrastructure programs, as well as training for people in education, health care and the military. An ongoing Partnership Dialogue aims to deepen cooperation between the two countries.