Bangladesh (original) (raw)

People's Republic of Bangladesh

Gana-Prajatantri Bangladesh

CAPITAL : Dhaka (formerly Dacca)

FLAG : The national flag is a red circle against a dark-green background.

ANTHEM : Amar Sonar Bangla (My Golden Bengal).

MONETARY UNIT : The taka ( T ) of 100 poisha is a paper currency set on a par with the Indian rupee. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, and 50 poisha, and notes of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 taka. T 1 = 0.0173(or0.0173 (or 0.0173(or1 = T 58.00) as of May 2003.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES : Bangladesh adopted the metric system as of 1 July 1982. Customary numerical units include the lakh (equal to 100,000) and the crore (equal to 10 million).

HOLIDAYS : New Year's Day, 1 January; National Mourning Day (Shaheel Day), 21 February; Independence Day, 26 March; May Day, 1 May; Victory Day, 16 December; Christmas, 25 December; Boxing Day, 26 December. Movable religious holidays include Good Friday, Jamat Wida, Shab-i-Bharat, 'Id al-Fitr, 'Id al-'Adha', and Durga Puja.

TIME : 6 PM = noon GMT.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Bangladesh has the plant and animal life typical of a tropical and riverine swamp. The landscape, which for most of the year is lush green, is dotted with palms and flowering trees. The large forest area of the Sunderbans in the southwest is the home of the endangered Bengal tiger; there are also cheetahs, leopards, crocodiles, elephants, spotted deer, monkeys, boars, bears, pheasants, and many varieties of birds and waterfowl.

ARMED FORCES

In 2002, Bangladesh had an army of 120,000, a navy of 10,500, and an air force of 6,500. Paramilitary forces of border guards, armed police, and security guards totaled 63,200. Bangladesh is attempting to improve naval command primarily to combat piracy. The military budget in 1996–97 was $559 million or 1.8% of GDP.

Bangladesh participated in eight UN peacekeeping missions.

INSURANCE

The insurance business was nationalized in 1972, creating a government-controlled insurance corporation. The Ministry of Finance and Planning is the insurance regulatory body. Premiums are mainly in commercial or industrial fields. Life insurance remains limited to city dwellers and middle-class professionals. In 2001, there was $129 million in life insurance premiums written.

DEPENDENCIES

Bangladesh has no territories or colonies.

Location, size, and extent

Topography

Climate

Environment

Population

Migration

Ethnic groups

Languages

Religions

Transportation

History

Government

Political parties

Local government

Judicial system

International cooperation

Economy

Income

Labor

Agriculture

Animal husbandry

Fishing

Forestry

Mining

Energy and power

Industry

Science and technology

Domestic trade

Foreign trade

Balance of payments

Banking and securities

Public finance

Taxation

Customs and duties

Foreign investment

Economic development

Health

Housing

Education

Libraries and museums

Media

Organizations

Tourism, travel, and recreation

Famous bangladeshis

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ahmed, Moudud. Democracy and the Challenge of Development: A Study of Politics and Military Interventions in Bangladesh. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, 1995.

Anwar, M. N. Bangladesh and Neighbours. Dhaka: Payra Prakashani, 1996.

Bangladesh: From Stabilization to Growth. Washington, D.C.: World Bank, 1995.

Barter, James. The Ganges. San Diego, Calif.: Lucent Books, 2003.

Baxter, Craig. Bangladesh: From a Nation to a State. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1997.

Baxter, Craig. Historical Dictionary of Bangladesh. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 1996.

Bertocci, Peter J. The Politics of Community and Culture in Bangladesh: Selected Essays. Dhaka: Centre for Social Studies, 1996.

Chakrabarti, Dilip K. Ancient Bangladesh, a Study of the Archaeological Sources. Delhi; New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.

The Economy of Bangladesh: Problems and Prospects. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 1996.

Heitzman, James, and Robert L. Worden, eds. Bangladesh, a Country Study. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1989.

Johnson, B. L. Bangladesh. 2nd ed., rev. Totowa, N.J.: Barnes and Noble, 1982.

Khan, Azizur Rahman. The Strategy of Development in Bangladesh and Mahabub Hossain. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1990.

Paratian, Rajendra. Bangladesh. Geneva: International Labour Office, 2001.

Saliba, Therese, Carolyn Allen, and Judith A. Howard, eds. Gender, Politics, and Islam. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002.

Shrestha, Nanda R. Nepal and Bangladesh: A Global Studies Handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2002.

Sisson, Richard. War and Secession: Pakistan, India, and the Creation of Bangladesh. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990.

Stern, Robert W. Democracy and Dictatorship in South Asia: Dominant Classes and Political Outcomes in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2001.

Zaheer, Hasan. The Separation of East Pakistan: the Rise and Realization of Bengali Muslim Nationalism. Karachi; New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Ziring, Lawrence. Bangladesh: from Mujib to Ershad: an Interpretive Study. Karachi; New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.