northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation;
deforestation; severe overpopulation
natural hazards: droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely
flooded during the summer monsoon season
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not
ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

People
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Population: 123,062,800 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 24,434,219; female 23,436,359)
15-64 years: 58% (male 36,607,942; female 34,603,628)
65 years and over: 3% (male 2,175,017; female 1,805,635) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: 1.85% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 30.5 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 11.21 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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: 1.2 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 102.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 55.86 years
male: 56.02 years
female: 55.69 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.57 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bangladeshi(s)
adjective: Bangladesh

Ethnic divisions: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribals less than
1 million

Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, other

Languages: Bangla (official), English

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 38.1%
male: 49.4%
female: 26.1%

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form: Bangladesh
former: East Pakistan

Data code: BG

Type of government: republic

Capital: Dhaka

Administrative divisions: 4 divisions; Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna,
Rajshahi
note: there may be two new divisions named Barisal and Sylhet

Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971)

Constitution: 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972,
suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November
1986, amended many times

Legal system: based on English common l