Bangladesh Facts

Location:    Bangladesh is located in the delta of three major rivers – the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, and the Meghna. The country is criss-crossed by 230 rivers. Flooding is a yearly occurrence during and after the monsoon season (June-October).

Area:    130,170 sq. km (the size of Wisconsin, slightly larger than Greece)  

Population:    147 million (25% urban, 75% rural)

                     2,850 people per sq. mile

                     Nearly 60% under age 25, only 3% older than 65

Religion:    Muslim 83%    Hindu 16%    Christian <1%

Currency:    Taka (about 62 Tk /US dollar)

Life Expectancy:    Male 62.5 years

                            Female 64.2 years

Infant Mortality:    54 per 1000 live births

Child Mortality – deaths before the age of five:    73 per 1000 live births

Maternal Mortality:    380 per 100,000 births

                                560 per 100,000 births for teenage mothers

Births attended by skilled personnel:    13%.

Nutrition:     Population undernourished 30%

                  Children underweight for age 48% (under age 5)

                  Adult women with anemia 49%.

Literacy:     Male 50.3%

                  Female 31.4%

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day:    36%.

Physicians and Nurses:     Number of registered physicians 29,746

                                      Number of registered nurses 16,972

                                      Number of registered midwives 14,915.

Hospital Facilities:    Number of beds 43,293

                               Population per bed 3,335.

Percentage HIV+ (adults 15-49):     <0.1%

TB Cases:     229 per 100,000 people.

LINKS, Bangladesh  

CIA - The World Factbook   In-depth profile of Bangladesh: historical, political, economical, etc.

BBC News Country Profile  "Bangladesh is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with its people crammed into a delta of rivers that empties into the Bay of Bengal ...." 

Virtual Bangladesh  A site that introduces one to historical, geographical, cultural and literary Bangladesh.  Links direct one to daily English newspapers.

For a satellite image of Bangladesh go to geology.com.

LINKS, ISLAM 

Dr. Alan Godlas  of the University of Georgia has created a very fine website that contains resources related to Islam that are grouped under main headings.  One can find excellent articles, images, and audio resources that cover a wide array of themes and issues.

Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN, has this webpage dedicated to resources useful in the study of Islam, as well as church-based (ELCA and PCUSA) websites oriented toward Christian-Muslim engagement.  Follow these links for many interesting resources that do not demand a background in the subject.

LINKS, HINDUISM

Understanding Hinduism is an award winning and extensive site on Hinduism.

Hinduism: The world's third largest religion features an overview and briefs on chief deities, sacred texts, beliefs and the caste system.  Site sponsored by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.