Global Express
Edition 10: Floods
Countering myths and stereotypes
Bangladesh factfile

General information

Population: 125,201,000 (1994)
Area: 144,000 sq km
Capital: Dhaka (Dacca). 3,637,892 inhabitants (1991)
Safe water: 81% of the population has access (1988-90)
Literacy: 47% male, 22% female (1990)
Exports: $1.9 billion (1992)
Imports: $2.5 billion (1992)
Major export products: garments 29%; shellfish 11%; leather 9%; textiles 8%; jute and fibres 7%
Religions: Mostly Islamic (83%) and Hindu (16%), with Buddhist and Christian minorities.
Language: Bengali.
Peoples: The people of Bangladesh are ethnically and culturally homogeneous as a result of 25 centuries of integration between the local Bengali population and immigrants from Central Asia. There are small Urdu and Indian minorities.
Rainfall: Bangladesh has one of the world's heaviest rainfalls which averages at 2,540 mm per year. In comparison rainfall in London is 593 mm per year.
Environment

Located on the Padma River Delta, formed by the confluence of the Meghna with the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, Bangladesh is a fertile, alluvial plain where rice, tea and jute are grown. There are vast rain forests and swamps. A tropical monsoon climate predominates, with heavy summer rains from June to September generally accompanied by hurricanes and floods. Low-quality coal and natural gas are the only mineral resources. The increase in sea level poses a growing threat to the country
Farming
  • More than 80% of people live in the countryside, in about 68,000 villages.
  • There are two rice crops per year; a third crop is possible with irrigation.
  • Small farmers also grow fruit (mangoes, jackfruits and bananas) and vegetables (onions, potatoes, garlic and chillies), beans are grown as a winter crop.
  • Jute is grown as a cash crop.
  • Tea is grown as a cash crop in north-eastern Bangladesh.
  • Fishing provides most of the nation's protein intake.
Source: Bangladesh: A geography pack for KS2, Traidcraft
Global Express
Edition 10: Floods
Countering myths and stereotypes