Compare Bangladesh (2004) - Central African Republic (2004)

Compare Bangladesh (2004) z Central African Republic (2004)

	Bangladesh (2004)	Central African Republic (2004)

Administrative divisions	6 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet	14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei, Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere, Vakaga
Age structure	0-14 years: 33.5% (male 24,359,149; female 23,013,811) 15-64 years: 63.1% (male 45,557,963; female 43,626,950) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 2,575,519; female 2,207,084) (2004 est.)	0-14 years: 42.8% (male 806,506; female 795,639) 15-64 years: 53.8% (male 990,522; female 1,021,491) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 53,860; female 74,464) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry	cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber
Airports	16 (2003 est.)	50 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 6 (2004 est.)	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 47 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 13 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 144,000 sq km land: 133,910 sq km water: 10,090 sq km	total: 622,984 sq km land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Iowa	slightly smaller than Texas
Background	Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan. About a third of this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic development.	The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who has since established a transitional government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, a wide field of affiliated and independent candidates will contest the municipal, legislative, and presidential elections scheduled for February 2005. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist.
Birth rate	30.03 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	35.55 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $5.352 billion expenditures: $7.55 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003)	revenues: NA expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Capital	Dhaka	Bangui
Climate	tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)	tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
Coastline	580 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended many times	passed by referendum 5 December 2004
Country name	conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh conventional short form: Bangladesh former: East Pakistan	conventional long form: Central African Republic conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Centrafricaine local short form: none former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire abbreviation: CAR
Currency	taka (BDT)	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Death rate	8.52 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	19.99 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$18.06 billion (2003)	$881.4 million (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Harry K. THOMAS, Jr. embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212 mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000 telephone: [880] (2) 885-5500 FAX: [880] (2) 882-3744	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [236] 61 44 94 note: The embassy is currently operating with a minimal staff
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Syed Hasan AHMAD chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183 FAX: [1] (202) 244-5366 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York	chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800 FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893
Disputes - international	discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries, allocate divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, and violence; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; dispute with India over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; Burmese Muslim refugees strain Bangladesh's meager resources	internal political instabilities with fighting and violence overlap into Chad and CAR, leaving refugees and rebel groups in both countries; Sudan has pledged to work with CAR to stem violent skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border
Economic aid - recipient	$1.575 billion (2000 est.)	ODA $73 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France (2000 est.)
Economy - overview	Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and ill-governed nation. Although half of GDP is generated through the service sector, nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient state-owned enterprises, inadequate port facilities, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Economic reform is stalled in many instances by political infighting and corruption at all levels of government. Progress also has been blocked by opposition from the bureaucracy, public sector unions, and other vested interest groups. The BNP government, led by Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA, has the parliamentary strength to push through needed reforms, but the party's political will to do so has been lacking in key areas. One encouraging note: growth has been a steady 5% for the past several years.	Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry for 54%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization, with GDP likely to contract in 2004. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs.
Electricity - consumption	14.25 billion kWh (2001)	98.63 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	15.33 billion kWh (2001)	106 million kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m	lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m
Environment - current issues	many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; water-borne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation	tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups	Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998)	Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%
Exchange rates	taka per US dollar - 58.15 (2003), 57.888 (2002), 55.8067 (2001), 52.1417 (2000), 49.0854 (1999)	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6 September 2002); note - the president's duties are normally ceremonial, but with the 13th amendment to the constitution ("Caretaker Government Amendment"), the president's role becomes significant at times when Parliament is dissolved and a caretaker government is installed - at presidential direction - to supervise the elections head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA (since 10 October 2001) cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term; election scheduled for 16 September 2002 was not held since Iajuddin AHMED was the only presidential candidate; he was sworn in on 6 September 2002 (next election to be held by NA 2007); following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually appointed prime minister by the president election results: Iajuddin AHMED declared by the Election Commission elected unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote - NA	chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup) and Vice President Abel GOUMA (since 12 December 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Celestin GAOMBALET (since 12 December 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: NA; municipal, legislative and presidential elections scheduled for December 2004 or January 2005; prime minister appointed by the president
Exports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood (2001)	diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
Exports - partners	US 23.9%, Germany 13.6%, UK 9.7%, France 5.9% (2003)	Belgium 41.8%, Italy 10.7%, Spain 9.8%, France 7.4%, Indonesia 6.6% (2003)
Fiscal year	1 July - 30 June	calendar year
Flag description	green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; the red sun of freedom represents the blood shed to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush countryside, and secondarily, the traditional color of Islam	four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band
GDP	purchasing power parity - $258.8 billion (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $4.183 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 21.7% industry: 26.6% services: 51.7% (2003 est.)	agriculture: 55% industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5.3% (2003 est.)	-7% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates	24 00 N, 90 00 E	7 00 N, 21 00 E
Geography - note	most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal	landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
Highways	total: 207,486 km paved: 19,773 km unpaved: 187,713 km (1999)	total: 23,810 km paved: 643 km unpaved: 23,167 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3.9% highest 10%: 28.6% (1995-96 est.)	lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 47.7% (1993)
Illicit drugs	transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries	-
Imports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement (2000)	food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners	India 15.4%, China 11.3%, Singapore 10.8%, Japan 5.9%, Hong Kong 4.5% (2003)	France 27%, Cameroon 9.2%, US 5.3% (2003)
Independence	16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is known as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh	13 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	1.9% (2003 est.)	3% (2002)
Industries	cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar	diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
Infant mortality rate	total: 64.32 deaths/1,000 live births male: 65.41 deaths/1,000 live births female: 63.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)	total: 92.15 deaths/1,000 live births male: 99.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 84.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	5.6% (2003 est.)	3.6% (2001 est.)
International organization participation	AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC (observer), OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land	38,440 sq km (1998 est.)	NA sq km
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by the president)	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the National Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Inferior Courts
Labor force	64.02 million note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $1.71 billion in 1998-99 (2003)	NA (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 63%, industry 11%, services 26% (FY95/96)	-
Land boundaries	total: 4,246 km border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km	total: 5,203 km border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km
Land use	arable land: 62.11% permanent crops: 3.07% other: 34.82% (2001)	arable land: 3.1% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 96.76% (2001)
Languages	Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English	French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
Legal system	based on English common law	based on French law
Legislative branch	unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies (the constitutional amendment reserving 30 seats for women over and above the 300 regular parliament seats expired in May 2001); members serve five-year terms elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to be held before October 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance partners 47%, AL 40%; seats by party - BNP 195, AL 58, JI 17, JP (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 3, JP (Naziur) 4, other 9; note - the election of October 2001 brought a majority BNP government aligned with three other smaller parties - Jamaat-i-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)	unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - there were 85 seats in the National Assembly before the 1998 election) elections: last held 22-23 November and 13 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 61.71 years male: 61.8 years female: 61.61 years (2004 est.)	total population: 41.36 years male: 39.7 years female: 43.08 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 43.1% male: 53.9% female: 31.8% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 51% male: 63.3% female: 39.9% (2003 est.)
Location	Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India	Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Map references	Asia	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	total: 40 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 319,897 GRT/440,575 DWT by type: bulk 2, cargo 24, container 10, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1 foreign-owned: China 1, Singapore 9 registered in other countries: 10 (2004 est.)	-
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force	Central African Armed Forces (FACA): Republican Guard, Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$606.8 million (2003)	$14.5 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.2% (2003)	1.1% (2003)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 39,523,128 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 878,980 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 23,441,482 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 460,469 (2004 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh	Republic Day, 1 December (1958)
Nationality	noun: Bangladeshi(s) adjective: Bangladeshi	noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African
Natural hazards	droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season	hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common
Natural resources	natural gas, arable land, timber, coal	diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower
Net migration rate	-0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines	gas 2,012 km (2004)	-
Political parties and leaders	Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA, chairperson]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-e-Islami or JI [Motiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party (Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]	Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum for Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [the party of deposed president, Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	141,340,476 (July 2004 est.)	3,742,482 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	35.6% (FY95/96 est.)	NA (1993)
Population growth rate	2.08% (2004 est.)	1.56% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	Chittagong, Dhaka, Mongla Port, Narayanganj	Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga
Radio broadcast stations	AM 12, FM 12, shortwave 2 (1999)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002)
Railways	total: 2,706 km broad gauge: 884 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)	-
Religions	Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)	indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2004 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	21 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern country domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some fiber-optic cable in cities international: country code - 880; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries (2000)	general assessment: fair system domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication international: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	740,000 (2003)	9,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1.365 million (2003)	13,000 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	15 (1999)	1 (2001)
Terrain	mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast	vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest
Total fertility rate	3.15 children born/woman (2004 est.)	4.59 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	40% (includes underemployment) (2002 est.)	8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)
Waterways	8,372 km note: includes 2,575 km main cargo routes (2004)	2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and Sangha rivers) (2004)

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