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
Religions
Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%
Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)
Languages
English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English
Exports
garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood
External Debt
$36,210,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
taka (BDT) per US dollar - 68.554 (2008 est.), 69.893 (2007), 69.031 (2006), 64.328 (2005), 59.513 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.400%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India
Area
71,740 km sq
143,998 km sq
Coastline
402 km
580 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)
