The Peoples' Republic of Bangladesh is a relatively small, intensely populated, and poor country. Bangladesh is located at one of the largest river deltas in the world. The Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers flow through Bangladesh to the Bay of Bengal. Very little of the country is more than 12 m (40 feet) above sea level, and in a normal monsoon season one-third of its cultivated land is flooded. Bangladesh has 120,000,000 people living on 144,000 square kilometers; this is equivalent to having one-half the population of the United States living in an area the size of Wisconsin. The infant mortality rate is 115 per 1,000 live births. There is one doctor per 5,200 people; by comparison the United Kingdom has one doctor per 650 people. The adult literacy rate is 43% for men and 22% for women. The average annual income is equivalent to US $220 per capita. The life expectancy is 55 years (3).
Bangladesh is an agricultural country with the vast majority of people involved in food production. Rice is grown during the rainy season, and is primarily used for domestic consumption. In irrigated areas, a second rice crop is possible, followed by wheat and vegetables in the short, dry winter from November to February. Bangladesh is the world's leading producer of jute, a strong natural fiber used in the carpet and sacking industries. The principle exports of Bangladesh from largest to smallest are garments, jute and its products, shellfish, tea, and leather (3).