Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

over the government. Beginning in 1991

Bangladesh held a series of free elections.

However, the elections often led to protests

and violence over the results.

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Dhaka • Ganges River • India • Islam

• Pakistan • Tiger

A fishing boat sails on the Meghna River in Bangladesh.

Facts About

BANGLADESH

Population

(2008 estimate)

142,547,000

Area

56,977 sq mi

(147,570 sq km)

Capital

Dhaka

Form of

government

Republic

Major cities

Dhaka, Chittagong,

Khulna,

Rajshahi

22 Bangladesh BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Bangui

Population

(2003 census)

622,771

Bangui is the capital and largest city of

the Central African Republic, a country

in the middle of Africa. The city is

located on the Ubangi River.

Bangui is the country’s main port. Rivers

and railroads connect it with other

cities and to theWest African coast.

Bangui is also the country’s largest city

and center for manufacturing and business.

The city has a university as well.

The French built a fort in the area in

1889 to help them take control of central

Africa. Bangui grew up around the

fort. The city later became the capital of

the French colony in the area. In 1960

the Central African Republic became

independent from France. Bangui

became the new country’s capital.

Different groups tried to take over the

government of the Central African

Republic in Bangui several times in the

late 20th and early 21st centuries. Bangui

was then the site of power struggles,

riots, and looting.

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Central African Republic

Banjul

Population

(2003 estimate),

city, 34,800;

metropolitan

area, 523,600

Banjul is the capital of theWest African

country of The Gambia. The city lies on

Saint Mary’s Island in the Gambia

River. It is the largest city in the country.

Banjul is The Gambia’s center for business

and transportation. The city’s factories

process peanuts and peanut oil.

These and other products are shipped to

other countries from Banjul’s port.

Tourism also brings money to the city.

The city dates from 1816, when the

British set up a fort and trading post on

the site. They named the settlement

Bathurst. The British used the fort to

force an end to the slave trade on the

Workers stack bags of peanuts in a warehouse

in Banjul.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Banjul 23

 

western coast of Africa. In 1965 The

Gambia became an independent country

with Bathurst as its capital. The city

was renamed Banjul in 1973.

#More to explore

Gambia, The

Bank and

Banking

A bank is a business that borrows and

lends money. It borrows money from

customers called depositors. It lends

money to other customers called borrowers.

It pays fees to the depositors and

collects fees from the borrowers. The

fees are called interest. The bank makes

a profit by collecting more interest than

it pays out. Modern banks do many

other things for their customers as well.

Bank Accounts

A person who has money deposited in a

bank is said to have a bank account.

One kind of bank account is called a

checking account. A person with a

checking account can write checks to

pay for things. A check is an instruction

to the bank to pay out money from that

person’s account. People can also use a

plastic card, called a debit or check card,

to pay out money from their checking

accounts. Checking accounts pay little

or no interest to the depositor. People

use them because they are a safe and

convenient way to handle money.

Another kind of bank account is a savings

account. People keep money in

savings accounts in order to earn interest.

The bank pays a certain amount of

interest for every dollar that someone

has in their savings account.

A bank keeps only part of the money in

its accounts as cash. It uses the rest to

lend to other people and to make investments.

It keeps track of all this money in

computers.

Lending and Other Services

People and businesses often borrow

money from banks. The money they

borrow is called a loan. They pay the

loan back with interest. They usually

pay in monthly portions called installments.

If the borrower does not repay,

the bank may take away the thing—a

car, for example—that the loan paid for.

Modern banks provide other services as

well. Some banks sell insurance, provide

help with taxes, and handle investments

Young people can open a savings

account at a bank with the

help of a parent or another relative.

24 Bank and Banking BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

in stocks and bonds. Many banks issue

credit cards and send monthly bills to

the people who use them. Banks also

maintain automated teller machines, or

ATMs. Bank customers can use the

ATMs to withdraw money from their

accounts or to make deposits.

Types of Banks

The banks most people use are called

commercial banks.Other kinds of banks

do special things. Investment banks sell

stocks and bonds. Credit unions make

loans to workers. Savings banks and

associations make loans to home buyers.

Central banks—such as the Bank of

England or the banks of the U.S. Federal

Reserve System—are responsible for their

country’s money. International banks

lend money to developing countries.

History

There was banking in ancient Mesopotamia

at least 4,000 years ago. The