Bangladesh Geography: Land, Rivers & Hills

• Bangladesh's geography is a captivating mix of diverse landscapes and historical importance
• Its location in South Asia has shaped its history and culture significantly

Top Geographic Features of Bangladesh

• The Sundarbans is the world's largest mangrove forest that spans the southern part and serves as home to the Bengal tiger
• The Padma River flows through the central part and provides essential water resources for agriculture and irrigation
• The Chittagong Hills are the only exceptions to the country's low elevations, located in the southeast, along with the Low Hills of Sylhet in the northeast, and highlands in the north and northwest
  • The Chittagong Hills form the country's only significant hill system and effectively are the western fringe of the north-south mountain ranges of Myanmar and eastern India
  • Saka Haphong Mountain is the highest peak in Bangladesh with an elevation of 1,052 metres (3,451 ft)
• The Jamuna River flows through the western part, joins the Padma, and is vital in the nation's water system
• Cox's Bazar is known for having the longest natural sea beach and is a popular tourist destination
• Sylhet Tea Gardens are located in the northeastern and offer picturesque scenery while producing a significant amount of the country's tea
• The Meghna River flows through the eastern part and is crucial for transportation, irrigation, and fishing
• Ratargul Swamp Forest is a freshwater swamp forest in the Sylhet division, which is a significant biodiversity hotspot
• Kuakata Sea Beach, known as the "Daughter of the Sea," provides a panoramic view of both sunrise and sunset over the Bay of Bengal
• The northern parts touch the Himalayan Foothills and influence the region's climate and topography

Area and Boundaries

• Bangladesh covers 147,570 sq km
• It is bordered by West Bengal (India) on the west, West Bengal, Assam, and Meghalaya (all Indian states) on the north, Assam, Tripura, and Mizoram (Indian states) and Myanmar on the east, and the Bay of Bengal on the south
• The land border is about 4,246 km, with 93.9% shared with India and 6% with Myanmar
• Territorial water limit is 12 nautical miles (22.22 km)
• The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends to 200 nautical miles (370.40 km) from the baselines

Plains and Delta Area of Bangladesh

• About half of Bangladesh consists of actively-deltaic, alluvial plains prone to monsoon flooding from May to September
• Much land is used for rice cultivation
• The Bengal region is mostly the vast alluvial, deltaic plain built by the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers
• The delta region formed by the Ganges (Padma), Brahmaputra (Jamuna) and Meghna Rivers and smaller tributary rivers covers 144,000 square kilometers
• The total Bengal region covers 233,000 square kilometers. 38% is in India and 62% is in Bangladesh
• Alluvial soil is fertile and intensively farmed but vulnerable to flood and drought
• The plains contain deposits of clay, silt, sand, or gravel deposited by running water
• The deltaic plain is fissured by many rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal
• The coastline is about 600 kilometers
• Roughly 80% is fertile, alluvial Bangladesh Plain, part of the larger Plain of Bengal, sometimes called the Lower Gangetic Plain

Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta

• The 77,700-square-kilometer delta created by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India is the world's largest delta
• The Brahmaputra and Ganges system carries two billion tons of sediment to sea yearly
• The Brahmaputra enters Bangladesh as the Jamuna then merges into the Ganges, forming the Padma, ending as the Meghna
• The Meghna splits into a massive delta that empties into the Bay of Bengal at a rate of 2.3 million cubic feet of water a second

Hilly Areas of Bangladesh

• The only exceptions to the low elevations of the country are the Chittagong Hills in the southeast, the Low Hills of Sylhet in the northeast, and highlands in the north and northwest
• The Chittagong Hills form the country's only significant hill system and are the western fringe of the north-south mountain ranges of Burma and eastern India
• The small hilly regions are crossed by swiftly flowing rivers
• Highest elevation in Bangladesh is 1,230 meters at Keokradong, also called Reng Mountain, in the southeastern part of the hills