Asia · Southern Asia
Bangladesh lies in South Asia at the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers, which form a vast delta flowing into the Bay of Bengal. The country covers an area of only about 148,000 square kilometers, yet its population exceeds 170 million, making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. It gained independence from Pakistan in 1971 following an armed conflict. The official language is Bengali, and the population is predominantly Muslim.
Dhaka, the capital, includes the Old Dhaka district, where Lalbagh Fort and Ahsan Manzil, the Pink Palace, preserve Mughal and colonial-era architecture. The Sundarbans, the world's largest contiguous mangrove forest, shared between Bangladesh and India, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the last habitats of the Bengal tiger. The archaeological site at Paharpur contains Somapura Mahavihara, an 8th-century Buddhist monastery that is also a UNESCO World Heritage site and was once one of the largest Buddhist educational centers in South Asia. The mosque city of Bagerhat, with the 15th-century Sixty Dome Mosque, stands as a significant monument of Islamic architecture in the region.
Boat tours through the Sundarbans mangrove forest offer opportunities to view wildlife, including the Bengal tiger, though sightings of this rare and elusive animal are not guaranteed. Cox's Bazar, the world's longest unbroken sea beach, stretches for about 120 kilometers along the Bay of Bengal. Local cuisine is built around rice and fish, with various preparations of ilish, a type of Bengali fish, as a signature dish, alongside richly spiced curry-style meat dishes.
Situated in the suburbs of Bagerhat, at the meeting-point of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, this ancient city, formerly known as Khalifatabad, was founded by the Turkish general Ulugh Khan Jahan in the 15th century. The city’s infrastructure reveals considerable technical skill and an exceptional number of mosques and early Islamic monuments, many built of brick, can be seen there.
Evidence of the rise of Mahayana Buddhism in Bengal from the 7th century onwards, Somapura Mahavira, or the Great Monastery, was a renowned intellectual centre until the 12th century. Its layout perfectly adapted to its religious function, this monastery-city represents a unique artistic achievement. With its simple, harmonious lines and its profusion of carved decoration, it influenced Buddhist architecture as far away as Cambodia.
The Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the largest such forests in the world (140,000 ha), lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. It is adjacent to the border of India’s Sundarbans World Heritage site inscribed in 1987. The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests, and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes. The area is known for its wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python.
Data: UNESCO WHC · CC BY-SA 4.0
Most international borders are relatively simple lines on a map. However, there are places around the world where history, royal marriages, land swaps, and colonial agreements have created truly astonishing boundaries. Here are a few places that every geography enthusiast should visit at least once.
The capital of Bangladesh is Dhaka.
The area of Bangladesh is 147,570 km².
The population of Bangladesh is 173,562,364.
The currency of Bangladesh is Bangladeshi taka (BDT).
The official language of Bangladesh: Bengali.
Bangladesh: Left-hand traffic.
Yes, Bangladesh is a member of the United Nations.