Geography

Bangladesh covers a total area of 56,977 square miles (147,570 square kilometers). It is surrounded by India on the west, north, and northeast; Myanmar (Burma) on the southeast; and the Bay of Bengal on the south. The country lies mainly in the delta of the Ganges and Jamuna (Brahmaputra) rivers.

Many rivers flow through Bangladesh into the Bay of Bengal, including the Ganges (known as the Padma in Bangladesh), the Brahmaputra, the Tista, the Meghna, the Surma, the Karnaphuli, the Sangu, and the Matamuhari.

Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon type of climate, with heavy summer rain and high summer temperatures. Floods occur every two or three years and cause great damage to life and property. In 1991 a cyclone killed more than 100,000 people. The winters, however, are dry and cool.

Plants and animals

Forests cover about one sixth of Bangladesh. Plant life includes groves of mango, jackfruit, bamboo, betel nut, coconut, and date palm trees. Numerous animals inhabit the country, including royal Bengal tigers, langurs, leopards, and black bears. Some 750 species of birds nest in Bangladesh, and snakes are also common.

People and culture

Bangladesh is inhabited almost entirely by people who speak Bengali, the state language. The country has a distinctive Bengali culture shared by adjacent West Bengal, a state of India.

Muslims make up about 85 percent of the population of Bangladesh, and Hindus form about 10 percent. The rest are mostly Buddhists and Christians.

A favorite pastime in Bangladesh is the game of ha-do-do, in which teams take turns sending a player to raid the other's territory. The raider must, while chanting, touch as many opposing players as he can without taking a breath. Kite-flying is enjoyed by both young and old, and the making of elaborate kites from cloth or paper is a distinctive folk art.

Economy

Most of the people in Bangladesh depend upon farming for a living, which forms the backbone of the country's economy. About three fourths of the land area is used to grow crops. Rice and jute are the principal agricultural crops; others include wheat, barley, corn (maize), millet, lentils, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, spices, oil seeds, cotton, and sugarcane. Tea is grown in the northeastern areas.

Bangladesh's major industry is based on the jute crop. In fact, the country produces about one fifth of the world's supply of raw jute. Other products come from rice and cotton mills; the forest-based industry, including match factories and paper mills; mineral-based industry producing cement, glass, chemicals, petroleum, and fertilizers; and engineering and steel industries.

History

Historical accounts of Bengal, or Gangaridi, occur from the 4th century BC. From the 8th to the 13th century AD the area was ruled by Hindu and Buddhist kings. Islamic domination of Bengal began in 1204. The region remained largely independent of the Delhi sovereigns of India until 1576, when generals of the Mughal emperor Akbar converted Bengal into a province of the Indian Empire. Dhaka became the capital of the province. When the Delhi-based Mughal Empire began breaking apart in 1707, Bengal again became independent and was ruled by Muslims. The last of these rulers was defeated in 1757 by the British, who then ruled the area until 1947. British rule of Bengal was headquartered in Kolkata (Calcutta).

After the British left India in 1947, the subcontinent was divided into India and Pakistan. Pakistan's two provinces—East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (present-day Pakistan)—were separated by India. The people of East and West Pakistan spoke different languages and had different cultures. In the 1970 elections the East Pakistan-based Awami League candidates won a majority in the Pakistan National Assembly. A power struggle started within the country and resulted in widespread violence. Millions of refugees fled to India, which finally entered the war on the side of the Bengalis and ensured West Pakistan's defeat. As a result, East Pakistan and West Pakistan became separate countries. On December 16, 1971, East Pakistan declared its independence and gave itself a new name, Bangladesh.

Bangladesh held its first national election in 1973, and the Awami League party, led by Mujibur Rahman (known as Sheikh Mujib), won almost all 300 seats in the Parliament. Mujib was assassinated in 1975, and the country then experienced a series of military governments. In 1991 Bangladesh held its first free and fair elections, but tensions continued between the government and people opposed to those in power. Population (2000 estimate), 129,194,000.