Bangladesh is the world's eighth most populous country and the ninety second largest country by area, making it one of the most densely populated nations on Earth. The majority of the population are Muslims, followed by Hindus, with diverse Buddhist and Christian communities. The official language is Bengali, which is also spoken in the neighbouring Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura. Dominated by the fertile Bengal Delta, Bangladesh is rich in biodiversity and is home to the world's largest mangrove forest, a mountainous east and a 370 mile coastline that has one of the world's longest beaches.

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The region was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as Gangaridai. The mighty Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers connected Bengal to India and China, making the region a central centreof the historic Silk Road. During the Pala and Sena periods, the people of the land developed their own language, script, literature, music, art and architecture. Islam was established in the second millennium under the Delhi Sultanate, the Bengal Sultanate and the Mughal Empire. Annexed by the British East India Company in 1765, the region was a part of British ruled India until the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

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After independence in 1971, the new state endured poverty, famine, political turmoil and military coups. The restoration of democracy in 1991 has been followed by relative calm and economic progress. In 2014, the Bangladeshi general election was boycotted by major opposition parties, resulting in a parliament and government dominated by the Awami League and its smaller coalition partners.

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Bangladesh is a unitary parliamentary republic with an elected parliament called the Jatiyo Sangshad. The native Bengalis form the country's largest ethnic group, along with indigenous peoples in northern and south eastern districts. Geographically, the country is dominated by the fertile Bengal delta, the world's largest delta. This also gives Bangladesh a unique name tag as "the land of rivers". Bangladesh has a rich heritage of ancient civilization. Bangladesh's documented history spans 4,000 years. Bangladesh human history has lasted for more than 20,000 years.

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Bangladesh is an emerging economy. It has achieved significant strides in human and social development since independence, including progress in gender equality, universal primary education, food production, health, and population control. Bangladesh continues to face numerous political, economic, social and environmental challenges, including political instability, corruption, poverty, overpopulation, and global warming.

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Geography

The geography of Bangladesh is divided between three regions. Most of the country is dominated by the fertile Ganges Brahmaputra Delta. The north west and central parts of the country are formed by the Madhupur and the Barind plateaus. The north east and south east are home to evergreen hill ranges. The Ganges Delta is formed by the confluence of the Ganges (local name Padma or Pôdda), Brahmaputra (Jamuna or Jomuna), and Meghna rivers and their respective tributaries. The Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna, finally flowing into the Bay of Bengal. The alluvial soil deposited by the rivers when they overflow their banks has created some of the most fertile plains in the world. Bangladesh has 57 cross boundary rivers, making water issues politically complicated to resolve.

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Bangladesh is predominately rich fertile flat land. Most parts of Bangladesh are less than 40 ft above sea level, and it is estimated that about 10% of the land would be flooded if the sea level were to rise by 3 ft. 17% of the country is covered by forests and 12% is covered by hill systems. The country's Haor wetlands are of significant importance to global environmental science.

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In south eastern Bangladesh, experiments have been done since the 1960s to 'build with nature'. Construction of cross dams has induced a natural accretion of silt, creating new land. With Dutch funding, the Bangladeshi government began promoting the development of this new land in the late 1970s. The effort has become a multi-agency endeavour, building roads, culverts, embankments, cyclone shelters, toilets and ponds, as well as distributing land to settlers.

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With an elevation of 3,491 ft, the highest peak of Bangladesh is Saka Haphong, on the border with Myanmar.

The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh.

Khaichara Waterfalls, Chittagong.

The Boral River in Rajshahi.

Source: Wikipedia

Images: Believed to be in the Public Domain or used with permission

The annual Bengali New Year parade.