Bangladesh Geography

What is the terrain and geography like in Bangladesh?

Overview

Bordered on three sides by India and sharing a border with Burma, Bangladesh is located in South Asia on the northern edge of the Bay of Bengal. About 140 million people inhabit the country, which is 55,598 square miles.

Bangladesh consists primarily of low-lying deltaic plains that never rise more than 35 feet above sea level. The Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers and smaller tributaries crisscross the country. Slight changes in topography occur only in the northeastern hilly tea-growing regions of Sylhet and the southeastern forest regions of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The capital, Dhaka, is less than 25 feet above sea level.

Geography - note

Most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal

Climate

The climate of Bangladesh ranges from subtropical to tropical. The humidity remains high all year and reaches between 90%-95% from June to September. Bangladesh has three main seasons. The mild (70s °F) or cold season, from mid-October to the end of February, is characterized by sunny skies, drier weather, and cool (high 50s °F) evenings. During the hot season, from March until the end of May, there is quite a change. The early part is pleasant (75°F), but as the monsoon approaches, hot (95°F) temperatures and high humidity make life difficult. The monsoon season lasts from June to October. At the beginning of the monsoon, the continuous rains cool the atmosphere. Temperatures are milder (85°F to 90°F), but the humidity can be oppressive.

Tropical cyclones emerge from the Bay of Bengal with high winds and tidal waves on the average of one major cyclone every 3 years. There are two cyclone seasons, one just before the monsoon (May to June) and one just after the monsoon (October to November). Damage generally is limited to the southern finger of the country (east of Chittagong and Cox's Bazaar).

During the monsoon season in a normal year, about 30% of the country is under water. Some years, however, floods cover 70% of the country. At some times during the year, up to 70% of the country is under water. Annual flooding is a way of life but often the flooding is not due to rainfall but caused by water coming from across the borders via the Ganges, Meghna, and the Brahmaputra Rivers.

Bangladesh Use of Natural Resources

Bangladesh Environment

Climate:

Terrain:

Mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Natural Resources:

Natural gas, arable land, timber, coal

Natural Hazards:

Droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season

Irrigated Land:

19,498 Square Miles
50,500 Square Kilometers

Environmental Issues:

Many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; water-borne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution, especially in fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation

Environment - International Agreements:

Party To: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Bangladesh Geography

Geographic Location	Asia
Total Area	55,598 Square Miles 143,998 Square Kilometers
Land Area	50,258 Square Miles 130,168 Square Kilometers
Water Area	5,340 Square Miles 13,830 Square Kilometers
Land Boundaries	2,638 Miles 4,246 Kilometers
Irrigated Land	19,498 Square Miles 50,500 Square Kilometers
Border Countries	Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
Coastline	360 Miles 580 Kilometers
Geographic Coordinates	24 00 N, 90 00 E
Terrain	Mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Highest Point	1,230 Meters
Highest Point Location	Keokradong 1,230 m
Lowest Point Location	Indian Ocean 0 m
Natural Resources	Natural gas, arable land, timber, coal
Time Zone	UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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