Physical Geography

Bangladesh lies almost entirely within the combined delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers and consists primarily of a low-lying alluvial plain. The land is relatively flat and, in most places, only slightly above sea level. Much of it is marshy and poorly drained, especially near the coast. The only significant uplands occur in the southeast, where the Chittagong Hills—a series of steep ridges—reach an elevation of 4,035 feet (1,230 m).

The Ganges (locally called Padma), Brahmaputra (Jamuna), and Meghna rivers drain most of Bangladesh. Hundreds of smaller streams and distributaries also crisscross the country, forming a maze of interconnecting channels. All the rivers are subject to flooding. With the floods come massive amounts of silt that is deposited throughout the delta region, creating fert ile agricultural land.

Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate, marked by sweltering temperatures and high humidity throughout most of the year. Average temperatures at Dhaka (Dacca), the capital, vary from 67° F. (19° C.) in January, the coolest month, to 84° F. (29° C.) in June, the hottest. Rainfall is extremely heavy, totaling 60 to 100 inches (1,520 to 2,540 mm) a year in most areas; more than 200 inches (5,080 mm) are received in parts of the northeast. Most of the rain comes during the southwest monsoon, which occurs from June through September. Tropical cyclones sometimes strike the coast, causing devastating floods.

Little natural vegetation remains in Bangladesh; most of the land was cleared centuries ago for farming. Of the dense tropical forests that once covered much of the country, only a few tracts remain, mainly in the Chittagong Hills and the Madhupur Jungle Tract between the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers north of Dhaka. Mangrove swamps, forming a region known as the Sundarbans, extend along the western part of the coast.

Though increasingly rare, elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, leopards, crocodiles, and pythons are among the large animals still found in Bangladesh.