Terrain

Bangladesh is mostly flat and has fertile land as a result of the floodwater from the rivers which cross the country. Mowdok Mual (more than 1,000 metres high), the country's highest peak, is located in the mountainous Chittagong area in the south west of the country. The country's largest rivers, the Ganges and Brahmaputra, form a large delta which crosses almost the entire country.

Climate

Bangladesh has six seasons: summer, the rainy season, autumn, late autumn, winter, and spring. It has a tropical monsoon climate. Approx. 80% of the rain falls during the monsoon season, which lasts from May to mid October. Moreover, the country is frequently afflicted by natural disasters such as cyclones or heavy rainfall that cause floods and drought.

Fauna/Flora

The Chittagong Hill Tracts, the region of Madhupur and the Sundarbans mangrove swamps are some of the very few forest regions that are found in Bangladesh. Acacia, banyan, sundari, gewa and garyan trees are common in Bangladesh, as are various fruit and bamboo trees.

Bangladesh is rich in fauna, with about 250 native species of mammals, 750 species of birds, 150 types of reptiles and amphibians, and 200 kinds of salt water and freshwater fish. Rhesus monkeys, gibbons, lemurs and Bengali tigers are commonly found. Elephants and leopards are also found in the Chittagong Hill Tracts District.

History/Politics

The history of Bangladesh dates back to the year 3000 BC, when the inhabitants of the Indus Valley grouped into states. Subsequently, invading tribes, first the Dravidians, then the Indo-Europeans settled in the region to create one of the most advanced societies of ancient times. Around the 6th century BC the region fell under the influence of the Persians and halfway through the 4th century BC the Mauryan Empire was established, during which the region developed significantly. The fall of the empire in around 180 BC was followed by the rise of various autonomous kingdoms. In the 4th century AD, western Bengal turned into the kingdom of Samatata, a tributary of India.

Over the course of the centuries that followed, different Hindu empires formed and various civil conflicts took place until the Turkish Empire finally conquered the area at the end of the 12th century. In the 16th century, the Mongols founded an empire which encompassed the territory of Bengal, but its decline in the 18th century led to the formation of small, weak states. This made it easier for the British army to conquer the Indian subcontinent and nearby territory, turn it into part of the British Empire of India and set up commercial ports in the region.

At the end of the 19th century, social and political uprisings broke out in the area in favour of independence, which went on until 1947. India finally gained its independence in that year, but soon afterwards it was split into two, according to the religious beliefs of its inhabitants: the Hindus formed India and the Muslim majority formed Pakistan: an area which consisted of East and West Pakistan.

Over the two decades that followed, a series of political conflicts arose, which led to the uprising of the Bengalis, the people of East Pakistan and the introduction of martial law. Bengali dissatisfaction became worse during the 1960s, as a result of the transfer of resources to the rest of the region and the minimum investment in programmes for its own development. In 1971, despite strong opposition from the Pakistani soldiers, Bangladesh (then officially called East Pakistan) declared its independence, which led to a war with Pakistan. Over three million people died during the war.

In December 1971, occupying forces were expelled from the country and in January 1972 Mujibur Rahman became Head of Government. Although his government did its best to rebuild the war-ravaged nation, it had little success. Popular unrest ensued, as did political disorder. As a result of this, Mujibur Rahman was killed in a military coup d'état in 1975.

Over the decades that followed, there were attempts to restore democracy. This eventually happened in 1991, when Khaleda Zia was elected as Prime Minister in free and fair elections. In the 2001 elections, following a period when Hasina Wajed was Prime Minister, Zia was again elected Head of Government. In May 2004, a constitutional amendment was made, in accordance with which 45 parliamentary seats were set aside for women.

Economy

The economic development of Bangladesh was neglected for years. For a long time, it produced large quantities of agricultural goods and was for example the world's biggest jute producer. However, Bangladesh received little investment to allow it to expand the transport network or construct industrial plants. Since 1991, the Bengali government has implemented a series of reforms so as to liberalize and stabilize the economy, which had been under a state monopoly for an extensive period of time.

These reforms were successful; the economy developed quickly, foreign investment increased and inflation decreased to 2.5% in 2002. However, Bangladesh continued to be one of the world's poorest countries. In 2003, inflation was 6% and the unemployment rate was 40%.

Culture

The Bengal region has a very varied cultural tradition, enriched by its Animist, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim roots. Weaving, pottery and terracotta sculpture are some of the earliest forms of artistic expression. The Bengali poets Rabindranath Tagore and Nasrul Islam are important literary figures who are known internationally.