Bangladesh ( /bld/; /bld/; , pronounced: [baladd e] (
listen), lit."The
country of Bengal"), officially thePeople's Republic of Bangladesh (
Gnprjatntri Bangladesh), is a sovereign country in South Asia. It forms the largest and
eastern portion the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. Located at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, the
country is bordered by India and Myanmar and is separated from Nepal and Bhutan by the
narrow Siliguri Corridor.[8] With a population of 166.2 million, it is the world's eighth-most populous
country, the fifth-most populous in Asia and the third-most populous Muslim-majority country. The
official Bengali language is the seventh-most spoken language in the world, which Bangladesh
shares with the neighboring Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam (Barak Valley).
Three of Asia's largest rivers, the Ganges (locally known as the Padma), the Brahmaputra (locally
known as the Jamuna) and the Meghna, flow through Bangladesh and form the fertile Bengal delta
the largest delta in the world.[9] With rich biodiversity, Bangladesh is home to 700 rivers, most of
the world's largest mangrove forest; rainforested and tea-growing highlands; a 600 km (370 mi)
coastline with the world's longest beach; and various islands, including a coral reef. Bangladesh is
one of themost densely populated countries in the world, ranking alongside South Korea and
Monaco. The capital Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong are the most prominent urban centers.
The predominant ethnic group are Bengalis, with a politically-dominantBengali Muslim majority,
followed by Bengali Hindus, Chakmas, Bengali Christians, Marmas, Tanchangyas, Bisnupriya
Manipuris, Bengali
Buddhists, Garos, Santhals, Biharis, Oraons, Tripuris, Mundas, Rakhines, Rohingyas, Ismailis andBa
hais.[10]
Greater Bengal was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as Gangaridai.[11] The people of the
delta developed their own language, script, literature, music, art and architecture. Early Asian
literature described the region as a seafaring power.[12] It was an important entrepot of the
historic Silk Road.[13] Bengal was absorbed into the Muslim world and ruled by sultans for four
centuries, including under the Delhi Sultanate and the Bengal Sultanate. This was followed by
the administration of the Mughal Empire. Islamic Bengal was a melting pot, a regional power and a
key player in medieval world trade. British colonial conquesttook place in the late-18th
century. Nationalism, social reforms and the arts developed under the British Raj in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries, when the region was a hotbed of the anti-colonial movement in
the subcontinent.
The first British partition of Bengal in 1905, that created the province of Eastern Bengal and Assam,
set the precedent for thePartition of British India in 1947, when East Bengal joined the Dominion of
Pakistan and was renamed as East Pakistan in 1955. It was separated from West Pakistan by 1,400
kilometres (870 mi) of Indian territory. East Pakistan was home to the country's demographic
majority and its legislative capital.[14][15] The Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 resulted in the
secession of East Pakistan as a new republic with a secular multiparty parliamentary democracy.[16][17]
[18]
A short-lived one party state and several military coups in 1975 established a presidential
government. The restoration of the parliamentary republic in 1991 led to improved economic growth
and relative stability. Bangladesh continues to face challenges of poverty, corruption, polarized
politics, human rights abuses by security forces, overpopulation and global warming. However, the
country has achieved notable human development progress, including in health, education, gender
equality, population control and food production.[19][20][21] The poverty rate has reduced from 57% in
1990 to 25.6% in 2014.[22]
Considered a middle power in international affairs and a major developing country, Bangladesh is
listed as one of the Next Eleven. It is a unitary state with an elected parliament called the Jatiyo
Sangshad. Bangladesh has the third-largest economyand military in South Asia after India and
Pakistan. It is a founding member of SAARC and hosts the permanent secretariat ofBIMSTEC.
[23]
The country is the world's largest contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations.[24] It is a
member of theDeveloping 8 Countries, the OIC, the Commonwealth of Nations, the World Trade
Organization, the Group of 77, the Non-Aligned Movement, BCIM and the Indian Ocean Rim
Association. The country has significant natural resources, includingnatural gas and
limestone. Agriculture mainly produces rice, jute and tea. Historically renowned for muslin and silk,
modern Bangladesh is one of the world's leading textile producers. Its major trading partners include
the European Union, the United States, Japan and the other nearby nations of China, Singapore,
Malaysia and India.
Contents
[hide]
1Etymology
2History
o
2.1Ancient and classical Bengal
2.2Islamic Bengal
2.3British Bengal
2.4Eastern wing of Pakistan
2.5Genocide and war of independence
2.6Bangladeshi Republic
3Geography
o
3.1Climate
3.2Biodiversity
4Politics
4.1Government
4.2Foreign affairs
4.3Military
4.4Human rights and corruption
4.5Administrative divisions
5Economy
o
5.1Primary
5.2Secondary
5.3Tertiary
5.4Transport
5.5Energy
5.6Water
5.7Science and technology
5.8IT Outsourcing
6Demographics
o
6.1Urban centres
6.2Languages
6.3Religion
6.4Education
6.5Health
7Culture
o
7.1Literature
7.2Women in Bangladesh
7.3Architecture
7.4Performance arts
7.5Textiles
7.6Cuisine
7.7Festivals
7.8Sports
7.9Media and cinema
7.10Rickshaws
7.11Museums and libraries
8See also
9References
10Cited sources
11Further reading
12External links
