Location: Southern Asia, at the head of the Bay of Bengal, almost completely surrounded by India

Map references: Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 144,000 sq km
land area: 133,910 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Land boundaries: total 4,246 km, Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Coastline: 580 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: up to outer limits of continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: a portion of the boundary with India is in dispute; water-sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Ganges

Climate: tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)

Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber

Land use:
arable land: 67%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 4%
forest and woodland: 16%
other: 11%

Irrigated land: 27,380 sq km (1989)

Environment:
current issues: many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; limited access to potable water; water-borne diseases prevalent; water pollution especially of fishing areas results from the use of commercial pesticides; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation; deforestation; severe overpopulation
natural hazards: vulnerable to droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely flooded during the summer monsoon season
international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

NOTE: The information regarding Bangladesh on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Bangladesh Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Bangladesh Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.