Location Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India

Geographic coordinates 24 00 N, 90 00 E

Map references Asia

Area
total: 144,000 sq km
land: 133,910 sq km
water: 10,090 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than Wisconsin

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

Coastline 580 km

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

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

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Reng Tlang 957 m

Natural resources natural gas, arable land, timber

Land use
arable land: 73%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 15%
other: 5% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 31,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely flooded during the summer monsoon season

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

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

NOTE: The information regarding Bangladesh on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Bangladesh Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Bangladesh Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.