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Bangladesh is located on the northern edge of the Bay of Bengal; it is bordered on three sides by India and shares a small border with Burma. Approximately 160 million people inhabit Bangladesh, which has a land area of 55,598 square miles, slightly less than that of Iowa. It is the eighth most populous nation in the world and the most densely populated country, aside from some city states and tiny island nations.
Bangladesh consists primarily of low-lying deltaic plains. The Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers (known as the Padma and Jamuna in Bangladesh) and countless tributaries crisscross the country. The capital, Dhaka, is about 25 feet above sea level. During the monsoon season from June to October, up to 30 percent of the country is affected by seasonal flooding. On occasion, as much as 70 percent of the country may be flooded if the monsoons are particularly heavy. Heavy rainfall is characteristic of Bangladesh, with most parts of the country receiving about 200 centimeters (80 inches) of rainfall per year. Annual cyclones can cause extreme flooding and have led to extensive loss of life and property damage.
Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy with a unicameral legislature. The nation is a developing country with severe infrastructure shortcomings. Outside of Dhaka, tourist facilities are under-developed, as are capacities to deal with emergency situations. Read the Department of State’s Fact Sheet on Bangladesh for additional information on U.S. – Bangladesh relations.
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