People's Republic of Bangladesh
Southern Asia
Delta · Dense · Spirited
Bangladesh (officially People's Republic of Bangladesh) is a country located in Southern Asia. Its capital city is Dhaka, with other major cities including Chittagong and Sylhet. With a population of approximately 167M, the main language spoken is Bengali. The country covers an area of 147,570 km². The official currency is the Bangladeshi taka (৳). Traffic drives on the left side.
Bangladesh's national flower, the water lily, blooms in ponds covering much of the low-lying delta.
Dhaka serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Bangladesh, positioned in Southern Asia. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Dhaka is one of the world's most densely populated cities, where rickshaws, CNGs (three-wheeled taxis), and modern SUVs compete for space in streets that function as markets, workshops, and social venues simultaneously — a city whose chaos contains a functional logic invisible to outsiders.
With a population of approximately 167M, Bangladesh is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is Bengali, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Bangladesh is reached via the dialling code +880. Bangladeshis built a national identity on language — the 1952 Bengali Language Movement, which resisted Pakistani attempts to impose Urdu, produced martyrs whose sacrifice is commemorated every February 21st, a date now recognised by the UN as International Mother Language Day.
Bangladesh spans 147,570 km², in the Southern Asia subregion of Asia. Geographically centred around 24.0°N, 90.0°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the left-hand rule, in line with surrounding Asia convention.
The official currency is the Bangladeshi taka (৳), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Bangladesh's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+06:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
Cricket holds a special place in the heart of Bangladesh's national identity. Cricket replaced football as Bangladesh's dominant sporting passion after the national team achieved Test status in 2000 — the Tigers' wins against India and Pakistan in major tournaments generating celebrations comparable to independence day in a country where cricket is the primary vehicle for national pride.
The highest point in Bangladesh is Keokradong, rising to 1,230 metres above sea level. The Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest straddling Bangladesh and India, shelters the Bengal tiger in a tidal delta so labyrinthine that tigers learn to swim between islands — a biosphere reserve where the boundaries between land, river, and sea are renegotiated with every tide.