Bangladesh
The Sundurbans is a wide swath of coastal area located near the delta of the Ganges River. The bulk of this region is a protected area in Bangladesh, though the western part is in India where it is incorporated into a national park. The Sundurbans is the site of the world’s largest tidal mangrove forest and incredibly important ecosystem. Among other things it is home to the world’s largest population of Bengal Tigers.
The coastal area around the Ganges River delta, historically one of the most densely populated places in the world, survived as a natural habitat thanks to a combination of geographic, natural and historic factors. The myriad waterways and lack of accessible natural resources made the area nearly impossible and unprofitable to develop; and as a regular hideout for pirates and outlaws generally discouraged settlement in the area. It isn’t even an easy area for hunting. Because of this the Sundarbans survived as a thriving ecosystem into the late 19th century. Before this could change, British government officials established it as a protected area, which continued to the modern day in both Bangladesh and India.
The Sundarbans is one of the most unique of the Subcontinent’s game reserves. For the most part it lacks in large animals such as elephants, rhinos and buffalo. However, nearly three hundred of the world’s fiercest tigers roam the park (hundreds of people are attacked and killed here every year). Spotted Deer and Macaques abound, as do swamp and coastal loving creatures like crocodiles. Fewer places in Asia preserve the wild aspect of nature better than here.
The Sundarbans of Bangladesh covers over 4,000 square km, though a little under half of this is actually water. It sits on the coast close to two of the world’s most populous cities: Chittagong, 180 miles to the east, and Kolkata, eighty miles to the north. Despite this, there is minimal road access, making this an exceptionally difficult area to visit on both sides of the border. The Indian side is under the jurisdiction of The Sunderbans National Park. As of this writing no visitor information was available for The Sundarbans reserve in Bangladesh. Web: N/A.
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