Bangladesh, with an area of about 147,600 square kilometers, ranks 21st among the provincial-level administrative regions in the mainland, slightly larger than Liaoning Province. Liaoning has a population of about 41.48 million (2023), but Bangladesh's population has reached 170 million (2023), and Bangladesh's population density is more than four times that of Liaoning Province.
Bangladesh is located in the northeast of the South Asian subcontinent, most of the area is located on the delta formed by the alluvial Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers (Brahmaputra River), surrounded by India on the east, west and north, bordering Myanmar in the southeast and the Bay of Bengal in the south.
Bangladesh is the Chinese language, the official language is English, and most people believe in Islam.
Figure - Distribution of ethnic groups in South Asia
Bangladesh is roughly between 21° and 27° north latitude and has a subtropical monsoon climate with hot and humid rain. The year is divided into three seasons: winter from November to February with a minimum temperature of 4°C, summer from March to June with a maximum temperature of 45°C, and a rainy season from July to October with an average temperature of 30°C.
There is a rain pole region in the northeast of Bangladesh, which is a triangular area besieged by the Karo-Kasi-Jaindia hills, the Naga hills, and the Rakhine Mountains. The southwest monsoon from the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean enters this region, bringing with it a large amount of water vapor. This area is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and there is almost no way to go except for the formation of rainfall, and there is a steady stream of water vapor pouring in at the outlet, forming a huge amount of rainfall, which is called the rain pole area.
The rain pole area is shared by Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, and is mainly in Bangladesh. To the north is the Kalo-Kasi-Jaindia hills, about 250 kilometers long, and on the southern slope there is an Indian town called Cherrapunzi, about 1,370 meters above sea level. In 1861, the annual rainfall of Cirapunzi reached 20,447 mm, winning the title of "rain pole" in the world. In 1961, Cirapunzi set a new record with 26,461 mm of rainfall per year.
What is the concept of more than 20,000 millimeters? The annual precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River on the mainland is about 1,000 to 1,500 millimeters, which is a relatively rich area of precipitation on the mainland, and the rainfall in 20 years is equivalent to one year in Qirapunqi.
Bangladesh has two huge rivers, where the Brahmaputra and the Ganges meet.
The source of the Brahmaputra River is in the Ali region of Tibet on the mainland, with an average flow of about 7,700 cubic meters per second, and it is called the Brahmaputra River in India and the Jamuna River in Bangladesh.
The source of the Ganges River is in the southern foothills of the Himalayas, not far from the border between the mainland and India, with an average water volume of about 16,648 cubic meters per second, slightly more than half of the Yangtze River, and can be ranked second on the mainland, above the Pearl River. The Ganges runs through northern India from west to east, conjoins the Jamuna River (known as the Brahmaputra River upstream) in Bangladesh, also known as the Ganges, and eventually empties into the Bay of Bengal.
The Ganges Delta, also known as the Bangladesh Delta, covers Bangladesh and West Bengal in India, spanning about 350 kilometers from east to west and covering an area of more than 105,000 square kilometers, which is larger than the mainland Jiangsu Province.
Eighty-five per cent of Bangladesh is plain, with only the south-east and north-east being hilly, and about 10 per cent of the country's water area. The plains of Bangladesh are mostly alluvial plains, and the sediment is rich in nutrients, which can be described as fertile soil for thousands of miles. Due to the heavy rainfall and flooding, the river channel is sometimes wide and sometimes narrow.
When the flood hits in the rainy season, thousands of hectares of fertile land become a country in an instant, and an average of 1/3 of the country's land is soaked in water every year. In 1998, Bangladesh flooded 70% of the country for 65 days.
Bangladesh also has hurricanes, with waves in the Bay of Bengal often reaching up to 6 metres high, with waves reaching 9 metres in 1970. In 2007, hurricanes struck the southern coast, killing thousands.
In general, Bangladesh has a lot of rain, crisscrossed rivers, fertile land, but it is difficult to harvest a good harvest, and despite its large population, its economy is very backward.
Bangladesh's per capita GDP is US$2,688 (2022), ranking 152nd in the world, while the world average is US$12,700 (2022).
Zheng He came to Punggara during his voyage to the West, the place where Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood, and its territory covered parts of the Ganges and Brahmaputra River basins, that is, parts of present-day Bangladesh and India.
The Ming fleet first docked at the port of Zhedi (now Chittagong, Bangladesh), and then entered the port in small boats, and the king had already sent thousands of men and horses to wait. The Ming army followed all the way to the west, where the place was vast, the people were dense, and the people of the whole country believed in Islam and had a dark appearance.
Come to the capital city of Banggara, its city design resembles the Central Plains, there are city walls and moats, the streets are shopped, even the trees are connected to the building, the palace is high and wide in bricks and stones, the palace is flat-topped, the stone pillars are decorated with brass cladding, and the flowers and beasts are carved. In front of the main hall, there are hundreds of peacocks in the open screen, and there are more than 100 elephants, and more than 1,000 warriors wear armor and armor, hold swords and bows, which is very majestic.
The king feasted the officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, and the generals received gold and silver treasures, and the soldiers also had silver money, which was very generous, and it also showed the wealth of the country.
Bengal tigers are known for their toughness and agility, and the Ming navy also witnessed the tiger tricks at that time. A husband and wife chained a tiger and walked down the street to the door of a large house. The man untied the ropes, ordered the tiger to sit on the ground, wearing only pants, and jumped and played with the tiger, and punched and kicked the tiger when the atmosphere came up. The tiger flares up, roaring and swooping. Unexpectedly, the tiger tamer was not afraid and put his arm into the mouth of the saliva-dripping tiger, but the tiger did not dare to bite. When the master saw that it was so wonderful, he gave meat to the tiger and money to the wife of the tiger tamer.
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is located on the north bank of the Briganga River, about 160 kilometers from the mouth of the sea. With a population of more than 16 million, Dhaka is the most populous city in Bangladesh.
In terms of seaport construction, Bangladesh was built around Chittagong (Ming Dynasty Zhejiang Port). Located on the northeastern shore of the Bay of Bengal, about 240 kilometers from the capital Dhaka, Chittagong is the largest port in Bangladesh and the second most populous city, with more than 90% of Bangladesh's seaborne cargo transiting through this seaport.