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Bangladesh
: Land, Resources & Natural Regions
Most
of Bangladesh lies within the broad delta formed
by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers and is exceedingly
flat, low-lying, and subject to annual flooding.
Much fertile, alluvial soil is deposited by the
floodwaters. The only significant area of hilly
terrain, constituting less than one-tenth of the
nation's territory, is the Chittagong Hill Tracts
District in the narrow southeastern panhandle of
the country. There, on the border with Myanmar,
is Mowdok Mual (1,003 m/3,291 ft), the country's
highest peak. Small, scattered hills lie along or
near the eastern and northern borders with India.
The eroded remnants of two old alluvial terraces-the
Madhupur Tract, in the north central part of the
country, and The Barind, straddling the northwestern
boundary with India-attain elevations of about 30
m (about 100 ft). The soil here is much less fertile
than the annually replenished alluvium of the surrounding
floodplain.
Land
Total area: 144,000
square kilometers;
Land area: 133,910
square kilometers
Land boundaries: 4,246
km total; 193 km with Myanmar, 4,053 km with India,
Coastline: 580 km.
Land distribution:
· arable land 67%
· forest and woodland 16%
· permanent crops 2%
· meadows and pastures 4%
· others 11%
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