Geography Now! Bangladesh

Summary

In this episode of Geography Now, host Paul Barbado explores Bangladesh's unique geography, including its flag with a green field and offset red circle. He delves into the country's complex enclaves, particularly around the Teesta River, and the world's only third-order enclave, Dahala Khagrabari - 51. The video also covers Bangladesh's extensive river system, fertile soil, and diverse agriculture, highlighting the challenges of flooding and tropical storms. Barbado discusses the nation's dense population, its struggle for independence, and its cultural and diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, emphasizing the resilience and adaptability of the Bangladeshi people.

Takeaways

• 🇧🇩 The flag of Bangladesh features a green field with a red circle offset towards the hoist side to appear centered when waving.
• 🌳 Green in the flag symbolizes the fertile land, while red represents the sun.
• 🗺️ Bangladesh is located in Asia, east of India, with a small border with Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal to the south.
• 🏙️ Dhaka is the capital and largest city, situated above the Padma River and the Ganges delta.
• 🏝️ Bangladesh holds the record for the second most enclaves in the world, with complex territorial arrangements, including the world's only 3rd order enclave, Dahala Khagrabari - 51.
• 🌊 The country has an extensive river system, with the Bengal delta being the largest and around 700 main rivers, contributing to its fertile soil.
• 🌾 Known for its agricultural prowess, Bangladesh is a leading producer of jute, used for making ropes and burlap.
• 🏞️ The Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, is located in Bangladesh, home to the Bengal tiger.
• 🌪️ Bangladesh faces environmental challenges like tropical storms, tornadoes, and annual flooding during monsoon season.
• 👥 It is the world's most densely populated country, excluding city-states, with a population of around 160 million people.
• 🕍 The majority of Bangladeshis are Muslim, with a significant Hindu minority and smaller Christian and Buddhist populations.
• 🤝 Bangladesh maintains good relations with many countries, including India, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives, and has strong ties with the UK and the US.

Q & A

What is the unique feature of Bangladesh's flag that distinguishes it from Japan's flag?

Bangladesh's flag has a green field with a red circle that is offset closer to the hoist side, whereas Japan's flag has a red circle at the center on a white field.

Why is the red circle on Bangladesh's flag positioned off-center?

The red circle is offset to appear centered when the flag is waving in the wind.

What do the colors green and red represent on the Bangladeshi flag?

Green represents the lush, fertile interior of Bangladesh, while red symbolizes the sun.

What geographical feature almost completely surrounds Bangladesh?

Bangladesh is almost completely surrounded by India, with a small border with Myanmar in the southeast.

What is the significance of the Siliguri Corridor in relation to Bangladesh?

The Siliguri Corridor, also known as the 'chicken's neck of India,' is a narrow strip of land that connects the northeastern states of India to the rest of the country, and it borders Bangladesh.

How does Bangladesh rank in terms of the number of enclaves in the world?

Bangladesh has the second most enclaves in the world, after India.

What is a 3rd order enclave and where is it located?

A 3rd order enclave is an enclave within an enclave within an enclave. The world's only 3rd order enclave, Dahala Khagrabari - 51, is located in Bangladesh.

How does the landscape of Bangladesh influence its agriculture?

Bangladesh's landscape, with its numerous rivers and fertile soil, makes it ideal for agriculture, allowing for the cultivation of a wide variety of crops.

What is the significance of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh?

The Sundarbans is the world's largest mangrove forest and is a critical habitat for the Bengal tiger, among other flora and fauna.

What environmental challenges does Bangladesh face due to its climate and geography?

Bangladesh faces annual tropical storms, tornadoes, and extensive flooding during the monsoon season, which can lead to property damage, loss of communication, drinking water, crops, and the spread of disease.

How has Bangladesh's population density affected its development and international relations?

Bangladesh's high population density has led to challenges in development and has influenced its relations with neighboring countries, particularly in terms of shared resources and migration.

What is Bangladesh's primary export and how does it contribute to the economy?

Bangladesh is known for exporting ready-made garments, which is a significant contributor to its economy.

How has Bangladesh's relationship with India evolved over time, and what are some of the challenges they face?

Bangladesh and India have a complex relationship marked by historical support during Bangladesh's independence, but also challenges such as border disputes, shared river resources, and migration issues.

Outlines

00:00

🏳️ Flag and Geography of Bangladesh

The video introduces Bangladesh's flag, which features a green field and a red circle offset towards the hoist side to appear centered when waving. The green symbolizes the fertile land, while the red represents the sun. The country's geography is complex, located in Asia and almost entirely surrounded by India, with a small border with Myanmar. Dhaka, the capital, is situated above the Padma River and the Ganges delta. Bangladesh is known for its numerous enclaves and exclaves, particularly in the Rangpur region, including the world's only third-order enclave, Dahala Khagrabari - 51. The country's landscape is heavily influenced by its extensive river systems, with the Bengal delta being the largest in the world and 58 trans-boundary rivers shared with India and Myanmar. Despite its fertility, Bangladesh faces environmental challenges such as tropical storms, flooding, and waterborne diseases.

05:02

🌍 Bangladesh's Demography and International Relations

Bangladesh has a unique history, having fought for independence twice, once from the British and once from Pakistan. The country is densely populated, with approximately 160 million people, making it the most densely populated and the 8th most populous country in the world. The majority of the population is Muslim, with significant Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist minorities. Despite historical conflicts, religious communities coexist peacefully. Bangladesh maintains good relations with many countries, including Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, the U.S., the U.K., Bhutan, and India. The country has a strong textile industry and has significantly reduced its dependency on foreign aid by developing its infrastructure. Bangladesh faces challenges with the Rohingya refugee crisis from Myanmar and occasional disputes with India over shared resources and borders.

10:06

🙌 Acknowledging Supporters and Upcoming Content

The host expresses gratitude to the supporters on Patreon, particularly Bryan Rowland, who is recognized as a V.I.P. Patreon. The host encourages viewers to subscribe for more Geography Now videos and teases the upcoming episode on Barbados.

Keywords

💡Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a sovereign country in South Asia, known for its rich cultural heritage and geographical diversity. In the video, Bangladesh is the central theme, with discussions ranging from its flag, geography, to its environmental and socio-political challenges. The country's flag, for instance, is described with a green field and a red circle offset to the hoist side, symbolizing the lush greenery of Bangladesh and the sun, respectively.

💡Enclaves and Exclaves

An enclave is a piece of land wholly surrounded by the territory of another country, while an exclave is a piece of territory separated from the main mass of the country and lying outside its borders. The video highlights Bangladesh's complex territorial situation, particularly its numerous enclaves and exclaves, which are territories owned by one country but surrounded by another. This is exemplified by the world's only 3rd order enclave, Dahala Khagrabari-51, a small piece of India within Bangladesh within India within Bangladesh.

💡Geography Now

Geography Now is a series that educates viewers about different countries' geographical features, cultures, and histories. The video script is part of this series, focusing on Bangladesh, dissecting its flag, discussing its geographical peculiarities, and delving into its social and environmental issues. The show's approach is educational and informative, aiming to make geography engaging for its audience.

💡Ganges Delta

The Ganges Delta is the world's largest delta, formed by the deposition of silt carried by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. The video mentions the Ganges Delta in the context of Bangladesh's geography, emphasizing the country's vast network of rivers and their significance to the region's fertility and ecology. The delta is a key factor in Bangladesh's agricultural productivity and biodiversity.

💡Rivers and Water Systems

Rivers and water systems are critical geographical features that shape the landscape and support life in a region. The script discusses Bangladesh's extensive river system, which includes around 700 main rivers, making it one of the most water-rich countries. These rivers are vital for irrigation, agriculture, and the livelihoods of the people, but also contribute to the country's vulnerability to flooding.

💡Population Density

Population density refers to the number of people居住在 a given area. Bangladesh is highlighted in the video as being extremely dense in population, with approximately 160 million people living in a relatively small area. This high population density presents both opportunities and challenges for the country, including pressures on resources, infrastructure, and social services.

💡Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

Cultural and linguistic diversity refers to the variety of cultures and languages present within a society. The video touches on Bangladesh's cultural and linguistic diversity, noting the predominance of Bengali speakers and the importance of the Bengali language in the country's identity. Despite being a Muslim-majority country, Bangladesh also has a significant Hindu minority, and the video suggests a relatively harmonious coexistence among different religious groups.

💡Independence and History

The video script provides a brief historical overview of Bangladesh's path to independence, mentioning its struggle for autonomy from both British rule and later from Pakistan. This historical context is crucial for understanding Bangladesh's national identity and its relationships with neighboring countries. The video emphasizes the country's resilience and its people's fight for self-determination.

💡Ecological Gem

The term 'ecological gem' is used in the video to describe Bangladesh's rich natural environment, which includes fertile soil, diverse flora and fauna, and important ecosystems like the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. This highlights the country's environmental wealth and the importance of conservation efforts to protect these valuable habitats.

💡Floods and Monsoon

Floods and monsoon are natural phenomena that have significant impacts on Bangladesh. The video discusses the annual monsoon season, which brings heavy rainfall and often leads to widespread flooding. This causes extensive damage to property, agriculture, and infrastructure, as well as public health challenges. The discussion underscores the country's vulnerability to climate-related disasters.

💡International Relations

International relations in the context of the video pertain to Bangladesh's diplomatic ties and interactions with other countries. The script mentions Bangladesh's efforts to maintain good relations with various nations and its role as a significant player in South Asian politics and economics. It also touches on the complexities of its relationship with India, including historical support, shared resources, and ongoing disputes.

Highlights

The flag of Bangladesh is a green field with a red circle, slightly offset to the hoist side to appear centered when waving.

The green in the flag represents Bangladesh's lush, fertile interior, while the red symbolizes the sun.

Bangladesh is geographically unique due to its complex system of enclaves and exclaves, including the world's only third-order enclave, Dahala Khagrabari.

Bangladesh shares borders with India and Myanmar and is located along the Bay of Bengal.

The country has over 700 main rivers and is part of the world's largest delta, the Bengal delta.

Bangladesh is known for its fertile land, particularly for growing jute, a plant used to make ropes and burlap.

Cox's Bazar, in Bangladesh, is the world's longest uninterrupted beach, stretching 75 miles.

The Sundarbans, located in Bangladesh, is the largest mangrove forest in the world and the last home of the Bengal tiger.

Bangladesh frequently suffers from natural disasters like tropical storms, floods, and monsoons, which can cause extensive damage to property and crops.

Bangladesh gained independence twice: first from the British Empire and later from Pakistan in 1971.

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with a population of about 160 million people.

The majority of Bangladesh's population is Muslim (86%), followed by Hindus (12%), with small Christian and Buddhist communities.

Bangladesh's economy is heavily supported by the textile industry, with the country producing a large portion of the world's clothing.

The U.S. is Bangladesh's largest aid provider, although Bangladesh has drastically reduced its dependency on foreign aid in recent years.

Bangladesh shares close relations with neighboring countries Bhutan and India, both of which supported Bangladesh during its independence struggle.

Transcripts

Oh, sorry. I'm just headbanging to Bangladesh!!!

It's time to learn Geography NOW!!!

Hey, Peebs. I'm your host, Paul Barbado.

Insert intro thing because I didn't write anything.

Let's dissect the flag.

Now, you have probably have seen this flag before and thought who dipped the flag of Japan in the top of algae.

Well, it's not some green mutated version of Japan's flag.

It's Bangladesh's!!!

Essentially, the flag has a green field and red circle that is not in the centre,

but a little bit offset closer to the hoist side

and the reason for this is to look centered when the flag is waving in the air.

Green represents the lush, fertile, green interior of the land of Bangladesh

and the red represents the Sun.

SIMPLE!!! MOVING ON!!!

Now, this is going to be really fun because

Bangladesh has some of the most confusing territories on the planet.

First of all, the country is located in Asia.

East of India and almost completely surrounded by India

including that narrow, little Siliguri Corridor

or the chicken's neck of India.

A small, but reasonably sized border with Myanmar in the southeast

and the Bay of Bengal located to the south.

The capital and largest city is Dhaka

located in the lower - central region right above the Padma River

and the Ganges delta.

Now, here at Geography Now, one thing we love are enclaves and exclaves

because they are delightfully confusing

and it is with great honour that I present to you

the country with the second most enclaves in the entire world, Bangladesh, right after India.

When you hit the north of Bangladesh in the Rangpur region,

all hell break lose and suddenly you see this huge mess of territories

that are sprinkled around the entire border owned and marked by each side.

It get especially messy when you go to the north of the Teesta River

by the Bengali town of Patgram

and see a small group of over 60 enclaves and exclaves

scattered in a weird, random order that makes no sense.

Many of these enclaves are 1st order and 2nd order enclaves

that's enclaves inside of enclaves

and the world's only 3rd order enclave, Dahala Khagrabari - 51.

A small crop field barely the size of two acres.

This land is a piece of India within Bangladesh within India within Bangladesh.

Talk about inception or Inception ( movie ).

The Dahala Khagrabari - 51 is actually owned by a Bengali farmer

who lives on the Bengali side even though the land kind of belongs to India.

Most of these enclaves are farmlands that were owned by families

mixed in with the area long before the borders were drawn up by the British

which is why some areas don't relict their property to the other country.

The Indian and Bangladeshi governments have announced their intention

to resolve the issue by swapping 162 enclaves

by giving their residents a choice of nationality.

However, the process isn't really moving

and it is kind of stuck in a red tape limbo.

As we'll soon find out, Bangladesh's land is shaped heavily by the landscape and the immense river systems that flow through the entire country

like vital blood streams fostering life to the entire region

and by soon, I mean like right now.

Last time we learned about Bahrain and found out that some countries have a problem getting water.

Well, Bangladesh kind of has the complete opposite problem

and they have too much water.

One thing you have to understand is that

Bangladesh's largest resource is their rivers. In fact,

the Bengal delta is the largest delta in the world

and the country has more trans - boundary rivers than anywhere else at 58.

This means that they share rivers with both India and Myanmar

All together though, Bangladesh has about 700 main rivers. The largest ones being the Padma or better known as the Ganges in India

and the Jamuna or the Brahmaputra.

This is actually pretty impressive considering that Bangladesh is only about half the size of the U.K.

Now, because of all the rivers and the silk deposits,

natural irrigation and land cultivation is amazing.

Bangladesh is an ecological gem.

In fact, some of the most fertile soil in the world is found in Bangladesh

allowing them to grow thousands upon thousands of different crops, plants and orchards.

One thing they are specially known for growing is jute.

Actually, I had no idea what jute was prior to making this video

and then, I found out it's actually the stuff they use to make ropes and burlap.

See, I'm just like one of you. I'm learning.

Bangladesh is generally split up into two different separate regions.

The low - lying flat delta where most of the land is only at ten metres or less above sea level

and the small hilly plains mostly in the north, northeast and southeast by Chittagong.

Speaking of Chittagong, Bangladesh has the world's longest uninterrupted beach in the world,

Cox's Bazar.

This place goes on and on for 75 - ish miles.

However, Bengalis would kind of perfer if you didn't check out the north part by Bhatiari

because it kind of looks a little trashy.

It's a huge ship graveyard where companies all over the world like to dispose of their old ships

where the people of the region can break apart and sell the pieces for profit.

Now, Bangladesh is off course blessed with fertility.

Often villages are buried underneath mango and coconut and jackfruit trees and beautiful forests with an abundance of flora and fauna

such as the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest

which is kind of like the last place where you can find the Bengali tiger.

However, there is a problem.

Bangladesh is kind of subject to terrible, terrible tropical storms almost every year

and sometimes even tornadoes.

On top of that, during annual monsoon season,

the rivers get so swollen, that 2/3 of Bangladesh's 64 districts

typically experience flooding that causes extensive property damage, loss of communication, loss of drinking water, loss of crops and leads to the spread of disease

which eventually leads to death.

It's kind of crazy though because for such an environmentally rich area, the country has to deal with almost equally damaging environmental challenges.

Now, add on top of that, the fact that Bangladesh is incredibly dense in population, let's talk about that.

Bangladesh's people have a very unique story

in that they kind of had to - how can I put this - they had to fight two rounds for two separate different independences.

One of them from the British and the other from Pakistan.

In the shortest, simplest way that I can put this without boring you

and with cute, little motion graphic animations so that you can pay attention and actually learn something,

Bangladesh was for a long time part of the British Empire.

However, after the British left, they separated the region into two states and three regions.

The predominantly Hindu state being India and the predominantly Muslim state being West Pakistan and East Pakistan

which is now known as modern - day Bangladesh.

West Pakistan administered East Pakistan

and the capital of the time was Karachi.

and it was also located in West Pakistan.

Despite the fact that both sides were Muslim, they had very little in common

both culturally and linguistically.

East Pakistan eventually became furious

because they felt as though they were being taken over by Pakistan

and especially angry when Pakistan tried to establish and institute Urdu as the official language

and almost nobody spoke it as everyone there spoke Bengali.

Wars, wars, fighting, fighting, yatta, yatta, they gained their independence in 1971 and joined the U.N.

DONE!!!

Once again let me remind you guys that this is Geography Now not History Now.

Now, as mentioned before,

Bangladesh is very dense in their population.

With a population of about 160 million people.

In fact, if you exclude the city - states like Singapore and Hong Kong.

Although, Hong Kong is technically under Chinese sovereignty,

Bangladesh is most densely populated country in the world and 8th most populous.

The country is predominantly Muslim

and about 86 percent being Sunni or Sufi Muslim

and about 12 percent are Hindu

and the remaining 2 percent being Christian and Buddhist.

Now, surprisingly, they all get along with each other pretty well,

but let's find out who else Bangladesh get along with.

Now, Bangladesh tries to maintain good ties with pretty much every country in the world

and doesn't really typically choose sides when it comes to major world powers.

Nepal is like a tactical friend of Bangladesh and it's mostly based on

strategic agreements.

Nepal does good business and Bangladesh gives them access to the ocean.

The Maldives likes to hire Bengali people for work

especially with their huge tourism sector.

About 40,000 Bengali workers live in the Maldives.

For Sri Lanka, the first king was said to have ancestors from Bangladesh

and the Bengali Buddhist community has sent Sri Lanka a gift from what are legendarily

a few strands of Buddhist hairs

and are worshipped objects on Poya Day, a Buddhist holiday in Sri Lanka.

Now, Myanmar has generally good relations with Bangladesh.

However, there is a little controversy over the Rohingya people.

A Muslim tribe living in the north part of Myanmar

that are being attacked and persecuted by radical extremists, Buddhists living in the area.

That's right. You heard me. Radical extremists, Buddhists. They do exist.

Because of this, the Rohingya people have been flocking to Bangladesh as refugees

which has been causing them more and more drama as an already over - populated and relatively poor country.

The U.S. was and still is the largest aid provider for Bangladesh

and is one of the top trade partners in tech - style.

One thing that Bangladesh is like really good at is making.

I mean have you seen the tags on the back of your shirts.

It might be just from Bangladesh.

However, Bangladesh is doing so well at developing their infrastructure

that they have decreased their aid dependency from 85 percent in 1988 to about 2 percent in 2010.

This is good for both countries.

For the U.K., yes, Bangladesh was part of the former British Empire

and even though they fought for independence and didn't liked the British rule,

the British culture still permeated the Bengali culture over the years

and it is very popular even today.

I mean their favourite sport is cricket, they drive on the left side of the road and English is the second most communally spoken language.

To this day, despite the historical attention, the two countries get along just fine and have strong diplomatic ties.

In terms of their best friends though, they more or less might consider Bhutan and India.

Bhutan, they only have two embassies in their entire country.

One for India and one for Bangladesh.

This is kind of huge as we'll soon find out in a future episode how incredibly isolated Bhutan is.

Bhutan was the second country to recognize Bangladesh as a state

and has decided they want to invest heavily in the country's business.

For India, it's funny because a predominantly Hindu country

defended a Muslim country from another Muslim country.

They were the first to recognize Bangladesh as a state

and supported them in the war against Pakistan.

However, afterwards, they kind of gotten into a few swapples themselves.

Apparently, they didn't realise that after drawing the borders, they had to share like a lot with Bangladesh.

Things started popping up like the enclaves disputes and the Ganges River irrigation drama

and complaints that too many Bengali people were living illegally in India.

However, in the end, they get along pretty well and they are always there to support each other.

In conclusion, Bangladesh is blessed and cursed in so many ways yet no matter what gets thrown in them,

they always stay afloat when the flood comes and when it dries up, they are ready to get right back up and plant those crops all over again.

Stay tuned. Barbados is coming up next!!!

Hey, Peeps. I just want to say thank you for

all the Patreons on Patreon that are helping me and supporting me out

financially so that I can get this series done better.

Especially, a huge thanks to Bryan Rowland. You are the V.I.P. Patreon.

So, thank you so much for that

and uh, yeah guys. Feel free to subscribe just by clicking on this box that I'm in right now and uh,

stay tuned, more Geography Now videos coming up. Thank you!!!