Bangladesh. Rivers and rich soil. The struggle for independence. Early beginnings

Bangladesh, an independent nation since 1971, is almost completely surrounded on three sides by the northeast part of India. Myanmar touches Bangladesh's southwest coast, and its south coast opens to the Bay of Bengal, which is the northern part of the Indian Ocean.

Rivers and rich soil. Bangladesh has some of the richest, most fertile soil in the world. Most of the country consists of an alluvial plain, which is land formed from soil left by rivers.

Three major rivers —the Brahmaputra, the Ganges, and the Meghna—flow through Bangladesh and into the Bay of Bengal. Another of the country's rivers, the Padma, is a branch of the Ganges. The Padma River begins where the Ganges meets the Jamuna River. It then flows 78 miles (126 kilometers) to join the Meghna River at Chandpur.

During the rainy season, the rivers of Bangladesh overflow and deposit sediment along their banks. The built-up soil deposits form the Ganges Delta.

Rice, the country's main source of food, and jute, a plant whose fibers are made into string or woven into cloth, thrive in the wet delta region. They are two of the country's most important crops. Bangladesh, in fact, is one of the world's leading rice producers.

The rivers that provide Bangladesh's rich soil begin high in the Himalaya. However, the clearing of forests on the mountains causes much of the region's soil to wash down the slopes. As a result, sediment builds up in the riverbeds. When the snow melts in the mountains and the monsoon rains arrive, the rivers cannot contain the extra water. The rivers then overflow and flood the surrounding countryside.

The struggle for independence. Bangladesh was formerly part of Pakistan, which was established in 1947 when India became independent. Because of the fighting between India's Hindus and Muslims under British rule, Indian and British leaders decided to divide India into two countries. India became the Hindu nation, and Pakistan became the Muslim nation.

Pakistan was further divided into West Pakistan, on India's northwest border, and East Pakistan, on India's northeast border. Unfortunately, the two areas had little in common except their religion.

Through the years, East Pakistanis became dissatisfied with the government of Pakistan. In 1971, fighting broke out. That same year, East Pakistan declared its independence from West Pakistan and became the nation of Bangladesh.

Early beginnings. The country that is now often called the poorest of the poor was once a busy and successful commercial center.

Bangladesh is part of the region known as Bengal, which also includes the Indian state of West Bengal. In the 1500's, European traders following the traditional Indian Ocean routes came to Bengal. There they found a rich land dotted with many small commercial centers. At the heart of these centers was a busy handloom weaving industry that produced high-quality textiles.

The Europeans were also interested in Bengal's many rivers. Because they led deep into the country's interior, the rivers were ideal for transporting goods.

By the early 1700's, the Mogul Empire, which ruled Bengal at the time, had grown steadily weaker. Soon, the British East India Company became the most powerful force in Bengal.

The British then decided to move their center of operations to Calcutta in West Bengal. This move proved to be a fateful turn of events for the region as commercial interests and investment money moved steadily westward.

At the same time, the Industrial Revolution in Europe brought mechanization to Britain's own textile industry. Textile exports from Bengal were discouraged, and British-made goods flooded the region.

Bengal's craft industries were completely ruined and its trade and commerce collapsed. As a result, the region became a purely agricultural society during the 1800's, with few opportunities for development.