Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of Bangladesh in the 16th century; eventually the British came to dominate the region and it became part of British India.

In 1947, West Pakistan and East Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from India (largely Hindu) and jointly became the new country of Pakistan.

East Bengal became East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward arrangement of a two-part country with its territorial units separated by 1,600 km left the Bengalis marginalized and dissatisfied. East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh.

About a third of this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic development.

Capital: Dhaka

Currency: taka (BDT)

Bangladesh is located in Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal. It lies between India and Burma (to the southeast).

The country is comprised of 10,090 square kilometers of water and 133,910 square kilometers of land, for a total area of 144,000 square kilometers -- slightly smaller than Iowa.

The climate of Bangladesh is tropical, with a mild winter (October to March), a hot humid summer (March to June), and a humid warm raindy monsoon season (June to October).

Bangladesh's natural resources include natural gas, arable land, timber, and coal.

Most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal.

Bangladeshis are predominently Bengali (98%), with the other 2% being tribal groups and other non-Bengali Muslims.

Muslims are the dominant religion (83%); only 16% of Bangladeshis are Hindu.

The official language is Bangla (also known as Bengali), but English is also a popular language. 

The flag of Bangladesh has green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center.

The red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence.

The green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh.