The
Sundarbans (
Bengali:
সুন্দরবন,
Shundorbôn) is the largest single block of tidal
halophytic mangrove forest in the world.
[1] The name
Sundarban can be literally translated as "beautiful jungle" or "beautiful forest" in the
Bengali language (
Shundor, "beautiful" and
bon, "forest" or "jungle"). The name may have been derived from the
Sundari trees that are found in Sundarbans in large numbers. Alternatively, it has been proposed that the name is a corruption of
Samudraban (
Bengali:
সমুদ্রবন Shomudrobôn "Sea Forest") or
Chandra-bandhe (name of a primitive tribe). But the generally accepted view is the one associated with
Sundari trees.
[1]
The Sundarban forest lies in the vast delta on the
Bay of Bengal formed by the super confluence of the
Padma,
Brahmaputra and
Meghna rivers across Saiyan southern
Bangladesh. The seasonally-flooded
Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests lie inland from the mangrove forests on the coastal fringe. The forest covers 10,000 sq.km. of which about 6,000 are in Bangladesh.
[2] It became inscribed as a
UNESCO world heritage site in 1997. The Sundarbans is estimated to be about 4,110 km², of which about 1,700 km² is occupied by waterbodies in the forms of river, canals and creeks of width varying from a few meters to several kilometers.
The Sundarbans is intersected by a complex network of
tidal waterways,
mudflats and small
islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests. The interconnected network of waterways makes almost every corner of the forest accessible by boat. The area is known for the
eponymous Royal Bengal Tiger (
Panthera tigris tigris), as well as numerous fauna including species of
birds,
spotted deer,
crocodiles and
snakes. The fertile soils of the delta have been subject to intensive human use for centuries, and the ecoregion has been mostly converted to intensive agriculture, with few enclaves of forest remaining. The remaining forests, taken together with the Sundarbans mangroves, are important habitat for the endangered
tiger. Additionally, the Sundarbans serves a crucial function as a protective barrier for the millions of inhabitants in and around
Khulna and
Mongla against the floods that result from the
cyclones. The Sundarbans has also been enlisted among the finalists in the
New7Wonders of Nature.
( From Wikipedia)
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| Big shrimp of Sundarbans |
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| Morning delight |
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| I am waiting |
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| Grass flower |
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| Morning Sunset |
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| Reflection |
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| Boatman |
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| Remnants of a boat |
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| Turning of a river |
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| way to the village |
