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Bangladesh is a small Asian country off the eastern shoulder of India. This flat, low-lying nation consists mostly of a vast river delta, with a largely marshy jungle along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The country has mild, tropical winters followed by hot, humid summers, with a rainy monsoon season in the late summer and fall.

People in Bangladesh often live on and cultivate flood-prone land, leaving them highly vulnerable to displacement and crop disasters. Nearly half of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the most important crop. Many others have moved into the growing textile industry, which has become the largest manufacturing industry. Most Bangladeshis are Muslims, but Hindus make up a sizable minority. Bengali is the official language, but English is generally spoken in urban areas and used in (higher) education and government.

The area that is now Bangladesh—like India and many of its other neighbours—came under British rule in the 18th century. A mounting clash between Muslims and Hindus led to a nationalistic battle that eventually caused a deep chasm in regional politics. In 1947, British rule came to an end with the creation of Hindu-dominated India and Muslim-dominated Pakistan, of which Bangladesh formed the eastern half. But clashes between Hindus and Muslims continued. On December 16, 1971, Bengali East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan, forming the independent nation of Bangladesh. The new country changed its name to The People's Republic of Bangladesh on January 11, 1972, and became a parliamentary democracy under a constitution. Although its economy has grown rapidly since the late 1990s, political and enviromental instability continues to present serious challenges to its development.