Bangladesh is dominated by the Bengal Delta, the largest river delta in the world, which dictates its physical geography, economy, and way of life. The country is crisscrossed by a massive network of over 700 rivers, with the Padma (Ganges), Jamuna (Brahmaputra), and Meghna being the primary arteries. These rivers regularly flood, depositing highly fertile silt that sustains the country's intensive agriculture.
The terrain is overwhelmingly flat and low-lying, with the exception of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the southeast and the Sylhet Hills in the northeast. The southwestern coast is home to the Sundarbans, the world's largest continuous mangrove forest and a UNESCO World Heritage site, which serves as a crucial natural barrier against cyclones.
Natural resources include significant reserves of natural gas, which powers much of the country's industrial and domestic energy needs, as well as smaller deposits of coal, limestone, and hard rock. The fertile arable land itself is perhaps the country's most vital natural asset.