A series of maps helps put Bangladesh’s situation into perspective. First, it is dominated by India, surrounded on three sides and heavily under Indian political and economic influence. Include a map of South and Southeast Asia, a physical map of Bangladesh, and maps with the towns, rivers, amount of rainfall, population density, and transportation network. This will help show the precarious situation Bangladesh has, with low-lying areas subject to flooding, with all usable space utilized.

2.  Bangladesh in mental maps

We need to generate two kinds of mental maps: American mental maps of Bangladesh; and Bangla mental maps of Bangladesh. The first can be accomplished by asking students in American schools and colleges to draw a map showing how Bangladesh is structured and where it is. The second can be accomplished by doing the same with students in Bangladesh.

The position of Bangladesh can be shown with a series of maps of flows, among them maps of: 1) the movement of the tectonic plates in the region; 2) the movement of storms in the region; 3) the flow of the rivers into and through Bangladesh; 4) migration of people from the countryside to the cities of Bangladesh; 5) emigration and immigration; 6) economic flows.

The world’s most densely populated country, Bangladesh is dominated culturally by Islam and the Bengali language. A poor country subject to frequent environmental catastrophes, it is low-lying and flood prone. Hampered by corruption and low levels of human development, it is experiencing economic growth fueled by entry into the digital economy at one extreme and micro-credit at the other.

In terms of culture realms, Bangladesh is part of South Asia, along with India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. With its own borders Bangladesh has regions readily defined by physical units, areas of urban influence, and types of livelihood.

As is usually the case, Bangladesh has its national myths that help give the country a sense of nationhood and differentiate it from other places. The partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 differentiated largely Hindu India from Muslim Bangladesh, just as the political secession of Bangladesh differentiated this largely Bengal and humidi country from the largely Urdu and arid Pakistan west of India. The way history is taught, national media, and such icons of Bangla identity as a flag, an anthem and sports teams help solidify the national identity. Globally Bangladesh has a reputation, to the extent that it has any reputation at all, as a poor, backward country.

Bangladesh is a humid country dominated by the push of storms and the flow of rivers. Monsoon rains, large rivers and cyclones all bring water to this greenest and wettest of countries.

With a several thousand year history of agriculture, the ecosystems of Bangladesh reflect sustained human influence. Nevertheless, distinct ecosystems exist, among them both active and moribund river delta areas, mangrove swamps, flood plains, tropical plateaus, and a limited area of tropical rainforest.

Several aspects of Bangladesh’s population deserve attention, beginning with its rank among the world’s largest countries. Population pyramids should how young the population still is with substantial potential for continued growth in total numbers even as average family size comes down. Rural population density is very high, and Dhaka is one of the largest cities in the world, continuing to grow both because of natural increase and rural to urban migration

Bangladesh is a mainly Muslim country dominated by a single language, Bangal or Bengali. Tribal peoples dominant isolated areas. Hindu minority of 15%..

A sizable number of people are still involved in farming, including what really amounts of subsistence. Exports include textiles and textile products. Solid economic growth with a growing disparity between those part of the digital economy and those not.

Bangladesh is a country of villages. Rural people live in villages rather than individual farmsteads. It has a well-developed urban hierarchy from Dhaka through regional centers to market towns and villages.

Bangladesh came to be as a consequence of several political processes, including British colonialism, the partition of Indian and Pakistan, and finally the secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan. Internal subdivisions? Bangladesh has a parliamentary democracy but is plagued by corruption. Public education is supplemented by private schools for those who can afford it. Broadcast media were controlled by the government, but with the development of cable and satellite other sources are available.

Most of the surface of Bangladesh has been used for growing crops. Much of the rest has been deforested or reforested. Dams within and near Bangladesh have altered the flow of many of the rivers. Bangladesh has few places not transformed by human action.

The movement of storms and water dominate life in Bangladesh. People take these physical systems into consideration when they decide what to build where, what to grow when, and how to provide protection for themselves.

With population pressure, farmland has become increasingly prized in Bangladesh. Other resources with changing roles?

Bangladesh has been settled and farmed through a rice system for millennia. Ruins of past cultures remain in a number of places, but much of the landscape is in intensive use.

Maps, spatial distributions and the use of the five themes of geography help us understand the contemporary situation in Bangladesh. Understanding physical and human processes help us understand the change that is occurring in Bangladesh as well as alternative futures that the people of Bangladesh could consider.