The Sundarbans cover approximately 10,000 sq.km of land and water. The total area of the Bangladesh Sundarbans is 5,771sq.km (almost 62 percent of the total) – the remaining area is in India. The Sundarbans are a part of the world’s largest delta (80,000sq.km) formed by sediments brought down by three great rivers, the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna.

A distinctive feature of the Sundarbans is the intricate network of interconnecting water channels. Some of these channels can exceed a mile in width. The rainfall and humidity are both high. Most of the rainfall is during the Monsoon season from June to October.

It is the world’s largest mangrove forest. It supports a spectacular wildlife both in terms of numbers and variety – though many species are on the verge of extinction.