Sundarbans

Sundarbans is a vast tract of forest and saltwater swamp. It forms the lower part of the Ganges Delta, extending about 160 miles along the Bay of Bengal from the Hooghly River Estuary (India) to Meghna River Estuary in Bangladesh. It is a network of estuaries, tidal rivers, and creeks intersected by numerous channels. It encloses flat, marshy island covered with dense forests. The name Sundarbans is perhaps derived from the term meaning 'forest of sundari', a reference to the large mangrove tree that provides valuable fuel. Along the coast the forest passes into a mangrove swamp; the southern region with numerous wild animals and crocodile-infested estuaries are virtually uninhabited. It is one of the last preserves of the Bengal tiger and the site of a tiger preservation project. The cultivated northern area yields rice, sugarcane, timber and betel nuts.