Bangladesh is a country rich in natural resources, such as forests, natural gas, minerals, fisheries, land, water, and animals. Some of the major natural resources of Bangladesh are:
– **Forests**: Bangladesh has about 20% of its land covered by forests, including the largest mangrove forest in the world, the Sundarbans¹. Forests provide timber, fuel, food, and habitat for wildlife.
– **Natural gas**: Bangladesh is the 7th largest natural gas producer in Asia, with 26 gas fields that produce about 2,700 million cubic feet of natural gas daily¹. Natural gas is the main source of energy for the country, accounting for more than 70% of commercial energy consumption¹.
– **Minerals**: Bangladesh has deposits of limestone, coal, china clay, silica, and hard rock, which are used for various industrial purposes². Limestone is mainly used for cement production, coal for power generation, china clay for ceramics, silica for glass, and hard rock for construction².
– **Fisheries**: Bangladesh is one of the leading inland fisheries producers in the world, producing more than 2.8 million tons of fish every year¹. Fisheries contribute to the food security, nutrition, and income of the people, as well as the export earnings of the country¹. Bangladesh has a variety of fish species, including prawns, lobsters, turtles, and mollusks, in its rivers, ponds, lakes, and seas¹.
– **Land**: Bangladesh has one of the most fertile soils in the world, thanks to the alluvial deposits from the rivers that flow through the country¹. Land is the primary resource for agriculture, which is the mainstay of the economy and employs about 60% of the labor force¹. Bangladesh produces rice, wheat, jute, sugarcane, tea, tobacco, and other crops on its land¹.
– **Water**: Bangladesh has abundant water resources, including about 230 rivers, numerous canals, lakes, and wetlands, and a coastline of about 710 km¹. Water is essential for irrigation, drinking, sanitation, navigation, fisheries, and hydroelectricity¹. Bangladesh also has access to groundwater, which is widely used for domestic and agricultural purposes¹.
– **Animals**: Bangladesh has a diverse fauna, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects³. Some of the notable animals found in Bangladesh are the Bengal tiger, the national animal of the country, the Asian elephant, the Ganges dolphin, the Irrawaddy dolphin, the hoolock gibbon, the black giant squirrel, the oriental pied hornbill, and the king cobra³. Animals provide food, leather, wool, and other products, as well as ecological and cultural value³.
These are some of the natural resources found in Bangladesh that support the livelihoods, economy, and environment of the country. 🇧🇩
Source: Conversation with Bing, 19/11/2023
(1) What Are The Major Natural Resources Of Bangladesh?. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-major-natural-resources-of-bangladesh.html.
(2) 8 Natural Resources in Bangladesh – Environment Go!. https://environmentgo.com/natural-resources-in-bangladesh/.
(3) Significant Natural resources of Bangladesh – BD Economy. https://oikosmist.com/natural-resources-bangladesh/.

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