Location: Zia Airport in Dhaka, Biman Airlines.

(Virtual Bangladesh).

The Zia Airport in Dhaka serves as the main Airport in Bangladesh. There are over 15 major airlines affliated with Zia Airport. The Airport provides flights to all the major cities of the region. These cities include: Calcutta, New Dehli, Bangkok, Bombay, Kathmandu, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Zia also provides flights to some distant European cities and elsewhere. International flights are relatively cheap, but it is suggested that a person interested in booking a flight should book it early, as it is often crowded.

(Epbbd).

Biman (Bangladesh's National Airline) is equipped with four DC 10-30, two ATP and Fokker Jets and two airbuses that connect thirty-eight important cities of Asia, Europe, America and Africa and seven important cities and towns (Epbbd).

Place: Tribal life, Rural life.

(Peace Magazine).

The lives of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts are largely based on tradition and the practices of the particular tribe. The families are matriarchal and the females are the main workforce of the tribes. The majority of tribes are hindu or buddhist. Each tribe has their own dialect and their own dress code, their own traditions. Tribal women are highly efficient, making their own food and their own clothing; they are skilled in making beautiful handcrafts.

(Webshots).

Life in rural Bangladesh consists mainly of farming; 3/5ths of the population are involved in farming. Tea and Jute are their two main exports. Agriculture employs about 60% of the workforce and it makes up about 30% of the country's GDP. Other main crops are: Rice, Sugarcane, Potato, Pulses, Wheat, and Tobacco.

Human/Environment Relations: Arsenic in wells, Flooding.

(Webshots).

Cholera used to run rampant in Bangladesh; however Aid agencies like the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) built wells throughout Bangladesh to help provide safe sources of drinking water. It was discovered in 1990 that there was arsenic in the wells, a naturally occurring poison in Bangladesh's soils; in order to combat this problem in 1998 the World Bank granted Bangladesh $32.4 million credit to find the contaminated wells and to approach different methods of obtaining safe drinking water. About 30 % of the tested wells contained arsenic within in them; the main problem with the arsenic poisoning is that there is no access to proper health facilities in the rural areas of Bangladesh (therefore it is hard to get people treated) (MSN Encarta).

(Ennonline).

The tropical monsoon climate of the country is also a major environmental problem that affects the people of Bangladesh. Monsoons often cause much destruction as well as mass flooding. On the third of July this year, Bangladesh and India were suffering the typical flooding from monsoon rains; they lost seventy lives and the flooding left over a million people stranded (Enn News). For example, in the month of November, 1970, a cyclone struck Bangladesh causing the lives of 500,000 people to be lost. Tornadoes, (also associated with the Monsoon season) can cause massive destructive in Bangladesh as well.

Movement: Rivers, rickshaws.

(Comnet).

There are over 5,000 miles of navigable waterways in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) has main control over inland transport; one of the things they operate are car ferries. Another well known source of transportation in Bangladesh is "the Rocket" from Dhaka to southern parts Bangladesh; the ships on this route are original paddle steamers (Virtual Bangladesh).

(Webshots).

One of the ways to get around Bangladesh--especially within urban areas--is the rickshaw. The richshaw is basically a bicycle with one or two person carriage attached on the back. The are popular in Bangladesh as many people do not have cars and the roads are not in the best of conditions. Overall, they are a very effective mode of transportation in Dhaka and the other cities. (Virtual Bangladesh).

Region: Tribes and Religion.

Quilla Masque (Galenfrysinger).

About 88% of Bangladeshis are muslim, making it the main religion. The muslim Bangladeshis are mainly of the Sunni sect. The remainder of the population is either hindu or follow indigenous beliefs (Discovery Bangladesh).

The house of a Chakma tribe family (Galenfrysinger).

About 98% of the population are Bengali, the descendants of Indo-Aryans, whom migrated from the west thousands of years ago. The main remaining group is the Biharis and other ethnic tribes. The Biharis is a group of non-Bengali muslims whom migrated from India after 1947 partition. Some of the ethnic tribes include: The Chakmas, the Marmas, the Tripuras, the Garos, the Khasis and the Santals. The largest tribal group within Bangladesh are the Chakmas, the largest South Asian tribe, combined with other places they live, are the Santals (MSN Encarta).

Ties to neighboring countries: India, Pakistan.

(Virtual Bangladesh).

On March 25th in 1970, Pakistan cracked down on Bangladesh and began what came to be known as "the liberation war." The number of Bangladeshis massacred in the war ranges from 1-3 million. This onslaught did not halt until India stepped in to support Bangladesh in its fight for independence. In late November of 1971, India and Bangladesh marched together to confront Pakistan's troops. With India's aid, Bangladesh was able to overcome Pakistani forces and they became an independent nation (Virtual Bangladesh). As of now, they are trying their best to maintain peaceful relations with all surrounding countries, including Pakistan (Discovery Bangladesh).

(Heritage-flag).