Sundarbans Mangrove Forest is the largest unbroken mangrove forest in the world. This forest is Situated both Bangladesh and West Bengal, India delineating to the seaward of the delta. Sundarban is well-known for its rich biodiversity (both flora and fauna). This mangrove forest is considered the words best mangrove forest for its natural treasure.
The total area of Sundarban is about of 38,500 sq km, however, 1/3 of Sundarbans covers with the marshy canal which spread all across the Sundarban. However, the actual forest area is 10,000 sq km of which all most 6,000 sq km placed I in Bangladesh and the rest in West Bengal, India.
The name of Sundarbans Mangrove Forest originated from “beautiful jungle” or “beautiful forest”, in the Bengali language (Sundar means beautiful” and forest means jungle). The name of the forest might be derived from the Sundari trees which are most common and dominant tree species in Sundarbans. Alternatively, there are also some controversies that the name might come from the term Samudraban or Chandra-bandhe (name of a primitive tribe of that area). However, until now scientists and people believe that the name came from Sundari trees.
The regularly flooded Sundarbans saltwater swamp forests lie island within the mangrove forests. The Sundarbans intersected having a complex network of the tidal canal from the Bay of Bengal, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests. Sundarbans including Sundarban national park declared as UNESCO world heritage site in 1997.
The region is recognized for the eponymous Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris), along with numerous fauna which includes parrots, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes. It’s thought there are around 500 Bengal tigers along with 30,000 spotted deer in the Sundarbans. Sundarban also selected a Ramsar site on May 21, 1992. The fertile soils of Sundarban delta got intensive human use for the last several centuries, this extreme pressure causes the destruction of the natural condition of Sundarban, converting the forest area into agricultural land and shrimp cultivation.
For more information, around 4 million people live around the Sundarban and of whom 32% people depend on the resources of Sundarban mangrove forest directly or indirectly. Over the last several decades because of added pressure on Sundarban mangrove forest Royal Bengal Tiger has been losing its natural habitat and being an endangered species. However, across the Sundarban forest area, Royal Bengal Tigers act as the defensive barrier against the local intruder.