Flora The tropical climate has made the country luxuriant in vegetation.
Its villages are usually marked with groves of banana, coconut, papaya, lemons,
mango, jack-fruit, palm, guava, wood apple, litchi and other trees. Plants like
cucumber and melons grow in plenty in the fields. Numerous varieties of flowers
having a wide range of fragrance, size and color are in abundance all over the country.
Herbs and shrubs grow everywhere and most of the hilly regions are covered with
deep green forests. Varieties of lotus, lilies and other colorful aqua-flowers blossom
in large number in the rivers, lakes, ponds and other water bodies. The national
flower of the country is water lily, which is known as Shapla. The national fruit
is jackfruit, which in Bengali is known as Kathal; and the Mango tree is the national
tree.
FAUNA The majestic Royal Bengal Tiger is the pride of the country's fauna.
This tiger along with crocodiles, dolphins, monkeys, wild boars and several species
of deer such as spotted deer, barking deer and Samber are seen in the Sundarbans
Forest – the largest mangrove forest in the world. Next comes the elephant, found
in the forests of Chittagong Hill Tracts. Among the bovines, buffalo, ox and gayal
(bison) are common. Reptiles like the sea turtle, mud turtle, river tortoise, gecko,python,
rat, crait and cobra are found in the country. Hundreds of species of birds are
found in forests, paddy fields and marshy lands. Numerous varieties of fishes and
crabs - both of sweet and salt water are also found. The Magpie Robin is the National
Bird of the country; it is known as the Doyel in Bengali.
|