Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of
Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country
in the world, with a population exceeding 163 million people in an area of
either 148,460 square kilometres (57,320 sq mi) or 147,570 square kilometres
(56,980 sq mi), making it one of the most densely populated countries in the
world. Bangladesh shares land borders with India to the west, north, and east,
Myanmar to the southeast, and the Bay of Bengal to the south. It is narrowly
separated from Nepal and Bhutan by the Siliguri Corridor; and from China by the
Indian state of Sikkim in the north, respectively. Dhaka, the capital and
largest city, is the nation's economic, political, and cultural hub.
Chittagong, the largest seaport, is the second-largest city.
Salah satu destinasi wisata Banglades yang wajib
Asian Destinations Readers kunjungi adalah St. Martin Island. St. Martin's
Island is a small island (area only 3 km2) in the
northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the
Cox's Bazar-Teknaf peninsula, and forming the southernmost part of Bangladesh.
There is a small adjoining island that is separated at high tide, called Chera
Dwip. It is about 8 kilometres (5 miles) west of the northwest coast of
Myanmar, at the mouth of the Naf River.
Millennia ago, the island used to be an
extension of the Teknaf peninsula, but at a later time some portion of this
peninsula got submerged and thus the southernmost part of the aforementioned
peninsula became an island, and was disconnected from the Bangladesh mainland.
The first settlement started 250 years ago, in 18th century, by Arabian
merchants who named the island 'Jazira'. During British occupation the island
was named after the then Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Mr. Martin as St.
Martin Island. Likely because one or more of the Arabs were Saint and whose
name could not be identified. Local names of the island are "Narikel
jinjira" which means 'Coconut Island', and "Daruchini Dwip"
which means "Cinnamon island". It is the only coral island in Bangladesh.
Most of the island's approximately 3,700
inhabitants live primarily from fishing. The other staple crops are rice and
coconut. Being very common on the island, algae are collected, dried, and
exported to Myanmar. Between October and April, the fishermen from neighboring
areas bring their caught fishes to the island's temporary wholesale market.
However, imports of chicken, meat and other foods come in from the mainland
Bangladesh and Myanmar. As the centre and the south are mainly farmland and makeshift
huts, most of the permanent structures are around the far north.
During the rainy season, because of the
dangerous conditions on the Bay of Bengal, the inhabitants have no scope to go
to the mainland (Teknaf) and their life can become dangerous. There is a
hospital on the island, but in the past there has often been no doctor.
A research by the Department of Environment
(DoE), with the assistance of the UNDP, mentions that the island has a number
of eco-systems, coral rich areas, mangroves, lagoons and stony areas. The
island is a safe haven to various species of fauna. The presence of 153 species
of sea weeds, 66 species of coral, 187 species of oysters, 240 species of fish,
120 species of birds, 29 species of reptiles and 29 species of mammals were recorded
at the St Martin's Island in 2010.
S.I. Paul et al. (2021) collected 9 species of
marine sponges (phylum: Porifera) from the Saint Martin's Island. These are:
Niphates erecta, Mycale macilenta, Plakortis dariae, Cliona celata, Cliona
carteri, Cliona viridis, Haliclona rosea, Haliclona oculata, and Hemimycale
columella. Marine sponges and their associated microbes produce an enormous
array of antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive,
antibiotic, and other bioactive molecules
The only way to reach St. Martin's Island is by
water transportation: boats and ships (mostly for tourists) from Cox Bazar and
Teknaf. The only internal transport for island is non motorized van (pulled by
man.) The roads are made of concrete, and their condition are decent. All the
hotels run generators until 11 PM which are not allowed afterwards, so they
then rely on solar power, which is popular throughout the island. There is no
electricity supply from the national grid since a hurricane in 1991. During the
day, it comes alive with water and beach sports, with beach parties and
bonfires.
Martin's Island has become a tourist spot, and
five shipping liners run daily trips to the island. Tourists can book their
trip either from Chittagong or from Cox's Bazar. The surrounding coral reef has
an extension named Chera Dwip. A small bush is there, which is the only green
part. People do not live on this part, so it is advisable for the tourists to
go there early and come back by afternoon.
A number of efforts have been proposed to
preserve the several endangered species of turtles that nest on the island, as
well as the corals, some of which are found only on Narikel Jinjira.[citation
needed] Pieces of the coral reef are being removed to be sold to tourists.
Nesting turtles are sometimes taken for food, and their hatchlings are often
distracted by the twinkling lights along the beach. Fish, a few recently
discovered, are being overfished. Every year the fishermen must venture further
out to sea to get their catch. Most of them use motorless boats.
It is possible to walk around the island in a
day because it measures only 8 km2 (3 sq. mile), shrinking to about 5 km2 (2 sq. mi) during high tide. The island exists only because of its coral
base, so removal of that coral risks erosion of the beach.[citation needed]
St. Martin's lost 70% of its coral reef between
1980 and 2018 due to anthropogenic factors.
The best weather is usually between November and
February; this is the major tourist season. Between March and July, cyclones
can strike. The island was devastated by a cyclone in 1991 but has fully
recovered, and was untouched by the 2004 tsunami. March to July is off-season
for tourists.
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Martin%27s_Island
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh
Comments
Post a Comment