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Sundarbans
सुंदरबन
The world's largest mangrove forest — kingdom of the Royal Bengal tiger
Era
Ancient delta — home to mangroves for millennia
Built by
The great delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra & Meghna
Location
West Bengal (shared with Bangladesh)
Type
Natural Wonders
“Here the land and the sea are one — a green maze of tides and tigers.”
— A tribute to the Sundarbans
The Story
The Sundarbans — 'the beautiful forest' — is the largest mangrove forest on Earth, spread across the delta where the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers pour into the Bay of Bengal. Twice a day, the tide floods the islands; twice a day, it drains away, leaving mud, crabs, and the world's strangest trees on stilts.
It is the kingdom of the Royal Bengal tiger, which here swims between islands and hunts the chital deer of the delta. The forest also shelters estuarine crocodiles, Ganges river dolphins, and hundreds of bird species — a biodiversity hotspot recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The people of the Sundarbans — fishermen, crab collectors, and the famous honey collectors (mouals) who brave tiger attacks for wild honey — have lived with the tides for centuries. But the forest is shrinking and the sea is rising, making it one of the front lines of climate change on Earth.
Core Ideas
Largest Mangroves
10,000 sq km of tidal mangrove forest — the world's biggest.
Tiger Kingdom
The last great stronghold of the Royal Bengal tiger.
UNESCO Heritage
A World Heritage Site and biosphere reserve.
Tide-Turned Land
Islands that flood and empty twice every day.
The Honey Hunters
Mouals who brave the tigers for wild forest honey.
Why it matters today
The Sundarbans is one of the planet's last wild places — a green frontier between river and sea. Its tigers, dolphins, and honey hunters make it a wonder of nature and a warning about the climate to come.