Geography Notes
Lecture 1
What is actually geography is?
• Geography is a spatial science where "spatial" refers to anything related to space,
location, or the arrangement of things on the Earth's surface.
• Spatial behavior of people – we mean how people behave in di erent places, such as
where they live, work, or migrate.
• Spatial relationships between places – we’re talking about how locations are connected
or in uence each other, like how cities are linked by roads or trade routes.
• Spatial processes – refers to natural or human activities that shape the distribution and
organization of things in space, such as urbanization, deforestation, or transportation
networks.
knowing one isolated geographical fact does not
mean there
is geographical understanding!
Mount Everest is the highest mountain at 8,850 meters" — is not real geographical
understanding.
Real understanding means asking deeper questions, like:
• Why is Mount Everest the highest?
• How was it formed? (for example, because of tectonic plates pushing together)
• How does Everest a ect the people and countries around it?
Does it cause problems like oods?
Does it help supply water to rivers?
Does it a ect political borders and security?
In simple words:
Geography is not just about remembering facts — it's about understanding how nature and
human life are connected.
It's about seeing the bigger picture — how mountains, rivers, climate, and people all a ect
each other.
When we connect physical features like Everest to human activities and natural processes,
then we truly understand geography.
Geographical Skills for Geographical Understanding
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Geography is not just about knowing places or facts — it’s about asking good questions to
really understand the world around us.
We need to ask questions like:
• Where?
➔ Where are things located?
➔ For example: Where are most farms found in Singapore?
(Maybe they are near water or on land that's good for farming.)
• Why?
➔ Why do things happen in certain places?
➔ For example: Why does rain fall in some areas more than others?
(It might be because of mountains, winds, or oceans nearby.)
• What?
➔ What is happening in the environment or society?
➔ For example: What is causing more oods today?
(It could be climate change, poor drainage, or deforestation.)
• How?
➔ How do processes work or a ect people?
➔ For example: How do volcanoes form?
(They form when molten rock called magma rises through cracks in the Earth’s surface.)
• When?
➔ When will something happen or change?
➔ For example: When will we run out of important resources like water or oil?
(This depends on how fast we use them and how well we nd new solutions.)
In short:
To truly understand geography, we must ask smart questions about places, events, and
processes.
This helps us see not just what is happening, but also why and how it happens — and what
it means for people and the planet.
Generally, there are 2 broad divisions of Geography
Physical Geography is the branch of geography that focuses
on the natural environment of the Earth.
Here’s a breakdown of what you mentioned:
• Study of physical features of the Earth: This includes landforms (like mountains, valleys,
plains), bodies of water (rivers, oceans), climate, weather patterns, soils, and vegetation.
• Describes distribution: It examines where these physical features are located across the
Earth's surface.
• Processes leading to their formation: It also looks at how these features were formed and
continue to change over time, through natural processes like volcanism, erosion,
weathering, plate tectonics, and glaciation.
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Human Geography focuses on the human-created aspects of
the world and how people interact with their environment.
Here's a breakdown of your points:
• Study of human landscape: Looks at cities, roads, farms, buildings, and all spaces
shaped by humans.
• Describes and explains patterns of human features and activities: This includes things
like population distribution, migration, culture, language, religion, and economic
activities.
• Examines relationships between humans and their environment: How humans adapt to,
depend on, and modify their surroundings (e.g., building dams, farming in deserts).
THE FIVE THEMES/ Aspects OF GEOGRAPHY
1.Location
2.Place
3.Human-Environment Interaction
4.Movement
5.Regions
Theme: Location – "Where is it?" & "Why is it there?"
1. Absolute Location
De nition: The exact spot on Earth using latitude and
longitude or a speci c address. (Latitude and longitude are
an essential coordinate system used to determine and
describe the position of any place on Earth's surface)
• Examples:
Paris, France: 48°N, 2°E
The White House: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave
University of Dhaka (DU): 23°43′59″N, 90°23′28″E
Bangladesh: Between 20°34′N – 26°38′N latitude and 88°01′E – 92°41′E longitude
2. Relative Location
• De nition: Describes where something is in relation to other places.
• Keywords: Near, far, next to, a short drive from, north of, etc.
• Examples:
Dhaka is north of the Bay of Bengal
The DU campus is near Shahbagh, close to Ramna Park
Cox’s Bazar is south-east of Dhaka
Theme 2: PLACE – “What is it like?”
Place refers to the physical and human characteristics that make a location unique or
distinctive.
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Human Characteristics – What people add to a place
• Man-made structures: Bridges, roads, buildings
• Cultural features: Language, religion, beliefs, traditions
• Social structures: Governments, economic systems
• Lifestyle and habits: Clothing, food, music, festivals
Example:
• Old Dhaka is known for its narrow streets, Mughal architecture, spicy food (like biriyani),
and vibrant culture.
• Paris is known for its French language, cafés, historic buildings like the Ei el Tower, and
art culture.
Theme 3: Human-Environment Interaction – “How do people and the environment a ect
each other?”
This theme explores the dynamic relationship between humans and the environment. It can
be broken into three key types of interaction:
1. Depend on the Environment
• Humans rely on natural resources to survive and thrive.
• Examples:
Using rivers for water, shing, and transportation
Relying on soil for agriculture
Depending on sunlight and wind for energy
2. Adapt to the Environment
• People change their behavior or lifestyle to suit the natural conditions.
• Examples:
Wearing warm clothes in winter and light clothes in summer
Building houses on stilts in ood-prone areas
Using umbrellas or raincoats during monsoon season
3. Modify the Environment
• Humans change the environment to meet their needs — sometimes for better, sometimes
with negative e ects.
• Examples:
Cutting down forests for farmland or cities
Building dams, bridges, and roads
Heating or air-conditioning buildings
Theme 4: Movement – “How do people, products, and ideas move from one place to
another?”
Movement is all about connections and interactions across distances — locally, nationally,
and globally.
Movement of People
• How people travel or migrate from one place to another.
• Examples:
Cars, buses, trains, planes
Migration (e.g., rural to urban), tourism, daily commuting
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Movement of Products
• How goods and services are transported.
• Examples:
Trade via ships, trucks, trains, and planes
Exporting garments from Bangladesh to Europe
Delivery services like couriers, e-commerce (e.g., Daraz)
Movement of Information/Ideas
• How thoughts, trends, and messages spread.
• Examples:
Phones, emails, social media
TV, radio, newspapers, books
Cultural di usion like K-pop, fashion trends, memes
Theme 5: Regions – “What are regions and why do
they matter?”
Regions are areas of the Earth that share common characteristics, making it easier for
geographers to organize and understand spatial information.
What is a Region?
• A region is any area that is grouped together based on shared features—either physical or
human.
Types of Regions:
1. Physical Regions
De ned by natural features like climate, landforms, vegetation
Examples: The Himalayan mountain region, the Amazon rainforest, the Sundarbans
1. Human (Cultural/Political/Economic) Regions
Based on human traits like language, religion, industry, politics
Examples: Latin America, the European Union, Muslim World, South Asia
1. Functional Regions
Organized around a central hub or function
Examples: A metropolitan area (like Dhaka city), a newspaper delivery area, a
transportation network
Why Are Regions Useful?
• Help geographers and researchers simplify and analyze complex data
• Aid in comparison, study, and decision-making
• Useful for planning, policy-making, and education
Elements That A ect Travel
1. Land
• Hills, mountains, deserts, and forests can make travel harder or slower.
• Flat land is easier for roads, cars, and trains.
• Example: It's easier to build highways in at areas than in the hills of Chattogram.
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2. Time Zones
• The Earth is divided into di erent time zones, so when it’s morning in Bangladesh, it might
be night in the USA.
• Travelers must adjust their schedules and may face jet lag if ying long distances.
3. Water
• Oceans, rivers, and lakes can block direct travel unless there are bridges, boats, or ferries.
• Example: You need a ferry to travel to some islands in the Bay of Bengal.
4. Weather
• Rain, fog, storms, snow, and strong winds can delay or cancel travel.
• Bad weather can a ect planes, ships, and even road travel.
• Example: Flights may be delayed during heavy rain or thunderstorms in Dhaka.
Lecture 4
HYDROGRAPHY
WATER REGIME
Bangladesh is a country that has a lot of water. Every year, huge amounts of water ow into
the country, mostly from rivers coming from India.
Here's a breakdown of where the water comes from
and where it goes:
• Water from India: Around 870 million acre-feet (MAF) of water ows into Bangladesh from
Indian rivers every year.
• Rainfall inside Bangladesh: The country also gets about 203 MAF of water from rain every
year.
So in total, Bangladesh gets a huge amount of water each year from both rivers and rain.
But not all of this water stays:
• 120 MAF of water is lost because of things like evaporation (water turning into vapor) and
evapotranspiration(plants releasing water into the air).
• The rest of the water — about 953 MAF — ows out into the sea.
Here’s how that water leaves:
• 914 MAF ows out through the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, which covers most of
Bangladesh.
• 39 MAF ows out through the Chittagong and eastern Noakhali areas in the southeast.
In ow Variability Across the Year
• August in ow (~195.5 MAF) is 7x higher than February (~14.7 MAF).
• Strong correlation with heavy monsoon rainfall.
•The monsoon season brings heavy rainfall, not just in Bangladesh but
also in places like Assam, Bhutan, and the Himalayan regions of
Nepal.
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TISTA
• Before 1787, the Tista River was the most important river in the northern part of
Bangladesh.
• But over time, changes in the Barind region’s land structure reduced the river’s water ow.
What happened in 1787?
• In 1787, a massive ood caused a huge amount of sand to block the Atrai River.
• On August 27, 1787, the Tista River suddenly changed its path and started owing into
the Ghaghat River.
• This unexpected shift caused a disaster — about one-sixth of Rangpur’s population died
due to the ood.
What was the result?
• The frequent changes in the river’s path left behind stagnant, unused river channels, which
are now called:
Mara Tista – meaning "Dead Tista"
Buri Tista – meaning "Old Tista"
Characteristics of Tista River
• Length: ~110 miles within Bangladesh.
• Width: 300-600 yards.
• Joins the Brahmaputra near Chilmari.
• Danger Level: 164 feet.
• Discharge: Minimum: 4,000 cusecs & Maximum: 35,000 cusecs.
Mythology of Tista
• Derived from Sanskrit Tristrota ("Three Currents").
• In Hindu mythology, ows from the breasts of goddess Parbati.
DHARLA RIVER
• The river starts out with di erent names (Jaldbaka or Singimari) but is called the Dharla River
once it ows into the Rangpur region.
• What the river is like:
During the rainy season, it's fast and strong.
In winter, the river becomes calm and splits into many small streams with clear water (this
is called a braided stream).
Its banks (edges) are low and gently sloping, which makes it easy for the river to change
its path over time.
• Important Event:
In 1947, the Dharla River ooded the whole town of Kurigram.
• Tributary (a smaller river that joins it):
The Nilkumar River is a tributary of the Dharla. It used to be a larger river in the past.
Karatoa River
• History:
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Long ago, the Karatoa was a main branch of the Teesta River, and it might have been
connected to the Brahmaputra River too.
In 1115 A.D., during Bakhtiar Khilji’s invasion, it was said to be bigger than the Ganges
River!
The river was once holy for Hindus.
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Its name comes from two words:
"Kar" (hand) and "Toa" (writer),
referring to a myth about Shiva and Parbati’s marriage.
• What Happened to It:
After a big ood in 1820, the river lost a lot of its water and power.
Now, the old riverbanks are a mile apart, showing how big it used to be.
Because of earth movements (tectonic shifts) and more oods, the river got split into
four smaller parts:
1.Dinajpur Karatoa
2.Rangpur Karatoa
3. Bogra Karatoa
4. Pabna Karatoa
Atrai River
• Where It Starts:
Begins in the Dinajpur Karatoa River.
It's called the Atrai River from Khansama Thana (a local area).
• Flow Path:
The river splits into two branches:
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Gabura (goes west)
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Kankra (goes east)
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• Tributaries:
Gets water from small streams in the Barind region.
The oodplain (the area that oods during rainy season) is about 2 miles wide.
• During Rainy Season:
It creates a huge sheet of water called Failam, especially near Chalan Bil (a large
wetland).
• Where It Ends Up:
The river eventually ows into the Jamuna River, through this chain:
Atrai Gumani Baral Hurasagar Jamuna
Mahananda River – Simple Facts
Where It Starts:
The Mahananda River starts from Mahaldiram Hill in Darjeeling, India.
Where It Flows:
• It ows into Bangladesh.
• It forms the western border of Bangladesh near Tetulia and Ranishankoil.
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How It Looks and Flows:
• The riverbanks (sides) change – some parts are steep, others are gentle.
• It is 300 to 600 yards wide and has a deep center channel for water ow.
Season What Happens
Rainy Season Water rises over 20 feet quickly.
Huge oods can carry over 100,000 cusecs
of water.
Winter Water ow drops to just a few hundred
cusecs.
Bangali
• The Bangali River is a busy network of rivers and channels.
• It links several big rivers like Jamuna, Karatoa, and Hurasagar.
• It receives water from other rivers and splits into many smaller rivers.
• It plays a big role in water ow and oods in northern Bangladesh.
•
Brahmaputra-Jamuna River (Central-North
Bangladesh)
• It is the second largest river in Bangladesh.
• The river has a braided shape, meaning it splits into many small channels with islands
(chars) in between.
• Its width is usually 2 to 4 miles, but at Kurigram Thana, it becomes very wide — about 7
miles across, with 4 channels and 3 islands.
• During the rainy season, it carries a huge amount of water — about 1.4 million cubic feet
per second (cusecs).
Dholeshori River
• Dholeshori is a branch of Jamuna, starting near Tangail.
• It connects with several rivers before ending in the Meghna.
• Along the way, it meets two more rivers:
Kaliganga (from the south)
Buriganga (from the north)
• It’s an important link in Bangladesh’s river network, even though it disappears into a larger
river at the end.
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Surma-Meghna River
• The Surma-Meghna system starts in India and spreads into Bangladesh.
• It causes seasonal ooding in Haor areas.
• The Meghna becomes massive after merging with the Ganges and Brahmaputra-Jamuna.
• Upper Meghna (from Kuliarchar to Shaitnol):
• Smaller in size and volume.
• Lower Meghna (after Shaitnol):
• Much larger because it receives water from two major rivers:
Ganges
Brahmaputra-Jamuna
• It’s one of the most important rivers in Bangladesh’s river network.
Important Tributaries of Meghna:
• Gumti
• Howrah
• Kagni
• And several others
Ganges River
• The Ganges is a long, powerful, and sacred river.
• It carries huge amounts of water, especially during the monsoon.
• It has many important side rivers ( Mahananda River, Baral, Bhairab and Mathabhanga)
that help spread water in Bangladesh.
• It plays a major role in religion, agriculture, and ood control.
• Length to Goalundo (Bangladesh): 1370 miles
• Drainage area: 377,400 square miles (up to Goalundo)
Padma River
• The Padma River forms at Goalundo, where two major rivers — the Ganges and Jamuna
— join together.
• Length: About 75 miles
• Width: Between 2.5 to 3.5 miles — very wide
• Distributaries (Branches): Faridpur Khal, Arial Khan and other small branches
• It merges with the Meghna River, continuing as Lower Meghna toward the Bay of Bengal.
1. Lakes
• What they are: Large, naturally formed water bodies; usually deep.
• Formed by: Geological faulting (movement in Earth’s crust).
• Uses: Fishing, irrigation, and tourism.
• Examples:
Rinkhyongkine Lake – Southeast Hill Tracts
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Bogakine Lake – Near Keokradong Peak
Ahshula Bil – Eastern Barind
Kaptai Lake – Man-made (largest reservoir in Bangladesh)
2. Bils
• What they are: Shallow, marshy depressions (saucer-shaped) that ood in the rainy
season.
• Formed by: Rainwater runo and river over ow.
• Types:
Seasonal Bils: Dry up in dry season.
Perennial Bils: Have water all year.
• Examples:
Chalan Bil – Largest bil in Bangladesh
Arial Bil – Between Kaliganga and Padma
Raktadaha Bil – In Bogra
Chatal, Bar, Hailka Bils – Sylhet area
3. Baors
• What they are: U-shaped lakes made from abandoned meanders of rivers.
• Location: Mostly found in the moribund delta (old delta region).
• Water: More stagnant than bils; always present.
• Examples:
Sagardari, Jaleshwor, Bokor, Rampur, Jogini, Baluhar Baors
4. Haors
• What they are: Large bowl-shaped oodplains.
• Behavior: Fill with water in monsoon—become large lakes.
• Importance:
Great for sh breeding
Main area for Boro rice cultivation
Rich in biodiversity
• Examples:
Hakaluki Haor – Largest in Bangladesh
Tangua Haor – In Sunamganj
Hail Haor – In Moulvibazar
Makalkandi Haor – In Sylhet
Economic & Ecological Importance
Fishing Industry
• Bils and Haors provide 50% of inland sh in Bangladesh.
Agriculture
• Haors are important for Boro rice farming.
Tourism
• Lakes like Kaptai and haors like Tangua attract tourists.
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Biodiversity
• Home to migratory birds, wetland species, and local sh.
Challenges
• Siltation (mud build-up) reducing water depth.
• Unplanned urban growth damaging ecosystems.
• Pollution from farming and factories.
• Climate change causing irregular oods.
Conservation Measures
• Wetland restoration projects.
• Regulated shing to protect sh populations.
• Planting trees around wetland areas.
• Eco-tourism to balance nature and tourism.
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