Bangladesh is a country in the continent of Asia. It is surrounded by India to the west, north and northeast. Myanmar lies to the southeast. Bangladesh is prone to monsoon flooding and cyclones due to its distinctive geographic make up. The country is almost entirely flat and is dominated by the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna Rivers which make their way down from the Himalayas.

The rich soil deposited by these rivers means Bangladesh has some of the most fertile delta lands in the world, farming is very important because of this. Many Bangladeshis live in rural areas, and more than half the population make their living by farming. Even though people work hard, about 20% Bangladeshis live in poverty.

With a population of 166 million, Bangladesh is one of the most crowded places to live in the world! Islam is the country’s main religion. Followers of Islam, called Muslims, make up about 89 percent of the population. About 10 percent of the people are Hindus. The rest are mostly Buddhists and Christians.

Although there are only about 500,000 Christians in Bangladesh, the country has many Holy Childhood (Mission Together) groups. Holy Childhood leaders travel from village to village organizing activities for small groups of children. You can see a photo of one group below. At these meetings children play and pray together. They learn how to read the word of God and plan ways to help and serve people in their area.

Holy Childhood (Mission Together), also help for Bangladeshi children who live in poverty by providing free school uniforms, textbooks, lunches and school fees.