Sundarbans National Park

Sundarbans National Park, large natural area in extreme southeastern West Bengal state, northeastern India. The park, created in 1984 as a core area within the larger Sundarbans Tiger Preserve (established 1973), has an area of 514 square miles (1,330 square km). The combined entities occupy and protect a portion of India’s section of the Sundarbans region in the vast Padma (Ganges [Ganga])-Brahmaputra River delta shared by West Bengal and southern Bangladesh. The Sundarbans, containing the largest mangrove forest in the world, is home to a diverse range of aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals, many of them endangered or on the brink of extinction. Particularly notable is the region’s large population of Bengal tigers. The Sajnekhali area within the national park is a popular tourist destination, visitors coming to view its rich and varied birdlife. The park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987 and was also included in a biosphere reserve established by UNESCO.