| Native name: সন্দ্বীপ | |
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Sandwip (Bangladesh)
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| Geography | |
| Location | Bay of Bengal |
| Area | 762.42 km2 (294.372 sq mi) |
| Length | 50 km (31 mi) |
| Width | 5–15 km (3.1–9.3 mi) |
| Country | |
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Bangladesh
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| District | Chittagong District |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 472179 (as of 2009) |
| Density | 357 /km2 (925 /sq mi) |
Sandwip (Bengali: সন্দ্বীপ) is an island along the south eastern coast of Bangladesh.It is also spelled "Sandvip" both are mostly used.It is a sub-division of Chittagong District. It is situated at the estuary of the Meghna River on the Bay of Bengal and separated from the Chittagong coast by the Sandwip channel. It has a population of nearly 400,000. There are 15 unions in Sandwip. There are also as many as fifteen different wards, 62 mahallas and 34 villages on Sandwip Island. The entire island is 50 kilometers long and 5-15 kilometers wide.
Sandwip is a historical island of Bangladesh.It is located at the north-eastern side of The Bay of Bengal, nearby the main portcity of Chittagong. It is one of the most ancient islands of Bangladesh. It was ruled by different outsiders in different periods of time. Once upon a time it was an independent state ruled by Delwar Khan, then it had different rulers.
About three hundred ships of salt per year were loaded for export from the Sandwip port. It also had a ship building industry.Then the Turkish president Solaiman Demirel when came to Chittagong in 1994 imported a gun ship from Sandwip port.
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Sandwip Island in Bangladesh has a great historical legacy. The island itself is about 3000 years old and it has been ruled by many different people over the centuries, including Delwar Khan. It was a Portuguese and Arakanese pirate stronghold during the 17th century and even today some of the architecture on the island reflects this part of the island’s history. However, the governor of Bengal saw fit to put an end to this in 1665 as part of attempts to stop his people from being misled by the wild fancies of these unreligious and thieving individuals. Under British rule its location proved to be a bit of an administrative problem. Today it is well and truly a part of Bangladesh. It is not very developed, but where it is developed you may see remnants of its interesting past.
Being an island, people here tend to seek opportunities outside(Chittagong, Dhaka and sometimes overseas. People of Sandwip working overseas are contributing to the country's economy by sending large quantities of remittance back home. Many Sandwipis who reside in the UAE (Dubai) and USA (New York) are investing in the city of Chittagong, mostly towards real estate development and health care facilities.
As of 1991 Bangladesh census, Sandwip has a population of 272,179. Males constitute are 49.68% of the population, and females 50.32%. This Upazila's eighteen up population is 122499. Sandwip has an average literacy rate of 15% (7+ years), and the national average of 53.5% literate.
One of the nice things about Sandwip Island in Bangladesh is that it has been formed by silt deposits from the Meghna river. This makes it an incredibly fertile island – something which the people of the island have been exploiting for years. Large crops of rice, dal, vegetables, coconuts, battle leave and wheat have all been grown on the island at some point in its history. Today the main crops are melons, mangos, pineapples, gaab, jam, coconut and various crops. Sandwip has also gained a reputation for being a premier ship manufacturer. There are a lot of different things to see on this incredible little island.