Sundarbans, formerly SUNDERBUNDS, vast tract of forest  and saltwater swamp forming the lower part of the Ganges Delta, extending about 160  miles (260 km) along the Bay of Bengal from the Hooghly River Estuary  (India) to  the Meghna River Estuary in Bangladesh.
The Sundarbans are a part of the world's largest delta formed by the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. The whole tract reaches inland for 60-80 miles (100-130 km).
A network of estuaries, tidal rivers, and creeks intersected by numerous channels, it encloses  flat, marshy islands covered with dense forests.
The name Sundarbans  is  perhaps  derived  from the term meaning "forest of  sundari, a reference to the large mangrove tree that provides valuable fuel. Along the coast the forest passes into a mangrove swamp; the southern region, with  numerous wild animals and Crocodile- infested estuaries, is virtually uninhabited. It  is one  of the last preserves of the Bengal tiger and the site  of a tiger preservation project.
Just south of Calcutta, Sunderban is one of the most unique ecosystems in this part of the world. It is dominated by mangrove forests and gets its name from the Sundari (Heritiera foams) trees. Situated at the mouths of the Ganges, Sunderban spreads over 54 islands and two countries (India's West Bengal and Bangladesh) and is part of the world's largest delta region.
Sunderban covers an area of 4262 sq. kms in India. The Sunderban Tiger Project was started in 1974 and has an area of 2585 sq. kms. The core area is 1330 sq. kms and is a national forest and UNESCO world heritage site. Sunderban is home to the largest number of wild tigers in the world.
Though there are several entry points to the Sunderbans, the most popular is Port Canning which is connected by suburban railway to Calcutta. Organized boat tours leave Port Canning for the forests.


History

In 1911, it was described as a tract of waste country which had never been surveyed, nor had the census been extended to it. It then stretched for about 165 miles from the mouth of the Hugli to the mouth of the Meghna, and was bordered inland by the three settled districts of the Twenty-four Parganas, Khulna and Backergunje. The total area (including water) was estimated at 6526 square miles. It was a water-logged jungle, in which tigers and other wild beasts abounded. Attempts at reclamation had not been very successful. The characteristic tree was the sundri (Heritiera littoralis), from which the name of the tract had probably been derived. It yields a hard wood, used for building, and for making boats, furniture, etc. The Sundarbans were everywhere intersected by river channels and creeks, some of which afforded water communication between Calcutta and the Brahmaputra valley, both for steamers and for native boats.

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