Area: Area 33771.18 sq km, located in between 20°43' and 24°16' north latitudes and in between 90°32' and 92°41' east longitudes. It is bounded by Dhaka and Sylhet divisions on the north,Bay of Bengal and Arakan (Myanmar) on the south, Mizoram, Tripura states of India and Chin state of Myanmar on the east, Dhaka and barisal divisions on the west.
Ethnic Community: Chakma, Marma, Chak, Khumi, Khyang, Jumma, Bawm, Pankho, Tanchangya, Tripura, Lushai, Mro, Rakhine, Rohingya
Rivers: Main rivers: Meghna, Matamuhuri, Titas, Dakatia, Gumti, Feni, Karnafuli and Sangu; Sandwip, Hatiya, Kutubdia, Maheshkhali and St. Martin's Island are notable
M = Muslim, H = Hindu, B = Buddhist, C = Christian, O = Others
Chittagong has been a seaport since ancient times. The region was home to the ancient Bengali Buddhist Samatatah states. It later fell under the rule of the Gupta Empire, the Pala Empire and the Vesali kingdom of Arakan till the 7th century.
Arabs traded with the port from the 9th century AD.
Chittagong grew at the beginning of the twentieth century after the partition of Bengal and the creation of the province of Eastern Bengal and Assam.
The Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) was established by the government of East Pakistan in 1959 to manage this growth and drew up a master plan to be reviewed every five years to plan its urban development. By 1961 the CDA had drawn up a regional plan covering an area of 212 square miles (550 km2) and a master plan covering an area of 100 square miles (260 km2).
Following the independence of Bangladesh, the city underwent a major rehabilitation and reconstruction programme and regained its status as an important port within a few years.