Bay of Bengal
part of the Indian Ocean between South and South East Asia
The Bay of Bengal forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, located between the Indian subcontinent and the Indochinese peninsula, south of the Bengal region. Spread across an area of 2,600,000 km2 (1,000,000 sq mi), it is bordered by many of the countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Geopolitically, the bay is bound by mainland India on the west and northwest, Bangladesh in the north, Myanmar in the northeast and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India in the east. Its southern limit is a line between Sangaman Kanda in Sri Lanka, and the northwesternmost point of Sumatra in Indonesia.
Major river systems of the Indian subcontinent such as the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Godavari, Krishna, Brahmani, Baitarani, Rushikulya, Mahanadi, and Kaveri flow into the Bay of Bengal. The coast consist of many beaches including some of the world's longest natural beaches, such as Cox's Bazar and Marina, and varied ecosytems such as the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world.
Background
Extent
The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bay of Bengal as follows:
On the east: A line running from Cape Negrais (16°03'N) in Burma through the larger islands of the Andaman group, in such a way that all the narrow waters between the islands lie Eastward of the line and are excluded from the Bay of Bengal, as far as a point in Little Andaman Island in latitude 10°48'N, longitude 92°24'E and thence along the Southwest limit of the Burma Sea [A line running from "Oedjong Raja" ["Ujung Raja" or "Point Raja"] (5°32′N 95°12′E) in Sumatra to Poeloe Bras (Breuëh) and on through the Western Islands of the Nicobar Group to Sandy Point in Little Andaman Island, in such a way that all the narrow waters appertain to the Burma Sea].
On the south: Adam's Bridge (between India and Ceylon) and from the Southern extreme of Dondra Head (South point of Ceylon) to the North point of Poeloe Bras (5°44′N 95°04′E).
Note: Oedjong means "cape" in Dutch on maps of the Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia).
Etymology
The bay gets its name from the historical Bengal region (modern-day Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and the Barak Valley of Southern Assam).
The public source identifies “Bay of Bengal” as part of the Indian Ocean between South and South East Asia. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Bengal, part and Indian.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Bay of Bengal”, the useful work is to connect “part of the Indian Ocean between South and South East Asia” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q38684. VIAF identifies the subject as 156294421. The Library of Congress control number is sh85013142. Authority coordinates are 15.000, 88.000. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Bay of Bengal”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Bay of Bengal primary sources, Bay of Bengal archive and Bengal research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Bay of Bengal”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Bay of Bengal” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.