Chittagongalso called Chittagrāmcity that is the chief Indian Ocean port of Bangladesh. It lies about 12 miles (19 km) north of the mouth of the Karnaphuli River, in the southeastern arm of the nation. It is a major communications centre and is linked by rail with Dhākā and Comilla, by road with Feni and Comilla, and by air with Dhākā, Jessore, Cox’s Bāzār, and Calcutta. The second most important industrial city in Bangladesh, its varied manufacturing establishments extend about 10 miles (16 km) to the north and northeast.

Chittagong has a splendid natural harbour. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, much trade was diverted to Chittagong from Calcutta, and the port was considerably improved. It is equipped with modern facilities and has numerous permanent jetties and moorings. An offshore terminal was built that is connected with the city’s eastern oil refinery by a large-capacity pipeline. Chittagong’s foreign trade has increased with Bangladesh’s economic development, and city life centres around the harbour. Tea, naphtha, jute, and jute manufactures constitute the port’s principal exports.

The city grew in different directions along the main routes of transportation and was developed according to a master plan. Among other buildings, two markets covering an area of about 700,000 square feet (65,000 square m) were constructed. The principal industries of Chittagong include cotton and jute mills, tea and match factories, and chemical and engineering works. The city has an iron and steel mill, and its large oil refinery went into production in 1968. Being the gateway of Bangladesh for foreign trade, the city has offices of many foreign firms and banks. It is the headquarters of the Bangladesh Railway, and the railway workshop is located in the nearby town of Pahartali.

Constituted a municipality in 1864, Chittagong has several hospitals, an ethnological museum, a medical college, a technological institute, and the University of Chittagong (1966), with numerous affiliated colleges. Nearby are a cadet college (at Faujdār Hāt) and a merchant-marine academy.

Chittagong’s port was known to the Mediterranean world from the early Christian era and was known to Arab sailors by the 10th century AD. It was called Porto Grande by Portuguese and Venetian voyagers and was described by João de Barros in 1552 as “the most famous and wealthy city of the Kingdom of Bengal.” It has been generally identified with the city of Bengala described by early Portuguese and other writers. Conquered by the Muslims in the 14th century, Chittagong passed to the Arakanese in the next century. The piratical raids of the Arakanese and their Portuguese mercenaries led to the dispatch of a strong force by Shaista Khan, the Mughal governor (nawab) of Bengal, who in 1666 occupied the region. Chittagong was ceded to the British East India Company in 1760.

The area surrounding Chittagong is heavily populated and comprises a narrow strip of coast along the Bay of Bengal and ranges of low hills separated by fertile valleys. The climate is moist, warm, and equable, with a heavy rainfall amounting to more than 100 inches (2,540 mm) annually, falling mainly during the summer monsoons. The area’s chief rivers are the Karnaphuli, Feni, Halda, Sangu, and Mātāmuhari. The higher parts of the Chittagong Hills are forested, while the lower portions are covered predominantly with brushwood. Between the hills lie cultivated valleys that were originally filled by deposits of sand and clay washed down from the hills. Rice is the most important crop; tea is grown on low hills that are unfit for rice cultivation. Chilies and vegetables are also grown, and cane and bamboo are economically valuable forest products. Pop. (1991 prelim.2001) city, 12,566199,070500; (2001 prelim.) metropolitan area, 23,040361,663244.