Patuakhali, Bangladesh

Capital City

With a population of just 65,000, Patuakhali is a sleepy backwater on Bangladesh's southern coast. The local economy revolves around rice, firewood, and homespun textiles - hardly a hub of excitement. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as evidenced by the town's gradual transition from a nominated municipal council to an elected one in the early 1900s. And the climate is subtropical, bringing heavy monsoons and oppressive humidity. While Patuakhali boasts a few decent schools and a respectable literacy rate, it's hardly a draw for ambitious academics or professionals. This is a place for the risk-averse, content to live a quiet life far from the madding crowds of Dhaka.