West Bengal

I

Introduction

West Bengal (also Bangla), state in north-eastern India, bordered on the north by Bhutan and Sikkim State, on the east by Bangladesh and Assam State, on the south by the Bay of Bengal, on the south-west by Orissa state, and on the west by Nepal,and Bihar and Jharkhand states. The area of the state is 87,853 sq km (33,920 sq mi).

II

Physical Geography

Much of West Bengal is made up of the fertile delta of the Ganges River. The Hugli River—the principal channel of navigation of the lower Ganges—flows through the Kolkata metropolitan area. In the north are the foothills of the Himalaya. The state has been heavily deforested, with much of the land under cultivation. In the south of the state is the Sundarbans region, which extends into Bangladesh and contains one of the world’s largest mangrove forests. The region’s ecosystem is unique, consisting of forest and low islands divided by river estuaries and tidal creeks. Temperatures average 19° C (66° F) in January and 31° C (88° F) in May. The average annual rainfall is 1,650 mm (65 in), mostly falling during the monsoon season.

III

Population

West Bengal has a population of 80,221,171 (2001). Although the population of the state is predominantly rural, the average density is 904 people per sq km (2,341 per sq mi). The capital of West Bengal is Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India’s second-largest city, with a population of 13,216,546 (2001). The city’s principal suburbs are Bally (population, 1991, 184,474), Baranagar (1991, 224,821), Behala (also called South Suburban, 1991, 378,765), Garden Reach (1991, 191,107), Haora (2001, 1,008,704), and South Dum Dum (1991, 232,811). Other important cities and settlements include Asansol (population, 2001, 486,304), Bhatpara (1991, 304,952), Chandannagar (1991, 120,378), Kamarhati (1991, 266,889), Panihati (1991, 275,990), Raiganj (2001, 175,064), and Shiliguri (1991, 216,950).

The official language of the state is Bengali, though Hindi, Urdu, Manipuri, and English are widely understood and used. The majority of people in West Bengal are Bengalis. Other groups include Mundas, Lepchas, and Bhutias. More than 75 per cent of the population is Hindu, and a significant minority is Muslim. There are also Buddhists, Christians, Jains, and Sikhs in West Bengal.

IV

Education and Culture

Several universities are located in West Bengal, including the University of Burdwan (founded in 1960) in Barddhamān, the University of Calcutta (1857), Rabindra Bharati University (1962), and the Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics (1949), and Jadavpur University (1955) in Kolkata; and Kalyani University (1960) in Kalyani.

Important examples of India’s natural and cultural heritage can be found throughout the state. The Sundarbans National Park in the Ganges Delta is one of the last remaining major refuges of the endangered Bengal tiger, and is also home to wild boars, the chital (a deer), saltwater crocodiles, monkeys, and snakes. The park is protected by the World Wide Fund for Nature and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. In the north, near the border with Nepal and Sikkim, the town of Darjiling is a popular tourist centre. A botanical garden, a number of sanatoriums, and several Buddhist monasteries are located in the town, as well as the Darjiling Himalayan Railway, a fine example of a hill passenger railway, which opened in 1881 and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1999.