West Bengal is one of the constituent states of the Republic of India. West Bengal is situated in a strategic position in eastern India  and lies between 21^o31' and 27^o14' North Latitudes and between 86^o35' and 89^o53' East Longitude. The Tropic of Cancer passes through the state. The state extends from the snow clad Himalayas in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south. 

Area: 88,752 sq km;
Capital: Calcutta
Districts: 19
Language: Bengali, Hindi, English
Population: 68,077,965
Urban Population: 27.48%
Sex Ratio (females per 1000 males): 917
Density (persons per square km): 766
Literacy: 57.7%

Divisions and borders:

West Bengal has 18 districts and Calcutta serves as the state capital. There are over 23 towns with over 100,000 population. The largest cities are Calcutta, Howrah, Asansol, Durgapur and Siliguri. Other important towns include Darjeeling, Kharagpur and Haldia. Calcutta is amongst the largest metropolitan regions in the world.

The state has international boundaries with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. The Indian states sharing boundaries with West Bengal are Orissa, Bihar, Sikkim and Assam.

The mighty Himalayas

The forests of Dooars

The Teesta river

The Ganges river

A typical rural south Bengal landscape..

The Sunderbans

Digha sea beach (Bay of Bengal).

Broadly speaking, West Bengal has two natural divisions - the Himalayan north and the alluvial plain south of it. The Bay of Bengal forms the southern coastline of the state. The Bay of Bengal is one of the largest bays in the world. 

The Himalayan region in north Bengal has three general divisions - the high altitude mountain region, the foothills or the Terai region and the mixed deciduous forest and grassland region known as the Dooars. Swift flowing rivers like the Teesta, Torsha, Rangeet and the Mahananda flow through these areas.

The rivers in North Bengal like the Teesta and Mahananda flow into Bangladesh were they finally create a huge river system along with the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. The rivers of the north and the Ganges are perennial rivers since they originate in the Himalayas.

The important rivers in the plains of Bengal include the Ganges, Hooghly, Rupnarayan and Damodar. The plains of the Ganges and the other associated rivers form one of the most fertile regions in the world. The Ganges flows through the state at one of its narrowest points and flows into Bangladesh. 

However the Ganges has several distributaries in West Bengal (and Bangladesh), the most important being the Hooghly. Unlike the rivers of the north the southern rivers like the Damodar, Rupnarayan and Subarnarekha are not perennial rivers. The Subarnarekha takes a curve into Orissa before emptying in the Bay of Bengal. The Damodar, Rupnarayan and the Hooghly rivers merge before flowing into the Bay of Bengal.

The Ganges and its numerous distributaries form the world's largest deltaic zone at the mouths of the Ganges. This deltaic region also has one of the world's largest mangrove forests. Known as the Sunderban, this is one of the most unique ecosystems in the world.

Though West Bengal has a coastline, it doesn't have too many beaches. The only beach of importance is Digha on the Bay of Bengal. The coastline is dominated by the mangrove forests for the most part.

Land use:  

The Ganges and its numerous distributaries have resulted in some of the most fertile regions in the world. Agriculture is the mainstay for about 70% of the population. The land usage in West Bengal  is as follows -  arable land: 62.8% (55,414 sq.km); forests 13.38%;  the rest is for other purposes.  

 Mineral wealth:

West Bengal has large reserves of coal in the Ranigunj coal belt region.  Other minerals include dolomite, limestone and china clay.

West Bengal is rich in flora and fauna and has a diverse ecosystems because of its varying terrain from the high altitudes to the sea level plains. Protected forests cover 4% of the state area. There are 15 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 5 National Parks and 2 Tiger Reserves. The Sunderban, in south Bengal, is home to the famous Tiger Project - a conservatory effort to save the Bengal tigers from extinction. It is an UNESCO world heritage site. Another similar project exists in Buxa in north Bengal. Wildlife includes the Indian one horned rhinoceros, Indian elephants, deer, bison, leopards, gaur, crocodiles and others. The state is also rich in bird life. Migratory birds come to the state during the winter months. For one of the best web pages on West Bengal's wildlife check out the  Wildlife Wing, Directorate of Forests, Govt of W. Bengal website.

Picture: The Royal Bengal Tiger, the White-Breasted Kingfisher (State Bird, W Bengal), orchids.

Climate:

The climate of Bengal varies according to the location. It's  cooler in the northern mountains than in the southern plains. Summers and winters can be extreme in the mid plains. Winters are cold in the mountain regions. The summer months are from March to June. The monsoon season lasts from June to September and brings heavy rain. The monsoons bring respite to the parched plains but they often cause floods and landslides. However the importance of the monsoons cannot be overemphasized in the Indian context. The economy of the whole nation is dependent to a great extent on the  monsoon rains. A good monsoon means a bountiful harvest in the coming months. The winter months are from October to February. The winter months are generally pleasant in the southern part of the state. Snowfall is limited to the Himalayan regions.

Summer temperatures - 24C to 40C

Winter temperatures - 7C to 26C

Yearly rainfall (average) - 175 cms

To learn about the importance of monsoons check out some of the sites on the web.

Environment:

The industrialized Calcutta and Durgapur regions have high levels of pollution compared to other parts of the state. However awareness about the environment is on the rise. The government, the judiciary and NGOs are playing a positive role in this respect. 

Potential natural calamities include floods and cyclones.

All figures are 1991 census figures unless otherwise mentioned. The next census is scheduled for March 1, 2001.

Population: 68,077,965 (1991 census final figures) ; 1998 estimates : 78.1 million.
Male: 35,510,633 (52.16%)
Female: 32,567,332 (47.84%)
Scheduled Castes: 16,080,611 (23.62%)
Scheduled Tribes:  3,808,760 (5.5%)
Population Density: 767 per sq. km.
Birth Rate (per 1000): 22.8  (1996 est.)
Death Rate (per 1000): 7.8  (1996 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000): 55 (1996 est.)

Picture: the crowds at important religious functions often run into thousands. Managing a large and growing population is one of the challenges of modern India.

Working population : 20.6 million  
Population engaged in agriculture sector: 11.6 million
Industrial workforce: 2.5 million

(source WBIDC).

Pictures: West Bengal's  economy: From paddy fields to power plants, . West Bengal is the largest producer of rice in the country and is also one of the few Indian states where the power situation has improved for the better.

No of Districts: 19
District having highest population: Midnapore
District having lowest population: Darjeeling
District having highest population density: Calcutta
District having lowest population density: Darjeeling.

Picture: The majestic Himalayan ranges form the backdrop of Darjeeling town.

No of Villages: 37,910
Urban Population: 18,708,000 (23.62%)
No of statutory towns: 116
No of census towns: 266
No. of Towns with over 100,000 population: 40
Major urban agglomerations: Calcutta - Howrah; Asansol - Durgapur.
Population of Greater Calcutta: 10,916,000 

Picture: Calcutta is always busy. Without the crowds, Calcutta will be a dull and lifeless city.

Principal Languages: Bengali (86%), Hindi (6.6%), Urdu (2.1%), Nepali.

Literacy: 57.7% (Male: 67.81%; Female: 46.56%)

Religions: Hindus (74.7%), Muslims (23.6%), Christians (0.6%), Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Zoroastrians.

Picture: The Durga Puja festival is the biggest festival in West Bengal. 

Recommended Site: censusindia