West Bengal Map

West Bengal is a state which is located in eastern India. The state extends from Bay of Bengal in the south to the Himalayan mountain ranges in the north. The capital of the state of West Bengal is Kolkata and it is the biggest city of the state as well. In Bengali language, it is referred to as Paschim Banga.

West Bengal: An Overview

In terms of population, West Bengal ranks as the fourth most populated state in India.

Districts of West Bengal

There are 19 districts in the state and they are as follows:

Darjeeling, Cooch Behar, Malda, Jalpaiguri, South Dinajpur (Dakshin Dinajpur), North Dinajpur (Uttar Dinajpur), Bardhaman, Bankura, East Midnapore (Purba Medinipur), Birbhum, Purulia, Hooghly, Howrah, West Midnapore (Paschim Medinipur), Murshidabad, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas (Uttar 24 Parganas), Nadia, and South 24 Parganas (Dakshin 24 Parganas).

Divisions of West Bengal

There are three divisions in the state and they are the Jalpaiguri division, Burdwan division, and Presidency division.

Area of West Bengal

The state covers a total area of 34,267.3 sq miles or 88,752 km2.

Population of West Bengal

According to the census performed in 2011, the population of the state is 91,347,736.

Tourist Attractions in West Bengal

The state is known all over the globe for the Sunderbans. It has nineteen districts and the major cities are Kolkata, Siliguri, Burdwan, Durgapur, Kharagpur, Darjeeling and Malda.

The state of West Bengal is home to two very big natural zones and they are the sub-Himalayan and Himalayan region to the north and the Gangetic Plain to the south.

Neighboring states and countries

The neighboring states of West Bengal are Jharkhand , Odisha , Sikkim , bihar , and Assam. The state shares its international boundaries with Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Economy
The principal occupation of the people of the state is farming. West Bengal makes the sixth highest contribution to the Gross Domestic Product of the country.

Education in West Bengal

The state is a pioneer in bringing modern education in India. Given below are the names of the famous educational institutes in the state:

Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur, Aliah University, Jadavpur University, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya Haringhata, Presidency University, Kolkata, Netaji Subhas Open University, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Rabindra Bharati University, University of Burdwan, University of Calcutta, Sidho Kanho Birsha University, University of Kalyani, University of North Bengal, University of Gour Banga, Vidyasagar University, Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, West Bengal State University, Visva-Bharati University, West Bengal University of Health Sciences, West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences and West Bengal University of Technology.

Government of West Bengal

At present, the Governor of the state is Mr. M. K. Narayanan. He is appointed by the President of India for a term of five years and acts as the constitutional head of the state. The Chief Minister of West Bengal is Smt. Mamata Banerjee who represents the Trinamool Congress party. The Legislative Assembly or Vidhan Sabha of the state is unicameral in nature and contains 295 seats.

Geography of West Bengal
The state has diverse geographical features which include towering summits of the Himalayan Mountain Range, flat terrain, rivers, and sea. The state shares its boundaries with the Himalayas in the north and the Bay of Bengal to the south. To the west, it is bordered by the states of Jharkhand and Bihar. To the east, it is edged by Bangladesh. To the northeast, it is bordered by Assam, Sikkim and Bhutan. The territory of Nepal lies to the northwest. The state of Orissa is situated to the southwest of the state.

Landforms of West Bengal
The state is made up of the following varieties of landforms:

• Darjeeling Himalayan hill region
• Terai region
• North Bengal plains
• Rarh region
• Coastal plain
• Sunderbans
• Western plateau and high lands
• Ganges delta

Agro-climatic regions
The state can be divided into the following agro-climatic regions:

• The Teesta and Terai alluvial areas of North Bengal
• The mountainous areas in the north
• The shoreline alluvial areas in the south
• The red, laterectic, and severely rolling areas to the west
• The Vindhya alluvial area in the middle
• The Gangetic alluvial area in the west

Last Updated on : 18/04/2013