The flora of West Bengal depends on the topography of the state. The geographical factors along with the physiography are mainly responsible for the growth and sustenance of these species of plants. According to a survey, carried on by the Forest Department of West Bengal in 1994, the forests cover almost 15.06% of the total area of the state.
There are protected forest areas or sanctuaries in the northern part of the state. The Gorumara National Park, Neora Valley National Parks and Sanctuaries at Jaldapara, Chapramari and Mahananda are among the popular tourist spots. The Buxa region is famous for its tiger reserve. Rare species of one horned rhinoceros, elephants, reptiles and birds are found here. The Sunderban is famous for the Royal Bengal tigers.
The topography of West Bengal is varied from north to south. In the north, the districts lie in the hilly region of the Himalayas. The Terrai region lies in the foothills of the Himalayan range. The Ganga plain is formed by the river Ganga and her distributaries. The Sunderban is the delta region formed at the confluence of Ganga.
There are a number of rivers that flow through the mountainous region of West Bengal. Some of the rivers in this region are Teesta, Torsha, Jaldhaka, Raidak and Sankosh. Further south, Mahananda river flows through the central region. The Hoogly River is an important distributary of Ganga that flows mainly through Kolkata. The main river of West Bengal Ganga is fed by its numerous tributaries and ultimately it forms the estuary before merging with Bay of Bengal.
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