Topography in West Bengal

West Bengal lies in the eastern part of India. The capital city is Kolkata. The total area of the state is 88,752 sq km. The state has a population of 8,02,21,171, according to the census of 2001. The topography of the state of West Bengal is varied and its physiography is very interesting.

West Bengal is surrounded by land forms on all three sides. In its south lies the Bay of Bengal. It shares boundaries with Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam, Bangladesh, Jharkhand and Bihar. The northern part of West Bengal touches the Himalayan range. The hill stations lying in this geographical region are the favorite tourist destinations in India. The climate of this part remains more or less cold through out the year. The foot hills of the Himalayan region is known as the Terrai region in West Bengal. This region is famous the world over for tea plantation.

The topography of West Bengal alters as the Indo-Gangetic plain begins. River Ganga with its important distributary, the Hoogly river flow over this region. But the track of river Ganga is steadily moving eastwards. The Hoogly river mostly flow through Kolkata. This Gangetic plain is rich in alluvial soil and thus is very fertile. This kind of soil has helped West Bengal to prosper in agriculture.

Further south, the deltaic plain of the Sunderbans is a very important spot for tourism in West Bengal. The river Ganga and its distributaries meet the confluence here. The topography of this region is dotted with mangrove vegetation.