The people of West Bengal are mostly Hindus and follow the religious way of Hindus. A major portion of the population is comprised of Muslim community. There are also people who follow Buddhism, Christianity and Sikhism. The cosmopolitan nature of the society is due to the wide variety of people residing in the state. One of the main occupations of the people of West Bengal is agriculture. The rural people are engaged in the cultivation of rice, wheat, pulses, and vegetables etc. that cater not only to the requirement of the state but also of the country. The people of West Bengal speak Bengali, but languages like Hindi, Punjabi, Bhojpuri are also spoken here.
People from five different racial strains inhabit West Bengal. The oldest of the race is Proto-Australian in origin. Nishadics are predominantly the tribal groups found in the areas adjoining the plateaus and Chhotanagpur and central India. The tribes are short in height with long head, dark colored skin and broad nose. The Dravidians with long head, tall structure, sharp nose are also found in Bengal. The race found in Darjeeling is the Mongoloid. The fifth race is the Alpine or Indo-Aryan race, which have a fair complexion, prominent nose and long body.
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