Google Map Of West Bengal

• Official Website: http://www.wbgov.com/
• Established: 1 November 1956
• Capital: Kolkata
• Largest City: Kolkata
• Districts: 119
• Government Body: Governor-M. K. Narayanan, Chief Minister-Mamata Banerjee
• Legislature: Unicameral (295* seats)
• Parliamentary Constituency: 42
• High Court: NA
• Area Total: 88,752 km2 (34,267.3 sq mi)
• Area Rank: 13th
• Population 2011: 91,347,736
• Population Density: 1,029.2/km2 (2,665.7/sq mi)
• Time Zone: IST (UTC+05:30)
• UN/LOCODE: NA
• ISO 3166 Code: IN-WB
• Vehicle Registration: NA
• HDI:  0.625 (medium)
• HDI Rank: 19th (2005)
• Literacy: 77.1%[2] (16th)
• Official Languages: Bengali and English

History behind the state name :

The name West Bengal is an English term which needs no further clarification that it means that part of Bengal which lies west. During independence Bengal was divided along the religious lines into eastern and western part. The eastern part is now renamed as Bangladesh but West Bengal still bears the colonial gift in its very name. The name owes its origin to the ancient Vanga kingdom mentioned in early Sanskrit literature. From Vanga came Banga which was in turn made Bengal by the British.

Population:

The native population of Bengal is called the Bengalis and they form the major part of the population of the state. A minority of the Bihari community is also found in the state scattered all throughout. The tribes of Santhal, Kol, Kochi-Rajbangshi and Toto are recognised tribal population of the state. The population of Bengal is 91, 347, 736 according to 2011 census forming 7.55% of India’s population.

Geographical situation:

West Bengal is situated in the eastern part of the country having its international borders with Bangladesh to its east Bhutan to its north east and Nepal to its north west. The other sides are bordered by the Indian states of Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar Assam and Sikkim. The state has a diverse topography ranging from the deltas formed by the Ganga River at its south to the fertile Ganga plains at the central and the Himalayan terrain at the northern part.

Weather conditions:

Due to diverse topography diverse weather conditions prevail in the state. The plains generally experience sub-tropical type of climate with five distinct seasons and prominent Monsoon. The northern Himalayan part experiences a cool summer and harsh winter with occasional snow falls.The southern part of the state experiences the savannah type of climate.

History of the State:

Excavations have revealed stoneage tools in the state which dates back to some 20 thousand years ago. The grater Banga as the region encompassing Bengal bihar and Orissa is called has remnants of a civilisation of some 4 thousand years old. The Guptas, the Senas, the Pal dynasty ruled Bengal in turns until Islam rule. Till the advent of British in the region a number of Muslim and Hindu kings have ruled the region. Finally with the battle of Pallasey the British established their foothold after defeating Nawab Sirajud Daulah.

The British made up the Bengal presidency and made Calcutta as the capital of the then British empire. After a long freedom struggle in which Bengal played the most terroristic part the British government divided Bengal into eastern and western part. The western part of the then Bengal became West Bengal after independence.

Demographics:

The density of population is 904 people per square kilometer, with a literacy rate of 77.1% as per 2001 census report. About 71% of the population lives in rural areas and 31% live below poverty line.

Economical Information:

The economy of the state is mainly agriculture based. Rice and other food crops make up the most of the yield. Cash crop like tea is very important to the state’s economy as it earns major foreign exchange. Darjeeling tea is world famous and is adored by the British Queen even today.

Industrial economy is also gaining strength with the advent of new industrial policies by the state government. It is home to a number of large scale Industries like Bata Group, Birla Group to Banks like Allahabad and UCO and so on.

Lately Kolkata is becoming a major IT hub and this has spurred a change of outlook for foreign investors who are looking back to the possibilities here. West Bengal is the third fastest growing economy in the country and its SDP is 7.8% outperforming the national growth and national GDP.

Culture:

The state is the hub of cultural activities throughout the year. The Bengali literature is one of the richest one in the Asian region ornamented with the works of the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore who himself is an institution of culture. Bengali poems Bengali songs Bengali theater Bengali films Bengali fine arts what to mention and what not. Bengali films brought the first Oscar award and the golden bear award to India.

Cuisine:

Bengal follows a multi course cuisine tradition. The popular cuisine of Bengal is called Macher Jhol Bhat. It means rice and a fish curry. The cuisine of Bengal revolves around the food products easily available there, so fish makes up a palatable dish. Almost a hundred varieties of fish are available in the Bengal region with fish specially imported from Bangladesh during the Monsoon season called Hilsa of Padma. Pickles are made from almost all types of fruit, which is served with lunch and sweet meats as rosogolla is famous now all over the world.

Festivals:

The major festival of the state is the Durga Puja. It is the Navaratri festival for the rest of India. Durga puja is celebrated for five days in the state and the extravaganza exhibited by the people and system especially in Kolkata where the festival is now a stage to show case art and culture for these five days constantly cannot match any other activity anywhere.
The other festivals include Dewali, Holi, Ramnavami, Janmastami, and Saraswati Puja. The Muslim festivals are celebrated with equal enthusiasm as that of the Hindus. Both the Ids and the processions during Muharram, The Iftar parties of Ramjan month deserve special mention.

Religion:

Hindus form 72.5% while the Muslims form 25.2% of the population. The rest part is comprised by the Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians and others.