West Bengal

West Bengal ([pɔʃtʃimbɔŋɡɔ] in Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ tr: Pośchim Bongo) is a state of the Republic of India. Its capital and most populated city is Kolkata. It is located in the east of the country, bordering to the northwest with Nepal, to the north with Sikkim and Bhutan, to the northeast with Assam, to the east with Bangladesh, to the south with the Bay of Bengal (Indian Ocean), to the southwest with Odisha and to the west with Jharkhand and Bihar. With 91,300,000 inhabitants. In 2011 it is the fourth most populated state in the country - behind Uttar Pradesh, Maharastra and Bihar - and with 1,102 inhabitants/km², the second most densely populated, behind Bihar.

The main language is Bengali. The climate in West Bengal is tropical. The lands are mostly plains, except for the northern area, which is located in the foothills of the Himalayas. Darjeeling in the north is famous for its high-quality teas. The region is also famous for the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). The Nobel Prize in Literature Rabindranath Tagore was born in the region, as was the musician Ravi Shankar.

History

For more information about Bengala's history before 1947 see Bengala

Bengal was ruled by the Hindu Pala dynasty from 750 to 1161. The Palas were eclipsed by the Sena dynasty which ruled Bengal from 1095 to 1260. Bengal came under Islamic control in the 17th century XIII and was developed in the XVI century as an important economic and commercial center during the Mughal Empire. European traders arrived in the area at the end of the 15th century. The British East India Company controlled the region in the late 18th century.

When India declared independence in 1947, Bengal was divided between predominantly Hindu West Bengal and Muslim-majority East Bengal. East Bengal ended up being known as "East Pakistan" and ended up becoming an independent nation, Bangladesh, in 1971. On October 2, 1955, Chandannagar, a former French enclave in India that had come under the control of the country in 1950, was integrated into West Bengal.

Geography

West Bengal is bordered by Nepal and Sikkim in the northwest, Bhutan in the north, Assam in the northeast, Bangladesh in the east, the Bay of Bengal in the south, Orissa in the southwest, and Jharkhand and Bihar in the west. On the border of Sikkim and West Bengal lies the Singalila border, the highest peaks of which are Mount Sandakfu, the highest point in the State of West Bengal at 3,636 m, followed by Falut Peak, which rises to 3,595 m.

Demography

The population of West Bengal is 80,221,171, most of whom are Bengalis. The Bihari minority is dispersed throughout the State and the Sherpa and Tibetan communities are located in the border areas with Sikkim.. In the Darjeeling district there is a large community of Gurkhas originally from Nepal.

West Bengal is the land of diverse indigenous communities like the Adivasi. The official language is Bengali. Hindi and English are also widely used. Nepali is spoken mainly in the Darjeeling district. Minority languages used in some areas of the State are Rajbanshi, Santali and Ho.

Climate

West Bengal is located in tropical climates. The region is mainly made up of plains, except the north, which is part of the Himalayas. Darjeeling in the north of the country is famous for its tea. In the south, the Sundarbans delta on the Ganges is one of the largest deltas in the world (the other part is in Bangladesh). This region is famous for the Bengal tiger.

Economy

West Bengal is the third largest economy (2003-2004) in India after Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. In per capita terms, it corresponds to twelfth place (2003-2004). This region is considered the "rice bowl" of India, due to its massive production of this grain.