Bengal, West
(2001 pop. 80.2 million). West Bengal is a state in northeastern India, lying to the immediate west of Bangladesh and southeast of Nepal. Its southern boundary is formed by the Bay of Bengal, and its capital city is Calcutta (or Kolkata). The state covers an area of 88,752 square kilometers (the same size as Austria). Both the Ganges and the Brahmaputra Rivers flow through the state, giving it the basis for a rich rice agriculture. The state receives an average of from 160 to 200 centimeters of rain annually, most of it from the northeasterly monsoon.
The state was created in 1947, at the time of Independence, when the Muslim-dominated part the region that had been East Bengal became the eastern wing of Pakistan. The state is divided into sixteen districts and is governed by a 294-seat legislative assembly, which has long been dominated by Marxists. In addition to rice, agricultural products include jute, tea, potatoes, oilseeds, tobacco, wheat, barley, and maize. The numerous manufacturing industries include cars, chemicals, electronics, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, glass, footwear, steel, railway locomotives, and ships. Coal and china clay are also mined here. The principal language is Bengali, but Hindi and English are widely understood, and the dominant religions are Hinduism and Islam.
Paul Hockings
Further Reading
Majundar, R. C., et al., eds. (1943–1967) The History of Bengal. 3 vols. Dhaka, Bangladesh: University of Dhaka.
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