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Quick
Information |
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State
Area (Sq. Km.) |
238,566
|
|
State
Capital |
Kolkata
|
|
Major
Language(s) |
Bengali
|
|
Number
of Districts |
19
|
|
Population |
80,221,171
|
|
Males |
41,487,694
|
|
Females |
38,733,477
|
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Growth
Rate 1991-2001 |
17.84
%
|
|
Density |
904
|
|
Urban Population |
27.08
%
|
|
Sex Ratio (Females per 1000 Males) |
934
|
|
Literacy Rate |
69.22
%
|
|
Males |
77.58
%
|
|
Females |
60.22
%
|
|
Legislature |
Legislative
Assembly
|
|
Judicature |
High Court,
Kolkata
|
|
Governor |
Sri Gopalkrishna Gandhi
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|
Address |
Raj
Bhawan Kolkata-700062 |
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Office No. |
033-22001641 |
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Residence
No. |
033-22002444 |
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Fax |
033-22002444 |
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email |
= |
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Chief Minister |
Sri Buddhadeb Bhattacharya
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|
Address |
Writers Chowan, Kolkata - 700 001 |
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Office No. |
(91)(33) 033-22145555, 22145588 |
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Residence
No. |
033-23344700 |
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Fax |
(91)(33) -22145480 |
|
email |
cm@wb.gov.in |
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Chief Secretary |
Sri Amit Kiran Deb, IAS/ WB : 71 |
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Address |
Writers' Buildings, Kolkata - 700 001 |
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Office No. |
(91)(33) 22145858 |
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Residence
No. |
= |
|
Fax |
(91)(33) 22144328 |
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email |
chiefsec@wb.gov.in |
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General
Information
Location
Located in northeast India, West Bengal is bounded north by Sikkim and Bhutan, east by Assam and Bangladesh, south by the Bay of Bengal and Orissa, west by Bihar and Jharkhand and northwest by Nepal.
West Bengal is one of the constituent states of the Republic of India. West Bengal is situated in a strategic position in eastern India and lies between
21o31' and 27o14' North Latitudes and between 86o35' and
89o53' East Longitude. The Tropic of Cancer passes through the state. The state extends from the snow clad Himalayas in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south.
Geography
West Bengal has two natural divisions - the Himalayan north and the alluvial plain south of it. The Bay of Bengal forms the southern coastline of the state. The Bay of Bengal is one of the largest bays in the world.
The Himalayan region in north Bengal has three general divisions - the high altitude mountain region, the foothills or the Terai region and the mixed deciduous forest and grassland region known as the Dooars. Swift flowing rivers like the Teesta, Torsha, Rangeet and the Mahananda flow through these areas.
The rivers in North Bengal like the Teesta and Mahananda flow into Bangladesh were they finally create a huge river system along with the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. The rivers of the north and the Ganges are perennial rivers since they originate in the Himalayas.
The important rivers in the plains of Bengal include the Ganges, Hooghly, Rupnarayan and Damodar. The plains of the Ganges
and the other associated rivers form one of the most fertile regions in the world. The Ganges flows through the state at one of its narrowest points and flows into Bangladesh.
History
Bengal has a glorious past. It played a prominent part in the history; both in the ancient and the medieval aged. The British established their foothold in India from here in the battle of Plassey in 1757. The partition of the country in 1947 divided Bengal into two parts, East Bengal and West Bengal. The Muslim majority districts of East Bengal consisting of the Chittagong and Dacca Divisions and some other Muslim majority districts became what was then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and rest came to be known as West Bengal and became a constituent of the Indian Union.
The territory of Cooch Behar was merged with West Bengal on January 1, 1950 and the former French possession of Chandernagore became part of the State on October 2, 1954. Under the States Reorganization Act, 1956, certain portions of Bihar State were also transferred to West Bengal.
References:
Manorama
Year Book 2007
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