TheGeography ofWest Bengal, astate in easternIndia, is primarily defined by plains and plateaus, with the high peaks of theHimalayas in the north and theBay of Bengal to the south.
West Bengal is on the eastern neck of India, stretching from theHimalayas in the north to theBay of Bengal in the south. It lies between 85 degree 50 minutes and 89 degree 50 minutes east longitude, and 21 degrees 25 minutes and 27 degrees 13 minutes north latitude.[1] The state has a total area of 88,752 square kilometres (34,267 sq mi).[2] WithBangladesh on its eastern border, the state forms the ethno-linguistic region ofBengal. To its northeast lie the states ofAssam andSikkim and the country ofBhutan. To its southwest is the state ofOdisha. To the west, it borders the states ofJharkhand andBihar, and to the northwest,Nepal. The capital of the state isKolkata, thethird-largesturban agglomeration and theseventh-largest city in India.
There are 23 districts and 5 divisions in West Bengal. TheBurdwan Division consists ofPaschim Bardhaman,Purba Bardhaman,Birbhum, andHooghly;Medinipur division consists ofPurba Medinipur,Paschim Medinipur,Jhargram,Bankura andPurulia; theJalpaiguri Division consists ofAlipurduar,Cooch Behar,Darjeeling,Jalpaiguri, andKalimpong; theMalda division consists ofUttar Dinajpur,Dakshin Dinajpur,Murshidabad andMalda, and thePresidency Division consists ofKolkata,Nadia,North 24 Parganas,South 24 Parganas andHowrah. The newly added 7 districts are Ranaghat, Jangipur, Berhampur, Bishnupur, Sundarban, Icchemati and Bashirhat.
Each district is governed by adistrict collector or district magistrate, appointed either by theIndian Administrative Service or theWest Bengal Civil Service. Each district is subdivided into Sub-Divisions, governed by asub-divisional magistrate, and again into Blocks. Blocks consists ofpanchayats (village councils) and townmunicipalities.[1] Often, the districts north of the Ganges (i.e.,Cooch Behar,Darjeeling, kalimpong,Jalpaiguri,Alipurduar,North Dinajpur,South Dinajpur, andMalda) are together calledNorth Bengal.
The capital of the state is Kolkata – thethird-largesturban agglomeration[3] and theseventh-largest city[4] in India.Asansol is the second largest city and urban agglomeration in West Bengal after Kolkata.[3]Siliguri is an economically important city, strategically located in the northeasternSiliguri Corridor (Chicken's Neck) of India. Other majorcities and towns in West Bengal areHowrah,Durgapur,Raniganj,Haldia,Jalpaiguri,Kharagpur,Burdwan,Darjeeling,Midnapore, andMalda.[4]
Darjeeling Himalayan hill region is situated to the north of the state. This region belongs to theEastern Himalaya range. The entireDarjeeling district (except theSiliguri subdivision and northern parts of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts) falls under this zone, which starts abruptly from theTerai region. The deep gorges ofTeesta River, which runs from north to south have divided this mountainous region into two parts: the western mountains (west of Teesta) and the eastern mountains (east of Teesta).
The western mountains are the higher part of Darjeeling Himalayan range, with an average height of 2,200 m (7,200 ft). They spread from Nepal border to the Teesta river, and primarily consist of two mountain ranges: the Singalila Range and the Darjeeling range. TheSingalila Range is located along the border of Darjeeling district andNepal. It separates West Bengal from Nepal. Singalila starts from Western Sikkim and penetrates into Darjeeling district. It has four important peaks higher than 3,000 m:Sandakphu (3,636 m),Phalut (3,595 m), Sabargram (3,543 m), andTonglu (3,036 m). Among the Himalayan ranges of this region, Singalila Range hosts Sandakphu (3,636 m), the highest peak in West Bengal.[5]Kanchenjunga (the world's 3rd highest peak),Everest (world's highest peak),Lhotse (world's 4th highest peak), andMakalu (world's 5th highest peak) can be seen from the Singalila Range.
The Darjeeling range rises steadily from Terai area. Located within this range,Ghum railway station (2,258 m) is the highest rail station in India. The famousTiger Hill (2,567 m) is situated at the middle of this mountain chain and is a viewpoint from which some of the world's tallest peaks can be seen, including Kanchenjunga, Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. Three minor mountain chains start from Tiger Hill: Darjeeling Lebong in the north, Takdah Peshok in the northeast, and Bagora Dowhill in the south. Sinchal (2,615 m) is one of the well-known peaks here.
The eastern side of the Darjeeling Himalayan mountains are lower than the western side, with an average altitude of 1,900 m (6,200 ft). Durpin Dara and Chola are two major mountain chains of this part.
The Durpin Dara chain holds the highest peak of eastern part: Rishila, at 3,121 metres (10,240 ft). There are two peaks, Renigango (1,885 m) and Chhoto Sinchula (1726m) to the north of Jalpaiguri district. The Buxa hill is located at the east end of this region. Sangchuli is the highest peak of the Buxa hills.Kalimpong town is one of the well-known towns of this area.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (simply known as "toy train") has been listed inUNESCO world heritage sites.[6]
The Teesta River divides the area into two parts: theTerai to the west and theDooars (or Duars) to the east. The Dooars region can be further subdivided into the Siliguri (Western) Dooars, the Jalpaiguri (Middle) Dooars, and the Alipur (Eastern) Dooars.
The Terai ("moist land") is a belt of marshygrasslands,savannas, andforests at the base of the Himalaya range stretching southwards about 38 km. Above the Terai belt lies theBhabar, a forested belt of rock, gravel, and soil eroded from the Himalayas. The Terai zone is composed of alternate layers of clay and sand, with a high water table that creates many springs andwetlands. The Terai zone is inundated yearly by themonsoon-swollen rivers of the Himalayas. TheTerai–Duar savanna and grasslands is an ecoregion that stretches across the middle of the Terai belt, consisting of tall grasslands, savannas, evergreen forests, and deciduous forests [.
The Terai andDooars region politically constitute the plains ofDarjeeling District, the whole ofJalpaiguri andAlipurduar district, and the upper region ofCooch Behar District inWest Bengal. The slope of the land is gentle, from north to south. The general height of the land is 80–100 m. The entire region is made up of sand, gravel, and pebbles laid down by Himalayan rivers including theTeesta,Torsa,Raidak,Jaldhaka,Sankosh, andMahananda.
The North Bengal plains start from the south of Terai region and continue up to the left bank of theGanges. The southern parts of the districtJalpaiguri,North Dinajpur baring some extreme northern regions,South Dinajpur,Malda,Alipurduar and southern part ofCooch Behar districts constitute this geographical region. The narrow land mass in theNorth Dinajpur district is known as Mahananda Corridor. This corridor runs north to south joiningMalda with the plains of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar. The entire part of North and South Dinajpur is silt laden plain.
TheMahananda River divides the district ofMalda into two parts. The eastern part (known as Barind or Barendrabhumi) consists of undulating plains andtilas, and is made up of oldalluvium and is part of theGanges Delta. In contrast, the western part is made up of new alluvium, and here theKalindi River joins the Mahananda River. The area north of the Kalindi River is a lowland covered withswamps andbeels (small water bodies) and is known astal. In contrast, the area south of the Kalindi is a very fertile land and is known asdiara.
The plain south ofJalpaiguri,Alipurduar, andCooch Behar district is also made of new alluvium deposited by numerous rivers including theTeesta,Torsa,Raidak,Jaldhaka,Sankosh,Balason,Punarbhaba, andAtrai [1].
Rarh is the region that intervenes between theVajjabhumi and the Ganges Delta. This region is composed of parts of the districtsMurshidabad,Birbhum,Bankura,Purba Bardhaman,Paschim Bardhaman,Purba Medinipur, andPaschim Medinipur. The region is about 50–100 m abovesea level, and is believed to consist of soil from theDeccan plateau. The area is formed by the silt brought by the tributaries of theBhagirathi,Mayurakshi River,Ajay River,Damodar, andRupnarayan rivers, which flow through the redlaterite soil of the western plateau region. The land is sloped from west to southeast, and the formation of naturallevees along the riverbanks is a common phenomenon.
A small coastal region is on the extreme south of the state. A part of the district ofPurba Medinipur along theBay of Bengal constitutes the coastal plain. This emergent coastal plain is made up of sand and mud deposited by rivers and wind. Parallel to the coast are areas of sand dunes and marsh. TheDigha dunes lie nearest to theBay of Bengal, while the Kanthi dunes are the farthest from it. In some areas, dunes occur at a distance of 15–16 km from the coast and are 11–12 m high [2].
The western part ofPurulia,Bankura,Birbhum,Bardhaman, andPaschim Medinipur districts constitute the western plateau and highlands, which form the eastern fringes of theChota Nagpur Plateau. Geologically, this area is made ofigneous rocks of theArchaean era as well as coal-bearingmudstone andquartzite rocks ofCarboniferous period. Because of long and continuous erosion, the whole region has been transformed into an undulatingpeneplain. This area is interspersed by smallmonadnocks locally known astila. Some of the important hills in the area includeAjodhya Hills (677 m), Panchet (643 m), andBaghmundi in Purulia, andBiharinath (452 m) andSusunia (442 m) in Bankura. Gorgaburu in the Ayodhya Hills (677 m) is the highest point in the region.
The average altitude in the area ranges from 100 to 500 m. The area has a slope from the west to the east.
There are somebadlands in this region. The Sinhati Badlands are located 4 km northwest of Bishnupur town in the Sinhati area of Bankura district.[7] The Gangani (or Garbheta) Badlands are located in Paschim Midinipur district beside river Shilabati. These badlands are also known as Grand Canyon of West Bengal.[8]
The Ganges Delta covers the entirety ofNadia,Kolkata,North 24 Parganas, andSouth 24 Parganas districts, and the eastern half ofMurshidabad district. The Ganges passes through this vast area and divides into three distinct parts: the old delta, the mature delta, and the active delta.
The old delta consists of the districts of Murshidabad and Nadia. The formation of delta is complete and the rivers here are heavily silted and many have even dried up over time. Silted rivers, swamps,beels, andoxbow lakes form the area. This area is also known as Bagri region.
The districts ofKolkata and North 24 Parganas form mature delta region. The rivers are slow and meandering and frequently shift their courses. Swamps,beels, and oxbow lakes characterise the scenery. The district of South 24 Parganas is known to be the active delta of the Ganges, where the formation of the delta is still an ongoing process.
Depending on soil and climate variations, West Bengal can be divided into six broad divisions:[9]
TheGanges enters West Bengal nearRajmahal and then flows in a southeasterly direction. It divides in two near north ofDhulian inMurshidabad district.[10] One branch enters Bangladesh as thePadma (orPôdda), while the other flows through West Bengal as the Bhagirathi andHooghly River in a southern direction. The Bhagirathi-Hooghly is the main river in West Bengal, and flows past some of the important cities likeMurshidabad,Baharampur,Nabadwip,Chinsurah,Chandannagar,Srirampur,Howrah,Kolkata,Diamond Harbour, andHaldia. It empties intoBay of Bengal nearSagar Island in theSouth 24 Parganas district.[10]
Numerous rivers flow eastwards through West Bengal and join the Bhagirathi on the right bank.[10] These include:
Similarly, several rivers flow westwards into West Bengal and join the Bhagirathi on its left bank.[10] These include:
These rivers carry with them plenty of water, keeping the Bhagirathi River submerged with water throughout the year. The rivers also carry silt and sand eroded from the western plateaus and deposit them in the Bhagirathi. This silting causes trouble for theKolkata Port and often causes flooding during years of heavy rain.[10]
TheSunderbans region is covered by numerous estuaries and streams, mainly distributaries of main rivers [3]. The rivers are interconnected and are fed by tidal waters. The major rivers of the area are theHooghly,Matla,Gosaba,Saptamukhi,Haribhanga,Piyali,Thakuran (or Jamira),Raimangal,Kalindi, andIchhamati [4].[10]
TheTeesta River cuts deepgorges from north to south in the mountainous Darjeeling district. It then enters the plains atSevoke and flows in a mighty stream in a straight line towards the southeast, until it pours into theBrahmaputra River in Bangladesh.[10]
TheTorsa,Jaldhaka,Kaljani,Raidak,Sankosh, andMahananda rivers originate in the northern hilly region which rise in theHimalayas and flow in a southerly direction through the districts ofDarjeeling,Alipurduar,Jalpaiguri,Cooch Behar andNorth andSouth Dinajpur, before enteringBangladesh. As most of the rivers are fed by snow, they are perennial in nature and often flood during the rainy season.[10] The entire region is made up of sand, gravel, and pebbles laid down by these rivers.[10] The Mahananda rises from the Dow Hills forest, near the town ofDarjeeling, and runs in a zig-zag course through the district of Malda and joins the Padma in Bangladesh. In the central region, the main river is the Mahananda.[clarification needed] TheTangon,Punarbhabha, andAtrai rivers arise in the plains; the former two join and flow into theMahanadi, while the Atrai flows into the Padma [1].
The Sundarbans delta is the largestmangrove forest in the world, situated in theSouth 24 Parganas district. It lies at the mouth of theGanges and is spread across areas ofBangladesh and West Bengal. The Bangladeshi and Indian portions of the jungle are bothUNESCO world heritage sites, separately listed as the Sundarbans andSundarbans National Park respectively, though they are parts of the same forest [3]. The Sundarbans are intersected by a complex network oftidal waterways,mudflats, and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests, and present an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes [4].
The average elevation of the area is 10 m. This area has been created by the deposition of silt from its numerous rivers—theHooghly,Matla,Jamira,Gosaba,Saptamukhi, andHaribhanga—and their tributaries. The formation of the delta is an ongoing process, and newbars and islands are being created along the rivers and at the river mouth. A large percentage of the area is underwater during incoming tides.
The area is known for its wide range of fauna. The most famous among these is theroyal Bengal tiger, but numerous species ofbirds, spotteddeer,crocodiles, andsnakes also inhabit it. It is estimated that there are now 400 Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area [5].[citation needed]
West Bengal's climate varies fromtropical savannah in the southern portions tohumid subtropical in the north. The main seasons are summer, rainy season, a short autumn, and winter. While the summer in the delta region is noted for excessive humidity, the western highlands experience a dry summer like northern India, with daily high temperatures ranging from 38 °C (100 °F) to 45 °C (113 °F).[11] At nights, a cool southerly breeze carries moisture from the Bay of Bengal.
In early summer, briefsqualls and thunderstorms known askal-baisakhi often arrive from the north or northwest.[12] Monsoons bring rain to the whole state from June to September. West Bengal receives theBay of Bengal branch of theIndian Ocean monsoon that moves in a northwest direction. Winter (December–January) is mild over the plains with average daily low temperatures of 15 °C (59 °F).[11] A cold and dry northern wind blows in the winter, substantially lowering the humidity level. However, the Darjeeling Himalayan Hill region experiences a harsh winter, with occasional snowfall at places.
West Bengal stands third in India in terms of mineral production by state, contributing about one-fifth of the total mineral production of the country.[10]
Coal constitutes 99% of the minerals extracted in West Bengal. West Bengal is the third largest state for coal production, accounting for about half of India's total.[10] Coal is extracted from about 228 mines in theRaniganj andAsansol region ofBardhaman district.[10] High gradebituminous coal is mined atRaniganj,Dishergarh,Santaldih,Kulti,Barakar,Ghushik, andKajora. Coalfields stretch over an area of about 1,550 km2 (598 sq mi). The coalfields of Raniganj support the Asansol-Durgapur industrial belt by providing fuel to the industries as well as generation of thermal power.Lignite mined inDarjeeling is used to makebriquettes. Coal deposits are also found along theAjoy river inBirbhum district.[10]
Fireclay andchina clay are also mined. West Bengal ranks next toBihar andMadhya Pradesh in production of fireclay.[10] Most of this mineral is extracted in the Raniganj region, along with a small quantity extracted fromBirbhum andPurulia. In 1993–94, 124,000 metric tons of fireclay were produced in West Bengal.[10] China clay—used in thepottery,paper,textile,rubber, andpaint industries—is unearthed atMohammad Bazar in Birbhum andMejia inBankura. The rest of the production comes from Purulia, Bardhaman, Darjeeling, andJalpaiguri.
Limestone,copper,iron ore,wolframite,manganese, anddolomite are also mined in small quantities.[10] Limestone—used in thecement industry—is mined in Bankura, Purulia, Darjeeling, and Jalpaiguri.[10] There are copper mines in Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. Small quantities of low-quality iron ore are mined in Bardhaman, Purulia, Birbhum, and Darjeeling.[10] There is manganese in theJhargram region ofPaschim Medinipur, Purulia, and Bardhaman. Wolframite is mined atJhilimili in Bankura.[10] The state's production of dolomite comes from theDooars region of Jalpaiguri. 38.5 thousand tonnes of dolomite were raised in 1993–94.[10]
There are possible deposits of mineral oil and natural gas in the areas near theBay of Bengal, inPurba Medinipur,Sundarbans,South 24 Parganas, andNorth Bengal plains.[10] Research is ongoing in various places to locate natural gas.