Rail & Road Maps of IndiaComing into existence during the 1947
independence, West Bengal state was carved out from the state of
Cooch Behar and some parts of Bihar state in 1956. Much of the state
is made up of the fertile delta of the Ganges River.
On its north are the foothills of the Himalaya and the Sundarbans
region to the south, which extends into Bangladesh. The south contains
one of the world's largest mangrove forests. Most of West Bengal
as well is under cultivation since it has been heavily deforested.
Formerly Ca;cutta, Kolkata is the state capital and India's second
largest city.
Although English, Hindi Urdu and Manipuri are widely used and understood,
the sate's official language is Bengali. West Bengal is predominantly
Hindu, comprising 75% of the population but a significant Muslim
minority also inhabits the state. |
