West Bengal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
West Bengal
বঙ্গ প্রদেশ
পশ্চিমবঙ্গ |
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State of India
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        From top: Kolkata skyline from Howrah, Dakshineswar Kali Temple near Kolkata, Kolkata Gate, also known as the Biswa Bangla Gate at New Town, tea garden in the Dooars region, Hazarduari Palace in Murshidabad, sunrise in Digha beach, Bengal tiger in Sundarbans National Park, view of Darjeeling from Happy Valley Tea Estate
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| Nickname(s):
বাংলা, বঙ্গ
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A map showing us where the location of West Bengal is in India
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Map of West Bengal
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| Country |  India |
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| Region | East India | |
| Established | 1 November 1956 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 88,752 km2 (34,267 sq mi) | |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 91,347,736 | |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) | |
| Official languages | Bengali · Nepali · only for Darjeeling district,English | |
| 294 elected, 1 nominated | ||
West Bengal (Bengali: বঙ্গ প্রদেশ/পশ্চিমবঙ্গ) is a large state located in the eastern part of India. It is home to over 91 million people, making it the fourth most populated state in the country. West Bengal is also a major contributor to India's economy.
The state's capital city is Kolkata, a very busy and important city. West Bengal covers an area of about 88,752 square kilometers. This makes it bigger than countries like Serbia but smaller than Jordan. Geographically, it is part of the East Indian region.
West Bengal has a tropical climate. This means summers are usually very hot and humid, while winters are cool and pleasant. The main language spoken here is Bengali. Many people from West Bengal are called Bengalis. You can also find Bengalis living in Bangladesh, a country located to the east of West Bengal.
Contents
A Look at West Bengal's History
India was once ruled by the British Empire. When India gained its freedom in 1947, the country was divided into two parts. This was because of disagreements between Hindu and Muslim communities.
The region of Bengal, which was a large province, was also split. One part became West Bengal, which joined India. The other part became East Bengal, which was then part of Pakistan and called East Pakistan. Later, in 1971, East Pakistan fought for its independence and became the country of Bangladesh.
Famous People from West Bengal
West Bengal has been the birthplace of many famous and influential people. They have made big contributions in different fields like science, art, literature, and sports.
Here are some of them:
- Swami Vivekananda - A spiritual leader who introduced Indian philosophies to the Western world.
- Rabindranath Tagore - A Nobel Prize winner for literature, famous for his poems, songs, and plays.
- Satyendranath Bose - A brilliant physicist known for his work in quantum mechanics.
- Jagadish Chandra Bose - A pioneering scientist who worked in radio and microwave optics.
- Satyajit Ray - A world-renowned film director.
- Kishore Kumar Ganguly - A very popular singer and actor.
- Sourav Ganguly - A famous cricketer and former captain of the Indian cricket team.
- Pranab Mukherjee - A former President of India.
- Surendranath Banerjee - An important leader during India's freedom movement.
- Vidyasagar - A social reformer and writer.
- Khudiram Bose - A young freedom fighter.
- Shyama Prasad Mukherjee - A politician and educator.
- Ritwik Ghatak - Another celebrated film director.
- Pradeep Kumar Banerjee - A well-known footballer.
- Victor Banerjee - A respected actor.
- Bappi Lahiri - A famous music composer and singer.
- Michael Madhusudhan Dutta - A pioneer of modern Bengali literature.
- Rahul Dev Burman - A legendary music director.
Provincial Symbols of West Bengal
Every state has its own special symbols that represent it. West Bengal also has its unique provincial symbols.
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White-throated Kingfisher, the provincial bird of West Bengal.
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Fishing cat, the provincial animal of West Bengal.
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Devil tree, the provincial tree of West Bengal.
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Night-flowering Jasmine, the provincial flower of West Bengal.
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Images for kids
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The Pala Empire was a powerful kingdom during the Late Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, starting in Bengal
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Firoz Minar at Gauḍa was built during the Bengal Sultanate
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An 1880 map of Bengal
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The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999
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Many areas remain flooded during the heavy rains brought by a monsoon
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The Grand Hotel in Kolkata. Tourism, especially from Bangladesh, is an important part of West Bengal's economy.
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Satyajit Ray, a pioneer in Bengali cinema, with Ravi Sankar.
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Panchchura Temple in Bishnupur, an old example of terracotta art from India.
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Jamdani Sari of Bangladesh is very popular in West Bengal.
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Salt Lake Stadium / Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata
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Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata
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Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is a hub for flights to and from Bangladesh, East Asia, Nepal, Bhutan and north-east India.
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Durgapur Expressway
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An SBSTC bus in Karunamoyee
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Kolkata Metro, India's first metro rail system
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University of Calcutta, the oldest public university of India.
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The front entrance to the academic block of NUJS, Kolkata.
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Prajna Bhavan, housing the School of Mathematical Sciences and School of RKMVU.
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See also
In Spanish: Bengala Occidental para niños
