Map of West Bengal
West Bengal is a first-level division of India. Its largest mapped city is Kolkata, with about 14.79 million people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on West Bengal, and the tables list its 10 mapped cities along with the mountains, dams, ports, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 10
- Largest City
- Kolkata
- Country
- India
- Highest Point Mapped
- 8,586 m
Interactive Map of West Bengal
About West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern part of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal. In 2011, its population was around 91 million in an area of 88,752 km2 (34,267 sq mi), while the population estimate as of 2026 is 100.6 million. West Bengal is the fourth-most populous and thirteenth-largest state by area in India, as well as the eighth-most populous country subdivision of the world. As a part of the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, it borders Bangladesh in the east, and Nepal and Bhutan in the north. It also borders the Indian states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Sikkim and Assam. The state capital is Kolkata, the third-largest metropolis, and seventh largest city by population in India. West Bengal includes the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region, the Ganges delta, the Rarh region, the coastal Sundarbans and the Bay of Bengal. The state's main ethnic group are the Bengalis.
The area's early history featured a succession of Indian empires, internal conflict, and a struggle between Hinduism and Buddhism for dominance. Ancient Bengal was the site of several major Janapadas, while the earliest cities date back to the Vedic period. The region was part of several ancient pan−Indian empires, including the Vangas, Mauryans, and the Guptas. The citadel of Gauḍa served as the capital of the Gauda kingdom, the Pala Empire, and the Sena Empire. Islam was introduced through trade with the Abbasid Caliphate, but following the Ghurid conquests led by Bakhtiyar Khalji and the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate, the Muslim faith spread across the entire Bengal region. During the Bengal Sultanate, the territory was a major trading nation in the world, and was often referred by the Europeans as the "richest country to trade with". It was absorbed into the Mughal Empire in 1576. Simultaneously, some parts of the region were ruled by several Hindu states, and Baro-Bhuyan landlords, and part of it was briefly overrun by the Suri Empire.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: West Bengal (CC BY-SA 4.0).
West Bengal in Depth
History
Stone Age tools dating back 20,000 years have been excavated in the state, showing human occupation 8,000 years earlier than scholars had thought. According to the Indian epic Mahabharata, the region was part of the Vanga kingdom. Several Vedic realms were present in the Bengal region, including Vanga, Rarh, Pundravardhana and the Suhma kingdom. One of the earliest foreign references to Bengal is a mention by the Ancient Greeks around 100 BCE of a land named Gangaridai located at the mouths of the Ganges. Bengal had overseas trade relations with Suvarnabhumi (Burma, Lower Thailand, the Lower Malay Peninsula and Sumatra).
Geography
West Bengal is on the eastern bottleneck of India, stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south. The state has a total area of 88,752 square kilometres (34,267 sq mi). The Darjeeling Himalayan hill region in the northern extreme of the state is a part of the eastern Himalayas mountain range. In this region is Sandakphu, which, at 3,636 m (11,929 ft), is the highest peak of the state. The narrow Terai region separates the hills from the North Bengal plains, which in turn transitions into the Ganges delta towards the south. The Rarh region intervenes between the Ganges delta in the east and the western plateau and high lands. A small coastal region is in the extreme south, while the Sundarbans mangrove forests form a geographical landmark at the Ganges delta.
Economy
As of 2015, West Bengal has the sixth-highest Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in India. GSDP at current prices (base 2004–2005) has increased from Rs 2,086.56 billion in 2004–05 to Rs 8,00,868 crores in 2014–2015, reaching Rs 10,21,000 crores in 2017–18. GSDP per cent growth at current prices varied from a 10.3% low in 2010–2011 to a 17.11% high in 2013–2014. The growth rate was 13.35% in 2014–2015. The state's per capita income has lagged the all India average for over two decades. As of 2014–2015, per capita Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) at current prices was Rs 78,903. Per-capita NSDP growth rate at current prices varied from a 9.4% low in 2010–2011 to a 16.15% high in 2013–2014. The growth rate was 12.62% in 2014–2015.
Demographics
According to the provisional results of the 2011 national census, West Bengal is the fourth-most-populous state in India with a population of 91,347,736 (7.55% of India's population). The state's 2001–2011 decennial population growth rate was 13.93%, lower than the 1991–2001 growth rate of 17.8% and lower than the national rate of 17.64%. The gender ratio is 947 females per 1,000 males. As of 2011, West Bengal had a population density of 1,029 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,670/sq mi) making it the second-most densely populated state in India, after Bihar.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: West Bengal (CC BY-SA 4.0).
West Bengal: Key Facts
| Population | 91,276,115 (2011) |
|---|---|
| Area | 88,752 km² |
| Capital | Kolkata |
| Head of government | Suvendu Adhikari |
| Highest point | Sandakpu |
| Established | 14 August 1947 |
Facts from Wikidata Q1356 (CC0).
History of West Bengal: Empires and States
The atlas records 26 polities whose mapped territory included part of West Bengal, from Magadha - Haryanka dynasty in 480 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Magadha - Haryanka dynasty | 480–405 BCE |
| Mahajanapadas | 480–351 BCE |
| Magadha - Shaishunaga dynasty | 404–334 BCE |
| Nanda Empire | 333–319 BCE |
| The Maurya Empire | 318–171 BCE |
| Mahameghavahana Dynasty | 170–165 BCE |
| Shunga Empire | 170–67 BCE |
| Kanva Dynasty | 66–28 BCE |
| The Gupta Empire | 347–554 CE |
| Maukhari Dynasty | 555–611 CE |
| Harsha's Empire | 612–655 CE |
| Kamarupa Kingdom | 656–1055 CE |
| Pala Empire | 778–1071 CE |
| Sena Dynasty | 1072–1235 CE |
| Mamluk Dynasty | 1236–1293 CE |
| The Delhi Sultanate | 1236–1343 CE |
| Khalji Dynasty | 1294–1325 CE |
| Tughlaq Dynasty | 1326–1343 CE |
| Sultanate of Bengal | 1352–1533 CE |
| Hussain Shahi Dynasty | 1534–1539 CE |
| Sur Empire | 1540–1578 CE |
| The Mughal Empire | 1579–1717 CE |
| Nawabs of Bengal | 1718–1761 CE |
| The British Empire | 1757–1946 CE |
| British Raj | 1859–1946 CE |
| Republic of India | 1947–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of West Bengal
West Bengal on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting West Bengal
West Bengal (WB, Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchimbongo), a state in Eastern India, presents some of the marvellous landscape features and natural scenic beauty, from the picturesque hills of Darjeeling to the mangrove rainforest of the Sundarbans. Here, you can also find man-made structures with varying tastes, from the terracotta temples of Bishnupur to the colonial structures of Kolkata.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: West Bengal (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in West Bengal
10 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kolkata | 14.79 million | West Bengal | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Haora | 4.84 million | West Bengal | Populated place |
| 3 | Asansol | 1.33 million | West Bengal | Populated place |
| 4 | Siliguri | 515,574 | West Bengal | Populated place |
| 5 | Bhatpara | 483,129 | West Bengal | Populated place |
| 6 | Barddhaman | 301,725 | West Bengal | Populated place |
| 7 | Haldia | 200,762 | West Bengal | Populated place |
| 8 | Medinipur | 169,127 | West Bengal | Populated place |
| 9 | Krishnanagar | 145,926 | West Bengal | Populated place |
| 10 | Alipur Duar | 127,342 | West Bengal | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in West Bengal
1 mountain mapped. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanchenjunga | 8,586 m | 28,169 ft | Asia |
Major Dams in West Bengal
2 dams mapped. Ranked by structural height. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Height | River | Capacity | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maithon Dam | 50 m | Barakar / Damodar | 60 MW | 1957 |
| 2 | Panchet Dam | 45 m | Damodar | 80 MW | 1959 |
Ports in West Bengal
2 ports mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calcutta | 42.1 m | Major | Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal | medium vessels |
| 2 | Haldia Port | 42.1 m | Very Small | Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal | large vessels |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in West Bengal
3 World Heritage Sites mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sundarbans National Park | 1987 | Natural | (ix) (x) |
| 2 | Khangchendzonga National Park | 2016 | Mixed | (iii) (vi) (vii) (x) |
| 3 | Santiniketan | 2023 | Cultural | (iv) (vi) |
West Bengal: Quick Answers
- Where is West Bengal?
- West Bengal is a first-level division of India, in Asia. Its mapped cities centre on 23.5804° N, 88.1779° E.
- What is the largest city in West Bengal?
- Kolkata is the largest city mapped in West Bengal, with a metropolitan population of about 14.79 million.
- How many cities are in West Bengal?
- YearMaps maps 10 cities and towns in West Bengal, with a combined metropolitan population of about 22.90 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the highest mountain in West Bengal?
- The highest summit mapped in West Bengal is Kanchenjunga at 8,586 m.