| West Bengal Travel Guide |
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| General Information |
| West Bengal is a very mesmerizing and gorgeous state. The enticing aura of the land allures the tourists to this wonderful destination. Calcutta is the capital of West Bengal. It is one of the major metropolitan cities in the whole world. Calcutta is now named as Kolkatta. |
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History |
The first and the foremost dynasties that ruled over the land of West Bengal were the Palas. They ruled the land till 9th century A.D. In the 16th century, European merchants established their major factories in this area. The most booming on this land was the English East India Company. In 1947 after independence, Bengal was separated and its western half became the present state of West Bengal. |
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Geography |
The total land area of this state is around 89,000 sq kms. West Bengal has its boundaries kissing with three international countries, which are, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The Indian states that share the boundaries with West Bengal are Sikkim, Orissa, Bihar and Assam. West Bengal has a vast area of immensely fertile land. The Ganges and its umpteenth number of tributaries have resulted in building West Bengal as one of the most fertile regions in the whole world. The terra firma usage in West Bengal is as follows - arable land: 62.8% (55,414 sq. Kms); forests 13.38%; the rest is for other purposes.
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Climate/Temperature |
West Bengal experiences a tropical climate. In the mountainous regions of the state there is shivering cold in winter and moderate temperature in summer. The plains are hot except during the winter season. The winter season is short in West Bengal. There are imprecisely six seasons seen in West Bengal – summer, autumn, rainy, spring, mild winter and severe winter. The summer season extends from mid March up to mid June. The temperature in summer ranges from 38 C to 45 C. Winter season is from November to February. The temperature varies according to the altitude. The average minimum temperature is around 15C. |
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Religions |
The preponderance of the state's population is clubbed under the broad denomination of Hindu. There is a generous Muslim minority in the land also. The other minority communities are Christians, Buddhist, Sikhs and Jains. |
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Languages Spoken |
The chief language of West Bengal is Bengali. Nearly 70 percent of people of West Bengal speak bengali. The other languages used in this state are Hindi, Santhali and Nepali. A small portion of population speaks Hindi and Nepali. |
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People / Population |
The population of West Bengal as per the 1991 census was around 68,077,965. According to 1998 estimates, the total population of West Bengal has risen up to the mark of 78 million. |
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Places to Visit / Attractions |
West Bengal, located in the eastern division of the Indian isthmus, is one of the most racially and ethnically assorted states of India. It is a land of varied trinkets. Right from the potent Himalayas in the north to the sea-caressed beaches in the south, the state houses a number of rare landmarks of historical preserves. This captivating and charismatic land has a lot to offer to avid travelers. Some of the major tourist attractions are:
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Adventure Sports |
Adventure sports involves trekking in the forests and the hills, mountaineering, mountain biking, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, yachting, river rafting, long-distance swimming and Para sailing, car rally etc. |
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