West Bengal Census (2011)

• Latitudinal extension- 21*38’N to 27*10’N.

• North to South extension- 623 km.
• Longitudinal extension- 85*50’E to 89*50’E.
• West to East extension- 320 km.
• Total area- 88752 sq km. It is almost equal with the total area of Serbia(88361sq km),Jordon
(89342 sq km)/ Hungary(93030 Sq km). Area wise WB is the 14th (at present 13th) largest state of
India; it covers 2.6% area of India.
• Area wise largest district
1. South 24 Parganas
2. West Midnapur
3. Bardhaman
• Area wise smallest district
1. Kolkata
2. Howrah
3. South Dinajpur
• Total population- About 9.13 Crore. It is almost equal with the population of Vietnam. Population
wise WB is the 4th largest state in India. Population of WB covers 7.55% population of India.
• Population wise largest district
1. North 24 Parganas
2. South 24 Parganas
3. Bardhaman
• Population wise smallest district
1. South Dinajpur
2. Darjeeling
3. Cooch Behar
• Population density- 1029/sq km (provisional); 1028/sq km(final)
• Density wise largest district
1. Kolkata(24252/sq km)
2. Howrah
3. North 24 Parganas
• Density wise smallest district
1. Purulia(468/sq km)
2. Bankura
3. Dargeeling
• Literacy rate- 77.08% (provisional); 76.26(final)
• Literacy rate wise largest district
1. East Midnapur(87.02)
2. Kolkata
3. North 24 Parganas
• Literacy rate wise smallest district
1. North Dinajpur(59.07)
2. Malda
3. Purulia
• Male literacy rate- 81.69 (highest- East Midnapur; Lowest-North Dinajpur)
• Female literacy- 70.54 (highest-Kolkata; Lowest-Purulia)
• Population growth rate/ Decadal growth rate (2001-2011)- 13.93(provisional); 13.84(final)
• Highest growth rate-
1. North Dinajpur (23.15)
2. Malda
3. Murshidabad
• Lowest growth rate-
1. Kolkata(-1.9)
2. Hooghly
3. South Dinajpur
• Sex ratio- 947 female/ 1000 male
• Highest sex ratio-
1. Dargeeling(970F/1000M)
2. West Midnapur
3. Hooghly
• Lowest sex ratio-
1. Kolkata(908F/1000M)
2. East Midnapur
3. North Dinajpur
• Child sex ratio (up to 6 years age)- 956 female/1000male(highest- Murshidabad; lowest-Kolkata)
• Human Development Index (HDI)-0.641; rank 14th among 28 states.
• Highest HDI-
1. Kolkata
2. Howrah
3. North 24 Parganas
• Lowest HDI-
1. Malda
2. Purulia
3. Murshidabad
• Largest million city- 1. Kolkata 2. Asansol 3. Siliguri
• Largest slum populated city- 1. Kolkata 2. Asansol 3. Maheshtala(south 24 pgs)
• Percentage of SC population- 23.02 ;highest-South24Parganas(total);Cooch Behar(percentage
wise)
• Percentage of ST population-5.50; highest-West Midnapur(total); Jalpaiguri(percentage wise)
Major NH in West Bengal
Old Name New Name Connection
NH-2 NH-19 Kolkata-Delhi
NH-5 NH-16 Kolkata-Chennai
NH-6 NH-53/AH-46 Kolkata-Mumbai
NH-34(previous longest) NH-12 Bakkhali-Dalkhola
& Longest NH in west Bengal
NH-117
NH-35 NH-112 Barasat-Bongaon
NH-31A NH-10 Sevok-Gangtok
NH-55 NH-110 Siliguri-Dargeeling
NH-41 NH-116 Kolghat-Haldia
- NH-116B Nandakumar to
Chandaneshwar via Digha
NH-80(shortest) NH-33 Arwal/Mokamah to Farakka

Major Airport/Air-field
• Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport- Dum Dum/Kolkata
• Bagdogra airport- Siliguri
• Kazi Najrul Islam airport- Andal/Durgapur
• Hijli airfield- Hijli(near Kharagpur) used in the time of 2nd world war.
• Kalaikunda air force station- Kalaikunda(near Kharagpur)
• Arjan Singh airbase- Panagarh

Major port

• Kolkata port/ Shyamaprashad Mukherjee port

Dock- 1. Khidirpur 2. Haldia

Major tribes-

• Santhal- largest tribe in West Bengal. Lives in Chotanagpur region(Purulia,

Bankura, Birbhum, Jhargram, West Midnapur, West Bardhaman)
• Munda- Lives in Chotanagpur region(Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Jhargram, West
Midnapur, West Bardhaman)
• Lodha- Lives in Chotanagpur region(Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Jhargram, West
Midnapur, West Bardhaman)
• Sabar- Lives in Chotanagpur region(Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Jhargram, West
Midnapur, West Bardhaman)
• Bhumij- Lives in Jhargram(Subarnarekha river valley)
• MalPahoria- Purulia is the home land.
 • Oraon- Also known as Kuruk, lives in Jalpaiguri.
• Lepcha- Also known as Rangkip, lives in Kalimpong & Darjeeling
district(Kurseong, Mirik)
• Toto- Least & isolated tribal group of West Bengal, lives in Madarihat/Buxa
region of Alipurduar district.

Natural Vegetation-

• Percentage of forest covering area- 19.04% (2019)

• Percentage of tree covering area- 2.41% (2019)
• Percentage of tree & forest covering area- 21.45% (2019)
• Highest forest covering district- South 24 Parganas
• Lowest forest covering district- Kolkata
• National Park
1. Jaldapara(2012)
2. Sundarban(1984)
3. Singalila(1992)
4. Neoravalley(1986)
5. Gorumara(1992)
6. Buxa(1992)

Famous Place

1. Mungpoo(Darjeeling)- Chinchona cultivation/quinine production

2. Kalimpong- City of orchid
3. Kurseong- City of white orchid
4. Bankura/ Bishnupur- land of terracotta, land of Malla king, Dokra(metal casting), Baluchari
saree(origin- Murshidabad)
5. Ghugumari(Cooch Behar)- Sitalpati
6. Nanoor(Birbhum)- Kantha stich
7. Pingla(West Midnapur), Bhagwanpur(East Midnapur)- Mat
8. Krishnanagar- Clay doll
9. Kolkata- City of joy, cultural capital of West Bengal
10. Howrah- Glasgow of India, Shefield of West Bengal
11. South24Parganas- land of 18 kilns
12. Alipurduar- queen of duars
13. Midnapur- land of revolt
14. Digha- Brighton of east
15. Siliguri- Gateway of north-east India
16. Dhaniakhali(Hooghly)- Tangail saree
17. Shantipur/Phulia(Nadia)- Jamdani saree
18. Buxa(Alipurduar/previous location-Jalpaiguri)- Dolomite
19. Hazarduari- palace of thousand door
20. Mohammed Bazar(Birbhum)- China clay
21. Santiniketan- Sriniketan bag(batik printing leather bag), only central university in West
Bengal
22. Kaliaganj(North Dinajpur)- Decorative jute bag
23. Belur(Howrah), Anupnagar(Murshidabad)- Aluminium Industry
24. Rupnarayanpur(West Bardhaman)- Cycle industry, Electric wire & cables, reach in iron &
aluminium.
25. Haldia- Exide industry, Petrochemical industry
26. Chittaranjan- Electric rail engine
27. Malda- Mango, Silk & Jute
28. Natungram(East Bardhaman)- Wood carving