The Geography of West Bengal, a state in eastern India, is primarily defined by plains and plateaus, with the high peaks of the Himalayas in the north and the Bay of Bengal to the south.
Location and extent
West Bengal is on the eastern neck of India, stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south. It lies between 85 degree 50 minutes and 89 degree 50 minutes east longitude, and 21 degrees 25 minutes and 27 degrees 13 minutes north latitude. The state has a total area of . With Bangladesh on its eastern border, the state forms the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. To its northeast lie the states of Assam and Sikkim and the country of Bhutan. To its southwest is the state of Odisha. To the west, it borders the states of Jharkhand and Bihar, and to the northwest, Nepal. The capital of the state is Kolkata, the third-largest urban agglomeration and the seventh-largest city in India.
Political geography
There are 23 districts and 5 divisions in West Bengal. The Burdwan Division consists of Paschim Bardhaman, Purba Bardhaman, Birbhum, and Hooghly; Medinipur division consists of Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Bankura and Purulia; the Jalpaiguri Division consists of Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Kalimpong; the Malda division consists of Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Murshidabad and Malda, and the Presidency Division consists of Kolkata, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Howrah. The newly added 7 districts are Ranaghat, Jangipur, Berhampur, Bishnupur, Sundarban, Icchemati and Bashirhat.
Each district is governed by a district collector or district magistrate, appointed either by the Indian Administrative Service or the West Bengal Civil Service. Each district is subdivided into Sub-Divisions, governed by a sub-divisional magistrate, and again into Blocks. Blocks consists of panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities. Often, the districts north of the Ganges (i.e., Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, and Malda) are together called North Bengal.
The capital of the state is Kolkata – the third-largest urban agglomeration and the seventh-largest city in India. Asansol is the second largest city and urban agglomeration in West Bengal after Kolkata. Siliguri is an economically important city, strategically located in the northeastern Siliguri Corridor (Chicken's Neck) of India. Other major cities and towns in West Bengal are Howrah, Durgapur, Raniganj, Haldia, Jalpaiguri, Kharagpur, Burdwan, Darjeeling, Midnapore, and Malda.
Landforms Darjeeling Himalayan hill region
Darjeeling Himalayan hill region is situated to the north of the state. This region belongs to the Eastern Himalaya range. The entire Darjeeling district (except the Siliguri subdivision and northern parts of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts) falls under this zone, which starts abruptly from the Terai region. The deep gorges of Teesta River, which runs from north to south have divided this mountainous region into two parts: the western mountains (west of Teesta) and the eastern mountains (east of Teesta).
The Western Mountains
The western mountains are the higher part of Darjeeling Himalayan range, with an average height of . They spread from Nepal border to the Teesta river, and primarily consist of two mountain ranges: the Singalila Range and the Darjeeling range. The Singalila Range is located along the border of Darjeeling district and Nepal. It separates West Bengal from Nepal. Singalila starts from Western Sikkim and penetrates into Darjeeling district. It has four important peaks higher than 3,000 m: Sandakphu (3,636 m), Phalut (3,595 m), Sabargram (3,543 m), and Tonglu (3,036 m). Among the Himalayan ranges of this region, Singalila Range hosts Sandakphu (3,636 m), the highest peak in West Bengal. Kanchenjunga (the world's 3rd highest peak), Everest (world's highest peak), Lhotse (world's 4th highest peak), and Makalu (world's 5th highest peak) can be seen from the Singalila Range.
The Darjeeling range rises steadily from Terai area. Located within this range, Ghum railway station (2,258 m) is the highest rail station in India. The famous Tiger Hill (2,567 m) is situated at the middle of this mountain chain and is a viewpoint from which some of the world's tallest peaks can be seen, including Kanchenjunga, Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. Three minor mountain chains start from Tiger Hill: Darjeeling Lebong in the north, Takdah Peshok in the northeast, and Bagora Dowhill in the south. Sinchal (2,615 m) is one of the well-known peaks here.
The Eastern Mountains The eastern side of the Darjeeling Himalayan mountains are lower than the western side, with an average altitude of . Durpin Dara and Chola are two major mountain chains of this part.
The Durpin Dara chain holds the highest peak of eastern part: Rishila, at . There are two peaks, Renigango (1,885 m) and Chhoto Sinchula (1726m) to the north of Jalpaiguri district. The Buxa hill is located at the east end of this region. Sangchuli is the highest peak of the Buxa hills. Kalimpong town is one of the well-known towns of this area.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (simply known as "toy train") has been listed in UNESCO world heritage sites.
Terai region
The Teesta River divides the area into two parts: the Terai to the west and the Dooars (or Duars) to the east. The Dooars region can be further subdivided into the Siliguri (Western) Dooars, the Jalpaiguri (Middle) Dooars, and the Alipur (Eastern) Dooars.
The Terai ("moist land") is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests at the base of the Himalaya range stretching southwards about 38 km. Above the Terai belt lies the Bhabar, a forested belt of rock, gravel, and soil eroded from the Himalayas. The Terai zone is composed of alternate layers of clay and sand, with a high water table that creates many springs and wetlands. The Terai zone is inundated yearly by the monsoon-swollen rivers of the Himalayas. The Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands is an ecoregion that stretches across the middle of the Terai belt, consisting of tall grasslands, savannas, evergreen forests, and deciduous forests [.
The Terai and Dooars region politically constitute the plains of Darjeeling District, the whole of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar district, and the upper region of Cooch Behar District in West Bengal. The slope of the land is gentle, from north to south. The general height of the land is 80–100 m. The entire region is made up of sand, gravel, and pebbles laid down by Himalayan rivers including the Teesta, Torsa, Raidak, Jaldhaka, Sankosh, and Mahananda.
North Bengal plains
The North Bengal plains start from the south of Terai region and continue up to the left bank of the Ganges. The southern parts of the district Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur baring some extreme northern regions, South Dinajpur, Malda, Alipurduar and southern part of Cooch Behar districts constitute this geographical region. The narrow land mass in the North Dinajpur district is known as Mahananda Corridor. This corridor runs north to south joining Malda with the plains of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar. The entire part of North and South Dinajpur is silt laden plain.
The Mahananda River divides the district of Malda into two parts. The eastern part (known as Barind or Barendrabhumi) consists of undulating plains and tilas, and is made up of old alluvium and is part of the Ganges Delta. In contrast, the western part is made up of new alluvium, and here the Kalindi River joins the Mahananda River. The area north of the Kalindi River is a lowland covered with swamps and beels (small water bodies) and is known as tal. In contrast, the area south of the Kalindi is a very fertile land and is known as diara.
The plain south of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar district is also made of new alluvium deposited by numerous rivers including the Teesta, Torsa, Raidak, Jaldhaka, Sankosh, Balason, Punarbhaba, and Atrai .
Rarh region
Rarh is the region that intervenes between the Vajjabhumi and the Ganges Delta. This region is composed of parts of the districts Murshidabad, Birbhum, Bankura, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Purba Medinipur, and Paschim Medinipur. The region is about 50–100 m above sea level, and is believed to consist of soil from the Deccan plateau. The area is formed by the silt brought by the tributaries of the Bhagirathi, Mayurakshi River, Ajay River, Damodar, and Rupnarayan rivers, which flow through the red laterite soil of the western plateau region. The land is sloped from west to southeast, and the formation of natural levees along the riverbanks is a common phenomenon.
Coastal plain
A small coastal region is on the extreme south of the state. A part of the district of Purba Medinipur along the Bay of Bengal constitutes the coastal plain. This emergent coastal plain is made up of sand and mud deposited by rivers and wind. Parallel to the coast are areas of sand dunes and marsh. The Digha dunes lie nearest to the Bay of Bengal, while the Kanthi dunes are the farthest from it. In some areas, dunes occur at a distance of 15–16 km from the coast and are 11–12 m high .
Western plateau and high lands
The western part of Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Bardhaman, and Paschim Medinipur districts constitute the western plateau and highlands, which form the eastern fringes of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. Geologically, this area is made of igneous rocks of the Archaean era as well as coal-bearing mudstone and quartzite rocks of Carboniferous period. Because of long and continuous erosion, the whole region has been transformed into an undulating peneplain. This area is interspersed by small monadnocks locally known as tila. Some of the important hills in the area include Ajodhya Hills (677 m), Panchet (643 m), and Baghmundi in Purulia, and Biharinath (452 m) and Susunia (442 m) in Bankura. Gorgaburu in the Ayodhya Hills (677 m) is the highest point in the region.
The average altitude in the area ranges from 100 to 500 m. The area has a slope from the west to the east.
There are some badlands in this region. The Sinhati Badlands are located 4 km northwest of Bishnupur town in the Sinhati area of Bankura district. The Gangani (or Garbheta) Badlands are located in Paschim Midinipur district beside river Shilabati. These badlands are also known as Grand Canyon of West Bengal.
Ganges delta
The Ganges Delta covers the entirety of Nadia, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, and South 24 Parganas districts, and the eastern half of Murshidabad district. The Ganges passes through this vast area and divides into three distinct parts: the old delta, the mature delta, and the active delta.
The old delta consists of the districts of Murshidabad and Nadia. The formation of delta is complete and the rivers here are heavily silted and many have even dried up over time. Silted rivers, swamps, beels, and oxbow lakes form the area. This area is also known as Bagri region.
The districts of Kolkata and North 24 Parganas form mature delta region. The rivers are slow and meandering and frequently shift their courses. Swamps, beels, and oxbow lakes characterise the scenery. The district of South 24 Parganas is known to be the active delta of the Ganges, where the formation of the delta is still an ongoing process.
Agro-climatic groups
Depending on soil and climate variations, West Bengal can be divided into six broad divisions:
The hill region in the north The Terai and Teesta alluvial region of North Bengal The laterectic, red and gravely undulating region in the west The coastal alluvial region in the south The Gangetic alluvial region in the east The Vindhya alluvial region in the centre
Rivers