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Clockwise from top: Victoria Memorial, St. Paul's Cathedral, central business district, Howrah Bridge, city tram line, Vidyasagar Bridge
Nickname(s): City of Joy
Kolkata is located in West Bengal
Location of Kolkata in West Bengal
Coordinates: 22°34′N 88°22′E﻿ / ﻿22.567°N 88.367°E﻿ / 22.567; 88.367Coordinates: 22°34′N 88°22′E﻿ / ﻿22.567°N 88.367°E﻿ / 22.567; 88.367
Country India
State West Bengal
Division Presidency
District Kolkata[1]
 • Type Mayor–Council
 • Mayor Sovan Chatterjee (TMC)
 • City 185 km2 (71 sq mi)
 • Metro 1,886.67 km2 (728.45 sq mi)
Elevation 9 m (30 ft)
Population (2011)
 • City 4,486,679
 • Rank 7th
 • Density 24,250/km2 (63,200/sq mi)
 • Metro 14,112,536
 • Metro rank 3rd
 • Demonym Calcuttan
Time zone IST (UTC+05:30)
Postal index number 7000 xx, 7001 xx
Vehicle registration WB 01–79
Telephone 91-33-XXXX XXXX
Spoken languages Bengali, English, Hindi, Urdu
Ethnicity Bengali, Marwari, Bihari, Other

Kolkata (spelled Calcutta before 1 January 2001) is the capital city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the second largest city in India after Mumbai.[2] It is on the east bank of the River Hooghly.[3] When it is called Calcutta, it includes the suburbs. This makes it the third largest city of India. This also makes it the world's 8th largest metropolitan area as defined by the United Nations.[4] Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911. Kolkata was once the center of industry and education. However, it has witnessed political violence and economic problems since 1954. Since 2000, Kolkata has grown due to economic growth. Like other metropolitan cities in India, Kolkata struggles with poverty, pollution and traffic congestion.


Calcutta, shown here in 1945, was an important port during World War II.

The discovery of the nearby Chandraketugarh,[5] an archaeological site has proved that people have lived there for over two millennia.[6] The history of Kolkata begins when the English East India Company arrived in 1690. Job Charnock, an administrator with the Company is traditionally known as the founder of this city.[7] However some academics say that Charnock is not the city's founder.[8]

At that time Kolkata, ruled by the Nawab of Bengal Siraj-Ud-Daulah, had three villages. They were Kalikata, Govindapur and Sutanuti. The British in the late 17th century wanted to build a fort near Govindapur. This was to become more powerful than Dutch, the Portuguese, and the French. In 1702, the British completed the construction of old Fort William,[9] which was used to station its troops and as a regional base. Calcutta was declared a Presidency City, and later became the headquarters of the Bengal Presidency.[10] When regular fights with French forces started, in 1756 the British began to upgrade their fortifications. When this was protested, the Nawab of Bengal Siraj-Ud-Daulah attacked and captured Fort William. This led to the infamous Black Hole incident.[11] A force of Company sepoys and British troops led by Robert Clive recaptured the city the next year.[11] Calcutta became the capital of British India in 1772,. However, the capital shifted to the hilly town of Shimla during the summer months every year, starting from the year 1864.[12] Richard Wellesley, the Governor General between 1797–1805, helped in the growth of the city and its public architecture. This led to the description of Calcutta as "The City of Palaces".[13] The city was a centre of the British East India Company's opium trade during the 18th and 19th century; locally produced opium was sold at auction in Kolkata, to be shipped to China.[14]


  1. The Kolkata metropolitan area also includes portions of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Nadia, and Hooghly districts. See: Urban structure.
  2. "National Portal of India : Know India : State and UTs". http://india.gov.in/knowindia/st_westbengal.php.
  3. The Monthly Repository and Library of Entertaining Knowledge. 1833. p. 338. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=F8URAAAAYAAJ&dq=Kolkata+east+bank+of+river+Hooghly&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0.
  4. "World Urbanization Prospects: The 2005 revision" (PDF). http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/WUP2005/2005WUP_DataTables11.pdf.
  5. "History". Yahoo! Pte Ltd. http://sg.travel.yahoo.com/guide/asia/india/kolkata/history.html. Retrieved 2006-05-08.
  6. Das S (2003-01-15). "Pre-Raj crown on Clive House- Abode of historical riches to be museum". The Telegraph, Kolkata, India. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1030115/asp/frontpage/story_1575128.asp. Retrieved 2006-04-26.
  7. "Kolkata: History" (in Bangla). Calcuttaweb.com. http://www.calcuttaweb.com/history.shtml. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
  8. Gupta, Subhrangshu (18 May 2003). "Job Charnock not Kolkata founder: HC Says city has no foundation day". Nation (The Tribune). http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030518/nation.htm#3. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  9. "William, Fort". Encyclopædia Britannica. (2007). Retrieved on 1 September 2007. 
  10. "Calcutta". Encyclopædia Britannica. (1911). Retrieved on 18 September 2007. 
  11. 11.0 11.1 "History of Kolkata". Kolkathub.com. http://www.kolkatahub.com/travel-in-kolkata/history-of-kolkata.html. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
  12. Chuahan, Baldev (7 August 2007). "Shimla - more than just Raj nostalgia". IANS. The Indian Star. http://www.theindianstar.com/index.php?udn=2007-12-02&uan=1197. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  13. Dutta, Krishna. "Calcutta; A Cultural and Literary History". Interlink Books. http://www.interlinkbooks.com/BooksC/Calcutta.html. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
  14. Pati, Biswamoy (2006). "Narcotics and empire". Frontline (The Hindu) 23 (10). http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2310/stories/20060602000307600.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-04.