Geography of West Bengal total area of . With Bangladesh, which lies 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 Bhutan, and to its southwest, the state of Orissa. To the west it borders the state 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. There are 23 districts and 5 divisions in West Bengal. The Burdwan Division consists of Paschim Bardhaman district, Purba Bardhaman, Birbhum, and Hooghly, Midnapur Division
Cities and towns in West Bengal Cities and towns in West Bengal West Bengal is the state with highest population density in India. The state is dotted with several small and medium towns and cities. Historically, the main source of income of the people of West Bengal has been farming, and, as a consequence, the state previously had a large rural population skew. At the turn of the 20th century, however, the role of industry in West Bengal increased substantially, leading to a population move into urban areas. In 1947, when India gained independence, the erstwhile British Indian province of Bengal was divided into two parts: