West Bengal at a Glance
✨ IN SHORT — THE WHOLE LESSON IN 20 SECONDS
West Bengal — our home state. Its capital, districts, rivers, symbols and first facts appear in almost every WB exam. Learn this one page and you own easy marks.
1. The Basic Frame
West Bengal lies in eastern India, capital Kolkata (also its largest city). It became a state on 26 January 1950 in its present republican form; the state was formed earlier at Independence in 1947 as the Indian part of Bengal. Official language: Bengali (Bangla). Neighbours: Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Sikkim and countries Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh.
📌 Memory hook: WB touches 5 Indian states + 3 countries. 'ABJOS + NBB'.
2. Districts & Divisions
West Bengal has 23 districts, grouped into 5 divisions: Presidency, Burdwan, Jalpaiguri, Malda and Medinipur. Newest districts include Paschim Bardhaman, Jhargram, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Purba Bardhaman (created in the 2014–2017 expansion from 19 to 23).
💡 Trick: Remember '23 districts, 5 divisions' as a pair — examiners love this pair together.
3. Rivers & Geography
The Ganga enters WB and splits: Bhagirathi-Hooghly flows south past Kolkata; the Padma flows into Bangladesh. The Damodar is called the 'Sorrow of Bengal' (now tamed by DVC dams). The Sundarbans in the south is the world's largest mangrove forest and home of the Royal Bengal Tiger.
📌 Darjeeling in the north gives WB its Himalayan face — Kanchenjunga is visible from its hills.
4. State Symbols (exam favourites)
State animal: Fishing Cat (Mecho Biral). State bird: White-throated Kingfisher. State tree: Chatim (Devil's tree). State flower: Shefali (Night-flowering jasmine). These four are asked again and again in WB Police, Clerkship and TET exams.
💡 Trick: 'Cat catches fish, Kingfisher watches, under Chatim, Shefali blooms at night' — one story, 4 answers.
⚡ Now Practise — 10 Questions
Tap an answer. Right or wrong, we explain why instantly. Learn from every tap!
Q1. How many districts are there in West Bengal?
Q2. The state animal of West Bengal is:
Q3. Which river is called the 'Sorrow of Bengal'?
Q4. The Sundarbans is famous as the world's largest:
Q5. State flower of West Bengal is:
Q6. Kolkata is situated on the bank of which river?
Q7. Which of these countries does NOT share a border with West Bengal?
Q8. The state bird of West Bengal is:
Q9. Kanchenjunga is best viewed from which WB hill town region?
Q10. DVC (Damodar Valley Corporation) was set up primarily to control:
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