Subdivisions The 19 districts of West Bengal are as listed below:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Bankura Bardhaman Birbhum Cooch Behar Darjeeling East Midnapore Hooghly Howrah Jalpaiguri Kolkata

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Malda Murshidabad Nadia North 24 Parganas Uttar Dinajpur Purulia South 24 Parganas Dakshin Dinajpur West Midnapore

Mountains and Peaks:

Sandakfu or Sandakphu (3636 m; 11929 ft) is the highest peak in the state of West Bengal. It is situated at the edge of the Singalila National Park in Darjeeling district on the West Bengal Sikkim border, and is the highest point of the Singalila Ridge.

Phalut or Falut (3600 m) is the second highest peak of West Bengal. Part of the Singalila Ridge in the Himalayas, it is located at the border of the Indian states of West Bengal and Sikkim and the country of Nepal. It is located inside the Singalila National Park.

Sabargram (3543 m) part of the Singalila range

Tonglu (3036 m) part of the Singalila range

Tiger Hill (2600 m) is the summit of Ghoom, the highest railway station on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ghoom is situated at an altitude of 2,258 metres (7,407ft).

Deolo Hill is one of the two hills that the town of Kalimpong stands between. Kalimpong is situated on a ridge connecting the hills of Durpin and Deolo. The hill is 1,704metres (5,590feet) above mean sea level.

Buxa Hill is in the Buxa Jaintia rnge in Jalpaiguri district.

Durpin Hill is one of the two hills (the other being Deolo Hill) connected by a ridge on which the town of Kalimpong stands. The hill is 1,372metres (4,501feet) above mean sea level.

Gorgaburu (855 m)is the highest peak of Ajodhya Hills at an altitude of 855 meters. It is the highest point in southern part of West Bengal. It is located at Western plateau and highlands of

Purulia district

Mountain Ranges:

Singalila Range Himalayas, Darjeeling district Darjeeling Kurseong Range Himalayas, Darjeeling district. Chola Range Himalayas, Darjeeling district. Buxa - Jainti Range Himalayas, Jalpaiguri district.

Hills

Ajodhya Hills in Purulia district part of Eastern Ghats Biharinath in Bankura district part of the Eastern Ghats Shushuniya in Bankura istrict part of Eastern Ghats

Lakes:

Senchal Lake is located at an altitude of 8515 feet above the sea level. This lake serves as the water reservoir for the supply of water for Darjeeling.

Mirik lake in the Darjeeling district at about is at an altitude of 1,494m (4,902ft). Bhangzang Salamander Lake is located near Kurseong in the Darjeeling district and shelters the rarest and most endangered species of salamanders a species under threat of extinction. Rabindra Sarovar is a lake located in the heart of Kolkata City. East Kolkata Wetlands The East Kolkata Wetlands are a complex of natural and human-made wetlands lying east of the city of Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal. The wetlands cover 125 square kilometers, and include salt marshes and

salt meadows, as well as sewage farms and settling ponds. The wetlands are used to treat Kolkata's sewage, and the nutrients contained in the waste water sustain fish farms and agriculture. The East Calcutta Wetlands were designated a "Wetland of International Importance" under the Ramsar Convention on August 19, 2002. National Parks

Gorumara National Park is a National Park in northern West Bengal. Located in the Terai region of the Himalayan foothills. It is primarily known for its population of Indian Rhinoceros. The park has been declared as the best among the protected areas in India by the Ministry of Environment and Forests for the year 2009. Neora Valley National Park is situated in the Kalimpong subdivision under Darjeeling District, West Bengal, and was established in 1986. It spreads over an area of 88km and is one of the richest biological zones in the entire Northeast. Singalila National Park is located on the Singalila Ridge at an altitude of more than 7000 feet above sea level, in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Sundarbans National Park is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, and a Biosphere Reserve located in the Sundarbans delta in West Bengal. This region is densely covered by mangrove forests, and is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger. It is also home to a variety of bird, reptile and invertebrate species, including the salt-water crocodile. The present Sundarbans National Park was declared as the core area of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in 1973 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1977. On May 4, 1984 it was declared a National Park.

Wildlife Sanctuaries

Jaldapara National Park (earlier Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary) is a national park situated at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas. Jaldapara is spread across 216.51km. It was declared a sanctuary in 1941. It has the largest population of Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros in the state. Buxa National Park is a national park located in West Bengal, in the Buxa hills of the southern hilly area of Bhutan. Located inside the national park is the 760km Buxa Tiger Reserve. Animals found in the park include, the tiger, civet and red jungle fowl. Chapramari Wildlife Reserve has a huge variety of flora and fauna covers the forests. Chapramari is famous for its elephants, Gaur (commonly known as Indian Bison). Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary has an area of 159km of reserve forest and was started as a game sanctuary in 1955. In 1959, it got the status of a sanctuary mainly to protect the Indian bison and Royal Bengal Tiger, which were facing the threat of extinction.

Other Wildlife Sanctuaries in West Bengal are:

Ballabhpur Wildlife Sanctuary Bibhutibhushan Wildlife Sanctuary Haliday Island Wildlife Sanctuary Jore Pokhri Wildlife Sanctuary Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary

Major Urban Agglomerations

Kolkata: The capital of West Bengal. It was the capital of the British India until 1911. Kolkata is one of the four big cities in India, and is one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. It is one of the major riverine ports in India and one of the major IT hubs of the country. As of 2011, the city had 4.5million residents; the urban agglomeration, which comprises the city and its suburbs, was home to approximately 14.1million, making it the third-most populous metropolitan area in India. As of 2008, its economic output as measured by gross domestic product ranked third among South Asian cities, behind Mumbai and Delhi.

Asansol: An industrial town in the Bardhaman District. It is known for its famous iron and steel works and the locomotive works. It is the third largest city of West Bengal.

Durgapur: An industrial city in the Bardhaman District, the commercial capital of the Ruhr region, a large industrial city known for its Iron and Steel and Cement Factories. The fourth largest city in West Bengal in terms of population and second largest city in terms of area.

Haldia: Most important among upcoming industrial hubs of the state. Home to major petrochemical industries, it is set to become the most important port in the region.

Siliguri: An arterial city in North Bengal, one of the most important business hubs in the state and the gateway to the entire north-eastern region of India. It is the fifth largest city of the state and the second most important trade hub after Kolkata.

Infrastructure: Integrated Industrial Areas:

Manikanchan SEZ : Located in Sector V, Salt Lake City, Kolkata it is an integrated Gold an Gems complex.

Sankrail: Located in Howrah, it has Food processing, Polymer products, Rubber products, Casting, Forging and Foundry items.

Vidyasagar Industrial Park: Located in Kharagpur, West Midnapore district is an Engineering and Manufacturing hub.

Raghunathpur Steel & Allied Industrial Park: It is being developed as a hub for Iron and Steel, Power and Cement industries.

Ranigunj Aluminium & Non-ferrous Metals Park: Located in Ranigunj, in Barddhaman district it houses Power plants and Aluminum Smelter Plants.

Ports:

Kolkata: It is situated on the left bank of the Hooghly River about 203km (126mi) upstream from the sea. The Port of Kolkata, established in 1870, is Indin engineering and manufacturing hub.'s oldest and the only major river port. It is managed by the Kolkata Port Trust. The Kolkata port is the nation's third largest container port. It was one of India's fastest growing ports in 2004-05.

Haldia: The Port of Haldia is the fourth biggest port in India, and it is part of the Port of Kolkata. The port can handle large vessels and has a fully-equipped container-handling facility. It is also manage by the Kolkata Port Trust.

Diamond Harbour (Proposed): Diamond Harbour is on the banks of the Hooghly River quite near where the river meets the Bay of Bengal. Dimond Harbour container terminal is one of the major sea ports being constructed under PPP model.

Inland Waterways: The Government of India has declared the entire stretch of Ganges between Haldia and Allahabad as National Waterway (NW1). The 560 km Haldia Farakka stretch of NW1 in West Bengal will be developed as a part of the multi modal system for cargo tariff from Nepal, Bhutan, North Bengal & North Eastern States.

Power: Thermal Power Plants: Farakka Super Thermal Power Station: It is a 1600MW power plant operated by NTPC, located in Nagarun in Murshidabad district on the banks of Ganga. Kolaghat Thermal Power Station: It is a 1260 MW power plant operated by the state, located in Mecheda in East Midnpore district on the banks of Rupnarayan river.

Bakreshwar Thermal Power Plant: It is a 1050 MW power plant operated by the state located in Siuri, Birbhum district.

Santhaldih Thermal Power Station: It is a 730 MW power plant operated by the state located in Purulia.

Durgapur Thermal Power Plant: It is a 690 MW power plant operated by the state located in Dugapur, district Barddhaman on the eastern bank of Damodar river.

Durgapur Thermal Power Station: It is a 350 MW power plant operated by NTPC located in Durgapur.

Mejia Therml Power Station: It is a 2340 MW power plant operated by NTPC located in Durlavpur, Bankura district on the western bank of Damodar River.

Hydel Power Projects:

Sidrapong Hydel Power Station: It located at an altitude of 3,600ft (1,100m) and 12km from Darjeeling, is the oldest hydel power station or hydroelectric power plant in India. Maithon Hydel Power Station: It is located on the river Barakar about 12.9 km above its confluence with the Damodar near the border of Dhanbad and Burdwan districts of the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal respectively.

Teesta Low Dam Hydro Electric Project: It is located in the district of Darjeeling, on the river Teesta.

Jaldhaka Hydro Electric Project: Located in Darjeeling district, on the river Jaldhaka.

Massanjore Hydro Electric Project: It is located in Birbhum district, on the river Mayurakshi.

Airports: Netaji Subhas Bose International Airport: It is located in Kolkata, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of

Subhas Chandra Bose. From April 2006 to March 2012, it was the fifth busiest airport in the country in terms of overall passenger traffic, and ninth busiest in terms of international passenger traffic. It is located approximately 17km from Kolkata's city centre. Spread over an area of 2460 acres, Kolkata airport is the largest in eastern India and one of only two international airports operating in West Bengal, the other being in Bagdogra. It is a major centre for flights to North-East India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia. Bagdogra Airport: It is a military airport that is open for civilian flights. The airport is located in the town of Bagdogra, about 16km (9.9mi) from the city of Siliguri in the Darjeeling district in northern West Bengal. Durgapur Aerotropolis: Durgapur Aerotropolis is Indias first Aerotropolis located near Durgapur in West Bengal. It is being developed in association with Singapore's Changi Airports International (CAI) and constructed by Bengal Aerotropolis Project Limited (BAPL). The airport city is constructed around an old airfield near Andal, Bardhaman which was used by USAAF during World War II. The Union Civil Aviation Ministry and the West Bengal Government announced on 7 September 2007 plans to set up a new airport along with a township, IT and logistics hub at Durgapur-Andal Region. This earmarked the beginning of the Aerotropolis Project in Durgapur. Spread over approximately 2,182 acres (8.83km2). Places in News: Singur: Singur is a census town in Hooghly district of West Bengal. It is 40 Kms from Kolkata. Singur gained international media attention since Tata Motors started constructing a factory to manufacture their $2,500 car, the Tata Nano at Singur. The small car was scheduled to roll out of the factory by 2008. In October 2008 the company announced that the factory will not be completed and the production of

the Nano will be set up in Sanand, Gujarat.