West Bengal Geography for UPSC: Interactive Map, Rivers and Protected Areas
a state spanning the Himalayan foothills, the Gangetic delta and the Bay of Bengal coast
11
Protected areas mapped
9
Rivers mapped
At a glance
Capital
Kolkata
Language
Bengali
Dance
Chhau
Area
88,752 km²
Coastline
~157 km
Highest peak
Sandakphu · 3,636 m
Borders
Sikkim, Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Bangladesh (international), Nepal (international), Bhutan (international)
Why UPSC asks about West Bengal
West Bengal is the delta state: the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta and the Sundarbans (the world's largest mangrove, shared with Bangladesh), the Darjeeling hills (Sandakphu), and the Hooghly industrial axis. UPSC tests Sundarbans tigers and cyclones (Amphan), the Farakka barrage, and tea geography.
Ganga
Rises Gangotri Glacier, Uttarakhand; flows to Bifurcates at Farakka into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly (West Bengal) and the main Padma (Bangladesh)
The Ganga splits at Farakka; the Hooghly (Bhagirathi) carries Kolkata's lifeline while the Padma flows to Bangladesh.
Dams
- Farakka Barrage
Ganges
Rises Gangotri Glacier, Uttarakhand; flows to Bifurcates at Farakka into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly (West Bengal) and the main Padma (Bangladesh)
Dams
- Farakka Barrage
Teesta
Rises Tso Lhamo lake, Sikkim; flows to joins the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh
The Teesta's lower course through north Bengal is fed by the Kalimpong-Darjeeling rivers.
Damodar
Rises Chota Nagpur plateau (Jharkhand); flows to joins the Hooghly near Howrah
The Damodar's DVC dams tamed the 'Sorrow of Bengal'.
Mahananda
Rises Mahaldiram hills, Darjeeling; flows to joins the Ganga in Bangladesh
The Mahananda drains the Darjeeling Terai-Dooars before crossing into Bangladesh.
Rupnarayan
Rises Chota Nagpur foothills (Purulia); flows to joins the Hooghly near Gadiara
Formed by the Dwarakeswar and Silai, the Rupnarayan drains south-west Bengal.
Ajay
Rises Batpar, Deoghar (Jharkhand); flows to joins the Hooghly near Katwa
The Ajay drains the Chota Nagpur fringe and the Bengal plain.
Torsa
Rises Chumbi valley, Tibet; flows to joins the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh
The Torsa flows through Bhutan and the Dooars into Bangladesh.
Hooghly
Rises Bifurcates from the Ganga at Farakka (Murshidabad); the Bhagirathi arm; flows to Bay of Bengal near Sagar Island (Ganga Sagar)
The western distributary of the Ganga carrying Kolkata’s lifeline; the Farakka Barrage feeds it to keep the port navigable.
Dams
- Farakka Barrage
Sundarbans Wetland
The Indian Sundarbans delta, designated Ramsar in 2019, the largest Ramsar site in India. Tidal creeks, mudflats and mangroves shelter the Royal Bengal tiger and support the region's fishery and honey-collecting economy.
Ramsar (2019); India's largest Ramsar site.
East Kolkata Wetlands
A Ramsar site (2002) on Kolkata's eastern fringe, a remarkable wastewater-fed aquaculture system that treats the city's sewage naturally while producing fish and vegetables.
Ramsar (2002); the city's natural sewage-treatment wetlands.
Sundarbans Biosphere
A biosphere reserve covering the Indian Sundarbans delta, the world's largest mangrove forest, with the Royal Bengal tiger, estuarine crocodile, and a landscape of tidal creeks shared by millions of people.
World's largest mangrove delta; Royal Bengal tiger country.
Sundarbans NP
A national park in the world's largest mangrove delta, core of the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Home of the Royal Bengal tiger, which swims between the tidal creeks.
Core of the world's largest mangrove delta; swimming Royal Bengal tigers.
Buxa NP
A park in Alipurduar district in the Buxa hills of the Dooars, contiguous with Bhutan's forests, known for Asian elephants and historically for its fort used as a colonial prison.
Dooars hills near the Bhutan border; Buxa Fort and elephants.
Gorumara NP
A park in Jalpaiguri district on the Jaldhaka river floodplains, famous for the Indian one-horned rhinoceros in its grasslands.
Jaldhaka floodplains; one-horned rhinoceros in the Dooars.
Neora Valley NP
A park in Kalimpong district in the eastern Himalaya, one of the richest biodiversity zones in India, known for the red panda.
Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot; red panda habitat.
Singalila NP
A park on the Singalila ridge in Darjeeling district, along the Nepal border, with views of Kangchenjunga and famous for the red panda and rhododendron forests.
Singalila ridge; red panda and Kangchenjunga views.
Jaldapara NP
A park in Alipurduar district on the Torsa river, with the largest population of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros outside Assam, best seen on elephant-back safaris.
Torsa river; largest rhino population outside Assam.
Mahananda WLS
A sanctuary in Darjeeling district along the Mahananda river, a forest corridor for elephants migrating between the Terai and the hills.
Mahananda river; a key Terai elephant corridor.
Senchal WLS
A sanctuary around Darjeeling protecting the Senchal lakes that supply the town's drinking water, with Himalayan forest birds and mammals.
Protects Senchal lakes, Darjeeling's drinking-water source.
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