West Bengal is flanked by the Himalayas in the north and the Bay of Bengal in the south. At present, it is divided into 23 districts. Three districts were recently formed in the state, namely Alipurduar (25 June 2014), Kalimpong (14 Feb 2017), and Jhargram District (4 April 2017). West Bengal has various geographical hotspots located across its districts, like Darjeeling Hills, Terai, Dooars, Rarh region, North Bengal plains, Sunderbans, Ganga Delta, etc. 

Districts in 1947 (during independence)

  • In 1947, when India got independence, West Bengal was divided into 14 major districts according to the British India plan of Bengal province. 
  • Chandannagore, a French enclave, merged with the Hooghly district in 1954.
  • Koch Bihar, a princely state, became a district of West Bengal in 1954.
  • The Puriyala district was formed after the States Reorganisation Act in 1956. Moreover, the West Dinajpur district was extended by adding areas from Bihar as a result of the Act.

Major districts in West Bengal

The major districts of West Bengal are listed below along with their various parameters like literacy rate, population, area and special features.


S.no.


District


Population and Area


     Literacy Rate


Special Features


1.


 Purba Medinipur


5,095,875 and 

4,736 Km2


87.02 %

  • Highest literacy rate
  • Once the hub of political movements

2.


Kolkata


4,496,694 and 

206.1 Km2


86.31 %


  • Capital city
  • Colonial architecture city
  • Popular for theatres and films
  • Smallest district

3.


Howrah


4,850,029 and 

1,467 Km2


83.31 %

  • Engineering hub (light engineering industry)
  • Howrah Bridge

4.


South 24 Parganas


8,161,961 and 8,1619,960 Km2    


77.51%

  • Largest district
  • Mangrove forests
  • Sunderban delta

5.


North 24 Parganas


10,009,781 and

4,094 Km2 


84.06%

  • Most populous city
  • Birthplace of novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

6.


Darjeeling


2,049,974 and 2,092.5 Km2  


79 %

  • Also called “Queen of Hills”
  • Quaint houses
  • Darjeeling tea
  • Woollen items

7.


Hooghly


5,519,145 and

3,149 Km2


81.80%

  • Highest GDP
  • Jute cultivation

8.


Kalimpong


1,846,823 and 

1,053.60 Km2




79.56%

  • Buddhists monasteries
  • Tibetan handicrafts
  • Newest district



9.


Cooch Behar




2,819,086 and 3387 Km2


74.78 %

  • Palace of Koch King Maharaja Nripendra Narayan
  • Popular for agro and jute-based industries

10.




Jalpaiguri


3,872,846 and 3,386 Km2


73.25%

  • Traditional handicrafts of cane and bamboo
  • Jayanti Forest

11. 




Birbhum


3,502,404 and 4,545 Km2


70.68%

  • Land of red soil
  • Topography and cultural heritage

12.




Malda


3,988,845 and 3733 Km2


61.73%

  • Prosperous cotton and silk industries
  • The “Mango City” of West Bengal
  • Tourist destination

13.




Bankura


3,596,674 and 6882 Km2


70.26%

  • Bankura horse- terracotta crafted horse
  • Santhal and Bhumij tribes

14.




Purulia


2,930,115 and 6259 Km2


64.48%

  • Scenic beauty
  • Verdant hills
  • Tourist destination

15.




Bagdogra


101,006 and

15 Km2

 


76.26%

  • Gateway town to North-East India
  • Bagdogra International Airport

Conclusion

West Bengal is divided into 23 districts as of today. When India became independent, there were only 14 districts in West Bengal. More states were added after the introduction of the States Reorganisation Act in 1956. The table provided in the article provides basic information about 15 major districts in West Bengal.