Bengal 4862 225921879 2008-07-16T00:58:25Z 68.187.226.3 {{otheruses}} {| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; width: 290px; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |- | colspan="2" style="margin-left: inherit; background:#999999; color:#ffffff;text-align:center; font-size: medium;" |'''Bengal''' |- align="center" | colspan="2" | <div style="position:relative; margin: 0 0 0 0; border-collapse: collapse; border="1" cellpadding="0"> [[Image:Location-Bangla01.png|280px]]<br> <small>Map of the Bengal region: [[West Bengal]] and [[Bangladesh]]</div> |- style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Largest&nbsp;city''' | [[Kolkata]]<ref>The [[Kolkata]] metropolitan area has a population of over 14 million, making it the largest [[urban agglomeration]] in Bengal.</ref> <br> {{coord|23.42|N|90.22|E|type:city}} |- style="vertical-align: top;" | '''[[Official language|Main&nbsp;language]]''' | [[Bengali language|Bengali]] |- style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Area''' | [[1 E10 m²|232,752&nbsp;km²]]&nbsp; |- style="vertical-align: top;" | style="white-space: nowrap;" | '''Population''' (2001) | 209,468,404<ref name=censuswb/><ref name=WorldBank/> |- style="vertical-align: top;" | style="white-space: nowrap;" | '''[[Population density|Density]]''' | 951.3/km²<ref name=censuswb/><ref name=WorldBank/> |- style="vertical-align: top;" | style="white-space: nowrap;" | '''[[Infant mortality rate]]''' | 55.91 per 1000 live births<ref> {{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 2001 | url = http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:9vY4_2S9jWIJ:www.undp.org.in/programme/undpini/factsheet/westbengal.pdf+%22Infant+mortality+rate%22+%22West+Bengal%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk | title = West Bengal - Human development fact sheet| format = HTML version of PDF| work = | publisher = United Nations Development Programme | accessdate = 2007-03-01}} </ref><ref>{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 2001 | url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/bg.html | title = The World Factbook - Bangladesh| format = HTML| work = | publisher = [[CIA World Factbook]] | accessdate = 2007-03-01}}</ref> |- style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Websites''' | [http://www.bangladesh.gov.bd/ bangladesh.gov.bd]and [http://www.wbgov.com wbgov.com] |- style="vertical-align: top;" <!--| colspan=2 | <small>{{{footnotes}}}</small> --> |} '''Bengal''' ([[Bengali language|Bengali]]: বঙ্গ ''Bôngo'', বাংলা ''Bangla'', বঙ্গদেশ ''Bôngodesh'' or বাংলাদেশ ''Bangladesh''), is a historical and geographical region in the northeast of [[South Asia]]. Today it is mainly divided between the independent nation of [[Bangladesh]] (previously [[East Bengal]]), and the [[India]]n federal republic's constitutive state of [[West Bengal]], although some regions of the previous kingdoms of Bengal (during local monarchical regimes and [[British Empire|British rule]]) are now part of the neighboring Indian states of [[Bihar]], [[Tripura]] and [[Orissa]]. The majority of Bengal is inhabited by [[Bengali people]] (বাঙালি ''Bangali'') who speak [[Bengali language|Bengali]] (বাংলা ''Bangla''). {{Fact|date=December 2007}} The region of Bengal is one of the most densely populated regions on earth, with a population density exceeding 900/km². Most of the Bengal region lies in the low-lying [[Ganges]]–[[Brahmaputra]] River [[River delta|Delta]] or [[Ganges Delta]], the world's largest delta. In the southern part of the delta lies the [[Sundarbans]]&mdash;the world's largest [[mangrove]] forest and home of the [[Bengal tiger]]. Though the population of the region is mostly rural and agrararian, two [[megacities]], [[Kolkata]] (previously Calcutta) and [[Dhaka]], are located in Bengal. The Bengal region is notable for its contribution to the socio-cultural uplift of Indian society in the form of the [[Bengal Renaissance]], and [[Revolutionary movement for Indian independence|revolutionary activities]] during the [[Indian independence movement]]. == Etymology and ethnology== The exact origin of the word ''Bangla'' or Bengal is unknown, though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe ''Bang'' that settled in the area around the year 1000 BCE.<ref name="congress">{{cite book | publisher = Library of Congress | url = http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/bdtoc.html | chapter = Early History, 1000 B. C.-A. D. 1202 | title = Bangladesh: A country study | editor = James Heitzman and Robert L. Worden | year = 1989 }}</ref> Other accounts speculate that the name is derived from ''Vanga''(বঙ্গ ''bôngo''), which came from the [[Austric]] word "Bonga" meaning the Sun-god. The word ''Vanga'' and other words speculated to refer to Bengal (such as [[Anga]]) can be found in ancient Indian texts including the [[Veda]]s, [[Jaina]] texts, the [[Mahabharata]] and [[Purana]]s. The earliest reference to "Vangala" (বঙ্গাল ''bôngal'') has been traced in the Nesari plates (805 AD) of [[Rashtrakuta]] [[Govinda III]] which speak of [[Dharmapala of Bengal|Dharmapala]] as the king of Vangala.<ref>M.A. Amitabha Bhattacharyya, ''Historical Geography of Ancient and Early Mediaeval Bengal'', Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar, 1977, pp. 61–62.</ref> Some accounts claim that the word may derive from [[bhang]], a preparation of [[cannabis (spiritual use)|cannabis]] which is used in some religious ceremonies in Bengal.[http://books.google.com/books?id=Qq-A4A0KB0kC&pg=PA107&lpg=PA107&dq=%22bhang+land%22&source=web&ots=tJsZ4K7CvK&sig=LfXDZMIulx7MTvNBzaMuS6lIlos&hl=en][http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/inhemp/4chapt9.htm] The [[Proto-Australoid]]s were one of the earliest inhabitants of Bengal.<ref name=settlements>{{cite web | url = http://www.banglapedia.net/HT/S_0221.HTM | title = Settlement in Bengal (Early Period) |last=Sultana |first=Sabiha | accessdate = 2007-03-04 | work = [[Banglapedia]] | publisher = Asiatic Society of Bangladesh }}</ref> [[Dravidian people|Dravidians]] migrated to Bengal from the south, while [[Tibeto-Burman]] peoples migrated from the [[Himalayas]],<ref name=settlements/> followed by the [[Indo-Aryans]] from north-western [[India]]. The modern [[Bengali people]] are a blend of these people. [[Pashtun people|Pathans]], [[Persian people|Iranians]], [[Arab]]s and [[Turkic peoples|Turks]] also migrated to the region in the [[late Middle Ages]] while spreading Islam. == History == {{main|History of Bengal}} [[Image:IndianBuddha11.JPG|thumb|[[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] and [[Bodhisattva]]s, [[11th century]], [[Pala Empire]]]] [[Image:Clive.jpg|right|thumb|[[Robert Clive]], of British East India Company, after winning the<br> [[Battle of Plassey]] in 1757.]] [[Image:Bengalpresidency 1858.jpg|right|thumb|The Bengal Presidency at its greatest extent in 1858]] [[Image:Bengal map 1893.JPG|right|thumb|Map of the Bengal province, 1893]] Remnants of [[Copper Age]] settlements in the Bengal region date back 4,300 years,<ref name=bsahistory>{{cite web | url = http://www.orgs.ttu.edu/saofbangladesh/history.htm | title = History of Bangladesh | accessdate = 2006-10-26 | publisher = Bangladesh Student Association }}</ref><ref name=xinhua>{{cite news | publisher = Xinhua | date = 2006-March | title = 4000-year old settlement unearthed in Bangladesh | url = http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/12/content_4293312.htm }}</ref> when the region was settled by [[Dravidian people|Dravidian]], [[Tibeto-Burman languages|Tibeto-Burman]] and [[Austro-Asiatic languages|Austro-Asiatic]] peoples. After the arrival of [[Indo-Aryans]], the kingdoms of [[Anga]], [[Vanga]] and [[Magadha]] were formed by the 10th century BCE, located in the Bihar and Bengal regions. Magadha was one of the four main kingdoms of [[India]] at the time of [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] and consisted of several [[Janapadas]].<ref name=settlements/> One of the earliest foreign references to Bengal is the mention of a land named [[Gangaridai]] by the [[Greeks]] around 100 BCE, located in an area in Bengal.<ref name=Gangaridai>{{cite web | url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/G_0019.htm | title = Gangaridai | accessdate = 2006-09-08 | last = Chowdhury | first = AM | work = [[Banglapedia]] | publisher = Asiatic Society of Bangladesh }}</ref> From the 3rd to the 6th centuries [[Common Era|CE]], the kingdom of Magadha served as the seat of the [[Gupta Empire]]. The first recorded independent king of Bengal was [[Shashanka]], reigning around early 7th century.<ref name=shashankabanglaped>{{cite web | url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/S_0122.htm | title = Shashank | accessdate = 2006-10-26 | work = [[Banglapedia]] | publisher = Asiatic Society of Bangladesh }}</ref> After a period of anarchy, the native [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] [[Pala Empire]] ruled the region for four hundred years, and expanded across the northern [[Indian subcontinent]] into [[Afghanistan]] during the reigns of [[Dharmapala of Bengal|Dharmapala]] and [[Devapala]]. The Pala dynasty was followed by a shorter reign of the [[Hindu]] [[Sena dynasty]]. [[Islam]] was introduced to Bengal in the twelfth century by [[Sufism|Sufi]] missionaries. Subsequent [[Muslim conquests]] helped spread Islam throughout the region.<ref name=islambanglaped>{{cite web | url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/I_0103.htm | title = Islam (in Bengal) | accessdate = 2006-10-26 | work = [[Banglapedia]] | publisher = Asiatic Society of Bangladesh }}</ref> [[Bakhtiyar Khalji|Bakhtiar Khilji]], a [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] general of the [[Slave dynasty]] of [[Delhi Sultanate]], defeated [[Lakshman Sen]] of the Sena dynasty and conquered large parts of Bengal. Consequently, the region was ruled by dynasties of [[sultan]]s and feudal lords under the Delhi Sultanate for the next few hundred years. In the sixteenth century, Mughal general [[Islam Khan]] conquered Bengal. However, administration by governors appointed by the court of the [[Mughal Empire]] gave way to semi-independence of the area under the [[Nawab]]s of [[Murshidabad]], who nominally respected the sovereignty of the Mughals in [[Delhi]]. The most notable among them is [[Murshid Quli Khan]], who was succeeded by [[Alivardi Khan]]. [[Portuguese empire|Portuguese]] traders arrived late in the fifteenth century, once [[Vasco da Gama]] reached India by sea in [[1498]]. European influence grew until the [[British East India Company]] gained taxation rights in Bengal ''[[subah]]'', or province, following the [[Battle of Plassey]] in 1757, when [[Siraj ud-Daulah]], the last independent Nawab, was defeated by the British.<ref name=sirajbanglaped>{{cite web | url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/S_0411.htm | title = Sirajuddaula | accessdate = 2006-10-26 | last1 = Chaudhury | first1 = S | last2 = Mohsin | first2 = KM | work = [[Banglapedia]] | publisher = Asiatic Society of Bangladesh }}</ref> The [[Bengal Presidency]] was established by 1766, eventually including all British territories north of the [[Central Provinces]] (now [[Madhya Pradesh]]), from the mouths of the Ganges and the [[Brahmaputra]] to the [[Himalaya]]s and the [[Punjab region|Punjab]]. The [[Bengal famine of 1770]] claimed millions of lives.<ref name=famine1770>{{cite web | url = http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/f/fiske/john/f54u/chapter9.html | title = The Famine of 1770 in Bengal | accessdate = 2006-10-26 | last = Fiske | first = John | work = The Unseen World, and other essays | publisher = University of Adelaide Library Electronic Texts Collection }}</ref> Calcutta was named the capital of [[British Raj|British India]] in 1772. The [[Bengal Renaissance]] and [[Brahmo Samaj]] socio-cultural reform movements had great impact on the cultural and economic life of Bengal. The failed [[Indian rebellion of 1857]] started near Calcutta and resulted in transfer of authority to the [[British monarchy|British Crown]], administered by the [[Viceroy of India]].<ref name=baxter2>{{Harv|Baxter|1997|pp=30-32}}</ref> Between 1905 and 1911, an [[Partition of Bengal (1905)|abortive attempt]] was made to divide the province of Bengal into two zones.<ref name=baxter3>{{Harv|Baxter|1997|pp=39-40}}</ref> Bengal has played a major role in the [[Indian independence movement]], in which [[Revolutionary movement for Indian independence|revolutionary groups]] were dominant. Armed attempts against to overthrow the [[British Raj]] reached a climax when [[Subhash Chandra Bose]] led the [[Indian National Army]] against the British. Bengal was also central in the rising political awareness of the Muslim population&mdash;[[Muslim League]] was established in Dhaka in 1906. In spite of a last ditch effort to form a United Bengal,<ref name=unitedbengal>{{cite web | url = http://www.banglapedia.net/HT/U_0020.HTM | title = United Bengal Movement | accessdate = 2007-02-06 | author = Chitta Ranjan Misra | work = [[Banglapedia]] | publisher = Asiatic Society of Bangladesh }}</ref> when India [[History of the Republic of India|gained independence]] in 1947, Bengal was [[Partition of Bengal (1947)|partitioned]] along religious lines.<ref name=parttionbanglaped>{{cite web | url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/P_0101.htm | title = Partition of Bengal, 1947 | accessdate = 2006-10-26 | author = Harun-or-Rashid | work = [[Banglapedia]] | publisher = Asiatic Society of Bangladesh }}</ref> The western part went to India (and was named West Bengal) while the eastern part joined [[Pakistan]] as a province called [[East Bengal]] (later renamed [[East Pakistan]], giving rise to [[Bangladesh]] in 1971). The circumstances of partition was bloody, with widespread religious riots in Bengal.<ref name=parttionbanglaped>{{cite web | url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/P_0101.htm | title = Partition of Bengal, 1947 | accessdate = 2006-10-26 | author = Harun-or-Rashid | work = [[Banglapedia]] | publisher = Asiatic Society of Bangladesh }}</ref><ref name=calcuttakilling>{{cite web | url = http://www.banglapedia.net/HT/C_0019.HTM | title = Calcutta Riots (1946) | accessdate = 2007-02-06 | author = Suranjan Das | work = [[Banglapedia]] | publisher = Asiatic Society of Bangladesh }}</ref> The post-partition political history of East and West Bengal diverged for the most part. Starting from the [[Bengali Language Movement]] of 1952.<ref name=baxter4>{{Harv|Baxter|1997|pp=62-63}}</ref> political dissent against [[West Pakistan]]i domination grew steadily. [[Bangladesh Awami League|Awami League]], led by [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]], emerged as the political voice of the Bengali-speaking population of East Pakistan by 1960s.<ref name=baxter5>{{Harv|Baxter|1997|pp=78-79}}</ref> In 1971, the crisis deepened when Rahman was arrested and a [[Operation Searchlight|sustained military assault]] was launched on East Pakistan.<ref name=salik>{{cite book | last = Salik | first = Siddiq | year = 1978 | title = Witness to Surrender | publisher = Oxford University Press | id = ISBN 0-19-577264-4 }}</ref> Most of the Awami League leaders fled and set up a government-in-exile in West Bengal. The [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] [[Mukti Bahini]] and Bengali regulars eventually received support from the [[Indian Armed Forces]] in December 1971, resulting in a decisive victory over Pakistan on [[16 December]] in the Bangladesh Liberation War or [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]].<ref name=burke>{{cite journal | last = Burke | first = S | year = 1973 | title = The Postwar Diplomacy of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 | journal = Asian Survey | volume = 13 | issue = 11 | pages = 1036–1049 | doi = 10.1525/as.1973.13.11.01p0385c }}</ref> The post independence history of Bangladesh was strife with conflict, with a long history of political assassinations and [[military coup|coups]] before parliamentary democracy was established in 1991. Since then, the political environment has been relatively stable. [[West Bengal]], the western part of Bengal, became a state in India. In the 1960s and 1970s, severe power shortages, strikes and a violent [[Naxalite|Marxist-Naxalite]] movement damaged much of the state's infrastructure, leading to a period of economic stagnation. The [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] of 1971 resulted in the influx of millions of refugees to West Bengal, causing significant strains on its infrastructure.<ref name="londonanthology">{{Harv|Bennett|Hindle|1996|pp=63-70}}</ref> West Bengal politics underwent a major change when the [[Left Front]] won the 1977 assembly election, defeating the incumbent [[Indian National Congress]]. The Left Front, led by [[CPI(M)]] has governed for the last three decades.<ref name=longcommu>{{cite news |first = Soutik |last = Biswas |title = Calcutta's colourless campaign |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4909832.stm |publisher = [[BBC]] |date = 2006-04-16 |accessdate = 2006-08-26 }} </ref> The state's economic recovery gathered momentum after [[economic reforms in India]] were introduced in the mid-1990s by the [[Government of India|central government]], aided by election of a new reformist [[Chief Minister]] in 2000. ==Geography== {{See also|Geography of West Bengal}} {{See also|Geography of Bangladesh}} [[Image:Panthera tigris.jpg|thumb|The Bengal Tiger]] Most of the Bengal region is in the low-lying [[Ganges]]–[[Brahmaputra]] River Delta or [[Ganges Delta]]. The Ganges Delta arises from the confluence of the rivers [[Ganges]], [[Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra]], and [[Meghna River|Meghna]] rivers and their respective tributaries. The total area of Bengal is 232752 &nbsp;km²&mdash;West Bengal is 88,752&nbsp;km² and Bangladesh 144,000&nbsp;km². Most parts of Bangladesh are within 10 meters (33&nbsp;ft) above the sea level, and it is believed that about 10% of the land would be flooded if the sea level were to rise by 1 metre (3&nbsp;ft).<ref name=ali>{{cite journal | last = Ali | first = A | year = 1996 | title = Vulnerability of Bangladesh to climate change and sea level rise through tropical cyclones and storm surges | doi = 10.1007/BF00175563 <!--Retrieved from Yahoo! by DOI bot-->| journal = Water, Air, & Soil Pollution | volume = 92 | issue = 1-2 | pages = 171–179 }}</ref> Because of this low elevation, much of this region is exceptionally vulnerable to seasonal flooding due to monsoons. The highest point in Bangladesh is in Mowdok range at 1,052&nbsp;[[metre]]s (3,451&nbsp;[[foot (unit of length)|ft]]) in the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]] to the southeast of the country.<ref>[http://www.sol.co.uk/v/viewfinder/elevmisquotes.html#keok Summit Elevations: Frequent Internet Errors.] Retrieved 2006-04-13.</ref> A major part of the coastline comprises a [[marsh]]y [[jungle]], the [[Sundarbans]], the largest [[mangrove]] forest in the world and home to diverse flora and fauna, including the [[Royal Bengal Tiger]]. In 1997, this region was declared endangered.<ref name=sundarbans>{{cite journal | last = IUCN | year = 1997 | title = Sundarban wildlife sanctuaries Bangladesh | journal = World Heritage Nomination-IUCN Technical Evaluation }}</ref> West Bengal is on the eastern bottleneck of India, stretching from the [[Himalaya]]s in the north to the [[Bay of Bengal]] in the south. The state has a total area of {{Unit area|sqkm|88752}}.<ref name=area>{{cite web | url = http://www.indianmirror.com/geography/geo9.html| title = Statistical Facts about India | accessdate = 2006-10-26| publisher = www.indianmirror.com }}</ref> The [[Darjeeling Himalayan hill region]] in the northern extreme of the state belongs to the eastern [[Himalaya]]. This region contains [[Sandakfu]] ({{Unit length|m|3636}})&mdash;the highest peak of the state.<ref name=sandak>{{cite web | url = http://yhaindia.org/sandakphu_trek.htm | title = National Himalayan Sandakphu-Gurdum Trekking Expedition: 2006| accessdate = 2006-10-26 | publisher = Youth Hostels Association of India: West Bengal State Branch }}</ref> The narrow [[Terai region]] separates this region from the plains, which in turn transitions into the [[Ganges delta]] towards the south. The [[Rarh region]] intervenes between the Ganges delta in the east and the [[western plateau and high lands]]. A small coastal region is on the extreme south, while the [[Sundarbans]] [[mangrove]] forests form a remarkable geographical landmark at the Ganges delta. At least nine districts in West Bengal and 42 districts in Bangladesh have [[Arsenic contamination of groundwater|arsenic levels in groundwater]] above the World Health Organization maximum permissible limit of 50 µg/L.<ref name=chowdhury>{{cite journal | title = Groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India | author = Chowdhury U. K., Biswas B. K., Chowdhury T. R. | journal = [[Environmental Health Perspectives]] | year = 2000| volume = 108| issue = 4| pages = 393–397 | url = http://www.ehponline.org/members/2000/108p393-397chowdhury/chowdhury-full.html | doi = 10.2307/3454378 }}</ref> ==Demographics== {{main|Bengali people}} About 210 million people live in Bengal, around 60% of them in Bangladesh and the remainder in West Bengal.<ref name=censuswb>{{cite web | url = http://www.censusindia.net/profiles/wbe.html | title = Provisional Population Totals: West Bengal | accessdate = 2006-08-26 | work = Census of India, 2001 | publisher = Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India }}</ref><ref>Adjusted population, p.4, {{cite web | url = http://www.bbsgov.org/Population%20Census%202001.PDF | publisher = Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics | title = Population Census 2001, Preliminary Report | date = 2001-08 }}</ref> The population density in the area is more than 900/km²; making it among the most densely populated areas in the world.<ref name=censuswb/><ref name="WorldBank">[[World Bank Group|World Bank]] Development Indicators Database, 2006.</ref> [[Bengali language|Bengali]] is the main language spoken in Bengal. [[English language|English]] is often used for official work. There are small minorities who speak [[Hindi]], [[Urdu]], [[Chakma language|Chakma]], and several other tribal languages. [[Nepali language|Nepali]] is spoken primarily by the [[Gorkha]]s of [[Darjeeling district]] of West Bengal. 66% of the total Bengali population is [[Muslim]], and 33% is [[Hindu]]. In Bangladesh 89.7% of the population is Muslim and 9.2% are Hindus (Bangladesh Census 2001). In West Bengal, Hindus are the majority with 72.5% of the population while [[Muslim]]s comprise 25%, and other religions make up the remainder.<ref name=relegionindia>{{cite web | url = http://www.censusindia.net/religiondata/ | title = Data on Religion | accessdate = 2006-08-26 | work = Census of India (2001) | publisher = Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India }}</ref> Other religious groups include [[Buddhism in Bangladesh|Buddhists]], [[Christianity|Christians]], and [[animism|Animists]]. About 2% of the population is tribal.<ref name=hdrchap1/> Life expectancy is around 63 years, and are almost same for the men and women.<ref name=expectancytogether>{{cite web | url = http://www.indiatogether.org/health/infofiles/life.htm | title = An Indian life: Life expectancy in our nation | accessdate = 2006-08-26 | work = India Together | publisher = Civil Society Information Exchange Pvt. Ltd }}</ref><ref name=who>{{cite web | url = http://www.who.int/whr/2005/en/ | title = World Health Report 2005 | publisher = [[World Health Organization]] }}</ref> In terms of literacy, West Bengal leads with 69.22% literacy rate,<ref name=censuswb/> in Bangladesh the rate is approximately 41%.<ref name=undp>{{cite web | url = http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/countries.cfm?c=BGD | title = 2005 Human Development Report | publisher = [[United Nations Development Programme|UNDP]] }}</ref> The level of poverty is high, the proportion of people living below the poverty line is more than 30%.<ref name="unicef_stats">[http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/bangladesh_bangladesh_statistics.html Bangladesh Country Statistics], [[United Nations Children's Fund|Unicef]]</ref><ref name=hdrchap1>{{cite book |title=West Bengal Human Development Report 2004 |origyear= 2004 |origmonth= May |url= http://www.undp.org.in/hdrc/shdr/WB/ |format= PDF |accessdate= 2006-08-26 |publisher= Development and Planning Department, Government of West Bengal |id=ISBN 81-7955-030-3 |pages= pp4&ndash;6 |chapter= Introduction and Human Development Indices for West Bengal |chapterurl= http://www.undp.org.in/hdrc/shdr/WB/WB%20HDR%202004/Chap1.pdf }}</ref> ==Economy== [[Image:Rice Field.jpg|thumb|Worker in a [[Paddy field|paddy]], a common scene all over Bengal]] [[Agriculture]] is the leading occupation in the region. [[Rice]] is the staple food crop. Other food crops are [[pulses]], [[potato]], [[maize]], and [[oil seeds]]. [[Jute]] is the principal [[cash crop]]. [[Tea]] is also produced commercially; the region is well known for [[Darjeeling tea|Darjeeling]] and other high quality teas. The [[service sector]] is the largest contributor to the [[gross domestic product]] of West Bengal, contributing 51% of the state domestic product compared to 27% from agriculture and 22% from industry.<ref name=IBEF1>{{cite web | url = http://www.arc.unisg.ch/org/arc/web.nsf/1176ad62df2ddb13c12568f000482b94/43cf0caeed566faac12571d30061daac/$FILE/India%20Symposium_IBEF_State%20Reports_Westbengal.pdf | title = The State Economy| accessdate = 2006-09-07| format = PDF| work = Indian States Economy and Business: West Bengal | publisher = [[India Brand Equity Foundation]], [[Confederation of Indian Industry]]| pages = 9}}</ref> State industries are localized in the Kolkata region and the mineral-rich western highlands. Durgapur&ndash;Asansol colliery belt is home to a number of major steel plants.<ref name=webindiaeconomy>{{cite web | url = http://www.webindia123.com/westbengal/economy/economy.htm| title = Economy| accessdate = 2006-09-07 | work = West Bengal| publisher = Suni System (P) Ltd}}</ref> West Bengal has the third largest economy (2003&ndash;2004) in India, with a [[Net domestic product|net state domestic product]] of [[United States dollar|US$]] 21.5 billion.<ref name=IBEF1/> During 2001&ndash;2002, the state's average SDP was more than 7.8%&mdash;outperforming the National GDP Growth.<ref name=wbidc1>{{cite web | url = http://www.wbidc.com/about_wb/index.html| title = Basic Information| accessdate = 2006-09-07| work = About West Bengal | publisher = West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation}}</ref> The state has promoted [[foreign direct investment]], which has mostly come in the software and electronics fields;<ref name=Dasgupta>{{cite web| url=http://www-scf.usc.edu/~efinnega/econ.html| title=Dasgupta, 2002| accessdate=2006-04-11}}</ref> Kolkata is becoming a major hub for the [[Information technology]] (IT) industry. Owing to the boom in Kolkata's and the overall state's economy, West Bengal is now the third fastest growing economy in the country.<ref name=usconsulate>{{cite web| url=http://calcutta.usconsulate.gov/19oct2005.html| title=Consul General Henry V. Jardine to The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, October 20, 2005| accessdate=2006-04-11}}</ref> Since 1990, Bangladesh has achieved an average annual growth rate of 5% according to the World Bank, despite the hurdles. The [[middle class]] and the [[consumer]] industry have seen some growth. Bangladesh has seen a sharp increase in [[foreign direct investment]]. A number of [[multinational corporation]]s, including [[Unocal Corporation]] and [[Tata]], have made major investments, the [[natural gas]] sector being a priority. In December 2005, the [[Bangladesh Bank|Central Bank of Bangladesh]] projected GDP growth around 6.5%.<ref name="bdbank1">[http://www.bangladesh-bank.org/pub/annual/anreport/annual.html Annual Report 2004-2005, Bangladesh Bank]</ref> Although two-thirds of Bangladeshis are farmers, more than three quarters of Bangladesh’s export earnings come from the [[garment industry]],<ref name=garments>{{cite news | last = Roland | first = B | date = 2005 | title = Bangladesh Garments Aim to Compete | publisher = BBC | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4118969.stm }}</ref> which began attracting foreign investors in the 1980s due to cheap labour and low conversion cost. In 2002, the industry exported US$5 billion worth of products.<ref name=rahman>{{cite journal | last = Rahman | first = S | year = 2004 | title = Global Shift: Bangladesh Garment Industry in Perspective | journal = Asian Affairs | volume = 26 | issue = 1 | pages = 75–91 }}</ref> The industry now employs more than 3 million workers, 90% of whom are women.<ref name=begum>{{cite book | last = Begum | first = N | chapter = Enforcement of Safety Regulations in Garment sector in Bangladesh | title = Proc. Growth of Garment Industry in Bangladesh: Economic and Social dimension | year = 2001 | pages = 208-226 }}</ref> A large part of foreign currency earnings also comes from the remittances sent by [[expatriate]]s living in other countries. One significant contributor to the development of the economy of Bangladesh has been the widespread propagation of [[microcredit]] by [[Grameen Bank]] and other similar orgamizations. Together, these organizations had about 5 million members by late 1990s.<ref name=schreiner>{{cite journal | last = Schreiner | first = Mark | year = 2003 | title = A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, | journal = Development Policy Review | volume = 21 | issue = 3 | pages = 357–382 | doi = 10.1111/1467-7679.00215 }}</ref> <ref> "Yunus sees big Answers in Micro-credit" Globe and Mail article |http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080611.RYUNUS11/TPStory/Business</ref> ==Culture== [[Image:394 baul-singers-sml.jpg|thumb|Baul singers at [[Basanta-Utsab]], [[Shantiniketan]]]] [[Image:Pohela boishakh 2.jpg|right|thumb|[[Pohela Baishakh]] celebration in Dhaka]] <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Bengali wedding edit1.jpg|right|thumb|Bride and groom wearing traditional [[Bengali wedding]] costumes]] --> The common [[Bengali language]] and culture anchors the shared tradition of two parts of politically divided Bengal. Bengal has a long tradition in folk literature, evidenced by the ''[[Charyapada]]'', ''[[Mangalkavya]]'', ''[[Shreekrishna Kirtana]]'', ''[[Maimansingha Gitika]]'' or ''[[Thakurmar Jhuli]]''. Bengali literature in the medieval age was often either religious (e.g. [[Chandidas]]), or adaptations from other languages (e.g. [[Alaol]]). During the [[Bengal Renaissance]] of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, [[Bengali literature]] was modernized through the works of authors such as [[Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay]], [[Rabindranath Tagore]] and [[Kazi Nazrul Islam]]. The [[Baul]] tradition is a unique heritage of Bangla folk music.<ref name=baulbengalonline>{{cite web | url = http://bengalonline.sitemarvel.com/bengali-folklore.asp?art=baul | title = The Bauls of Bengal | accessdate = 2006-10-26 | work = Folk Music | publisher = BengalOnline }}</ref> Other folk music forms include [[Gombhira]], [[Bhatiali]] and [[Bhawaiya]]. Folk music in Bengal is often accompanied by the [[ektara]], a one-stringed instrument. Other instruments include the [[dotara]], [[dhol]], [[flute]], and [[tabla]]. The region also has an active heritage in [[Hindustani classical music|North Indian classical music]]. Bengal had also been the harbinger of [[modernism]] in [[Indian fine arts]]. Abanindranath Tagore, one of the important 18th century artist from Bengal is often referred to as the father of Indian modern art. He had established the first non-British art academy in India known as the Kalabhavan within the premises of [[Santiniketan]]. Santiniketan in course of time had produced many important Indian artists like [[Gaganendranath Tagore]], [[Nandalal Bose]], [[Jamini Roy]], [[Benode Bihari Mukherjee]] and [[Ramkinkar Baij]]. In the post-independence era, Bengal had produced important artists like [[Somenath Hore]], [[Meera Mukherjee]] and [[Ganesh Paine]]. Rice and fish are traditional favorite foods, leading to a saying that in Bengali, ''mach ar bhaath bangali baanaay'', that translates as "fish and rice make a Bengali".<ref name=machhe>{{cite web | url = http://govdocs.aquake.org/cgi/reprint/2003/1201/12010300.pdf | title = Development of freshwater fish farming and poverty alleviation: A case study from Bangladesh | accessdate = 2006-10-22 | author = Gertjan de Graaf, Abdul Latif | publisher = Aqua KE Government }}</ref> Bengal's vast repertoire of fish-based dishes includes [[Hilsa]] preparations, a favorite among Bengalis. Bengalis make distinctive [[confectionary|sweetmeat]]s from milk products, including ''[[Rasgulla|Rôshogolla]]'', ''Chômchôm'', and several kinds of ''[[Pithe]]''. Bengali women commonly wear the ''[[sari|shaŗi]]'' and the [[salwar kameez]], often distinctly designed according to local cultural customs. In urban areas, many women and men wear Western-style attire. Among men, European dressing has greater acceptance. Men also wear traditional costumes such as the ''[[kurta|panjabi]]'' with ''[[dhoti|dhuti]]'' or ''[[pyjama]]'', often on religious occasions. The [[lungi]], a kind of long skirt, is widely worn by Bangladesh men. The greatest religious festivals are the two [[Eid]]s ([[Eid ul-Fitr]] and [[Eid ul-Adha]]) for the Muslims, and the autumnal [[Durga|Durga Puja]] for Hindus.<ref name=durgapuja>{{cite web | url = http://www.wbtourism.com/fairs_festivals/durga.htm | title = Durga Puja | accessdate = 2006-10-28 | work = Festivals of Bengal | publisher = West Bengal Tourism, Government of West Bengal }}</ref> [[Christmas]] (called ''Bôŗodin'' (Great day) in Bangla), [[Vesak|Buddha Purnima]] are other major religious festivals. Other festivities include [[Pohela Baishakh]] (the Bengali New Year), [[Basanta-Utsab]], [[Nobanno]], and ''Poush parbon'' (festival of [[Poush]]). [[Bengali cinema]] are made both in Kolkata and Dhaka. The Kolkata film industry is older and particularly well known for its [[art film]]s. Its long tradition of film making has produced acclaimed [[Film director|directors]] like [[Satyajit Ray]], while contemporary directors include [[Buddhadev Dasgupta]] and [[Aparna Sen]]. Dhaka also has a vibrant commercial industry and more recently has been home to critically acclaimed directors like [[Tareque Masud]]. Mainstream Hindi films of [[Bollywood]] are also quite popular in West Bengal and Bangladesh. Around 200 dailies are published in Bangladesh, along with more than 1800 periodicals. West Bengal had 559 published newspapers in 2005,<ref name=rniindia>{{cite web | url = https://rni.nic.in/pii.htm | title = General Review | accessdate = 2006-09-01 | publisher = Registrar of Newspapers for India }}</ref> of which 430 were in Bangla.<ref name=rniindia/> [[Cricket]] and [[Football (soccer)|football]] are popular sports in the Bengal region. Local games include sports such as [[Kho Kho]] and [[Kabaddi]], the later being the national sport of Bangladesh. An Indo-Bangladesh ''Bangla Games'' has been organized among the athletes of the Bengali speaking areas of the two countries.<ref name=indobangla>{{cite web | url = http://in.news.yahoo.com/indiaabroad/20080227/r_t_ians_sp/tsp-bangladesh-dominate-indo-bangla-game-6ecd056.html | title = Bangladesh dominate Indo-Bangla Games, clinch 45 gold medals |date=2008-02-27 | accessdate = 2008-02-27 | publisher = Yahoo Web Services India Pvt Ltd }}</ref> ==Intra-Bengal relations today== India is Bangladesh's most important neighbor.<ref name=usgov/> Geographic, cultural, historic, and commercial ties are strong, and both countries recognize the importance of good relations. During and immediately after Bangladesh's struggle for independence from Pakistan in 1971, India assisted refugees from East Pakistan, intervened militarily to help bring about the independence of Bangladesh, and furnished relief and reconstruction aid.<ref name=usgov>{{cite web |url= http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3452.htm |title= Background Note: Bangladesh |accessdate= 2008-03-29 |publisher= Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, U.S. State Department }}</ref> Of the Indo-Bangladesh border length of {{convert|4095|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}, West Bengal has a border length of {{convert|2216|km|mi|abbr=on|0}}.<ref name=indiaembassy>{{cite web |url= http://www.indianembassy.org/policy/Foreign_Policy/FP_1998/banladesh_fp1998.html |title= Union Home Secretary Chairs a High Level Empowered Committee |accessdate= 2008-03-29 |date= [[December 10]] [[1998]] |work= Embassy of India: Foreign Relations |publisher= Government of India }}</ref> Despite overlapping historic, geographic and cultural ties, the relation between [[West Bengal]] and [[Bangladesh]] is still well below the potential.<ref name=natwarspeech>{{cite web |url= http://www.mea.gov.in/speech/2005/08/07ss01.htm |title= Address by External Affairs Minister Shri Natwar Singh at India-Bangladesh Dialogue Organised by Centre for Policy Dialogue and India International Centre|accessdate= 2008-02-26|date= 2005-08-07 |work= Speeches|publisher= Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi }}</ref> The pan-Bengali sentiment among the people of two parts of Bengal was at its height during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.<ref name=himal>{{cite journal | last = Sinha | first = Dipankar | year = 2005 | month = July–August | title = E par Bangla, O par Bangla, no thank you | journal = Himal South Asian | volume = 17 | issue = 1 | publisher = The Southasia Trust | location = Kathmandu, Nepal | url = http://www.himalmag.com/2005/july/opinion_3.html | accessdate = 2008-03-29 }}</ref> While the government radio and national press in India might have backed the struggle out of strategic considerations, the Bengali broadcast and print media went out of its way to lend overwhelming support.<ref name=himal/> Frequent air services link [[Kolkata]] with [[Dhaka]] and [[Chittagong]]. A bus service between [[Kolkata]] and [[Dhaka]] is operational. The primary road link is the [[Jessore Road]] which crosses the border at [[Petrapole]]-[[Benapole]] about 175&nbsp;km north-west of Kolkata. The Train service between Kolkata and Dhaka, which was stopped after [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]], was resumed in 2008.<ref>{{cite news | title = India-Bangladesh train to resume in April - official | url = http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-32132320080225 | publisher = Reuters | date = 2008-02-25 | accessdate = 2008-02-26 }}</ref> Visa services are provided by Bangladesh's consulate at Kolkata's Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Road and India's high commissions in [[Dhaka]], [[Chittagong]] and [[Rajshahi]]. [[India]] has a liberal [[visa]] policy and nearly 500,000 visas<ref name=natwarspeech/> are issued every year to Bangladeshi [[student]]s, [[tourist]]s, health-tourists and others who visit West Bengal and often transit to other parts of India. West Bengalis visit Bangladesh for limited numbers of tourism, pilgrimage, trade, expatriate assignments; there is significant potential for growth as Bangladesh's stability, economy, moderation in religion and tourist infrastructure improves. In addition [[West Bengal]] hosts the celebrated and controversial Bangladeshi author [[Taslima Nasreen]]. Undocumented [[immigration]] of Bangladeshi workers is a controversial issue<ref name=natwarspeech/> championed by right-wing nationalist parties in India but finds little sympathy in [[West Bengal]]. India has fenced the border to control this flow but immigration is still continuing.<ref name=migrHindu>{{cite journal | last = Chattopadhyay | first = S.S | date = | year = 2007 | month = June | title = Constant traffic | journal = Frontline | volume = 24 | issue =11 | publisher = The Hindu | url = http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2411/stories/20070615003701400.htm | accessdate = 2008-02-26 }}</ref> A rallying cry for the right-wing Hindu parties in India is that the demographics changed such as in West Bengal's border district of [[Malda]] from Hindu-majority to Muslim-majority. The official land border crossing at Petrapole-Benapole is the primary conduit for the over $1 billion trade between the two halves of Bengal. The volume of unofficial exports to Bangladesh from India is reportedly in the range of $350–500 million each year.<ref name=hindubusiinformal>{{cite news | first = Richa | last = Mishra | title = Indo-Bangla informal trade cause for concern: FICCI | url = http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/11/11/stories/2004111101240700.htm | work = The Hindu Business Line | publisher = The Hindu | date = [[November 11]] [[2004]] | accessdate = 2008-03-27 }}</ref> [[Bangladesh]] argues with merit that [[India]] needs to open up its border more to Bangladeshi exports. Other landports between the two Bengals are Changrabandha-Burimari and Balurghat-Hili. Cultural exchanges between the two parts of Bengal have been somewhat (but not fully) impacted by ups and downs in India-Bangladesh relations and in the influence of extremist Islamist groups in Bangladesh. [[West Bengal]] singers and actors complained about being rejected visas in previous years. Bangladesh television channels are widely watched in West Bengal. West Bengal media have an audience in Bangladesh. In foreign countries such as the [[U.S.]], [[Canada]], [[UK]], and [[UAE]], it is common for Bengalis from both sides to form joint cultural associations and friendships, although inter-marriage is not significant, especially across religious barriers. ==See also== {{portal|Bengal|BengaliScriptKo.svg}} * [[Bangladesh]] * [[Bengali people]] * [[Bangals]] and [[Ghotis]] * [[List of Bengalis]] * [[Bengali language]] * [[Bengali cuisine]] * [[Music of Bangladesh]] * [[Music of Bengal]] * [[Bengali cinema]] * [[East Bengal]] * [[West Bengal]] * [[Bengal architecture]] ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==References== * {{Harvard reference | Surname1 = Baxter | Given1 = C | Surname2= | Given2= | Year = 1997 | Title = Bangladesh, From a Nation to a State | Publisher= Westview Press | ISBN = 185984121X | Pages = 0813336325 }} * {{Harvard reference | Surname1 = Bennett | Given1 = A | Surname2= Hindle | Given2= J | Year = 1996 | Title = London Review of Books: An Anthology | Publisher= Verso | ISBN = 185984121X | Pages = 63-70 }} ==External links== *{{coord|24|00|N|88|00|E|region:IN_type:adm1st|display=inline,title}}{{geofacti}} Geo Links for Bengal *[http://banglapedia.org/index.html Banglapedia- specialised site] *[http://www.hostkingdom.net/india.html#Bengal www.hostkingdom.net- List of rulers of Bengal] *[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_BrProvinces.htm#Bengal WorldStatesmen- here India] ;Maps Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at [[University of Texas at Austin]] Libraries :*[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/india_shepherd_1923.jpg India from The Historical Atlas by William R. Shepherd, 1923] :*[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/india1760_1905.jpg India 1760 from The Public Schools Historical Atlas edited by C. Colbeck. Longmans, Green, and Co. 1905] :*[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/india_1882.jpg India 1882 from A Dictionary Practical, Theoretical, and Historical of Commerce and Commercial Navigation by J.R. M'Culloch. Longmans, Green and Co. London, 1882] * [http://www.artofbengal.com/ Art and artists of Bengal] {{Bengali culture}} {{Countries of South Asia}} <!--Categories--> [[Category:Bengal| ]] [[Category:Geography of Bangladesh]] [[Category:Geography of India]] [[Category:History of Bangladesh]] [[Category:Regional history of India]] [[Category:Regions of India]] [[Category:Divided regions]] <!--Other languages--> [[bn:বঙ্গ]] [[cs:Bengálsko]] [[cy:Bengal]] [[da:Bengalen]] [[de:Bengalen]] [[et:Bengal]] [[es:Bengala]] [[eo:Bengalio]] [[fr:Bengale]] [[ko:벵골]] [[hi:बंगाल]] [[id:Benggala]] [[it:Bengala]] [[he:בנגל]] [[lt:Bengalija]] [[mk:Бенгал]] [[ml:ബംഗാള്‍]] [[nl:Bengalen (gebied)]] [[ja:ベンガル地方]] [[no:Bengal]] [[pl:Bengal]] [[pt:Bengala]] [[ro:Bengal]] [[ru:Бенгалия]] [[simple:Bengal]] [[fi:Bengal]] [[sv:Bengalen]] [[te:బెంగాల్]] [[uk:Бенгалія]] [[zh:孟加拉]]