Kolkata, city in eastern India and capital of Bangla State, situated on the banks of the Hugli River (Hooghly)(a tributary of the Ganges River). Kolkata lies about 100 km (about 60 mi) north of the Bay of Bengal and about 70 km (about 45 mi) west of Bangladesh. It is the hub of India's second most populous metropolitan area (after Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay) and is the chief commercial, financial, and manufacturing center of eastern India.
Kolkata was founded by the English East India Company in the late 1600s and named for Kalikata, a local rice-growing village with a temple of the goddess Kali. It served as the capital of British India from 1773 through 1911. During the British era, administrative offices and a British-style university, the University of Kolkata, were established. Jute mills and other industries along the Hugli River both north and south of the city also contributed to Kolkata's growth and eventually gave rise to major urban development, creating the Kolkata metropolitan area.
Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Kolkata Information info
|
