About Kolkata, India

Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is the capital of West Bengal state and India's 3rd largest metropolitan area. Kolkata is located in eastern India within the Ganges Delta along the River Hooghly. The city is roughly at sea level.

Kolkata Information Country India Region West Bengal Population 16.7 Million Annual GDP US$ 94 Bn Languages Bengali Urdu Hindi English Religions Hinduism Islam Christianity Latitude Longitude N 22° 33' 0" E 88° 20' 0" google map

Kolkata has a hot, humid tropical climate. Summertime temperatures often exceed 40 °C (104 °F) in May and June. Winter low temperatures sometimes dip below 13 °C (60 °F) in December and January.

Kolkata was renamed from Calcutta in 2001 to better reflect the longstanding Bengali pronunciation of the name.

Kolkata was for many years the capital of India during the British Raj. While the city was once thriving, it has been marked by political and economic turmoil since the mid-1950's. There has been a solid economic upturn since 2000, driven by rapid growth of IT business, but unrest continues as well.

Ethnically, about 55% of the population is Bengali with a wide mix of other groups making up the balance, including Marwaris, Oriyas and Biharis. As is typical of India, nearly 80% of the population is Hindu and about 20% are Muslims. Christians and Jains comprise less than <1% each. Major languages spoken in Kolkata are Bengali, Hindi, English, Oriya, and Bhojpuri.

Back to top

More Kolkata Resources

• Lookup a Kolkata phone number
• List of Kolkata telephone companies
• List of popular Kolkata websites
• Buy a Kolkata calling card
• Buy a Kolkata VoIP plan

Back to top