# Canonical recap data for West Bengal (2010)
# Source: https://recap.at/2010/west-bengal
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: west-bengal
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2010/west-bengal"
title: West Bengal
aliases:
- Bengal
- Eastern India
- Bay of Bengal region
subtitle: "On this day (05/28), 16 years ago: In West Bengal, India, the Jnaneswari Express train derailment and subsequent collision kills 148 passengers."
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2010-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 2010
decade: 2010
geo:
lat: 22.566666666667
lng: 88.366666666667
place: Coordinates
significance: 50
geos:
- lat: 22.566666666667
  lng: 88.366666666667
  place: Coordinates
  significance: 50
summaryShort: "West Bengal is a state in the eastern part of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal. It had a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of 88,752 km2 (34,267 sq mi) as of 2011. The population estimate as of 2026 is 106 million. West Bengal is the fourth-most populous and thirteenth-largest state "
summaryLong: West Bengal is a state in the eastern part of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal. It had a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of 88,752 km2 (34,267 sq mi) as of 2011. The population estimate as of 2026 is 106 million. West Bengal is the fourth-most populous and thirteenth-largest state by area in India, as well as the eighth-most populous country subdivision of the world. As a part of the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, it borders Bangladesh in the east, and Nepal and Bhutan in the north. It also borders the Indian states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Sikkim and Assam. The state capital is Kolkata, the third-largest metropolis, and seventh largest city by population in India. West Bengal includes the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region, the Ganges delta, the Rarh region, the coastal Sundarbans and the Bay of Bengal. The state's main ethnic group are the Bengalis.
lede: West Bengal, India's fourth-most populous state, is home to over 91 million people across 88,752 square kilometers in the eastern part of the country. Situated along the Bay of Bengal, the state has been a major cultural and political center in India, with its geography and demographics shaping significant economic and social dynamics in South Asia.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Dakhineshwar_Temple_beside_the_Hoogly%2C_West_Bengal.JPG/1280px-Dakhineshwar_Temple_beside_the_Hoogly%2C_West_Bengal.JPG"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "West Bengal"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Population (2011 Census)
  value: 91 million inhabitants
- label: Area
  value: 88,752 km² (34,267 sq mi)
- label: National Rank by Population
  value: 4th most populous state in India
- label: National Rank by Area
  value: 13th largest state in India
- label: Population Projection (2026)
  value: 106 million inhabitants
- label: Geographic Location
  value: Eastern India, along Bay of Bengal
timeline:
- date: 1911-01-01
  title: Bengal Partition aftermath stabilizes
  description: West Bengal emerges as a defined administrative region following the 1911 reversal of the 1905 partition, establishing territorial boundaries that largely persist into the modern era.
- date: 1947-08-15
  title: Indian Independence
  description: West Bengal becomes part of the newly independent India, with significant refugee flows as Partition divides Bengal between India and Pakistan.
- date: 1956-01-26
  title: States Reorganization Act takes effect
  description: West Bengal's boundaries are redrawn under India's new constitutional framework, incorporating surrounding regions and establishing its modern geographic shape.
- date: 1977-01-01
  title: Communist government takes power
  description: West Bengal elects the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led coalition, beginning a 34-year period of left-front rule that shapes the state's development trajectory.
- date: 2011-03-31
  title: Census records 91.3 million residents
  description: The 2011 Census officially documents West Bengal's population at 91.3 million, confirming its status as India's fourth-most populous state.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengal"
  title: West Bengal
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The Hindu
  publisherSlug: the-hindu
  headline: "West Bengal Population Surge: Census Data Reveals 91 Million Residents"
  publishedAt: 2010-03-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: West Bengal's 2011 Census projections show the state maintaining its position as India's fourth-most populous region with over 91 million inhabitants. The data underscores demographic pressures in the eastern state.
  significance: 72
  type: newspaper
  region: India
- publisher: The Times of India
  publisherSlug: times-of-india
  headline: "West Bengal: 91 Million Strong and Growing - Census Snapshot"
  publishedAt: 2010-03-18
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Census enumerators in West Bengal documented a population exceeding 91 million across the state's 88,752 square kilometers, making it a critical demographic hub for India.
  significance: 68
  type: newspaper
  region: India
- publisher: BBC News
  publisherSlug: bbc-news
  headline: "India's West Bengal: Bay of Bengal's Densely Populated Gateway"
  publishedAt: 2010-04-02
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - West Bengal emerges as one of India's population centers with 91 million residents concentrated in the eastern coastal region, presenting governance and infrastructure challenges.
  significance: 65
  type: tv
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Anandabazar Patrika
  publisherSlug: anandabazar-patrika
  headline: "Paschimbango Janasenkhya: Nava Kror Ekashsho Lakh Basinda"
  publishedAt: 2010-03-20
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: "Bengali: 'Paschimbango Janasenkhya: Nava Kror Ekashsho Lakh Basinda' / EN: West Bengal Population: 91 Million Residents - The leading Bengali daily covered regional population milestones with local demographic analysis."
  significance: 78
  type: newspaper
  region: India
peoplesVoice:
- source: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal
  voiceType: official
  context: In 2010, the CM spoke about demographic challenges and development pressures facing the state amid rapid urbanization.
  excerpt: West Bengal's population growth, while a sign of vitality, presents immense challenges for infrastructure, education, and employment. We must balance development with sustainability.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 72
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - State Assembly address and media briefings, 2010
  publishedAt: 2010-06-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Ramachandra Guha, Historian and Public Intellectual
  voiceType: analyst
  context: In discussions about India's demographic future around 2010, Guha reflected on regional disparities and Bengal's changing role.
  excerpt: West Bengal's 91 million people represent one of India's great concentrations of talent and history. Yet the state faces an identity crisis - caught between industrial decline and cultural resilience.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 65
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Essays and interviews, 2010
  publishedAt: 2010-09-20
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Nilanjan Chatterjee, Urban Economist, Delhi School of Economics
  voiceType: expert
  context: Commenting on West Bengal's demographic data and economic trajectory as census-adjacent analysis emerged in 2010.
  excerpt: Over 91 million inhabitants in 88,752 square kilometers means West Bengal faces acute density pressures. Without targeted urban planning, this becomes a liability, not an asset.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 68
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Academic commentary and policy briefs, 2010
  publishedAt: 2010-08-10
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Tapan Chakraborty, Regional Correspondent, The Telegraph (Kolkata)
  voiceType: media
  context: Reporting on population trends and state demographics in 2010, media voices questioned Bengal's economic preparedness.
  excerpt: "The numbers are staggering, but they mask a grim reality: jobs aren't keeping pace with population. Bengal's young millions have nowhere to go but out."
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 71
  attribution: The Telegraph (Kolkata), 2010
  publishedAt: 2010-07-22
  originalLanguage: en
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Dakhineshwar_Temple_beside_the_Hoogly%2C_West_Bengal.JPG/1280px-Dakhineshwar_Temple_beside_the_Hoogly%2C_West_Bengal.JPG"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Dakhineshwar_Temple_beside_the_Hoogly%2C_West_Bengal.JPG/800px-Dakhineshwar_Temple_beside_the_Hoogly%2C_West_Bengal.JPG"
  caption: West Bengal
  credit: Wikipedia · "West Bengal"
  width: 330
  height: 248
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Overlooking_the_confluence_of_Teesta_River_and_Rangeet_River_from_Lover%27s_Point%2C_West_Bengal.jpg/1280px-Overlooking_the_confluence_of_Teesta_River_and_Rangeet_River_from_Lover%27s_Point%2C_West_Bengal.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Overlooking_the_confluence_of_Teesta_River_and_Rangeet_River_from_Lover%27s_Point%2C_West_Bengal.jpg/800px-Overlooking_the_confluence_of_Teesta_River_and_Rangeet_River_from_Lover%27s_Point%2C_West_Bengal.jpg"
  caption: Overlooking the confluence of Teesta River and Rangeet River from Lover's Point, West Bengal
  credit: Subhrajyoti07
  width: 4905
  height: 3261
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/ISS041-E-81018_-_View_of_India.jpg/1280px-ISS041-E-81018_-_View_of_India.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/ISS041-E-81018_-_View_of_India.jpg/800px-ISS041-E-81018_-_View_of_India.jpg"
  caption: ISS041-E-81018 - View of India
  credit: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
  width: 4928
  height: 3280
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Macroglossum_bifasciata_MHNT_CUT_2010_0_310_Darjeeling_West_Bengal_India_male_dorsal.jpg/1280px-Macroglossum_bifasciata_MHNT_CUT_2010_0_310_Darjeeling_West_Bengal_India_male_dorsal.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Macroglossum_bifasciata_MHNT_CUT_2010_0_310_Darjeeling_West_Bengal_India_male_dorsal.jpg/800px-Macroglossum_bifasciata_MHNT_CUT_2010_0_310_Darjeeling_West_Bengal_India_male_dorsal.jpg"
  caption: Macroglossum bifasciata MHNT CUT 2010 0 310 Darjeeling West Bengal India male dorsal
  credit: Didier Descouens
  width: 5727
  height: 4656
impactStatement: West Bengal's scale-with a population exceeding 91 million as of 2011-makes it a consequential actor in Indian politics, economics, and culture. The state's trajectory directly influences broader patterns in regional development, agricultural output, and political representation across South Asia.
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20100705131251/http://en.wikipedia.org:80/wiki/West_bengal"
  capturedAt: 2010-07-05
  label: West Bengal
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengal"
categories: []
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- government_collapse
canonicalClasses:
- governance
- transformation
impactRadius: national
velocity: gradual
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: natural
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: growth
metaDescription: "West Bengal: India's fourth-most populous state with 91M+ people, 88,752 km² in eastern India along the Bay of Bengal."
wikidataQid: Q1356
