Kolkata is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. This area has been inhabited for over two thousand years, the documented history of Kolkata, however, starts from the arrival of the British East India Company in 1690. In 1690, Job Charnok, an agent of the East India Company chose this place for a British trade settlement. The names Kolkata and Calcutta were probably based on Kalikata, the name of one of the three villages (Kalikata, Sutanuti, Gobindapur) in the area before the arrival of the British. The city of Kolkata then known as Calcutta was named the capital of British India in the year 1772. Calcutta, the city of joy was established in the year 1686, as a result of the expansion plans of the British Raj. In 2001, Calcutta was officially renamed Kolkata.
Kolkata enjoys a sub tropical climate. There are 3 distinct seasons in Calcutta: summer, winter and monsoon. Generally, the average summer temperature varies from 24°C (75.2°F) to 38°C (100.4°F) and humidity level can be extremely high. The city experiences the southern monsoon between June and September during which heavy rains lash the city. In winter the humidity is minimal and the days are mild with average temperature remains between 12°C (53.6°F) and 27°C (80.6°F).
Kolkata is the main business, commercial and financial hub of eastern India and the northeastern states. The city’s economy largely depends on trade and industries. The Government of West Bengal is primarily focusing on the industrial sectors like Information Technology, apparel and plastics. Information Technology is the most developing industry in Kolkata that accounts for a major portion to the overall trade in West Bengal.
The airport in Kolkata is situated at Dumdum, around 17 km northeast of the city center. Kolkata is well connected with domestic as well as international flights. Public transport is provided by the Kolkata suburban railway and the Kolkata Metro as well as by trams and buses. Metro system, initialized in Kolkata in 1984, is calm, clean and efficient. Buses come in different types, like, CSTC (Calcutta State Transport Corporation) Govt. buses, privately owned bus routes (majority of the buses are privately owned), mini buses, specials, limited stops, express service etc. Though decommissioned in some part of the city, electric trams (runs on track) are still one of the means of traveling between places within the city. Cycle rickshaws are not allowed in the city of Kolkata, but they are common in the metropolitan area; hand-pulled carts are used for short-distance cargo hauling. There are two types of taxis in Kolkata: yellow taxis have permits to travel all over Kolkata and West Bengal, while black-and-yellow taxis are restricted to Kolkata.
Kolkata education has become so popular, that students are pouring in not only from different regions of the country, but also from various corners of the world. Primary education is supervised by the government of West Bengal and is free in schools run by the municipal corporation. The schools here are either state government aided or are run by private (or religious) organizations. Students, on completion of their secondary education, move on to a 2 year junior college (also referred to as pre-university) or in schools which have higher secondary level. There are medical, engineering colleges apart from the normal colleges which provide the regular courses. There are nine universities in Kolkata and most of the colleges in the city are affiliated to these universities.
Fort William the most impressive edifice in calcutta of the military power of the British Raj in the East. Situated at the banks of river Hooghly, it was named after King William III of England and was built by Robert Clive in the year 1781. The Fort is a brick-and-mortar structure built in the shape of an irregular octagon surrounding 5 square km of which five sides look landward and three on the river, surrounded by a fosse 9 meter deep and 15 meter broad which can be flooded in times of emergency. The fort is still in use and visitors are allowed inside only after getting special permits.
Victoria memorial hall was founded in 1906 and opened in 1921. In memory of Queen Victoria and was formally inaugurated by the Prince of Wales in 1921 who later became King Edward VIII of England. The domed and white marble memorial sprawls over 64 acres and is set in a landscaped garden at the southern side of the Kolkata's maidan (ground) near Jawaharlal Nehru Road. Today, Victoria memorial is one of the finest art museums in Kolkata. It has notable collection of sculptors, weapons, artefacts, paintings, stamps, maps, coins, textiles etc, among its exhibits a statue of Queen Victoria.
Botanical gardens of Kolkata, India are situated 8 km away from the city, on the west bank of the Ganga, covering an area of about 273 acres. The gardens were originally founded in 1786 and administered by Colonel Kyd. It was from these gardens that the tea now grown in Assam and Darjeeling was first developed. The garden has a massive and amazing collection of the rarest of species of plants and trees from Nepal, Brazil, Penang, Java and Sumatra. The main attraction of the garden is the 200 year old Banyan Tree, claimed to have the second largest canopy in the world.
The festivals in Kolkata are held mostly in the centrally located maidan area of the city. The major festivals observed in the city include Eid, Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Kali Puja and Christmas.
