India kolkta"Calcutta" redirects here. For other uses, see Calcutta (disambiguation). Kolkata (কলকাতা) City of Joy, Cultural Capital of India, Literary Capital of India, City of Furious Creative Energy, City of Palaces, City of All Cities, City of Bridges in India, City of Football in India,[1] Paris of the East[2] — metropolitan city — Clockwise from top: Victoria Memorial, St. Paul's Cathedral, Downtown Kolkata, Howrah Bridge, Kolkata tram, Vidyasagar Setu Bridge Kolkata (কলকাতা) Map of Kolkata Coordinates 22°34′11″N 88°22′11″E / 22.56972°N 88.36972°E / 22.56972; 88.36972Coordinates: 22°34′11″N 88°22′11″E / 22.56972°N 88.36972°E / 22.56972; 88.36972 Former name Calcutta Country India State West Bengal District(s) Calcutta † Mayor Sovan Chatterjee[3] (TMC) Population • Density • Metro 4,486,679[4] (5th) (2011[update]) • 24,252.3 /km2 (62,813 /sq mi) • 14,112,536[5] (3rd) (2011[update]) Spoken languages [show] * Bengali * English * Hindi * Urdu[6] Ethnic groups [show] * Bengali * Marwari * Bihari * Others Time zone IST (UTC+05:30) Area • Elevation 185 square kilometres (71 sq mi) • 9 metres (30 ft) Codes[show] * • Pincode • 700 xxx • Telephone • +91-33-XXXX XXXX • UN/LOCODE • IN CCU • Vehicle • WB 01-79 Footnotes[show] * † The Kolkata urban agglomeration also includes portions of North 24 Parganas , South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly districts. Website www.kmcgov.in Kolkata (play /ˈkoʊlkʌtɑː/; Bengali: কলকাতা, Kolkātā, IPA: [kolkata] ( listen)), formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River,[7] it was the commercial capital of East India. The city proper has 4.5 million residents, and the metropolitan area, including suburbs, has a population of approximately 14.2 million, making it the third-most populous metropolitan area in India and the 13th-most populous urban area in the world. Kolkata is also classified as the eighth-largest urban agglomeration in the world.[8] Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911, when its perceived geographical disadvantages and a growing nationalism in Bengal led officials to shift the capital to New Delhi. The city is noted for its vibrant political culture. It was a center of the Indian struggle for independence and remains a hotbed of contemporary politics. Once the center of modern education, science, culture, and politics in India, Kolkata witnessed economic stagnation in the years following India's independence in 1947. However, since the year 2000, economic rejuvenation has led to an acceleration in the city's growth. Like other metropolitan cities in developing countries, Kolkata continues to deal with contemporary urban problems like pollution and traffic congestion. Despite such problems, it remains the dominant urban area of eastern India and the major economic, educational and cultural hub"Calcutta" redirects here. For other uses, see Calcutta (disambiguation). Kolkata (কলকাতা) City of Joy, Cultural Capital of India, Literary Capital of India, City of Furious Creative Energy, City of Palaces, City of All Cities, City of Bridges in India, City of Football in India,[1] Paris of the East[2] — metropolitan city — Clockwise from top: Victoria Memorial, St. Paul's Cathedral, Downtown Kolkata, Howrah Bridge, Kolkata tram, Vidyasagar Setu Bridge Kolkata (কলকাতা) Map of Kolkata Coordinates 22°34′11″N 88°22′11″E / 22.56972°N 88.36972°E / 22.56972; 88.36972Coordinates: 22°34′11″N 88°22′11″E / 22.56972°N 88.36972°E / 22.56972; 88.36972 Former name Calcutta Country India State West Bengal District(s) Calcutta † Mayor Sovan Chatterjee[3] (TMC) Population • Density • Metro 4,486,679[4] (5th) (2011[update]) • 24,252.3 /km2 (62,813 /sq mi) • 14,112,536[5] (3rd) (2011[update]) Spoken languages [show] * Bengali * English * Hindi * Urdu[6] Ethnic groups [show] * Bengali * Marwari * Bihari * Others Time zone IST (UTC+05:30) Area • Elevation 185 square kilometres (71 sq mi) • 9 metres (30 ft) Codes[show] * • Pincode • 700 xxx • Telephone • +91-33-XXXX XXXX • UN/LOCODE • IN CCU • Vehicle • WB 01-79 Footnotes[show] * † The Kolkata urban agglomeration also includes portions of North 24 Parganas , South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly districts. Website www.kmcgov.in Kolkata (play /ˈkoʊlkʌtɑː/; Bengali: কলকাতা, Kolkātā, IPA: [kolkata] ( listen)), formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River,[7] it was the commercial capital of East India. The city proper has 4.5 million residents, and the metropolitan area, including suburbs, has a population of approximately 14.2 million, making it the third-most populous metropolitan area in India and the 13th-most populous urban area in the world. Kolkata is also classified as the eighth-largest urban agglomeration in the world.[8] Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911, when its perceived geographical disadvantages and a growing nationalism in Bengal led officials to shift the capital to New Delhi. The city is noted for its vibrant political culture. It was a center of the Indian struggle for independence and remains a hotbed of contemporary politics. Once the center of modern education, science, culture, and politics in India, Kolkata witnessed economic stagnation in the years following India's independence in 1947. However, since the year 2000, economic rejuvenation has led to an acceleration in the city's growth. Like other metropolitan cities in developing countries, Kolkata continues to deal with contemporary urban problems like pollution and traffic congestion. Despite such problems, it remains the dominant urban area of eastern India and the major economic, educational and cultural hub

Kolkata ( /ˈkoʊlkʌtɑː/; Bengali: কলকাতা, Kolkātā, IPA: [kolkata] ( listen)), formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River,^[7] it was the commercial capital of East India. The city proper has 4.5 million residents, and the metropolitan area, including suburbs, has a population of approximately 14.2 million, making it the third-most populous metropolitan area in India and the 13th-most populous urban area in the world. Kolkata is also classified as the eighth-largest urban agglomeration in the world.^[8]
Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911, when its perceived geographical disadvantages and a growing nationalism in Bengal led officials to shift the capital to New Delhi. The city is noted for its vibrant political culture. It was a center of the Indian struggle for independence and remains a hotbed of contemporary politics. Once the center of modern education, science, culture, and politics in India, Kolkata witnessed economic stagnation in the years following India's independence in 1947. However, since the year 2000, economic rejuvenation has led to an acceleration in the city's growth. Like other metropolitan cities in developing countries, Kolkata continues to deal with contemporary urban problems like pollution and traffic congestion. Despite such problems, it remains the dominant urban area of eastern India and the major economic, educational and cultural hub.