Darjeeling District, situated in the northern region of
West Bengal, is a beautiful region commanding splendid views of the
Himalayan mountain ranges. It is bounded by the state of
Sikkim in the north,
Bihar and
North Dinajpur District in the south, and Jalpaiguri District in the eastern side. The district also has international borders with Nepal in the western region, Bhutan in the northeast, and Bangladesh in the southeastern portion. It covers an area of 3149 sq km. The population is about 1.3 million. The district headquarters is
Darjeeling, situated at a height of 2100 m above the sea level.
The region has misty atmosphere all through the year while the climate varies from tropical to subalpine. The area receives abundant rainfall. The rivers Teesta, Balson, Rangit, and Sevoke flow through the district. Major crops are maize, rice, tea, cardamom, potatoes, ginger, and jute. Tea, timber and tourism are the major sources of income. There are a number of fine tea plantations and processing units.
Major attractions include Natural History Museum, Observatory Hill, Lloyd Botanical Garden,
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Tiger Hill, and the Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering. Darjeeling,
Kalimpong,
Kurseong,
Sandakphu, and
Phalut are some of the tourist spots.
