West Bengal is a state situated in eastern India and shares its borders with Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Sikkim and the Bay of Bengal washes its southern frontiers. Bengal also shares international borders with Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

The state capital is Kolkata and Asansol, Siliguri, Durgapur, Howrah, Baharampur, Jalpaiguri are some of the other major cities in the state. It is the fourth-largest state in population and the fourteenth-largest state by area in India. Bengali is the main language of the state and is spoken by the majority of the population. Other languages include Hindi, Santali, Urdu and Nepali (largely spoken in the Darjeeling area).

The state is the largest producer of rice in the country and is the second-largest tea-producing state. West Bengal is also a major producer of fish.

The main river in West Bengal is the Ganga, which further divides into two branches. Other rivers to flow through Bengal are the Hooghly, Bhagirathi, Teesta, Torsa, Mahananda, Kangsabati. The state also includes the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region which is home to the globally acclaimed Darjeeling tea variety. The main seasons witnessed by the state are summer, monsoon, short autumn and winter.

West Bengal houses distinct natural attractions including an impressive mountain range, variety of wildlife, verdant tea gardens and the world's largest mangrove forests, the Sunderbans. In addition to this, the state also has a rich tradition of art, craft, culture and cuisine. Durga Puja is the biggest, most popular and widely celebrated festival in West Bengal. The colourful and auspicious Hindu festival includes intense celebration, big pandals and transformation across the state.