The Location and orientation of Kolkata is of primary importance in understanding the history and the contribution of Kokata City to the independence and growth of India. Kolkata initially and more famous as Calcutta was the first capital of British India. Its position at the head of the Sunderban delta has added to the significance of Calcutta.
Kolkata West Bengal, one of the four metropolitan cities in India is located in Eastern India on the eastern banks of the river Hooghly. Job Charnock an agent of East India Company landed here in 1690 to set up a British trade settlement. The location was carefully chosen. The Hooghly River in the west, a creek in the north and a salty marshland in the east offered protection to this area. The British bought three villages Sutanati, Gobindopur and Kalikata from the local landlords and started their settlement.
Gradually this city developed to be the capital city of British India in 1772, and it remained so till 1911.
The strategic position of Calcutta also helped it become the most important port of East India. Presently, the hinterland of Kolkata in India extends to entire West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Sikkim, and the northeastern states. Kolkata Port also serves Nepal and Bhutan.
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Kolkata lies very close to the Tropic of Cancer in the north. Geographically, it is located at 22º 32' N and 88º 22' E. The distance of Kolkata city from Bay of Bengal which lies to the south is approximately 120km. Kolkata city is located at a distance of 1461 km from New Delhi, 1987 km from Mumbai, and 1676 kim from Chennai. The other state capitals of Patna, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Guwahati, and Gangtok in Eastern India are situated at distances of 550 km, 441 km, 450 km, 1081 km, and 724 km respectively from Kolkata.
Calcutta in India is the international gateway to Eastern and South East Asian countries. There are direct flights from Calcutta (Kolkata) to Bangkok in Thailand, Chittagong and Dhaka in Bangladesh, Kathmandu in Nepal, Paro in Bhutan, Singapore, and Yangon in Myanmar. Other direct flights connect Kolkata to London, Dubai, Bahrain, and Frankfurt. Internally Kolkata is connected to all other Indian cities and states by airways, railways, roadways, and waterways.
Kolkata summer temperature ranges between 38º C and 26º C, and winter temperature varies from 24ºC to 11º C. The rainy season lasts from mid June to September, with the annual rainfall measuring approximately 160cm.
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