Birbhum district

District of West Bengal
	Location of Birbhum district in West Bengal
Country	India
State	West Bengal
Division	Burdwan
Area
• Total	4,545 km2 (1,755 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	3,502,404
• Density	770.61/km2 (1,995.86/sq mi)
• Urban	449,448
Demographics
• Literacy	70.68
• Sex ratio	956
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
Website	www.birbhum.gov.in

Birbhum district is a district in West Bengal, India.^[1]^[2]

History

During the time of British East India Company, the administrative unit by the name Birbhum was formed in 1787. Before that, it was administratively a part of Murshidabad district. After independent (1947) Birbhum district is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Administration

It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is in Suri. Other important cities are Rampurhat, Bolpur and Sainthia. Jamtara, Dumka and Pakur districts of the state of Jharkhand lie at the western border of this district; the border in other directions is covered by the districts of Bardhaman and Murshidabad of West Bengal.

Lok Sabha constituencies

Birbhum (Lok Sabha constituency)
Bolpur (Lok Sabha constituency)

Vidhan Sabha constituencies

Sainthia
Suri
Bolpur
Rampurhat
Nalhati
Dubrajpur
Mayureswar
Murarai
Labpur
Nanoor
Hansan

Geography

Often called "the land of red soil". Birbhum is noted for its topography and its cultural heritage which is somewhat different from the other districts in West Bengal. The western part of Birbhum is a bushy region, a part of the Chhota Nagpur Plateau. This region gradually merges with the fertile alluvial farmlands in the east.

Culture

This district saw many cultural and religious movements in history. The Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan, established by Rabindranath Tagore, is one of the places Birbhum is known for. Many festivals are celebrated in the district, including Poush Mela.

Industry

Birbhum is primarily an agricultural district with around 75% of the population being dependent on agriculture. Principal industries of the district include cotton and silk harvesting and weaving, rice and oilseed milling, lac harvesting, stone mining and metalware and pottery manufacture. Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station is the only heavy industry in the district.