Bengal, << behn GAWL or BEHN guhl, >> is a region in Asia. It includes the Indian state of West Bengal and the neighboring independent nation of Bangladesh. Much of Bengal consists of farmland, but the region also has large cities—including Kolkata, India; and Dhaka, Bangladesh. Products of the region include coal, cotton, jute, rice, sugar, and tea.
In 1757, the British East India Company captured Bengal from the Mughal rulers of India. The western part of Bengal became an Indian state in 1947, when India became an independent nation. The eastern part was made a province of the newly created nation of Pakistan. In 1971, this province became the independent nation of Bangladesh. For more information, see Bangladesh (History); Pakistan (History).
