Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is
located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. The
city has a population of almost 5 million, with an extended
metropolitan population of over 13 million, thus making it the
second-largest urban agglomeration and the fourth-largest city in
India. To the south of the city is the Sundarbans delta, the world's
largest mangrove forest. The city served as the capital of British
India, untill 1911. Once the centre of modern education, science,
culture and politics in India, Kolkata witnessed economic stagnation
in the years following India's independence in 1947. Since 2000
however, an economic rejuvenation has arrested the morbid decline,
leading to a spurt in the city's growth. Like other large cities,
Kolkata continues to struggle with urbanisation problems like
poverty,
pollution and traffic congestion. A vibrant city with a distinct
socio-political culture, Kolkata is noted for its revolutionary
history, ranging from the Indian struggle for independence to the
leftist Naxalite and trade union movements.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolkata
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1409:
Western Schism: The Catholic church is led into a double schism as
Petros Philargos is crowned Pope Alexander V after the Council of
Pisa, joining Pope Gregory XII in Rome and Avignon Pope Benedict XIII
in Avignon.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Schism)
1940:
Under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union gave Romania an
ultimatum requiring it to cede territory.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov-Ribbentrop_Pact)
1945:
The United Nations Charter was signed in San Francisco, California.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Charter)
1959:
The Saint Lawrence Seaway, a system of canals connecting the Great
Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, was officially opened.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lawrence_Seaway)
1963:
John F. Kennedy uttered "Ich bin ein Berliner."
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ich_bin_ein_Berliner)
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Wikiquote of the day:
"For the future, let all people live in harmony ... Men should be
taught and won over by reason, not by blows, insults, and corporal
punishments." -- Julian
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Julian)