Darjeeling district lies in the north of the state of West Bengal, in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas. The district touches three international boundaries- with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Its boundary also touches the north eastern state of Sikkim and the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.
This district is one of the least populated districts of the state with the total population of the district 1,842,034, and the density of population 413 persons per square kilometers. As the population of the district is a mix of the Lephchas, Gorkhas, Bhutias, Bengalis, many languages are spoken here. The main languages are Hindi, Bengali, Nepali, Gorkha, English and Tibetan.
The entire district has four subdivisions- Darjeeling (Sadar), Kalimpong, Kurseong, and Siliguri. Darjeeling town, the headquarters of the district, is at an altitude of 6710 feet. Kalimpong, Kurseong, and Siliguri are other main towns and sub divisional headquarters. Siliguri is the largest town and one of the most densely populated cities and industrial towns of the state. Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Kurseong are popular hill stations.
The other towns in Darjeeling subdivision are Pulbazar, Rangli Rangliot and Sukhlapokhari. Towns in Kalimpong subdivision are Kalimpong and Gurubathan. The towns in Kurseong division are Kurseong and Mirik, and the towns in Siliguri subdivision are Matigara, Naxalbari, Kharibari, Batasi, Baghdogra and Phansidewa.
Road and Railway Connection
Roads are very important for connectivity within district and to reach the upper hill areas. The district has a network of several main connector roads and national highways which pass through. Darjeeling district is connected to West Bengal and the rest of the country by National Highway 31, National Highway 31C, and National Highway 55. Siliguri, strategically located in the plains, is an important transit town for the upper regions of the district, and for Sikkim and other north eastern states.
The district has a narrow gauge rail line passing through Darjeeling town. The Himalayan Darjeeling railway connecting Siliguri to Darjeeling is a World heritage site and a tourist attraction in the district. The railway station at Ghum town is the highest in the country. The closest broad gauge line is in the neighboring district of New Jalpaiguri. Darjeeling district has an airport at Bagdogra, the only airport in the region.