ENGLISH BAZAR

also called Angrezabad city, north-central West Bengal state, northeastern India, just west of the Mahananda River. The city was chosen as the site of the British East India Company's silk factories (trading stations) in 1676. The Dutch and French also had settlements there. A major road and rail junction, English Bazar is an important silk and agricultural trade centre. Constituted a municipality in 1869, it has a sericultural station nearby. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 139,018; metropolitan area, 176,991.