JALPAIGURI

city, northern West Bengal state, northeastern India, just west of the Tista River. The chief agricultural distributing centre of the state, the city is connected by road and rail with Darjeeling, Siliguri, and Saidpur (Bangladesh). Jute pressing, sawmilling, and match manufacture are the major industries; nearby are railway workshops. Jalpaiguri, constituted a municipality in 1885, has several colleges affiliated with the University of North Bengal. The area in which Jalpaiguri is situated comprises two distinct tracts separated by the Tista River. The region to the west is a level, densely populated expanse, growing rice, jute, and sugarcane; to the east is a submontane area called the Western Duars, with six passes (duars, doors) through the Sinchula Hills into Bhutan. There are dense forests and extensive tea gardens; tobacco, jute, oilseed, and potato cultivation flourishes; and coal, copper ore, limestone, and dolomite deposits are worked. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 67,495.