Kolkata has a population exceeding 15 million, making it India's third largest metropolitan area. Kolkata is the main business, commercial and financial center of eastern India. It has also long been known as the cultural capital of India and the "City of Joy".
Kolkata has beautiful colonial buildings and heritage structures. Established in 1814, The Indian Museum is the oldest museum in Asia and houses a vast collection of Indian natural history and Indian art. The Victoria Memorial, one of the major tourist attractions in Kolkata, has a museum documenting the city's history. Other important buildings in Kolkata are Belvedere Estate, Jorasanko Thakur Bari, Marble Palace, National Library of India, Raj Bhavan, Shaheed Minar,Nakhoda Mosque,Paresnath Jain Temple,Belur Math,Kali Temple and Writers Building.
Public Transport in Kolkata is provided by Trams, Kolkata Metro and buses. Auto Rickshaws, Cycle Rickshaws and taxis are some other common modes of transport. For long distance travel, Kolkata has two railway stations, Howrah Station and Sealdah, and one airport, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport at Dum Dum.
In the surrounding areas of Kolkata there are several interesting places to visit. Vishnupur is famous for terracotta temples, clay sculptures, and silk sarees. Santiniketan is famous for the Ashramik School and university, the town is also known for its handmade leather crafts and kantha stitch sarees. North Bengal is a mountainous region home to Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Lava-Lolegaon and, further south on the Gangetic plains the historic districts of Malda and Murshidabad. Sundarbans National Park is located in the Sundarbans delta. This region is densely covered by mangrove forests, and is one of the largest reserves of Bengal tiger. It is also home to a variety of birds, reptiles and invertebrate species, including the salt-water crocodile.
