Map of India, World Factbook, 2005

Calcutta, India, is the nerve center of eastern India. In 1650 Job Charnock, as agent of the East India Company, chose this site for a British trade settlement. The three villages of Sutanuti, Govindapur, and Kalikutta on the east hank of the Ganges (Hooghley) River formed the nucleus of the present city. It is the center of business and industry, art and culture, and is the largest city in India and second only to London in the Commonwealth. It handles almost half of the sea-borne trade of India. Calcutta has a population of 10 million (12.7 million in 2000) spread over an area of 104 sq. km. (40 sq. mi.). It is the center for manufacturing textiles, leather goods, plastics, and iron and steel products and is the commercial center for East India.

Offices of Mennonite Central Committee and Bharatiya Jukta Christa Prachar Mandali (India United Missionary Church), are located in Calcutta. The latter is a member of Mennonite World Conference (the Missionary Church in North America is not). The India United Missionary Church had 2,500 members in 28 congregations in 1988 (7,300 in 116 congregations in 2009).

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 117. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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