Sue Ann Cooper, age 13, of Jackson, Miss., for her question:
HOW OLD IS THE CITY OF CALCUTTA?
Calcutta, the one time capital of India, is going to be 300 years old next year. The British East India Company founded the city in 1690. From the first, the settlement grew rapidly in size and importance and many neighboring villages became part of it.
It wasn't until 1773 that Calcutta became the capital of India. And by 1900, the city ranked second only to London as the largest in the British Empire. In 1912, the capital was moved to Delhi, which had a more central location.
Today the population of Calcutta is well over 3 million, with more than 7 million people living in the metropolitan area. Calcutta is the third largest city in India, with both Bombay and Delhi now having more people.
Calcutta serves as India's chief port for trade with Southeast Asia. It also is the gateway to the most heavily populated part of northeastern India. Unfortunately, the city has some of the worst living conditions in the world because of overcrowding, poverty and starvation.
The city covers about 40 square miles. It is on the east bank of the Hooghly River, a branch of the Ganges. Howrah, the second largest city of the Calcutta metropolitan area, is on the west bank. The two cities are connected by a bridge that is 1,500 feet long.
Most of Calcutta's people are Hindus who speak the Bengali or Marathi language. The population also includes groups who speak Bihari, Hindi, Urdu or other Indian languages. About two thirds of the city's adults cannot read or write.
Hinduism is the principal religion, but Muslims make up about 15 percent of the population. Other religious groups include Buddhists, Christians and Jews.
Many wealthy citizens live near the center of the city in pleasant neighborhoods with wide streets and modern houses. But the majority of the folks live in slum areas called bustees. Most of the buildings are made of scraps of wood and have no electricity, water or sewage disposal.
Literally thousands of the people sleep in Calcutta's streets because they have no shelter. Unfortunately, conditions such a this, plus constant and widespread undernourishment, lead to frequent outbreaks of cholera, malaria, smallpox and other diseases.
Just 45 years ago, during the 1960s, the government started to improve living conditions in the bustees by installing some electricity, running water and sewage systems.
Calcutta is now the world center of jute production. About a quarter of a million people work in mills that process this fiber. Other Calcutta products include electric equipment, metal goods, paint and shoes.
Calcutta has one of the world's busiest harbors. Wharves line both banks of the Hooghly River for about 20 miles. The city is the shipping outlet for the coal and iron mines of northeastern India.
The Maidan, a large park, takes up about two square miles in the center of Calcutta. Pleasant residential areas lie east of the Maidan and most of the government buildings line the Esplanade, a wide street to the north.