Midnapore (Midnapur,
Medinipur), city, south-central West
Bengal state, northeastern India. The city lies just north of the Kasai River
and is an agricultural-trade centre on the Grand Trunk Road from Calcutta to
Amritsar. Kharagpur (q.v.), across the river, provides major rail connections.
Rice milling and the manufacture of chemicals and silk cloth are the chief
industries. Constituted a municipality in 1865, Midnapore is an educational
centre, with numerous colleges affiliated with the University of Calcutta. Rice,
corn (maize), legumes, and oilseeds are the chief crops grown in the surrounding
area. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 125,098.
