Uttarakhand formerly known as Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Land of the Gods" due to the many holy Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is mainly known for its natural beauty of the Himalayas, the Bhabhar and the Terai. On 9 November 2000, this 27th state of the Republic of India was carved out of the Himalayan and adjoining northwestern districts of Uttar Pradesh. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region on the north; the Mahakali Zone of the Far-Western Region, Nepal on the east; and the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the northwest. The state is divided into two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon, with a total of 13 districts. The provisional capital of Uttarakhand is Dehradun, the largest city in the region, which is a rail-head. The high court of the state is in Nainital.
Two of the most important rivers in Hinduism originate in the region, the Ganga at Gangotri and the Yamuna at Yamunotri. These two along with Badrinath and Kedarnath form the Chota Char Dham, a holy pilgrimage for the Hindus. The state hosts the Bengal tiger in Jim Corbett National Park, the oldest national park of the Indian subcontinent. The Valley of Flowers, a Unesco World Heritage Site located here, is known for the variety and rarity of the flowers and plants found there. Ancient rock paintings, rock shelters, Paleolithic stone tools (hundreds of thousands of years old), and megaliths provide evidence that the mountains of the region have been inhabited since prehistoric times. There are also archaeological remains which show the existence of early Vedic (c. 1500 BCE) practices in the area. The Pauravas, Kushanas, Kunindas, Guptas, Gurjara-Pratihara, Katyuris, Raikas, Palas, Chands, Parmars or Panwars, Sikhs, and the British have ruled Uttarakhand in turns.
The native people of Uttarakhand are generally called either Garhwali or Kumaoni depending on their place of origin in either the Kumaon or Garhwal region. Uttarakhand has a multiethnic population spread across two geocultural regions: the Gahrwal, and the Kumaon. A large portion of the population is Rajput including members of the native Garhwali, Gujjar, and Kumaoni communities, as well as a number of immigrants. Approximately one-fifth of the population belongs to the Scheduled Castes. Scheduled Tribes such as the Raji, who live near the border with Nepal, constitute less than 5 percent of the population. More than four-fifths of Uttarakhand's residents are Hindus. According to a 2007 study, Uttarakhand has the highest percentage of Brahmins of any state in India, with approximately 20% of the population being Brahmin. Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, and Jains make up the remaining population with the Muslims being the largest minority.
The Garhwali and Kumaoni dialects of Central Pahari are spoken in Kumaon and Garhwal regions, respectively. Jaunsari and Bhotiya dialects are spoken by tribal communities in the west and north, respectively. The urban population, however, converses mostly in Hindi, which is an official language of the state. Uttarakhand is the only Indian state to give official language status to Sanskrit.
Like most of India, agriculture is one of the most significant sectors of the economy of Uttarakhand. Basmati rice, wheat, soybeans, groundnuts, coarse cereals, pulses, and oil seeds are the most widely grown crops. Fruits like apples, oranges, pears, peaches, litchis, and plums are widely grown and important to the large food processing industry. Agricultural export zones have been set up in the state for leechi, horticulture, herbs, medicinal plants, and basmati rice.
Source: Wikipedia
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