|
Area- 53,566 sq km
Capital- Dehra Dun
Largest city- Dehradun
Population (2001)- 8,479,562
Density- 159 per sq km
Sex Ratio: 976 females to thousand males
Official language(s)- Hindi, Garhwali, Kumaoni
Literacy Rate: 65%
Districts- 13
Uttaranchal became the 27th state of the Republic of India on November 9, 2000. Uttaranchal borders China in the north and Nepal to the east, while its neighbouring states are Himachal Pradesh to the west and Uttar Pradesh (of which it formed a part before 2000) in the south.
The region is traditionally referred to as Uttarakhand in old literature and scriptures. It means North Country in Sanskrit. In August 2006, the Union Cabinet assented to the demand of the state government and regions social movements to change the name of the state back to Uttarakhand.
The provisional capital of Uttaranchal is Dehra Dun. The capital is expected to shift once a suitable location is found.
Uttaranchal is comprised of two regions, the western half known as Garhwal and the eastern region going by the name of Kumaon and the two have different lingual and cultural influences.
But the inseparable and complementary nature of their geography, economy, culture, language and traditions has created strong bondages between the two regions.
The native people call themselves Garhwali/Kumaoni and more than 90% of them are Hindus. Many also colloquially call themselves Pahari meaning hill person. Majority of the people in this state are Rajputs.
Other ethnic communities in the region include Nepalis, Tibetans and nomadic cattle herders known as Gujjar in the southern Terai region.
Many Punjabis (after the patition of India) and Bengalis have also settled in the southern plains part of the state.
Kumaoni and Garhwali dialects are spoken in Kumaon and Garhwal region respectively. Jaunsari and Bhotia are also spoken in the region by some tribal communities. In various regions a mixture of both Kumaoni and Garhwali is spoken. The urban population however converse mostly in Hindi.
Uttaranchal is believed to be the land where the Vedas and the Shastras were composed and the Mahabharata was written. Today Rishikesh (near Hardwar) is widely considered the Yoga capital of the world. |
