Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state of India. It is situated in the northern part of India and shares boundary with Uttarakhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and an international border with Nepal. Here, we are giving important information on Uttar Pradesh, which is very useful as GK study material for the preparation of competitive examinations like UPSC-prelims, SSC, State Services, NDA, CDS, and Railways etc.
The state is home to Hindu mythological heroes such as Rama and Krishna whose stories take place in the region that today makes up this state. It is also the third largest Indian state by the economy. Furthermore, as regards net domestic product, Uttar Pradesh ranks fourth.
Important Points about Uttar Pradesh in PDF
| Statehood | 24 January 1950 |
| Capital | Lucknow |
| Districts | 75 |
| Governor | Ram Naik |
| Chief Minister | Yogi Adityanath (BJP) |
| Area | 243,290 km2 (93,930 sq. miles) |
| Population (2011) | 199,812,341 |
| Population Density | 828 persons per km2 (2146/sq. miles) |
| Languages Official | Hindi, Urdu |
| Literacy | 67.68% |
| 77.28 % (male) | |
| 57.18 % (female) | |
| State animal | Swamp deer |
| State bird | Sarus crane |
| State tree | Ashoka |
| State flower | Palash |
| State dance | Kathak |
| State sport | Field hockey |
| Cities Towns | 689 |
| Development Blocks | 822 |
| Municipal Corporations | 13 |
| Members of Lok Sabha from U.P. | 80 |
| Members of Rajya Sabha from U.P. | 31 |
| Members of U.P. Legislative Assembly | 404 |
| Members of U.P. Legislative Council | 100 |
| Crops | Paddy, Wheat, Barley, Millet, Maize, Urad (Black Gram), Moong (Green Gram) Arhar etc. |
| Fruits | Mango, Guava etc |
| Handicrafts | Chikan work, Embroidery, Furniture, Clay toys, Carpet Weaving, Silk, Bangles, Brassware work etc. |
| Main Industries | Cement, Vegetable Oil, Textiles, Cotton Yarn, Sugar, Jute, Locks, Carpet, Brassware, Glassware, Bangles and Marble Inlay etc. |
| Rivers | Ganga, Yamuna, Saryu, Gomti, Ram Ganga, Ghagra, Betwa, Ken |
| Folk Dances | Charkula, Karma, Pandav, Pai-danda, Tharu, Dhobia, Raai, Shaira etc. |
| Places of Historical and Tourist Interest | Agra, Mathura-Vrindavan, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Allahabad, Buddhist Circuit (Kaushambi, Kapilvastu, Kushinagar, Sankisa, Shravasti, Sarnath), Chitrakoot, Lucknow, Jhansi, etc. |
| Known as/for |
– Most populous state in India
– Most populous country – The state which shares its – Second largest state by – Sugarcane Bowl of India – Largest producer of food – Hindi heartland (as it gave – Home to most powerful – Starting place of Indian – Bicameral legislature – Maximum number of – Jagadguru Rambhadracharya |
| International Airport | Lucknow, Varanasi |
| Tiger Reserve |
Amangarh (buffer of Corbett TR), Dudhwa, Pilibhit |
| Wildlife Sanctuaries |
– Bakhira WLS – Chandraprabha WLS – Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Bird WLS – Hastinapur WLS – Kaimur WLS – Katerniaghat WLS – Kishanpur WLS – Lakh Bahosi Bird WLS – Mahavir Swami WLS – National Chambal WLS -Nawabganj WLS – Okhala Bird WLS – Parvati Aranga WLS – Patna WLS – Ranipur WLS – Saman Bird WLS – Samaspur WLS – Sandi Bird WLS – Sohagibarwa WLS – Sohelwa WLS – Sur Sarovar WLS – Jai Prakash Narayan (Surhatal) Bird WLS – Turtle WLS – Vijai Sagar WLS |
| National Parks |
Dudhwa National Park |
| Bird Sanctuaries |
– Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary – Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, – Okhla Sanctuary, – Patna Bird Sanctuary, – Saman Sanctuary, – Samaspur Sanctuary, – Sandi Bird Sanctuary, – Bakhira Sanctuary, – Thasrana Bird Sanctuary (Dhanauri Wetlands) |
| Endemic Bird Areas |
Western Himalaya |
| Ramsar Sites | Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to Narora Stretch) |
| World Heritage Site |
Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Taj Mahal |
| Important Historical Sites |
Sarnath & Kushinagar |
| Geographical Indications |
Banarasi Brocades and Silk Sarees, Allahabad Surkha, Mango Malihabadi Dussehri, Lucknow Chikan Craft, Handmade Carpet of Bhadohi, Agra Durrie, Farrukhabad Prints, Lucknow Zardozi, Kala Namak Rice, Firozabad Glass, Kannauj Perfume, Kanpur Saddlery, Moradabad Metal Craft, Saharanpur Wood Craft, Handmade Carpets of Mirzapur, Handmade Carpets of Banaras, Agra Petha, Mathura Peda, Nizamabad black clay pottery, Varanasi Wooden Lacquerware & Toys, Khurja pottery, Meerut Scissors, Banaras Gulabi Meenakari Craft, Varanasi Wooden Lacquer Wear and Toys, Mirzapur Handmade Dari, Banaras Metal Repousse Craft |
| Major Regional Festivals |
Kumbh Mela (Kumbh Mela 2013 registered 12 Crores human visits – the largest human gathering in the world!) |
| Natural Vegetation |
Tropical dry deciduous, tropical moist deciduous,tropical thorn |
| Physical Characteristics |
The Gangetic Plain occupies three-quarters of the state |
In the above above information will increase the general awareness of the readers. If you know more about Uttar Pradesh that you think the article hasn’t included, then comment below.
Uttar Pradesh Physical Features
On the basis of its physiography, the main regions of Uttar Pradesh are the central plains of the Ganga and its tributaries, the southern uplands, the Himalayan region, and the submontane region between the Himalayas and the plains. The Gangetic Plain occupies about three-fourths of the total area of Uttar Pradesh. It largely consists of a fertile plain which is featureless, and varies in elevation, rising up to 300 metres in the northwest, and 60 metres in the extreme east. It is composed of alluvial deposits which are brought down by the Ganga and its tributaries from the Himalayas. The southern uplands constitute a part of the Vindhya Range, which is rugged, largely dissected, and rises towards the south-east. The elevation in this region reaches up to 300 metres.
The submontane region consists of the Bhabar, a narrow bed of alluvium and gravel, which along its southern fringes joins into the Terai area. The Terai area, which previously consisted of tall grass and thick forests, is a marshy and damp tract. A definite portion of the Terai region has been subject to deforestation. The topography of the Himalayan region is vastly varied. There are deep canyons, turbulent streams, large lakes and snow capped peaks.
Uttar Pradesh Historical Background
The history of Uttar Pradesh is recognised in the later Vedic Age as Brahmarshi Desha or Madhya Desha. Many great sages of the Vedic times like Bhardwaja, Gautam, Yagyavalkaya, Vashishtha, Vishwamitra and Valmiki flourished in this state. Several sacred books of the Aryans were also composed here. Two great epics of India, Ramayana and Mahabharata, appear to have been inspired by Uttar Pradesh. In the Sixth Century BC Uttar Pradesh was associated with two new religions- Jainism and Buddhism. It was at Sarnath that Buddha preached his first sermon and laid the foundations of his order. Several centres in Uttar Pradesh like Ayodhya, Prayag, Varanasi and Mathura became reputed centres of learning.
In the medieval period Uttar Pradesh passed under Muslim rule and led the way to new synthesis of Hindu and Islamic cultures. Ramananda and his Muslim disciple Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas and many other intellectuals contributed to the growth of Hindi and other languages.
During the British rule in India, there were certain pockets in Uttar Pradesh that were governed by the English equity and common law. In 1773, the Mughal Emperor transferred the districts of Banaras and Ghazipur to the East India Company. The East India Company acquired the area of modernday Uttar Pradesh over a period of time. The territories occupied from the nawabs, the Scindias of Gwalior and the Gurkhas were initially placed within the Bengal Presidency.
History Behind the creation Uttar Pradesh
1. In January 1858, Lord Canning proceeded to Allahabad and formed the North Western Province excluding Delhi division.
2. In 1856, Awadh was placed under the chief commissioner. The districts were later merged with the North Western Province and began to be known as ‘North Western Provinces and Oudh’ in 1877. The entire province came to be known as the ‘United Provinces of Agra and Oudh’ in 1902.
3. In April 1937, Lucknow became the capital of the province, the name of which was further changed to United Provinces.
4. On January 24, 1950, the then governor general of India passed the United Provinces (alteration of name) Order 1950 renaming the then United Provinces as Uttar Pradesh.
5. On 9 November 2000, a new state, Uttarakhand, was carved out from the Himalayan hill region of Uttar Pradesh.
Uttara Pradesh Drainage
The state is well drained by a number of rivers originating in either the Himalayas to the north or the Vindhya Range to the south. The Ganges and its main tributaries—the Yamuna, the Ramganga, the Gomati, the Ghaghara, and the Gandak rivers—are fed by the perpetual snows of the Himalayas. The Chambal, the Betwa, and the Ken, originating from the Vindhya Range, drain the southwestern part of the state before joining the Yamuna. The Son, also originating in the Vindhya Range, drains the southeastern part of the state and joins the Ganges beyond the state borders (in Bihar).
Uttara Pradesh Soils
Much of the area of Uttar Pradesh is covered by a deep layer of alluvium spread by the slow-moving rivers of the Ganges system. Those extremely fertile alluvial soils range from sandy to clayey loam. The soils in the southern part of the state are generally mixed red and black or red-to-yellow.
Plant and animal life
The vegetation of Uttar Pradesh consists mostly of scrub. Forests are generally concentrated in the southern uplands. Animals of the region include tigers, leopards, elephants, wild boars, and crocodiles, as well as pigeons, doves, wild ducks, partridges, peafowls, blue jays, quails, and woodpeckers. Several species, such as lions from the Gangetic Plain, have become extinct. To preserve its wildlife, the state has established several game sanctuaries.
People
Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India. In the early 21st century it had an overall population density of more than twice the national average. The Gangetic Plain supports the overwhelming majority of the state’s population.
Health and welfare
Health care in the state is provided by a number of hospitals and clinics, as well as by private practitioners of allopathic (Western), homeopathic, Ayurvedic (traditional Hindu), and Unanī (traditional Muslim) medicine. Since independence many national and state welfare programs have provided improved opportunities in education, employment, and political representation to members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.