[Himachal GK] Himachal Pradesh State Important Information

Himachal Pradesh bordering Jammu and Kashmir to the North and North West, Punjab to the South West, Haryana and Uttarpradesh to the South and Uttaranchal to the Southeast is spread in the area of

55,653 sq km. Shimla is the state capital and other major towns are Dharamshala, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu, Chamba, Hamirpur, Dalhousie and Manali.

The state boasts of numerous picturesque tourist destinations, which are responsible for generating much of the revenue for the state. Agriculture, textile and burgeoning hydroelectric power export industry are the other sources of income for the state.

A state in North India, Himachal Pradesh literally means a 'region of snowy mountains'. It is also sometimes referred as 'Dev Bhumi' meaning Abode of Gods. In the year 1950 Himachal Pradesh was declared as one of the Union Territories of India. Later on however, with the passing of Himachal Pradesh Act of 1971, it emerged as the eighteenth state of India. The word 'Hima' actually means snow in Sanskrit terminology. Acharya Diwakar Datt Sharma, an eminent Sanskrit Scholar from Himachal Pradesh named the state.

Himachal Pradesh is among those states in India, which has a very per capita income. The state sells hydro electricity power to Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan. The economy of Himachal Pradesh depends greatly on tourism, hydroelectric power and agriculture. Shimla serves as the state capital that was earlier the summer capital of the British.

The head of each of the Districts in Himachal Pradesh is a Deputy Commissioner also known as Deputy Magistrate. For administrative purposes, the districts are further divided into sub-divisions, which are controlled by the sub-divisional magistrates. The sub-divisions are further divided into blocks. Blocks comprise panchayats that is the village councils and town municipalities. The law and order in the district is maintained by the Superintendent of Police.

The twelve Districts of Himachal Pradesh are listed as below

Bilaspur Chamba Hamirpur Kangra Kinnaur Kullu

Lahul and Spiti Mandi Shimla Sirmaur Solan Una

The Geographical Location of Himachal Pradesh is 30' 22' 40" North to 33' 12' 40" North latitude and its longitudinal extent is 75' 45' 55" East to 79' 04' 20" East. Himachal Pradesh occupies an area of 55,673 sq km. The capital of the state is Shimla. Himachal Pradesh is divided into twelve districts and it has 49 cities and towns. It comprises a population of 6,077,248, out of which the number of males is 3,085,256 and the number of females in the total population of the state is 2,991,992 according to the census of 2001.



The state of Himachal Pradesh, India is a hilly region and it experiences a pleasant climate through out the year. It even experiences heavy snow fall during the winter months. The weather of Himachal alters with the change of altitude. The best time to visit the state of Himachal is from September to March.

The population of Himachal is culturally rich and diverse at the same time. The communities residing in the Himachal region are very cordial people and they maintain a very well knit society. A very strong fellow feeling works in these simple people.

The Himachal Pradesh region can be categorized into the following Geographical Divisions 

• The Shivaliks or the outer Himalayas
• The central zone or the lesser Himalayas
• The northern zone or the great Himalayan and Zaskar

The Chief Rivers of Himachal Pradesh that have a significant contribution towards the Natural prosperity of the state include:

• Chenab
• Beas
• Ravi
• Yamuna
• Sutlej
• Spiti

Located on the western corner of Himalaya, Himachal Pradesh acts as the confluence of the pristine streams that are flowing through the quaint terrains of the majestic Hill. Characterized by thick cover of snow, the Chief Rivers of the state melts down in the summer months to satisfy the water consumption needs of the place.

Important Landforms of Himachal Pradesh features primarily the mountainous terrains that surround the place from all directions. An integral part of the Himalayan ranges, the Landforms of the state are divided into many categories such as slope, elevation, microclimatic situations and vegetation

Himachal Pradesh at a Glance

Area	55,673 km2	Population (Census 2011)	6,864,602
Males	3,481,873	Females	3,382,729
Urban Population	688,552	Rural Population	6,176,050
Population Density	123	Sex Ratio	972
Literacy Rate	83.78%	Female Literacy	76.60%
Male Literacy	90.83%	Districts	12
Sub Division	55	Tehsils	82
Sub Tehsils	35	Towns	59
Developmental Block	77	Panchayats	3,243
Panchayat Smities	77	Zila Parishad	12
Nagar Nigam	1	Nagar Parishad	25
Nagar Panchayats	23	Urban Local Bodies	53
Census Villages	20,690	Inhabited Villages	17,495
Educational Institutions	17,000 +	Health Institutions	3,835
Motorable Roads	30,000 + km	National Highways	8

Himachal Pradesh State Information
Capital	Shimla
Date of formation	25. Jan. 1971
Governor	Acharya Dev Vrat
Chief Minister	Virbhadra Singh
Tourist attractions	Shimla, Kulu, Manali, Dharamsala
Festivals	Pori, Fulaich
Major dance and music forms	Mala dance, Rakshas Dance, Nati Dance
Arts and crafts.	Pahari painting is done in the Basohli and Kangra styles; Kullu shawls and woollen caps are famous; the Chamba Rumal has Kangra style paintings embroidered on cloth.
Languages	Hindi, Punjabi, Kinnauri, Pahari
Size	55,673 sq. km
Population	6,864,602
Rivers	Ravi, Beas, Chenab, Sutlej, Yamuna
Forests and wildlife sanctuaries	Pin Valley NP, Greater Himalayan NP, Renuka WS, Chail WS, Kalatope Khajjiar WS
State animal	Snow leopard
State bird	Western tragopan
State flower	Pink rhododendron
State tree	Deodar
Major crops	Wheat, rice, maize, barley
Factoids	The world's oldest democracy is believed to be a tiny, isolated village called Malana.
	Shimla was the summer capital of british India.
No. of District	12