| Himachal Pradesh |
| Map |
| Himachal Pradesh is spread over 56,019 km² and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir in the north, Punjab in the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in the south, Uttarakhand in the south-east and Tibet in the east. The literal meaning of Himachal Pradesh is Region of snowy mountains. Himachal Pradesh was also known as Deva Bhoomi the land of the gods. The Aryan influence in the region dates back to the period before the Rigveda. After the Anglo Gorkha war the British colonial government came into power. It was initially in Punjab, except the Siba State of Punjab Hills, under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh until 1857. In 1950 Himachal was declared as union territory, but after the State of Himachal Pradesh Act in 1971 Himchal emerged as the 18th state of Indian Union. Himachal Pradesh has one of the highest per capita incomes of any state in India. Due to the abundance of perennial rivers, Himachal produces large amounts of hydroelectricity, which it sells to other states such as Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan. The economy of the state is highly dependent on three sources: hydroelectric power, tourism and agriculture. 90% of the state population is made up of hindus. |
| Tibet |
| Punjab |
| Uttaranchal |
| Kashmir |
| Haryana |
