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{{infobox
| bodyclass = geography
| above = Northern India
उत्तर भारत اُتر بھارت
शुमाली हिन्दुस्तान شُمالی ھندوستان
| image = [[File:North India Zonal Map 1.png|235px|border]]
| caption = States in the North and North Central Zones of India, as defined by the Indian Government.
| label1 = [[Population]]
| data1 = 504,196,432
| label2 = [[Geography of India|Area]]
| data2 = {{convert|1,624,160|km2|abbr=on}}
| label3 = [[Time zone]]
| data3 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] ([[UTC+5:30]])
| label4 = [[States and territories of India|States and territories]]
| data4 = [[Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Uttarakhand]], [[Haryana]], [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Bihar]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Chhattisgarh]] and [[Madhya Pradesh]]
| label5 = Most populous cities (2008)
| data5 = [[New Delhi]], [[Kanpur]], [[Lucknow]], [[Jaipur]], [[Patna]], [[Chandigarh]], & [[Varanasi]]
| label6 = [[Official languages of India|Official languages]]
| data6 = [[English language|English]], [[Hindi]], [[Urdu]], [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], [[Dogri language|Dogri]], [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]], [[Maithili language|Maithili]], [[Santali language|Santhali]]
}}
'''North India''', known natively as '''Uttar Bhārat''' ([[Devanagari]]: उत्तर भारत, [[Nastaleeq]]: اُتر بھارت) or '''Shumālī Hindustān''' ([[Devanagari]]: शुमाली हिन्दुस्तान, [[Nastaleeq]]: شُمالی ھندوستان), is a loosely defined region in the northern part of [[India]]. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage. The dominant geographical features of North India are the [[Indo-Gangetic Plain]] and the [[Himalayas]], which demarcate the region from [[Tibet]] and [[Central Asia]]. North India has been the historical center of the [[Maurya]], [[Gupta]], [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]], [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]], [[Sikh Empire|Sikh]] and [[British Indian Empire|British Indian]] Empires. It has a diverse culture, and includes the [[Hindu]] pilgrimage centers of [[Chota Char Dham|Char Dham]], [[Haridwar]], [[Mathura]], [[Allahabad]] and [[Varanasi]], the [[Buddhist]] [[Mahabodhi Temple]], the [[Sikh]] [[Golden Temple]] and the [[Islam|Muslim]] pilgrimage destination of [[Ajmer]], as well as world heritage sites such as the [[Valley of flowers]], [[Khajuraho]], [[Bhimbetka|Bhimbetka Caves]], [[Qutb Minar]] and the [[Taj Mahal]].
===Government of India definition===
The [[Government of India]] defines the [[North India Cultural Zone]] as including the states of [[Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Haryana]] and [[Rajasthan]], as well as the [[Union Territory]] of [[Chandigarh]]. There is an overlapping neighboring region, called the North Central India Cultural Zone, including the states of [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Chhattisgarh]], Rajasthan, Haryana, [[Bihar]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Uttarakhand]] and [[Delhi]], that is also defined by the Indian Government. The states of Bihar and Jharkhand are also included in the East India Cultural Zone. Similarly, Rajasthan is also included in the West India Cultual Zone, and the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are also included in the South Central India Cultural Zone.
===Linguistic definition===
[[Indo-Aryan languages]] predominate in North India. This includes the [[Hindi Heartland]], where Hindi and related languages predominate. Prior to the [[Partition of India]], this also included the [[Pakistan]]i provinces of [[Sindh]] and Punjab, and the eastern portion of the [[North West Frontier Province]] up to [[Peshawar]] valley where [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] dialects and [[Hindko language|Hindko]] are spoken. This effectively excludes several of the seven [[North-East India|North-East states]] (except for [[Assam]] and [[Sikkim]]).
[[File:VasudevaCoin.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Vasudeva I]] (c. 200CE) was the last great [[Kushan]] king of North India and [[Bactria]]. One side of this coin shows him, and the other the [[Nandi (bull)|Nandi bull]] with a [[Trishula|trishul]]-holding divinity that combines aspects of the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] God [[Shiva]] and the [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] divinity [[Vayu-Vata]]. After him, the [[Indo-Sassanid]]s displaced Kushan rule in North India.]]
==="North of the Vindhyas"===
One traditional, and now obsolete, demarcation between Northern and Southern India is the [[Vindhya]] mountain range, which has sometimes formed a border during periods of imperial expansion in India, such as the one ruled by the [[Gupta empire|Gupta]] emperor [[Samudragupta]]. The Vindhyas also find mention in the narrative of [[Rishi]] [[Agastya]] as a dividing feature between North and South India. The [[Manusmṛti]] also describes the southern limit of [[Aryavarta]] (a classical, and also now obsolete, term for parts of North India) as being defined by the Vindhya range.
===Muslim, Central Asian and Persian impacts as defining influences===
Several sources consider sizable Muslim populations and deep-seated Islamic, Central Asian and Persian influences to be defining characteristics of North Indian culture, both linguistically and culturally. Some of these influences are pre-Islamic, such as the [[Bactria]]n-originated [[Kushan Empire]] that maintained twin capitals in [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]] (now in Uttar Pradesh) and [[Peshawar]] (in the [[North West Frontier Province]]), as well as the [[Huna (people)|Hun]] confederacies that periodically asserted their rule over large parts of North India.
===Latitude-based definition===
The [[Tropic of Cancer]], which divides the [[temperate zone]] from the [[tropical zone]] in the [[Northern Hemisphere]] of the planet, runs through India, and could theoretically be regarded as a geographical dividing line in the country.
===Anecdotal usage===
The term "North Indian" is sometimes used to describe people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, often using the term ''bhaiya'' (which literally means 'elder brother') in a derogatory sense, though some press reports have contradicted this. In Punjab, people from the same region (Uttar Pradesh and Bihar) are often referred to as ''Purabias'', or Easterners. Some publications of the [[Government of Bihar]] place that state in the eastern part of India as well. Within Uttar Pradesh itself, "the cultural divide between the east and the west is considerable, with the ''purabiyas'' (easterners) often being clubbed with Biharis in the perception of the westerners." Punjab is sometimes considered a north-western state, as are [[Gujarat]] and the western parts of Uttar Pradesh.
==Geography==
[[File:India-view of shilla.jpg|left|thumb|210px|Shilla (7026 m) above the [[Spiti Valley]] in Himachal Pradesh]]
[[File:NorthIndiaClimateKoppen.png|right|thumb|210px|North India has extremely diverse climates.]]
North India lies mainly on continental India, north of peninsular India. Towards its North are the Himalayas which define the boundary between the [[Indian subcontinent]] and the [[Tibetan plateau]]. To its west is the [[Thar Desert|Thar]] desert, shared between North India and [[Pakistan]] and the [[Aravalli Range]], beyond which lies the state of [[Gujarat]]. The [[Vindhya]] mountains are, in some interpretations, taken to be the southern boundary of North India.
The predominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic plain which spans the states of [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]], [[Haryana]], Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and [[West Bengal]], the Himalayas which lie in the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and the Thar desert which lies mainly in the state of Rajasthan. The state of Madhya Pradesh has large areas under forest cover, as do Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chattisgarh.
===General climate===
[[File:Désert-du-Thar.jpg|right|thumb|210px|The [[Thar desert]] near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan]]
North India lies mainly in the north [[Temperate zone]] of the [[earth]]. Though cool or cold winters, hot summers and moderate monsoons are the general pattern, North India is one of the most climatically diverse regions on Earth{{Or|date=February 2011}}. Extreme temperatures have ranged from {{convert|-45|°C|°F|0}} in [[Dras]], Jammu and Kashmir to 50.6 °C (123 °F) in [[Alwar]], Rajasthan. [[Dras]] is claimed to be the second coldest inhabited place on the planet (after [[Siberia]]), with a recorded low of -60°C.
===Precipitation===
The region receives rain and snow precipitation through two primary weather patterns: the Indian [[Monsoon]] and the [[Western Disturbance]]s. The Monsoon carries moisture northwards from the [[Indian Ocean]], occurs in late summer and is important to the [[Kharif crop|Kharif or autumn harvest]]. Western Disturbances, on the other hand, are an extratropical weather phenomenon that carry moisture eastwards from the [[Mediterranean Sea]], the [[Caspian Sea]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. They primarily occur during the winter season and are critically important for the [[Rabi crop|Rabi or spring harvest]], which includes the main staple over much of North India, [[wheat]]. The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand receive sustained snowfall in winter months.
==Demographics==
[[File:Scythia-Parthia 100 BC.png|right|thumb|250px|During the [[Scythian]] migrations around 100BC, a large part of North India was incorporated into the Scythian world.]]
The people of North India are predominantly [[Indo-Aryan peoples|Indo-Aryan]], and include various [[ethnicity|ethnic groups]] such as [[Brahmins]], [[Ahirs]], [[Jat people|Jats]], [[Rajput]]s, [[Gurjar]]s, [[Khatri]]s, [[Kamboj]]s, [[Vanika|Banias]] and [[Dalit]]s. Over millennia, the region has experienced sustained incursions and immigration from the northwest, including the [[Scythians|Indo-Scythians]], [[Indo-Sassanid]]s, [[Indo-Hephthalites]], [[Kushans]] and [[Rohilla|Rohilla Pashtuns]].
[[Hinduism]], [[Islam]] and [[Sikhism]] are the dominant religions in North India. Other religions practiced by various ethnic communities include Jainism and Buddhism. The states of [[Uttarakhand]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Haryana]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Chhattisgarh]] and Himachal Pradesh are overwhelmingly Hindu.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} [[Jammu and Kashmir]] is the only state in India with a majority Muslim population,{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} while Punjab is the only state with a majority Sikh population. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand are predominantly Hindu with other minorities.
===Dance===
Dance of North India too has diverse ''folk'' and ''classical'' forms. Among the well-known [[Indian folk dance|folk dances]] are the ''[[bhangra]]'' of the [[Punjab region|Punjab]], the ''[[ghoomar]]'' of Rajasthan, and ''rouf'' and ''[[bhand pather]]'' of Kashmir. Main dance forms, many with narrative forms and [[Hindu mythology|mythological]] elements, have been accorded [[Indian classical dance|classical dance status]] by India's ''[[Sangeet Natak Academi|National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama]]'' such as [[kathak]]'' of [[Uttar Pradesh]].
==Languages==
{{See|Languages of India|List of Indo-Aryan languages|Dravidian languages}}
[[File:Indoarische Sprachen.png|right|thumb|250px|Distribution of [[Indo-Aryan languages]].]]
Linguistically, North India is dominated by Indo-Aryan languages, although subregions of [[Dravidian languages|Northern Dravidian languages]] (such as Bihar's [[Kurukh language]]), [[Tibeto-Burman languages]] (such as Himachal's [[Lahauli language]]) and [[Austro-Asiatic|Austro-Asiatic languages]] (such as [[Munda languages|Munda]]) exist throughout the region. It is in this region, or its proximity, that [[Sanskrit]] and the various [[Prakrit]]s are thought to have evolved. Indo-Aryan languages native to North India include the [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] [[lingua franca]] (including both its [[Hindi]] and Urdu [[Register (sociolinguistics)|registers]]), a wide range of [[Western Hindi|western]] and [[eastern Hindi]] dialects, [[Bihari language]]s ([[Bhojpuri]], [[Magadhi]], [[Maithili language|Maithili]] and [[Angika]]), [[Pahari languages|Pahari]], [[Kumaoni language|Kumaoni]], [[Garhwali]], Punjabi, [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], and other languages. The subregion where [[Hindi languages]] are widely spoken (as either primary or secondary languages) is sometimes called the [[Hindi Heartland]] or the Hindi Belt, and is loosely defined.
Small speaker populations of two [[language isolates]] ([[Nihali language|Nihali]] and [[Burushaski]]), which are not known to be rooted in any other language families, also exist in North India.
==Flora and fauna==
[[File:Chinkara.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Chinkara]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]], India]]
{{See|Wildlife of India}}
North Indian vegetation is predominantly deciduous and coniferous. Of the deciduous trees, [[Shorea robusta|sal]], [[teak]], [[walnut]], [[Sheesham delbergia|sheesham]] (Indian rosewood) and [[poplar]] are some which are important commercially. The Western Himalayan region abounds in [[Chir Pine|chir]], [[pine]], [[deodar]] (Himalayan cedar), [[blue pine]], [[spruce]], various [[fir]]s, [[birch]] and [[juniper]]s. The birch, especially, has historical significance in Indian culture due to the extensive use of birch paper ({{lang-sa|bhurja patra}}) as parchment for many ancient Indian texts. The Eastern Himalayan region consists of [[oak]]s, [[laurels]], [[maple]]s, [[rhododendron]]s, [[alder]], birch and [[dwarf willow]]s. Reflecting the diverse climatic zones and terrain contained in the region, the floral variety is extensive and ranges from Alpine to temperate thorn, coniferous to evergreen, and thick tropical jungles to cool temperate woods.
There are around 500 varieties of mammals, 2000 species of birds, 30,000 types of insects and a wide variety of fish, amphibians and reptiles in the country. Animal species in North India include [[Elephant]], [[Tiger]], [[Leopard]], [[Snow Leopard]], [[Sambar (deer)|Sambar (Asiatic stag)]], [[Chital|Chital (Spotted deer)]], [[Kashmir stag|Hangul (Red deer)]], [[Hog Deer]], [[Chinkara|Chinkara (Indian Gazelle)]], [[Blackbuck]], [[Nilgai|Nilgai (blue bull antelope)]], [[Porcupine]], [[Wild Boar]], [[Indian Fox]], [[Tibetan Sand Fox]], [[Rhesus Monkey]], [[Langur]], [[Jungle Cat]], [[Hyena]], [[Jackal]], [[Himalayan Bear|Black Bear]], [[Himalayan Brown Bear]], [[Sloth Bear]], and the endangered [[Caracal]].
Reptiles are represented by a large number of [[snake]] and [[lizard]] species, as well as the [[ghariyal]] and [[crocodile]]s. Venomous snakes found in the region include [[king cobra]] and [[krait]]. Various [[scorpion]], [[spider]] and [[insect]] species include the commercially useful [[honeybee]]s, [[silkworm]]s and [[lac]] insects. The strikingly colored [[Trombidiidae|bir bahuti]] is also found in this region.
The region has a wide variety of birds, including [[peacock]]s, [[parrot]]s, and thousands of immigrant birds, such as the [[Siberian Crane]]. Other birds include [[pheasant]]s, [[goose|geese]], [[duck]]s, [[mynah]]s, [[parakeet]]s, [[pigeon]]s, [[crane (bird)|crane]]s (including the celebrated [[Sarus Crane]]), and [[hornbill]]s. [[Great Hornbill|Great pied hornbill]], [[Pallas's fish-eagle|Pallas's fishing eagle]], [[Grey-headed Fish Eagle|Grey-headed fishing eagle]], Red-thighed [[Microhierax|falconet]] are found in the Himalayan areas. Other birds found here are [[Tawny Fish-owl|Tawny fish owl]], [[Scaly-bellied Woodpecker]], [[Red-breasted Parakeet]], [[Himalayan Swiftlet]], [[Stork-billed Kingfisher]] and [[White-tailed Rubythroat|Himalayan or White-tailed Rubythroat]].
===Wildlife parks and reserves===
Important National Parks and Tiger reserves of North India include -
[[File:Corbett View.jpg|thumb|200px|Jim Corbett National Park]]
[[Corbett National Park]]: It was established in 1936 along the banks of the Ramganga River. It is India's first National Park, and was designated a Project Tiger Reserve in the year 1973. Situated in [[Nainital]] district of Uttarakhand the park acts as a protected area for the critically endangered Bengal tiger of India. Cradled in the foothills of the Himalayas, it comprises a total area of 500 km² out of which 350 km² is core reserve. This park is known not only for its rich and varied wildlife but also for its scenic beauty.
[[Dachigam National Park]]: Dachigam is a higher altitude national reserve in the state of Jammu and Kashmir that ranges from 5,500 to 14,000 feet above sea level. It is home to the [[Kashmir stag|Hangul]] (a [[Red Deer]] species, also called the Kashmir Stag).
[[Great Himalayan National Park]]: This park is located in Himachal Pradesh state and ranges in altitude from 5,000 to 17,500 feet. Wildlife resident here includes the [[Snow Leopard]], the [[Himalayan Brown Bear]] and the [[Musk deer]].
[[Desert National Park]]: Located in Rajasthan, this national reserve features extensive sand dunes and dry salt lakes. Wildlife unique to the region includes the Desert Fox and the [[Great Indian Bustard]].
[[Kanha National Park]]: The sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha were the setting for [[Rudyard Kipling]]'s collection of stories, "[[The Jungle Book]]". The Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh came into being in 1955 and forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve, created in 1974 under Project Tiger.
[[Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary]]: Located in the state of Bihar, it is the only protected zone for the endangered [[Ganges and Indus River dolphin]].
[[Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary]]: It is one of the finest bird parks in the world, it is a reserve that offers protection to faunal species as well. Nesting indigenous water birds as well as migratory water birds and waterside birds, this sanctuary is also inhabited by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.
[[Dudhwa National Park]]: It covers an area of 500 km² along the Indo-Nepal border in [[Lakhimpur Kheri District|Lakhimpur Kheri district]] of Uttar Pradesh, is best known for the [[Barasingha]] or Swamp Deer. The grasslands and woodlands of this park, consist mainly of sal forests. The barasingha is found in the southwest and southeast regions of the park. Among the big cats, tigers abound at Dudhwa. There are also a few leopards. The other animals found in large numbers, are the [[Indian rhinoceros]] and the wild elephant, jungle cats, leopard cats, fishing cats, jackals, [[civet]]s, [[Sloth Bear|sloth bears]], sambar, [[otter]]s, crocodiles and [[chital]].
[[Ranthambhore National Park]]: It spans an area of 400 km² with an estimated head count of thirty two tigers is perhaps India’s finest example of [[Project Tiger]], a conservation effort started by the government in an attempt to save the dwindling number of tigers in India. Situated near the small town of [[Sawai Madhopur]] it boasts of variety of plant and animal species of North India.
[[Kalesar National Park]]: Kalesar is a [[Sal tree|sal]] forest in the [[Shivalik Hills]] of eastern Haryana state. Primarily known for birds, it also contains a small number of tigers and panthers.
==Places of interest==
The largest Hindu temple in India, [[Akshardham (Delhi)|Akshardham Temple]], and the largest mosque, [[Jama Masjid, Delhi|Jama Masjid]], are both located in this region.
The Taj Mahal,An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.
{{infobox
| bodyclass = geography
| above = Northern India
उत्तर भारत اُتر بھارت
शुमाली हिन्दुस्तान شُمالی ھندوستان
| image = [[File:North India Zonal Map 1.png|235px|border]]
| caption = States in the North and North Central Zones of India, as defined by the Indian Government.
| label1 = [[Population]]
| data1 = 504,196,432
| label2 = [[Geography of India|Area]]
| data2 = {{convert|1,624,160|km2|abbr=on}}
| label3 = [[Time zone]]
| data3 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] ([[UTC+5:30]])
| label4 = [[States and territories of India|States and territories]]
| data4 = [[Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Uttarakhand]], [[Haryana]], [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Bihar]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Chhattisgarh]] and [[Madhya Pradesh]]
| label5 = Most populous cities (2008)
| data5 = [[New Delhi]], [[Kanpur]], [[Lucknow]], [[Jaipur]], [[Patna]], [[Chandigarh]], & [[Varanasi]]
| label6 = [[Official languages of India|Official languages]]
| data6 = [[English language|English]], [[Hindi]], [[Urdu]], [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], [[Dogri language|Dogri]], [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]], [[Maithili language|Maithili]], [[Santali language|Santhali]]
}}
'''North India''', known natively as '''Uttar Bhārat''' ([[Devanagari]]: उत्तर भारत, [[Nastaleeq]]: اُتر بھارت) or '''Shumālī Hindustān''' ([[Devanagari]]: शुमाली हिन्दुस्तान, [[Nastaleeq]]: شُمالی ھندوستان), is a loosely defined region in the northern part of [[India]]. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage. The dominant geographical features of North India are the [[Indo-Gangetic Plain]] and the [[Himalayas]], which demarcate the region from [[Tibet]] and [[Central Asia]]. North India has been the historical center of the [[Maurya]], [[Gupta]], [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]], [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]], [[Sikh Empire|Sikh]] and [[British Indian Empire|British Indian]] Empires. It has a diverse culture, and includes the [[Hindu]] pilgrimage centers of [[Chota Char Dham|Char Dham]], [[Haridwar]], [[Mathura]], [[Allahabad]] and [[Varanasi]], the [[Buddhist]] [[Mahabodhi Temple]], the [[Sikh]] [[Golden Temple]] and the [[Islam|Muslim]] pilgrimage destination of [[Ajmer]], as well as world heritage sites such as the [[Valley of flowers]], [[Khajuraho]], [[Bhimbetka|Bhimbetka Caves]], [[Qutb Minar]] and the [[Taj Mahal]].
===Government of India definition===
The [[Government of India]] defines the [[North India Cultural Zone]] as including the states of [[Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Haryana]] and [[Rajasthan]], as well as the [[Union Territory]] of [[Chandigarh]].[{{cite web|url=http://www.culturenorthindia.com/ |title=North Zone Cultural Centre |publisher=North Zone Cultural Center, Sheesh Mahal, Patiala, Punjab |date= |accessdate=2008-10-16}}] There is an overlapping neighboring region, called the North Central India Cultural Zone, including the states of [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Chhattisgarh]], Rajasthan, Haryana, [[Bihar]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Uttarakhand]] and [[Delhi]], that is also defined by the Indian Government. The states of Bihar and Jharkhand are also included in the East India Cultural Zone.[{{cite web|url=http://ezccindia.org/aboutus.html/index1.html |title=East Zone Cultural Centre |publisher=East Zone Cultural Center, Kolkata, West Bengal |date= |accessdate=2008-10-18}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}}] Similarly, Rajasthan is also included in the West India Cultual Zone,[{{cite web|url=http://www.wzccindia.com/ |title=West Zone Cultural Centre |publisher=West Zone Cultural Center, Udaipur, Rajasthan |date= |accessdate=2008-10-18}}] and the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are also included in the South Central India Cultural Zone.
===Linguistic definition===
[[Indo-Aryan languages]] predominate in North India. This includes the [[Hindi Heartland]], where Hindi and related languages predominate. Prior to the [[Partition of India]], this also included the [[Pakistan]]i provinces of [[Sindh]] and Punjab, and the eastern portion of the [[North West Frontier Province]] up to [[Peshawar]] valley where [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] dialects and [[Hindko language|Hindko]] are spoken. This effectively excludes several of the seven [[North-East India|North-East states]] (except for [[Assam]] and [[Sikkim]]).
[[File:VasudevaCoin.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Vasudeva I]] (c. 200CE) was the last great [[Kushan]] king of North India and [[Bactria]]. One side of this coin shows him, and the other the [[Nandi (bull)|Nandi bull]] with a [[Trishula|trishul]]-holding divinity that combines aspects of the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] God [[Shiva]] and the [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] divinity [[Vayu-Vata]]. After him, the [[Indo-Sassanid]]s displaced Kushan rule in North India.]]
==="North of the Vindhyas"===
One traditional, and now obsolete, demarcation between Northern and Southern India is the [[Vindhya]] mountain range, which has sometimes formed a border during periods of imperial expansion in India, such as the one ruled by the [[Gupta empire|Gupta]] emperor [[Samudragupta]]. The Vindhyas also find mention in the narrative of [[Rishi]] [[Agastya]] as a dividing feature between North and South India. The [[Manusmṛti]] also describes the southern limit of [[Aryavarta]] (a classical, and also now obsolete, term for parts of North India) as being defined by the Vindhya range.
===Muslim, Central Asian and Persian impacts as defining influences===
Several sources consider sizable Muslim populations and deep-seated Islamic, Central Asian and Persian influences to be defining characteristics of North Indian culture, both linguistically and culturally. Some of these influences are pre-Islamic, such as the [[Bactria]]n-originated [[Kushan Empire]] that maintained twin capitals in [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]] (now in Uttar Pradesh) and [[Peshawar]] (in the [[North West Frontier Province]]), as well as the [[Huna (people)|Hun]] confederacies that periodically asserted their rule over large parts of North India.
===Latitude-based definition===
The [[Tropic of Cancer]], which divides the [[temperate zone]] from the [[tropical zone]] in the [[Northern Hemisphere]] of the planet, runs through India, and could theoretically be regarded as a geographical dividing line in the country.
===Anecdotal usage===
The term "North Indian" is sometimes used to describe people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, often using the term ''bhaiya'' (which literally means 'elder brother') in a derogatory sense, though some press reports have contradicted this.[[http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/showcolumns.aspx?id=COLEN20080042337 A clash of cultures], ''NDTV'', 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-10-22. ''"... no one in North India, and here I am talking of the states of Punjab, Himachal, Uttrakhand, Haryana and Rajasthan, considers people from eastern UP and Bihar as North Indians ..."''] In Punjab, people from the same region (Uttar Pradesh and Bihar) are often referred to as ''Purabias'', or Easterners. Some publications of the [[Government of Bihar]] place that state in the eastern part of India as well.[{{cite web|url=http://gov.bih.nic.in/Profile/default.htm |title=Government of Bihar Official Web Portal |publisher=Government of Bihar |date= |accessdate=2008-10-18}}] Within Uttar Pradesh itself, "the cultural divide between the east and the west is considerable, with the ''purabiyas'' (easterners) often being clubbed with Biharis in the perception of the westerners." Punjab is sometimes considered a north-western state, as are [[Gujarat]] and the western parts of Uttar Pradesh.[[http://punjabgovt.nic.in/PUNJABATAGLANCE/SomeFacts.htm Some facts about Punjab]]
==Geography==
[[File:India-view of shilla.jpg|left|thumb|210px|Shilla (7026 m) above the [[Spiti Valley]] in Himachal Pradesh]]
[[File:NorthIndiaClimateKoppen.png|right|thumb|210px|North India has extremely diverse climates.]]
North India lies mainly on continental India, north of peninsular India. Towards its North are the Himalayas which define the boundary between the [[Indian subcontinent]] and the [[Tibetan plateau]]. To its west is the [[Thar Desert|Thar]] desert, shared between North India and [[Pakistan]] and the [[Aravalli Range]], beyond which lies the state of [[Gujarat]]. The [[Vindhya]] mountains are, in some interpretations, taken to be the southern boundary of North India.
The predominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic plain which spans the states of [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]], [[Haryana]], Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and [[West Bengal]], the Himalayas which lie in the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and the Thar desert which lies mainly in the state of Rajasthan. The state of Madhya Pradesh has large areas under forest cover, as do Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chattisgarh.
===General climate===
[[File:Désert-du-Thar.jpg|right|thumb|210px|The [[Thar desert]] near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan]]
North India lies mainly in the north [[Temperate zone]] of the [[earth]]. Though cool or cold winters, hot summers and moderate monsoons are the general pattern, North India is one of the most climatically diverse regions on Earth{{Or|date=February 2011}}. Extreme temperatures have ranged from {{convert|-45|°C|°F|0}} in [[Dras]], Jammu and Kashmir[[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=24534&refer=&units=metric Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Dras, India]] to 50.6 °C (123 °F) in [[Alwar]], Rajasthan. [[Dras]] is claimed to be the second coldest inhabited place on the planet (after [[Siberia]]), with a recorded low of -60°C.
===Precipitation===
The region receives rain and snow precipitation through two primary weather patterns: the Indian [[Monsoon]] and the [[Western Disturbance]]s. The Monsoon carries moisture northwards from the [[Indian Ocean]], occurs in late summer and is important to the [[Kharif crop|Kharif or autumn harvest]]. Western Disturbances, on the other hand, are an extratropical weather phenomenon that carry moisture eastwards from the [[Mediterranean Sea]], the [[Caspian Sea]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. They primarily occur during the winter season and are critically important for the [[Rabi crop|Rabi or spring harvest]], which includes the main staple over much of North India, [[wheat]]. The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand receive sustained snowfall in winter months.
==Demographics==
[[File:Scythia-Parthia 100 BC.png|right|thumb|250px|During the [[Scythian]] migrations around 100BC, a large part of North India was incorporated into the Scythian world.]]
The people of North India are predominantly [[Indo-Aryan peoples|Indo-Aryan]], and include various [[ethnicity|ethnic groups]] such as [[Brahmins]], [[Ahirs]], [[Jat people|Jats]], [[Rajput]]s, [[Gurjar]]s, [[Khatri]]s, [[Kamboj]]s, [[Vanika|Banias]] and [[Dalit]]s. Over millennia, the region has experienced sustained incursions and immigration from the northwest, including the [[Scythians|Indo-Scythians]], [[Indo-Sassanid]]s, [[Indo-Hephthalites]], [[Kushans]] and [[Rohilla|Rohilla Pashtuns]].
[[Hinduism]], [[Islam]] and [[Sikhism]] are the dominant religions in North India. Other religions practiced by various ethnic communities include Jainism and Buddhism. The states of [[Uttarakhand]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Haryana]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Chhattisgarh]] and Himachal Pradesh are overwhelmingly Hindu.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} [[Jammu and Kashmir]] is the only state in India with a majority Muslim population,{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} while Punjab is the only state with a majority Sikh population. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand are predominantly Hindu with other minorities.
===Dance===
Dance of North India too has diverse ''folk'' and ''classical'' forms. Among the well-known [[Indian folk dance|folk dances]] are the ''[[bhangra]]'' of the [[Punjab region|Punjab]], the ''[[ghoomar]]'' of Rajasthan, and ''rouf'' and ''[[bhand pather]]'' of Kashmir. Main dance forms, many with narrative forms and [[Hindu mythology|mythological]] elements, have been accorded [[Indian classical dance|classical dance status]] by India's ''[[Sangeet Natak Academi|National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama]]'' such as [[kathak]]'' of [[Uttar Pradesh]].
==Languages==
{{See|Languages of India|List of Indo-Aryan languages|Dravidian languages}}
[[File:Indoarische Sprachen.png|right|thumb|250px|Distribution of [[Indo-Aryan languages]].]]
Linguistically, North India is dominated by Indo-Aryan languages, although subregions of [[Dravidian languages|Northern Dravidian languages]] (such as Bihar's [[Kurukh language]]), [[Tibeto-Burman languages]] (such as Himachal's [[Lahauli language]]) and [[Austro-Asiatic|Austro-Asiatic languages]] (such as [[Munda languages|Munda]]) exist throughout the region. It is in this region, or its proximity, that [[Sanskrit]] and the various [[Prakrit]]s are thought to have evolved. Indo-Aryan languages native to North India include the [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] [[lingua franca]] (including both its [[Hindi]] and Urdu [[Register (sociolinguistics)|registers]]), a wide range of [[Western Hindi|western]] and [[eastern Hindi]] dialects, [[Bihari language]]s ([[Bhojpuri]], [[Magadhi]], [[Maithili language|Maithili]] and [[Angika]]), [[Pahari languages|Pahari]], [[Kumaoni language|Kumaoni]], [[Garhwali]], Punjabi, [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], and other languages. The subregion where [[Hindi languages]] are widely spoken (as either primary or secondary languages) is sometimes called the [[Hindi Heartland]] or the Hindi Belt, and is loosely defined.
Small speaker populations of two [[language isolates]] ([[Nihali language|Nihali]] and [[Burushaski]]), which are not known to be rooted in any other language families, also exist in North India.
==Flora and fauna==
[[File:Chinkara.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Chinkara]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]], India]]
{{See|Wildlife of India}}
North Indian vegetation is predominantly deciduous and coniferous. Of the deciduous trees, [[Shorea robusta|sal]], [[teak]], [[walnut]], [[Sheesham delbergia|sheesham]] (Indian rosewood) and [[poplar]] are some which are important commercially. The Western Himalayan region abounds in [[Chir Pine|chir]], [[pine]], [[deodar]] (Himalayan cedar), [[blue pine]], [[spruce]], various [[fir]]s, [[birch]] and [[juniper]]s. The birch, especially, has historical significance in Indian culture due to the extensive use of birch paper ({{lang-sa|bhurja patra}}) as parchment for many ancient Indian texts. The Eastern Himalayan region consists of [[oak]]s, [[laurels]], [[maple]]s, [[rhododendron]]s, [[alder]], birch and [[dwarf willow]]s. Reflecting the diverse climatic zones and terrain contained in the region, the floral variety is extensive and ranges from Alpine to temperate thorn, coniferous to evergreen, and thick tropical jungles to cool temperate woods.
There are around 500 varieties of mammals, 2000 species of birds, 30,000 types of insects and a wide variety of fish, amphibians and reptiles in the country. Animal species in North India include [[Elephant]], [[Tiger]], [[Leopard]], [[Snow Leopard]], [[Sambar (deer)|Sambar (Asiatic stag)]], [[Chital|Chital (Spotted deer)]], [[Kashmir stag|Hangul (Red deer)]], [[Hog Deer]], [[Chinkara|Chinkara (Indian Gazelle)]], [[Blackbuck]], [[Nilgai|Nilgai (blue bull antelope)]], [[Porcupine]], [[Wild Boar]], [[Indian Fox]], [[Tibetan Sand Fox]], [[Rhesus Monkey]], [[Langur]], [[Jungle Cat]], [[Hyena]], [[Jackal]], [[Himalayan Bear|Black Bear]], [[Himalayan Brown Bear]], [[Sloth Bear]], and the endangered [[Caracal]].
Reptiles are represented by a large number of [[snake]] and [[lizard]] species, as well as the [[ghariyal]] and [[crocodile]]s.[[http://www.north-india.in/fauna.htm North India Online - India - Flora and Fauna - Animals - Trees - Birds - Mammals - Insects]] Venomous snakes found in the region include [[king cobra]] and [[krait]]. Various [[scorpion]], [[spider]] and [[insect]] species include the commercially useful [[honeybee]]s, [[silkworm]]s and [[lac]] insects. The strikingly colored [[Trombidiidae|bir bahuti]] is also found in this region.
The region has a wide variety of birds, including [[peacock]]s, [[parrot]]s, and thousands of immigrant birds, such as the [[Siberian Crane]]. Other birds include [[pheasant]]s, [[goose|geese]], [[duck]]s, [[mynah]]s, [[parakeet]]s, [[pigeon]]s, [[crane (bird)|crane]]s (including the celebrated [[Sarus Crane]]), and [[hornbill]]s. [[Great Hornbill|Great pied hornbill]], [[Pallas's fish-eagle|Pallas's fishing eagle]], [[Grey-headed Fish Eagle|Grey-headed fishing eagle]], Red-thighed [[Microhierax|falconet]] are found in the Himalayan areas. Other birds found here are [[Tawny Fish-owl|Tawny fish owl]], [[Scaly-bellied Woodpecker]], [[Red-breasted Parakeet]], [[Himalayan Swiftlet]], [[Stork-billed Kingfisher]] and [[White-tailed Rubythroat|Himalayan or White-tailed Rubythroat]].[[http://www.indianmirror.com/geography/geography.html INDIAN GEOGRAPHY - indian rivers, indian flora & fauna wildlife, national symbols in india]]
===Wildlife parks and reserves===
Important National Parks and Tiger reserves of North India include -
[[File:Corbett View.jpg|thumb|200px|Jim Corbett National Park]]
[[Corbett National Park]]: It was established in 1936 along the banks of the Ramganga River. It is India's first National Park, and was designated a Project Tiger Reserve in the year 1973. Situated in [[Nainital]] district of Uttarakhand the park acts as a protected area for the critically endangered Bengal tiger of India. Cradled in the foothills of the Himalayas, it comprises a total area of 500 km² out of which 350 km² is core reserve. This park is known not only for its rich and varied wildlife but also for its scenic beauty.
[[Dachigam National Park]]: Dachigam is a higher altitude national reserve in the state of Jammu and Kashmir that ranges from 5,500 to 14,000 feet above sea level. It is home to the [[Kashmir stag|Hangul]] (a [[Red Deer]] species, also called the Kashmir Stag).
[[Great Himalayan National Park]]: This park is located in Himachal Pradesh state and ranges in altitude from 5,000 to 17,500 feet. Wildlife resident here includes the [[Snow Leopard]], the [[Himalayan Brown Bear]] and the [[Musk deer]].
[[Desert National Park]]: Located in Rajasthan, this national reserve features extensive sand dunes and dry salt lakes. Wildlife unique to the region includes the Desert Fox and the [[Great Indian Bustard]].
[[Kanha National Park]]: The sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha were the setting for [[Rudyard Kipling]]'s collection of stories, "[[The Jungle Book]]". The Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh came into being in 1955 and forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve, created in 1974 under Project Tiger.
[[Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary]]: Located in the state of Bihar, it is the only protected zone for the endangered [[Ganges and Indus River dolphin]].
[[Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary]]: It is one of the finest bird parks in the world, it is a reserve that offers protection to faunal species as well. Nesting indigenous water birds as well as migratory water birds and waterside birds, this sanctuary is also inhabited by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.
[[Dudhwa National Park]]: It covers an area of 500 km² along the Indo-Nepal border in [[Lakhimpur Kheri District|Lakhimpur Kheri district]] of Uttar Pradesh, is best known for the [[Barasingha]] or Swamp Deer. The grasslands and woodlands of this park, consist mainly of sal forests. The barasingha is found in the southwest and southeast regions of the park. Among the big cats, tigers abound at Dudhwa. There are also a few leopards. The other animals found in large numbers, are the [[Indian rhinoceros]] and the wild elephant, jungle cats, leopard cats, fishing cats, jackals, [[civet]]s, [[Sloth Bear|sloth bears]], sambar, [[otter]]s, crocodiles and [[chital]].
[[Ranthambhore National Park]]: It spans an area of 400 km² with an estimated head count of thirty two tigers is perhaps India’s finest example of [[Project Tiger]], a conservation effort started by the government in an attempt to save the dwindling number of tigers in India. Situated near the small town of [[Sawai Madhopur]] it boasts of variety of plant and animal species of North India.
[[Kalesar National Park]]: Kalesar is a [[Sal tree|sal]] forest in the [[Shivalik Hills]] of eastern Haryana state. Primarily known for birds, it also contains a small number of tigers and panthers.
==Places of interest==
The largest Hindu temple in India, [[Akshardham (Delhi)|Akshardham Temple]], and the largest mosque, [[Jama Masjid, Delhi|Jama Masjid]], are both located in this region.[[http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Largest-Hindu-temple/blog/467129/7691.html Largest Hindu Temple: Guinness World Records]][[http://www.asiaexplorers.com/india/jama_masjid.htm Masjid-i-Jahan Numa]]
The Taj Mahal,An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.
{{infobox
| bodyclass = geography
| above = Northern India
उत्तर भारत اُتر بھارت
शुमाली हिन्दुस्तान شُمالی ھندوستان
| image = [[File:North India Zonal Map 1.png|235px|border]]
| caption = States in the North and North Central Zones of India, as defined by the Indian Government.
| label1 = [[Population]]
| data1 = 504,196,432
| label2 = [[Geography of India|Area]]
| data2 = {{convert|1,624,160|km2|abbr=on}}
| label3 = [[Time zone]]
| data3 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] ([[UTC+5:30]])
| label4 = [[States and territories of India|States and territories]]
| data4 = [[Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Uttarakhand]], [[Haryana]], [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Bihar]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Chhattisgarh]] and [[Madhya Pradesh]]
| label5 = Most populous cities (2008)
| data5 = [[New Delhi]], [[Kanpur]], [[Lucknow]], [[Jaipur]], [[Patna]], [[Chandigarh]], & [[Varanasi]]
| label6 = [[Official languages of India|Official languages]]
| data6 = [[English language|English]], [[Hindi]], [[Urdu]], [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], [[Dogri language|Dogri]], [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]], [[Maithili language|Maithili]], [[Santali language|Santhali]]
}}
'''North India''', known natively as '''Uttar Bhārat''' ([[Devanagari]]: उत्तर भारत, [[Nastaleeq]]: اُتر بھارت) or '''Shumālī Hindustān''' ([[Devanagari]]: शुमाली हिन्दुस्तान, [[Nastaleeq]]: شُمالی ھندوستان), is a loosely defined region in the northern part of [[India]]. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage. The dominant geographical features of North India are the [[Indo-Gangetic Plain]] and the [[Himalayas]], which demarcate the region from [[Tibet]] and [[Central Asia]]. North India has been the historical center of the [[Maurya]], [[Gupta]], [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]], [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]], [[Sikh Empire|Sikh]] and [[British Indian Empire|British Indian]] Empires. It has a diverse culture, and includes the [[Hindu]] pilgrimage centers of [[Chota Char Dham|Char Dham]], [[Haridwar]], [[Mathura]], [[Allahabad]] and [[Varanasi]], the [[Buddhist]] [[Mahabodhi Temple]], the [[Sikh]] [[Golden Temple]] and the [[Islam|Muslim]] pilgrimage destination of [[Ajmer]], as well as world heritage sites such as the [[Valley of flowers]], [[Khajuraho]], [[Bhimbetka|Bhimbetka Caves]], [[Qutb Minar]] and the [[Taj Mahal]].
===Government of India definition===
The [[Government of India]] defines the [[North India Cultural Zone]] as including the states of [[Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Haryana]] and [[Rajasthan]], as well as the [[Union Territory]] of [[Chandigarh]].[{{cite web|url=http://www.culturenorthindia.com/ |title=North Zone Cultural Centre |publisher=North Zone Cultural Center, Sheesh Mahal, Patiala, Punjab |date= |accessdate=2008-10-16}}] There is an overlapping neighboring region, called the North Central India Cultural Zone, including the states of [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Chhattisgarh]], Rajasthan, Haryana, [[Bihar]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Uttarakhand]] and [[Delhi]], that is also defined by the Indian Government. The states of Bihar and Jharkhand are also included in the East India Cultural Zone.[{{cite web|url=http://ezccindia.org/aboutus.html/index1.html |title=East Zone Cultural Centre |publisher=East Zone Cultural Center, Kolkata, West Bengal |date= |accessdate=2008-10-18}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}}] Similarly, Rajasthan is also included in the West India Cultual Zone,[{{cite web|url=http://www.wzccindia.com/ |title=West Zone Cultural Centre |publisher=West Zone Cultural Center, Udaipur, Rajasthan |date= |accessdate=2008-10-18}}] and the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are also included in the South Central India Cultural Zone.
===Linguistic definition===
[[Indo-Aryan languages]] predominate in North India. This includes the [[Hindi Heartland]], where Hindi and related languages predominate. Prior to the [[Partition of India]], this also included the [[Pakistan]]i provinces of [[Sindh]] and Punjab, and the eastern portion of the [[North West Frontier Province]] up to [[Peshawar]] valley where [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] dialects and [[Hindko language|Hindko]] are spoken. This effectively excludes several of the seven [[North-East India|North-East states]] (except for [[Assam]] and [[Sikkim]]).
[[File:VasudevaCoin.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Vasudeva I]] (c. 200CE) was the last great [[Kushan]] king of North India and [[Bactria]]. One side of this coin shows him, and the other the [[Nandi (bull)|Nandi bull]] with a [[Trishula|trishul]]-holding divinity that combines aspects of the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] God [[Shiva]] and the [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] divinity [[Vayu-Vata]]. After him, the [[Indo-Sassanid]]s displaced Kushan rule in North India.]]
==="North of the Vindhyas"===
One traditional, and now obsolete, demarcation between Northern and Southern India is the [[Vindhya]] mountain range, which has sometimes formed a border during periods of imperial expansion in India, such as the one ruled by the [[Gupta empire|Gupta]] emperor [[Samudragupta]]. The Vindhyas also find mention in the narrative of [[Rishi]] [[Agastya]] as a dividing feature between North and South India. The [[Manusmṛti]] also describes the southern limit of [[Aryavarta]] (a classical, and also now obsolete, term for parts of North India) as being defined by the Vindhya range.
===Muslim, Central Asian and Persian impacts as defining influences===
Several sources consider sizable Muslim populations and deep-seated Islamic, Central Asian and Persian influences to be defining characteristics of North Indian culture, both linguistically and culturally. Some of these influences are pre-Islamic, such as the [[Bactria]]n-originated [[Kushan Empire]] that maintained twin capitals in [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]] (now in Uttar Pradesh) and [[Peshawar]] (in the [[North West Frontier Province]]), as well as the [[Huna (people)|Hun]] confederacies that periodically asserted their rule over large parts of North India.
===Latitude-based definition===
The [[Tropic of Cancer]], which divides the [[temperate zone]] from the [[tropical zone]] in the [[Northern Hemisphere]] of the planet, runs through India, and could theoretically be regarded as a geographical dividing line in the country.
===Anecdotal usage===
The term "North Indian" is sometimes used to describe people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, often using the term ''bhaiya'' (which literally means 'elder brother') in a derogatory sense, though some press reports have contradicted this.[[http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/showcolumns.aspx?id=COLEN20080042337 A clash of cultures], ''NDTV'', 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-10-22. ''"... no one in North India, and here I am talking of the states of Punjab, Himachal, Uttrakhand, Haryana and Rajasthan, considers people from eastern UP and Bihar as North Indians ..."''] In Punjab, people from the same region (Uttar Pradesh and Bihar) are often referred to as ''Purabias'', or Easterners. Some publications of the [[Government of Bihar]] place that state in the eastern part of India as well.[{{cite web|url=http://gov.bih.nic.in/Profile/default.htm |title=Government of Bihar Official Web Portal |publisher=Government of Bihar |date= |accessdate=2008-10-18}}] Within Uttar Pradesh itself, "the cultural divide between the east and the west is considerable, with the ''purabiyas'' (easterners) often being clubbed with Biharis in the perception of the westerners." Punjab is sometimes considered a north-western state, as are [[Gujarat]] and the western parts of Uttar Pradesh.[[http://punjabgovt.nic.in/PUNJABATAGLANCE/SomeFacts.htm Some facts about Punjab]]
==Geography==
[[File:India-view of shilla.jpg|left|thumb|210px|Shilla (7026 m) above the [[Spiti Valley]] in Himachal Pradesh]]
[[File:NorthIndiaClimateKoppen.png|right|thumb|210px|North India has extremely diverse climates.]]
North India lies mainly on continental India, north of peninsular India. Towards its North are the Himalayas which define the boundary between the [[Indian subcontinent]] and the [[Tibetan plateau]]. To its west is the [[Thar Desert|Thar]] desert, shared between North India and [[Pakistan]] and the [[Aravalli Range]], beyond which lies the state of [[Gujarat]]. The [[Vindhya]] mountains are, in some interpretations, taken to be the southern boundary of North India.
The predominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic plain which spans the states of [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]], [[Haryana]], Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and [[West Bengal]], the Himalayas which lie in the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and the Thar desert which lies mainly in the state of Rajasthan. The state of Madhya Pradesh has large areas under forest cover, as do Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chattisgarh.
===General climate===
[[File:Désert-du-Thar.jpg|right|thumb|210px|The [[Thar desert]] near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan]]
North India lies mainly in the north [[Temperate zone]] of the [[earth]]. Though cool or cold winters, hot summers and moderate monsoons are the general pattern, North India is one of the most climatically diverse regions on Earth{{Or|date=February 2011}}. Extreme temperatures have ranged from {{convert|-45|°C|°F|0}} in [[Dras]], Jammu and Kashmir[[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=24534&refer=&units=metric Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Dras, India]] to 50.6 °C (123 °F) in [[Alwar]], Rajasthan. [[Dras]] is claimed to be the second coldest inhabited place on the planet (after [[Siberia]]), with a recorded low of -60°C.
===Precipitation===
The region receives rain and snow precipitation through two primary weather patterns: the Indian [[Monsoon]] and the [[Western Disturbance]]s. The Monsoon carries moisture northwards from the [[Indian Ocean]], occurs in late summer and is important to the [[Kharif crop|Kharif or autumn harvest]]. Western Disturbances, on the other hand, are an extratropical weather phenomenon that carry moisture eastwards from the [[Mediterranean Sea]], the [[Caspian Sea]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. They primarily occur during the winter season and are critically important for the [[Rabi crop|Rabi or spring harvest]], which includes the main staple over much of North India, [[wheat]]. The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand receive sustained snowfall in winter months.
==Demographics==
[[File:Scythia-Parthia 100 BC.png|right|thumb|250px|During the [[Scythian]] migrations around 100BC, a large part of North India was incorporated into the Scythian world.]]
The people of North India are predominantly [[Indo-Aryan peoples|Indo-Aryan]], and include various [[ethnicity|ethnic groups]] such as [[Brahmins]], [[Ahirs]], [[Jat people|Jats]], [[Rajput]]s, [[Gurjar]]s, [[Khatri]]s, [[Kamboj]]s, [[Vanika|Banias]] and [[Dalit]]s. Over millennia, the region has experienced sustained incursions and immigration from the northwest, including the [[Scythians|Indo-Scythians]], [[Indo-Sassanid]]s, [[Indo-Hephthalites]], [[Kushans]] and [[Rohilla|Rohilla Pashtuns]].
[[Hinduism]], [[Islam]] and [[Sikhism]] are the dominant religions in North India. Other religions practiced by various ethnic communities include Jainism and Buddhism. The states of [[Uttarakhand]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Haryana]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Chhattisgarh]] and Himachal Pradesh are overwhelmingly Hindu.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} [[Jammu and Kashmir]] is the only state in India with a majority Muslim population,{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} while Punjab is the only state with a majority Sikh population. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand are predominantly Hindu with other minorities.
===Dance===
Dance of North India too has diverse ''folk'' and ''classical'' forms. Among the well-known [[Indian folk dance|folk dances]] are the ''[[bhangra]]'' of the [[Punjab region|Punjab]], the ''[[ghoomar]]'' of Rajasthan, and ''rouf'' and ''[[bhand pather]]'' of Kashmir. Main dance forms, many with narrative forms and [[Hindu mythology|mythological]] elements, have been accorded [[Indian classical dance|classical dance status]] by India's ''[[Sangeet Natak Academi|National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama]]'' such as [[kathak]]'' of [[Uttar Pradesh]].
==Languages==
{{See|Languages of India|List of Indo-Aryan languages|Dravidian languages}}
[[File:Indoarische Sprachen.png|right|thumb|250px|Distribution of [[Indo-Aryan languages]].]]
Linguistically, North India is dominated by Indo-Aryan languages, although subregions of [[Dravidian languages|Northern Dravidian languages]] (such as Bihar's [[Kurukh language]]), [[Tibeto-Burman languages]] (such as Himachal's [[Lahauli language]]) and [[Austro-Asiatic|Austro-Asiatic languages]] (such as [[Munda languages|Munda]]) exist throughout the region. It is in this region, or its proximity, that [[Sanskrit]] and the various [[Prakrit]]s are thought to have evolved. Indo-Aryan languages native to North India include the [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] [[lingua franca]] (including both its [[Hindi]] and Urdu [[Register (sociolinguistics)|registers]]), a wide range of [[Western Hindi|western]] and [[eastern Hindi]] dialects, [[Bihari language]]s ([[Bhojpuri]], [[Magadhi]], [[Maithili language|Maithili]] and [[Angika]]), [[Pahari languages|Pahari]], [[Kumaoni language|Kumaoni]], [[Garhwali]], Punjabi, [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], and other languages. The subregion where [[Hindi languages]] are widely spoken (as either primary or secondary languages) is sometimes called the [[Hindi Heartland]] or the Hindi Belt, and is loosely defined.
Small speaker populations of two [[language isolates]] ([[Nihali language|Nihali]] and [[Burushaski]]), which are not known to be rooted in any other language families, also exist in North India.
==Flora and fauna==
[[File:Chinkara.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Chinkara]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]], India]]
{{See|Wildlife of India}}
North Indian vegetation is predominantly deciduous and coniferous. Of the deciduous trees, [[Shorea robusta|sal]], [[teak]], [[walnut]], [[Sheesham delbergia|sheesham]] (Indian rosewood) and [[poplar]] are some which are important commercially. The Western Himalayan region abounds in [[Chir Pine|chir]], [[pine]], [[deodar]] (Himalayan cedar), [[blue pine]], [[spruce]], various [[fir]]s, [[birch]] and [[juniper]]s. The birch, especially, has historical significance in Indian culture due to the extensive use of birch paper ({{lang-sa|bhurja patra}}) as parchment for many ancient Indian texts. The Eastern Himalayan region consists of [[oak]]s, [[laurels]], [[maple]]s, [[rhododendron]]s, [[alder]], birch and [[dwarf willow]]s. Reflecting the diverse climatic zones and terrain contained in the region, the floral variety is extensive and ranges from Alpine to temperate thorn, coniferous to evergreen, and thick tropical jungles to cool temperate woods.
There are around 500 varieties of mammals, 2000 species of birds, 30,000 types of insects and a wide variety of fish, amphibians and reptiles in the country. Animal species in North India include [[Elephant]], [[Tiger]], [[Leopard]], [[Snow Leopard]], [[Sambar (deer)|Sambar (Asiatic stag)]], [[Chital|Chital (Spotted deer)]], [[Kashmir stag|Hangul (Red deer)]], [[Hog Deer]], [[Chinkara|Chinkara (Indian Gazelle)]], [[Blackbuck]], [[Nilgai|Nilgai (blue bull antelope)]], [[Porcupine]], [[Wild Boar]], [[Indian Fox]], [[Tibetan Sand Fox]], [[Rhesus Monkey]], [[Langur]], [[Jungle Cat]], [[Hyena]], [[Jackal]], [[Himalayan Bear|Black Bear]], [[Himalayan Brown Bear]], [[Sloth Bear]], and the endangered [[Caracal]].
Reptiles are represented by a large number of [[snake]] and [[lizard]] species, as well as the [[ghariyal]] and [[crocodile]]s.[[http://www.north-india.in/fauna.htm North India Online - India - Flora and Fauna - Animals - Trees - Birds - Mammals - Insects]] Venomous snakes found in the region include [[king cobra]] and [[krait]]. Various [[scorpion]], [[spider]] and [[insect]] species include the commercially useful [[honeybee]]s, [[silkworm]]s and [[lac]] insects. The strikingly colored [[Trombidiidae|bir bahuti]] is also found in this region.
The region has a wide variety of birds, including [[peacock]]s, [[parrot]]s, and thousands of immigrant birds, such as the [[Siberian Crane]]. Other birds include [[pheasant]]s, [[goose|geese]], [[duck]]s, [[mynah]]s, [[parakeet]]s, [[pigeon]]s, [[crane (bird)|crane]]s (including the celebrated [[Sarus Crane]]), and [[hornbill]]s. [[Great Hornbill|Great pied hornbill]], [[Pallas's fish-eagle|Pallas's fishing eagle]], [[Grey-headed Fish Eagle|Grey-headed fishing eagle]], Red-thighed [[Microhierax|falconet]] are found in the Himalayan areas. Other birds found here are [[Tawny Fish-owl|Tawny fish owl]], [[Scaly-bellied Woodpecker]], [[Red-breasted Parakeet]], [[Himalayan Swiftlet]], [[Stork-billed Kingfisher]] and [[White-tailed Rubythroat|Himalayan or White-tailed Rubythroat]].[[http://www.indianmirror.com/geography/geography.html INDIAN GEOGRAPHY - indian rivers, indian flora & fauna wildlife, national symbols in india]]
===Wildlife parks and reserves===
Important National Parks and Tiger reserves of North India include -
[[File:Corbett View.jpg|thumb|200px|Jim Corbett National Park]]
[[Corbett National Park]]: It was established in 1936 along the banks of the Ramganga River. It is India's first National Park, and was designated a Project Tiger Reserve in the year 1973. Situated in [[Nainital]] district of Uttarakhand the park acts as a protected area for the critically endangered Bengal tiger of India. Cradled in the foothills of the Himalayas, it comprises a total area of 500 km² out of which 350 km² is core reserve. This park is known not only for its rich and varied wildlife but also for its scenic beauty.
[[Dachigam National Park]]: Dachigam is a higher altitude national reserve in the state of Jammu and Kashmir that ranges from 5,500 to 14,000 feet above sea level. It is home to the [[Kashmir stag|Hangul]] (a [[Red Deer]] species, also called the Kashmir Stag).
[[Great Himalayan National Park]]: This park is located in Himachal Pradesh state and ranges in altitude from 5,000 to 17,500 feet. Wildlife resident here includes the [[Snow Leopard]], the [[Himalayan Brown Bear]] and the [[Musk deer]].
[[Desert National Park]]: Located in Rajasthan, this national reserve features extensive sand dunes and dry salt lakes. Wildlife unique to the region includes the Desert Fox and the [[Great Indian Bustard]].
[[Kanha National Park]]: The sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha were the setting for [[Rudyard Kipling]]'s collection of stories, "[[The Jungle Book]]". The Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh came into being in 1955 and forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve, created in 1974 under Project Tiger.
[[Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary]]: Located in the state of Bihar, it is the only protected zone for the endangered [[Ganges and Indus River dolphin]].
[[Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary]]: It is one of the finest bird parks in the world, it is a reserve that offers protection to faunal species as well. Nesting indigenous water birds as well as migratory water birds and waterside birds, this sanctuary is also inhabited by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.
[[Dudhwa National Park]]: It covers an area of 500 km² along the Indo-Nepal border in [[Lakhimpur Kheri District|Lakhimpur Kheri district]] of Uttar Pradesh, is best known for the [[Barasingha]] or Swamp Deer. The grasslands and woodlands of this park, consist mainly of sal forests. The barasingha is found in the southwest and southeast regions of the park. Among the big cats, tigers abound at Dudhwa. There are also a few leopards. The other animals found in large numbers, are the [[Indian rhinoceros]] and the wild elephant, jungle cats, leopard cats, fishing cats, jackals, [[civet]]s, [[Sloth Bear|sloth bears]], sambar, [[otter]]s, crocodiles and [[chital]].
[[Ranthambhore National Park]]: It spans an area of 400 km² with an estimated head count of thirty two tigers is perhaps India’s finest example of [[Project Tiger]], a conservation effort started by the government in an attempt to save the dwindling number of tigers in India. Situated near the small town of [[Sawai Madhopur]] it boasts of variety of plant and animal species of North India.
[[Kalesar National Park]]: Kalesar is a [[Sal tree|sal]] forest in the [[Shivalik Hills]] of eastern Haryana state. Primarily known for birds, it also contains a small number of tigers and panthers.
==Places of interest==
The largest Hindu temple in India, [[Akshardham (Delhi)|Akshardham Temple]], and the largest mosque, [[Jama Masjid, Delhi|Jama Masjid]], are both located in this region.[[http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Largest-Hindu-temple/blog/467129/7691.html Largest Hindu Temple: Guinness World Records]][[http://www.asiaexplorers.com/india/jama_masjid.htm Masjid-i-Jahan Numa]]
The Taj Mahal,An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.[[http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/252].
==Political parties from North India==
If Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states are considered to be in North India, the region plays an important role in the formation of the central government in India due to the large number of seats associated with the region in the [[Lok Sabha|lower house of parliament]]. The major political parties are [[Indian National Congress]], [[Bharatiya Janata Party]], [[Janata Dal]], [[Bahujan Samaj Party]], [[Samajwadi Party]], [[Indian National Lokdal]] and the [[Shiromani Akali Dal]]. The Nehru-Gandhi family which has governed India for last few decades after Independence from British rule hails from [[Allahabad]], [[Uttar Pradesh]]. Many Indian Prime Ministers have been North Indians including the first Indian Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], [[Lal Bahadur Shastri]], [[Gulzarilal Nanda]], [[Indira Gandhi]], [[Rajiv Gandhi]], [[V P Singh]], [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]], [[Chandra Shekhar]], [[I K Gujral]] and [[Dr Manmohan Singh]].
==Universities in North India==
North India has several universities and centres of excellence such as the [[University of Kashmir]], [[University of Jammu]], [[Haryana Agricultural University]], [[Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology]], [[Agra University]], [[Aligarh Muslim University]], [[University of Rajasthan]], [[All India Institute of Medical Sciences]], [[Allahabad University]], [[Benaras Hindu University]], [[Birla Institute of Technology and Science]], [[Delhi University]], [[Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology]], [[Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya|Gurukul Kangri University]], [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]], [[Kanpur University]], [[Noida International University]], University of Lucknow, Kurukshetra University, [[Panjab University]] and many more. The world renowned [[Indian Institute of Technology]] and [[Indian Institute of Management]], have campuses in several cities of North India such as [[Delhi]], [[Kanpur]], [[Varanasi]] [[Lucknow]], [[Indore]], and [[Ahmedabad]]. One of the first great universities in recorded history, the [[Nalanda University]], is located in the state of [[Bihar]]. There has been various [[Nalanda#Plans for revival|plans for revival]] of this ancient university, including an effort by a multinational consortium led by Singapore, China, India and Japan.
==Economy==
{{See|Economy of India}}
Once predominantly agrarian, the economic landscape is changing fast with rapid economic growth that has ranged above 8% annually. Several parts of North India have prospered as a consequence of the [[Green Revolution in India|Green Revolution]], including Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, and experienced both economic and social development. The eastern areas of East Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, however, have lagged and the resulting disparity has, in the case of Uttar Pradesh, contributed to a demand for separate statehood in West Uttar Pradesh (the [[Harit Pradesh]] movement).][{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070219/nation.htm#1 |title=RLD, BSP gear up as Mulayam exit looms |publisher=The Tribune, Chandigarh |date= 2007-02-19|accessdate=2008-10-18}}] Bihar has the lowest per-capita SDP.
The highest per capita income states in North India include Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and [[Uttarakhand]] and union territories of Delhi and [[Chandigarh]]. Reflecting the prosperity of the western part of North India, Chandigarh has the highest per-capita State Domestic Product (SDP) of any Indian state or union territory, while Delhi, Punjab and Haryana rank second, third and fourth (after [[Goa]]) among the states (''see main article: [[States of India by size of economy]]'').
==See also==
* [[India]]
* [[North-East India]]
* [[West India]]
* [[Central India]]
* [[East India]]
* [[South India]]
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wiktionary|North India}}
*[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/419263/North-Indian-temple-architecture North Indian temple architecture]
*[http://www.geographia.com/india/ India]
*[http://www.northindiatours.org North India]
{{Geography of India}}
{{Coord missing|India}}