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North India

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North India



 
 
Northern India (Hindi
Hindi

Standard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a Standard language register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 official languages of India, and is used, along with English language, for administration of the central government....
: ????? ????, Uttar Bharat; Urdu
Urdu

Urdu is a Central_Indo-Aryan_languages#Central_Zone_.28Madhya_or_Hindi.29 Indo-Aryan languages of the Indo-Iranian languages, belonging to the Indo-European languages family of languages....
: ????? ????????, Shumali Hindustan) is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
.






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colspan="2" style="color:black; line-height:1.15em; background-color:; font-size:1.30em; text-align:center;" Northern India colspan="2" style="border-bottom:2px dotted #dcdcdc;"
States in the North and North Central Zones of India, as defined by the Indian Government.
style="border-top:2px dotted #dcdcdc;" bgcolor=#F4F4F4 width=100px Time zone
Time zone

A time zone is a region of the earth that has uniform standard time, usually referred to as the local time. By convention, time zones compute their local time as an offset from Coordinated Universal Time ....
 style="border-top:2px dotted #dcdcdc;" IST
Indian Standard Time

Indian Standard Time is the time zone observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a time offset of UTC+5:30. India does not observe daylight saving time, or other seasonal adjustments, although DST was used briefly during the Sino-Indian War and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971....
 (UTC+5:30
UTC+5:30

UTC+5:30 is used in:As standard time See also*Indian Standard Time*Sri Lanka Time...
) bgcolor=#F4F4F4 Area
Geography of India

The geography of India comprises most of the Indian subcontinent and is situated on the Indian Plate in the northerly portion of the Indo-Australian Plate....
1,624,160 kmē  style="border-top:2px dotted #dcdcdc;" bgcolor=#F4F4F4 width=100px States and territories
States and territories of India

India is a Federal_republic union of states comprising twenty-eight State s and seven Union Territory. The states and territories are further Subdivisions of India into districts and so on....
 style="border-top:2px dotted #dcdcdc;" Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost States and territories of India of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayas mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the People's Republic of China to the northeast, the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and Pakistani-administered territories of Kashmir, namely Azad Kashm...
, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a state in the Punjab region in north-west India. Himachal Pradesh is spread over 21,629 square mile , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on north, Punjab on west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on south, Uttarakhand on south-east and by Tibet on the east....
, Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand , is a States and territories of India located in the northern part of India. It was carved out of Himalayan and adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000, becoming the 27th States and territories of India of the Republic of India ....
, Haryana
Haryana

Haryana is a States and territories of India in the Punjab region of northern India. It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south....
, Punjab
Punjab (India)

Punjab is a States and territories of India in northwest India. The Indian state borders the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, Chandigarh to the southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest....
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan

Rajasthan is the largest States and territories of India of the Republic of India in terms of area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan....
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh , [often referred to as U.P.] is a States and territories of India located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 190 million people,...
, Bihar
Bihar

Bihar is a States and territories of India in East India. Bihar is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size 38,202 square mile and 3rd largest by population....
, Jharkhand
Jharkhand

Jharkhand is a States and territories of India in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar state on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east....
, Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh , a States and territories of India in central India, formed when the sixteen Chhattisgarhi-speaking southeastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained statehood on November 1, 2000....
 and Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a States and territories of India in central India. Its capital is Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh was originally the largest state in India until November 1, 2000 when the state of Chhattisgarh was carved out....
bgcolor=#f4f4f4 Most populous cities (2008) New Delhi
New Delhi

New Delhi is the capital city of India. With a total area of 42.7 km2, New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi and serves as the seat of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi ....
, Kanpur
Kanpur

Kanpur is the seventh most populous city in India and the most populous within the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and in terms of area, Kanpur is the fifth largest city in India .It is also known as the Manchester of Asia....
, Jaipur
Jaipur

Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan States and territories of India, India. Historically rendered as Jeypore, Jaipur is the former capital of the princely state of Jaipur State....
, Lucknow
Lucknow

Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous States and territories of India of India. It has a population of 4,875,858. Lucknow is also the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, Indore
Indore

Indore .The family retained its possessions of royalty, which included having an elephant, Nishan, Danka and Gadi even after the advent of Holkars and also retained the right of performing the first puja of Dushera before the Holkar rulers....
, Ludhiana
Ludhiana

Ludhiana is a city and a municipal corporation in Ludhiana district in the Indian States and territories of India of Punjab . It is the largest city in Punjab , with an estimated population of 1.4 million....
bgcolor=#f4f4f4 Official languagesHindi
Hindi

Standard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a Standard language register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 official languages of India, and is used, along with English language, for administration of the central government....
, Punjabi
Punjabi language

'Punjabi' , , is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region and their diasporas. Speakers include adherents of the religions of Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism....
, Kashmiri
Kashmiri language

Kashmiri belongs to the Dardic languages and is spoken primarily in the Kashmir Valley, in the indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It had about 5,554,496 speakers in India according to the Census of 2001....
, Dogri
Dogri language

Dogri is an Indo-Aryan languages language spoken by about two million people in India and Pakistan, chiefly in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, but also in northern Punjab region, Himachal Pradesh, other parts of Kashmir, and elsewhere....
, Urdu
Urdu

Urdu is a Central_Indo-Aryan_languages#Central_Zone_.28Madhya_or_Hindi.29 Indo-Aryan languages of the Indo-Iranian languages, belonging to the Indo-European languages family of languages....
, Maithili
Maithili language

Maithili is a language spoken in the eastern part of India, mainly in the Indian States and territories of India of Bihar and in the eastern Terai region of Nepal....
, Santhali
Santali language

Santali is a language in the Santali subfamily of Austroasiatic languages, related to Ho language and Mundari language. It is spoken by about six million people in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan ....
, English
English language

English is a West Germanic language that originated in Anglo-Saxon England and has lingua franca status in many parts of the world as a result of the military, economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the British Empire in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and that of the United States from the mid 20th century onwa...
style="border-top:2px dotted #dcdcdc;" bgcolor=#F4F4F4 Population
Population

File:Population density.pngIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings....
 style="border-top:2px dotted #dcdcdc;" 504,196,432
Northern India (Hindi
Hindi

Standard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a Standard language register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 official languages of India, and is used, along with English language, for administration of the central government....
: ????? ????, Uttar Bharat; Urdu
Urdu

Urdu is a Central_Indo-Aryan_languages#Central_Zone_.28Madhya_or_Hindi.29 Indo-Aryan languages of the Indo-Iranian languages, belonging to the Indo-European languages family of languages....
: ????? ????????, Shumali Hindustan) is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage. The dominant geographical features of northern India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain
Indo-Gangetic plain

The Indo-Gangetic Plain also known as the Northern plains and the North Indian River Plain is a large and fertiles plain encompassing most of northern and eastern India, the most populous parts of Pakistan, and virtually all of Bangladesh....
 and the Himalayas
Himalayas

The Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short , meaning "abode of snow" ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau....
, which demarcate the region from Tibet
Tibet

Tibet is a Tibetan Plateau in Asia, north of the Himalayas, and the home to the indigenous Tibetan people and its related ethnic groups. With an average elevation of 4,900 metres , it is the highest region on Earth and has in recent decades increasingly been referred to as the "Roof of the World"....
 and Central Asia
Central Asia

Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to northern India in the south....
. North India has been the historical center of the Maurya, Gupta
Gupta

Gupta may refer to:*Gupta , a surname of Indian origin...
, Mughal
Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire was a Muslim imperial power of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, ruled most of the Indian Subcontinent by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century....
 and British Indian Empires. It has a diverse culture, and includes the Hindu pilgrimage centers of Char Dham
Char Dham

The Char Dham is the most important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal section of the state of Uttarakhand , the circuit consists of four sites?Yamunotri , Gangotri , Kedarnath , and Badrinath ....
, Haridwar
Haridwar

Haridwar ) is a holy city and municipal board in the Haridwar District of Uttarakhand, India. In Hindi, Haridwar stands for Dwar of Hari or Gateway to God, 'Hari' meaning god and 'dwar' meaning gate....
 and Varanasi
Varanasi

Varanasi , also commonly known as Benares or Banaras and Kashi , is a city situated on the left bank of the River Ganges River in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, regarded as holy by Hinduism, Buddhists and Jains, and is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities....
, the Muslim
Islam

Islam is a Monotheism, Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of the Prophets of Islam Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure....
 pilgrimage destination of Ajmer
Ajmer

This article is about a city in central Rajasthan, for the historical region, see Ajmer region.'Ajmer' is a city in Ajmer District in India's Rajasthan states and territories of India....
, as well as world heritage sites such as the Mahabodhi Temple
Mahabodhi Temple

The Mahabodhi Temple is a Buddhism temple in Bodh Gaya, the location where Gautama Buddha, the Gautama Buddha, attained Enlightenment . Bodh Gaya is located about 96 km from Patna, Bihar state, India....
, Humayun's Tomb and the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Empire list of Mughal emperors Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal....
. Under some definitions of the region, the eastern areas are part of the impoverished Red corridor
Red corridor

The Red Corridor is a term used to describe an impoverished region in the east of India that experiences considerable Naxalite communist militant activity....
 region that faces significant development challenges.

Definitions

Different authorities and sources in literature define Northern India differently.

Government of India definition

The Government of India
Government of India

The Government of India , officially referred to as the Union Government, and also as Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of a federal union of States and territories of India, collectively called the Republic of India....
 defines the North India Cultural Zone as including the states of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a state in the Punjab region in north-west India. Himachal Pradesh is spread over 21,629 square mile , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on north, Punjab on west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on south, Uttarakhand on south-east and by Tibet on the east....
, Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost States and territories of India of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayas mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the People's Republic of China to the northeast, the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and Pakistani-administered territories of Kashmir, namely Azad Kashm...
 and Punjab
Punjab (India)

Punjab is a States and territories of India in northwest India. The Indian state borders the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, Chandigarh to the southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest....
, as well as the Union Territory
Union Territory

A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India, in the Federal republic framework of governance. Unlike the States and territories of India, which have their own elected governments, union territories are ruled directly by the federal Government of India; the President of India appoints an Administrator of the Governmen...
 of Chandigarh
Chandigarh

Chandigarh , also called The Beautiful City, is a city in India that serves as the Capital of two states and territories of India, Punjab, India and Haryana, and is a union territory of India....
. There is a neighboring region, called the North Central India Cultural Zone, including the states of Bihar
Bihar

Bihar is a States and territories of India in East India. Bihar is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size 38,202 square mile and 3rd largest by population....
, Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh , a States and territories of India in central India, formed when the sixteen Chhattisgarhi-speaking southeastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained statehood on November 1, 2000....
, Delhi
Delhi

Delhi , sometimes referred to as Dilli , is the List of most populous cities in India metropolis in India and, with over 11 million residents, the List of metropolitan areas by population....
, Haryana
Haryana

Haryana is a States and territories of India in the Punjab region of northern India. It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south....
, Jharkhand
Jharkhand

Jharkhand is a States and territories of India in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar state on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east....
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a States and territories of India in central India. Its capital is Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh was originally the largest state in India until November 1, 2000 when the state of Chhattisgarh was carved out....
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan

Rajasthan is the largest States and territories of India of the Republic of India in terms of area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan....
, Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand , is a States and territories of India located in the northern part of India. It was carved out of Himalayan and adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000, becoming the 27th States and territories of India of the Republic of India ....
 and Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh , [often referred to as U.P.] is a States and territories of India located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 190 million people,...
, that is also defined by the Indian Government. The states of Bihar and Jharkhand are also included in the East India Cultural Zone, and some publications of the Government of Bihar
Government of Bihar

The Government of Bihar locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the States and territories of India of Bihar and its Districts of Bihar of it's Divisions of Biharike other States and territories of India, the head of state of Bihar is the Governor, appointed by the President of India on the advice of the Goverment...
 place that state in the eastern part of India as well. Similarly, Rajasthan is also included in the West India Cultural Zone, and the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are also included in the South Central India Cultural Zone.

Linguistic definition

Indo-Aryan languages
Indo-Aryan languages

The Indo-Aryan languages are a branch of the Indo-European languages family.SIL International in a 2005 estimate counted a total of 209 varieties, the largest in terms of native speakers being Hindustani language , Bangla language , Punjabi language , Marathi , Gujarati language , Nepali language , Oriya language , Sindhi language , Sinhal...
 predominate in Northern India. A large part of Northern India forms the so-called Hindi Heartland, where Hindi and related languages predominate. Prior to the Partition of India
Partition of India

File:Brit IndianEmpireReligions3.jpgThe Partition of India was the Partition of British India that led to the creation, on August 14, 1947 and August 15, 1947, respectively, of the Sovereignty states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India ....
, this included the Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
i provinces of Sindh
Sindh

Sindh is one of the four Subdivisions of Pakistan of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. Different cultural and ethnic groups also reside in Sindh including Urdu-speaking Muslim refugees who migrated to Pakistan from India upon independence as well as the people migrated from other provinces after independence....
 and Punjab, and the eastern portion of the North West Frontier Province up to Peshawar
Peshawar

is the capital of the North-West Frontier Province and the administrative centre for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan."Peshawar" literally means The High Fort in Persian language and is known as Pekhawar in Pashto....
 valley where Punjabi
Punjabi language

'Punjabi' , , is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region and their diasporas. Speakers include adherents of the religions of Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism....
 dialects and Hindko
Hindko language

Hindko , also Hindku, Hinko, or Lahnda is an ancient Indo-Aryan language spoken by Hindkowans in Pakistan and northern India....
 are spoken. This effectively excludes several of the seven North-East states
North-East India

North-East India refers to the easternmost region of India consisting of the contiguous Seven Sister States, Sikkim, and parts of North Bengal ....
 (except for Assam
Assam

Assam ) is a North-East India state of India with its capital at Dispur, in the outskirts of the city Guwahati. Located south of the eastern Himalayas, Assam comprises the Brahmaputra and the Barak River river valleys and the Karbi Anglong District and the North Cachar Hills with an area of 30,285 square miles ....
 and Sikkim
Sikkim

Sikkim is a landlocked States and territories of India nestled in the Himalayas. It is the least populous state in India, and the second-smallest in area after Goa....
).
Vasudevacoin

"North of the Vindhyas"

One traditional 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
Gupta Empire

The Gupta Empire was ruled by members of the Gupta dynasty from around 280 to 550 CE and covered most of Northern India, Southern and Eastern Pakistan, parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan and what is now western India and Bangladesh....
 emperor Samudragupta
Samudragupta

Samudragupta, ruler of the Gupta Empire , and successor to Chandragupta I, is considered to be one of the greatest military geniuses in History of India, and sometimes also called the 'Napoleon of India' ....
. The Vindhyas also find mention in the narrative of Rishi
Rishi

A rishi denotes a poet-sage through whom the Vedic hymns flowed, credited also as divine scribes. According to post-Vedic tradition the rishi is a "seer" or "shaman" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness....
 Agastya
Agastya

Agastya was a Historical Vedic religion sage or rishi. Agastya and his clan are also credited to have "authored" many mantras of the Rig Veda, the earliest and most revered Hindu scripture, in the sense of first having the mantras revealed in his mind by the Supreme Brahman....
 as a dividing feature between North and South India. If extended employing the Narmada River
Narmada River

The Narmada [Devanagri: ?????? Gujarati: ?????? or Nerbudda ] is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent....
 and Mahanadi River
Mahanadi River

The Mahanadi is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area exceeding 140,000 sq km and has a total course of 885 km. . The basin lies in the states of Chhattisgarh , Orissa , Jharkhand and Maharashtra for a total of 141589 km?....
, a dividing line across India can be formed.

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 Bactrian-originated Kushan Empire
Kushan Empire

The Kushan Empire of Ancient India originally formed in Bactria on either side of the middle course of the Oxus River or Syr Darya in what is now northern Afghanistan, Pakistan, southern Tajikistan and Uzbekistan....
 that maintained twin capitals in Mathura
Mathura

Mathura is a holy city in the Indian States and territories of India of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately 50 km north of Agra, and 150 km south of Delhi; about twenty kilometers from holy Vrindavana....
 (now in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh , [often referred to as U.P.] is a States and territories of India located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 190 million people,...
) and Peshawar (in the North West Frontier Province), as well as the Hun confederacies that periodically asserted their rule over large parts of Northern India. This yardstick would exclude Bengal
Bengal

Bengal , is a historical and geographical region in the northeast of South Asia. Today it is mainly divided between the independent sovereign nation of the Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal in India, although some regions of the previous kingdoms of Bengal are now part of the neighboring Indian states of Bihar, Assam, Tripura and Oris...
, Assam
Assam

Assam ) is a North-East India state of India with its capital at Dispur, in the outskirts of the city Guwahati. Located south of the eastern Himalayas, Assam comprises the Brahmaputra and the Barak River river valleys and the Karbi Anglong District and the North Cachar Hills with an area of 30,285 square miles ....
 and much of Maharashtra
Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a States and territories of India located on the western coast of India. Maharashtra is a part of Western India. It is India's List of states of India by area and List of states of India by population....
 from the definition of North India.

Latitude-based definition

The Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Cancer

The Tropic of Cancer, or Northern tropic, is one of five major degree measures or major circle of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. It is the northernmost latitude at which the Sun can appear directly overhead at noon....
, which divides the temperate zone from the tropical zone in the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of the equator?the word sphere literally means 'half sphere'. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator....
 of the planet, runs through India, and could theoretically be regarded as a geographical diving line in the country.

Anecdotal usage

The term "North Indian" is sometimes used to describe people from Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh , [often referred to as U.P.] is a States and territories of India located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 190 million people,...
 and Bihar
Bihar

Bihar is a States and territories of India in East India. Bihar is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size 38,202 square mile and 3rd largest by population....
,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. 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." Sometimes, Maharashtra and Bombay are anecdotally included in Northern India, including in Maharashtra state government publications. Punjab is sometimes considered a north-western state, as are Gujarat
Gujarat

Gujarat is a States and territories of India in western India. Gujarat borders Pakistan to the north west and the state of Rajasthan to the north and northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, Maharashtra and the Union territory of Diu, Daman District, India, Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the south....
, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Geography

Northern India lies mainly on continental India, north of peninsular India. Towards its North are the Himalayas
Himalayas

The Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short , meaning "abode of snow" ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau....
 which define the boundary between the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
 and the Tibetan plateau
Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau , also known as the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is a vast, elevated plateau in Central Asia covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province in China and Ladakh in Kashmir, India....
. To its west is the Thar desert, shared between North India and Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
 and the Aravalli Range
Aravalli Range

The Aravalli Range is a range of mountains in western India running approximately 800 km from northeast to southwest across Rajasthan state. The northern end of the range continues as isolated hills and rocky ridges into Haryana state, ending near Delhi....
, beyond which lies the state of Gujarat
Gujarat

Gujarat is a States and territories of India in western India. Gujarat borders Pakistan to the north west and the state of Rajasthan to the north and northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, Maharashtra and the Union territory of Diu, Daman District, India, Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the south....
. The Vindhya mountains are, in some interpretations, taken to be the southern boundary of North India.

The predominant geographical features of northern India are the Indo-Gangetic plain which spans the states of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh , [often referred to as U.P.] is a States and territories of India located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 190 million people,...
, Bihar
Bihar

Bihar is a States and territories of India in East India. Bihar is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size 38,202 square mile and 3rd largest by population....
, Haryana
Haryana

Haryana is a States and territories of India in the Punjab region of northern India. It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south....
 and Punjab
Punjab (India)

Punjab is a States and territories of India in northwest India. The Indian state borders the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, Chandigarh to the southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest....
, the Himalayas
Himalayas

The Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short , meaning "abode of snow" ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau....
 which lie in the states of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand , is a States and territories of India located in the northern part of India. It was carved out of Himalayan and adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000, becoming the 27th States and territories of India of the Republic of India ....
, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a state in the Punjab region in north-west India. Himachal Pradesh is spread over 21,629 square mile , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on north, Punjab on west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on south, Uttarakhand on south-east and by Tibet on the east....
 and Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost States and territories of India of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayas mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the People's Republic of China to the northeast, the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and Pakistani-administered territories of Kashmir, namely Azad Kashm...
 and the Thar desert which lies mainly in the state of Rajasthan
Rajasthan

Rajasthan is the largest States and territories of India of the Republic of India in terms of area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan....
. The state of Madhya Pradesh has large areas under forest cover, as do Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chattisgarh.

General climate

Northern India lies mainly in the north Temperate zone of the earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
. Though cool or cold winters, hot summers and moderate monsoons are the general pattern, Northern India is one of the most climatically diverse regions on Earth. Extreme temperatures have ranged from in Dras
Dras

Drass is a tiny town in the Kargil District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is often called 'The Gateway to Ladakh'. The town, reportedly the second coldest inhabited town in the world shot into prominence in the summer of 1999 following Pakistani backed incursions into the Jammu and Kashmir....
, Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost States and territories of India of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayas mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the People's Republic of China to the northeast, the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and Pakistani-administered territories of Kashmir, namely Azad Kashm...
 to 50.6 °C (123 °F) in Alwar
Alwar

Alwar is a city in the Rajasthan state of western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Alwar District, and was formerly the capital of the princely state of Alwar or Ulwar in British India....
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan

Rajasthan is the largest States and territories of India of the Republic of India in terms of area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan....
. Dras is the second coldest inhabited place on the planet.

Precipitation

The region receives rain and snow precipitation through two primary weather patterns: the Indian Monsoon
Monsoon

A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind that lasts for several months. The term was first used in English in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and neighboring countries to refer to the big seasonal winds blowing from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea in the southwest bringing heavy rainfall to the region....
 and the Western Disturbance
Western Disturbance

Western Disturbance is the term used in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal to describe an extratropical storm originating in the Mediterranean, that brings sudden winter rain and snow to the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent....
s. The Monsoon carries moisture northwards from the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean ....
, occurs in late summer and is important to the Kharif or autumn harvest
Kharif crop

The Kharif crop is the autumn harvest in India and Pakistan. Kharif crops are usually sown with the beginning of the first rains in July, during the south-west monsoon season....
. Western Disturbances, on the other hand, are an extratropical weather phenomenon that carry moisture eastwards from the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea or Ocean off the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia....
, the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the List of lakes by area or a full-fledged sea. It has a surface area of 371,000 square kilometers and a volume of 78,200 cubic kilometers ....
 and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
. They primarily occur during the winter season and are critically important for the Rabi or spring harvest
Rabi crop

The Rabi crop is the spring harvest in India and Pakistan. The term Rabi means "spring" in Arabic, which is reflected in two months of the Islamic calendar, Rabi' al-awwal and Rabi' al-thani , when the crop is harvested....
, which includes the main staple over much of North India, wheat
Wheat

Wheat , is a worldwide cultivated Poaceae from the Levant region of the Middle East. Globally, after maize, wheat is the second most-produced food among the cereal just above rice....
. The states of Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost States and territories of India of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayas mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the People's Republic of China to the northeast, the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and Pakistani-administered territories of Kashmir, namely Azad Kashm...
, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a state in the Punjab region in north-west India. Himachal Pradesh is spread over 21,629 square mile , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on north, Punjab on west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on south, Uttarakhand on south-east and by Tibet on the east....
 and Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand , is a States and territories of India located in the northern part of India. It was carved out of Himalayan and adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000, becoming the 27th States and territories of India of the Republic of India ....
 receive sustained snowfall in winter months.

Demographics

Scythia Parthia 100 Bc
The people of Northern India are predominantly Indo-Aryan, and include various ethnic groups such as Jats, Rajput
Rajput

A Rajput is a member of one of the major Hindu Kshatriya groups of Indian subcontinent. The Rajputs trace their roots to Rajputana. They enjoy a reputation as formidable soldiers and it is common to find many of them serving in the Indian Armed Forces....
s, Gujjar
Gujjar

The Gujjar or Gurjar are an ethnic group in India and Pakistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar and Goojar....
s, Ahirs
Ahirs

The Ahir?s are one of the most ancient martial tribes of India, who ruled over different parts of India and Nepal since the ancient times. Right from the times of the Shakyas, the Kushans and the Synthians they have been warriors par excellence, and only then agriculturists and farmers....
, Khatri
Khatri

The Khatris are a caste or a tribe of the north Indian community that originated in the Potwar Plateau of Punjab region.Khatri is the Punjabi language adaptation or pronunciation of Sanskrit word Kshatriya [1][2][3] ....
s, Kamboj
Kamboj

The Kambojs are an ethnic community of the Punjab region. They are the modern representatives of ancient Kambojas, a well known Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, said to have Indian as well as Iranian affinities....
s, Banias
Vanika

According to the Indian caste system, Vanika or Bania is a trader or merchant belonging to the business class. Baniyas of Rajasthan are called Marwaris....
 and Dalit
Dalit

Dalit is a self-designation for a South Asians group of people traditionally regarded as untouchables or of low caste system in India. Dalits are a mixed population of numerous caste groups all over South Asia and speak various languages....
s. Over millennia, the region has experienced sustained incursions and immigration from the northwest, including the Indo-Scythians, Indo-Sassanids, Indo-Hephthalites, Kushans and Rohilla Pashtuns
Rohilla

OriginRohillas belonged to Yousafzai tribe of Pashtuns, mainly of Mandanr sub-section. The term Rohilla was used for all Pashtuns, except for the Bangashes who settled in the Rohilkhand region, or men serving under Rohilla chiefs ....
.

Hinduism
Hinduism

'Hinduism' is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as , a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal dharma", by its practitioners....
, Islam
Islam

Islam is a Monotheism, Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of the Prophets of Islam Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure....
 and Sikhism
Sikhism

Sikhism , founded on the teachings of Guru Nanak and ten successive Sikh Gurus in fifteenth century Punjab region, is the Major religious groups organized religion in the world....
 are the dominant religions in North India. The states of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand , is a States and territories of India located in the northern part of India. It was carved out of Himalayan and adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000, becoming the 27th States and territories of India of the Republic of India ....
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan

Rajasthan is the largest States and territories of India of the Republic of India in terms of area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan....
 and Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a state in the Punjab region in north-west India. Himachal Pradesh is spread over 21,629 square mile , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on north, Punjab on west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on south, Uttarakhand on south-east and by Tibet on the east....
 are predominantly Hindu. Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost States and territories of India of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayas mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the People's Republic of China to the northeast, the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and Pakistani-administered territories of Kashmir, namely Azad Kashm...
 is the only state in India with a majority Muslim population, while Punjab
Punjab (India)

Punjab is a States and territories of India in northwest India. The Indian state borders the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, Chandigarh to the southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest....
 is the only state with a majority Sikh population. Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh , [often referred to as U.P.] is a States and territories of India located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 190 million people,...
, Bihar
Bihar

Bihar is a States and territories of India in East India. Bihar is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size 38,202 square mile and 3rd largest by population....
, Jharkhand
Jharkhand

Jharkhand is a States and territories of India in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar state on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east....
, Haryana
Haryana

Haryana is a States and territories of India in the Punjab region of northern India. It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south....
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a States and territories of India in central India. Its capital is Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh was originally the largest state in India until November 1, 2000 when the state of Chhattisgarh was carved out....
 and Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh , a States and territories of India in central India, formed when the sixteen Chhattisgarhi-speaking southeastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained statehood on November 1, 2000....
 have religiously diverse populations.

Languages


Linguistically, Northern India is dominated by Indo-Aryan languages
Indo-Aryan languages

The Indo-Aryan languages are a branch of the Indo-European languages family.SIL International in a 2005 estimate counted a total of 209 varieties, the largest in terms of native speakers being Hindustani language , Bangla language , Punjabi language , Marathi , Gujarati language , Nepali language , Oriya language , Sindhi language , Sinhal...
, although subregions of Dravidian languages
Dravidian languages

The Dravidian Language families and languages includes approximately 73 languages and are mainly spoken in South India and northeastern Sri Lanka Tamils , as well as certain areas in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and eastern and central India, as well as in parts of Afghanistan, Iran, and overseas in other countries such as Malaysia and Si...
 (such as Bihar's Kurukh language
Kurukh language

Kurukh , also called Kurux, Ku?ux or Kuru??, is a Dravidian languages spoken by the Oraon tribe, a Adivasi people of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, India, as well as in northern Bangladesh....
), Tibeto-Burman languages
Tibeto-Burman languages

The Tibeto-Burman family of languages is spoken in various Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia and southeast Asian countries, including Burma , Tibet, northern Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, parts of central China , northern parts of Nepal, eastern parts of Bangladesh , Bhutan, northern parts of Pakistan , and various regions of India ....
 (such as Himachal's Lahauli language) and Austro-Asiatic languages (such as Munda
Munda languages

The Munda languages are a language family spoken by about nine million people in central and eastern India and Bangladesh. They constitute a branch of the Austroasiatic languages, generally placed in opposition to the Mon-Khmer languages of Southeast Asia, which means they are distantly related to Vietnamese language and Khmer language....
) exist throughout the region. It is in this region, or its proximity, that Sanskrit
Sanskrit

Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India....
 and the various Prakrit
Prakrit

Prakrit refers to the broad family of the Indic languages and dialects spoken in ancient India. The Prakrits became literary languages, generally patronized by kings identified with the Kshatriya caste, but were regarded as illegitimate by the Brahmin orthodoxy....
s are thought to have evolved. Indo-Aryan languages native to Northern India include the Hindustani
Hindustani language

Hindustani , also known as "Hindi-Urdu," is a term covering several closely related dialects in Pakistan and northern India, especially the vernacular form of the two national languages, Standard Hindi and Urdu language, also known as Khariboli, but also several nonstandard dialects of the Hindi languages....
 lingua franca
Lingua franca

A lingua franca is a language systematically used to communicate between persons not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both persons' mother tongues....
 (including both its Hindi
Hindi

Standard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a Standard language register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 official languages of India, and is used, along with English language, for administration of the central government....
 and Urdu
Urdu

Urdu is a Central_Indo-Aryan_languages#Central_Zone_.28Madhya_or_Hindi.29 Indo-Aryan languages of the Indo-Iranian languages, belonging to the Indo-European languages family of languages....
 registers), a wide range of western and eastern Hindi dialects, Bihari languages (Bhojpuri, Magadhi and Maithili
Maithili

Maithili may refer to:* Maithili language* Maithili script...
), Punjabi
Punjabi language

'Punjabi' , , is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region and their diasporas. Speakers include adherents of the religions of Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism....
, Pahari languages
Pahari languages

The Pahari languages, also known as Northern Zone languages, are a group of related Indo-Aryan languages or dialects spoken in the lower ranges of the Himalayas from Nepal in the east to the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh in the west....
, Kashmiri
Kashmiri language

Kashmiri belongs to the Dardic languages and is spoken primarily in the Kashmir Valley, in the indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It had about 5,554,496 speakers in India according to the Census of 2001....
, and other languages. The Hindi-speaking subregion is sometimes called the Hindi Heartland or the Hindi Belt, and is loosely defined.

Communalism and ethnic tensions

Some reports and studies have indicated prejudice against people from North Eastern India, Bihar and South India in this part of the country. These also include several incidences of local law enforcement authorities failing to provide security or themselves acting in a discriminatory manner, especially in Delhi.

Flora & Fauna

Chinkara
Northern Indian vegetation is predominantly deciduous and coniferous. Of the deciduous trees, sal, teak
Teak

Teak , is a genus of tropics hardwood trees in the family Verbenaceae, native to the south and southeast of Asia, and is commonly found as a component of monsoon forest vegetation....
, walnut
Walnut

Walnuts are plants in the family Juglandaceae. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meter s tall , with pinnate leaves 200?900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnut but not the hickory in the same family....
, sheesham (Indian rosewood) and poplar
Poplar

Populus is a genus of between 25?35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere....
 are some which are important commercially. The Western Himalayan region abounds in chir
Chir Pine

The Chir Pine named after William Roxburgh, is a pine native to the Himalaya. The range extends from northern Pakistan , across northern India and Nepal to Bhutan....
, pine
Pine

Pines are Pinophyta trees in the genus Pinus, in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species....
, deodar (Himalayan cedar), blue pine
Blue Pine

The Blue Pine is a pine native to the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains, from eastern Afghanistan east across northern India to Yunnan in southwest China....
, spruce
Spruce

A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea, a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth....
, various fir
Fir

Firs are a genus of between 45-55 species of evergreen Pinophyta in the family Pinaceae. All are trees, reaching heights of 10-80 m tall and trunk diameters of 0.5-4 m when mature....
s, birch
Birch

Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae....
 and juniper
Juniper

Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the mountains of Central America....
s. The birch, especially, has historical significance in Indian culture due to the extensive use of birch paper (Sanskrit
Sanskrit

Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India....
:bhurja patra) as parchment for many ancient Indian texts. The Eastern Himalayan region consists of oak
Oak

The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus , which are listed in the List of Quercus species, and some related genera, notably Lithocarpus....
s, laurels, maple
Maple

Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as Maple. Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or included in the family Sapindaceae....
s, rhododendron
Rhododendron

Rhododendron is a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. It is a large genus with over 1000 species and most have showy flower displays....
s, alder
Alder

Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of Plant sexuality trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the New World also along the Andes southwards to Argentina....
, birch and dwarf willow
Dwarf Willow

Salix herbacea is a species of tiny creeping willow .It is adapted to survive in harsh Arctic and sub-Arctic environments, and has a wide distribution on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, in Arctic northwest Asia, northern Europe, Greenland, and eastern Canada, and further south on high mountains, south to the Pyrenees, the Alps and t...
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 and 30,000 types of insects and a wide variety of fish, amphibians and reptiles are found in the country. The animal species in Northern India includes Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Sambar, Chital, Hog Deer, Porcupine, Wild Pig, Fox and Rhesus Monkeys, highly endangered Caracal, Jungle Cat, Hyena, Jackal, Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, Langur, Spotted Deer, Indian Gazelle, Sambar (Asiatic stag) and Nilgai (blue bull).

A large number of snake species, lizards, ghariyal and crocodiles account for the reptile count. Snakes include the deadly King cobras to the equally poisonous Kraits. Various scorpion, spider and insects species, include the commercially useful honeybees, silkworms and Lac insects. The birds of Northern India includes the peacock to the parrots, and thousands of immigrant birds, such as the Siberian Crane. Common Indian birds are Pheasants, Geese Ducks, Mynahs, Parakeets, Pigeons, Cranes, and Hornbills. Great pied hornbill, Pallas's fishing eagle, Grey-headed fishing eagle, Red-thighed Falconet are some of the endangered birds found in Himalyan region. Other birds found in this region are Tawny Fish Owl, Great Hornbill, Scaly-bellied Woodpecker, Red-breasted Parakeet, Himalayan Swiftlet, Stork-billed Kingfisher and Himalayan Rubythroat.

The most important National Parks and Tiger reserves of North India include -

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. Cradled in the foothills of the Himalayas, it comprises a total area of 500 kmē out of which 350 kmē is core reserve. This park is known not only for its rich and varied wildlife but also for its scenic beauty.

Kanha National Park
Kanha National Park

Kanha National Park is a National park of India and a Tiger Reserve in the Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh, India. In the 1930s, Kanha area was divided into two sanctuaries, Hallon and Banjar, of 250 and 300 km? each....
: The sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha were the setting for Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English author and poet. Born in Mumbai, British India , he is best known for his works of fiction The Jungle Book , Kim , many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King ; and his poems, including Mandalay , Gunga Din , and If? ....
's collection of stories, "The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book is a collection of stories written by Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–4. The original publications contained illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling....
". 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.

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
Dudhwa National Park

General info Area: 490 km? core, 124 km? bufferEstablished: 1958 as a wildlife sanctuary 1977 as a national park, 1988 as a tiger reserve....
: It covers an area of 500 kmē along the Indo-Nepal border in 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 one-horned rhinoceros and the wild elephant, jungle cats, leopard cats, fishing cats, jackals, civets, sloth bears, sambar, otters, crocodiles and chital.

Ranthambhore National Park: It spans an area of 400 kmē 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 Northern India.

Political parties from North India

Northern India had played a very vital role in the formation of Government in India with large number of seats in the lower house of parliament. The major political parties are Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress

Indian National Congress-I is a major political party in India. Founded in 1885 by Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Edulji Wacha, Womesh Chandra Bonerjee, Surendranath Banerjee, Monomohun Ghose, Allan Octavian Hume, and William Wedderburn, the Indian National Congress became the leader of the Indian Independence Movement, with over 15 million memb...
, BJP, Janata Dal
Janata Dal

Janata Dal is an List of political parties in India which was formed through the merger of one of the major Janata Party factions, the Lok Dal and a group of Indian National Congress led by V.P....
, Bahujan Samaj Party
Bahujan Samaj Party

The Bahujan Samaj Party is a national political party in India with socialist leanings. It was formed to chiefly represent Bahujans , who are thought by some to be at the bottom of the Indian caste system, and claims to be inspired by the philosophy of Ambedkar....
, Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party

Samajwadi Party is a political party in India. It is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It describes itself as a Democratic socialism party....
 and the Shiromani Akali Dal
Shiromani Akali Dal

Akali Dal, also called Shiromani Akali Dal , is a collection of Sikh political parties mainly based in Punjab founded/headed by different people....
. 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 were Northern Indians including the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru The son of the wealthy Indian barrister and politician Motilal Nehru, Nehru became a leader of the left-wing of the Indian National Congress at a remarkably young age....
, Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri was the third Prime Minister of India of the India and a significant figure in the Indian independence movement....
, Gulzarilal Nanda
Gulzarilal Nanda

Gulzarilal Nanda was an Indian politician and an economist with specialization in labor problems. He was the interim Prime Minister of India twice for thirteen days each: the first time after the death of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, and the second time after the death of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966....
, Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was the Prime Minister of the Republic of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977and for a fourth term from 1980 until her Assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984, a total of fifteen years....
, Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi

Rajiv Gandhi ; 20 August 1944 ? 21 May 1991), the elder son of Indira Gandhi and Feroze Gandhi, was the 9th Prime Minister of India of India from his mother's death on 31 October 1984 until his resignation on 2 December 1989 following a general election defeat....
, V P Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as the thirteenth and sixteenth Prime Minister of India. After a brief stint as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from October 13, 1999 until May 19, 2004....
, Chandra Shekhar
Chandra Shekhar

Chandra Shekhar Singh was the 11th Prime Minister of India of the Republic of India....
, I K Gujral and the present PM Dr Manmohan Singh.

Universities in North India

Northern India has several universities and centres of excellence namely, Agra University, Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University

Image:Maulana Azad Library.jpgBarrister Muhammad Jan Abbasi,Elite lawyer and khilafat movement leader*Rafi Ahmad Kidwai, First communication minister of independent India...
, All India Institute of Medical Sciences
All India Institute of Medical Sciences

All India Institute of Medical Sciences is a medical college and hospital in India, and is an autonomous institution funded by India's Union Government....
, Allahabad University
Allahabad University

History The University of Allahabad is the fourth modern University established in India on 23 September 1887. It has a sound academic tradition and several extraordinary achievements to its credit....
, Benaras Hindu University, Birla Institute of Technology and Science
Birla Institute of Technology and Science

Birla Institute of Technology & Science, is a science and technology school located in Pilani, Rajasthan, India. In addition to Pilani, BITS has campuses in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Goa, India and Hyderabad, India and an extension center in Bangalore, India....
, Delhi University, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology
Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology

Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology is the first agricultural university of India. It was inaguarated by the first Prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru on the 17 th of November, 1960 as the Uttar Pradesh Agricultural University ....
, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University

Jawaharlal Nehru University , also known as JNU or Nehru University, is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. Named after Jawaharlal Nehru , it is among the premier universities in India....
, Kanpur University
Kanpur University

AboutKanpur University also known as Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University is located in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The university has been on the map of higher education for more than three decades....
, and Punjab University
Punjab University

Punjab University can refer to one of the following:*In India::*Panjab University, Chandigarh:*Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana:*Punjab Technical University*In Pakistan:...
. The world renowned Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Management, have campuses in several cities of Northern India such as Kanpur
Kanpur

Kanpur is the seventh most populous city in India and the most populous within the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and in terms of area, Kanpur is the fifth largest city in India .It is also known as the Manchester of Asia....
, Delhi
Delhi

Delhi , sometimes referred to as Dilli , is the List of most populous cities in India metropolis in India and, with over 11 million residents, the List of metropolitan areas by population....
, Roorkee
Roorkee

'Roorkee' is a City and a Municipal council in the Indian States and territories of India of Uttarakhand. It is also known for Roorkee Cantonment, one of country's oldest cantonments , and the headquarters of Bengal Engineer Group since 1853 ....
, Lucknow
Lucknow

Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous States and territories of India of India. It has a population of 4,875,858. Lucknow is also the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, Indore
Indore

Indore .The family retained its possessions of royalty, which included having an elephant, Nishan, Danka and Gadi even after the advent of Holkars and also retained the right of performing the first puja of Dushera before the Holkar rulers....
, Ahmadabad
Ahmadabad

Ahmadabad may refer to:* Ahmedabad , a city in India* Ahmedabad district, India* Ahmadabad-e Mosaddeq, a village near Qazvin, Iran* Ahmadabad, a small village associated with Gorikot, Pakistan...
, and Kolkata
Kolkata

, Indian renaming controversy , is the Capital of the Indian States and territories of India of West Bengal. It is located in East India on the east bank of the River Hooghly....
. One of the first great universities in recorded history, the Nalanda University, is located in the state of Bihar
Bihar

Bihar is a States and territories of India in East India. Bihar is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size 38,202 square mile and 3rd largest by population....
. There has been various plans for revival
Nalanda

Nalanda is the name of an ancient university in Bihar, India.The site of Nalanda is located in the States and territories of India of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhism center of learning from 427 to 1197 CE....
 of this ancient University including a consortium led by Singapore along with China, India and Japan.

Economy

The economy of northern India, is predominantly agrarian like other parts of the country; culturally, socially and historically the country has always been defined by its village societies. But with the rapid growth of more than 8% GDP per annum, the economic landscape is changing fast. Several parts of North India have prospered as a consequence of the Green Revolution
Green Revolution in India

The introduction of hybrid seed after 1965 and the increased use of fertilizers and irrigation are known collectively as the Green Revolution, which provided the increase in production needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India....
, including Haryana, Punjab 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
Harit Pradesh

There is an ongoing demand for the creation of Harit Pradesh which would comprise the western parts of Uttar Pradesh state. The most prominent advocate for the creation of the new state is Chaudhary Ajit Singh, leader of the Rashtriya Lok Dal party and is supported by various Muslim groups, as Muslims would form a significantly higher propor...
 movement).

The highest per capita income states in Northern India include Punjab
Punjab (India)

Punjab is a States and territories of India in northwest India. The Indian state borders the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, Chandigarh to the southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest....
, Delhi
Delhi

Delhi , sometimes referred to as Dilli , is the List of most populous cities in India metropolis in India and, with over 11 million residents, the List of metropolitan areas by population....
, Haryana
Haryana

Haryana is a States and territories of India in the Punjab region of northern India. It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south....
, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a state in the Punjab region in north-west India. Himachal Pradesh is spread over 21,629 square mile , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on north, Punjab on west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on south, Uttarakhand on south-east and by Tibet on the east....
 and the union territory of Chandigarh
Chandigarh

Chandigarh , also called The Beautiful City, is a city in India that serves as the Capital of two states and territories of India, Punjab, India and Haryana, and is a union territory of India....
. 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 and Haryana rank second and third (after Goa
Goa

Goa is India's smallest states and territories of India in terms of area and the List of states and territories of India by population. Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western...
) among the states (see main article: States of India by size of economy
States of India by size of economy

This is a list of States and Union Territories of India by gross domestic product....
). On the eastern flank, Bihar has the lowest per-capita SDP of any Indian state. The region contains both Himachal Pradesh, which is one of India's most literate states (fourth after Mizoram
Mizoram

Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North-East India India. It shares land borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur, Bangladesh and the Chin State state of Burma....
, Kerala
Kerala

Kerala is a Indian Union States and territories of India located in the southwestern part of India. With an Arabian Sea coastline on the west, it is bordered on the north by Karnataka and by Tamil Nadu on the south and east....
 and Goa in decreasing rank, see main article: Indian states ranking by literacy rate
Indian states ranking by literacy rate

This is a list of the States of India of India in order of Literacy rate. This information was compiled from NFHS-3. National Family health survey is a large-scale, multi round survey conducted by the International Institute of Population Sciences , Mumbai designated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare , Government of India....
) as well as Bihar, which is India's least literate state.

External links

  • India's best portal for Indian Art and Artist , ,


See also

  • India
    India

    India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
  • South India
    South India

    South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the Union territories of India of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of area....
  • North-East India
    North-East India

    North-East India refers to the easternmost region of India consisting of the contiguous Seven Sister States, Sikkim, and parts of North Bengal ....
  • West India
    West India

    West India or the Western region of India consists of the States and territories of India of Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra, along with the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli....
  • East India
    East India

    East India, or more properly Eastern India, is a List_of_regions_in_India of India consisting of the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Orissa....
  • Central India