Important Facts of Uttar Pradesh

Important Facts of Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh (UP), literally meaning “Northern Province” is a northern Indian state and the most populous in India as well as the world, with over 241 million inhabitants. Covering an area of 243,286 km², it is the fourth-largest Indian state, accounting for 7.3% of the country’s total area.

Lucknow serves as the administrative capital, while Prayagraj is the judicial capital.

Uttar Pradesh has a rich historical and cultural legacy. In ancient times, it was part of the core regions of several major empires, including the Maurya, Gupta, Vardhana, and Pala dynasties. It played a central role in the medieval period under the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire, becoming a hub of Islamic architecture, learning, and culture.

During British rule, the region was organized as the United Provinces, which later became Uttar Pradesh in 1950. The state also played a significant role in India’s struggle for independence, including the 1857 Rebellion.

Uttar Pradesh is culturally and religiously significant. It is home to some of Hinduism’s most important pilgrimage sites, including Varanasi, Mathura, Ayodhya, and Prayagraj. It is also associated with Buddhism, as Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath near Varanasi. Several sites in the state are connected to Jainism, and Islamic culture and architecture flourished during the medieval period.

Festivals like the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, Jhoola Fair in Mathura, and Magh Mela draw millions of devotees. The state contains three UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is known for its historical monuments, including the Taj Mahal in Agra and the heritage cities of Lucknow, Jhansi, Varanasi, and Ayodhya.

Administrative Divisions and Districts

• Uttar Pradesh is divided into 18 administrative divisions and 75 districts.
• 18 Divisions:
  1. Saharanpur
  2. Moradabad
  3. Bareilly
  4. Meerut
  5. Aligarh
  6. Agra
  7. Devipatan
  8. Basti
  9. Gorakhpur
  10. Kanpur
  11. Lucknow
  12. Ayodhya
  13. Azamgarh
  14. Jhansi
  15. Chitrakoot
  16. Prayagraj
  17. Varanasi
  18. Mirzapur

Top Districts by Population

Uttar Pradesh is home to several massive urban centers. These districts represent some of the most populated and rapidly growing areas in the state, showcasing a mix of industrial hubs and historical cities.

Major Cities

• Lucknow: State capital and administrative hub
• Prayagraj: Judicial capital and religious center (Triveni Sangam)
• Kanpur: Industrial and commercial center
• Varanasi: Cultural and pilgrimage hub
• Agra: Tourist and historical center (Taj Mahal)
• Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Moradabad: Important urban and industrial cities

General Information

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India and a major heartland of the country's culture, politics, and history. Known for its vast plains and the holy Ganges river, it was officially formed in 1950. Here is a quick breakdown of the state's key information:

Government & Politics

Geography & Population

Official State Symbols

History

• Ancient name: Brahmarshi Desha or Madhya Desha (Later Vedic Age)
• Famous sages: Bhardwaja, Gautam, Yagyavalkaya, Vashishtha, Vishwamitra, Valmiki Inspired Ramayana and Mahabharata
• 6th century B.C.: Birthplace of Jainism and Buddhism
• Buddha’s first sermon at Sarnath
• Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar
• Important centers of learning: Ayodhya, Prayag, Varanasi, Mathura
• Medieval period: Blend of Hindu and Islamic cultures
• Notable personalities: Ramananda, Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas
• British period: Merged Agra & Oudh → United Provinces → renamed Uttar Pradesh in 1950

Geography

The state is divided into 18 divisions and 75 districts and is bordered by Rajasthan to the west, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi to the northwest, Uttarakhand and Nepal to the north, Bihar to the east, and Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand to the south. The official languages are Hindi and Urdu.

Agriculture

Occupation of 66% population and Net cultivated area: 164.17 lakh hectares

Industry and Minerals

• Small Scale Industries: 6,12,338; total investment 7172 crore
• Public sector mining: Limestone, magnesite, coal, rock phosphate, dolomite, silicon-sand
• Private sector: Limestone, silica-sand, magnesite, pyrophyllite, diaspore
• Major industries: Cement plants in Sonebhadra

Irrigation and Power

Power Corporations: UP Power Corporation, UP State Power Generation, UP Hydel Power Corporation (reorganized from UPSEB, 2000)

Installed capacity:

• 2001–02: 4659 MW
• 2006–07: 5011 MW
• Present: 5077 MW
• Power production 2007–08: 227099 lakh KW
• Electrification: 56.6% of 97,135 villages; 7.88 lakh private tubewells energized
• Total installed capacity during Tenth Five Year Plan: 7821.82 MW

Transport

• Roads: Total length 146,728 km
• National highways: 3,820 km
• State highways: 8,391 km
• District roads: 1,19,726 km
• Rural roads: 1,34,517 km
• Railways: Major junctions – Lucknow, Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad, Mughalsarai, Jhansi, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, etc.
• Airports: Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Agra, Jhansi, Bareilly, Hindon, Gorakhpur, Sarsawa, Fursatganj

Festivals

• Kumbh Mela – Allahabad (every 12 years); Ardh Kumbh (every 6 years)
• Magh Mela – Allahabad (January)
• Jhoola Fair – Mathura, Vrindavan, Ayodhya
• Holy dip in Ganga: Kartik Poornima, Garhmukteshwar, Soran, Rajghat, Kakora, Bithur, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Ayodhya
• Famous cattle fair: Bateswar, Agra
• Muslim saint festival: Dewa (Barabanki, Waris Ali Shah)

Tourist Centres

• Historical & Cultural Sites: Agra (Taj Mahal), Ayodhya, Varanasi, Lucknow, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur, Kannauj, Mahoba, Devgarh, Bithur, Vindhyachal
• Pilgrimage Sites: Varanasi, Vindhyachal, Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Prayag, Naimisharanya, Mathura, Vrindavan, Dewa Sharief, Fatehpur Sikri (Dargah of Sheikh Saleem Chisti), Sarnath, Shravasti, Kushinagar, Sankisa, Kampil, Piprahwa, Kaushambi
• Rich heritage of Hindu and Islamic architecture

Climate of Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh has a humid subtropical climate and experiences four distinct seasons: winter, summer, monsoon, and post-monsoon. Winter occurs in January and February, followed by summer from March to May, which is extremely hot, with temperatures ranging from 0–50 °C (32–122 °F) in some parts of the state. During summer, dry, hot winds called the Loo blow across the plains, particularly affecting the Gangetic plain, which varies from semi-arid to sub-humid.

The monsoon season, from June to September, brings the bulk of rainfall to the state, primarily from the Bay of Bengal branch of the Indian monsoon and supplemented by the southwest monsoon. Winter also brings minor rainfall due to western disturbances and the northeast monsoon.

The mean annual rainfall varies widely across the state, from 650 mm (26 inches) in the southwest to 1,000 mm (39 inches) in the eastern and southeastern regions. Rainfall is concentrated during the monsoon months, making the state prone to floods during heavy rains and droughts during deficient rainfall.

The Vindhya Range and plateau regions experience a subtropical climate with slightly higher rainfall, ranging from 1,000 to 1,200 mm (39–47 inches) annually. During summer, maximum temperatures typically range between 30–38 °C (86–100 °F), with low relative humidity of around 20%, dust-laden winds, and the pervasive hot Loo winds, making the season particularly harsh in northern and western UP.