Overview of Uttarakhand

UTTARAKHAND

Uttarakhand formerly known as Uttaranchal is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" ("Land of the Gods") due to numerous Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is known for the natural environment of the Himalayas, the Bhabar and the Terai regions. It borders Tibet Region of China to the north; the Nepal to the east; the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the west and north-west. The state is divided into two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon, with a total of 13 districts. The winter capital of Uttarakhand is Dehradun, the largest city of the state. On 4 March 2020, Gairsain, a town in Chamoli District, was declared the summer capital of the state. The High Court of the state is located in Nainital.

Demographics of Uttarakhand

Country	India
State	Uttrakhand
District	13 districts
Area	20,682 sq mi
Population (Census 2011)	10,116,752
Coordinates	30°20'N 78°04'E? / ?30.33°N 78.06°E

Uttarakhand has 13 districts which are grouped into two divisions namely Garhwal division and Kumaon division.

The Garhwal division includes seven districts.

• Dehradun
• Uttarkashi
• Tehri Garhwal
• Rudraprayag
• Haridwar
• Pauri Garhwal
• Chamoli

The Kumaon division includes six districts.

• Almora
• Pithoragarh
• Nainital
• Bageshwar
• Champawat
• Udham Singh Nagar

Uttrakhand State Information
Capital	Dehradun (winter), Gairsain (summer)
Date of formation	9. Nov. 2000
Governor	Baby Rani Maurya
Chief Minister	Trivendra Singh Rawat
Tourist attractions	Corbett NP, Nainital, Almora, Valley of Flowers, Nanda Devi Park, Raja Ji NP, Auli, Chopta, etc.
Festivals	Devidhura Mela, Nanda Devi Mela, Purnagiri Mela, Jhanda Mela, Anusuya Mela,  Major dance and music forms, Garhwali and Kumaoni folk dance and music
Arts and crafts	Kholi woodcarving; Aipan or rangoli, etc.
Languages	Hindi, Garhwali, Kumaoni
Rivers	Ganga, Yamuna, Ramganga, Kali, Alaknanda, Yamuna, Pinder, Mandakini, etc.
Forests and wildlife sanctuaries	Nanda Devi NP, Rajaji NP, Corbett Tiger Reserve, Kedarnath sanctuary
State animal	Himalayan musk deer
State bird	Himalayan monal
State flower	Brahm-kamal
State tree	Burans
Major crops	Rice, wheat, barley, jowar, oilseed, etc.

Languages

The official language of Uttarakhand is Hindi which is spoken natively by 43% of the population (primarily concentrated in the south). Additionally, the classical language Sanskrit has been declared a second official language.

The other major regional languages of Uttarakhand are Garhwali, which is spoken by 23% of the population mostly in the western half of the state, Kumaoni, spoken in the eastern half and native to 20%, and Jaunsari, whose speakers are concentrated in Dehradun district in the southwest and make up 1.3% of the state's population. There are also sizable populations of speakers of Urdu (4.2%) and Punjabi (2.6%), both mostly found in the southern districts, Bengali (1.5%) and Bhojpuri (0.95%), both mainly present in Udham Singh Nagar districts in the south-east, and Nepali (1.1%, found throughout the state, but most notably in Dehradun and Uttarkashi).

Sports

The high mountains and rivers of Uttarakhand attract many tourists and adventure seekers. It is also a favourite destination for adventure sports, such as paragliding, sky diving, rafting and bungee jumping.

More recently, golf has also become popular with Ranikhet being a favourite destination.

The Cricket Association of Uttarakhand is the governing body for cricket activities. The Uttarakhand cricket team represents Uttarakhand in Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy.

The Uttarakhand State Football Association is the governing body for association football. The Uttarakhand football team represents Uttarakhand in the Santosh Trophy and other leagues.