Uttar Pradesh (UP) is a northern Indian state founded in 1950. With nearly 200 million people, it is the world's and India's most populous state. The state has 18 divisions and 75 districts. Lucknow is the state capital, and Prayagraj functions as the judicial capital. Uttaranchal (now Uttarakhand) was formed from the western Himalayan hill area of Uttar Pradesh on November 9, 2000. The state's two largest rivers, the Ganges and it's tributary Yamuna, meet at Prayagraj's Triveni Sangam, a Hindu pilgrimage destination. Gomti and Saryu are two more significant rivers. The state's forest cover accounts for 6.1% of its geographical area. The cultivable area in UP accounts for 82% of its overall geographical area, whereas the net area planted in UP is 68.5% of the cultivable area.
The state is bounded to the west by Rajasthan, to the northwest by Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi, to the north by Uttarakhand and an international border with Nepal, to the east by Bihar, to the south by Madhya Pradesh, and the southeast by Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Despite its long history of sugar production, the state's economy is currently dominated by the services sector. Travel and tourism, the hotel business, real estate, insurance, and financial consultants are all examples of service industries. Uttar Pradesh has the third-largest state economy in India, with a gross domestic output of 17.05 lakh crore (US$210 billion) and a per capita Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of 65,431 (US$820).
Currently, the state has three international airports: Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow, Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport in Varanasi, and Kushinagar International Airport in Kushinagar. The North Central Railway is headquartered in Allahabad Junction, whereas the North Eastern Railway is headquartered at Gorakhpur Railway Station.
Depending on their region of origin, residents of the state are referred to as Awadhi, Bagheli, Bhojpuri, Braji, Bundeli, Kannauji, or Rohilkhandi. About three-fourths of the population practices Hinduism, while Islam is the second-largest religious group. Along with Urdu, Hindi is the most frequently spoken language in the state. Following Hindi, Bhojpuri is the state's second most commonly spoken language. Several holy Hindu temples and pilgrimage sites are found throughout the state. Uttar Pradesh contains three World Heritage sites and is India's top tourist attraction. Agra, Aligarh, Ayodhya, Kushinagar, Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Vrindavan are among Uttar Pradesh's historical, natural, and religious tourist spots.
UP has a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons. The winter months are followed by the summer months of March and May and the monsoon season of June and September. Summers are harsh, with temperatures ranging from 0-50 °C in some areas of the state, accompanied by dry, scorching winds known as the Loo. The climate of the Gangetic plain ranges from semiarid to sub-humid. The average annual rainfall in the state ranges from 650 mm in the southwest to 1000 mm in the eastern and southeastern sections. The Bay of Bengal branch of the Indian monsoon, primarily a summer event, is the primary source of rain in most areas of the state. The southwest monsoon delivers most of the rain here after summer, although rain from western disturbances and the northeast monsoon add tiny amounts to the state's overall precipitation.
The yearly average rainfall in Uttar Pradesh ranges from 170 cm in mountainous parts to 84 cm in Western Uttar Pradesh. Because the majority of this rainfall falls during the monsoon season, excess rain can cause floods, and a lack of rain can cause droughts. As a result, floods and droughts are typical occurrences throughout the state. The Vindhya Range and plateau climate is subtropical, with an annual rainfall of 1000 to 1200 mm.
The sex ratio in Uttar Pradesh is 912/1000.
The current population of UP is around 228.96 million.
Uttar Pradesh was earlier called as United Province.
The average literacy rate of UP is 73% in 2022.
Allahabad has the highest literacy rate in UP.