Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (/hɪˌmɑːtʃəl prəˈdɛʃ/; Hindi: [ɦɪˈmäːtʃəl pɾəˈd̪eːʃ] ⓘ; lit. "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterised by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks and extensive river systems. Himachal Pradesh is the northernmost state of India and shares borders with the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the north, and the states of Punjab to the west, Haryana to the southwest, Uttarakhand to the southeast and a very narrow border with Uttar Pradesh to the south. The state also shares an international border to the east with the Tibet Autonomous Region in China. Himachal Pradesh is also known as Dev Bhoomi or Dev Bhumi, meaning 'Land of Gods' and Veer Bhoomi which means 'Land of the Brave'.
Himachal Pradesh | |
|---|---|
State | |
| Etymology: "Land of the snow-clad mountains" | |
| Nickname: "Mountain State" | |
| Motto(s): Satyameva Jayate (Truth alone triumphs) | |
Location of Himachal Pradesh in India | |
| Coordinates: 31°6′12″N 77°10′20″E | |
| Country | India |
| Region | North India |
| Before was | Punjab States Agency |
| As state | 25 January 1971 |
| Formation | 1 November 1956 |
| Capital | Shimla Dharamshala (winter) |
| Largest city | Shimla |
| Districts | 12 |
| Government | |
| • Body | Government of Himachal Pradesh |
| • Governor | Shiv Pratap Shukla |
| • Chief minister | Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (INC) |
| State Legislature | Unicameral |
| • Assembly | Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (68 seats) |
| National Parliament | Parliament of India |
| • Rajya Sabha | 3 seats |
| • Lok Sabha | 4 seats |
| High Court | Himachal Pradesh High Court |
| Area | |
| • Total | 55,673 km2 (21,495 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 18th |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 300 km (200 mi) |
| • Width | 200 km (100 mi) |
| Elevation | 350 m (1,150 ft) |
| Highest elevation (Reo Purgyil) | 6,813 m (22,352 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 232 m (761 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 6,864,602 |
| • Rank | 21st |
| • Density | 123/km2 (320/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 10.03% |
| • Rural | 89.97% |
| Demonym | Himachalis |
| Language | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| • Additional official | Sanskrit |
| • Official script | Devanagari script |
| GDP | |
| • Total (2024–2025) | ₹2.27 lakh crore (US$28 billion) |
| • Rank | 22nd |
| • Per capita | ₹286,401 (US$3,600) (14th) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-HP |
| Vehicle registration | HP |
| HDI (2021) | 0.703 High (7th) |
| Literacy (2011) | 86.06% (10th) |
| Sex ratio (2011) | 972♀/1000 ♂ (32nd) |
| Website | himachal |
| Symbols of Himachal Pradesh | |
| Bird | Western tragopan |
| Fish | Golden Mahseer |
| Flower | Pink rhododendron |
| Mammal | Snow leopard |
| Tree | Deodar cedar |
| State highway mark | |
| State highway of Himachal Pradesh HP SH1 - HP SH43 | |
| List of Indian state symbols | |
The predominantly mountainous region comprising the present-day Himachal Pradesh has been inhabited since pre-historic times, having witnessed multiple waves of human migrations from other areas. Through its history, the region was mostly ruled by local kingdoms, some of which accepted the suzerainty of larger empires. Prior to India's independence from the British, Himachal comprised the hilly regions of the Punjab Province of British India. After independence, many of the hilly territories were organised as the Chief Commissioner's province of Himachal Pradesh, which later became a Union Territory. In 1966, hilly areas of the neighbouring Punjab state were merged into Himachal and it was ultimately granted full statehood in 1971.
Himachal Pradesh is spread across valleys with many perennial rivers flowing through them. Agriculture, horticulture, hydropower, and tourism are important constituents of the state's economy. The hilly state is almost universally electrified, with 99.5% of households having electricity as of 2016. The state was declared India's second open-defecation-free state in 2016. According to a survey of CMS-India Corruption Study in 2017, Himachal Pradesh is India's least corrupt state.
Himachal Pradesh is divided into 12 districts.