Uttar Pradesh is the second largest Indian state by economy and holds the third largest economy (2011-12) in India, with a GDP of 708,000 crore rupees. The largest parts of the state's economy are the agriculture and service industries. The service sector includes travel, tourism and hotel industry, real estate, financial and insurance consultancies. The leading occupation in Uttar Pradesh is agriculture, where wheat is the principal food crop and sugarcane the main commercial crop. Approximately 70% of the country's sugar comes from Uttar Pradesh. The state has localized and large industries manufacturing products like steel, textiles, electronics, leather, cables, engineering products, automobiles, railway coaches and wagons, electrical equipment, etc. The state also has many small-scale industrial units. U.P. is also attracting foreign direct investment in the software and electronics fields, making Noida and Lucknow a major hub for Information Technology industry.
With its affluent and diverse topography, vivacious culture, festivals, monuments and ancient places of worship, Uttar Pradesh is first in the domestic tourist arrivals with more than 71 million each year. Some of the famous places of interest in Uttar Pradesh are: Varanasi - the city of temples, Agra - famous for Taj Mahal which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Allahabad - famous for the Kumbh Mela, Kanpur - the commercial and Industrial hub of U.P., Lucknow - the capital city of U.P., Mathura, Vrindavan, Ayodhya, Jhansi, Sarnath - where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, Kushinagar - where Gautama Buddha is believed to have attained Parinirvana after his death, Meerut, Mirzapur, Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida - IT, Electronics and education hub, Gorakhpur, etc
Uttar Pradesh is a big state, situated in the northern region of India. The state was previously known as the United Provinces. The capital of Uttar Pradesh is Lucknow and the biggest city of the state is Kanpur. Lucknow serves as the legislative and administrative capital of the state and at the same time, Kanpur serves as the commercial and industrial capital of the state. With a population of 200,000,000, Uttar Pradesh ranks as the most populated state in India. Agricultural operations form the backbone of the economy of the state. The state of Uttar Pradesh is made up of seventy districts and these districts are further grouped into 18 divisions.
A number of kingdoms reigned over Uttar Pradesh and they include the
| Nanda | Mauryan | Rashtrakuta |
| Magadha | Gupta | Gurjara |
| Sunga | Kushan | Mughal |
| -- | -- | Pala kingdoms |
Area of Uttar Pradesh
The state covers a total area of 243,290 km2 or 93,933 sq miles.
Important cities and towns in Uttar Pradesh
The state of Uttar Pradesh houses various traditionally significant and historic cities like Varanasi, Allahabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, and Agra.
Varanasi, formerly named as Kashi, ranks among the most sacred religious sites for the followers of Hinduism. In addition, the popular tourist destinations include Ayodhya (the birthplace of Lord Rama), Jhansi, Lalitpur (the place which houses the earliest Vishnu mandirs in India), Mathura (the birthplace of Lord Krishna), Moradabad, Meerut, Bareilly, Aligarh, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, and Noida. Uttar Pradesh houses Agra which is famous all over the world for the Taj Mahal. This historic monument is a symbol of love and one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a world heritage site as well. The biggest city in Uttar Pradesh is Kanpur which is famous for its leather industry.
Metropolitan Cities in Uttar Pradesh
Given below are the names of the prominent metropolitan cities in Uttar Pradesh:
| Lucknow Kanpur | Allahabad Varanasi | Noida Ghaziabad | Agra Meerut |
Districts of Uttar Pradesh
Given below are the names of the 70 districts of the state:
| Agra | Deoria | Kannauj | Pratapgarh |
| Aligarh | Etah | Kanpur Dehat | Rae Bareli |
| Allahabad | Etawah | Kanpur Nagar | Rampur |
| Ambedkar Nagar | Faizabad | Kaushambi | Saharanpur |
| Auraiya | Farrukhabad | Kheri | Sant Kabir Nagar |
| Azamgarh | Fatehpur | Kushinagar | Sant Ravidas Nagar (Bhadohi) |
| Baghpat | Firozabad | Lalitpur | Shahjahanpur |
| Bahraich | Gautam Buddha Nagar | Lucknow | Shrawasti |
| Ballia | Ghaziabad | Mahoba | Siddharthnagar |
| Balrampur | Ghazipur | Mahrajganj | Sitapur |
| Banda | Gonda | Mainpuri | Sonbhadra |
| Bara Banki | Gorakhpur | Mathura | Sultanpur |
| Bareilly | Hamirpur | Mau | Unnao |
| Basti | Hardoi | Meerut | Varanasi |
| Bijnor | Mahamaya Nagar | Mirzapur | Kanshiram Nagar |
| Budaun | Jalaun | Moradabad | Prabuddha Nagar |
| Bulandshahar | Jaunpur | Muzaffarnagar | Panchsheel Nagar |
| Chandauli | Jhansi | Pilibhit | Bhim Nagar |
| Chitrakoot | Jyotiba Phule Nagar |
Divisions of Uttar Pradesh
The seventy districts of the state are grouped under 18 divisions and they are as follows:
| Allahabad Division | Faizabad Division | Mirzapur Division |
| Agra Division | Basti Division | Kanpur Division |
| Bareilly Division | Jhansi Division | Saharanpur Division |
| Aligarh Division | Devipatan Division | Meerut Division |
| Chitrakoot Division | Lucknow Division | Varanasi Division |
| Azamgarh Division | Gorakhpur Division | Moradabad Division. |
Geographical features of Uttar Pradesh
The state shares its borders with the following states in India:
| Himachal Pradesh | Haryana | Jharkhand |
| Uttarakhand | Madhya Pradesh | Chhattisgarh |
| Delhi | Rajasthan | Bihar |
The state shares its overseas frontiers with Nepal. Hypsographically, the state can be split into two areas and they are as follows:
- The bigger Gangetic Plain area (The area is made up of the Ghaghra plains, the Ganges-Yamuna Doab, the Terai and the Gangetic plains)
- The Vindhya Hills and Plateau area
Demographic features of Uttar Pradesh
- Approximately 80% are Hindus
- About 18% are Muslims
- Other communities include Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, and Christians.
Government of Uttar Pradesh
The Government of Uttar Pradesh is an independently voted authority. The governor of the state functions as the constitutional head of the state government. He is appointed for a term of five years. The chief minister functions as the administrative head of the state. He or she rules the state with his or her council of ministers.
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
Currently, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh is Mr. Akhilesh Yadav. He represents the SP or Samajwadi Party.
Economy of Uttar Pradesh
The economy of the state is primarily dependent on agriculture. However, other important industries of the state include heavy engineering, leather, chemical, and information technology.
Tourism in Uttar Pradesh
The top tourist attractions in Uttar Pradesh are as follows:
| Agra Fort | Ayodhya | Kushinagar |
| Taj Mahal | Vrindavan | Sarnath |
| Fatehpur Sikri | Mathura | Lucknow |
| Varanasi | Budaun | Ghazipur |
| Allahabad |
Festivals in Uttar Pradesh
The most famous festivals in Uttar Pradesh are:
| Holi | Muharram | Chhath Puja |
| Diwali | Buddha Jayanti | Ram Navami |
| Dashehra | Mahavir Jayanti | Krishna Janmashtami |
| Eid | Guru Nanak Jayanti | Mahashivratri |
| Barah Wafat | Christmas | Bakreed |
Last Updated on 12/12/2012
