Uttar Pradesh is India`s fourth largest state. It is bordered by Nepal and the Indian states of Bihar, Jahrkhand,Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,Haryana and Uttaranchal and Delhi. It is the most populous state in India. It is a land of unending histories and charms. It can be described as a land of mesmerizing dreams. It is a land gifted with rich natural wealth. Both international and national tourists are attracted to this place and come in vast number. They are attracted to Uttar Pradesh as bees are attracted to flowers. The beauty of Uttar Pradesh is a myth that is never ending. There are two regions in this state its capital being Lucknow. They are the city of Agra and the holy cities of Varnasi, Ayodhya, Mathura and Allahabad. Some of the big names in Hindu sacred literature, such as Yajnavalkya, Vashishtha, Vishwamitra, Valmiki, Attriyea, Bharadwaja, Kapil and Vyas lived in these sylvan retreats of Uttar Pradesh and inspired millions through the ages.

The sacred rivers that flow through this state are the Ganga and Yamuna. The most important tourist sites of Uttar Pradesh are the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Dayal Bagh.

Added to the credit of Uttar Pradesh, we see that eight of India`s fourteen prime ministers hail from Uttar Pradesh. They are Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Choudhary Charan Singh, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Chandra Shekhar and Atal Behari Vajpayee.

History of Uttar Pradesh
The major part of Indo-Gangetic plain or the North fertile plain forms Uttar Pradesh. Known as UP since the Raj Days, Uttar Pradesh or " the Northern State" is the heart of Hinduism.the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The area of UP was occupied by Aryans or the Dasas and their main occupation was agriculture. The Aryans through conquests occupied the areas. They laid the foundations of Hindu civilization. It was during the Aryan inhabitation that the epics of Mahabharata, Ramayana, the Brahamanas and Puranas were written. The state was the heart of Mahabharatha war. The Khosala Kingdom of Ayodhya is said to have been incarnated in the city of Mathura. The Chaukhandi Stupa here marks the spot where Lord Buddha met his disciples. The Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath commemorates Buddha`s first sermon. Besides the Kurus and Panchalas the Vatsas, the Kosis, Hosalas, Videhas etc formed the early region of Uttar Pradesh. These areas were called Madhyadesa. During the rule of Ashoka, works for public welfare was taken up. Buddhism and Jainism came into this region during the rule of the Magadha Empire. It was a period of administrative and economic advancement.

Geography of Uttar Pradesh
The two pious rivers of Indian Mythology, Ganga and Yamuna garland Uttar Pradesh. On the East, Uttar Pradesh is surrounded by Bihar, on the South by Madhya Pradesh, on the West by Rajasthan, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and on the North by Uttaranchal. The Northern boarders of Uttar Pradesh are touched by Nepal. The area of the State is 2,36,286 sq kms. It between latitude of 24 deg to 31 deg and longitude of 77 deg to 84 deg East. In area wise it is the fourth largest State of India.

Economy of Uttar Pradesh
In Uttar Pradesh, there are the presence of different types of minerals as dolomite, gypsum, andalusite, magnetite, pyrophyllite, phosphorite, sibnite and bauxite. Several industries have come up in the region based on the presence of different types of minerals present in the region. The industries are engaged in the manufacturing of scales, locks, letter boxes, furniture, badges and belts, leather goods, scissor, handloom, carpet, glass, electrical goods etc. In the western regions of Uttar Pradesh, majority of the people depends on farming. Wheat, rice, sugar cane, pulses, oil seeds and potatoes are the main crops grown here. Sugar cane is an important cash crop grown here. Apples and mangoes are also produced in this state.

Government and politics of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh has a bi-carmel legislature and a Governor. The lower house is called Vidhan Sabha and the Upper House is called as Vidhan Parishad. The State has also a high court. The Department of Planning within the State Government is responsible for making developmental plan for the State.
The major parties of Uttar Pradesh are Samajawadi Party,Bharatiya Janata Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal , etc.

In the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Elections, Mayawati`s Bahujan Samaj Party achieved une majority status and as a result she emerged as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. She became Chief Minister for fourth time.

The state has the presence of a large number of village councils known as Panchayats. One of the most developed Panchayats is Shahabad in Maharajganj District of Uttar Pradesh.

Transport of Uttar Pradesh
The UPSRTC or the Uttar Pradesh Road Transportation Cooperation provides transportation services to the people of the State to Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. It has also connecting services to Uttaranchal and Delhi too. There are about 6800 busses and 309 bus stations. The USPTC runs the following services:

1. Short distance shuttle services which are operated on the basis of village tehsils district center network.
2. Express & Long route services generally cater to the need of train passengers. The main target of these long route services is to provide passenger comfort and as a result there is an increase in fares. A new non-stop (PAWAN) has been introduced at ordinary fares.
3. Deluxe & Semi-Deluxe services connect satellite towns. The corporation runs air-conditioned bus services between popular bus routes as Lucknow - Allahbad, Allahbad - Lucknow, Lucknow - Kanpur, Lucknow - Varanasi, Lucknow - Jhansi, Delhi - Agra, Agra - Meerut.

Demographics of Uttar Pradesh
India`s most populous state is Uttar Pradesh. It has a population density of about 166,052,859 as per the 2001 census. There is an average density of 689 persons per sq km i.e. 1,785 per sq mi. There are Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and all the people of different religions live together in harmony. Out of the total population Hindu`s constitute 82% and Muslims constitute 17%. The main language spoken by the people here is Hindi but Urdu is also widely spoken by the Muslim population. The capital of Uttar Pradesh is Lucknow. Hindus and Muslims consider the state as a holy place.

Flora and fauna of Uttar Pradesh
About 12.8% of the geographical areas of Uttar Pradesh are under forests. The important floras of Uttar Pradesh are rhododendrons, betula, silver fir, spruce, deodar, chir, oak, sal, gigantic haldu, dhak, teak, mahua, salai, sisso, chironji and tendu. The State has rich variety of fauna here. Its avifauna is among the richest in the country. In the jungles of Uttar Pradesh are found tiger, leopard, wild bear, sloth bear, elephant, gond, para, chinkara,sand grouse, musk deer, brown bear, chital, sambhar, jackal, porcupine, jungle cat, hare, squirrel, monitor, lizard and fox.

Districts of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh is the most populous country in India consisting of 175 million inhabitants. It is also the most populous country subdivision in the world. There are seventy districts in Uttar Pradesh and they are grouped into 17 divisions. They are Agra, Azamgarh, Allahabad, Bijnor, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Devipatan, Faizabad, Bahraich, Bareilly, Basti, Mirzapur, Moradabad, Meerut, Lucknow, Varanasi, Sultanpur, Farrukhabad and Saharanpur. The largest district in terms of area is Lakhimpur Kheri.. There are 403 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.

Culture of Uttar Pradesh
The majority of the population of Uttar Pradesh are Hindus. The state is entangled under rigid caste system.the tree amjor castes are Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. The people of the state are strictly orthodox. In the state there is the presence of a mixture of cities and villages as a result some part of the state is traditional and other part is modern.

Uttar Pradesh is renowned for its art and architecture. Varanasi is famous for saris and silks, Mirzapur and Bhadohi are famous for carpet making, Agra and Kanpur for their leather craft, Moradabad for its metal ware, Lucknow for its cloth work and embroidery, and the entire state for its pottery all around the world.

The important festivals celebrated by the Hindus of Uttar Pradesh are Karva Chauth, Dussehra , Ahoi Astami , Bhaiya Dooj, Shitla Ashtami, Ram Navami, Baisakhi Purnima , Guru Purnima , etc.

Education in Uttar Pradesh
In 1991, the alarming situation was that only one out of four in the 7+ age group was able to read and write. This figure further goes down deplorably to 19% in the rural areas. The eduacational background of the people of UP is far from good. The curse of is illiteracy engulfing the younger age group. In the year 1992- 93, only 50% of the males were literate and only 40% of the females could complete the cycle of eight years of schooling involved in the primary and middle stages. More than two-thirds of all rural girls in the 12-14 age group never went to school. Due to public apathy the schools are in disarray. The private schools are functioning well but are not reachable to the common people. The State Government has taken steps to make the population literate. There are special programes like DPEP. As per the 2001 census, there was progress in adult education. The male literacy rate rose to 70.23% and a female literacy rate of 42.98%.

Uttar Pradesh has 16 general universities and other institutions. Some of the famous universities are Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, Lucknow University, Allahabad University, Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University, Kanpur University, Agra University M.J.P.Rohilkhand University, Charan Singh University,V.B.S.Purvanchal University, Uttar Pradesh Technical University, Madan Mohan Malaviya Engineering College, the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Indian Institute of Information Technology , National Institute of Technology etc.

More on Uttar Pradesh
Cities of Uttar Pradesh
Festivals of Uttar Pradesh
Folk Dances of Uttar Pradesh
Museum of Uttar Pradesh
Temples of Uttar Pradesh
Universities of Uttar Pradesh