Uttarakhand is described as the land of celestial beauty. Uttarakhand is one of the most bewitching and enchanting regions of northern India. Each and every corner of this place is worth seeing. Nature has endowed this land with so much beauty and spiritual bliss that it is also known as Dev Bhoomi, or the abode of Gods. It is believed that the peaks and valleys of this state were abodes of gods and goddesses. Ganga, Yamuna and scores of other rivers originate in Uttarakhand. The beauty of Uttarakhand cannot be described as it has unfathomable beauty. It seems that nature has blessed Uttarakand immensely. The rivers, snow clad mountains, cliffs all add to the natural beauty of the place.

Historically, Uttarakhand is believed to be the land where the Vedas and the Shastras were composed and the great epic, the Mahabharata, was written. As such, Rishikesh is widely considered the Yoga capital of the world.

Origin of name of Uttarakhand
Till 1998, Uttarakhand was the name commonly used. However, the term Uttaranchal came into use when the BJP-led central government initiated a new round of state reorganization in 2000 and introduced its preferred name. The name change generated enormous controversy among the state activists who saw it as a political act, however they were not quite as successful. Nevertheless, the name Uttarakhand remained popular in the region, even while Uttaranchal was promulgated through official usage. In August 2006, India`s Union Cabinet assented to the four year old demand of the Uttaranchal state assembly and leading members of the Uttarakhand movement to rename Uttaranchal state as Uttarakhand.

Geography of Uttarakhand
Bordering Tibet and Nepal on the Northeast of Delhi, the mountains of Garhwal and Kumaon ascend from the lush and fertile Sub-Himalayan plains. Together they form the new state of Uttaranchal, also known as Uttarkhand. This state was formed from the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh. Uttarakhand is both the traditional and new name of the state. It was actually the ancient Puranic name for the inner stretch of the Indian Himalayas. The peaks and valleys of this state were known as the abode of gods and goddesses. Uttarakhand has to its credit some of the sacred pilgrimage spot of the Hindu`s. It was the source of the River Ganges.

Uttarakhand is situated between 770 34` to 810 2` east longitude and 280 4` to 310 27` North latitude. The climate of the state varies from subtropical in valleys to temperate on higher slopes. The state is very rich in natural resources as forest and water, as it has many glaciers, dense forests, mountain peaks and a network of mighty rivers viz., Ganga, Yamuna, Ramganga, Kosi etc. A total of 64.6% of the area is under forest cover.

History of Uttarakhand
To its credit the name of Uttarakhand finds mention even in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manakhand and Himavat. It is often called the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines. It was actually the ancient Puranic name for the inner stretch of the Indian Himalayas. The Kushanas, Kudinas, Kanishka, Samudra, Gupta, the Pauravas, Katuris, Palas, the Chandras and Pawaras and the British have ruled Uttarakhand in turns. In 1791 the expanding Gurkha Empire (people from Nepal) overran Almora, which was the seat of the Kumaon Kingdom. Later on, in the 19th century, expansion of the Gurkha Empire was brought to an end by British annexation of these regions. The Garhwal Kingdom was reestablished from Tehri(Tehri is a city and a municipal board in Tehri Garhwal District in the Indian state of Uttaranchal, which has been renamed now as Uttarakhand) and eastern British. Garhwal and Kumaon had to yield to the British as part of the Treaty of Sugauli. After the Indepndence, the princely state of Tehri was merged into Uttar Pradesh where Uttarakhand composed of the Garhwal and Kumaon Divisions.

The present state of Uttaranchal was earlier a part of the United Province of Agra and Awadh. In January 1950, the United Province was renamed, as Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal remained a part of Uttar Pradesh. It emerged as an individual state on 9 November 2000. It became the 27th state of India.

Economy of Uttarakhand
The state of Uttarakhand is rich in minerals like limestone rock phosphate, dolomite, magnesite, copper graphite, soap stone, gypsum, etc. The number of small-scale industries here are 41,216 and there is an asset of Rs. 305.58 crore. There are the presence of 191 heavy industries which runs on a profit of Rs.2, 694.66 crore. Most of the industries here are forest based. In the year 2003, a new industrial policy with tax benefits for investors was started and this led to a massive upsurge of capital investment. The State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand (SIDCUL) has established seven industrial estates in the southern periphery of the state, while dozens of hydroelectric dams are being built in the upper reaches.

90% of the population here depend on agrikculture. The total area under cultivation in Uttarakhand is 12,61,915 hectares. To its credit the state has an excellent potential for hydropower generation. There are a number of hydroelectric projects on the rivers of Yamuna, Bhagirathi, Ganga, Ramganga and Sharda, generating electricity. Out of 15,669 villages of Uttarakhand 12,315 villages have been electrified. Uttarakhand`s gross state domestic product for the year 2004 was $6 billion in current prices.

Districts of Uttarakhand
The present administrative set-up of Uttarakhand is inherited from state of Uttar Pradesh. There are 49 tehsils, 95 development blocks, 71 municipal areas, 676 Nyay Panchayats and 6805 Gram Panchayats. In total there are 15669 villages at Uttarakhand. There are 13 districts in Uttarakhand. These districts are divided into two divisions. The two divisions are Garhwal division and Kumaon division. There are seven districts under Garhwal division and six districts under Kumaon division.
The seven districts under the Garhwal division are :

Flora and fauna of Uttarakhand