Madhya Pradesh (MP)literally( "Central
Province") is a state in the central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and is
the largest city is Indore. Nicknamed the "heart of India" due to its
geographical location in India, Madhya Pradesh is the second largest state in
the country by area. With over 75 million inhabitants, it is the sixth largest
state in India by population. It borders the states of Uttar Pradesh to the
northeast, Chhattisgarh to the southeast, Maharashtra to the south, Gujarat to
the west, and Rajasthan to the northwest.
The area covered by the present-day Madhya
Pradesh includes the area of the ancient Avanti mahajanapada, whose capital Ujjain
(also known as Avanti) arose as a major city during the second wave of Indian
urbanisation in the sixth century BCE. Subsequently, the region was ruled by
the major dynasties of India, including the Mauryans, Satvahanas, Rashtrakutas,
the Mughals and the Marathas. By the early 18th century, the region was divided
into several small kingdoms which were captured by the British and incorporated
into Central Provinces and Berar and the Central India Agency. After India's
independence, Madhya Pradesh state was created with Nagpur as its capital: this
state included the southern parts of the present-day Madhya Pradesh and
north-eastern portion of today's Maharashtra. In 1956, this state was reorganised
and its parts were combined with the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh
and Bhopal to form the new Madhya Pradesh state with Bhopal as its capital; the
Marathi-speaking Vidarbha region was removed and merged with the then Bombay
State. This state was the largest in India by area until 2000, when its
southeastern Chhattisgarh region was made a separate state.Madhya Pradesh is home to a large tribal population, who have been largely cut-off from the mainstream development. This makes Madhya Pradesh one of the least developed states in India, with an HDI (Human Development Index) value of 0.375 (2011), which is well below the national average. The state's per-capita gross state domestic product (nominal GDP) is the fourth lowest in the country (2010–11).
Three sites in Madhya Pradesh have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO: the Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986) including Devi Jagadambi temple, Rewa, BuddhistMonuments at Sanchi (1989) and the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003). Other architecturally significant or scenic sites include Ajaigarh, Amarkantak, Asirgarh, Bandhavgarh, Bawangaja, Bhopal, Vidisha, Chanderi, Chitrakuta, Dhar, Gwalior, Indore, Burhanpur, Maheshwar, Mandleshwar, Mandu, Omkareshwar, Orchha, Pachmarhi, Shivpuri, Sonagiri, Mandla and Ujjain.
Major Attractions in Madhya Pradesh:
National Parks
Madhya Pradesh is home to several National Parks,
including:
- Bandhavgarh National Park
- Kanha National Park
- Satpura National Park
- Sanjay National Park
- Madhav National Park
- Van Vihar National Park
- Mandla Plant Fossils National Park
- Panna National Park
- Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
Nature reserves
There are also a number of nature
preserves, including:
- Pachmarhi
- Amarkantak
- Bagh Caves
- Bhedaghat
- Bori Wildlife Sanctuary
- Ken Gharial
- Ghatigaon
- Kuno Palpur
- Narwar
- Chambal
- Kukdeshwar
- Narsinghgarh
- Nora Dehi
- Panpatha, Shikargan
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Capital :
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Jabalpur,
Bhopal
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Area:
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308,252 square km
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State Bird:
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Asian Paradise Flycatcher
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State Animal:
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Barasingha
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State Flower:
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Palash
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State Language:
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Hindi
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State Sport:
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Malkhamb
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State Dance:
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Bihu
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Chief Minister:
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Ravishankar
Shukla
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Major Occupation:
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Agriculture
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Time Zone:
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UTC/GMT +5:30 hours
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