Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
- What is Madhya Pradesh?
- Where is Madhya Pradesh located in India?
- What is the capital city of Madhya Pradesh?
- What languages are commonly spoken in Madhya Pradesh?
- What are some famous historical or natural sites in Madhya Pradesh?
- How does Madhya Pradesh contribute to India's economy and culture?
News•
Madhya Pradesh, state ofIndia. As its name implies—madhya means “central” andpradesh means “region” or “state”—it is situated in the heart of the country. The state has no coastline and no international frontier. It is bounded by the states ofUttar Pradesh to the northeast,Chhattisgarh to the southeast,Maharashtra to the south,Gujarat to the southwest, andRajasthan to the northwest. The capital isBhopal, in the west-central part of the state. Area 119,016 square miles (308,252 square km). Pop. (2011) 72,597,565.
Land
Madhya Pradesh lies over a transitional area between theIndo-Gangetic Plain in the north and theDeccanplateau in the south. Its physiography is characterized by low hills, extensive plateaus, and river valleys.
Relief
The elevation of Madhya Pradesh ranges from 300 to 3,900 feet (90 to 1,200 metres). In the northern part of the state the land rises generally from south to north, while in the southern part it increases in elevation toward the west. Important ranges of hills are theVindhya Range, in the west, and its northern branch, theKaimur Hills, both of which reach elevations of 1,500 feet (460 metres), and theSatpura,Mahadeo, andMaikala ranges, in the south, which have elevations of more than 3,000 feet (900 metres). TheDhupgarh Peak (4,429 feet [1,350 metres]), near Pachmarhi in south-central Madhya Pradesh, is the state’s highest point. Northwest of the Vindhya Range is theMalwa Plateau (1,650 to 2,000 feet [500 to 600 metres]). Other features include theRewa Plateau, in the rugged eastern region of the Vindhya Range, theBundelkhand Upland, north of the Vindhyas, theMadhya Bharat Plateau, in the extreme northwest, and theBaghelkhand Plateau, in the northeast.
Drainage and soils
Madhya Pradesh contains the source of some of the most important rivers in the Indian peninsula: theNarmada, theTapti (Tapi), theMahanadi, and theWainganga (a tributary of theGodavari). TheChambal forms the state’s northern border withRajasthan andUttar Pradesh. Other rivers include tributaries of theYamuna and theSon (itself a tributary of theGanges [Ganga]).
Soils in Madhya Pradesh can be classified into two major groups. Fertile black soils are found in the Malwa Plateau, the Narmada valley, and parts of the Satpura Range. Less-fertile red-to-yellow soils are spread over much of eastern Madhya Pradesh.
Climate
Theclimate in Madhya Pradesh is governed by amonsoon weather pattern. The distinct seasons are summer (March through May), winter (November through February), and the intervening rainy months of the southwest monsoon (June through September). The summer is hot, dry, and windy; in Bhopal, low temperatures average in the upper 70s F (about 25 °C), while high temperatures typically reach the low 100s F (about 40 °C). Winters are usually pleasant and dry, with daily temperatures normally rising from about 50° (about 10 °C) into the upper 70s F (about 25 °C). Temperatures during the monsoon season usually range from the low 70s F (low 20s C) to the upper 80s F (low 30s C).
The average annual rainfall is about 44 inches (1,100 mm). In general, precipitation decreases westward and northward, from 60 inches (1,500 mm) or more in the east to about 32 inches (800 mm) in the west. TheChambal valley in the north averages less than 30 inches (750 mm) of rainfall per year. Most parts of Madhya Pradesh receive almost all of their precipitation in the monsoon months; however, there is considerable rainfall over the northern part of the state in December and January.
Plant and animal life
In the early 21st century, official statistics indicated that nearly one-third of the state’s total area was forested, but satellite imagery revealed the proportion to be closer to one-fifth. An even smaller percentage of Madhya Pradesh consists of permanent pasture or othergrazing land. The main forested areas include the Vindhya Range, the Kaimur Hills, the Satpura and Maikala ranges, and the Baghelkhand Plateau. Among the state’s most notable trees areteak and sal (Shorea robusta), both of which are valuable hardwoods; bamboo; salai (Boswellia serrata), which yields a resin used for incense and medicine; andtendu, the leaves of which are used for rolling bidis (Indian cigarettes).
The forests abound in large mammals, such as tigers, panthers, bears, gaurs (wild cattle), and many types of deer, includingchital (spotted deer),sambar,blackbucks, and the rarebarasingha (swamp deer). The woodlands also are home to many species of birds. Madhya Pradesh has a number of national parks and many wildlifesanctuaries, of which the best known areKanha National Park, in the southeastern part of the state, for the barasingha; Bandhavgarh National Park, in the east, for the endangered white tiger; andShivpuri (Madhav) National Park, in the north, where there is a bird sanctuary. The Kanha National Park has a sanctuary for tigers, and the National Chambal Sanctuary (administered jointly withRajasthan andUttar Pradesh), in the northwest, has been established for the conservation of (freshwater) Ganges river dolphins (Platanista gangetica), as well as crocodiles,gavials (crocodile-like reptiles), and various large terrestrial animals.
People
Population composition
About one-fifth of the people in Madhya Pradesh are officially classified as members ofScheduled Tribes (a category embracingindigenous peoples who fall outside the predominant Indian social hierarchy). Among the most prominent of these tribes are theBhil, Baiga,Gond,Korku, Kol, Kamar, and Maria. Non-Scheduled peoples, who hold a higher status within the Indian social system, make up most of the remaining four-fifths of the state’spopulation.
Hindi, the official state language, is also the language most widely spoken in Madhya Pradesh. Eastern Hindidialects, represented by Bagheli and Awadhi, are spoken in the southern and eastern parts of the state and in the upperNarmada River valley. Bundeli, a Western Hindidialect, is spoken in the central and northwestern districts of Madhya Pradesh; Malvi, recognized by some as a Western Hindi dialect as well, is the speech of western Madhya Pradesh.
The second most important language in terms of the number of speakers isMarathi.Urdu,Oriya,Gujarati, andPunjabi are each spoken by sizable numbers. Also spoken areTelugu,Bengali,Tamil, andMalayalam. The Bhil speak Bhili, and the Gond speakGondi.
Most of the people areHindus. There are, however, significant minorities ofMuslims,Jains,Christians, andBuddhists. There is also a smallSikh population.