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Women in India

Name of the State

Description

  Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is situated in the north west corner of India, right in the lap of the Himalayan ranges.  It is surrounded by Jammu and Kashmir in the north, Uttar Pradesh in the southeast, Haryana in the south and Punjab in the west; in the east, it forms India’s boundary with Tibet.

The state is almost entirely mountainous with altitudes ranging from 460 to 6600 meters above sea level.  It has a deeply dissected topography, a complex geological structure and a rich temperate flora in subtropical latitudes.

Himachal Pradesh is drained by a number of river, the most important of which are Chenab, Ravi, Beasm Sutlej and Yamuna.  All these rivers are snow-fed and hence perennial.  Besides, the natural reservoirs and the large drops available in the river courses provide immense potential for hydel power generation at low cost.

Agriculture and horticulture are the mainstay of Himachal’s economy as 71 per cent of people are engaged in these pursuits.  A wide variety of fruits and cash crops like potatoes, ginger, vegetable seeds, apples, and stone fruits are grown.  Wheat, maize, and paddy are the major cereal crops.  The literacy rate in Himachal Pradesh is 77.13%, higher than the national average of 65.68%.

Himachal Pradesh is studded with a number of hill stations, which are refreshingly cool in summer.  They offer to the tourists a quick holiday amidst breath-taking scenery.  Shimla, Dalhousie, Dharmasala (The Dalai Lamalives here), Kulu, Kasuali, Solan, Chail and Kufri are some of the famous hill stations.

Kharjiar in Chamba district has earned the name ‘Mini Switzerland’ because of the striking similarity in landscape.  The state abounds in wildlife among which are some rare species like musk deer, ibex, thar, Himalayan brown bear and snow leopard among animals and monal, tragopan, kokiash and snow-cocks among birds.

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  Jammu and Kashmir

The state lies in the extreme north of the country and is bounded on the north by China, on the east by Tibet and on the south by Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Pakistan.  The official language is Urdu.

Agriculture is the mainstay of the State’s economy.  The major crops are paddy, wheat, maize, barley, bajra, jowar, and gram. Kashmir handicrafts have always been a byword for excellence.  This sector provides employment to about 200 thousand people.  Kashmir carpets earn substantial foreign exchange.

The world’s highest observatory has been set up at Hanle, Ladakh.  The 300 km long Srinagar-Jammu national highway is the only surface link between Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country.

Kashmir is considered by many as the paradise for tourists both international and domestic.  Main centers of attraction are Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, etc.  Among places of pilgrim interest are Amarnath and Vaisnno Devi.  The tourist industry in the state had registered phenomenal growth during the past decades.  Tourist arrivals rose to the record level of 1 million by the end of the 1980s.  Ladakh, the meeting point of Indo-Tibetan and Central Asian cultures has the potential to be developed as a great tourist destination.  Leh has an airport.
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