Himachal Pradesh, state NW India, in the W Himalayas, bordered by the Tibet region of
China on the east. Shimla is the capital. The state is covered with forested
mountains, and the valleys are extensively cultivated. The forests have supplied
large quantities of timber and wood products, but severe deforestation has led
to a tree-planting program and the cessation of live tree-cutting. The emphasis
in recent years is toward the protection of watersheds for future hydroelectric
development. Potatoes, wheat, and corn are grown, as are most of India's apples,
peaches, and apricots. Salt is mined and handicrafts are made. Pahari-speaking
Hindus inhabit the lower hill area; peoples of Tibetan origin live in the high
mountain regions.
Himachal Pradesh was formed as a union territory in 1948 by the merger of 30
former Punjabi princely states. The small state of Bilaspur was merged with it
in 1954. In 1966 five more districts and parts of two others from Punjab were
added to the territory. Himachal Pradesh became a state in 1971. It is governed
by a chief minister and cabinet responsible to an elected unicameral legislature
and by a governor appointed by the president of India.
Himachal Pradesh - the land of the eternal snow peaks - takes
in the transition zone from the plains to the high Himalayas and in the
trans-Himalayan region of Lahaul and Spiti actually crosses the mighty barrier
to the Tibetan plateau. The State is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir in the north,
Punjab in the west, Haryana in the south, Uttar Pradesh in the southeast and
Tibet in the east.
Himachal Pradesh is a glorious mountain state, of crystal lakes, vast
stretches of brilliant flowers, ancient shrines and beautiful people. This state
lies in the northern part of the country, in the lap of the mighty Himalayas, at
an altitude, that varies from 460 to 6600 metres above sea level. It is
surrounded by Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Tibet.
Himachal Pradesh is girdled by the Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges in the
northwest, dominated by the great Himalayas in the northeast, and marked with
lower ridges of the Shivalik ranges in the southeast.
Himachal has five mighty, snow fed rivers flowing through it - the Chenab,
Ravi, Beas, Sutlej and Yamuna. Climatically, this state is divisible into two
regions - the south which is as warm as the plains, and the north where the
summers are temperate, and winters are extremely cold. The people of Himachal
Pradesh are simple and unsophisticated, lively and good - natured, with a
penchant for colourful fairs and festivals. Most of them are fair complexioned,
with sharp Aryan features, while some have pronounced Mongloid features. The
clothes of the Himachalis are vibrant, and each region is characterised by a
typical dress. The headgear worn by both men and women is the unique feature of
their attire. Hindi is spoken throughout Himachal, though each valley possesses
its own dialect.
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