Map of Madhya Pradesh

History

Isolated remains of Homo erectus found in Hathnora in the Narmada Valley indicate that Madhya Pradesh might have been inhabited in the Middle Pleistocene era. Painted pottery, dated to the later Mesolithic period has been found in the Bhimbetka rock shelters. Chalcolithic sites belonging to the Kayatha culture (2100–1800 BCE) and Malwa culture (1700–1500 BCE) have been discovered in the western part of the state. Madhya Pradesh is also the world's ninth-most populous subnational entity.

The city of Ujjain arose as a major centre in the region, during the second wave of Indian urbanisation in the sixth century BCE. It has served as the capital of the Avanti kingdom.

Geography

Madhya Pradesh literally means "Central Province", and is located in the geographic heart of India in between the latitude of 21.6°N–26.30°N and longitude of 74°9'E–82°48'E. The state straddles the Narmada River, which runs east and west between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges; these ranges and the Narmada are the traditional boundaries between the north and south of India. The highest point in Madhya Pradesh is Dhupgarh, with an elevation of 1,350 m (4,429 ft).

The state is bordered on the west by Gujarat, on the northwest by Rajasthan, on the northeast by Uttar Pradesh, on the east by Chhattisgarh, and on the south by Maharashtra.

Madhya Pradesh also has three major seasons – Summer, Monsoon, and Winter.

Economy

Madhya Pradesh's gross state domestic product (nominal GDP) for 2013–14 was ₹ 4,509 billion (approximately US$ 72,726,000,000). The per-capita figure was US$ 871.45 in 2013–14, the sixth-lowest in the country. Between 1999 and 2008, the annualised growth rate of the state was very low: 3.5%. Subsequently, the state's GDP growth rate has improved significantly, rising to 8% during 2010–11 and 12% during 2011–12.

Madhya Pradesh is also famous for honey production in district Morena.

The state has an agrarian economy. The major crops of Madhya Pradesh are wheat, soybean, gram, sugarcane, rice, maize, cotton, rapeseed, mustard and arhar. Minor Forest Produce (MFP), such as tendu leaves used to roll beedi, sal seed, teak seed, and lak also contribute to state's rural economy.

Demographics

The population of Madhya Pradesh consists of a number of ethnic groups, tribes, castes and communities. The scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes constitute a significant portion of the population of the State at 15.6% and 21.1% respectively.

The main tribal groups in Madhya Pradesh are Gondi, Bhil, Baiga, Korku, Bharia, Halba, Malto and Sahariya. Tribal people form more than 50% of the population in the districts of Mandla, Dhar, Dindori, Barwani, Jhabua and Alirajpur. 90% of the people in Jhabua and Alirajpur have a tribal background.