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Some facts: Bihar; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India

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INDIA 2012

A REFERENCE ANNUAL

Compiled by

RESEARCH, REFERENCE AND TRAINING DIVISION

PUBLICATIONS DIVISION

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

BIHAR

Area : 94,163 sq km

Population : 8,28,78,796 (census 2001)

Capital : Patna

Principal Language : Hindi

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

Bihar finds mention in the Vedas, Puranas, epics, etc., and was the main scene of activities of Buddha and the 24 Jain Tirthankars. Great rulers of the State before the Christian era were Bimbisar, Udayin, who founded the city of Pataliputra, Chandragupta Maurya and Emperor Ashoka of Maurya dynasty, the Sungs and the Kanvas. Then came the Kushan rulers followed by Chandragupta Vikramaditya of the Gupta dynasty. Muslim rulers made inroads into the territory during the medieval period. The first conqueror of Bihar was Mohammed- bin-Bakhtiar Khalji. The Tughluqs and then the Mughals followed the Khaljis.

One of the major states of the Indian Union, Bihar is bounded on the north by Nepal, on the east by West Bengal, on the west by Uttar Pradesh and on the south by Jharkhand. Bihar has a number of rivers, the most important of which is the Ganga. The other rivers are the Sone, Poonpoon, Falgu, Karmanasa, Durgawati, Kosi, Gandak, Ghaghara, etc.

AGRICULTURE

Bihar has a total geographical area of about 93.60 lakh hectare, out of which only 55.54 lakh hectare is the net cultivated area with a gross cultivated area of 76.71 lakh hectare during 2008-09. The principal food crops are paddy, wheat, maize and pulses. Main cash crops are sugarcane, potato, tobacco, oilseeds, onion, chillies, jute and mesta. Bihar has a notified forest area of 6.22 lakh hectare , which is 6.65 per cent of its geographical area.

IRRIGATION

Bihar has an irrigation potential of 28.73 lakh hectare. It is created through major and medium irrigation schemes and 6.63 lakh hectare is through minor irrigation schemes.

GOVERNMENT

Governor : Shri D. Konwar

Chief Secretary : Shri Anup Mukherji

Chief Minister : Shri Nitish Kumar

Jurisdiction of High Court: Bihar

AREA, POPULATION AND HEADQUARTERS OF DISTRICTS

S.No. District Area (in sq km) Population Headquarters

(Census 2001)

1. Araria 2,830.00 21,58,608 Araria

2. Arwal 637.00 5,89,476 Arwal

3. Aurangabad 3,389.2 20,04,960 Aurangabad

4. Begusarai 1,918.00 23,49,366 Begusarai

5. Bhagalpur 2,569.00 24,23,172 Bhagalpur

6. Banka 3,020.00 16,08,773 Banka

7. Bhojpur 2,395.00 22,43,144 Arrah

8. Buxar 1,703.00 14,02,396 Buxar

9. Kaimur (Bhabhua) 3,362.00 12,89,074 Bhabhua

10. Darbhanga 2,279.00 32,95,789 Darbhanga

11. East Champaran 3,968.00 39,39,773 Motihari

12. Gaya 4,976.00 34,73,428 Gaya

13. Gopalganj 2,033.00 21,52,638 Gopalganj

14. Jahanabad 932.00 9,24,839 Jahanabad

15. Jamui 3,098.00 13,98,796 Jamui

16. Katihar 3,057.00 23,92,638 Katihar

17. Khagaria 1,486.00 1,28,00,354 Khagaria

18. Kishanganj 1,884.00 12,96,348 Kishanganj

19. Lakhisarai 1,228.00 8,02,225 Lakhisarai

20. Madhepura 1,788.00 15,26,646 Madhepura

21. Madhubani 3,501.00 35,75,281 Madhubani

22. Munger 1,419.00 11,37,297 Munger

23. Muzaffarpur 3,172.00 37,46,714 Muzaffarpur

24. Nalanda 2,355.00 23,70,528 Biharsharif

25. Nawada 2,494.00 18,09,696 Nawada

26. Patna 3,202.00 47,18,592 Patna

27. Purnea 3,229.00 25,43,942 Purnea

28. Rohtas 3,851.00 24,50,748 Sasaram

29. Saharsa 1,687.00 15,08,182 Saharsa

30. Samastipur 2,904.00 33,94,793 Samastipur

31. Saran 2,641.00 32,48,701 Chapra

32. Shekhpura 689.00 5,25,502 Sitamarhi

33. Sheohar 349.00 5,15,961 Sheohar

34. Sitamarhi 2,294.00 26,82,720 Sitamarhi

35. Siwan 2,219.00 27,14,349 Siwan

36. Supaul 2,425.00 17,32,578 Supaul

37. Vaishali 2,036.00 27,18,421 Hazipur

38. West Champaran 5,228.00 30,43,466 Bettiah