Bihar
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The source of this article
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
