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General Information
Population (2001)- 20,795,956
Density- 108 per sq km
Area- 135,194 sq km
Districts- 16
Official language(s)- Hindi, Chhattisgarhi
Chhattisgarh is a state in central India. It was formed in 2000 when the sixteen Chhattisgarhi speaking south eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained statehood.
Raipur serves as its capital. It is the tenth largest state of India by area. Chhattisgarh takes its name from 36 (Chattis is 36 in Hindi and Garh is Fort) princely states in this region from very old times.
It borders Madhya Pradesh on the northwest, Maharashtra on the west, Andhra Pradesh on the south, Orissa on the east, Jharkhand on the northeast and Uttar Pradesh on the north.
32.5% of the population are scheduled tribes. This is the largest proportion among Indian states, though Madhya Pradesh still has a larger population of tribals.
The Gonds at more than 55 % form the largest proportion within the tribal population. They are distributed almost equally in urban and rural areas.
The Oraons the Kawars, the Halbis, the Bharias or Bhumiars, the Bhattras and the Napesias also form a substantial portion of the tribal population. Apart from this there are 30 other Scheduled Tribes.
The Chhattisgarhi language, part of the East Central group of Indo Aryan languages, is the predominant language in the region. It is often regarded by linguists to be a dialect of Hindi which is the official language of the state. The hill districts of the state serve as a home to the Gond people who speak Dravidian languages. |
