The land area of Uttar Pradesh is 243,290 square kilometres (93,935 sq mi) and is same as the size of United Kingdom. Uttar Pradesh is a state in northern province of India. With a population of 200 million, it is the most populous state India. Its shares the northern international borders with Nepal, north-western borders with Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, western and south-western borders with Rajasthan and Madhyapradesh and eastern borders with Bihar and Jharkhand. Capital city is Lucknow.
The state has been witness to many ancient empires of India – Maurya Empire, Harsha Empire, Gupta Empire, Pala Empire, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire as well as many other empires. There are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Uttar Pradesh – the incredible Taj Mahal (one of the seven wonders of the world), Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri. Uttar Pradesh is known for it’s rich culture and tradition and is home to Ayodhya and Mathura, birthplace of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna respectively. Uttar Pradesh has several historical, mythical and pilgrimage tourist destinations like Agra, Allahabad, Aligarh, Ayodhya, Kushinagar, Varanasi and Vrindavan.
The larger Gangetic Plain exists in the northern part of the state covering the Ganges-Yamuna Doab, the Ghaghra plains, the Ganges plains and the Terai. The smaller Vindhya Range and plateau region is in the south. The two major rivers of the state, the Ganges and Yamuna join at Triveni Sangam in Allahabad and flow further east as Ganges. Other prominent rivers are Gomti and Saryu. 6.9% of the land area is covered by forests. Tropical dry deciduous forests are found in all parts of the plains.
Major tourist attractions of Uttar Pradesh:
- Historical & Religious Places – Varanasi, Mathura-Vrindhavan, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Kausambhi, Chunar Fort, Vindhyachal etc.
- Mughal Architectural Beauties – Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Bara Imambara, Chota Imambara, Rumi Darwaza, Begum Huzrat Mahal etc.
- Flora & Fauna – Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Pilibhit Tiger Resrve and Etawah Safari Park.
