History of Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh
Location of Himachal Pradesh in India
Coordinates	31°06′40″N 77°09′14″E / 31.111°N 77.154°E / 31.111; 77.154
Country	India
District(s)	12
Established	25 January 1971
Capital	Shimla
Largest city	Shimla
Governor	Prabha Rau
Chief Minister	Prem Kumar Dhumal
Legislature (seats)	Unicameral (68)
Population • Density	6,077,900 (20th) • 109 /km2 (282 /sq mi)
Official languages	Hindi, Pahari
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area	55,673 km2 (21,495 sq mi)
ISO 3166-2	IN-HP

Himachal Pradesh is a state in north India. It is spread over 21,495 sq mi (55,673 km²), and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on north, Punjab on west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on south, Uttarakhand on south-east and by Tibet, China on the east. The literal meaning of Himachal Pradesh is Region of snowy mountains.

Himachal Pradesh was also known as Deva Bhumi (the land of the gods). The Aryan influence in the region dates back to the period before the Rigveda. After the Anglo Gorkha War, the British colonial government came into power. It was initially part of Punjab, except the Siba State of Punjab Hills which was under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh until 1857. In 1950 Himachal was declared as a union territory but after the State of Himachal Pradesh Act 1971, Himachal emerged as the 18th state of the Indian Union.

Himachal Pradesh has one of the highest per capita incomes of any state in India. Due to the abundance of perennial rivers, Himachal also sells hydro electricity to other states such as Delhi, Punjab & Rajasthan. The economy of the state is highly dependent on three sources: hydroelectric power, tourism and agriculture.