north India
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state, located mainly in the Indo-Gangetic plain and shaped by the Ganga-Yamuna river system, ancient urban centres, Buddhism, medieval polities, the 1857 revolt, the freedom movement, agriculture, migration, and federal politics.
Capital
Lucknow
Population
19.98 Cr
Census of India 2011
Area
2,40,928 sq km
Census of India 2011
Literacy
67.7%
Census of India 2011
Districts
75
State Profile
Uttar Pradesh overview
Uttar Pradesh is a large north Indian state located mainly in the Indo-Gangetic plain, with Lucknow as capital and a historical geography shaped by the Ganga, Yamuna, doab lands, ancient cities, Buddhist sites, Awadhi and Braj culture, the 1857 revolt, agriculture, migration, and national politics.
Capital
Lucknow
Region
north
Population
19.98 Cr
Census of India 2011
Area
2,40,928 sq km
Census of India 2011
Snapshot
Quick facts
Core facts useful for prelims, maps, and state comparison.
- Capital
- Lucknow
- Largest city
- Lucknow
- Region
- north
- Population
- 19.98 CrCensus of India 2011
- Area
- 2,40,928 sq kmCensus of India 2011
- Languages
- Hindi, Urdu
Snapshot
Economy snapshot
A quick view of source-backed output, income, growth, and major sectors.
- Industries
- Agriculture, Sugar, MSME, Textiles
UPSC Focus
Why it matters
Important UPSC-relevant themes connected with this state.
- It has very high UPSC relevance for ancient history, early urbanisation, Buddhism, medieval history, the 1857 revolt, the national movement, and Indian cultural traditions.
- Its geography is a core case study for the Indo-Gangetic plain, alluvial soils, Ganga-Yamuna river systems, monsoon agriculture, floods, river pollution, and Bundelkhand water stress.
- Its population scale, rural base, social diversity, migration, urbanisation, and Lok Sabha importance make it central to federal politics, governance, social justice, and development debates.
UPSC Focus
Identity markers
Cultural, historical, geographical, or economic identifiers.
- The United Provinces was renamed Uttar Pradesh on 24 January 1950.
- Uttarakhand was carved out of undivided Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000.
- Lucknow is the capital; the state has a bicameral legislature.
- The Allahabad High Court has its principal seat at Prayagraj/Allahabad and a Bench at Lucknow; it traces its origin to 1866 at Agra and shifted to Allahabad in 1869.
- Important centres include Varanasi/Kashi, Ayodhya, Mathura-Vrindavan, Prayagraj, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Lucknow, Agra, Jhansi, Meerut, Kanpur, and Gorakhpur.