Punjab, India

Punjab is a state in northern India that borders Pakistan. Constituting a part of the larger Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered to the north and northeast by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan to the south and southeast, the Indian union territory of Chandigarh to the southwest, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to the north, and the Indian state of Punjab to the east. Punjab, a province of Pakistan, has a western border with the country. The state has a total land area of 50,362 square kilometres (19,445 square miles), which accounts for 1.53 percent of India's total land surface. It is the 20th-largest state in India in terms of land area. Punjab is the 16th-largest state in terms of population, with more than 27 million residents spread over 23 districts. Punjabi, written in the Gurmukhi script, is the most frequently spoken and official language of the state. It is also the official language of the state. Punjabis are the majority ethnic group, with Sikhs and Hindus being the majority religious groupings. Chandigarh, the state capital and also the capital of the neighbouring state of Haryana, is a Union Territory and the state capital. Three of these rivers travel in India's Punjab, while the other two flow through Pakistan. The five tributaries of the Indus River from which the area derives its name are the Sutlej, Ravi, Beas, Chenab and Jhelum rivers; the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas rivers flow through Pakistan.

The Greater Punjab territory was taken by the British East India Company from the Sikh Empire in 1849, after the dissolution of the Sikh Empire. The Punjab Province of British India was partitioned along religious lines in 1947 as a result of widespread religious violence. The province was separated into two parts: West Punjab and East Punjab. Pakistan, with a Muslim majority, annexed the West Punjab, whilst India annexed the East Punjab, with a Hindu plurality. In 1966, with the success of the Punjabi Suba movement, the Indian Punjab and the PEPSU were separated into three groups based on linguistic differences. Haryana was founded from the Haryanvi and Hindi-speaking territories (including multiple dialects) whereas Himachal Pradesh was formed from the mountainous regions and Pahari-speaking parts, which were combined with the existing state of Punjab to form the current state of Punjab. During the 1980s, an insurgency erupted in the Punjab region. Punjab's economy is now the 15th-largest state economy in India, with a gross domestic product of 5.422 trillion rupees (US$72 billion) and a per capita GDP of 176,547 rupees (US$2,300), placing it in the 17th position among the country's states. Punjab has been largely an agricultural society since its independence. When it comes to human development index, it has the ninth-best position among Indian states. Punjab's tourist, music, culinary, and film industries are thriving, as is its film industry.