Himachal Pradesh

One of the states that can be found in the upper region of India is called Himachal Pradesh. One of the thirteen mountain states, it is distinguished by its location in the western Himalayas and its harsh topography, which includes a number of mountains of varying altitudes and a vast network of rivers. Himachal Pradesh is the most northern state in India. To the north, it is bordered by the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. To the west, it is bordered by the state of Punjab; to the southwest, it is bordered by the state of Haryana; to the southeast, it is bordered by Uttarakhand; and to the south, it shares a very small border with the state of Uttar Pradesh. In addition, there is a shared international boundary between this state and the Tibet Autonomous Region in China, which is located to the east. It is also known as Veer Bhoomi, which translates to "Land of Braves," and Dev Bhoomi, which means "Land of God." Himachal Pradesh is located in northern India.

Since prehistoric times, the largely hilly territory that now makes up the state of Himachal Pradesh has been inhabited by humans, having seen many waves of human migration from other parts of the world. The area was primarily controlled throughout much of its history by many small kingdoms, some of which acknowledged the suzerainty of more powerful empires. Before India gained its independence from the British, the mountainous areas that now make up Himachal Pradesh were a part of Punjab Province in British India. After the country gained its independence, several of the hilly regions were unified into what was then known as the Chief Commissioner's province of Himachal Pradesh. This province eventually evolved into a union territory. In 1966, mountainous regions of the neighbouring state of Punjab were included into Himachal Pradesh, and the state was finally given complete autonomy in 1971.

The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is made up of a number of valleys that are traversed by an abundance of perennial rivers. In this state, rural regions are home to around 90 percent of the total population. The state's economy relies heavily on many industries, including agriculture, horticulture, hydropower, and tourism. As of 2016, 99.5% of houses in this mountainous state have access to some kind of electrical power, making it almost entirely electrified. In 2016, the state was recognised as India's second state to be free of public urination and faeces. Himachal Pradesh has been identified as the least corrupt state in India by the CMS – India Corruption Study 2017 research group.