Skip over navigation
Reference Center
Encyclopedia
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Columbia Encyclopedia entry: Jharkhand
Jharkhand, state (2001 provisional pop. 26,909,428), 30,775 sq mi (79,714 sq km), E central India; created in 2000 from S Bihar, which now forms its northern border. Other bordering states are Chhattisgarh (W), West Bengal (E), and Orissa (S). The capital is Ranchi. Part of the Chotanagpur plateau and a generally hilly region, Jharkhand rises to its greatest height (4,480 ft/1,365 m) in the Parasnath Hills of the east and has two major rivers, the Damodar and the Sawarnrekha. The state is a great source of India's mineral wealth with about a third of the nation's coal deposits as well as quantities of copper, mica, bauxite, quartz, chromite, dolomite, titanium, uranium, gold, and many others. Iron ore is found in the south and is processed at steelworks in Jamshedpur and Bokaro. In addition, the state has mines, factories, and large timber reserves from the forests that cover nearly 30% of its area. Its arable land produces various kinds of fruits and vegetables. Despite these resources, by the beginning of the 21st cent. the state was underdeveloped. The population is characterized by a large number of non-Hindu tribal peoples, many of them from the aboriginal Santal group. A movement advocating the separation of this culturally distinct region from the state of Bihar began in the early years of the 20th cent., recurred a number of times, peaked during the 1980s, and sparked violence in the 1990s.

The Columbia Encyclopedia. Copyright © 2001-09 Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

Wikipedia search results for: Jharkhand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar state on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east of 28,833 sq mi. Indian cricket team captain M S Dhoni belongs to Jharkhand. The industrial city of Ranchi is its capital. Some of the other major cities and industrial centres are Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Sindri, Deoghar, Hazaribagh, Lohardaga and Gumla. The name "Jharkhand" comes from the Sanskrit word Jharikhanda, which is the ancient name of the region's dense...more »
Columbia Encyclopedia search results: Jharkhand
Results 1 - 10  of 10
  • Hazaribagh

    Hazaribagh or Hazaribag, town (1991 pop. 97,824), Jharkhand state, E central India. Located on the Chota Nagpur plateau, 2,000 ft (610 m) above sea level, the town is a district administrative...

  • Damodar

    Damodar, river, 370 mi (595 km) long, rising in Jharkhand state, E India, and flowing SE through West Bengal state to join the Hugli River below Kolkata (Calcutta). Its dams supply hydroelectr...

  • Ranchi

    Ranchi, city (1991 pop. 614,795), capital of Jharkhand state, E central India. It is a district administrative center and a health resort, 2,128 ft (647 m) above sea level, in a region of tea ...

  • Magadha

    Magadha, ancient Indian kingdom, situated within the area of the modern states of Bihar and Jharkhand. Its capital was Pataliputra (now Patna). The kingdom rose to prominence in the mid-7th ce...

  • Chandragupta

    Chandragupta (Chandragupta Maurya), fl. c.321 B.C.–c.298 B.C., Indian emperor, founder of the Maurya dynasty and grandfather of Asoka. He conquered the Magadha kingdom (in modern Bihar and Jha...

  • Bihar

    Bihar or Behar, state (2001 provisional pop. 82,878,796), 36,420 sq mi (94,328 sq km), E central India. Patna is the capital. Bihar is bounded by Nepal (N) and by Indian states—West Bengal (E)...

  • Bengal

    Bengal, region, 77,442 sq mi (200,575 sq km), E India and Bangladesh, on the Bay of Bengal. The inland section is mountainous, with peaks up to 12,000 ft (3,660 m) high in the northwest, but m...

  • Gupta

    Gupta, Indian dynasty, A.D. c.320–c.550, whose empire at its height encompassed much of N India. Ancient Indian culture reached a high point during this period. Gupta paintings adorned the cav...

  • India

    India, officially Republic of India, republic (2005 est pop. 1,080,264,000), 1,261,810 sq mi (3,268,090 sq km), S Asia. The second most populous country in the world, it is also sometimes call...

  • Bangladesh

    Bangladesh [Bengali,=Bengal nation], officially People's Republic of Bangladesh, republic (2005 est. pop. 144,320,000), 55,126 sq mi (142,776 sq km), S Asia. Bangladesh borders on the Bay of B...

Related Encyclopedia Matches

Toggle Results

Video Results

powered by Truveo
more video »
Toggle Results

Reference Center To Go

Get Dictionary at your fingertips!

Download the Toolbar Now
About This Page | Browse Directory | Tell Us What You Think
© 2009 ReferenceCenter.com. All Rights Reserved.