State of India - Chhattisgarh

Area: 1,33,133 sq

Population: 17.6m

Capital Of City: Raipur

Languages:

Crops:

How You Know: The Gond tribals are the aboriginal inhabitants of Chhattisgarh.

History: Chattisgarh was formed on the 1st of November 2000 as the 26th state of India. The landlocked state was carved out of the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It shares boundaries with the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh besides Madhya Pradesh.Imagine a state which is not threatened by floods, drought, cyclones, or hurricanes and power shortage, and has unlimited miles of virgin forests with a controllable population of two crore. If proper attention is paid to its development, Chhattisgarh has the potential of becoming one of the richest states in the country. However despite being blessed with so much natural wealth the region is one of the most backward in the country. The extreme poverty of the region has been responsible for the spread of the extremist Naxalite movement in Chattisgarh. Out of the sixteen districts in the state at the time of its formation, seven were declared as Naxalite-affected areas. At the time of his appointment Ajit Jogi, the first Chief Minister of Chattisgarh said that his priority would be to improve the conditions of the drought affected people of the region who have been leaving Chattisgarh in droves in search of food and jobs. Known as a rice bowl and tribal heartland, Chattisgarh or 'The land of 36 tribes', is blessed with abundant natural resources and mineral wealth including diamond and gold mines. One-third of the state's population is tribal. The region's continued backwardness and cultural distinction from the rest of Madhya Pradesh was one of the main reasons for the demand for statehood.