DEV BHOOMI

ABOUT HIMACHAL PRADESH

Himachal Pradesh is also known as Dev Bhoomi or Dev Bhumi, meaning 'Land of Gods' and Veer Bhoomi which means 'Land of the Brave'. Himachal Pradesh is a state that is divided into valleys that are traversed by several perennial rivers. The state's economy is largely based on tourism, hydropower, horticulture, and agriculture. As of 2016, 99.5% of houses in the hilly state had access to electricity, making electricity practically universal. In 2016, the state was designated as India's second state free of open defecation. Himachal Pradesh is the least corrupt state in India, per a 2017 CMS-India Corruption Study survey.

Geography

In the western Himalayas, Himachal is located between latitudes 30°22′N and 33°12′N and longitudes 75°47′E and 79°04′E. It is a mountainous state, encompassing 55,673 square kilometres (21,495 sq mi)[3]. The state's core regions are mostly formed by the Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal ranges of the smaller Himalayas, as well as their valleys. The Zanskar range runs through the northeastern portion of the state, while the great Himalayan range passes through the eastern and northern portions. Himachal Pradesh's western and southern regions are shaped by the Shiwalik range, or the outside Himalayas. The highest mountain peak in the state of Himachal Pradesh is Reo Purgyil, at 6,816 metres.

Flora and fauna

One of the states that is a part of the world's richest biological diversity reservoirs, the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), is Himachal Pradesh. As of 2002, many of the IHR's high-value gene stock is under jeopardy due to the large-scale, unreasonable exploitation of wild, medicinal herbs. Forty professionals from several disciplines attended a workshop on "Endangered Medicinal Plant Species in Himachal Pradesh" in 2002 as a means of addressing this issue.

There are about 463 species of birds in Himachal Pradesh, with Tragopan melanocephalus serving as the state bird.There are 80 fish, 44 reptile, and 77 mammals species.At the moment, Himachal Pradesh is home to five national parks.[35] The state's oldest and biggest national park, Great Himalayan National Park, is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The other national parks in the state are Simbalbara, Inderkilla, Khirganga, and Pin Valley National Park.[35][36][37]38 There are three conservation areas and thirty animal sanctuaries in the state.38 The Western tragopan, sometimes referred to as the jujurana locally, is the state bird of Himachal Pradesh.[39] It is among the world's rarest pheasants still in existence. The snow leopard, even uncommon than the jujurana, is the state animal.