Jharkhand
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Where is Jharkhand located in India?
Jharkhand is a state in northeastern India, established in 2000 after a long struggle by the Adivasis Scheduled Tribes. It was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar. Jharkhand is bordered by Bihar to the north, West Bengal to the east, Odisha to the south, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Uttar Pradesh to the northwest. Its capital is Ranchi. The most prominent physical feature is the Chota Nagpur plateau, part of the Deccan plateau. The state is mostly rural, with dispersed villages, and the indigenous groups are concentrated in Ranchi, Dumka, and East and West Singhbhum districts.
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When did Jharkhand become a separate state?
Jharkhand, one of India’s newest states, was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. Statehood was the culmination of a long struggle carried on primarily by the Adivasis, or Scheduled Tribes. On November 15, 2000, after decades of growing discontent, especially on the part of the indigenous people, Chota Nagpur was separated from Bihar to become Jharkhand, the 28th state of India. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was formed in 1973 as a movement to spearhead what would become a decades-long effort to establish a separate Jharkhand state out of the existing Bihar state.
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What is the capital city of Jharkhand?
Ranchi is the capital city of Jharkhand, a state in northeastern India. Jharkhand was formed in 2000 after a long struggle by the Adivasis, or Scheduled Tribes, for independence from Bihar. Ranchi is an agricultural, trade, and industrial center with major road and rail connections. Industries include silk, shellac, and heavy machine tools. The city is located on the Ranchi Plateau and has scenic waterfalls.
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What are some important natural resources found in Jharkhand?
Jharkhand is rich in natural resources. It produces almost all of India's copper, kyanite, pyrite, and phosphate. The state is also a major producer of bauxite, mica, kaolin, other clays, and iron ore, with most of these minerals mined in the East and West Singhbhum districts. Coal is the most abundant mineral in Jharkhand, with the principal coalfields located in the Damodar River valley. More than 25% of Jharkhand is forested, with valuable hardwood sal trees. Bamboo and bhabar grass supply raw materials for paper manufacturing. The state is also home to Bengal tigers, leopards, elephants and bears.
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Which tribal communities live in Jharkhand?
In Jharkhand, nearly two-fifths of the population consists of indigenous peoples classified as Scheduled Tribes and members of the Scheduled Castes. The principal indigenous groups include the Santhal, Oraon, Munda, Kharia, and Ho, which constitute the majority of the total tribal population. These groups are mostly concentrated in the districts of Ranchi, Dumka, and East and West Singhbhum. Statehood for Jharkhand was the culmination of a long struggle carried on primarily by the Adivasis, or Scheduled Tribes.
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How do Jharkhand's industries and forests impact its environment and economy?
Jharkhand's industries and forests significantly influence its environment and economy. The state government has been actively involved in economic planning and development since the early 21st century, prioritizing sectors like information technology, agriculture, and local craft production. Traditional artisan-based cottage industries, particularly in districts such as Hazaribag and Jamshedpur, employ a significant portion of the manufacturing workforce, producing items like handloom products and bamboo items.
Forests cover more than a quarter of Jharkhand's land, with a high concentration on the Chota Nagpur plateau. These forests are a source of valuable hardwoods like sal and provide resources for industries such as sericulture and paper manufacturing. The forests are habitats for Bengal tigers, leopards and other mammals. However, coal mining in areas like Jharia, which began in 1894, has led to underground fires and poor safety conditions, impacting both the environment and the livelihoods of miners.
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Jharkhand, state of India, located in the northeastern part of the country. Jharkhand is bordered by the states of Bihar to the north, West Bengal to the east, Odisha to the south, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Uttar Pradesh to the northwest. Its capital is Ranchi.
Jharkhand, one of India’s newest states, was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. Statehood was the culmination of a long struggle carried on primarily by the Adivasis, or Scheduled Tribes (an official term applied primarily to indigenous communities that fall outside the predominant Indian caste hierarchy). Indian independence brought relatively little socioeconomic benefit to the people of the Jharkhand area, which led to widespread discontent with the Bihar administration, particularly among the tribal peoples. The tribal groups initiated a call for independence from Bihar, and in the 1980s they became militant in their demand. In the 1990s, the separation movement spread to nontribal communities, ultimately precipitating the creation of a new state. Area 28,833 square miles (74,677 square km). Pop. (2011) 32,966,238.
Land
Relief, drainage, and soils
The most prominent physical feature of Jharkhand is the Chota Nagpur plateau, part of the vast Deccan plateau that occupies most of peninsular India. Chota Nagpur, actually a series of plateaus, hills, and valleys, covers nearly the entire state and consists primarily of crystalline rocks. The main plateaus, Hazaribag and Ranchi, are separated by the faulted sedimentary coal-bearing basin of the Damodar River, and they average about 2,000 feet (610 metres) in elevation. In the west there are more than 300 dissected but flat-topped plateaus (called pats), many with elevations of more than 3,000 feet (900 metres). The highest point in Jharkhand is formed by the conical granite peak of Parasnath, which rises to 4,477 feet (1,365 metres) on the Hazaribag plateau; it is sacred in the Jain religion and to the Santhal people. Lowland plains flank the plateaus in the northwestern and northeastern parts of the state.
In addition to the Damodar River in the northeast, the state is drained by the Subarnarekha River in the southeast and by the Brahmani River in the south. A third major river, the Son, runs along much of the northwestern state boundary. The soil in the Damodar valley is sandy, but heavier red soils are typical of the plateau regions.
Climate
There are three well-defined seasons in Jharkhand. The cold-weather season, from November to February, is the most pleasant part of the year. High temperatures in Ranchi in December usually rise from about 50 °F (10 °C) into the low 70s F (low 20s C) daily. The hot-weather season lasts from March to mid-June. May, the hottest month, is characterized by daily high temperatures in the upper 90s F (about 37 °C) and low temperatures in the mid-70s F (mid-20s C). The season of the southwest monsoon, from mid-June to October, brings nearly all of the state’s annual rainfall, which ranges from about 40 inches (1,000 mm) in the west-central part of the state to more than 60 inches (1,500 mm) in the southwest. Rainfall on the plateau is generally heavier than on the plains. Nearly half of the annual precipitation falls in July and August.
Plant and animal life
More than one-fourth of Jharkhand’s land area is forested. Most forests occur on the Chota Nagpur plateau; those on the plain largely have been cleared to allow cultivation of the land. The natural vegetation is deciduous forest; Chota Nagpur is rich in sal (Shorea robusta), a valuable hardwood. Other trees include the asan (Terminalia tomentosa), the leaves of which provide food for the silkworms of the sericulture industry, as well as several trees that are important in the production of lac (a resinous substance used to make varnishes). The tree locally known as mahua (Madhuca longifolia) yields sweet edible flowers that are used to make liquor. Bamboo and bhabar (an Indian fibre grass; Ischaemum angustifolium) from Chota Nagpur supply raw materials for paper manufacture. Among the other common trees, most of which are found in the plain, are the banyan (Ficus benghalensis), Bo tree (or pipal; Ficus religiosa), and palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer).
The Hazaribag Wildlife Sanctuary is noted for its Bengal tigers. These endangered animals, along with leopards, elephants, and bears, inhabit only the more remote forests. Various species of small mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish are plentiful throughout the state.
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