Madhya Pradesh

Relief

The elevation of Madhya Pradesh ranges from 300 to 3,900 feet (90 to 1,200 metres). In the northern part of the state the land rises generally from south to north, while in the southern part it increases in elevation toward the west. Important ranges of hills are the Vindhya Range, in the west, and its northern branch, the Kaimur Hills, both of which reach elevations of 1,500 feet (460 metres), and the Satpura, Mahadeo, and Maikala ranges, in the south, which have elevations of more than 3,000 feet (900 metres). The Dhupgarh Peak (4,429 feet [1,350 metres]), near Pachmarhi in south-central Madhya Pradesh, is the state’s highest point. Northwest of the Vindhya Range is the Malwa Plateau (1,650 to 2,000 feet [500 to 600 metres]). Other features include the Rewa Plateau, in the rugged eastern region of the Vindhya Range, the Bundelkhand Upland, north of the Vindhyas, the Madhya Bharat Plateau, in the extreme northwest, and the Baghelkhand Plateau, in the northeast.

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Drainage and soils

Madhya Pradesh contains the source of some of the most important rivers in the Indian peninsula: the Narmada, the Tapti (Tapi), the Mahanadi, and the Wainganga (a tributary of the Godavari). The Chambal forms the state’s northern border with Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Other rivers include tributaries of the Yamuna and the Son (itself a tributary of the Ganges [Ganga]).

Soils in Madhya Pradesh can be classified into two major groups. Fertile black soils are found in the Malwa Plateau, the Narmada valley, and parts of the Satpura Range. Less-fertile red-to-yellow soils are spread over much of eastern Madhya Pradesh.

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Climate

The climate in Madhya Pradesh is governed by a monsoon weather pattern. The distinct seasons are summer (March through May), winter (November through February), and the intervening rainy months of the southwest monsoon (June through September). The summer is hot, dry, and windy; in Bhopal, low temperatures average in the upper 70s F (about 25 °C), while high temperatures typically reach the low 100s F (about 40 °C). Winters are usually pleasant and dry, with daily temperatures normally rising from about 50° (about 10 °C) into the upper 70s F (about 25 °C). Temperatures during the monsoon season usually range from the low 70s F (low 20s C) to the upper 80s F (low 30s C).

The average annual rainfall is about 44 inches (1,100 mm). In general, precipitation decreases westward and northward, from 60 inches (1,500 mm) or more in the east to about 32 inches (800 mm) in the west. The Chambal valley in the north averages less than 30 inches (750 mm) of rainfall per year. Most parts of Madhya Pradesh receive almost all of their precipitation in the monsoon months; however, there is considerable rainfall over the northern part of the state in December and January.

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Plant and animal life

In the early 21st century, official statistics indicated that nearly one-third of the state’s total area was forested, but satellite imagery revealed the proportion to be closer to one-fifth. An even smaller percentage of Madhya Pradesh consists of permanent pasture or other grazing land. The main forested areas include the Vindhya Range, the Kaimur Hills, the Satpura and Maikala ranges, and the Baghelkhand Plateau. Among the state’s most notable trees are teak and sal (Shorea robusta), both of which are valuable hardwoods; bamboo; salai (Boswellia serrata), which yields a resin used for incense and medicine; and tendu, the leaves of which are used for rolling bidis (Indian cigarettes).

The forests abound in large mammals, such as tigers, panthers, bears, gaurs (wild cattle), and many types of deer, including chital (spotted deer), sambar, blackbucks, and the rare barasingha (swamp deer). The woodlands also are home to many species of birds. Madhya Pradesh has a number of national parks and many wildlife sanctuaries, of which the best known are Kanha National Park, in the southeastern part of the state, for the barasingha; Bandhavgarh National Park, in the east, for the endangered white tiger; and Shivpuri (Madhav) National Park, in the north, where there is a bird sanctuary. The Kanha National Park has a sanctuary for tigers, and the National Chambal Sanctuary (administered jointly with Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh), in the northwest, has been established for the conservation of (freshwater) Ganges river dolphins (Platanista gangetica), as well as crocodiles, gavials (crocodile-like reptiles), and various large terrestrial animals.

Population composition

About one-fifth of the people in Madhya Pradesh are officially classified as members of Scheduled Tribes (a category embracing indigenous peoples who fall outside the predominant Indian social hierarchy). Among the most prominent of these tribes are the Bhil, Baiga, Gond, Korku, Kol, Kamar, and Maria. Non-Scheduled peoples, who hold a higher status within the Indian social system, make up most of the remaining four-fifths of the state’s population.

Hindi, the official state language, is also the language most widely spoken in Madhya Pradesh. Eastern Hindi dialects, represented by Bagheli and Awadhi, are spoken in the southern and eastern parts of the state and in the upper Narmada River valley. Bundeli, a Western Hindi dialect, is spoken in the central and northwestern districts of Madhya Pradesh; Malvi, recognized by some as a Western Hindi dialect as well, is the speech of western Madhya Pradesh.

The second most important language in terms of the number of speakers is Marathi. Urdu, Oriya, Gujarati, and Punjabi are each spoken by sizable numbers. Also spoken are Telugu, Bengali, Tamil, and Malayalam. The Bhil speak Bhili, and the Gond speak Gondi.

Most of the people are Hindus. There are, however, significant minorities of Muslims, Jains, Christians, and Buddhists. There is also a small Sikh population.