Uttar Pradesh is a state in northern India. Its name means "Northern Provinces." Although Uttar Pradesh is only India's fourth largest state in area, it is the largest state in population.
About 75 per cent of Uttar Pradesh consists of plains, the rest being the Siwalik Hills and the Himalaya in the north and the Vindhya Hills and central plateau in the south. The great plain lies between two upland areas.

Uttar Pradesh is a land of many rivers and the alluvial soils found over two-thirds of the state are extremely fertile. There are few areas where the salt content in the soil is too high for successful cropping. Soils in the hills tend to be thin, stony, easily drained, and with much lower fertility.

Uttar Pradesh is one of the great historical and religious centres of India. The sacred Ganges (Ganga) River is the physical and spiritual life source of the region. Varanasi (Kashi or Benares), the holiest city in India, is where every devout Hindu hopes to die and be cremated. Mathura, south of Delhi, is regarded as the birthplace of the Hindu god Krishna.

Location and description. Uttar Pradesh is one of India's border states, sharing one-third of its northern boundary with Tibet and China and two-thirds with Nepal. The state shares internal borders with Himachal Pradesh in the northwest, and Haryana, the union territory of Delhi, and Rajasthan to the west. Madhya Pradesh lies to the south, and Bihar to the east.

Climate. Except for the mountain region, the whole state has a tropical monsoon climate. Winter (December to February) temperatures range from 7 °C minimum to 27 °C maximum. Summer (April to June) temperatures range from 22 °C minimum to 42 °C maximum, with occasional extremes of 45 °C. A hot, dry wind often blows from the west.

The monsoon lasts from mid-June to mid-September, during which time the maximum temperature drops a few degrees, humidity increases, and 80 per cent of the annual rain falls. The eastern parts of the state receive between 100 and 200 centimetres of rain per year. Rainfall in the west is less, with some places receiving under 50 centimetres per year.
In the mountainous region of the north, the high peaks are permanently under snow. The daily and seasonal temperatures in this region are lower than the rest of the state.