Geographic and Socio-Economic Realities of Himachal Pradesh, Northwestern Himalaya

Abstract

Himachal Pradesh is situated in the north-western part of Himalaya, covering an area of 55,673 km 2 . Administratively, the state has been divided into 12 districts. Himachal Pradesh is a hill state, having wide variations in altitude ranging from plains to mountain peaks. Varying aspects and altitudes results into considerable variation in temperature and rainfall, soil, and vegetation, and cropping patterns of the state vary spatially because of altitude, aspect, slope and micro-climatic conditions. Most of the area of the state is drained by five major streams; i.e., Satluj, Beas, Chenab, Yamuna and Ravi. It is primarily an agrarian state where agriculture and horticulture are major economic activities. Tourism activities, both religious and adventurous, are another source of livelihoods in the state. The concentration of population is high in the southern plain area, while very sparse in the northern part of the state. The state is vulnerable to various hazards such as earthquakes, flash floods, avalanches, landslides, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), etc., due to active plate tectonic margins and altered climatic conditions.