Rajasthan

Rajasthan, state in northwestern India, bordered on the north and northwest by Pakistan, on the northeast by Punjab state and Haryana state, on the east by Uttar Pradesh state, on the east and southeast by Madhya Pradesh state, and on the southwest by Gujarat state. Rajasthan covers an area of 342,239 sq km (132,139 sq mi).

Rajasthan means the abode of the rajas, and it was formerly known as Rajputana, the country of the Rajputs, or sons of rajas. Archaeological and historical evidence shows a continuous human habitation of the area dating back 100,000 years.

Rajasthan's economy is mainly agricultural; millet, wheat, maize (corn), and cotton are grown. Cotton mills and cement.industries produce textiles, chemicals, nylon, precision instruments, calcium carbide, and caustic soda. Handicrafts earn foreign exchange. Oil has been found in Rajasthan, and other mineral deposits include gypsum.

Major industrial towns are Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, and Kota.The capital is Jaipur. The population of Rajasthan includes Rajput, Bhil, Minas, and other ethnic groups.

Area 132,139 square miles (342,239 square km). Population. (1991) 43,880,640.